Under Uchiha Natsuki's cold gaze, the Third Hokage quickly dispatched a medical-nin to extract the Sharingan from Danzo's eye.
Fugaku signaled someone to take Shisui's right eye and handed it to Izumi beside him, letting her confirm if it was truly his.
At that moment, Uchiha Itachi quietly stepped out from the crowd and stood by Shisui's side.
He had returned ever since the clan began gathering, but when his father spoke earlier, he hadn't stepped forward.
He wanted to see what his father's true intentions were. Blocking the Hokage's path entirely—was this his way of pulling him back to the clan?
Was the clan truly about to rebel tonight? Just as confusion clouded his mind, events unfolded far beyond what he had imagined.
To his surprise, his father didn't take the lead, but instead let Elder Natsuki handle everything.
Now it seemed clear—it was the right decision. Elder Natsuki's handling of the situation was impeccable.
Natsuki glanced at Itachi, then turned to Danzo. "Where's Shisui's left eye?"
Itachi moved his lips slightly but said nothing, even pressing Shisui down when he tried to speak.
Danzo nearly exploded with rage. "Natsuki, don't go too far! I only took Shisui's right eye! I have no idea where his left eye is!"
Fugaku and Natsuki both turned their eyes toward the Third Hokage—leaving it to him to decide.
The Third sighed. "Danzo, hand over Shisui's left eye."
"Old… old man…" Danzo trembled with fury.
But by now, it was like yellow mud falling into his pants—whether or not it was filth, everyone would believe it was.
Who would believe him if he claimed he hadn't taken Shisui's left eye?
"It's not on me…" With no other choice, Danzo begrudgingly gave in.
Of course, Natsuki already knew Shisui's left eye was in Itachi's hands.
His push was simply to secure more leverage for the Uchiha.
At that moment, Shisui sensed with his chakra and confirmed it was indeed his right eye. He transplanted it back.
After countless battles, being blinded, then undergoing surgery, Shisui soon collapsed into an exhausted sleep.
Itachi stood silently beside him. Shisui had worked endlessly for peace between clan and village, only to be ambushed by Danzo.
And his father, who had never shown such defiance, was willing to risk outright conflict with the village for Shisui's sake.
To Itachi, Elder Natsuki was merely a mouthpiece. His father likely wanted to avoid a direct clash with the Hokage's faction, which was why he had let Natsuki take the lead.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for altering Uchiha Itachi's mindset. A major shift in his life path has been triggered.]
Host reward: Eye Technique – Tsukuyomi ×1, Eye Technique – Amaterasu ×1.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for greatly changing Uchiha Fugaku's life path.]
Host reward: Eye Technique – Illusion ×2.
Oh? So changing their lives lets me obtain their techniques? Shame it's only one-time use.
Both of Fugaku's eyes are illusion-type? So two uses?
That's the same as Shisui, though not on par with Kotoamatsukami.
[Ding! Coup resolution complete.]
Host reward: Ocular Amplifier ×1 – greatly boosts ocular powers.
What kind of trash system is this? Everything's one-time use? Done after one go?
System, are you even reliable?
Natsuki grumbled inwardly, but the system, mechanical as ever, continued its announcements.
Host reward: Uchiha Clan Deputy Leader.
Deputy Leader: All Uchiha acknowledge your position as vice clan head.
Oh? So my deputy leader title just got legitimized?
Wait, wasn't that just something Fugaku casually declared on the spot?
[Ding! Host has now obtained Faction Leader status. Faction Template initializing…]
[Ding! Development Mission: Break free from Konoha's control, achieve autonomy and strength. Rewards will depend on outcome.]
Forget it. Can't change it anyway, might as well accept. Natsuki resigned himself.
A chain of notifications rang in his mind. Staring at the rewards and new mission, Natsuki fell into thought.
The Third Hokage promised that once Danzo returned, Shisui's left eye would immediately be delivered.
Natsuki's eyes then shifted toward Fugaku. Fugaku felt bitter inside—why did it feel like he was the one taking the blame?
Still, with outsiders watching, Fugaku played along.
"In that case, I'll await the eye in the clan compound. Before dawn, I expect to see Shisui's left eye returned."
With a cold snort, Fugaku waved his hand and dismissed the Uchiha.
The clansmen were restless, whispering in frustration. After gathering the entire clan, was this all?
But with so many outsiders present—elite members of other clans, eyes sharp and watchful—they refrained from further action, dispersing alongside Fugaku.
As the heavy Uchiha gates slammed shut, the Third Hokage finally exhaled a long breath.
Weary, he waved his hand. "Thank you all for your cooperation. The village is no longer under emergency state. Everyone may disperse."
The other clans exchanged glances, hidden meanings flickering in their eyes.
They bid farewell, though their tone toward the Hokage carried far less respect than before.
With a flurry of swishes, the clans vanished into the night, leaving only the Hokage's faction behind.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no mood for further words. Tonight had utterly disgraced the Hokage's line.
Worse, it drove a wedge between the villagers and the leadership.
Now everyone was wary of Danzo.
And since everyone knew Danzo and Hiruzen were tied together, some even suspected Hiruzen had ordered this.
All shinobi knew the Uchiha's Sharingan was a treasure—but no one dared provoke them directly.
Who would have thought the village's very own leadership coveted it? Unbelievable.
The Hokage himself was exhausted. Danzo usually handled the dirty work behind the scenes, but tonight's actions were entirely his own, unrelated to Hiruzen.
Yet it wasn't just Danzo—his blunder had stained the reputation of the entire Hokage faction, trust plummeting to its lowest.
Back in the Hyuga compound, Hiashi immediately summoned the elders.
"Elders, after what transpired with the Uchiha tonight, what are your thoughts?"
The Hyuga clan elders glanced at one another.
The head elder was first to speak. "Hiashi, I believe we must strengthen our vigilance against the Hokage's line."
The second elder followed.
"The Hokage has long resented our main-branch and side-branch system. This incident with Shisui is a warning for us as well."
For in the Hyuga clan, combat personnel were largely from the branch families.
Bound by the Caged Bird Seal, the branch families obeyed only the main family.
Thus, Konoha's Hokage faction had little control over them. Outwardly they were all one village, but in truth, the branch clan answered only to the main.
Hiashi nodded. "Danzo has hidden in Hiruzen's shadow for years, with unknown numbers under his command. His ambition grows by the day. Whether tonight's act was his own, or Hiruzen's order, is hard to say."
The head elder said flatly, "That hardly matters. What matters is the Uchiha's forceful counterattack shows Fugaku's stance has shifted."
"He may well have turned to the hawks. Conveniently, he pushed out a spokesman, while keeping himself out of sight. Deputy clan head… how interesting."
The second elder added, "Tomorrow, the Uchiha will surely demand more authority. I believe we should support them."
Hiashi inclined his head. "Tomorrow, I'll have a talk with Fugaku."