"Hahaha, Itachi, relax. We can still negotiate, can't we?"
"You can name your terms."
At first, Itachi had not understood why this man was so confident, but now he knew. So the man intended to threaten him with Sasuke. That displeased Itachi somewhat, but the man's bizarre ability left him helpless.
"Let Sasuke go, and you must not attack the village either."
"Heh, Itachi, I told you to name your terms, not make a wish."
"You can only choose between the village and your little brother. After all, you have no way out except to trust me."
Obito's words left Itachi rather speechless. Did he really have to choose? Couldn't he just kill him?
Almost the instant that thought occurred to Itachi, Obito, who had been standing beside him just moments ago, was already gone.
"Itachi, remember, you have no choice. Begin the operation two nights from now. Purge the Uchiha Clan."
Obito left just like that, leaving only Itachi behind, still hesitating. He had something more important to do now. He believed that fellow Danzo would certainly be interested in something like wiping out the Uchiha Clan.
At Root, in a cramped, enclosed office, dim yellow light fell across a desk, where a one-eyed old man was bent over, writing something.
The pen in his hand stopped and started, as though he was considering something, then finding it unsuitable. In the midst of his revisions, Danzo suddenly rose and turned to see a spatial vortex appear.
Soon, Danzo saw a fellow wearing a dark robe and an orange mask appear in his office.
Although Danzo appeared unruffled, he was already cursing his subordinates inwardly. A full-grown man had suddenly appeared in his office. What were those people even good for? Why did he keep subordinates? Wasn't it precisely because he felt unsafe?
As for now, he had better placate this fellow who had suddenly appeared before him first.
Danzo said nothing, but kept sizing up the man who had suddenly appeared:
Hmm, one eye. Not bad, he has taste, just like me. A mask? Tsk, hard to judge. Are you too ashamed to show your face? One look tells me you're a rat. His hair is pretty long and dark. Damn it, I was handsome back in my youth too. Hmm? Something's wrong. Is that a Sharingan? Is he an Uchiha? Why has a damned Uchiha come here?
Danzo snorted coldly.
"Hmph, a mere Uchiha. I don't know what means you used to get here, but since you've come, you won't be leaving."
With that, Danzo rapidly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Danzo exhaled, reinforcing his breath with wind-nature chakra. The ninjutsu that had previously been powerful enough to shred a ninja's body now passed straight through Obito and struck the wall behind him, sending up clouds of dust.
"What?"
"Enough. Stop wasting your energy. I came today to make a deal with you."
A low, hoarse voice came from beneath the orange mask, grating on the ears.
"Heh, an Uchiha wants to make a deal with me? Don't you know that I hate the Uchiha more than anything?"
"Oh, then I suggest you hear me out first, because I share your hatred. I hate the Uchiha too."
Hearing this, Danzo nearly laughed aloud. This was his first time meeting an Uchiha who hated the Uchiha. This fellow before him really was interesting.
"Who exactly are you? Now I'm beginning to take an interest in your deal."
"My name is Madara Uchiha."
Almost the instant Obito finished speaking, Danzo spoke.
"Impossible. Someone from that era couldn't still be alive. Who exactly are you?"
Danzo's uncovered eye studied Obito before him. He was now one hundred percent certain that this man could not be Madara Uchiha. Whether someone like Madara could still be alive was one thing, but he certainly would not cooperate with someone like him.
And another thing, why haven't my subordinates come in yet? Didn't they hear that noise just now? Damn it, who built this secret room? Why is the soundproofing so good?
Danzo was already cursing his subordinates inwardly. He kept feeling that he had been plagued by petty troublemakers lately, especially his subordinates, who were always causing problems. Some time ago, there had even been an idiot who tried to stab a Susanoo with a kunai. Now, not a single person had heard the noise in his office, nor had anyone noticed that an enemy had appeared here.
Obito shot Danzo a displeased glance. This old geezer really was hard to fool. He had almost forgotten that this old geezer Danzo and that old geezer Hiruzen Sarutobi had both met Madara Uchiha. At the same time, he inwardly realized things were going badly.
Damn, I got careless.
Still, he kept bluffing. There was a reason Madara Uchiha had chosen Obito as his pawn.
"I intend to attack the Uchiha Clan in two days and wipe them out. I want you to hold back the Hokage's Anbu."
Obito laid out his plan for this operation simply and clearly. He felt certain Danzo would not refuse him.
"Heh, you? You think you're worthy? You're just a rat hiding in the shadows under someone else's identity."
As he listened to Danzo's mocking words, Obito's fists clenched. If he did not still have a use for this old geezer, he would have killed him himself long ago.
Hold it in, hold it in. To realize the Eye of the Moon Plan, to create a world with only Rin.
Only after spending a long time soothing himself inwardly did Obito calm down. Suppressing his anger, he told Danzo the rest of the plan.
"You don't need to concern yourself with any of that. All you need to do is hold back Hiruzen Sarutobi's Anbu."
After saying that, Obito gave Danzo no chance to argue. He activated his ability and left immediately. He feared that if he stayed any longer, he would kill the old man. The way he spoke was infuriating. Every other word was "rat." It was maddening. But for Rin, I can do anything.
Seeing Obito come and go without a trace left Danzo rather speechless. It seemed he needed to strengthen Root's security.
"Someone, come here."
A Root ninja wearing a kitten mask appeared, kneeling on one knee before Danzo.
"Who built this room of mine? Why is the soundproofing so good?"
Hearing Danzo's icy tone, the Root ninja kneeling on the floor felt as though he were on pins and needles, not daring to move. If he remembered correctly, he had built this room.
"Reporting to Lord Danzo, I was responsible for this room."
"Oh? You were responsible?"
Although Danzo was smiling, the Root ninja could feel the chill emanating from him.
"Lord Danzo, I built it according to your requirements at the time! You said you didn't want to be disturbed and specifically asked us to make the soundproofing better."
Hearing his subordinate's words, Danzo's mouth twitched uncontrollably. So in the end, the blame fell on him, did it?
He cast a sidelong glance at the subordinate kneeling on the floor.
"Oh? You built it? It's fine, it's fine. You did quite well. But why do I sense fluctuations in your emotions? Someone, take this fellow away and place the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on him again."
Watching his yelling subordinate get dragged away finally improved his mood a little. He returned to the desk and looked at what he had been writing, then added something new with a few hasty strokes.
At the end of "One Hundred and Eighty Plans Against the Uchiha," he wrote, "Join an Uchiha brat's plan to annihilate the Uchiha Clan," and even put a check mark (√) after it. It seemed Danzo intended to participate in Obito's plan.
Meanwhile, over in the classroom, Naruto, whose classes had just ended, secretively pulled Sasuke into a corner with few people around.
"Sasuke, someone might be coercing your brother right now. Do you want to save him?"
"What? Someone's coercing my brother?"
Sasuke had only just followed Naruto into the corner and had not even caught his breath when he heard Naruto say this. He cried out in alarm. Fortunately, Naruto reacted quickly and clapped a hand over Sasuke's mouth.
"I know you're anxious, but don't be anxious just yet. I have a plan. Do you want to hear it or not?"
Hearing this, Sasuke did not doubt Naruto and simply nodded frantically.