Before these Root Organization ninjas could even touch so much as the hem of Uchiha Kyu's clothes, they were subjected to pain beyond ordinary imagination. Their bodies were crushed by irresistible spatial force and exploded on the spot.
Blood splattered everywhere. Death came silently.
The subordinates Danzo had brought were all elite ninjas from the Root Organization, yet they were wiped out in less than a minute by Uchiha Kyu.
"Bastard."
Danzo glared at Uchiha Kyu with a hateful expression. That pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, in particular, had scratched right at his heart.
He had lost nothing more than a few subordinates, but he was about to obtain a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
This deal was not a loss.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were utterly stunned. They had considered the possibility that Uchiha Kyu had a hidden trump card waiting for them, but they had never imagined he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"This..." Fugaku Uchiha wore an exceedingly complicated expression. Beneath his shock was a trace of relief, while his inner conflict carried a hint of regret.
"Is that all?"
The Mangekyō Sharingan in Uchiha Kyu's eyes radiated arrogance. He tilted his head slightly toward the people opposite him, his tone seemingly carrying a touch of dissatisfaction.
Space Crushing was one of his Mangekyō Sharingan abilities. There were not many people in the Shinobi World capable of resisting it.
But the use of power was essentially an equal exchange. The chakra and ocular power it consumed prevented him from using this power without restraint.
If he wanted to use it freely, he would have to evolve it into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Judging by the current progress bar, he still needed a little more time.
"Sarutobi, if you still refuse to act, Uchiha Kyu will become a disaster for all of Konoha."
"Before he fully grows, we must eradicate him completely."
Shimura Danzō swiftly moved to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side. If he wanted that pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, he still needed Hiruzen Sarutobi's help.
"And Fugaku Uchiha, now is the time to prove you were not involved. Act immediately and prove your innocence."
Shimura Danzō was more than happy to see the Uchiha Clan fight among themselves. So what if it was the Mangekyō Sharingan? With all of Konoha's strength gathered together, even the Mangekyō Sharingan would not be able to withstand it.
Fugaku Uchiha's expression grew even more conflicted at those words.
The fact that his son was being kept at the other man's side had already made it clear: once he acted, it would mean the other party would kill his hostage.
Fugaku Uchiha, who regarded Itachi as his pride, simply could not make a move.
"Fugaku, if it puts you in a difficult position, then forget it."
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Fugaku Uchiha and spoke a consoling sentence with feigned guilt.
Fugaku Uchiha fell for that completely. Filled with remorse, he hurriedly bowed. "Lord Third, please give the Uchiha a chance. This rebellion does not represent the entire Uchiha Clan."
"Kyu, you have gone too far this time."
Fugaku Uchiha looked at Uchiha Kyu with killing intent. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan seemed about to connect into one, but he ultimately restrained himself, unwilling to expose it and make Konoha even more suspicious of the Uchiha.
"Too far?"
"Cousin, aren't you at all curious why, after I have been fighting for so long, not a single person from the clan has come to notify you?"
Uchiha Kyu sneered faintly as he calculated the timing of Uchiha Kage's operation.
He was here to buy time for Uchiha Kage. That side was the true objective of this operation.
"Why?" Fugaku Uchiha's heart trembled. Could it be that the clan had secretly reached an agreement with Kyu behind his back?
Uchiha Kyu gave a cold laugh without explaining. "Of course, it is exactly what you think."
"Fugaku, stand down."
Seeing that Fugaku Uchiha's expression was off, Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly pulled him to the rear. Even if he could not make Fugaku Uchiha fight, he could not allow him to switch sides at the last moment.
"All ninjas, heed my command! Kill the rebels in this uprising, and there will be great rewards!"
The situation had left Hiruzen Sarutobi unable to hesitate any longer. Only by eliminating this man as quickly as possible could the village return to peace.
"Kill!!!"
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame."
Uchiha Kyu coolly formed hand seals with one hand. Terrifying Fire Release swept toward the enemy like raging heavenly flames, blotting out the sky.
"Water Release: Water Linked Wall."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had not expected the other man's Fire Release ninjutsu to be so terrifying. He instantly flashed forward and formed hand seals to counter it with Water Release.
Water and fire were incompatible, consuming one another as vast amounts of steam spread in every direction.
"Stay close. Don't fall behind."
Using the thick steam that had blanketed the surroundings, Uchiha Kyu swiftly glanced at the motionless night sky before leading Huo Uchiha and the others toward the forest behind them.
Shikaku Nara cried out, "Not good, they're trying to escape!"
"Danzo, take your men and pursue them that way. I'll go after them from this side."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no intention of letting them escape the village. He immediately ordered them to split up and widen the encirclement.
Danzo gave a cold snort and led part of Konoha's ninjas to flank them from the other direction.
"Clan Head, what should we do now?"
Huo Uchiha, who knew nothing of the operation's true objective, wore an anxious expression and seemed utterly at a loss.
Uchiha Kyu ignored him as he considered the possibility that Uchiha Kage's operation might fail.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had not appeared. That meant Uchiha Kage's squad had taken on additional risk.
According to his prior plan, he alone was supposed to keep both the Third and Fourth Hokage occupied. Of the Legendary Sannin, only Orochimaru remained in Konoha. The only people capable of threatening Uchiha Kage's squad were Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze.
Seeing that the clan head had not spoken, Uchiha Okamoto turned and comforted Huo Uchiha. "Don't worry. Just follow orders."
"This is all within the clan head's plan."
"I understand."
Huo Uchiha finally felt completely relieved. As long as the clan head had everything under control, even dying here in battle would be worthwhile.
"Captain, they've arrived."
From a hidden location outside the Sarutobi Clan Grounds, an Uchiha Jonin cautiously approached Uchiha Kage and reported on the mission's status.
Four figures clad in black robes patterned with red clouds silently appeared atop the treetops.
This plan was too massive to accomplish with their own people alone. Uchiha Kyu would naturally seek outside help.
"This is the reward for this mission. All three hundred million is in here."
Following the plan, Uchiha Kage handed the scroll containing three hundred million ryo to the purple-haired woman at the lead.
"Can we begin?"
Konan accepted the scroll expressionlessly, her voice incomparably cold.
"We can begin."
Uchiha Kage did not care about her attitude. All that mattered was completing the task the clan head had assigned.
An invisible, imperceptible barrier silently appeared outside the Sarutobi Clan Grounds.
Four S-rank missing-nin carried out an unrestrained slaughter within the Sarutobi Clan Grounds.
The night was at its darkest, filled with bloody shadows and flashing blades.
The Sarutobi Clan Grounds suffered a true bloodbath, with special attention given to the Sarutobi Clan's younger generation.
"These people are truly terrifyingly strong."
Watching this scene from the darkness, Uchiha Kage could not help but sigh.
No one could have imagined that the Uchiha Clan would be this mad. Uchiha Kyu had seized this opportunity to make a major move.
Konoha's foundations ran deep and could not be compared to a single clan. So they would begin by weakening Konoha's next generation. As one side declined and the other rose, Konoha would face a gap in its ranks.
Only then could the Uchiha Clan gain genuine breathing room and use force to break through the shackles imposed by Konoha's entrenched upper ranks.
The Naruto World was not very large. The most fertile lands and resources all lay under the Land of Fire's rule, while Konoha drew nourishment from the Land of Fire and grew stronger through it.
Leaving Konoha was not what Uchiha Kyu wanted. Only losers would think of leading their entire clan in rebellion and flight.
Not to mention that the Uchiha Clan was one of Konoha's founders. The Senju Clan existed in name only, so the Uchiha Clan should rightfully control Konoha.
Before you continue