**Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Fire**
The Fire Country daimyo sat leisurely on a deck chair, surrounded by maids in various alluring costumes. A steel pole stood in the centre of the hall, where a dancer in revealing clothes performed provocatively.
This was the simple, unpretentious life of the daimyo. Apart from Itachi, there were no other Uchiha clansmen nearby. As far as protection went, Itachi's presence alone ensured the daimyo's safety. The remaining Uchiha members were stationed at various points around the daimyo's residence.
It was one thing to believe the daimyo would not be attacked; it was another to act with diligence. Fortunately, most Uchiha weren't ones to lower their guard without cause.
Elsewhere, Yagami, who had been observing the situation, confirmed his suspicion that Danzo indeed had designs on the Uchiha clansmen within the Daimyo Mansion.
However, the situation was clear: an assault on the Daimyo Mansion had already taken place. Whether the target was the daimyo himself or the Uchiha depended on how one interpreted the event.
Yagami sensed that the Anbu operatives sent this time were no pushovers; all were at the Jōnin level, and as members of Root, they likely knew the organization's darkest secrets.
On that note, irrespective of his intentions, Danzo still commanded a certain respect. He had a way of making those in Root forsake both family and Hokage, pledging loyalty only to him. This form of brainwashing was noteworthy.
Unlike Obito, Danzo didn't control them through manipulation techniques. He simply applied the Curse of the Tongue Seal, which prevented them from exposing Root's secrets. Yet, it compelled those in Root to follow him wholeheartedly, displaying a unique form of charisma.
Root operatives, moving swiftly at Jōnin speed, reached the vicinity of the Daimyo Mansion after a full day of intense running.
"Rest and recover your stamina. Use sensory techniques to gather intelligence. This mission must be completed swiftly—acquire the Sharingan and retreat without leaving a trace."
Danzo understood the importance of the daimyo's presence, and he had briefed his operatives accordingly. Their plan was straightforward: with the large number of Uchiha stationed across the Daimyo Mansion, it was inevitable that some would be isolated.
The strategy was to locate a lone Uchiha, strike with full force, seize the Sharingan, and disappear immediately.
As long as there was no evidence linking Root to the scene, even if the Uchiha suspected Danzo, they'd have no proof.
After all, Root had been officially disbanded, and Danzo was merely a civilian, technically under house arrest in Konoha. With no concrete evidence, there'd be no grounds for accusation.
Besides, the Sharingan was a highly coveted Bloodline Limit in the shinobi world. If it were stolen away from Konoha, it could easily be blamed on other villages.
"Found him! There's a Uchiha in the southwest, alone. No other Uchiha nearby, and the closest is several thousand meters away in the attic."
Root operatives quickly located their target. The Daimyo Mansion was expansive, and with thirty Uchiha scattered throughout, there was a decent distance between each guard except at certain key points.
It wasn't that Itachi's arrangement was flawed. On one hand, no one expected an attack on the Daimyo Mansion. On the other, each Uchiha was a Jōnin with their own pride. For a mere escort mission, there was no need for them to congregate.
"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Technique!"
"Ninja Art: Parasitic Beetle Sphere!"
"Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Technique!"
Root had a sizeable force, but only a few participated directly. Others stood by for contingencies or had special roles, such as returning the Sharingan to Konoha with haste.
Clearly, Danzo placed high importance on this mission.
He considered every angle meticulously.
He likely even positioned certain operatives capable of stalling Itachi, if necessary.
Though Danzo wasn't well-liked, his ability to inspire loyalty was undeniable. There were many willing to risk their lives for him.
The Uchiha guards caught unawares, were swiftly subdued by the Root operatives. No warnings were sounded, and they had no chance to channel chakra in defence.
Faced with such covert tactics, Yagami knew he couldn't guarantee immunity from attack himself, especially given the treacherous nature of these initial jutsu.
Techniques like the Mind Transfer Technique were nearly unstoppable without preemptive measures. Even in the original series, Obito, connected to the Ten Tails, was distracted by Ino's Mind Transmission Technique.
