"Move out!"
As Kaze strode forward with long, determined steps, Uchiha Sei took in a sharp breath and quickly followed.
Since Kaze had openly declared they could arrest the suspect behind Shisui's death, what was there to hesitate for?
The second person followed.
Then the third…
Within just a few short breaths, a mighty procession had formed behind Kaze.
Each and every one of them bore a grim expression, mourning Brother Shisui's death and fueled by rage.
To an outsider, they might have looked like a dark force on the warpath.
But—
They hadn't even marched a hundred meters—
When Kaze suddenly came to a halt.
"What's wrong, Captain Kaze?"
Seeing him stop so abruptly, Uchiha Sei and the others looked confused.
Why had he just… stopped?
Could it be—he'd cooled down already?
"Uh, Sei…"Kaze turned toward the man next to him and asked with an awkward look—"Where exactly… is Root's base located?"
Thud.
If not for their excellent balance, a few of the Uchiha might've tripped and fallen on the spot.
Wait, what?!
He doesn't even know where Root is?!
They'd been hyped up, marching like an avenging army…
Only to find out Kaze had no idea where he was going.
"No wonder Captain Kaze was heading in the opposite direction…"Someone in the group couldn't help but mutter.
To be fair, it wasn't really Kaze's fault.
He liked to think he'd been all over Konoha, but when it came to the location of Root's secret base…
Yeah, that one wasn't in the tour guide.
After all, Root represented the dark side of Konoha.
There was no way its headquarters would be built out in the open.
To cover its secrets, Danzō built Root deep underground—with layers of seals and barriers at the entrances.
Unless you already knew where to look, you'd never notice a thing.
That said—
The Uchiha clan managed the Konoha Police Force.
They were responsible for the village's public safety.
Even if they hadn't been inside Root, some of them had definitely noticed those odd barrier points scattered around.
Wherever there was a barrier—
That's where Root's entrance would be.
Uchiha Satsuna stepped forward, volunteering with confidence.
"I know where it is."
And so, led by Satsuna, the entire group marched off in full force toward their new target.
However—
As Kaze's group made its way through the village streets—
They quickly became the center of attention.
One moment, a vendor was shouting, trying to sell masks—
The next, he fell dead silent, his face pale.
A young mother clutching her child instantly covered the kid's mouth and dragged them to the sidewalk.
It was as if a black tide had come sweeping down the streets of Konoha.
Pedestrians quickly stepped aside. No one dared meet their gaze.
Most turned away, pretending they saw nothing.
Watching the scene unfold, Kaze couldn't help but frown.
Technically speaking, they were part of Konoha's law enforcement—the Police Force.
They were supposed to represent order, discipline, and the very spirit of the village.
Wherever they walked, they should've been welcomed and respected.
But now?
The fear and disgust in the villagers' eyes…
It made Kaze seriously wonder if they were seen more like a yakuza gang than public servants.
"Sigh…"
Kaze let out a helpless sigh in his heart.
He'd heard before that the Police Force had a bad reputation.
But today, he finally saw it firsthand.
"Looks like changing people's perception of the Police Force won't be something I can do overnight…"
Kaze thought to himself.
Still, now wasn't the time to explain or justify anything to the villagers.
There were bigger things to deal with.
So, with Uchiha Satsuna leading the way, they continued heading for Root's hidden base.
Fortunately, the entrance to Root wasn't in the heart of the village—
It was tucked away in a much more remote location.
No nosy villagers were around to follow them or stir up trouble.
"Once we go any farther," Satsuna said, stopping and turning back to Kaze,"we'll step into the barrier zone around Root's base."
"The moment we do, Danzō will know we're coming."
Once they crossed that boundary—There'd be no turning back.
When they first left, high on adrenaline and grief over Shisui, everyone had been ready to tear Danzō apart.
But after walking this far, and especially after seeing the way the villagers reacted…
Their burning blood had started to cool.
Some, like Satsuna, were even beginning to have doubts.
Was it really wise to pick a fight with someone like Danzō Shimura?
He wasn't just some rogue shinobi—He was a core figure in Konoha's leadership.
If they ended up finding no evidence, no solid proof…
They wouldn't be able to just walk away unscathed.
But Kaze's voice cut through the doubt like a blade.
"The Konoha Police Force stands for justice," he declared firmly."And in this world—there should never be such a thing as justice that comes too late."
His words were powerful. Unshakable.
Not even a hint of hesitation.
And with the eyes of the entire squad watching him—
Kaze lifted his left foot, and stepped across Root's barrier line.
As soon as he did—
A new image appeared in his vision:The entrance to Root's underground base.
His eyes were clear.His gaze—resolute.
He marched forward without slowing down, each step filled with purpose.
At that moment—
Even his back seemed tall, powerful, and awe-inspiring.
Uchiha Sei and Satsuna exchanged a look.
Then, without hesitation, Sei stepped forward and followed Kaze.
At this point, he was already deeply drawn in by Kaze's charisma.
Even if the path ahead led to hell itself—He would walk it beside him.
Seeing Sei move, Satsuna gritted his teeth.
"Screw it… if we die, we die."
And he became the second to follow.
As for Root's heavily sealed gate, Kaze didn't even bother knocking.
Instead—
He activated the power of the Thunder Fruit.
Crackle!!
Blue lightning danced across the back of his hand—
Sparking wildly, then surging and growing until his entire right arm was wreathed in electric power.
In the next moment, Kaze clenched his fist and swung forward with all his strength.
A tidal wave of roaring lightning burst out from his arm, crashing into Root's steel gate!
BOOOOOOM!!
With a deafening thunderclap, the metal-reinforced gate was blasted open—
A hole more than a meter wide punched clean through it.
The heat from the lightning was so intense…
Molten metal was still dripping from the edges of the hole!
This was it.
The operation to arrest Danzō Shimura had officially begun.
A few minutes earlier…
Inside the Konoha Police Force's rest lounge, two Uchiha were helping prop up Fugaku in a chair.
The moment he sat down, his eyes snapped open.
Even though he'd been caught off guard by Kaze's Genjutsu—
Fugaku was still a Mangekyō Sharingan user.
That level of illusion?
A bit of chakra focus was all it took to snap out of it.
"Where's Kaze?!"
He looked around with a face full of urgency.
"He's already taken a team to arrest Lord Danzō!" one clansman explained quickly.
"What?!" Fugaku cursed on the spot."That brat actually went through with it…!"
He slammed a fist against the armrest, face dark with frustration.
"Damn it. I have to stop him. How long has he been gone?!"
"Maybe a little over two minutes… but Chief, do you really want to stop him? I think he—"
Before the clansman could finish, Fugaku snapped back at him.
"He laid hands on me—his own clan head—and now he's trying to arrest Lord Danzō without clearance!What, you want me to sit back and let him run wild?!"
"I'm going to report to the Third Hokage. Right now!"
"It's only been two minutes… if we hurry, we can still catch him," another muttered.
But suddenly, Fugaku winced and grabbed his right leg.
"Tch—my leg…"
He clenched his teeth as his brow furrowed tight.
"Damn that Genjutsu… it must've affected my motor nerves too.
Help me up! We're going to find the Third Hokage!"
(T/N: Now things are starting to get interesting. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
50 Stones = One Extra Chapter
100 Stones = Two Extra Chapters
200 Stones = Three Extra Chapters
Keep the power stones coming.