Greed flickered in the eyes of the Hyuga branch member. He had been marginalized within his clan; as a member of the branch house, he desperately needed a brilliant achievement to prove his worth.
The Inuzuka and Akimichi Jōnin were equally galvanized. They shared the same ambition. After hearing Asuma's analysis, even the hesitant Inuzuka ninja felt a surge of motivation.
Only Kurenai Yuhi felt a private sense of dread for Kuroya. She wanted to confront him and ask him, face-to-face, what his true purpose was.
"Rest easy, everyone. Their squad has at most a dozen Uchiha. Don't worry, I have a trump card in reserve," Asuma said with a confident smile.
Upon hearing this, the remaining doubts of the other Jōnin vanished. Kurenai's anxiety, however, only intensified. She had to go on this mission; even if she couldn't save Kuroya, she wouldn't let him die a shameful death.
She felt nothing for Danzō, and even less for the ANBU or Root. Those people were dead, and that was that. She simply didn't believe that Kuroya would betray the village without reason.
The five turned into black shadows and vanished into the night, led by the sensory tracking of the Hyuga and Inuzuka Jōnin.
Midnight arrived, and Konoha's most bustling districts finally began to quiet down.
Hokage Office Main Gate. Two rows of elite ANBU—the best of the best—stood ready. Their backs were ramrod straight, swords strapped to their backs, and the animal masks they wore added to their murderous aura. In terms of sheer presence, these elites were far more formidable than the vanguard units.
Under the cover of night, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado paced back and forth, waiting for intelligence from the front lines. As Hokage advisors, they possessed both the temperament and the ruthlessness of Danzō. But now, the gravity and apprehension etched into their aging faces were becoming increasingly visible.
"Why is there no word yet...?" Homura's face was dark, his forehead wrinkles deepening with worry.
Koharu comforted him, "Don't panic. The Uchiha clan must be exterminated tonight, one way or another. If they won't die on their own, we'll help them do it 'honorably.'"
Homura mused, "Let's get Hiruzen. It's about time; we should head out to clean up the remains."
They had played a pivotal role in the "Uchiha Genocide" proposed by Danzō, fully endorsing the plan. Since the Uchiha harbored rebellious intent, the threat had to be nipped in the bud. They couldn't resolve the deep-seated grievances between Konoha and the Uchiha, so they would simply resolve the Uchiha.
Just then, a bloodied ANBU flickered into view and knelt before the two advisors. Seeing his tattered state, Koharu and Homura were instantly gripped by unease. The situation seemed to have spiraled beyond their imagination.
Did the Uchiha put up a desperate resistance? Their faces darkened.
The ANBU quickly recounted everything that had happened in the Uchiha district. Upon hearing the report, Koharu and Homura's pupils dilated. Their bodies trembled, and their unease transformed into shock and disbelief.
Their faces turned ashen, as if they had swallowed a dead rat. They turned and hurried toward the Hokage's office.
The Uchiha clan had been wiped out as planned. But Danzō was dead, and both Root and the ANBU vanguard had suffered catastrophic losses!
"Senpai, what happened?" In the ANBU ranks, Yamato whispered to the fox-masked ninja beside him.
Kakashi replied without looking at him, "I didn't hear clearly, but in any case—"
Crash!
Inside the brightly lit Hokage's office, the sound of a glass shattering against the floor echoed out. Immediately following it was the roar of Hiruzen Sarutobi. The ANBU outside flinched. Their kind-faced Third Hokage hadn't been this enraged in years.
Something catastrophic had happened to the village. Kakashi immediately shut his mouth, and Yamato didn't dare ask more.
Uchiha District Forest. A fresh wave of ANBU permeated the area that had just seen a brief, bloody war. At the lead was Hiruzen Sarutobi, his aged face grim. Wearing his Hokage hat and his white haori snapping in the wind, he marched into the forest.
The two advisors and elite ANBU followed closely. Some members took high-ground positions to secure the perimeter. Smelling the blood in the air, Hiruzen's gaze grew heavy. He clenched his fists behind his back as he scanned the corpses.
He quickly deduced the scenario: the ANBU vanguard had entered the forest carelessly and was ambushed by Root. Root casualties exceeded eighty percent, and half the ANBU vanguard was gone.
"That old fool Danzō... he really deserved death!!" Hiruzen felt a weight in his chest he could neither swallow nor spit out. He waved his hand dismissively. "Take the wounded. Recover the bodies!"
The ANBU captains nodded, leading their subordinates to "clean the site"—a routine task of killing, cleaning, and burning. Kakashi and Yamato, acting as personal bodyguards, remained by the Hokage's side.
Looking at the carnage, Kakashi and Yamato sighed internally. This operation was a disaster for Konoha. It would take years to replace the elite Root and ANBU operatives lying in the dirt.
Hiruzen, face black with rage, walked deeper into the forest until they reached the giant tree. The two advisors froze before a hollowed-out section, staring at the familiar old face embedded within.
"Dan... Danzō..." Homura adjusted his glasses, his forehead wrinkling into a knot. He stepped forward and placed his fingers under Danzō's nose and then against his carotid artery.
After a moment, Homura lowered his head and turned around. He shook his head grimly, signaling that Danzō was completely devoid of life.
Koharu's expression was somber as she stepped forward, pulling medical instruments from a storage scroll. She had been a medical ninja in the elite guard of the Second Hokage. The electronic monitors showed nothing.
Her heart sank completely. "No life signs. Biologically speaking, he is dead."
Danzō's death would have a massive impact on Konoha. First, the intelligence department would suffer an earthquake; the "underground" agents scattered outside might never be recovered. Second, without Root, Konoha lost the "hidden blade" used to balance internal affairs.
Hiruzen's eyes widened. The more he thought, the angrier he became. Rage surged into his chest, and he tasted copper. He forced himself to swallow the blood in his throat and personally inspected Danzō.
Looking at the face in the tree, Hiruzen's gaze fell on the hilt of the sword driven precisely into Danzō's heart. It was an Uchiha blade.
Hiruzen's thoughts were a chaotic mess. Had Danzō become so incompetent in his old age? He couldn't even handle an ordinary Uchiha, and he had taken the elite of Root and ANBU down with him. He truly was a fool!
"Danzō... was actually killed by that Uchiha Kuroya."
Hiruzen pulled the sword from the tree. No longer able to suppress his fury, he spat out a mouthful of blood and stumbled back several steps.
"Hiruzen!!" Koharu and Homura rushed to support him.
"Leave me. Have his body brought back. These wood-style growths contain the cells of the First Hokage," Hiruzen said, his voice low. He threw the sword to the ground and forced himself to stand straight. He looked toward the Uchiha district.
"To the Uchiha district, first!"
The full moon began to set in the west. Dawn was approaching.
Eighty miles northwest of Konoha, in the dense primal forest of the abandoned Training Ground No. 007, Kuroya led his squad forward. Fueled by chakra, they had covered in two hours a distance that would take a normal army a day of forced marching.
No one spoke. However, as they passed a ruined campsite, the Uchiha youth carrying Tamao cried out:
"Captain Kuroya, Tamao has passed out!!"
Kuroya stopped and looked back. Suddenly, text popped up in his mind:
[Side Mission]: Heal the Teammates[Option]:
Heal the teammates. [Reward]: Green Medicine.