[Hokage Building]
"What? Itachi attacked Danzo and dug out his eye?"
"And escaped unscathed from Danzo's encirclement?"
Hearing the report from his spy planted beside Danzo, the Third Hokage almost couldn't hold his pipe steadily.
The spy responded in a low voice, "Yes, Uchiha Itachi also possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"He also used the same Susanoo as Shisui, but the color was orange-red."
The Third Hokage's expression turned extremely ugly upon hearing this.
There were several reasons why he allowed Danzo to eliminate the Uchiha.
One of them was that Shisui still had one eye unaccounted for.
It was highly likely that it had been reclaimed by the Uchiha clan.
Just how terrifying Kotoamatsukami was needed no further elaboration. Letting Danzo handle this matter was naturally the most suitable.
Additionally, the Third Hokage believed that even if the Uchiha resisted, they could be completely wiped out.
Especially since Itachi, one of the Uchiha's top fighters, had already defected to Konoha.
Ninjas are high attack but fragile; with an insider, a decapitation operation could be carried out at any time.
Naturally, the Uchiha had not the slightest chance of victory.
Dealing with these arrogant, conceited genius Uchiha was practically too easy.
Just praise this kind of genius in a few settings, and they would quickly lose themselves.
Anyway, for a qualified politician like the Third Hokage, this was just a matter of moving his lips, a trivial matter.
Later, he recruited Itachi into the Anbu, which made it even easier to brainwash him.
Fugaku, who shared the common flaws of the Uchiha, arrogantly believed that Itachi would never betray the clan.
So he let him go undercover in Konoha as a spy.
Fugaku's foolishness lay in that after Shisui's death, in the next two weeks, he and Itachi had almost no communication.
He didn't even know Itachi's mental state, yet arrogantly believed that Itachi must be on the clan's side.
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage issued missions to Itachi daily, brainwashing him day and night.
He let the other advisor elders play bad cop and pressure Itachi, while he played good cop, saying some high-sounding words.
In this way, Itachi could endlessly believe in the Third Hokage, even if the Third only spoke empty words.
When Itachi reported which clan members in the Police Force were more radical, the Third Hokage found reasons to dismiss them.
When Itachi reported that the Police Force gathering could easily lead to a coup, the Third Hokage found reasons to weaken it.
So, from beginning to end, Itachi was completely manipulated by the Third Hokage.
With just some lip service, the Third Hokage could lead a whole clan to annihilation.
This is the terror of politics.
Moreover, Itachi was always inside an information cocoon and couldn't clearly perceive all of this.
It was only a few years after his defection that his horizons gradually broadened, and he realized how foolish he had been.
But by then, the wood had already been carved into a boat, it was too late. Itachi was also crushed by immense mental pressure.
That psychological toll reflected on his body; and the Mangekyo is also an extremely taxing ability, thus, Itachi died young.
Originally at this point in time, Itachi should not have regained clarity.
But what the Third Hokage didn't expect was that the Uchiha possessed Izanami, such a forced brainwashing technique.
If your mind is unclear, you'll just be stuck in the loop forever.
Now all he knew was: Itachi had switched sides on the battlefield, and he was a Mangekyo Sharingan user.
The Third Hokage was now in a bind. He knew a fair bit about Mangekyo Sharingan.
Unless he had equally matched combat power, he could only pile up lives to fight it.
Right now, the Uchiha clan had surely prepared for a desperate last stand.
If they made a move now, they would certainly suffer heavy losses.
The Third Hokage took a frustrated drag from his pipe, "How is Danzo now?"
The spy dressed in Root attire replied, "When I left, the preliminary diagnosis was that Danzo suffered mental trauma, and other issues also appeared in his body."
It should be known that when a peak-state Kakashi was hit with a month-long Tsukuyomi, he still lay in bed for a week.
Danzo was already over sixty years old, naturally weak in both body and spirit.
Also, the modification of his Wood-Style arm wasn't stable either.
How long it would take for him to wake up was still uncertain.
Although the Third Hokage didn't know what kind of Tsukuyomi it was, he also knew Danzo couldn't be counted on anytime soon.
"Call Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado here immediately!"
———
At the entrance of the Uchiha clan grounds, people were already packed densely.
Many had been dragged out directly from their dreams.
But the Uchiha still had their foundation, upon hearing there was a great battle, they quickly suited up and came out.
Standing at the front of the clan were Fugaku, the Great Elder, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder.
The Great Elder's eyes were sharp, patiently waiting.
The Second and Third Elders looked very displeased. They had once been committed to peaceful coexistence with Konoha.
Now Danzo had issued the order to wipe out the Uchiha, and Root members had already reached the outskirts of their clan grounds.
This feeling was undoubtedly like being slapped dozens of times across the face.
And the more they learned, the more terrified they became.
They didn't expect that the Uchiha clan had already reached such a dangerous point.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
With the sound of footsteps, Itachi returned alone.
He landed in front of the group.
Instantly, angry shouts erupted, "UCHIHA ITACHI! How dare you betray the clan!"
"Uchiha Itachi, YOU TRAITOR!"
Itachi looked a bit blank and exhausted, with blood around his eyes, as if he hadn't heard the voices around him.
He merely glanced at Fugaku, then went to stand beside the Great Elder.
A bitter smile appeared on Fugaku's face. Things turning out like this, he could hardly escape blame.
The Great Elder's dignified gaze swept over the clansmen.
Everyone fell silent. Kairen, being the most hardline and powerful hawk faction elder, had earned his reputation through battle after battle.
Though his hair and beard were all white, his body was strong. Dressed in combat gear, he exuded killing intent from head to toe, with overwhelming presence.
The Great Elder said nothing, and no one else dared speak either.
The wait wasn't long, Rengoku descended with Izumi.
All eyes turned to him.
Rengoku pushed Izumi into Itachi's arms and said, "You weren't threatened by Konoha, Sasuke's already been rescued, and Izumi was saved by me too."
Itachi froze for a moment, and Izumi threw herself into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest.
Aggrieved, scared, moved, overwhelmed by all sorts of emotions, Izumi was already crying with tears all over her face.
"Itachi… wuwuwu…"
Itachi's body stiffened for a moment, then looked at Rengoku.
Rengoku simply gave him a "you figure it out" kind of look.
At a time like this, Itachi didn't say anything, he just hugged Izumi tightly.
At this moment, seeing Itachi's Bond Value continue to grow, Rengoku also felt reassured, 'Looks like love will work for now.'
He gave a glance at the basically useless Fugaku, then stepped to the front of the group and began to speak, "We Uchiha have always been loyal, there is no coup. This is just a counterattack against Danzo and Root's invasion."
"Do you understand?"
The Uchiha, now entering combat mode, though their intelligence hadn't increased, still had the basic qualities of a ninja.
""""Understood!""""
Even if they didn't understand why it was being done this way, they knew that at this moment, obeying orders was enough.
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