Outside the Uchiha district—
After hearing Hiashi's words, Danzō—who had already ordered his subordinates to withdraw—was so furious he nearly exploded.
All he needed now was one proper excuse to draw blades and fight Hiashi Hyūga for real.
"Lord Hokage, I suspect Lord Danzō is actually a mber of the Uchiha clan."
"I received information that the Uchiha clan is currently plotting revolution, and Lord Danzō intended to lead Root back into the Uchiha district to regroup with the others."
Tonight, every word Hiashi spoke seed determined to shock people to death.
Yet that stern, proper face of his was practically filled with the words honest and reliable.
"What? Such a thing happened?"
The Third Hokage also revealed a shocked expression, as though he knew nothing at all.
"The Uchiha are plotting revolution?"
Then, before Danzō could speak, the Third Hokage turned toward him with that sa unchanged look of shock.
"So you were an Uchiha all along?"
I'm your damn father!
Danzō nearly cursed out loud.
But in the end, he still forced himself to suppress it.
Hiashi Hyūga is obviously spouting nonsense here!
Just now he claid he ca under your Hokage's orders. Now suddenly he received information himself?
Has a single sentence out of his mouth been true?!
And you, Hiruzen Sarutobi!
We already discussed everything clearly in the Hokage's office earlier.
What is this supposed to an now?
Were we performing cody together back there?!
Naturally, the Third Hokage understood the fury practically erupting from Danzō's expression like a volcano.
After all, they were old comrades who knew each other far too well.
He still had to leave Danzō at least so dignity.
Thinking that, the Third Hokage coughed lightly, as though preparing to speak on Danzō's behalf.
"Hiashi…"
"Danzō is, after all, one of the village elders. I also know him very well."
"You suddenly claim he is an Uchiha clan mber and that he intends to join their revolution."
"Do you have evidence?"
"... Third Hokage-sama."
This ti, however, Hiashi did not continue stalling.
After confirming no one else remained nearby, his expression abruptly sharpened.
He raised a finger directly toward Danzō's right eye.
"With these Byakugan of mine, I can clearly see that beneath Lord Danzō's facial bandages…"
"There is a Sharingan hidden there."
"Hm?"
Hiashi's words exceeded even the Third Hokage's expectations.
Hiruzen had understood that Hiashi's true words carried hidden aning.
He originally thought the Hyūga clan head was simply delaying Danzō to buy ti.
He never imagined there would actually be an unexpected discovery.
But upon seeing Danzō's face suddenly turn pale—
And connecting it to Shisui's previous disappearance—
The Third Hokage's gaze instantly sharpened.
His expression darkened unpredictably.
Shisui's unknown fate had always been a knot in Hiruzen's heart.
Especially after he learned soone had "impersonated" Shisui while committing a major cri in Kirigakure.
That incident had remained heavy on his mind.
To Hiruzen, Shisui Uchiha—who had practically treated the Will of Fire as his creed—
Was the final safeguard of the Uchiha clan.
If Shisui had not disappeared, Hiruzen might never have allowed Danzō's actions against the Uchiha to proceed.
And whether the Uchiha clan would have reached this point at all…
Was also impossible to say.
That single sentence also instantly cooled Danzō's previous rage.
It was as though icy coldness spread wildly through his heart, freezing him all the way to the bottom of a snow-covered abyss.
He couldn't understand how Hiashi knew.
A traitor within Root?
Impossible.
Everyone who survived the operation that day was bound by the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.
Even death would not allow them to leak information.
Was it seen through by the Hyūga clan's Byakugan?
But his bandages were specially made.
And before he fully adapted to Shisui's Sharingan, it shouldn't have shown much pupil power or chakra flow at all.
Even the Byakugan of the Hyūga clan shouldn't have detected it.
How did he learn this?
Who told him?
Danzō had already noticed the dangerous look in the Third Hokage's eyes.
It was an expression he had not seen on Hiruzen's face for a very long ti.
And after already ordering his subordinates to leave, Danzō suddenly realized sothing terrible.
He, who should have been controlling everything from the shadows—
Had sohow fallen into a dead end in an instant.
If he handled this poorly, forget recovering the Uchiha corpses.
He might very well fall here tonight.
No.
Not here.
Realizing the situation could no longer continue, Danzō's breathing grew rapid.
With a furious sweep of his sleeve, he snapped:
"Utter nonsense."
"Completely foolish beyond reason!"
"Hiruzen…"
"You will regret this!"
Refusing to give either of them any chance to speak, Danzō threw down that threat and turned away imdiately.
Though he deliberately kept his back straight, the way he left was undeniably miserable.
He didn't even consider calling back the Root operatives he had sent away.
Watching Danzō's retreating back, veins bulged around Hiashi's Byakugan.
Hidden within his sleeves, chakra had already gathered in both hands.
He had confird the surroundings.
At the sa ti—
He was waiting for the Third Hokage to speak.
As long as the Third Hokage gave a single order—
At this distance, Danzō was still within range of his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
This was a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity.
Yet until Danzō gradually disappeared beyond the range of the Byakugan—
The Third Hokage rely stood in place, smoking silently.
Several tis, killing intent flickered within his eyes.
But in the end—
He said nothing.
Hiashi slowly closed his eyes and sighed deeply within his heart.
He understood.
In the end, Lord Third had once again indulged his forr comrade.
Even after clearly realizing the truth.
He truly had grown old.
Not only his body.
His heart as well.
And perhaps—
Not only him.
Hiashi himself was the sa.
If he had attacked imdiately just now, would the Third Hokage truly have stopped him?
If back then he had chosen to fight Kumogakure rather than hand over Hizashi…
Would Kumogakure truly have dared wage war against Konoha again?
He didn't know.
But he did understand one thing.
He and the Third Hokage were the sa.
Neither of them had dared.
Hiashi raised his head toward the starry sky.
His expression beca complicated.
Just as the Fourth Hokage said—
The current Konoha, from its roots to its trunk, already reeked of rotten wood.
How could rotten wood ever grow new sprouts?
The answer that blond boy gave him had been so certain.
So decisive.
Only by burning away the rotten wood completely—
Could new leaves once again hang beneath the sky.
anwhile, within the Uchiha clan district—
Inside the clan head's residence—
As Tsukuyomi was dispelled, Itachi awakened from the illusion world.
He looked deeply at Sasuke lying unconscious on the floor.
Yet he no longer had the face to look toward his parents.
"Take your parents' bodies with you."
"At the very least…"
Minato's voice was quiet.
"Let them rest in peace."
"My father was the Uchiha clan head."
"This mission involved eliminating over a hundred Uchiha households."
"If so other corpses are missing, they may not care."
"But his life and death alone—"
"Then let them care."
Minato interrupted Itachi.
Then he placed his hands upon Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha.
Raising his head, Naruto's face now carried Minato's serious and decisive expression.
"So what if they care?"
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