Fight! Fight!

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, how could he not know about the secret technique Izanagi?!

But by the time Shisui realized what trick Danzo had used, it was already too late.

After all, Danzo's hand was already reaching for him, clearly aiming to seize his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Suddenly, the things Bai Ye had told him flashed through his mind.

Perhaps... Bai Ye really was right!

The last shred of hope Shisui had clung to finally burst like a bubble.

It really was laughable, now that he thought about it!

He had actually doubted Bai Ye before, thinking he was being alarmist.

He had believed that Danzo and the others would at least abide by some rules.

But now, he knew he had been utterly wrong.

"Got it!!!"

Seeing that Shisui could no longer react in time, Danzo made no attempt to hide the greed on his face.

He knew very well that without both eyes, the Mangekyo Sharingan's combat power would be drastically reduced.

Then there were the Root operatives he had already stationed nearby in ambush.

Taking both of Shisui's eyes would be a certainty.

And that would mean the first step of his plan had succeeded!

Yet just as his hand was about to touch Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, Shisui vanished from where he stood.

That speed...

Even Danzo failed to react, his hand freezing in midair.

H-how was that possible!!?

That wasn't the Body Flicker Technique at all!

While he was still stunned, applause rang out from the darkness. Then Bai Ye stepped into view, and Danzo's expression immediately changed.

What!?

How could this be!!!

Why was Bai Ye here!!

The moment that thought appeared, Danzo realized something: perhaps he had been set up!

Although the possibility was slim, it wasn't impossible. If this really was Bai Ye's scheme, then Shisui's visit today...

No!!!

Had Shisui completely sided with the Uchiha?!

Everything had been fine yesterday, so why had things suddenly changed today?!

In truth, Danzo had chosen to act so quickly mainly because he was afraid.

The longer he delayed, the more likely Shisui was to side with the Uchiha.

He had spent so long plotting.

Yet he had failed to anticipate that Shisui had already switched sides.

And today's whole performance was probably something Bai Ye had arranged for him!

Thinking along those lines, he finally understood why Shisui had suddenly left earlier.

"How impressive, Elder Danzo. Were you trying to steal our Uchiha Sharingan?!"

A mocking smile tugged at Bai Ye's lips.

At Bai Ye's words, Danzo's expression darkened.

But after thinking it over, Danzo suddenly stopped feeling nervous.

Mostly because he felt he only needed to deny the whole thing.

After all, the only people here were Bai Ye, Shisui, and his own Root operatives.

Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi came, would he really believe the Uchiha over him!?

With that thought, Danzo suddenly felt he had nothing to fear.

Instead, he looked at Bai Ye and asked coldly, "Bai Ye, if I remember correctly, you weren't invited to Root, were you?! What act of treason are you planning by entering Root without permission!?"

Even now, Danzo could turn around and accuse them.

As far as he was concerned, as long as the matter remained murky, it worked in his favor.

At those words, Shisui could no longer hold back. He growled, "Elder Danzo, you were the one who attacked me first and tried to steal my Sharingan!!"

Shisui had now completely abandoned his former illusions.

In the past, he might have believed that his efforts could bring about a peaceful resolution between the Uchiha and the village.

But now he knew Bai Ye had been right.

There was no such thing as a bloodless coup.

How could they hope to bring about change without anyone dying!?

If he acted with such naive ideas, he would be the one who died in the end!

Now, he had fully sided with Bai Ye. Even without their wager, he felt he could no longer believe in the convictions he had once held.

"Thank you," Shisui said, turning to Bai Ye.

He knew that the teleportation just now hadn't been his own ability.

It had been Bai Ye's Mangekyo Sharingan technique.

Just when Shisui had felt despair, believing his Mangekyo Sharingan was about to be stolen, a force had pulled him into another timeline.

That was how he had managed to evade the attack.

If not for his wager with Bai Ye, he would surely have been finished today.

"It's fine. Just keep your promise."

"I will!"

Shisui nodded solemnly. He would absolutely honor his promise to Bai Ye.

