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Most of the Uchiha clan resided within their own territory. Although almost all members of the Konoha Guard possessed the three-tomoe Sharingan, there were still many others who had awakened it. Especially Uchiha Fugaku's eyes, which were among the most formidable of the three-tomoe Sharingan. Danzo couldn't afford to let them slip away.
Besides, it was also an opportunity to boast in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen. After all, Danzo was the key player in suppressing the Uchiha rebellion.
As the Anbu, a department directly under the Hokage, was highly efficient, they quickly compiled the death list of the Uchiha clan. The only body missing was Uchiha Itachi's.
This outcome was initially what Sarutobi Hiruzen had anticipated. However, he knew that things were far more complicated than they seemed.
He was certain that his son, daughter-in-law, and the other three members of his clan were not killed by Uchiha Itachi.
First, he hadn't issued a kill order against the Uchiha, and Shinnosuke's team wouldn't have fought Itachi. Second, with Uchiha Sasuke as leverage, Itachi wouldn't dare kill them.
This meant it had to be someone else.
The person most likely responsible was the masked man who had controlled the Nine-Tails, killed his wife Biwako, severed Danzo's left arm, and taken Shisui's right eye.
The thought of this filled Sarutobi Hiruzen with rage and frustration.
He was at a loss. Why had Konoha angered this mysterious figure so much that they were being targeted repeatedly, with Konoha ninjas being killed one after another?
This time, even his son and daughter-in-law were among the victims.
If the perpetrator were anyone ordinary, he would've sent an elite team of Konoha ninjas to hunt them down. But this opponent seemed to wield some sort of space-time ninjutsu, making them impossible to track.
One crisis after another—there seemed to be no end.
Just as Hiruzen was lost in thought, a sudden commotion nearby snapped him back to reality. An Anbu ninja rushed over, panic in his voice, "Hokage-sama, something's gone wrong!"
"What is it?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, frowning.
"While we were gathering the bodies, several mysteriously disappeared," the Anbu said, clearly shaken.
"Which bodies are missing?" Kakashi, sensing the gravity of the situation, approached the group.
The Anbu answered, "Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Izumi, Uchiha Kaze, Uchiha Mune, Uchiha Kiyoshi."
Kakashi sighed and added, "All of them had the Sharingan. And… Fujiwara Kirito's body is also missing."
"Fujiwara Kirito?" Hiruzen's expression darkened. Quickly, he asked, "Are you sure Kirito is dead?"
If anyone had a motive to kill his son, it was Kirito—apart from the dead Uchiha and the masked man. After all, Sarutobi himself had issued the order to eliminate Kirito.
Although Hiruzen doubted Kirito had the strength to take down Shinnosuke's elite team, Kirito was a genius. He had to consider the worst-case scenario.
Could Kirito have faked his death?
"Hokage-sama, Kirito is definitely dead. I personally examined the body, along with several other Anbu ninjas," Kakashi answered, hearing the implicit suspicion in Hiruzen's question.
"I used the Sharingan to inspect the body. The chest wound was fatal—there's no chance of a fake death or transformation."
Kakashi continued, "Kirito had a striking appearance—black hair, black eyes. If someone saw him among the Uchiha without activating his Sharingan, they might have mistaken him for an Uchiha."
"His body was found near Uchiha Kazefu, Mune, and Kiyoshi. I think the person who stole the body may have confused him for an Uchiha."
"Is that so?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. Despite Kakashi's firm answer, he still harbored doubts about Kirito's death. He then asked, "So who do you believe did this?"
"It was Uchiha Itachi," came a deep, elderly voice approaching them.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others turned to see Danzo, leaning on his cane, walking toward them, flanked by two black-robed Root ninjas.
At this point, Danzo, still unaware that Fugaku's body had been stolen, continued, "Itachi harbored resentment and hatred toward his clan. This led him to kill Shisui and steal his eyes, sparking a conflict with his fellow Uchiha. In the end, this tragedy unfolded."
Kakashi, shocked, asked, "Itachi did this? Does that mean Kirito was also killed by him?"
The surrounding Anbu cast curious glances toward Danzo.
Danzo answered without hesitation, "Of course. Kirito was a jonin of Konoha. If he had witnessed Itachi slaughtering his comrades, he would have tried to stop him. Unfortunately, he died in the process."
Feeling proud of how the situation had unfolded, Danzo shot a smug look at Sarutobi Hiruzen, as if to say, "See, Hiruzen? My plan worked. All it took was sacrificing Kirito, and the Uchiha rebellion was resolved."
But Sarutobi wasn't fooled. He knew Danzo's explanation was full of holes. Without turning around, he simply said, "Enough. Get back to work."
"Understood," Kakashi and the others responded, vanishing into the shadows.
Once they were gone, Danzo dismissed his Root subordinates and approached Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Everything is settled now."
"Settled?" Sarutobi turned, his expression dark. "Danzo, you fool. You've brought disaster to Konoha. Not only did you slaughter the Uchiha, but you also got my son and daughter-in-law killed. I will no longer tolerate your reckless actions."
"Shinnosuke... is dead?" Danzo asked in surprise.
Ignoring him, Sarutobi continued, "Effective immediately, you are dismissed from your role as Hokage advisor, and the Root division will be disbanded."
"But, Hiruzen, I—" Danzo stammered, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Sarutobi's tone. For a brief moment, he saw the ninja hero of Hiruzen's youth, and he faltered.
(End of Chapter).
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