"Makiya, stop this at once!"
"Is the Uchiha clan planning a rebellion?"
"Makiya Uchiha, stand down immediately!"
6
The Anbu guarding the door burst into the room instantly, while several clan heads from the Hokage's faction rose to their feet, shouting in anger.
However, the golden lightning spread too quickly, and Makiya's strike was decisive. Before those around him could even react, the arcs of electricity crawled onto their bodies, paralyzing them completely.
Hiruzen Sarutobi flung off his Hokage robes, revealing the battle gear he had already donned underneath. It was originally intended for Orochimaru and Danzo, but he hadn't expected Makiya Uchiha to cause such a sudden disruption.
"Lord Third!" Makiya's voice cut through Hiruzen Sarutobi's movements. He pointed toward Danzo, his tone dripping with confusion. "May I ask who that man really is? From what I recall, Lord Danzo doesn't look like that."
'Danzo Shimura' was completely enveloped in dense lightning. His eyes bulged, and a sinister smile played on his lips as he looked at everyone. His skin began to melt like hot wax, revealing a face entirely different from Danzo's.
This was a decoy technique Danzo had meticulously prepared for himself—a molting tactic of sorts. He had a loyal subordinate use the Vanishing Facial Copy Technique to steal the appearance of a clone, buying himself time to escape.
These clones were originally created to compensate for the deficiencies in his right arm. However, after obtaining Hashirama Cells—the optimal solution—Danzo decided to repurpose them. He had traded for the sinister Vanishing Facial Copy Technique from Orochimaru. Its advantage was that it emitted almost no chakra fluctuations while active, acting like a specialized disguise that could bypass most security and mental checks.
"This is..." Hiruzen's pupils shrank, and the room erupted into an uproar.
The moment he was discovered, the ninja posing as Danzo Shimura triggered a pre-set jutsu within his body. Blood began to pour from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
Makiya stopped his chakra output. The clan heads and Jonin who had been restrained regained their mobility. Not a single person thought to settle scores with Makiya; their attention was entirely focused on Danzo.
Of course, they were also shocked by Makiya's ninjutsu. Even though he had the element of surprise, the fact that he could instantly paralyze so many clan heads and Jonin with that strange Lightning Style was terrifying. Just how strong was he?
Intelligence reports were, after all, just ink on paper; they couldn't provide a true sense of scale. They knew Makiya was powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with a Jinchuriki, but no amount of description compared to experiencing it firsthand.
Two Anbu approached the body of 'Danzo Shimura.' After a brief examination, they looked up at Hiruzen Sarutobi and shook their heads. "Lord Hokage, this is Jushiro Matsushita. His brain tissue has been completely destroyed by a curse mark."
"Jushiro Matsushita? I remember him. He was a bright, smiling boy who joined Root five years ago," Hiruzen said, his expression crestfallen.
The Matsushita family was relatively well-known among Konoha's civilian ninjas. The couple had fled to the village years ago and chose their surname because of a pine tree near their home. This was their fourteenth child; they were truly a prolific family.
Hiruzen waved the Anbu away and ordered them to search the Root headquarters immediately.
The clan heads and Jonin returned to their seats. The atmosphere in the meeting room turned eerie. Danzo's actions had proven his ambition, and everyone was waiting for the Hokage's response.
"Please, everyone, remain calm," Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged voice echoed through the room. "The Anbu have gone to investigate the Root base. We will have results soon. If Danzo has indeed defected, I will issue a bounty for his arrest. The amount..."
"Shall also be 500 million Ryo."
After saying this, Hiruzen seemed to age ten years in an instant. Within a few short days, both his favorite student and his old friend had betrayed Konoha. A profound sense of loneliness washed over him. The marks of time were etched into his face like deep ravines, each wrinkle telling a story of the past.
Another pillar of his life had been pulled away. Facing the mounting pressure from the ninja world and the confusing situation at hand, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt he was no longer up to the task. He planned to use this opportunity to resign and start the selection process for the Fourth Hokage.
While everyone waited for the Anbu's report, Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and spoke slowly. "Makiya, I'm curious. How did you see through Jushiro Matsushita's disguise?"
Makiya grinned, flashing his teeth. "That old geezer Danzo isn't the type to sit quietly and listen. If it were really him, he would have stood up long ago to claim everything he did was 'for the sake of Konoha.'"
"Makiya Uchiha!" Koharu Utatane glared at him. "Watch your tongue! Danzo and the rest of us have dedicated our lives to this village. What right do you have to be so disrespectful?"
"Hilarious. I was busy insulting Danzo and hadn't gotten to you yet, but don't worry, your turn is coming." Makiya glanced at Koharu Utatane with contempt, then looked out the window. "You should save your energy and think about how you're going to justify your own actions."
"What?" Everyone was confused. They followed Makiya's gaze and saw a golden light flash across the sky.
*Crash!*
The meeting room window suddenly shattered. Another Makiya appeared on the windowsill, carrying a large sack. It was only after he landed that the howling gale finally arrived, making the curtains flap violently.
Two Anbu arrived panting behind him, reaching the vicinity of the Hokage building. Seeing Makiya barge directly into the meeting room without any objection from the Hokage, they exchanged looks, realized this was above their pay grade, and stayed back on guard.
