All Three Tomoe?!

Dust and smoke filled the shattered dome of Root Base.

Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi landed heavily, Adamantine Staff in hand, surrounded by elite ANBU.

The moment he steadied himself, his gaze swept the scene.

When he saw the young man standing amid the ruins, his breath caught.

The Mangekyō Sharingan!

Three black blades, their tips joined to their hilts, revolved in Ren's eyes.

"It really is the Mangekyō..."

Veins bulged on the back of Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand as he gripped his staff. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Hearing Fugaku's report in the Hokage Office had been one thing. Seeing it for himself was another.

That chilling Chakra was even more violent than the aura he had felt during the Nine-Tails' Attack!

But that was far from the only thing that horrified Hiruzen Sarutobi.

His gaze passed over Ren and fell on the young people behind him, all dressed in matching dark combat uniforms.

Forty-three of them!

In the underground chamber, forty-three pairs of scarlet eyes lit up. Three Tomoe revolved in every pair!

"Gulp..."

Behind the Third Hokage, several dozen elite ANBU struggled to swallow.

"You've got to be kidding... They all have Three Tomoe?!"

An ANBU squad captain's eyes widened behind his mask. The hand gripping his Ninja Blade trembled.

"And they're all under twenty! Their potential... it's terrifying!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's scalp prickled, and his head swam.

After decades as Konoha's Hokage, he knew the Uchiha Clan's strength all too well.

In the past, the entire Uchiha Clan had possessed no more than ten or twenty elite members with Three Tomoe. Even that had made them Konoha's foremost clan.

Yet now, Ren had brought nothing more than a supposed "Temple" guard, and it contained forty-three young elites with Three Tomoe!

That number far exceeded the clan's total in any previous era!

Fighting spirit radiated from them. At a word from Ren, they would tear all of Root to pieces without hesitation!

Ren's Mangekyō, Fugaku's and Shisui's Mangekyō, and this force of young Three Tomoe wielders with such astonishing strength and potential...

This force could overturn all of Konoha! Cold sweat soaked Hiruzen Sarutobi's back.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi reeled from the shock, Shimura Danzō saw the Third Hokage arrive with a large force of ANBU. Wild delight flashed in his eye.

"Hiruzen! You're just in time!"

Danzo endured the pain of his severed wrist and staggered to his feet with his guards' help. Certain Hiruzen Sarutobi had come to back him up, he regained his nerve.

"Uchiha Ren has no respect for his elders. He led a large armed force into Root's restricted base, injured me, and seriously wounded Fū Yamanaka."

"This is an open challenge to the village's authority! He intends to launch an armed rebellion!"

Malice filled Danzo's lone eye as he pointed at Ren and shouted,

"Hiruzen, order ANBU and Root to join forces."

"We must round up every last one of these inherently evil Uchiha remnants today! We cannot let them leave here alive!"

At Danzo's call, the Root ninjas tightened their grips on their weapons, ready to join ANBU in the assault.

But then—

"Shut up!!!"

The roar rang through the underground chamber.

The speaker was none other than Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Danzo froze.

The Root ninjas and elite ANBU around him froze too.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at Danzo, eyes wide.

"Hiruzen, you..." Danzo looked baffled and started to speak.

"I said shut up! Can't you understand that, Danzo?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off, his voice stern.

"The Uchiha Clan helped found Konoha. Ren and his people are Konoha ninjas—our valued comrades."

"What nonsense are you spouting about armed rebellion?"

An uproar swept the chamber.

The ANBU ninjas exchanged stunned looks. The Root ninjas stood as though struck by lightning.

No one had expected the Third Hokage, who had always shared an understanding with Danzo on the Uchiha question, to rebuke him so harshly in public—or to call the Uchiha "valued comrades" himself!

His attitude had turned completely around!

Danzo's lone eye bulged in disbelief.

"Hiruzen! Have you lost your mind? They're—"

"Enough, you reckless fool!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook with anger. He wanted to beat the old fool to death with his staff for making everything worse.

Are you blind? Can't you see the Mangekyō in Ren's eyes?

Can't you see those forty-three pairs of Three Tomoe? Provoke them now, and Konoha could be destroyed!

Hiruzen Sarutobi forced down his anger.

He turned to face the chamber. Chakra carried his voice into every corner.

"Everyone, listen!"

With a solemn expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi announced,

"An hour ago, Fugaku Uchiha voluntarily stepped down."

"As of now, Uchiha Ren has officially succeeded him as Clan Leader of the Uchiha Clan! He also serves as head of the Konoha Military Police Force!"

The news sent shockwaves through the crowd.

"What?!"

Danzo stood rooted to the spot as though struck by lightning, his aged face turning white as paper.

"Clan Leader? Head of the Military Police Force?!"

Danzo's lips trembled violently. Disbelief filled his lone eye.

"That coward Fugaku stepped down now? How is that possible?"

The Root ninjas were scared witless. Their legs went weak.

The man they had just attacked was no ordinary Uchiha prodigy. He was the current Clan Leader of the Uchiha Clan and head of the Military Police Force—one of the Konoha Leadership!

For Root to detain a clan leader by force, much less attempt to kill him, was a grave crime that could plunge the village into civil war!

"It's over... What kind of person have we crossed?"

The elite Root ninjas who had been shouting for Ren's capture moments ago could barely hold their blades.

After delivering the momentous news, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Ren.

Before the stunned crowd, the old man who had ruled Konoha for decades lowered his head slightly, making himself as humble as he could.

"Clan Leader Ren."

Bitterness and helplessness seeped into Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice.

"What happened tonight was a complete misunderstanding."

"Danzo has spent years in Root and is out of touch. He didn't know you had succeeded as Clan Leader and head of the Military Police Force."

"He acted rashly and gave great offense. On behalf of the village, I offer you my sincere apology."

The Third Hokage himself had apologized to a young man in public!

Everyone present drew a sharp breath at the sight.

Ren's expression did not change at the Third Hokage's humble apology.

The Mangekyō Sharingan faded from his eyes, leaving them black again. He looked coldly at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo.

"A misunderstanding? He didn't know?"

Ren gave a scornful laugh.

"Third Hokage, even if I were just an ordinary member of the Uchiha Clan, would Root have the right to abduct me on the road without any investigation, or even try to kill me?"