"Cough, cough."
Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared before everyone again, covered in dust and grime. Black smoke poured from his mouth after the explosion, his hair was a complete mess, and the hat on his head had been blown away at some point.
As for Danzo, he was even worse off. His entire right arm had been blown off.
"Who? Who did this?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were bloodshot. If Enma had not protected him at the critical moment and shielded him from most of the damage, he might have ended up just like Danzo. Speaking of Danzo, only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi look toward him.
"Hiss... Danzo, are you all right?"
Danzo had already been seriously injured and was now lying on the ground, groaning.
Even with a medical-nin treating him, it had only eased his injuries a little. As for now, his injuries were even worse, and one of his arms had been blown clean off.
Well, that settled it. Danzo, who had still been planning to use Izanagi, lost his last shred of hope. He had no Sharingan left to use. Surely he could not use the incomparably precious Mangekyō Sharingan in his right eye? Danzo still knew which mattered more.
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to continue searching for the culprit, he heard Naruto's voice.
"Huh? What's this? Why are there Sharingan on it?"
Hearing Naruto's voice, everyone turned toward him and saw Naruto giving something on the ground a little nudge with his foot, ever so casually.
Only when they looked did they realize it was an arm-an incredibly pale arm, with blood still flowing from its severed end. Even more bizarrely, there were three scarlet Sharingan on that pale arm, and they were even swiveling back and forth.
At this sight, the Uchiha erupted. Like an ignited powder keg, they exploded, and there was no stopping them. A terrifying aura radiated from every one of them, all because those Sharingan were their clansmen's eyes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also looked toward the arm beside Naruto. His brow was already twitching when he saw that pale arm, and when he saw those scarlet Sharingan, his last shred of hope died. He had never imagined Danzo would do something like this.
"Danzo, you..."
At this sight, Fugaku was trembling all over with rage. Those familiar Sharingan had been his former clansmen's most treasured possessions, yet now they had appeared on Danzo's body-and on an arm, no less.
"Lord Danzo, I hope you can explain this properly. Otherwise, we Uchiha will storm Root's gates. We will kill anyone who stands in our way, if only to redress the wrongs done to our humiliated clansmen."
As Fugaku spoke, he did not spare Hiruzen Sarutobi so much as a glance, showing just how angry he was. He had never imagined Danzo would treat his clansmen this way. No wonder he had always wanted the clan's geniuses to join his Root. No wonder-it had been for their Sharingan all along.
Then what about Shisui? Had Shisui's death also been because of Danzo?
For a moment, many thoughts ran through Fugaku's mind, but more than anything, he wanted the true answer from Danzo, even though he had already guessed that these were his clansmen's Sharingan.
Danzo's face had turned deathly pale. He had never imagined that this would one day be exposed, much less discovered in front of the Uchiha Clan. Looking at all those Sharingan, even Danzo swallowed nervously. He was afraid too. With so many people here, if they really attacked, he did not think Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others could save him. Without Sharingan, without Izanagi, he felt no sense of security.
"That isn't my arm. Yes, that isn't my arm. You've all made a mistake. My arm was blown to pieces just now."
Hearing Danzo's shameless words, Naruto nearly laughed in anger. He was still stubbornly denying it to the bitter end.
"Heh, Lord Danzo certainly knows how to joke. However, I do know a thing or two about throwing punches and kicks. I feel I could help you, Lord Danzo. Perhaps that would jog your memory."
As Fugaku spoke, the clansmen behind him slowly closed in too. Even Sasuke, a child, moved closer. Among the Uchiha, this principle was instilled in them from childhood: the Uchiha's kekkei genkai was extremely precious, and even if they were injured and dying away from home, they had to destroy their own eyes to prevent their Sharingan from falling into outsiders' hands.
Pairs of scarlet Sharingan now stared fixedly at Danzo. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, who wanted to speak up for him, felt his skin crawl under the stares of a great crowd of scarlet Sharingan, leaving him silently lamenting his predicament.
"Danzo, look what you've done."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was already considering how to escape this great crowd of Uchiha. It was simply too terrifying.
If a Mangekyō Sharingan really appeared at a time like this, his tenure in the Hokage position would be over. He finally understood why his teacher had targeted the Uchiha, and why that fellow Danzo kept finding excuses to suppress them.
These united Uchiha were simply too frightening.
Hiruzen Sarutobi could already foresee that he would probably find it very difficult to control the Uchiha from now on.
This was also Naruto's first time seeing such an unyielding Fugaku, as well as these unprecedentedly united Uchiha. Of course, there was also the pale-faced Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi, who looked constipated.
Seeing them suffer this setback, Naruto nearly laughed aloud.
Seemingly sensing a familiar chakra, Naruto turned to look. On the branch of a large tree, a white-haired man wearing an Anbu mask was watching what was happening here, but he showed absolutely no intention of intervening.
Kakashi? Interesting.
Naruto smiled at Kakashi.
The sight left Kakashi a little dazed. For a moment, he seemed to have seen his teacher.
"Minato-sensei... No, he's... Naruto Uzumaki... He's already grown this much."
Kakashi's gaze grew somewhat unfocused. To think his teacher's child had already grown this much.
Another person wearing an Anbu mask appeared. He first glanced at the situation over by the Uchiha.
"Captain, aren't we going to save Lord Hokage?"
Kakashi gave this Anbu member a speechless look. You mean go into that huge crowd of Uchiha who are on the verge of going mad and rescue someone? Give me a break. Why risk my life for this little monthly pay?
"Don't rush. Lord Hokage hasn't been harmed..."
Kakashi had made himself perfectly clear. He did not want to court death; otherwise, he was even afraid he might not be able to keep the Sharingan Obito had given him. This was the only gift his deceased best friend had left him.
Hearing this, those Anbu members followed Kakashi's example and found places to watch the show.
Now completely surrounded by the Uchiha, Danzo looked through the crowd and sent Hiruzen Sarutobi a pleading look.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi? He wanted nothing more than to stab that bastard Danzo to death with the great staff in his hands. He had never imagined Danzo would do something so vile. How was he supposed to save him?
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi ignore him, Danzo knew he might be done for today.
This time, between him and Hiruzen Sarutobi, there was no arguing and no complaining. There was only the desire to survive.