"So... now, with Orochimaru's forbidden experiments exposed and him defecting, the Hokage must deploy his own forces to intercept Orochimaru—with orders to bring him back alive if possible. Now that the Hokage's strength has been partially diverted by Orochimaru... this plan by the Uchiha Clan is quite ingenious."
That the Uchiha Clan would use one of the Legendary Three Ninja, Orochimaru, to open up the situation was something Ino had never imagined... She hadn't even considered that Orochimaru was still in Konoha at this time; she thought he had already defected long ago.
"As the Hokage's most valued disciple—Orochimaru's forbidden experiments would inevitably deal a severe blow to the Hokage's prestige. If I were the Uchiha, I would choose to win over various forces within the Village, strategically dividing and rallying them, using the pretext of being unfit for the position to force the Third Hokage to step down. At this time, the Village lacks a strong, independent leader and has no clear successor. Then, as the foremost clan and having demonstrated its power in this operation, the Uchiha... or, more specifically, Uchiha Fugaku, would inevitably become the Hokage."
"Especially Uchiha Shisui—being a member of the Uchiha Clan, his strength as support makes this seem perfectly logical."
"Would Uchiha Shisui... support such a coup?"
Inoichi Yamanaka frowned.
"He would!" Ino said with a serious expression, looking at her father. "Whether he is wholeheartedly dedicated to his clan or to resolving the conflict between the Village and the clan—once things have reached this point, he would definitely support his own family, because it doesn't contradict his goals, whichever one they may be..."
...In a dense forest, a bonfire flickered, its light wavering. Danzo leaned on his cane, standing before the fire.
His gloomy, single eye was illuminated by the flames, like a demon in the night.
Uchiha Shisui appeared in view, quickly approaching. He knelt on one knee opposite Danzo and saluted, "Lord Danzo."
Danzo said, "Shisui, I assume you are now aware of the situation. The Uchiha and Konoha have reached their limit..."
"Lord Danzo, I have decided to use Kotoamatsukami on the clan head during the next clan meeting. I can definitely stop this coup, definitely..."
"No, Shisui, you are too naive..."
Danzo approached Uchiha Shisui, his tall figure dominating Shisui's field of vision. Suddenly, Danzo's hand stabbed into Shisui's right eye, plucking out a bloody eyeball. Uchiha Shisui reacted belatedly, covering his eye with one hand and using the Body Flicker Technique to retreat over ten meters, landing on the trunk of a tree.
Blood streamed down his hand.
A group of Root Ninjas shed their disguises, revealing themselves from all directions. Clearly, Uchiha Shisui was completely surrounded.
Danzo raised the eye, examining it by the bonfire's light... "What a beautiful eye... Unfortunately, Shisui—your plan cannot succeed. The Uchiha will not change their minds just because their clan head is placed under a genjutsu—but I know how to make the Uchiha halt their steps..."
"Shisui... watch with your other eye! See the truth clearly... You will understand!"
Danzo did not kill Uchiha Shisui—Uchiha Shisui did not necessarily have to die, and he was also the grandson of his comrade Kagami.
For a genius who lost one eye, especially for a clan that relies on their eyes, it was undoubtedly a fatal blow.
"Move out..."
At Danzo's command, in an instant, only the bonfire and Uchiha Shisui on the tree remained.
After a long while, Uchiha Shisui finally descended from the tree. With one hand covering his eye, he stared blankly at the bonfire for a long time.
Uchiha Shisui returned to the clan. The clan members soon learned he had lost an eye. He only said it was "self-inflicted," that he was weary of such struggles and didn't want to continue like this—he didn't tell the clan he still had one eye left. He would also use his hidden other eye to see clearly the "truth" Danzo spoke of.
He was met with stern accusations from the elders—but this was undoubtedly futile. Then came the disdain from the clan members.
Uchiha Shisui merely watched all this like a bystander... He discovered that the coup the Uchiha Clan had been preparing for had abruptly halted, as if everything had been put on pause.
Why did the coup stop after I lost my eyes? Why... when I was the one opposing the coup... He pondered day and night, ignored by his clan as a cowardly blind man. He lay alone on the grass, by the river, sat on a rock, thinking in solitude, examining the world bit by bit from the beginning of his life—only at this moment did he realize how unfamiliar this world truly was.
Finally, one day, news spread: Uchiha Shisui was dead, having committed suicide.
In the dark depths of the Root, candlelight illuminated a small room. Danzo's face was grim as he thumped his cane, forcefully piercing a hole in the ground, even breaking through the brick.
"Coward!" His single eye flickered with a menacing flame. "To be Kagami's grandson and yet so weak-willed!"
After a long while, Danzo summoned someone and asked, "Has Uchiha Shisui's body been found?"
"Lord, no trace has been discovered."
"Dismissed!"
"Yes."
"Someone..." Danzo was not one to waste much time on superfluous emotions. He gave himself only ten minutes. After those ten minutes, he was once again the emotionless Root—the Ninjas of the Root were a group with the resolve to sacrifice everything for Konoha. Therefore, they first sacrificed their emotions, then their humanity. "Target, Uchiha Itachi—assign him a mission. Your task is to use the mission's opportunity to kill him! At any cost!"
What needed to be done had to continue... This was the plan against the Uchiha proposed by Nara Shikaku during the internal meeting. Uchiha Itachi was part of the plan!
If there was still some remnant of humanity toward a comrade's descendant regarding Uchiha Shisui, then toward Uchiha Itachi, Danzo felt no pity or mercy whatsoever—only the dead were truly reliable! And only Uchiha Itachi's death could extinguish the Uchiha's rebellious spirit.
The Root—
operated with precision under a single will.
Half a month later, an exceptionally suitable mission fell upon Uchiha Itachi... The nephew of the Daimyo from the Land of Hot Springs was going to visit Tanzaku Quarter and needed a personal bodyguard. Thus, Uchiha Itachi, who was around the same age as the Daimyo's nephew, was assigned such a task.
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