"Lightning Style: Chain Binding!"
Watching the ruthless actions of the Root operatives, Yagami reacted quickly. Control-type ninjutsu wasn't exclusive to them.
With his Byakugan active, the hidden Root members had no secrets from Yagami. After forming seals, lightning chains extended from his fingertips, branching midway and winding toward each Root ninja.
"What's this?! Agh—!"
The entangled operatives were immediately struck by a powerful paralyzing effect, their bodies forcibly drawn toward Mingfeng.
"Mangekyō: Phantasm!"
Seeing Yagami's Mangekyō Sharingan, the conscious Root operatives displayed terror, but Yagami didn't give them time to react. A single glance thrust them into a world of illusion.
"Ha... ha... ha…"
The rescued Uchiha clansman knelt on the ground, panting heavily. Chōza had not only restricted his movements but also absorbed a substantial amount of his chakra.
"Yagami? Why are you here?"
Seeing Yagami, the man heaved a sigh of relief. He understood the gravity of his situation; without Yagami's intervention, he wouldn't have known how he met his end.
"We'll discuss this later. These people are trapped in my genjutsu. Send a signal for reinforcements immediately. I'll have them fight you. After the battle, inform the daimyo that Shimura Danzo is attempting to assassinate him!"
What?!
Hearing Yagami's words, Uchiha Takahashi was utterly shaken.
Unbelievable! A former high-ranking official from Konoha was here to assassinate the Fire Country daimyo. This was beyond shocking!
But… I love it!
After a brief moment of astonishment, Uchiha Takahashi quickly released a secret signal. Yagami concealed himself and used genjutsu to make the Root members attack Uchiha Takahashi.
"Who's there? Using force in the Daimyo Mansion, Takahashi, are you okay?"
"Help me! These people are strong—all of them are Jōnin, and they can use Konoha's secret techniques!"
Takahashi sounded desperate. Although his chakra had been drained, his act was so convincing it almost seemed like he was genuinely being overpowered.
Yagami was momentarily speechless. He was controlling the Root members, so he knew exactly how much strength they were using. It seemed that the Uchiha clan members had a natural talent for acting.
"What? Has Konoha gone mad? What are they trying to do?"
"These people are either Anbu or Root. Is it Danzo? He's after our Sharingan!"
"Damn it! They've come all the way to the Daimyo Mansion; do they take us for fools?"
The arriving Uchiha heard the words, and their fury ignited. The daimyo and Itachi, alerted by the commotion, also appeared from the attic above.
The daimyo, who was usually composed, found himself intrigued by the battle unfolding between Jōnin-level shinobi. With Itachi nearby, he felt secure enough to watch the spectacle. Just then, a Root ninja suddenly looked up at the daimyo in the attic and shouted:
"There's the daimyo—kill him!"
What?! They're after me?
The daimyo's eyes widened in shock, his expression changing instantly.
"Stop them! Block them at all costs!"
Panicking, the daimyo clutched Itachi's sleeve despite the fact that the attackers were still hundreds of meters away. His demeanour suggested they were right in front of him.
"Don't worry, my lord," Itachi assured him calmly. "My people are already in place. They won't make it through."
"That's good… that's good… Wait, they want to kill me! Why would they want to kill me? Who's behind this?"
Though somewhat relieved, the daimyo immediately reconsidered, wondering if he should hire dozens—no, hundreds—of Uchiha for his protection.
Konoha's group was proving to be unreliable; they'd received no information on an impending attack. If he hadn't wisely hired the Uchiha, he might already be dead.
Now, there were ninjas targeting the daimyo; had the world become so chaotic?
Whoever's behind this, I'll make them pay!
"Please, calm down, my lord," Itachi said. "The Uchiha are skilled in gathering information. We'll soon know who is responsible."
As Itachi spoke, Uchiha Takahashi leapt up, giving a respectful bow to the daimyo.
