"Shisui, how dare you use your Sharingan on Itachi!" Fugaku said, his voice heavy.
Itachi stood there in stunned silence, unable to speak.
Shisui merely smirked. "Without using my Sharingan to control him, would a typical Uchiha, so burdened by caution, dare to take such actions? Otherwise, how else could we be so oppressed?"
"Enough." Hiruzen spoke suddenly, cutting through the conversation.
His gaze was lowered, his expression unreadable, as if suspended between calmness and something else.
"Do you have anything more to say?"
Shisui's expression turned cold, and he looked over at Danzo.
"You seem very interested in the Uchiha's powers, enough to wield our clan's forbidden technique, Izanagi."
Danzo's face twisted, his voice sharp. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"If you haven't replaced it, under that bandage of yours should be a Sharingan that's already gone blind," Shisui continued.
Hiruzen's only reaction was a brief, subtle glance toward Danzo.
But Fugaku's expression darkened. "Lord Danzo, is what he says true?"
Danzo said nothing, but his hand holding the cane showed veins pulsing under the skin.
"Please, Lord Danzo, remove your bandage to clear your name," Fugaku said slowly, his gaze fixed on Danzo.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled overhead, as flashes of lightning split the sky. The rain that had poured all night finally began to ease.
"This spectacle," Shisui murmured, "should end here."
Countless figures appeared around the Hokage building — the Anbu, surrounding the entire area.
Swish!
The sound of shuriken slicing through the rain was almost inaudible, but faint glimmers could still be seen, hurtling in from multiple directions.
Shisui remained still, letting the shuriken graze close to his body as if they had missed. But the wires tied to them abruptly tightened, binding him firmly.
More shuriken with wires followed, fastening Shisui's upper body securely.
"This ends here, Uchiha Shisui," declared a white-haired Anbu wearing a fox mask, holding one end of the wires.
"You're under arrest!"
Shisui showed no sign of panic, simply responding, "Is that so?"
He surveyed the people around him: the calm Third Hokage, the grim-faced Danzo, the ever-scheming Fugaku, the stunned Itachi, and the silent clan heads.
A sudden green flame ignited on Shisui's body.
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock.
The next second, a green exoskeleton began to materialize around Shisui's body, forming a skeletal structure out of pure chakra.
What… is that?
Everyone present was taken aback, but none more so than Fugaku.
Shisui… you really…
The wires binding Shisui snapped, and the green skeletal structure continued to grow, eventually forming a half-bodied giant engulfed in green flames. A red magatama gleamed on its chest, and its glowing eyes opened, resembling a demon from the depths of hell.
"What… is that thing?!"
The sight before them was beyond their comprehension.
The giant formed a ball of light in its palm and flung it with a swift motion.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The ball split into countless projectiles of light, hurling towards Hiruzen and Danzo.
"Watch out!"
"Lord Hokage!"
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!" Kakashi swiftly formed hand signs, raising a sturdy earth wall with carvings of fierce dogs to block the barrage of light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The wall trembled under the continuous blasts, starting to crumble.
As the surrounding Anbu leapt forward, the green giant simply swung its arm, sending them crashing to the ground.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"
A blazing dragon-headed flame struck the giant, erupting into a fierce fire that engulfed Shisui.
Kakashi glanced to see that it was Fugaku who had cast the technique.
But as the flames dissipated, the giant remained unscathed.
Within its protection, Shisui gave Fugaku a calm look.
Then, unexpectedly, the green giant dissolved, scattering into sparkles that vanished into the rainy night.
"We did it!" someone cheered.
"It seems killing you all will be a bit challenging today," Shisui said, looking coldly at Hiruzen.
"Next time, there won't be so much talk."
"He's trying to escape!" Danzo shouted.
"Stop him!"
"Attack!"
The Anbu surged forward once more, but as before, they stopped mid-motion, collapsing to the ground with terrified screams.
The power of his eyes… it's terrifying…
Seeing this, Kakashi lost any desire to fight, looking at Shisui with a mix of caution and dread.
The space around Shisui began to warp, forming a vortex. From within the vortex emerged a figure in a dark rain cloak.
"Is it done?" the cloaked figure asked Shisui.
The sudden appearance of this stranger put everyone on high alert.
Shisui cast one last glance at Itachi among the crowd.
"Let's go."
The vortex reappeared, this time pulling both Shisui and the newcomer inside. The warped space settled, leaving Shisui's former spot empty.
