Hiruzen Sarutobi took sides, and the whole village condemned Danzo

"Huh? Why did Lord Danzo run away? So did Lord Hiashi see the truth or not? Who was actually right?"

"I don't know. Let's get behind Lord Fugaku first. He's much more reliable than the Anbu and Root."

"Exactly. They saved my life. I trust the Uchiha Clan. Besides, Lord Senju Ye is there too."

A cold sneer flickered in Shisui Uchiha's eyes as he heard the civilians and shinobi speaking.

"The truth? Clan Head Hiashi, why don't you tell them?"

"Yes, Lord Senju Ye."

Hyuga Hiashi nodded slightly, then turned and spoke in a ringing voice.

"Just now, I used my clan's unique Byakugan to examine Shimura Danzō's bandaged arm and eye. I did indeed discover something."

"His arm contains the First Hokage's cells!"

"That eye of his is the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan. It most likely came from Kagami Uchiha!"

Boom!

The moment Hyuga Hiashi said those words, the civilians and shinobi below erupted into an uproar, anger filling every face.

Even the Uchiha shinobi and the shinobi from the other clans whom Shisui Uchiha and his people had planted among them.

They, too, were furious now!

Because the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was the man everyone in Konoha revered, the pride of its people.

He had been called the God of the Shinobi World, bringing Konoha immense glory! Because of him, Konoha had become the foremost ninja village in the Shinobi World!

As for Kagami Uchiha, he had been one of their own!

No matter how harshly Konoha's villagers and the other clans had ostracized the Uchiha Clan before, they had gritted their teeth and endured it under Uchiha Fugaku's orders.

Their pride, the Sharingan, was still theirs. No one in Konoha had crossed their bottom line.

But now, someone had laid hands on a member of their clan and even transplanted their pride, the Sharingan, into himself.

They could never tolerate this!

"That beast Shimura Danzō dared to desecrate the First Hokage's body! Scum like him deserves to die!"

"Exactly! He dared to lay hands on our Uchiha Clan's Sharingan! Wherever he runs, he's a dead man!"

"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him..."

For a moment, cries for his death shook the sky.

Watching the scene before him, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who stood beside Senju Ye and Uchiha Fugaku, frowned slightly, his eyes full of confusion.

If this scene was also part of the calculations of this man called Senju Ye, then there had been no reason for him to let Danzo escape.

Yes, let him escape!

When Shimura Danzō had broken through with his Root guards just now, only the Uchiha shinobi had tried to stop him.

Neither Uchiha Fugaku nor Senju Ye had made a move!

Could he be keeping Danzo alive to squeeze some more benefits out of him?

At that thought, cold sweat began pouring down Hiruzen Sarutobi's back.

Danzo had fought him for almost his entire life, yet in this short span of time, this man had schemed him into a position where the entire village condemned him.

If he became the next target, then even with the Sarutobi Clan behind him, the Anbu under his command, and the Elder Council and several major clans joining forces with him...

It seemed he still wouldn't be able to withstand him!

After realizing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi hesitated, then finally gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

Shisui Uchiha did not stop him.

Because he knew exactly what someone with Hiruzen's personality would do next.

"Quiet! Quiet!"

After shouting twice, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression suddenly turned utterly solemn, and he spoke again.

"As you have all seen, Shimura Danzō, the leader of the village's Root, wielded great power but neglected his responsibilities and duties. In secret, he conducted those inhumane experiments and ruthlessly murdered his comrades."

"Today at the Graveyard, he even insulted the descendant of a hero and hurled abuse at the Uchiha Clan, who rendered great service during the Nine-Tails Incident!"

"Such a man is nothing but a cancer upon our village. For Konoha's peace, for the Will of Fire, we must publicly purge him!"

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly turned to Senju Ye and spoke in a low voice.

"Well, Senju Ye, do you think you could release my men? I'll have them cooperate with yours to capture Shimura Danzō."

"Certainly."

Shisui Uchiha smiled meaningfully.

A moment later, at Uchiha Fugaku's signal, the Anbu members were released from restraint one after another.

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded to him, then turned back toward the civilians and shinobi below, his expression conflicted.

Sure enough, this Senju Ye must have had more trump cards that he knew nothing about. Otherwise, he would never have let Uchiha Fugaku release his men so easily.

In that case...

Danzo, don't blame me. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for provoking a monster you should never have crossed.

"Anbu, step forward!"

"Lord Third Hokage!"

The Anbu members rushed out of the crowd in unison and knelt before him on one knee.

"Shimura Danzō has committed unforgivable acts of treachery. I order you to cooperate with Senju Ye's operation and root out both him and all his lackeys!"

"Yes, Lord Third Hokage!"

After receiving their orders, all the Anbu members turned toward Shisui Uchiha, their expressions solemn as they awaited his command.

Seeing this, Shisui Uchiha nodded slightly, then stepped forward. As he passed Hiruzen Sarutobi, he spoke coolly.

"You made a very sensible choice. As long as you keep being smart, perhaps I can still give you a chance to enjoy a peaceful retirement."

"..."

At Shisui Uchiha's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly stiffened, his expression turning extremely ugly.

Judging by what he had just said, this man apparently intended to keep taking action even after purging Danzo and Root.

Could he be planning to redistribute every share of Konoha's existing spoils?

He intends to overhaul all of Konoha!

But if he truly did that, he would inevitably encroach upon the fundamental interests of the other major clans.

Senju Ye could not possibly be unaware of that. He must have already prepared other safeguards.

What puzzled Hiruzen, however, was where he would find enough benefits to satisfy the appetites of all those clans.

With demands that enormous, even stripping him and Danzo of all the authority they held over the Anbu would hardly be enough...

While Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking this, Shisui Uchiha shouted in a ringing voice before everyone's eyes.

"All members of the Uchiha Clan and all Anbu members, hear my command!"

Hearing Shisui Uchiha's words, Hyuga Hiashi and the heads of the other major clans who had already aligned themselves with him immediately followed suit.

"All those under Hyuga Hiashi, hear my command!"

"All members of the Aburame Clan, hear my command!"

"All members of the Akimichi Clan..."

"Yes!"

For a moment, the densely packed ranks of shinobi answered in unison.

The next instant, Shisui Uchiha clapped his hands together.

"Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique!"

"Shimura Danzō's crimes are heinous! Everyone, come with me and wipe out both him and his lackeys in Root!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill..."