"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Uchiha Tieyue darted through the dense forest outside the village, completely unaware of the upheaval unfolding within Konoha.
Meanwhile, inside the Root base—
In the dim underground chamber, the air seemed frozen solid. Uchiha Shanhuo and the others stood rigidly like statues, Uchiha Chuan and Kushina Uzumaki's earth-shattering long-distance exchange still echoing in their ears. The voices had struck like thunder, leaving their minds reeling. Not only Shanhuo—even the members of the Uchiha Extreme Hardliners, renowned for their coldness, had undergone drastic changes in expression. The Three Tomoe in their Sharingan spun wildly, reflecting the raging waves in their hearts.
"Uchiha Chuan... He actually dared to publicly support a Jinchuriki running for Hokage?!" An ominous-looking Uchiha ninja spoke hoarsely, his fingers unconsciously clenching as his nails dug deep into his palm.
"Bullshit!" Another ninja smashed the stone table beside him with a single blow. Rubble sprayed everywhere, gouging several cracks into the wall. "How could that coward dare?! A mere Jinchuriki is nothing more than a tool raised by the village. How could she possibly be mentioned in the same breath as Lord Danzo?!"
"He's gambling with the lives, futures, and even honor of us Uchiha!" The third ninja roared hysterically, veins bulging across his neck like twisted dragons. The Three Tomoe in his eyes nearly seemed ready to bleed. "We absolutely cannot stand by and do nothing!"
"We must support Lord Danzo's bid for Hokage!" someone echoed sharply. "Only Lord Danzo can lead us in reclaiming the Uchiha's authority! Otherwise, our clan will sooner or later be utterly ruined by that traitor, Uchiha Chuan!"
Fear, rage, humiliated fury—their emotions were like a powder keg set alight, and in an incredibly short time, they had completed their fanatical conversion to Shimura Danzō. The loyalty in their eyes no