Perhaps... Bai Ye really was the only one who could lead the Uchiha.

Bai Ye said nothing more about it.

This incident was enough to make Shisui give up on Konoha completely-or rather, on Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others.

They had always talked about resolving the Uchiha's situation, yet now that they knew about Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan ability, they had tried to seize it.

If Shisui could still believe them after that, he would be little different from a fool.

While the two spoke, all the Root operatives emerged and surrounded them.

Seeing that they were encircled, Shisui's expression grew even uglier.

Meanwhile, Danzo was considering what he should do next.

Should he simply let Bai Ye and Shisui leave and pretend this had never happened?

Or should he forcibly keep them here and kill them on the spot at Root?

If he chose the former... no!!!!

Danzo rejected the idea the instant it surfaced.

He felt that was absolutely unacceptable.

After all, he had already done it. How could he possibly pretend nothing had happened?!

Having already acted, if he failed to seize Shisui's Kotoamatsukami this time, he would never get another chance.

Besides, he had already openly broken with Shisui.

If Shisui used Kotoamatsukami on him or Hiruzen Sarutobi, it would be too late for regrets.

Most importantly, Bai Ye happened to be here too.

That man was certainly not the type to take a loss lying down.

They now had something to hold over him, though he could simply deny it.

But why shouldn't he take this opportunity to kill Bai Ye right here?!

After all, once Bai Ye died, the Uchiha would fall into internal turmoil. With both Bai Ye and Shisui dead...

The Uchiha would definitely suspect the village.

And that was exactly what Danzo wanted.

He only needed to make the Uchiha suspicious and throw them into disarray.

Then he could seize an opportunity to wipe out the Uchiha. That was entirely feasible.

That would settle the Uchiha problem once and for all.

At that thought, Danzo's intentions grew clearer and firmer.

He had now decided to kill both Bai Ye and Shisui.

That would actually make his plan proceed more smoothly.

"Bai Ye and Shisui attempted to assassinate a Konoha elder and were killed on the spot by Root!"

Danzo spoke flatly.

He no longer cared about anything else. All that mattered now was taking action and killing Bai Ye and Shisui first.

As for the rest, if anyone found out, that would be his excuse. If no one did, he could happily stay out of sight.

At Danzo's command, the Root operatives immediately attacked.

"Clan Head Bai Ye, the two of us..."

"Make as much commotion as you can during the fight. Just keep yourself safe!"

"Huh?!"

Shisui had still been wondering how they should handle what came next.

Because the excuse Danzo had given really could be used against them.

It might be far-fetched.

But if they fought Root, they truly wouldn't be able to explain their way out of it.

He had been wondering whether they should work together to find a chance to escape.

Then they could discuss the matter once they returned to the Uchiha Clan.

What Shisui hadn't expected was for Bai Ye to say they should fight.

And that they should make an even bigger commotion.

Wait, what!?

This was completely different from what he had imagined!

Was Bai Ye planning to kill Danzo outright?!

In the end, however, Shisui said nothing and nodded in agreement.

What right did he have to question Bai Ye now?!

He only needed to listen to him.

Watching the two begin to fight, a flash of excitement crossed Danzo's eyes.

Good...

If they fought, his excuse would be even stronger.

And...

Bai Ye had the Mangekyo Sharingan too!!

When Danzo saw Bai Ye's Mangekyo Sharingan, he initially felt a flicker of panic, but greed quickly overwhelmed it.

If he could obtain two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan...

Who in all of Konoha could stand against him?!

"Heh... you want my Mangekyo Sharingan?! You old dog, Danzo..."

A mocking smile crossed Bai Ye's lips. The greed in Danzo's eyes was almost tangible.

He wasn't blind. Of course he could see what Danzo was thinking.

"You inherently evil Uchiha are only wasting those eyes!"

Danzo spoke indifferently. In his view, the Uchiha didn't deserve the Mangekyo Sharingan!

They belonged to him!

Hearing his words, Bai Ye said nothing more.

