Defecting from the Village

"Die, you old dog!"

With that, Qiu Shan Uchiha activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, and the chakra inside him surged violently. Fighting through the pain in his eyes, Qiushan shouted,

"Susanoo!"

At that instant, enormous black-purple bones wreathed in what looked like purple flames erupted around Qiu Shan Uchiha. They joined together into a complete, gigantic human skeleton, enclosing him within it.

Muscle and skin then grew over the bones, transforming the towering skeleton into a giant whose very appearance struck fear into anyone who saw it.

Finally, black-purple armor covered the giant, and a massive long sword appeared in its hand. A faint purple glow radiated from its entire body. Under the terrified gazes of the onlookers, the giant swung its sword straight at Danzo and his men. With a deafening roar, they were obliterated before they even had time to react.

Just then, Shimura Danzō suddenly appeared without warning atop the ruins the sword had just created. He did not even look disheveled, let alone injured.

But the moment Shimura Danzō appeared, he fled into the distance without the slightest hesitation.

Qiu Shan Uchiha froze briefly when he saw Shimura Danzō reappear unharmed. Then, as though remembering something, he clicked his tongue in irritation, but did not pursue him. Killing him once in a fit of rage was one thing, but chasing him down afterward would mean an outright break with the Third Hokage.

Konoha's higher-ups all knew that Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and his adviser, Shimura Danzō, were inseparable buddies. As far as Hiruzen Sarutobi was concerned, you could kill his wife, but you could not kill his best buddy Shimura Danzō.

The Third Hokage and Danzo had practically been close friends and brothers since childhood. Although Shimura Danzō had his own selfish motives for establishing Root, there was no denying that Root had quietly resolved many unspeakable problems for the Third Hokage. That was why his expression had changed when Qiu Shan Uchiha's Susanoo killed Danzo with a single slash. Only after seeing Shimura Danzō survive did his expression ease somewhat.

Watching Shimura Danzō's fleeing figure grow ever more distant, Qiu Shan Uchiha fought back the urge to slash at him again. He turned back and looked down at the crowd standing beneath his Susanoo, slowly dispelling the divine power of his Mangekyō Sharingan. As the Susanoo dissolved, Qiu Shan Uchiha used its lingering power to drift gently to the ground. To the onlookers, he looked like a banished immortal descending into the mortal world.

When they saw Qiu Shan Uchiha's distinctive yet soul-stirring Sharingan again, they could not help recalling the unstoppable slash his giant had just unleashed, and involuntarily edged several steps farther away from him.

Once Qiu Shan Uchiha landed and steadied himself, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward and walked toward him. Seeing the Third Hokage approach Qiushan, the members of the Uchiha Clan, including Uchiha Fugaku and the clansmen he had brought, hurried to gather behind Qiu Shan Uchiha. Without intending to, they formed a standoff against the Third Hokage and his party.

The Third Hokage felt no displeasure at this. First, the Uchiha had just lost a prodigy, Shisui Uchiha, and Danzo was inextricably linked to his death. Second, Qiu Shan Uchiha had just demonstrated his overwhelming power. In the shinobi world, power was authority. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had founded the shinobi world's first ninja village through their own unstoppable strength.

When Qiu Shan Uchiha saw the Third Hokage approach, he showed no hostility. He merely greeted him with lingering resentment. "Greetings, Lord Third Hokage."

The Third Hokage had no intention of faulting Qiu Shan Uchiha for his attitude. Everyone lost their temper sometimes, and Danzo had gone too far this time.

The Third Hokage gazed at Qiu Shan Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan with a sigh of emotion, then suddenly thought of Shisui Uchiha. Ah, what a good child. Not only did he possess eyes similar to this man's, he was also the perfect successor to Kagami Uchiha's Will of Fire. With proper training, he could have grown strong enough to rival this Qiu Shan Uchiha. Who would have thought Danzo would get him killed out of nowhere?

That thought made the Third Hokage feel even worse. Looking at the anger and grief on Qiu Shan Uchiha's face and those of the Uchiha clansmen behind him, he immediately removed his Hokage hat, held it against his chest, and bowed deeply to them.

The Uchiha were startled to see the normally lofty Lord Hokage actually bow to them. They did not know what to do, but the anger on their faces had already vanished without a trace.

After bowing, the Third Hokage said sorrowfully, "Ah, I'm deeply sorry about what happened to Shisui Uchiha. As the village's leader, I failed to keep Danzo in check and allowed him to act recklessly. Rest assured, I will give you an answer."

Then he sighed again. "Shisui was also a descendant of my old friend, Kagami Uchiha. You could say I watched him grow up. He was almost like my own child. To think he would meet such a tragic end at such a young age. Ah..."

As he spoke, the Third Hokage also thought of his eldest son and daughter-in-law, who had died young as well, leaving behind a newborn child. His wife, Biwako, had also lost her life during the Night of the Nine-Tails.

While speaking, the Third Hokage could not help walking over to Shisui Uchiha's body. He bent down and gently stroked Shisui's young face, his heart filled with grief and reluctance to let him go.

Then he straightened and addressed the Uchiha solemnly. "Shimura Danzō has gone far too far this time. I will remove him from his positions as Root's leader and Konoha's adviser. I will also hold a grand funeral for Shisui Uchiha and compensate his family and the Uchiha Clan. Think it over. Is there anything else you wish to ask for?"

Hearing this, Qiu Shan Uchiha knew that the opportunity he had painstakingly plotted for had arrived: a chance for the Uchiha Clan to leave Konoha. As long as he seized this opportunity and led the clan out, he would be as free as a bird in the boundless sky or a fish in the vast sea.

Qiu Shan Uchiha looked gravely at the Third Hokage opposite him and said solemnly, enunciating every word, "After what happened, we feel deeply unsafe. And our Uchiha Clan has not been getting along very well with the village. We Uchiha have decided to relinquish our duties in the Konoha Security Bureau and move out of Konoha."

The Third Hokage was taken aback by Qiu Shan Uchiha's words. He had never expected the Uchiha to make such a demand. His expression grew grave, and he asked with his brows tightly furrowed, "Does your Uchiha Clan intend to defect from the village?"