Hiruzen Sarutobi raced across Konoha's rooftops, the night air sharp against his face. His thoughts churned as fast as his feet.
Are the Uchiha truly preparing a coup?
Or was Danzo once again manipulating events from the shadows, using the ANBU to track the clan and spread panic?
Earlier, an ANBU squad had reported an unusual surge of movement inside the Uchiha compound. Their first conclusion—shaped by years of tension—was that the Uchiha were mobilizing for rebellion. They had no time for a deeper investigation before sending their urgent report to the Hokage.
Hiruzen wanted to dismiss it as paranoia, yet a flicker of doubt lingered. Perhaps Danzo's unseen hand was stirring trouble. Either way, he could not ignore a possible uprising.
"Activate the Third, Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth ANBU squads," he ordered curtly. "Send word to the Hyūga, the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance, the Kurama, and the Inuzuka clans. Tell them to dispatch their elite immediately."
"Understood, Lord Hokage."
Whether Danzo was guilty or not no longer mattered. If the Uchiha struck first and created the appearance of a coup, Hiruzen would have the justification to deploy overwhelming force. His goal was clear: crush the Uchiha with minimal cost by rallying Konoha's major clans.
The Uchiha, for all their pride, could never stand against the entire village.
Only one factor gave him pause—the Mangekyō Sharingan and its mysterious ocular powers. Dangerous, yes, but hardly invincible. If it truly guaranteed supremacy, Uchiha Fugaku would have acted years ago.
---
Gathering Forces
As Hiruzen sped northwest toward the Uchiha district, two familiar figures joined him—his long-time advisers Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu, drawn by the sudden commotion. Within minutes the number of allied ninja swelled to more than two hundred, a force already double what intelligence estimated the remaining Uchiha could muster.
"If the Uchiha truly plan a coup, tonight will be their end," Homura said grimly, glancing back at the steadily growing column of reinforcements.
The Hyūga, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, the Inuzuka, and the Aburame clans all received the same urgent summons. Though startled by the news, they moved quickly. Each clan had its own intelligence network and already knew of the rising tension between the Hokage's faction and the Uchiha.
Right or wrong mattered little compared with survival. Even those who sympathized with the Uchiha understood the stakes. A coup threatened the village's stability—and the stability of their own families. Political correctness demanded loyalty to Konoha. Without hesitation, they mobilized their best fighters.
None of them realized the truth: the Uchiha had no intention of rebellion. They had already begun leaving the village.
Had the other clans known, most would never have rushed to encircle and suppress them.
---
Root's Arrival
Root's underground base lay close to the Uchiha compound, so Danzo and his elite operatives arrived first. The night was unnaturally still as he approached the district's gates.
Instead of chaos or battle, he found a silent formation of hundreds of Uchiha, led by Fugaku himself, standing as though awaiting judgment. The air held a strange tension—unyielding yet calm. It did not look like the start of a coup.
A masked Root scout hurried to Danzo's side and whispered a report: they had traced the direction of two earlier groups that had quietly departed the village.
Danzo's lone visible eye narrowed. Could they be… fleeing?
The thought struck like a blade to the chest. For all his scheming, he had never anticipated the Uchiha would simply walk away.
Fugaku's sharp gaze met his. Neither man spoke for a long moment, the weight of decades of mistrust hanging heavy.
At last Danzo stepped forward, voice edged with suspicion. "Uchiha Fugaku, explain yourself. What is your clan attempting? Is this… betrayal of the village?"
Fugaku's expression remained unreadable. "Betrayal?" he repeated softly, then nodded toward the darkened sky. "Wait. Hiruzen Sarutobi will arrive soon. Tonight, we settle decades of grievances."
Danzo stiffened. Beneath the cold stares of hundreds of elite Uchiha, he dared not make the first move. Something about the scene felt wrong, as though the ground itself might shift beneath his feet.
---
Into the Hokage's Shadows
While Konoha's leaders converged on the Uchiha district, a different shadow moved through the heart of the village.
Neji slipped into the Hokage building dressed in a black robe and mask, his Byakugan fully active. As he expected, the building's defenses were thin; most of the guards had rushed to the supposed Uchiha coup.
The corridors were silent but tense. He descended the first stairwell, scanning with chakra vision. "Two hidden guards in the corner of the first basement," he noted silently. "Special jōnin at best."
A soft buzz filled the air as chakra gathered in his palm. A snake of crackling lightning—his Storm Release—darted forward, weaving through the darkness with predatory grace.
Zzt—
Two crisp sounds, and the guards collapsed without a cry. Neji dragged their bodies aside and continued downward.
The next corridor shimmered faintly to his eyes. "Fifteen sealing jutsu traps," he counted. "Invisible to normal sight. One misstep and the whole building would know."
With meticulous precision he navigated the deadly path, slipping past each seal until the stairwell ended. His vision widened. Twenty meters ahead, two ANBU squads—eight shinobi—stood at high alert before a heavily reinforced door.
The data vault… the Scroll of Seals must be inside.
But the distance was troublesome; his Storm Release couldn't guarantee instant kills from so far. He crouched in the shadows, weighing his options, fingers brushing the tools at his belt.
Then a ripple disturbed the air.
A low hum preceded a swirling vortex of distorted space. From its center stepped a tall figure in a black cloak and a single swirling mask.
Neji's heart jolted. Obito? Here?
For a fleeting second, they stared at each other—two masked intruders, each recognizing a dangerous equal. No words were exchanged; understanding passed silently between them.
The ANBU reacted first. "Intruders!" one barked.
Neji moved like a striking hawk, foot hammering the floor as he lunged. His blade flashed, slicing through flesh with a wet thunk. Four ANBU fell before they could draw breath.
At the same moment, the remaining four were pulled into the spiraling void of Kamui, their cries swallowed by nothingness as Obito's space-time jutsu claimed them.
Silence returned.
Neji lowered his blade. Across the chamber, Obito stood watching him, a silent question in the single eye of his mask. For a heartbeat the two predators simply regarded one another, measuring, calculating.
The vault lay between them, and the night was far from over.
---patreon (Obito_uchiha)