Wen Lan walked to the edge of the crater and immediately noticed a white animal mask fragment lying nearby.
Only about one-fifth of it remained.
He bent down and picked up the broken piece, his fingertips brushing over the fractured patterns. The killing intent in his eyes was nearly impossible to suppress.
He knew very well how deeply Shimura Danzō despised the Uchiha clan. Even in the future, when Danzō made use of Itachi and Shisui, it was only because they belonged to the Third Hokage's faction—people he couldn't touch openly.
If Wen Lan had been taken away by Root just now, his corpse might not even be found tomorrow.
"Rein in your killing intent. Someone's coming," Fugaku said as he patted Wen Lan on the shoulder.
Only then did Wen Lan notice that many figures were rapidly approaching from the distance.
Very quickly, he saw clearly who they were.
Sarutobi Hiruzen—and more than ten ANBU.
Hiruzen's arrival instantly changed the atmosphere. His gaze swept over the crater without expression, but when his eyes landed on the mask fragment in Wen Lan's hand, his pupils shrank slightly.
He had rushed over because ANBU had reported that combat had occurred inside the Uchiha compound.
That mask clearly did not belong to ANBU.
Which meant there was only one possibility—
Root.
Fugaku took the mask fragment from Wen Lan's hand and spoke softly:
"Hokage-sir, shouldn't you give the Uchiha clan an explanation?"
"Our clan's genius, Uchiha Wen Lan, was attacked at night. As for who the attackers were, I believe you understand very well."
Wen Lan glanced at Fugaku in slight surprise.
Those words weren't overtly threatening, but under normal circumstances, Fugaku wouldn't have spoken so directly.
But then again, with so many Uchiha present, if the clan head didn't protect his people, his position would soon be meaningless.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Fugaku with a grave expression. After a moment, he slowly spoke:
"Fugaku, I understand your suspicions. I will investigate this matter personally, and the Uchiha will receive appropriate compensation."
Hiruzen knew that although the Uchiha wouldn't rebel now, mishandling this incident would widen the rift between the clan and the village.
It was already there—but it could not be allowed to grow.
At present, there were fewer than two hundred registered jōnin still alive in Konoha.
Nearly half of them were Uchiha.
After all, awakening the Sharingan was difficult, but once awakened, reaching three-tomoe was only a matter of time.
And three-tomoe already equaled jōnin-level strength—some two-tomoe users were already comparable to jōnin.
The war was not over yet.
If tensions flared between the Uchiha and the village now, any shift on the battlefield would put Konoha at a disadvantage.
Because right now, the village still needed the Uchiha as a major combat force.
Hiruzen paused, then looked at Wen Lan.
"Wen Lan, are you injured?"
Wen Lan shook his head.
"Thank you for your concern, Hokage-sir. I believe the clan head can handle this matter for me."
Hiruzen's heart sank slightly.
Those words sounded mild, but the meaning was crystal clear.
Handle this well—and Wen Lan would be a firm supporter of the Hokage's faction.
Handle it poorly—and he would stand firmly as an Uchiha.
And Hiruzen couldn't blame him.
After all, it was Danzō who had crossed the line first.
Wen Lan had originally intended to align himself with the Hokage's side—but if he was attacked and the Hokage failed to stand up for him, then of course he would stand with his clan.
Hiruzen's gaze deepened. He already understood the weight of Wen Lan's words.
Danzō's methods had always been ruthless. Hiruzen had anticipated trouble—but he hadn't expected Danzō to dare act inside the Uchiha compound, his intent to sow discord blatantly obvious.
He slowly nodded and said firmly:
"Wen Lan, I promise you this matter will be thoroughly investigated. If Root is responsible, Danzō will pay the price."
At those words, Fugaku's expression shifted slightly, while Wen Lan merely smiled faintly, as if he had already expected this outcome.
Watching Sarutobi Hiruzen and the ANBU leave, Fugaku turned to Wen Lan and said:
"You shouldn't have stated your position in front of the Third Hokage."
"That was exactly why I did it," Wen Lan replied, arms crossed, letting out a cold laugh as he watched Hiruzen's retreating figure.
"I am an Uchiha—this is beyond question."
"Danzō wants to use me to drive a wedge between the Uchiha and the Third Hokage's faction? Then I'll return the favor in kind."
"Now it's our turn to drive a wedge between the Third Hokage and Danzō."
"But the Third Hokage won't act against Danzō," Fugaku said with certainty.
"Of course he won't," Wen Lan replied calmly.
Both of them knew it well.
After all, Danzō had once attempted to assassinate Sarutobi Hiruzen—and after failing, he had only received a warning.
"Contradictions only need a seed," Wen Lan continued.
"Even if we do nothing, it will grow on its own."
"All we need to do is wait for the dogs to bite each other—until they're both covered in blood."
Fugaku looked at Wen Lan, a complicated expression in his eyes.
For the first time, he felt that this young man might understand political maneuvering even better than himself.
Wen Lan seemed not to notice Fugaku's gaze, still staring at the empty street, a faint smile hanging on his lips.
That smile sent a chill through Fugaku's heart.
He suddenly realized—
This child was no longer the quiet, unassuming boy of the clan.
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen returned to the Hokage's office and said through clenched teeth:
"Go. Bring Danzō here."
The ANBU obeyed and left.
Hiruzen sat behind his desk, his expression dark.
He truly couldn't calm himself this time.
Danzō had crossed the line—completely.
He had crossed it before, many times—but this time, Hiruzen was genuinely furious.
Uchiha Shisui had awakened his Sharingan at the age of seven and earned the title 'Shisui of the Body Flicker' on the battlefield.
His fame had spread far and wide.
And now Wen Lan—only five years old—had awakened a two-tomoe Sharingan.
His future was limitless.
With just a little effort, Hiruzen could have drawn this genius firmly into his own camp.
Yet Danzō had chosen the most foolish method imaginable.
This radical approach would not only deepen the Uchiha's suspicions of the Hokage—it might even push Wen Lan entirely into the opposite camp.
Hiruzen took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his anger.
Danzō had gone too far—daring to act against the Uchiha without authorization.
This was a direct challenge to his authority.
Hiruzen knew well that Danzō had always been cultivating his own power in the shadows—but he hadn't expected him to act so recklessly, completely disregarding the bigger picture.
Before long, Danzō entered the office, leaning on his cane.
At this time, his right arm was still intact, though his right hand was wrapped in bandages, and his left eye was covered by white cloth.
"Why did you summon me, Hiruzen?" Danzō asked calmly.
In truth, he already knew everything—Yamanaka Fū had already reported the mission's failure.
Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, his eyes beneath the Hokage hat darkened by smoke.
"Danzō," he said coldly, "what you did today went far too far."
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