Danzō's cold gaze remained fixed on Morino Ibiki.
The prolonged silence pressed heavily upon Ibiki's shoulders. Beneath his usual expressionless face, fine beads of sweat formed.
"Hmph. Stand down."
Danzō finally shifted his gaze away.
Ibiki quietly exhaled and withdrew at once.
Danzō's attention returned to Uchiha Yuan, his expression growing even more vicious.
At that moment, a Root operative appeared before him and knelt.
"Danzō-sama. The ambush is in position."
A bloodthirsty gleam flashed in Danzō's lone eye.
"When the Four Violet Flames Formation is lifted, you will strike with full force. If you cannot capture him alive—kill him."
"Yes."
The operative vanished.
After Yuan had been confined within the barrier, Danzō had already ordered Root reinforcements to assemble in secrecy.
Today, he would read Uchiha Yuan's memories no matter what.
Alive—or at least with his head intact.
The mere possibility of collusion between the Uchiha clan and Orochimaru made him restless.
As for Hiruzen's warning delivered through Ibiki—
Danzō had not taken it to heart.
After decades as partners, he understood Hiruzen well.
That message had not been for him.
It had been for the village's jōnin—to reassure them.
Deep down, Hiruzen also wished to eliminate hidden dangers.
He simply needed to preserve appearances.
Their unspoken understanding allowed Danzō this window of action.
Danzō looked toward the cat-masked ANBU captain below.
"Release the Four Violet Flames Formation."
Even through the mask, the captain's shock was evident.
"Danzō-sama… Uchiha Yuan harbors hostility toward you. Without the barrier, he may act against you."
Danzō's voice was cold.
"A mere brat? Release it."
"…Yes."
Under Danzō's pressure, the captain could only comply.
Only then did he notice the subtle presence of Root reinforcements hidden among the ANBU.
So that's it. Root intends to strike again.
His gaze drifted toward Yuan, standing calmly within the barrier.
The earlier massacre replayed vividly in his mind.
"Release the barrier."
The four ANBU formed hand seals and dispelled the Four Violet Flames Formation.
The violet light vanished—
—and killing intent exploded from all directions.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
A torrent surged beneath Yuan's feet, instantly forming a massive sphere of water that trapped him inside.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Dozens of figures burst forth from concealment.
A blond Root shinobi landed first before the sphere—
A Yamanaka.
He formed hand seals rapidly.
"Mind Transfer Jutsu."
'Get out.'
The command thundered through the mental realm.
The Yamanaka operative convulsed violently and collapsed.
Blood streamed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
His consciousness had been forcibly expelled.
In the instant his mind entered Yuan's body, it felt as though struck by overwhelming lightning—
—and one final message echoed before he was driven out.
For the sake of Yamanaka Kino, I spare you.
Inside the water prison, Yuan calmly surveyed the Root shinobi now surrounding him.
He lifted his head toward the platform and met Danzō's gaze with a mocking smile.
The water sphere began to distort violently.
Ripples surged across its surface.
Just as it was about to burst—
Four Root shinobi dropped down and formed hand seals simultaneously.
A reinforced Water Prison manifested—
Four roaring water pillars intertwined, expanding into a massive sphere over ten meters in diameter, swallowing the original prison whole.
The pressure intensified exponentially.
Then another Root operative landed nearby.
He unfurled a scroll and painted swiftly.
Ink chains burst from the parchment, plunging into the water and wrapping around Yuan's limbs.
"Four-Limb Binding Seal."
Within the sphere, Yuan clenched his fists and strained.
The water trembled—
The ink chains tightened violently.
The shinobi hurriedly infused chakra into the scroll, reinforcing the binding.
Yuan's body stiffened under the combined restraints.
More Root shinobi landed in a circle.
"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"
Crackling currents surged into the water sphere.
The prison became a blazing globe of electric light.
Arc after arc danced within the water.
For a moment, Yuan's figure vanished behind the radiance.
Swish. Swish.
A squad of ANBU appeared beside the cat-masked captain.
At their head stood a white-haired shinobi—
Hatake Kakashi.
His gaze fell upon the enormous electrified sphere below.
"Yellow Flash… what is this Water Prison? Is Uchiha Yuan inside?"
Kakashi's feelings toward Yuan were complicated.
Because of Obito, he bore no prejudice against the Uchiha.
But their previous conversation lingered in his mind—
Uchiha Yuan would not remain a minor issue for long.
And now—
The village stood on the brink of internal collapse.
Some people die…
But they don't die completely.
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