"Have you confirmed it?"
"Was it the Uchiha clan making a move?"
Inside Root Headquarters, Danzo questioned his subordinates under flickering candlelight.
Tonight's sudden blackout across Konoha was far too suspicious.
With something this abnormal happening, it was only natural for Danzo to suspect the Uchiha were preparing to act.
However, the thought barely surfaced before he dismissed it himself.
He knew the Uchiha would never launch an attack so openly.
Not with Shisui's Mangekyō still in play. Those so-called "inheently dangerous" Uchiha would never confront the village head-on while that eye existed.
The ninja hidden in the shadows remained silent for nearly ten seconds.
Behind the mask, his expression twisted into something awkward and difficult to describe.
"…It was Uchiha Kaito and Uchiha Sasuke."
"They were… conducting Lightning Release training beneath a utility pole. They pulled down two live wires, which caused the large-scale power outage across Konoha."
The vast underground chamber fell into suffocating silence.
Only the faint flicker of candle flames remained.
After a long pause, Danzo finally spoke again.
"How is Shisui's situation lately?"
"He hasn't been alone."
"Itachi has been staying by his side constantly."
"We… have no opportunity."
Danzo's brow furrowed deeply. His grip tightened around his cane as he slammed it hard against the floor.
"I want results — not excuses."
"Go receive your punishment."
"And next time…"
"You know what failure means."
The ninja's body trembled slightly as he bowed deeply.
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
He vanihed into the shadows without anotherrrrrr word.
Danzo stood there for a long while, eyes cold and distant, before finally turning and leaving the Root base.
Inside the Hokage Office.
"Third Hokage, please believe us!"
"My father would never initiate a confrontation with the village at a time like this!"
Itachi bowed deeply, his voice sincere and urgent.
Shisui immediately followed up.
"That's right. The clan head would never act without absolute certainty."
They both understood the reality clearly.
They were the Uchiha clan's true trump cards.
Fugaku and the elders intended to pressure the village leadership through strength and deterrence — not through bloodhed.
A direct conflict?
The Uchiha had no chance of winning.
More importantly, neithe Itachi nor Shisui wanted internal strife to weaken Konoha and invite foreign invasion.
The Third Hokage exhaled slowly, pipe in hand, his gaze still fixed on the darkened village beyond the window.
"Itachi… Shisui."
"I hope you'll continue working togethe to stabilize the clan."
After a brief pause, he added with a weary sigh,
"I will do my best to find a comprehensive solution."
"Thank you, Third Hokage!"
The two spoke in unison.
They exchanged hopeful glances. For a moment, the future felt brighter. The path ahead seemed clearer.
A knock sounded at the door.
Shisui inclined his head politely.
"Third Hokage, we'll take our leave—"
"No need," the Hokage said calmly, lifting a hand. "You may stay and listen."
"Come in."
The door opened.
An ANBU entered — but when the three inside saw who it was, their expressions shifted slightly.
They all recognized him.
Kakashi.
A shared question surfaced in their minds at the same time.
Why is Kakashi hee now?
"Third Hokage…"
Kakashi's voice came from behind the mask, half helpless, half exasperated.
"Thee's something I need to report."
Over the next ten minutes, Kakashi carefully recounted everything that had happened that night.
From the strange training setup…
To the utility pole…
To the massive blackout.
When they finally realized that Konoha's citywide power outage had been caused by Fugaku's two youngest sons attempting Lightning Release training—
The entire room fell into stunned silence.
Even Kakashi himself stopped talking.
The Third Hokage took several slow puffs from his pipe, his expression growing more and more strained.
Shisui kept glancing toward Itachi, disbelief written plainly across his face.
He knew Kaito and Sasuke were… odd.
But not this outrageous.
Kakashi, having monitored Kaito for several days now, had already developed a certain mental immunity to nonsense.
At this point, even if those two caused something even more absurd, he doubted he'd be truly surprised.
Itachi, however, felt three pairs of eyes burning into him at once.
His scalp tingled with awkwardness and helplessness.
He didn't even know whethe he should explain — or apologize.
After nearly half an hour, the Third Hokage finally broke the silence.
"Itachi…"
"Have I been putting too much pressure on you lately?"
Itachi straightened immediately.
"Not at all. For the village and the clan, this is what I should do."
The Third Hokage shook his head slightly. He wasn't interested in polihed answers.
He walked to the bookhelf, retrieved a scroll, and tossed it toward Itachi.
"B-rank Lightning Release ninjutsu — Lightning Clone Technique."
"Take this back to your two younger brotherrrrrrs."
"Don't let them continue causing chaos in the village…"
Based on the intelligence reports, the Hokage had already concluded that Itachi's brotherrrrrrs were not exactly… normal.
More like natural troublemakers.
Training Lightning Release on a utility pole?
What kind of reckless — or insane — idea was that?
And if the Uchiha ever truly lost control and launched a coup…
The consequences would be unimaginable.
One scroll in exchange for peace of mind.
A fair trade.
Itachi caught the scroll, looking slightly dazed.
He wanted to explain that his brotherrrrrrs were mischievous, yes — but not mentally deficient.
But seeing the Hokage's firm expression, he ultimately accepted the scroll with both hands.
"Thank you, Third Hokage."
"I'll… make sure to keep a close eye on them."
Kakashi rolled his visible eye behind the mask.
He seriously doubted anyone could truly keep those two under control.
"You may leave," the Hokage said calmly.
Just as Itachi was about to step out, the Hokage added casually,
"Oh — and tonight's damages…"
He deliberately dragged out the sentence.
Itachi instantly understood and bowed deeply.
"All losses will be borne by the Uchiha clan!"
As if worried that might not be enough, he added quickly,
"My father will agree as well!"
The Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction and waved them away.
At that exact moment—
The door swung open again.
Danzo strode into the office, his cane striking sharply against the floor.
Before the door even finihed closing behind him, he barked,
"Tonight's blackout must be Fugaku's conspiracy!"
"We must act against them immediately!"
Hiruzen turned toward his old friend, his gaze turning cold and sharp.
"You've been going too far lately."
"Don't forget your position."
"And…"
"I am Hokage."
The words struck directly into Danzo's deepest wound.
His face darkened with fury.
He snorted coldly, threw out one final line, and stormed away.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
Far away from political storms and power struggles—
A blackened, smoking Sasuke clung tightly to Kaito, eyes shining as he shouted excitedly.
"It worked!"
"I think I finally understand how Lightning Release should feel!"
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/MythArcStudio