Konoha was unusually quiet at night. The Security Force headquarters was brightly lit. On the roof, Fugaku's Shadow Clone sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, resting.
Every so often, he opened his eyes, and his crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan swept across Konoha.
Fugaku himself sped through the land outside Konoha. Root's exit beyond the village lay in a well-hidden cave.
Nothing about it looked unusual. With the war over, large numbers of Root members had returned, and security inside the base was bound to be tight.
Fugaku entered the cave without hesitation. His Mangekyo Sharingan rotated slowly, bringing everything inside into clear view.
Beyond the abandoned cave lay Root's headquarters. It had changed little since he had entered it a year ago.
Root had not yet regained its former strength, and there were few Ninja on patrol.
Even before he reached the heart of the base, he could faintly hear Danzo roaring.
Root occupied a vast area, all of it under Danzo's command. Here, he could vent his frustrations without restraint or fear that anyone would spread word of them.
The Tongue-Cutting Root Severing Technique ensured that no one in Root could betray any information about him.
For a man as ambitious as Danzo, having his path to power cut off hurt more than being killed.
Danzo still dreamed of swallowing up the Five Great Nations. Despite lacking the strength to do it, he kept imagining he could unite the Shinobi World through underhanded schemes.
Fugaku moved forward slowly and finally reached the hall of Root's Underground Base. An office stood off to one side. It was where Danzo worked.
Two Root members wearing animal masks stood at the entrance. Fugaku approached, pressed his ear to the door, and listened carefully to the conversation inside.
"Lord Danzo, Fugaku Uchiha has been