The Uchiha Clan's Great Elder stroked the white beard beneath his chin, his fingertips rubbing against the coarse ends.
A sharp light gleamed in his turbid eyes, 'A two-and-a-half-year-old child, already able to wield the Will of Fire as both an offensive and defensive weapon.'
'Calculating people's hearts more shrewdly than the old foxes in the clan. With such intellect, plus his monstrous talent, if he grew up smoothly, he would undoubtedly become the Uchiha Clan's pillar in the future.'
Thinking of the current Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku, a long sigh rolled in his throat, wrapped in half helplessness, half frustration at his failure to meet expectations.
Fugaku's temperament was too poor, too focused on so-called 'Konoha rules', forgetting the Uchiha Clan's founding principles from the Warring States Period.
If he continued steering the ship like this, the Uchiha Clan would eventually be like a frog boiled in warm water, eaten by Konoha until not even bone scraps remained.
Makoto didn't look again at Danzo's face, which seemed capable of dripping ink. His mind was now full of the newly acquired mission reward… the S-Rank Space-Time Ninjutsu, Flying Thunder God Technique.
He was eager to return and study it.
He waved towards the clansmen. Passing by Danzo, his gaze lingered on the other party's right arm for a moment.
The bomb hidden within this mummy-like wrapped arm wasn't the right time to detonate yet.
An arm full of Sharingan... if that came out, not only would the hawkish clansmen grab their weapons, even the dove faction advocating forbearance would be forced to draw their swords.
If that bomb exploded, it would either mean Danzo's utter destruction or the Uchiha Clan's annihilation.
His steps didn't pause… he swept past like a gust of wind, leaving only Danzo standing there, clenching his fists, fragments of the crushed kunai still in his palm.
After the Uchiha Clan's members followed Makoto away, Hiruzen also waved his hand. Danzo gave a slight nod, dismissing the Ino-Shika-Cho and other clans first.
The Anbu and Root's members melted away into the shadows like snow, returning to their respective posts. Only the figures in the Hokage Robe and the black robe remained in the open area before the Hokage Tower.
Danzo stood still, his shoulders under the black robe still trembling slightly… he had thought it was a perfect opportunity to use this incident to suppress the Uchiha Clan.
Instead, he ended up being pointed at and called disloyal and unjust by a mere brat. Both his actual standing and his face were shattered on the ground, and even the authority of the 'Darkness of Konoha' was halved.
The two entered the Hokage's Office one after the other, their steps making dull sounds on the wooden floor.
Hiruzen stood with his back to Danzo, looking out the window towards the Uchiha Clan's compound. His tobacco pipe was tight between his fingers, ashes rustling onto the windowsill: "That kid..."
"This is no ordinary inherently evil Uchiha brat anymore!" Danzo's voice was exceptionally heavy, seeming capable of cracking the floor: "We must take lethal action!"
"I'll have Root's members take shifts watching the Uchiha Clan's compound closely. The moment he dares to step out, we'll immediately crush his bones to dust, obliterate the body and evidence!"
If this child wasn't killed, word would get out, and his reputation as the Darkness of the Shinobi World would weaken.
He was Konoha's Root, buried deep in the earth supporting the village.
Without him eliminating those 'threats' in the shadows all these years, where would Konoha's current 'prosperity' be?
In terms of love for this village, if he, Danzo, claimed second place, no one dared claim first. Even Hiruzen had to step aside!
"We absolutely cannot touch him!" Hiruzen turned around sharply, his pipe making a crisp sound against his palm, his tone carrying unprecedented seriousness.
'At least not now'… these words Hiruzen did not voice aloud.
If Makoto died now, every Shinobi present today would know who did it just by using their toes.
This blame was too big for Danzo to carry alone, it was highly likely mud would splash onto him, sullying his 'pure and innocent' reputation.
Moreover, it could very likely trigger a civil war between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha.
During the Kyubi Rampage, the Sharingan in the Kyubi's eyes was seen by the vast majority of Shinobi. But now, no one spoke of it because the Third Shinobi World War wasn't entirely over yet.
The slightest misstep, and Konoha's foundation could be destroyed.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this!" Danzo's single eye spat sparks, 'It wasn't you who was called disloyal and unjust today, of course you can hold back.'
The airflow under his black robe made it flap loudly.
"I know you are the Hokage now, no need to remind me all the time!"
Bam…
Before Hiruzen could utter his famous line, Danzo turned abruptly, his black robe overturning the Hokage's desk. He slammed the door shut forcefully on his way out.
Hiruzen, having his casting interrupted by Danzo, felt somewhat unaccustomed for a moment. The words stuck in his throat felt uncomfortable. He muttered to himself: "I am the Hokage!"
Danzo rushed out of the Hokage's Office, paused at the door, glanced back at the wooden plaque engraved with 'Hokage', and heard Hiruzen's soft mutter. A cold hum squeezed from between his teeth.
'The blood Hiruzen was unwilling to get on his hands would be handled by me, the Darkness of Konoha.'
'Everything I do is for Konoha!'
He silently repeated this in his heart, wrapping all his frustration and killing intent into this 'greater good'. His black-robed figure soon disappeared from the Hokage Tower.
…
On the way back to the Uchiha Clan's compound, Itachi held Makoto's arm, his fingertips almost digging into the fabric, his voice lowered to a mosquito-like hum.
"Later, I'll go apologize to Danzo-sama on your behalf. You... don't provoke him anymore in the future."
"He's a bit... holds grudges..."
"Afraid of what?" Makoto raised an eyebrow. As long as Hiruzen had any brains, after today's event, he would find a way to protect him. But he wouldn't say that. Instead, he said to Itachi:
"If I end up 'committing suicide' with eighteen kunai in my back, it'll good enough to help you see Konoha's darkness, make you wake up."
"Whether I die or not isn't important. Everything is for you and Konoha's future!"
Suddenly, he changed his tone, adding: "By the way, if I really get 'suicided', remember to put tens of millions of ryo in my grave every year, so I have some confidence for my next life."
Itachi, looking at the playfulness in Makoto's eyes, suddenly felt his throat tighten.
This younger brother, though seeming crazier than anyone, was also more clear-headed than anyone, and cared about him more than he had imagined.
Just then, Fugaku quickly caught up, his brows knitted into a knot, his tone extremely serious:
"From today onwards, you are not to set foot outside the clan's compound half a step until this matter is completely settled!"
Hearing this, Makoto frowned. Of course he knew leaving the clan's compound was dangerous because Hiruzen cared about reputation, but Danzo did not.
But he needed to make money! How much money could he make just within the clan?
Thinking this, Makoto's eyes suddenly took on a crimson hue, a single tomoe slowly rotating: "I'll do whatever I want!"
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FOR EVERY 50 POWER STONES, I'LL UPLOAD ONE CHAPTER