The Rebound of Mind Body Switch, and the New Clan Head's Name!

Lu Ming looked down at Danzo.

"You thought I'd come with you into this rat hole without any precautions?"

"I knew getting close to Naruto would bring the probing and suppression of an old dog like you. Every member of the Temple had been standing by here all along!"

He paused.

"As for my family, Uchiha Shisui, who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, is personally protecting them right now."

"With the rotten trash under your command, you think you can lay a finger on them?"

Danzo took half a step back. The weakness he had thought he could use to control Lu Ming had already been anticipated by his opponent!

Lu Ming pressed down harder with his palm.

"Urgh!"

Danzo let out a muffled groan.

"Prick up your dog ears and listen carefully."

Lu Ming's tone grew heavier.

"If my family suffers even the slightest harm, even if they only lose a layer of skin."

"I swear I'll make every last person in Root, along with everyone in the Shimura clan, perish without even a chicken or dog left alive, to be buried with them!"

Killing intent mixed with Conqueror's Haki swept across the entire area.

Hearing Lu Ming's words, the Three Tomoe in the eyes of the forty-three Temple elites around them began to spin rapidly.

"We swear to follow the Clan Head unto death! If anyone dares harm your family, we will tear them to pieces!"

Tekka Uchiha and the others roared in unison, their terrifying killing intent locking onto every Root ninja present.

The Root ninjas retreated again and again, lowering their heads to avoid their gazes.

Danzo was shaken by this momentum, but he was an old fox who had held power for years. How could he possibly admit defeat so easily?

"Uchiha Lu Ming!"

Danzo clutched his shoulder and spoke.

"You brought a large number of clan members into a vital Konoha site without authorization, and you even dared threaten the higher-ups in public."

"You intend to stage an armed rebellion. Just like before, your Uchiha Clan is inherently evil and intends to betray Konoha!"

Faced with this accusation, Lu Ming removed his hand from Danzo's shoulder.

"Betrayal? Don't throw mud at us."

Lu Ming's voice rang like a bell, echoing through the underground space.

"We Uchiha are one of Konoha's founding clans."

"Every inch of this village's land bears the blood and sweat of our ancestors! We will not betray Konoha!"

Lu Ming surveyed the Root Base around him.

"However, the roots of Konoha's great tree have completely rotted and stunk, while its branches and leaves are covered in poisonous tumors."

"As its masters, we have the responsibility and obligation to clear away these rotten roots and branches!"

Lu Ming was telling Danzo plainly: the Uchiha would not defect. Instead, they would openly keep this rotten Root in check!

Danzo tightened his grip on his cane.

If he could not crush Lu Ming here today, Root would never know peace again!

At that moment, Danzo silently calculated. Using the motion of rising to his feet as cover, he made a gesture beneath his wide sleeve toward Fū Yamanaka, who was hiding in a blind spot.

Fū Yamanaka in the shadows immediately understood.

As a top expert of the Yamanaka Clan and one of Root's core elites, Fū Yamanaka had complete confidence in his spiritual secret technique.

As long as he caught an opening, even a Kage Level expert would have their body seized by him!

"Now!"

Fū Yamanaka rapidly formed hand seals, his eyes locking onto Lu Ming.

"Mind Body Switch Technique!"

Whoosh!

Powerful spiritual energy left Fū Yamanaka's body and shot straight toward Lu Ming's brow!

"Got him!"

Fū Yamanaka's spiritual body successfully invaded Lu Ming's mind.

The moment Fū Yamanaka's spiritual body entered Lu Ming's mental world, he froze.

How was this a normal person's mental world?!

It was a hell of destruction completely shrouded in black-red lightning.

In the sky, a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan radiating endless divine might stared down at him.

Overwhelming spiritual power filled every corner.

"W-What kind of monster is this?!"

Fū Yamanaka's spiritual body was unable to move beneath that pressure.

"A mere Fire Fly dares cause trouble in my mental world?"

Lu Ming's majestic voice echoed through the entire mental world.

"Get out!"

Lu Ming's terrifying spiritual power, far beyond that of an ordinary person, combined with the Mangekyō Sharingan's control over genjutsu and became a destructive spiritual storm that brutally crushed Fū Yamanaka's spiritual body!