Hiashi activated his Byakugan, scanning the surroundings, but found no trace of them.
"They're gone!"
"It was a space-time jutsu," Hiruzen commented.
"It seems he's involved with someone formidable."
"Damn it, he got away!" Danzo huffed in frustration.
Hiruzen shot him a dispassionate look before instructing Kakashi, "Anbu, withdraw and take the injured to the medical unit."
"Yes, sir."
He approached Inoichi. "How bad are your injuries?"
"Nothing serious," Inoichi replied with a cough.
Hiruzen nodded, casting a glance over everyone present.
"Who would have thought the mastermind behind the Mist's attack would be Uchiha Shisui!"
Danzo's gaze darkened but he remained silent.
Fugaku spoke up, "He's an Uchiha; as clan leader, I should bear responsibility."
"No," Hiruzen shook his head.
"None of us wanted this, and Itachi is also a victim, isn't he?"
Itachi remained silent.
The other clan heads, including Hiashi, Shikaku, and Inoichi, listened quietly.
"From this day forth, Uchiha Shisui is declared an S-ranked rogue ninja. A bounty will be issued, and a notice sent throughout the ninja world."
"In addition…"
Hiruzen turned to Danzo, his face expressionless.
"Your attempts to secretly eliminate Uchiha Shisui may very well have driven him to this rebellion!"
"Tampering with the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit is a serious taboo."
"Effective immediately, you are stripped of all authority. The Root organization will be dissolved and integrated into the Anbu. You will be confined until I issue a formal sentence."
Danzo stood, his face dark, without saying a word.
"Hokage-sama," Fugaku spoke up.
"Regardless of what happened, I feel immense guilt over the Shisui incident. I hope the Uchiha's authority over the police force is revoked as punishment."
All the other clan heads stiffened.
Without the police force, the Uchiha might seem weakened, but it would also free them from public scrutiny. If things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before an Uchiha sat in the Hokage's seat.
"The Uchiha have been loyal members of the village, performing well in their police duties. Removing their authority would be a loss for the Leaf," Hiruzen said.
The clan heads breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, I believe that the police force should be open to talents beyond just one clan."
"Wise decision, Hokage-sama," Fugaku replied with a slight bow, not expecting immediate results, knowing his clan wouldn't agree to such a drastic change.
"Shikaku, take Inoichi to the medical unit."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Hokage-sama, we'll take our leave as well," Hiashi and the others said with a bow.
"The Leaf is not an empty shell; it's a bond that ties people together. Each of you is part of this village, and the village will never forsake anyone."
"I hope you all understand."
"…Yes, sir."
With that, everyone departed, leaving Hiruzen and Danzo in the ruined site.
"Hiruzen, you've changed," Danzo said quietly.
"Sometimes, things must break to rebuild," Hiruzen replied.
"But your leniency toward the Uchiha will be your regret."
As Danzo's words faded, another figure appeared.
"What happened here?" Ren looked around at the ruins, frowning, and glanced at Danzo.
"I saw many people leaving here. Was there an attack?"
Danzo was slightly surprised at Ren's tone.
Hiruzen looked at Ren.
"You're too late."
Everything had already concluded by the time he arrived.
The rain began to stop, and the moon's faint light broke through the clouds.
Three shadows stood in the ruins, their voices low as they spoke.
The silver moonlight illuminated the area, casting reflections on the puddles, obscuring Ren's face.
"Is it necessary to explain so much to him?" Danzo asked, finding Hiruzen's detailed explanation to Ren strange.
Hiruzen gave no reply, turning away slowly.
"Was it you…" Danzo heard a soft whisper.
He frowned, looking at Ren, sensing something amiss.
"The one who ruined everything..."
"Was it you?"
Ren's head snapped up, revealing an ominous, four-pointed Mangekyo pattern in his eyes.
"You…" Danzo froze in shock.
The Mangekyo Sharingan… impossible…
Before he could react, Ren lunged forward, and Danzo saw a kunai, along with the cold rage in Ren's eyes.
The blade pierced through flesh and muscle, straight through his throat.
Clatter!
Danzo's cane fell to the ground, his hand instinctively clutching his neck as warm blood gushed out.
He… dared…
Danzo looked at Hiruzen, seeing only his back.
He tried to call out, but no sound came.
The world went dark.
There was no more light.
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