There was nothing worth saying to an old bastard like Danzo!

The man was always claiming that everything he did was for Konoha.

But wasn't it all really for himself?!

He could even claim now that the Uchiha didn't deserve to possess the Sharingan!

Unbelievable!

Bai Ye couldn't be bothered to waste any more words.

He immediately activated Susanoo.

With his Sage Body, Bai Ye had no fear of Susanoo's backlash!

"This..."

Surprise flashed through Shisui's eyes.

He had just heard Bai Ye say they should make a bigger commotion.

He had assumed that only meant a little bigger-using some ninjutsu or something.

Why had Bai Ye opened with his ultimate move?!

This was Susanoo!

Wasn't he afraid of going blind at all!?

Bai Ye's Susanoo was pale gray, its body engraved with clocklike patterns, and its weapon was an enormous sword.

As Susanoo took shape, a Complete Body Susanoo appeared before everyone.

What!!?

"Complete Body!!!?"

Shisui was even more shocked!

Bai Ye could actually manifest the Complete Body.

Only the Complete Body could be called a true Susanoo. Only someone who pushed the Mangekyo Sharingan's visual prowess to its absolute limit and possessed enormous chakra reserves could manifest it.

Even Shisui couldn't do it.

Yet Bai Ye could?!

Just how absurd were his visual prowess and chakra reserves...?

He opened with a move this powerful?!

With just a few swings from the mountain-sized Susanoo before him, more than half the Root members were killed or wounded in an instant.

Faced with such destructive power, a hint of madness flashed across Danzo's face, mixed with greed and resentment!

Why!!!?

Why did the Uchiha get to control this power? Why couldn't it be mine!!?

If I had this power, the position of Hokage would have been mine long ago!!

And wasn't this bastard afraid at all?!

All this commotion, all these slashes from his Susanoo...

Danzo reckoned everyone nearby could sense it by now. Bai Ye wasn't making the slightest effort to hide it. The people of Konoha were bound to notice.

What was he trying to do?!

At that moment, Danzo had no time to think about anything else. A slash was already coming straight at him.

Suddenly, he found himself wishing Hiruzen Sarutobi would come.

At the very least, if Hiruzen brought people from Konoha here and they saw Bai Ye attacking a member of the Konoha High Command, Danzo would have ample grounds to arrest him.

Once Bai Ye was arrested, wouldn't this eye technique be mine?!

The thought of seizing Bai Ye's Mangekyo Sharingan only made Danzo more excited.

Another Sharingan on his arm closed.

He needed to hold out!

He had to hold out until Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others arrived. With all this commotion, he refused to believe Hiruzen hadn't sensed anything.

Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's Office...

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been discussing how to divide up the land, even bargaining in the hope of buying himself more time, when he suddenly looked down at the floor in confusion.

"What's going on?! Doesn't this feel like an earthquake?!"

A voice rang out nearby. It belonged to the Clan Head of one of the clans.

He wasn't the only one. As soon as he said it, the others nodded in agreement.

Why was there suddenly a disturbance underground?

The Hokage's Office was close to Hokage Rock, and Root was located beneath it.

As such, the disturbance at Root quickly made itself felt in the Hokage's Office.

"Why don't we put this on hold and see what's going on?!"

Quite a few people had lost the inclination to sit back and enjoy the show.

If there really was an earthquake, they needed to head back and deal with it as soon as possible.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. Just as he was about to say something, he seemed to realize something and immediately cried, "This is bad!! Root!!!"

These were clearly the tremors of some battle taking place at Root.

Otherwise, how could the disturbance be so intense?

He could distinctly feel chakra spilling out in all directions.

Was Root under attack?!

At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no time to concern himself with anything else. He immediately threw on his clothes and headed straight for Root.

"What's going on?!"

"Let's follow him and take a look!"

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi leave in such a hurry, those who remained had no interest in staying either. They exchanged glances, then immediately decided to follow him and see for themselves.

Just what had happened to Konoha's most mysterious organization... Root?!