"Itachi, are you ready? Once it starts, I won't hold back."
Looking at the land of the Shimura clan, Yagami asked. An old fox like Danzō wouldn't be easily intimidated unless he displayed a power that left him helpless.
After much deliberation, Yagami still decided to adopt the method Itachi used to deal with Danzō originally—keeping Sasuke in the village while Itachi, wielding his Mangekyō, acted outside, threatening Danzō with his strength to prevent any attacks on Sasuke.
Of course, it's not just Sasuke who needs to be protected now, but the entire Uchiha clan, so there can't be only one deterrent against Danzō.
Yagami would also make a move after a while, planning to act with his full strength.
Yagami intended to make the Third Hokage and Danzō understand that Uchiha's power couldn't be resisted by ROOT and that a reckless move could endanger Konoha entirely.
"Before I set off, I was prepared. The clan and Sasuke are safe," Itachi replied, taking a deep breath. His Sharingan switched instantly to Mangekyō. Yagami vanished as soon as he saw it—since he intended to act, he should go in the right direction.
While waiting for the time to begin, Yagami happened to encounter an Anbu member who was sent to find him. Since he mercilessly eliminated ROOT shinobi last time, Anbu's surveillance on the Uchiha had lessened.
There are few cases of follow-up surveillance now, though fixed surveillance is still stationed in the Uchiha district and police department, making it easy for Yagami to evade Anbu.
In addition, Itachi had returned in secret, and the actions of the two of them were extremely discreet, with no one else aware of it.
"Third Hokage is looking for me?"
Learning that the Third Hokage had summoned him to the Hokage building, Yagami guessed it was due to the Shimura clan. After all, he had little contact with the Hokage building; besides this matter, the Third Hokage had no other reason to call him.
However, this summons from the Third Hokage would make what was about to happen appear more credible.
Thinking this, Yagami cooperatively followed the Anbu to the Hokage building. As for whether the Shimura clan would suffer greater losses because he arrived later, that wasn't his fault. It was the Third Hokage who called him away...
"Yagami, I heard that your police department has arrested many from the Shimura clan today?"
The Third Hokage didn't beat around the bush; Yagami spoke directly as soon as he entered.
"Yes! Our Uchiha Police Department team was in charge of the Shimura clan's area today."
"Speaking of this, Hokage-sama, shouldn't you manage your advisor? The Shimura clan is utterly lawless now.
Cooperate: The police department enforces the law, and they dare to attack the officers openly. With the family's backing, is this acceptable?"
Yagami didn't attempt to deny it; he admitted it outright and seized the opportunity to address the issue.
"We didn't arrest anyone without reason. We were simply enforcing the law."
"Ahem! I'll remind Danzō of this, but capturing over forty members of the Shimura family—isn't that number excessive? The head of the Shimura family just came to the Hokage's office to ask if something had occurred."
Yagami's admission prevented the Third Hokage from openly defending the Shimura clan. After all, the police department was enforcing rules, and as Hokage, he couldn't openly undermine village regulations!
It would be one thing with anyone else, but this was Uchiha. Even a minimal cover-up would be difficult without potential backlash.
The head of the Shimura clan had come to the Hokage's office? Good; it turned out he was asking for trouble! It served the Shimura clan right. Though he was a Jōnin, he was still young. It was only natural it took time to get from the Hokage building to the Shimura clan!
"Hokage-sama, don't worry. Nothing serious happened. Each case is being handled according to protocol, as long as they—"
"Boom!"
Just as Yagami was halfway through speaking, a loud explosion resounded in the distance, and a terrifying chakra surge swept across Konoha.
The Third Hokage and Yagami looked toward the source and instantly moved to the roof of the Hokage building. From there, they could see a massive red figure standing in the heart of the Shimura clan's grounds, its enormous fist smashing directly toward the Shimura clan's main building.
On the other hand, the head of the Shimura clan, who had just returned home after receiving the Hokage's response, was about to relax. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw a massive fist crashing through his roof. If he hadn't reacted quickly and leapt aside, he would have been crushed.
"What... what is this thing?! The person inside... it's Uchiha!"
The Shimura head crouched in fear, frozen in shock. He didn't know what this massive figure was, but he recognized Itachi inside, and a wave of terror immediately washed over him.
Susanoo's destructive power was devastating. With one punch, nearly half of the Shimura clan's territory lay in ruins. If it weren't broad daylight, there would have been many casualties.
Despite this, cries of pain echoed throughout the Shimura clan's grounds, and nearby shinobi quickly gathered. However, when they saw the towering, armoured figure, they froze, unable to act rashly.
The timing of the attack wasn't meant for the Shimura clan alone; the purpose was not simply to eliminate them but to send a message to Danzō and Konoha as a whole.
During the day, both villagers and shinobi were active and alert. Attacking now would draw everyone's attention, forcing them to witness the formidable power Uchiha could wield.
Only this way could they ensure Uchiha's safety, instilling not only caution but also genuine fear.
"That's... Susanoo!"
The Third Hokage's companions, although some had never seen Susanoo, recognized it immediately. Their faces grew tense as they turned to look at Yagami beside them.
To them, all the recent changes in Uchiha seemed connected to Yagami, so perhaps this incident...
However, Yagami's face was filled with puzzlement, as if he were trying to understand what was happening, completely feigning ignorance.
This left the Third Hokage perplexed. Was this not a coordinated Uchiha action?
But now wasn't the time for questions. If Susanoo's power were unleashed in Konoha, the destruction could rival that of the Nine-Tails' rampage; it had to be contained.
"Summon Anbu immediately and head to the Shimura grounds. Uchiha Yagami, you..."
"This isn't a Uchiha order. I'll have to speak with the one using Susanoo myself to understand the situation," Yagami interrupted, volunteering to handle it with the Third Hokage.
With that, the Third Hokage had no more to say and moved swiftly toward the scene of the attack.
Upon arrival, some shinobi had already begun taking action per the protocol, but Susanoo was impenetrable against Itachi.
On one hand, they were in Konoha, so certain powerful techniques were off-limits. On the other, Itachi kept Susanoo's reach contained, ensuring the damage didn't spread further, showing that he still had control over the situation.
"Uchiha Itachi? I never thought it would be you! Why are you attacking the Shimura clan?"
The Third Hokage looked at Itachi in disbelief. In his mind, both Shisui and Itachi were different from other Uchiha—willing to set aside personal feelings for the sake of the village. But now, even Itachi was willing to attack villagers...
"Hokage-sama, you're finally here... You ask why I attacked the Shimura clan, but isn't that question absurd? If Shimura Danzō can target the Uchiha, why can't I take down a few Shimura to make a point?"
"Hokage-sama, it seems Uchiha is owed an explanation!" Itachi continued coldly. "It's already confirmed that Danzō took Shisui's eyes, yet even after returning them, no punishment was ever enforced on Danzō."
"If Hokage-sama won't punish Danzō, then I'll do it myself."
Following Yagami's suggestion, Itachi delivered his lines with a calm expression, showing no hint of pretence. It was no wonder he was so capable of deceiving Sasuke in the original story.
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