The encirclement

Sure enough, Shisui Uchiha was taken straight to Root's base.

Root's base was top secret to ordinary people, but among Jōnin, especially those from prominent clans, its location was practically common knowledge.

When Shisui Uchiha was brought into a secret chamber and saw Shimura Danzō, he was not surprised in the slightest.

As long as Danzo showed no hostility, Shisui Uchiha still had to show him outward respect. Shisui bent slightly at the waist in a simple bow. "Greetings, Lord Danzo."

Shimura Danzō merely nodded and got straight to the point. "Shisui Uchiha, I was the one who summoned you this time."

Shisui Uchiha had not expected Danzo to be so direct and paused in surprise. "May I ask what you wanted to see me about, Lord Danzo? There was really no need to invoke the Third Hokage's name. Had I known you wished to summon me, I would certainly have come."

Danzo remained unmoved by Shisui's words. After so many years stirring up trouble from the shadows, his resolve had long since surpassed that of ordinary people. Whether Shisui spoke the truth or lied did not matter, as long as Danzo achieved his goal.

"I was away for a while and only recently returned. My subordinates told me you came looking for me earlier. I summoned you to ask what you wanted."

Hearing Danzo's words, Shisui Uchiha hesitated, then abandoned the idea of using Kotoamatsukami on him. His Mangekyō Sharingan had already been exposed, so Shimura Danzō must have prepared for it. There were almost certainly Hyuga Clan members and sensory ninja watching him from the shadows.

Shisui Uchiha decided to follow Qiushan's plan.

Shisui Uchiha lowered his eyes slightly, concealing his emotions. "I came to visit you because I believe my abilities are fairly good, and I wished to ask whether I could serve you."

This was not what Shimura Danzō had expected to hear, and a note of surprise entered his voice. "Oh? You actually wish to serve me? I believe you've heard what sort of man I am. Give me a reason for wanting to serve me."

Qiu Shan Uchiha had already prepared a reason for Shisui. Danzo would never agree anyway. "Lately, the Uchiha Clan has been struggling in the village, and our relations with it have remained strained. You are an adviser to Konoha, Lord Danzo, as well as a close friend of the Third Hokage. I hope you can mediate and ease the conflict between the Uchiha and the village."

Shimura Danzō found Shisui Uchiha's words rather amusing. Did he not know that Shimura Danzō himself deserved some of the credit for the Uchiha's predicament in the village? Still, there was no reason to turn down free labor that came knocking. Once Shisui was in his hands, he could deal with him however he pleased.

Shimura Danzō agreed. "That can be arranged. Someone take Shisui Uchiha to receive the Cursed Seal."

But at Danzo's words, Shisui Uchiha took a step back. "Lord Danzo, what do you mean?"

Seeing Shisui's reaction, Shimura Danzō's expression darkened. "What, have you changed your mind? You no longer wish to serve me? Think carefully about the consequences of making a fool of me."

Shisui Uchiha was not intimidated by Danzo. "I can serve you, but I must decline the Cursed Seal. If the Uchiha Clan's leader and elders learned that such a seal had been placed on me, they would likely consider me a disgrace and expel me from the clan outright."

Shisui's words only angered Shimura Danzō further. "And you claim you aren't making a fool of me? Everyone who joins Root must receive the Cursed Seal. Do you think you alone should be an exception?"

Shisui Uchiha remained standing straight. "I heard that Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, was once a member of Root. Did Lord Orochimaru have to receive the Cursed Seal as well?"

Danzo laughed in fury at Shisui's words. "Who do you think you are, comparing yourself to Orochimaru?"

Shisui Uchiha did not get angry. Instead, he activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and stared at Danzo. At the same time, an oppressive aura backed by immense chakra and superhuman mental power surged toward him. "My strength speaks for itself!"

Feeling Shisui's powerful aura, Shimura Danzō stopped underestimating him, but he was not frightened. He had seen far too many powerful shinobi. In more recent times, there were the Third Hokage, the demigod Hanzo of the Salamander, the Sannin, and others. Further back, there were the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and his own teacher, Tobirama Senju. All of them were far stronger than Shisui Uchiha.

Instead, he studied Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan. "So these are the eyes Madara Uchiha once possessed-the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Shisui Uchiha nodded. "Yes. This is our Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan. With these eyes, given enough time, I will definitely surpass Orochimaru and reach peak Kage level."

Shimura Danzō shook his head at Shisui Uchiha's words. "You merely have the potential to become powerful. You have not yet become someone as strong as Orochimaru. So if you wish to serve me and have me help you, you must still receive the Cursed Seal."

Shisui Uchiha sighed inwardly. If he could remain at Shimura Danzō's side without accepting the Cursed Seal, he would have plenty of opportunities to use Kotoamatsukami. If he accepted the seal, however, he would be under Danzo's control. Danzo had also long coveted the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan. If he then tried to steal Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, Shisui would have no way to stop him.

At that thought, Shisui Uchiha shook his head. "Lord Danzo, under no circumstances can I accept your Cursed Seal. In that case, there is nothing more I can do."

As he spoke, Shisui Uchiha raised his guard and slowly moved toward the door.

Seeing that Shisui Uchiha intended to leave, Shimura Danzō had no intention of letting such a prize slip through his fingers. A vicious smile spread across his face. "You want to leave, Shisui Uchiha? Do you think this is somewhere you can come and go as you please? I'm afraid it's too late to leave now. Attack!"

The moment Shimura Danzō finished speaking, Shisui discovered that more than a dozen people had surrounded him. Alarmed, he immediately formed hand seals and unleashed a ninjutsu. "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Technique!"

Shisui Uchiha lived up to his reputation as a renowned genius of the Uchiha Clan. In a situation like this, he had to use a ninjutsu with a wide destructive range to break the encirclement before he could escape.

Faced with the Uchiha Clan's wide-ranging Fire Release, even Root members, who were supposedly devoid of emotion, had no choice but to evade it for the moment. They scattered out of the way.

Danzo, however, did not care in the slightest. He had already made preparations when Shisui Uchiha arrived. Those surrounding Shisui were merely a distraction.

Just as Shisui Uchiha was about to escape the encirclement, he sensed that something was wrong.