"No—!!!"

In the real world.

Fū Yamanaka, who had been hidden in the shadows and maintaining his casting posture, let out a miserable scream!

His eyes rolled back. Black blood poured from his nostrils, ears, and eye sockets at the same time. His entire body flew backward, smashed heavily into the rock wall, then slid to the ground, his fate unknown!

Instant kill!

No one had even seen how Lu Ming had made his move!

"Fū!"

Torune Aburame, standing not far away, stepped forward. He had never imagined that Fū Yamanaka's impossible-to-guard-against secret technique would backlash and leave him severely injured!

The Root ninjas stopped moving as they looked at Fū Yamanaka, bleeding from all seven orifices.

Danzo took a step back.

Fū Yamanaka was one of his strongest trump cards, yet he had been crippled without even touching the corner of Lu Ming's clothes!

"This monster... cannot be allowed to live!"

Danzo clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and grabbed the bandages on his left arm.

Rip!

Danzo prepared to unwrap the bandages and use the ultimate trump card he had hidden deepest away. Even if it meant mutual destruction, he would leave Lu Ming here!

At that critical moment.

A deafening crash came from the ruined dome of the Root Base!

Amid a storm of dust and shattered stone, a large number of Konoha ANBU ninjas clad in black bodysuits and animal masks descended from above, surrounding everyone at the scene!

There were an enormous number of ANBU, and their presence was completely different from Root's.

Escorted by the mass of ANBU, an elderly figure in black combat gear descended into the very center of the scene, holding an Adamantine Staff.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had appeared in person!

"Everyone, stop!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the Adamantine Staff heavily into the ground, an awe-inspiring and terrifying aura radiating from his body.

The standoff had escalated to its peak.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi personally arrive with reinforcements, Danzo's left hand froze in midair as it gripped the bandages.

He had never expected Hiruzen to arrive so quickly!

Time rewound to fifteen minutes earlier.

Inside the Hokage Office on the top floor of the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, frowning as he smoked his pipe.

"Swish!"

An ANBU squad captain knelt on one knee before the desk and urgently reported.

"Lord Hokage, urgent intelligence! A large number of elite Uchiha Clan ninjas who have activated their Sharingan have suddenly left the clan district and are rapidly moving into the village!"

"What?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi rose to his feet, nearly dropping his pipe.

"What are they trying to do? Has the coup begun ahead of schedule?!"

"No!"

The ANBU squad captain swallowed.

"Their target is... Root's underground base."

"Our emergency investigation has revealed that just moments ago, Lord Danzo dispatched Root elites to forcibly take away Uchiha Lu Ming!"

"Danzo, that idiot!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slapped the desk, cracking the solid wood surface.

He knew all too well how sensitive the situation was.

The Uchiha were already on the verge of erupting. For Danzo to forcibly take away Lu Ming, who held tremendous prestige within the Uchiha, at a time like this was no different from adding fuel to the fire!

"Gather all ANBU elites and follow me to Root!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted, grabbing the combat gear hanging on the wall as he prepared to depart.

At that moment.

Creak—

The heavy wooden door to the Hokage Office was slowly pushed open from outside.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and several ANBU turned their heads at the same time.

Uchiha Fugaku entered the Hokage Office, dressed in formal traditional robes and walking with steady steps.

"Fugaku? You came at the right time!"

Seeing Fugaku, Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly said.

"Quickly order your clansmen to stop. I'll personally handle Danzo's side. I won't let anything happen to Lu Ming. Whatever you do, don't start a civil war!"

However, despite Hiruzen Sarutobi's urgency.

Uchiha Fugaku did not issue any order to withdraw.

He looked at the Third Hokage, who had ruled Konoha for decades.

"Lord Third, you misunderstand."

Fugaku stood before the desk.

"I did not come here today to discuss how to calm this incident."

Meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, Fugaku made a formal declaration.

"I came today to formally notify you. One hour ago, I stepped down as the Uchiha Clan Head and as chief of the Military Police Force."

"From today onward, Uchiha Lu Ming will succeed as the new Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan!"