"Sorry, Aburame Ryoma…"
"…and the rest of Root."
Dozens—
No—
Hundreds of Uchiha jonin appeared from all directions at once.
They stepped out of the shadows, weapons already in hand—kunai and shuriken gleaming under the dim light. Their expressions were cold, hostile, as they surrounded every Root member without leaving a single escape route.
Aburame Ryoma and the man in the demon mask exchanged a glance.
In that brief moment—
Both saw the same thing in each other's eyes.
Gravitas.
…When were we discovered?
An Uchiha stepped forward, clearly the leader of the group. A cold smirk formed on his lips as he looked at them.
"Today…"
"…none of you are leaving."
Inside the Uchiha courtyard—
Ryujin stood calmly in place, his gaze fixed on the direction where Danzo had been sent flying.
As if—
The one who had just struck—
Wasn't him.
As the dust slowly settled, every member of Hiruzen's faction stood frozen.
Their mouths hung open, eyes wide with disbelief.
Danzo—
A man of Kage-level strength—
Had been sent flying…
With a single strike?
Hundreds of meters.
The reality was undeniable.
Danzo now lay far in the distance, collapsed beneath a crooked old tree.
Whether unconscious or merely injured—
Didn't matter.
That single blow—
Had already proven everything.
Danzo…
Was weaker than Ryujin.
But that wasn't what shocked them the most.
What truly stunned them—
Was something else entirely.
Ryujin had done it.
Right here.
In front of everyone.
He had struck Danzo—
Without hesitation.
Without restraint.
And judging by his expression—
He hadn't even used his full strength.
But how could he dare?
Did he not understand—
That this was rebellion?
Even if he had just framed Danzo as a traitor moments ago—
Danzo should have been judged by Hiruzen.
Not by him.
This—
Was a direct slap to the Hokage's authority.
And just as expected—
Hiruzen's face darkened instantly.
"Ryujin!"
"Why did you attack Danzo!?"
"…Are you planning to rebel?"
The moment those words fell—
The atmosphere exploded.
Behind Ryujin—
The Uchiha and Senju factions rose as one.
Their hands were already moving.
Weapons almost drawn.
Just one signal—
And war would erupt.
But before anything could happen—
Ryujin raised his hand.
A simple gesture—
And everything stopped.
Silence.
Then, he turned toward Hiruzen.
"Old man… what are you talking about?"
"I'm helping you eliminate a traitor."
His voice was calm.
Even carried a faint smile.
But—
Everyone on Hiruzen's side felt a chill.
Because his tone—
Carried no respect.
No restraint.
Calling the Third Hokage—
"Old man."
That alone—
Revealed everything.
Ambition.
Defiance.
Rebellion.
Hiruzen frowned deeply.
His gaze turned sharp.
He had already noticed before—
The Uchiha's growing dissatisfaction.
But today—
It became undeniable.
At just one word from Ryujin—
Both the Uchiha and Senju nearly erupted into war.
His authority—
Had surpassed the Hokage's.
To the point where—
If he raised his hand—
They would rebel without hesitation.
Before anyone else could speak—
Ryujin continued.
"We—Uchiha and Senju—have been suppressed by you for years."
"Our young elites… repeatedly sent to war."
"To die."
"To weaken our clans."
"So you could maintain your balance."
His tone remained casual.
Like idle conversation.
But every word—
Cut deep.
"If not for that…"
"We wouldn't have come to this."
A faint smile appeared.
"We only wanted peace."
"But you wouldn't give it to us."
"So…"
"We'll create our own path."
He paused.
Then smiled.
"After all…"
"Our Uchiha clan…"
"Has wanted to become Hokage for a long time."
Silence.
Then—
Shock.
Pure shock.
To say such words—
In front of the Third Hokage—
So casually—
So openly—
This was no longer a hint.
This was rebellion.
At that exact moment—
BOOM!
A massive shadow descended from the sky.
Without even looking—
Ryujin vanished instantly.
Shunshin.
The ground exploded as the creature landed, sending dust and debris flying across the entire courtyard.
As the smoke cleared—
Everyone saw it.
A creature like a small mountain.
A beast of legend.
The Dream-Eating Monster—Baku.
And standing atop it—
Danzo.
Covered in dust.
Face twisted with rage.
"RYUJIN!!!"
His voice roared across the courtyard.
"Today—"
"I WILL KILL YOU!"
"For Teacher Tobirama's will—"
"I WILL FINISH IT MYSELF!"
Moments earlier—
Danzo's expression had changed drastically.
He never expected—
That Ryujin would turn the accusation of rebellion—
Back onto him.
Wasn't today supposed to be the Uchiha's rebellion?
Why had it become his?
Even Hiruzen and the others were caught off guard.
What exactly—
Was Ryujin planning?
But before anyone could react—
Ryujin's hand—
Resting on Danzo's shoulder—
Turned into a strike.
BOOM!!!
A single palm—
Crashing into Danzo's chest.
The impact—
Instant.
Violent.
Overwhelming.
Danzo's body flew backward like a cannonball—
Smashing through multiple walls—
Before finally crashing into a massive tree hundreds of meters away.
Dust filled the sky.
The entire Uchiha courtyard was engulfed in smoke.
Outside the district—
The Root members heard it.
That terrifying explosion.
The man in black glasses looked toward the Uchiha compound.
Then—
Calmly spoke.
"…Prepare to move."
The moment those words fell—
The Root operatives began to mobilize.
But—
Before they could act—