Deep within the Root base, Danzo's already gloomy face was now so dark it looked like water might drip from it.
Staring at the base, which was less than halfway repaired, the flames of rage burned fiercely in his heart.
Because the base was destroyed, a vast amount of precious data stored inside vanished without a trace, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to his plans.
Having no other choice, Danzo had to order his subordinates to contact Orochimaru as quickly as possible, hoping to trade for some crucial materials from him.
However, the thought of Orochimaru's greedy nature and exorbitant demands made Danzo grit his teeth in hatred.
This cunning fellow certainly wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity for blackmail, but to recover his losses, he could only endure it for now.
"Damn that wretched Uchiha Clan!" Danzo cursed fiercely in his heart once again.
It must have been their people who destroyed his base, causing him such enormous losses.
Thinking of those tantalizing Sharingan, Danzo's heart grew increasingly restless.
He wished he could immediately lead his carefully trained subordinates to wipe out the Uchiha Clan and gather all the Sharingan for himself.
With this power, he believed he could certainly realize his ambitious plan and become the Hokage!
On the wide playground of the Ninja Academy, bright sunlight poured down, yet this warm light failed to dispel the intense, almost burning scent of gunpowder permeating the air.
Naruto stood in the center of the playground, his hands clenched tightly into fists, his arms trembling slightly from the excessive force.
His large, sapphire-blue eyes were wide open, as if flames were burning fiercely within them, locked directly onto Sasuke across from him.
Naruto's hair was usually messy, like a disorganized bird's nest, but under the influence of his current intense excitement, it looked even more disheveled.
He opened his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Sasuke! No matter what, I must defeat you completely today!"
Sasuke, however, stood calmly and composedly where he was. He crossed his arms over his chest and slightly raised his pointed chin, a hint of disdain visible on his handsome, stern face.
A light breeze swept past, causing Sasuke's dark, glossy hair to drift slowly with the wind, adding a touch of unrestrained elegance.
He let out a cold snort from his nose and said mockingly, "Hmph, a mere dead-last like you actually delusions of defeating me? That's just wishful thinking!"
Before Sasuke's words had fully landed, Naruto could no longer contain the surging anger in his heart, and he sprinted toward Sasuke with astonishing speed.
His running posture was somewhat comical, his two legs rapidly pumping, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
Sasuke, however, was unhurried. Just as Naruto was about to reach him, he swiftly dodged the frontal assault by easily shifting his body to the side.
Naruto couldn't stop his momentum and lunged into empty air, stumbling forward a few steps before regaining his balance.
Frustrated, he turned around and roared as he charged toward Sasuke again.
This time, Sasuke didn't dodge. The moment Naruto got close, he raised his leg and delivered a precise kick to Naruto's stomach.
"Ugh..." Naruto bent over in pain, clutching his stomach, but the fighting spirit in his eyes remained undiminished.
He gritted his teeth tightly, his cheeks bulging, and veins pulsed on his forehead, showing he was clearly using all his strength.
Just as Sasuke withdrew his leg and prepared to attack again, Naruto seized the opportunity, quickly shot out both hands like lightning, and accurately gripped Sasuke's ankle tightly.
Then, he used all his strength to yank back hard.
Completely unprepared for Naruto's sudden sneak attack, Sasuke instantly lost his balance and his body involuntarily tipped backward.
With a muffled "thump," Sasuke fell heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Damn it!" Sasuke roared, leaping up from the ground, and charged furiously toward Naruto.
Naruto didn't back down either, rushing toward Sasuke. In an instant, the two locked together in a fierce struggle, like two savage beasts.
They exchanged blows, giving no quarter, and for a moment, it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.
Not far from them stood a tall, straight tree.
At this moment, Uchiha Itachi was standing silently on a thick branch of the tree.
He looked down upon Sasuke and Naruto, who were locked in fierce combat below. A flicker of subtle tenderness crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deep pain.
However, despite the immense suffering in his heart, Uchiha Itachi firmly believed that everything he was doing was to maintain the peace and tranquility of the Village.
Even if it meant paying a terrible price, even if he suffered the misunderstanding and hatred of his own younger brother, he would not hesitate.
It was time. Itachi took one last reluctant look at Sasuke, and his figure disappeared again.
In the evening, the sunset stained the clouds crimson like blood, and the entire Konoha Village was enveloped in a faint golden afterglow.
Just then, a solitary yet determined figure slowly appeared before the Hokage Building—it was Uchiha Itachi.
He stood there silently, his black long robe fluttering in the wind, his deep eyes revealing a sense of determination and coldness.
It was as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him; he had only one goal in mind: to make this night the moment everything ended.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage Building office, the atmosphere was extremely heavy.
The Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen was seated at his desk, his brows furrowed, his face filled with worry.
Beside him sat three serious-looking Advisors, who were also silent, merely watching the doorway, seemingly waiting for someone to arrive.
Finally, a faint sound of footsteps broke the silence.
The door opened, and Itachi stepped inside. He looked at the people in the room expressionlessly, his gaze as cold as winter ice.
"Itachi, I am very sorry. Regarding the current situation, I truly couldn't think of a better way to resolve these problems," the Third Hokage said first, his tone full of helplessness and self-reproach.
However, Itachi did not respond to him. Instead, he walked straight to the desk, looked directly into the Third Hokage's eyes, and said earnestly, "Hokage-sama, I came here today for only one request. No matter what, please spare my younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke."
Hearing this, Danzo couldn't help but interject, "How can that be allowed?"
"Enough, Danzo!" The Third Hokage coldly stopped Danzo, then said to Itachi, "Itachi, don't worry. Sasuke will be safe; I will look after him. But what are your plans?"
"I have decided to join a rogue Ninja organization, almost entirely composed of S-rank rogue Ninja. I will become a spy and provide intelligence to Konoha."
"What!?" The Konoha F4 all changed color. All S-rank? An organization like that shouldn't be unknown!
Itachi nodded again. "Please, Hokage-sama, take good care of Sasuke. If he is harmed, I will use the combined strength of the organization to kill the person who hurt him."
Having said this, he glanced at Danzo again.
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