Hiruzen Sarutobi Grew Cocky, and Obito Uchiha Appeared

"Aaargh!"

Before everyone's eyes, Shisui Uchiha's Shadow Clone kicked the blood-soaked Shimura Danzō away, sending him crashing to his knees among the corpses of his trusted subordinates.

Once that was done, he ignored Shimura Danzō's wretched state. The next instant, he used the Body Flicker Technique in full view of everyone, appearing before his original and bowing slightly.

"Shisui Uchiha reporting. Forgive my late arrival, Lord Senju Ye!"

"It's all right. You're back just in time."

Tap, tap, tap.

Just after Shisui Uchiha's Shadow Clone finished his token report, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived with Konoha's shinobi and civilians.

"Is that... Shisui!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been nursing quite a headache. Protecting so many civilians would surely tie up a great deal of his manpower.

Yet he also had to keep his guard up against Senju Ye at all times, lest the man launch a sudden attack on him.

He simply didn't have enough people!

But now that Shisui Uchiha, his trusted subordinate and a powerful fighter, had returned, his safety had improved dramatically, especially with Kakashi and the others there as well.

At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi's mood instantly brightened.

Without any hesitation, as Shisui Uchiha's Shadow Clone stepped back beside Uchiha Fugaku, Hiruzen Sarutobi hurried up the hill and put on a concerned expression.

"Shisui, did you just get back? Thank you for your hard work on the journey. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Shisui Uchiha's Shadow Clone bowed slightly, then nodded.

Seeing that he remained so respectful toward him lifted Hiruzen Sarutobi's spirits even further.

But he also realized something.

"By the way, Shisui, how do you know Senju Ye? Have you met before?"

"We have."

"On my way back, several groups of unidentified shinobi ambushed me, and I suffered some injuries. Lord Senju Ye saved me. Otherwise, it might have taken me several more days to return."

An attack by unidentified shinobi?

Hearing the words of Shisui Uchiha's Shadow Clone, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help furrowing his brow.

The next moment, he turned toward Shimura Danzō and took a deep drag from his pipe, his expression grave.

Could it have been Danzo?

Yes, that had to be it.

After all, Danzo had coveted Shisui Uchiha's eyes for ages. This had to be his doing!

Until then, Hiruzen Sarutobi had felt a pang of sympathy for a man whose fate might someday be his own.

But now... heh, heh, heh...

You attacked one of my men. Why should I care whether you live or die?

Once this is over, I can have Shisui Uchiha negotiate peace with Uchiha Fugaku.

As for me, I'll approach Senju Ye.

Once both sides finish negotiating, every problem will naturally fall into place.

After all, in his eyes, every conflict was tied to interests. As long as he was willing to make enough concessions,

even Senju Ye, for all his current dominance, would not make things difficult for him.

For now, though, he had an excellent opportunity to show Senju Ye his goodwill, and he needed to take advantage of it first.

With that in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward in full view of everyone, while the civilians and shinobi behind him were still praising how Shisui Uchiha had defeated Shimura Danzō in an instant immediately upon his return.

The next moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi pointed straight at the blood-soaked Shimura Danzō before everyone's eyes and shouted.

"Shimura Danzō! You secretly experimented on the First Hokage's corpse, slaughtered shinobi of the Uchiha Clan, colluded with shinobi from outside the village to break the Nine-Tails Sealing, caused the Fourth Hokage's death, insulted a hero's child, and disrupted the village's peace..."

"For all these crimes, you deserve to die a thousand times over!"

Colluded with outside shinobi to break the Nine-Tails Sealing and caused the Fourth Hokage's death?

At Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Shimura Danzō, who had still been looking for a way to send word out and get the people at Root Headquarters to rescue him,

stared wide-eyed and opened his mouth to curse furiously.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, how dare you frame me!"

He had never imagined that Hiruzen Sarutobi, whom he considered his greatest rival in life, would ultimately side completely with an outsider whose identity had yet to be verified.

It filled him with fury!

But before Shimura Danzō could say anything else, the Konoha civilians and shinobi behind Hiruzen Sarutobi reacted.

Without showing him the slightest courtesy, they cursed and advanced, intent on executing Shimura Danzō on the spot.

"You animal! After committing such monstrous crimes, you still want to slander the Third Hokage? Pah!"

"He's barely breathing, and with one hand gone, he can't form seals or use ninjutsu! Everyone, get him! Avenge the Fourth Hokage and Lady Kushina! Stand up for our hero's child!"

"That's right! Everyone, get him!"

In an instant, Konoha's civilians surged forward, raining punches and kicks on Shimura Danzō.

The shinobi, meanwhile, were stopped by members of the various clans and the Anbu.

Because those were the orders of their lord, Senju Ye!

Shimura Danzō could not die yet!

"..."

Shisui Uchiha watched calmly as Shimura Danzō was reduced to a beaten stray, showing no intention of speaking.

Because he was waiting for someone to make a move.

And while Shisui Uchiha remained silent, elsewhere, a strange vortex suddenly appeared above the ruins of Root Headquarters.

"Say, why did you come back to Konoha so soon? We barely know anything about this Senju Ye who appeared out of nowhere, do we? Aren't you afraid of rushing back so recklessly..."

Just as Obito Uchiha landed, White Zetsu emerged from the ground and questioned him.

In response, Obito Uchiha merely gave a cold laugh.

"Heh. Who said I was going to oppose Senju Ye? I'm here to recruit talent for Nagato's Akatsuki."

"Talent?"

White Zetsu looked puzzled.

"Orochimaru."

Obito Uchiha uttered the name flatly.

"Danzo is all but finished now. The cause of the Nine-Tails Incident, the Fourth Hokage's death, the crime of experimenting on the First Hokage's cells-all of it has been pinned on him."

"But if he's willing to dump all the blame on Orochimaru, he can survive and look for a chance to make a comeback."

Hearing that, White Zetsu immediately understood.

"I get it. With Orochimaru's personality, when everyone in Konoha condemns him, he'll never surrender without a fight. He'll definitely flee."

"Then we just need to help him escape and tell Nagato about him. That way, Orochimaru will be brought into the Akatsuki."

"Exactly."

Obito Uchiha nodded, his scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan gleaming in the night as the strange vortex appeared again.

"It's about time we stopped chatting. If we don't act soon, those civilians will trample that useless Danzo to death."

"Heh, heh, heh. Things really are getting more and more interesting."

"I have a feeling that with this Senju Ye around, Konoha will only grow more chaotic..."