"Itachi, we've taken care of the Root operatives! The clansmen showed no mercy, leaving no survivors."
"Root? What's Root? Is it familiar to you?"
Before Itachi could respond, the daimyo cut in urgently, his concern evident.
"What's going on? Explain it to me if you know!"
Seeing Itachi and Takahashi exchanging glances, the daimyo's anxiety peaked.
"Alright, my lord, if you insist," Itachi replied. "I hesitated to tell you because Root and the Uchiha have a history of serious conflict. I feared you might misunderstand."
Itachi then briefly explained the connection between Root and Konoha. Root was an illegal organization, and even most Konoha shinobi didn't know it existed, let alone the daimyo.
"Shimura Danzo… Danzo… So it was him! I always suspected that man's intentions toward me, but I never thought he'd try to kill me!"
As the daimyo muttered Danzo's name, a memory surfaced. When Konoha nominated the Fourth Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen recommended Namikaze Minato, while Danzo made his own recommendation.
In the end, the daimyo chose Minato as the Fourth Hokage. When Danzo left, he had cast a murderous glare at the daimyo, a look that still made the daimyo's heart tremble.
After that incident, the daimyo had considered asking the Third Hokage to deal with Danzo, but the Third Hokage had spoken in Danzo's defence, and the daimyo had let the matter drop.
"Damn it! What is Sarutobi Hiruzen up to? Here I am, treating the Uchiha clan well, and he's backing someone who wants me dead! Send a letter demanding answers from Hiruzen—what is he trying to pull?!"
Angry, the daimyo calmed down briefly, then gripped Itachi's sleeve again.
"Can you contact your clan and have more guards sent here? I feel very insecure right now!"
"Rest assured, my lord. I'll request reinforcements from the clan. Until they arrive, we will protect you with our lives."
Itachi assured the daimyo earnestly, then ordered the clan members to collect the bodies of the Root operatives, as these would serve as crucial evidence against Danzo.
Once the cleanup was complete, Itachi left a Shadow Clone with the daimyo while his real body approached Mingfeng.
"Are you alright? Once this is resolved, I'll try to find Tsunade and have her check on you."
Yagami nodded in greeting, casually mentioning Sasuke. He noticed that when he brought up Itachi's health, Itachi remained stoic, but when he mentioned Sasuke, Itachi showed a flicker of emotion.
"Yagami, thank you for looking after Sasuke. I'm sorry for the trouble… about today's events…"
"Don't worry about it. Just follow the daimyo's lead. Danzo sent these men, and if they're out to kill the daimyo, that's on them."
Yagami waved his hand dismissively, then activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. The power of his right eye surged, and the Yang Release chakra circulated through Itachi's body, calming him.
"This is… your ocular power? I feel like my body has recovered!"
"For now, I can only suppress your symptoms. This power can't fully heal you."
Yagami exhaled, reassured. His theory was right: Yang Release could indeed heal. In the original story, Naruto's Yang Release allowed him to restore Kakashi's eye, so it wasn't surprising it could ease Itachi's condition.
"I see. Don't overuse it on me in the future. Mangekyō has side effects. The daimyo mentioned increasing Uchiha's protection—what do you think?"
So, you know I'll go blind? Uchiha Itachi, you're not as cold-hearted as in the original story.
"I'll stay vigilant. Let the daimyo know Konoha strictly supervises the Uchiha, so personnel can't be easily reassigned. He should take it up with the Third Hokage."
After giving his instructions, Yagami returned to Konoha, acting as though nothing had happened.
In the Hokage's office, an Anbu presented the daimyo's urgent letter to the Third Hokage, who was immediately stunned.
"Damn it! Danzo's faction attacked the Daimyo Mansion! They even shouted about killing the daimyo!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt faint, gripping his desk to steady himself.
"Lord Hokage! Are you alright?"
Anbu hurried over in concern. He had heard the Third Hokage's words, but the situation was almost too much to comprehend.
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