"Oh? You dared lay a hand on the Uchiha?"
Xuandou raised an eyebrow and looked down at the two men on the ground.
Both wore animal masks, one patterned like a tiger, the other like a cat.
Xuandou reached out and removed their masks, revealing two unfamiliar faces.
Both averted their eyes and kept their lips tightly shut.
"Who sent you?"
Faced with Xuandou's questioning, both kept their lips pressed together without a word.
Xuandou shook his head, not bothering to ask again.
He formed hand seals.
"Yin Release: Heart's Divergent Gate!"
One ninja's gaze instantly went vacant, as though his soul had been drawn out.
"Tell me. Who are you, and who sent you?"
The ninja opened his mouth and mechanically uttered a few words:
"I am... Roo..."
Before he could finish, his expression changed drastically.
"Aah-!"
His entire body suddenly curled up, both hands clamping tightly around his own throat as his veins bulged.
He made rasping sounds, as though something had blocked his throat.
His body convulsed violently on the ground, his legs kicking wildly, his back arching into a bridge before slamming down again.
Saliva mixed with bloody froth ran from the corners of his mouth. His eyes rolled back, and his whole body shook incessantly as though he were being electrocuted.
The other, still-conscious ninja went deathly pale, his pupils dilating. His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but he could not force out a single word.
His legs went weak, and he backed away, only for Shisui to kick him to the ground.
Frowning, Xuandou watched the struggling man on the ground slowly go still.
"They're probably from Root. Danzo placed the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on them. Once they reveal a secret, the cursed seal activates."
Standing beside him, Shisui explained quietly.
Xuandou looked away.
"Take these two away and lock them up."
"Yes."
Shisui picked up the two men and vanished into the night.
Xuandou stood where he was, gazing into the distant darkness as he softly uttered a name:
"Danzo..."
"Already unable to hold back from moving against the Uchiha?"
Over the next few days, Danzo waited for his subordinates' report, but it never came.
Then one day, Aburame Torune hurried in and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Danzo, the two ninja we sent to the Uchiha... have lost contact."
Danzo's hand paused over the documents he was reading.
He turned and looked at Aburame Torune in disbelief.
That cold, sinister gaze sent a chill down Torune's back.
"Lost contact?"
Cold sweat seeped from Torune's forehead as he braced himself and nodded.
"Yes... The last place they appeared was on the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan Compound... After that... there's been no word from them."
Danzo fell silent for a moment, then abruptly stood up.
"A bunch of useless fools! They couldn't even handle something this simple!"
With that, Danzo was already on his feet and heading toward the Hokage's Office.
Inside the Hokage's Office, the Third was speaking with the two advisers.
"What do you think of the two Hokage candidates the daimyo proposed?"
Hiruzen held his pipe between his teeth, smoke curling around him.
Utatane Koharu spoke first.
"Uchiha Xuantou? He merely got lucky, reaped an easy gain on the battlefield, scraped together a bit of fame, and caught the daimyo's eye. What does he have that could compare to Minato?"
Mitokado Homura nodded in agreement.
"That boy Minato is humble and powerful. He's also Jiraiya's student and the husband of Kushina, the Jinchūriki. No matter how you look at it, he's more suitable than Uchiha Xuantou."
Hiruzen said nothing, merely smoking in silence.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open.
Danzo strode inside.
Hiruzen looked up.
"Danzo, what are you here for?"
Danzo sneered.
"What, am I not allowed to come?"
He swept his gaze over the three seated there, raising his voice.
"Two ninja from my Root have disappeared in the Uchiha Clan Compound."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting slightly.
Hiruzen frowned.
"I've warned you repeatedly not to investigate the Uchiha at will!"
"Who gave you permission to send people to the Uchiha?"
Danzo's expression immediately darkened.
"My ninja were merely passing through Uchiha territory when they were detained! Now we don't even know whether they're alive!"
He stepped forward and stared at Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, have you gone senile? Have you forgotten what our teacher, the Second, said back then?"
"The Uchiha Clan's Sharingan draws on the power of hatred. They're inherently dangerous! We must keep them under control!"
"Now look at what you're doing!"
"Uchiha Xuantou is about to become Hokage!"
His voice grew louder and louder.
"How could we possibly entrust the village to the Uchiha?"
Utatane Koharu immediately agreed.
"Danzo is right. The Uchiha's power has indeed been growing too rapidly lately. It's time to rein them in."
Danzo seized the opportunity to say:
"No matter what, I will investigate the Uchiha. Stay out of my way!"
With that, he flicked his sleeve, turned, and left.
Hiruzen watched his retreating figure, his eyes flickering, and remained silent.
Danzo returned to Root and gave an order straightaway.
"Send three skilled men this time. Use the investigation into the missing ninja as grounds to arrest Uchiha Xuantou and bring him to me."
He paused, the corners of his mouth twisting into a sinister curve.
"If he dares resist... Hmph. That'll give us just the excuse we need to deal with him!"
The next day, at the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Xuandou stood beside the construction site, watching Goumu Yanō direct the craftsmen through the finishing touches.
"Tomorrow! Both buildings will be ready to use tomorrow!"
The old man thumped his chest in assurance.
Xuandou nodded, already beginning to plan the work once they opened.
As he was thinking, a commotion suddenly broke out up ahead.
He turned to look and saw the brothers Inabi and Tekka blocking the road, facing three ninja in animal masks.
The one at the front wore an eagle mask, with a fox mask to his left and a cat mask to his right.
"Move, move, move!"
The eagle-masked man's voice came from behind his mask as though he were shooing stray dogs off the roadside.
"We in Root have the highest authority to investigate cases in Konoha! Anyone who gets in our way is asking to die!"
"Tell me where Uchiha Xuantou is, right now!"
At those words, Inabi immediately glared at the three.
"What do you want with Xuandou?"
The tall, thin man in the fox mask stepped forward, tilting his head and speaking in a mocking tone.
"Well, well! You Uchiha certainly put on airs. Does Root have to report to you when we conduct our business? Are you Uchiha even worthy?"
He looked Inabi up and down.
"You put on a Konoha Military Police Force vest and actually think you're somebody?"
"Get out of the way! Otherwise, we won't mind arresting you two as well!"
"You!!!"
Inabi burned with anger and was about to erupt when a voice came from behind him.
"What's going on?"
Inabi turned, saw Xuandou, and immediately called out:
"Xuandou, these three Root ninja want to arrest you!"
The eagle-masked man turned toward Xuandou, looked him up and down, and then scoffed.
"Oh? You're Uchiha Xuantou?"
He tilted his head.
"Two members of Root disappeared in your Uchiha territory. We now suspect you're involved. Come with us immediately and cooperate with Root's investigation!"
He paused, then added:
"Don't even think about refusing. The way we bring people in might not be very gentle."
Hearing this, Xuandou glanced at the three and said:
"Who the hell do you think you are? You think you're fit to investigate me?"
"What did you say?"
"You dare look down on Root! We answer to Lord Danzo!"
"Even the Hokage has to show Lord Danzo of Root some respect! You're just the Uchiha clan head. Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I'm telling you, you're coming with us today, whether you like it or not!"
Xuandou continued contemptuously:
"Danzo isn't worth shit! He has no authority to investigate me, Uchiha Xuantou!"
"You three had better get out of Uchiha territory before I lose my temper."
"Otherwise... face the consequences!"
The three Root ninja exchanged glances at his words, then spoke:
"Teach him a lesson. Get him!"