In the prison.
Sasuke leaned against the wall, his expression grim.
By now, he had completely calmed down. After mentally replaying everything that had happened, he realized he had fallen into Danzo's trap.
But he had no regrets.
Seeing Danzo's arm full of Sharingan had fueled his hatred to an unbearable degree. Even now, if he saw Danzo again and had the chance to act, he wouldn't hesitate!
Tap, tap, tap.
At that moment, footsteps echoed through the corridor outside the cell.
Sasuke struggled to move to the iron bars, craning his neck to look out.
Since Danzo's actions were clearly targeting the Uchiha clan, he worried that Shinji, like him, had been ensnared by Danzo's schemes.
The footsteps grew closer.
Due to the dim light in the prison and his inability to activate his Sharingan, no matter how hard Sasuke strained, he could only make out a few blurry figures.
Judging by their pace, it seemed they were escorting a prisoner.
"Could it be Shinji?"
A bad feeling surged in Sasuke's heart.
If both he and Shinji were imprisoned for investigation, the last two survivors of the Uchiha clan in the village would be in grave danger!
As Sasuke grew anxious and self-reproachful, the group in the corridor finally came into view.
"Huh!?"
Sasuke was shocked.
What met his eyes wasn't Shinji being escorted, but Danzo, who had orchestrated his downfall and toyed with him not long ago.
But at this moment, Danzo lacked his earlier menace and coldness. His face was filled with gloom and exhaustion, as if he had aged a decade in an instant.
Hmph!
Danzo noticed Sasuke in the cell and let out a disdainful snort.
Had he known the real threat was Uchiha Shinji, he wouldn't have wasted time stirring the pot with a useless Uchiha Sasuke.
But Shinji had hidden himself too well!
Under Sasuke's astonished gaze, Danzo was led deeper into the prison, toward its innermost section.
In Hidden Leaf's prison system, not counting unofficial setups, it was roughly divided into three parts: the Anbu detention cells, the Hidden Leaf high-security cells, and the secret prison.
Anbu detention cells typically held shinobi awaiting investigation or interrogation.
Hidden Leaf high-security cells housed convicted felons, like Mizuki, who was currently serving time there.
The secret prison, located deep within Hidden Leaf Village, was a covert facility under the Hokage's direct control, reserved for prisoners with sensitive identities.
Sasuke's situation originally warranted detention in the Anbu cells, but Tsunade, fearing Danzo might make a move against him, had placed him in the secret prison. Though it seemed harsher, it was more about protection than confinement.
As for Danzo, having long served as an advisor elder and privy to many of Hidden Leaf's secrets, a prisoner like him wouldn't be held in the Anbu detention cells but would be sent to the secret prison for strict confinement!
Clank.
Deep within the prison, near its innermost section, the Anbu escorting Danzo stopped and placed him in a cell.
After repeatedly checking to ensure Danzo was sealed, the Anbu retreated from the cell, standing guard at the entrance.
Inside the cell.
Danzo kept his gaze lowered, pondering his options.
The current situation seemed highly unfavorable, but upon closer thought, it wasn't as bad as it appeared!
Because he knew one piece of information.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were pushing a resolution among the village's leadership to offer Orochimaru a pardon in exchange for serving Hidden Leaf.
Undoubtedly, under the looming threat of the Akatsuki organization, Orochimaru—a defector from Akatsuki with extensive insider knowledge and formidable combat prowess—was worth recruiting.
Moreover, Tsunade and Jiraiya had been close friends with Orochimaru since childhood, having earned the title of 'Hidden Leaf's Three Shinobi' together. So, whether from a practical or personal perspective, Tsunade and Jiraiya had reasons to pull Orochimaru back.
If Orochimaru were pardoned and regained his freedom, the charge of Danzo colluding with him would carry much less weight.
With this in mind, Danzo glanced toward the deepest part of the secret prison, where Orochimaru was currently held in the innermost cell.
In the Hokage's office.
The Third cut to the chase, "Uchiha Shinji is a problem!"
This was obvious to anyone with discernment.
Danzo's strength was evident. Not only had he mastered Wind Release to its peak, but his combat experience was vast. Even if his high position in recent years had reduced his practical experience, his strength still befitted an advisor elder.
Add to that the Uchiha clan's forbidden technique 'Izanami no Mikoto,' which gave him room for error, and his overall strength could be rated even higher.
Yet such a figure, in the face of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old Shinji, could barely fight back.
If Shinji had used the Mangekyo Sharingan, that would be one thing, but the issue was that Shinji had completely overwhelmed Danzo using only standard taijutsu, ninjutsu, and ninja tools, killing him seven times in a row.
This undoubtedly meant Shinji's strength far surpassed Danzo's.
In this office, not a single person—not even Tsunade, seated behind the Hokage's desk—could confidently claim to defeat Danzo. Thus, a simple fact lay before them: Uchiha Shinji was likely stronger than all of them!
Feeling the gazes of the room, Koharu Utatane quickly shook her head, "My relationship with him is more cooperative. I actually know little about his specifics."
Homura Mitokado said, "The question now is whether he has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Koharu shook her head again, "I can't make a judgment."
The Third sighed, "Uchiha Sasuke's awakening of the Mangekyo drew our attention, causing us to overlook Uchiha Shinji. Now it seems he's the true genius of the Uchiha clan."
Tsunade said, "The issue isn't whether he's awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, but which side he chooses to stand on!"
Uchiha Shinji had already grown into his power. At this point, rather than wasting time debating why he was so strong, it was better to confirm his allegiance.
After all, with so many Mangekyo-wielding Uchihas in Akatsuki, no one could guarantee whether Shinji's heart leaned toward the village or Akatsuki.
Koharu quickly said, "In terms of loyalty, Shinji is not a problem. His actions in this recent battle have shown his stance!"
After a brief review of Shinji's past actions, Tsunade nodded lightly, "I think so too. For now, we shouldn't provoke Shinji, lest he act irrationally. Our priority is confronting Akatsuki. Everything else can be put on hold!"
______
30 advanced chapters on [email protected]/EdgeOfSky