"Lord Third, sorry for the delay. Something came up, so I had a clone attend the meeting for a while." Makiya smiled and snapped his fingers. The clone dissolved into golden flames and vanished.
"Quite a coincidence, really. I was out for a walk this morning and found myself in the woods behind the mountain. I had to go, so I ducked into the bushes and happened to stumble upon some 'ants' moving house. Some animal was trying to blow up their nest, but luckily I managed to save a huge pile of documents."
As he spoke, Makiya unwrapped the sack, revealing a massive heap of classified scrolls. "I read a bit. It's absolutely appalling. Please, clan heads and Jonin, feel free to judge for yourselves." With a sharp shake of his hands, the scrolls tumbled into the crowd.
Homura Mitokado stood up agitatedly. "Makiya, what do you think you're—"
*Boom!*
A terrifying amount of chakra erupted from Makiya. The air instantly grew heavy with pressure, and the scent of blood seemed to fill the room. For a split second, Homura Mitokado hallucinated a bloodthirsty beast crawling out of hell behind Makiya, baring its fangs and roaring at him.
With a thud, Homura Mitokado's legs gave out, and he collapsed back into his seat. Cold sweat drenched his back, soaking his inner shirt instantly as he gasped for air.
The sudden burst of chakra made everyone's hearts skip a beat. They stared in slack-jawed amazement at the sheer volume of Makiya's chakra.
With that kind of monstrous chakra, calling him a human-form Tailed Beast wouldn't be an exaggeration. No wonder he could hold his own against a Jinchuriki.
Makiya took in their reactions and let out a cold, speechless smirk. *This body is, of course, also a clone—the original is currently watching Danzo. If even a clone's chakra can strike fear into their hearts, Konoha has truly regressed under the leadership of the F4 elders.*
The contents of the scrolls were just the tip of the iceberg. They detailed private transactions between the two Hokage advisors and Danzo. Each record was more shocking than the last.
At that moment, the Anbu sent to investigate returned to the room. As expected, the Root base was deserted. There were signs of heavy explosions, but the main structure was largely intact, seemingly protected by someone.
Hiruzen caught Makiya's gaze from the corner of his eye, noting how meticulous the boy was. He also fully understood Makiya's resolve to kill Danzo.
'Taking a walk behind the mountain'—no idiot would believe such nonsense. This guy had gone specifically for Danzo! Fortunately, Danzo had been fast enough to avoid being cornered at the base.
The contents of the scrolls thoroughly ignited everyone's fury. Amidst the public outrage, Hiruzen immediately announced the bounty on Danzo: 500 million Ryo.
Makiya raised his hand with an innocent look and asked, "Lord Hokage, if someone from Konoha kills Danzo or Orochimaru, can they still collect the bounty?"
This was the crucial question. He was afraid Hiruzen would go back on his word, so he needed a public commitment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes and sighed. "...Yes."
"Great, no more questions from me." Makiya nodded, satisfied.
Makiya was finished, but the other clans had plenty of issues. They had only just learned that Root had planted spies within their own families, and many of the dark dealings involved the two advisors.
The fire spread to Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. Both scrambled to defend themselves, while Hiruzen began to play mediator.
In Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, the two advisors might have made mistakes, but Konoha couldn't afford to lose them yet. The younger generation wasn't ready to handle the responsibility; they lacked experience in administration and political struggle. The village still needed the advisors to contribute their wisdom.
Among the Jonin were high-level spies planted by other villages long ago. They joined the righteous indignation, hiding behind a facade of loyalty to Konoha while secretly stirring the pot. They were thrilled—this was a monumental achievement dropped right into their laps. They hadn't even done anything, and yet Konoha seemed intent on tearing itself apart!
Fugaku stayed near the back of the crowd, shouting along occasionally while quietly analyzing the situation.
The Hyuga clan continued to watch as bystanders. The Caged Bird seal perfectly ensured the loyalty of their members; they were the only clan Root couldn't penetrate. Danzo's Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal was simply lower in priority than the Caged Bird.
Makiya stood with a cold smirk, letting the others take the spotlight while he remained the hidden mastermind. As the memories from the Shadow Clone returned to his main body, he signaled that it was time to move.
'Argue all you want. The longer you bicker, the more time I have to finish the job.'
The Land of Fire was full of plains, with rivers cutting through the fertile soil. Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, casting dappled spots of golden light.
In a forest far from Konoha, thick layers of fallen leaves were piled up like a soft carpet. Squirrels skipped through the branches, birds sang, and wild rabbits hopped about. One rabbit perked up its ears, sensing a slight movement, and immediately bolted into the bushes like an arrow.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
A group of figures appeared in the forest. The leader wore a white robe and had a cold, sinister aura. His single eye flickered with a ruthless light.
'We're far enough from Konoha now. No one should be able to follow us,' Danzo thought to himself. He gave the order: "Rest for thirty minutes. Kinoe, go catch a rabbit for me."
"Yes, sir!"
For Kinoe, who possessed Wood Style, catching a rabbit was effortless. The little rabbit eating grass didn't even have time to react before roots erupted from the ground and tied it up like a parcel.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Danzo. I'll get a fire started!" After skinning and gutting the rabbit, Kinoe used Wood Style to create a pile of firewood and reached for his fire starter.
"Let me do it. I'm quite good at lighting fires." A young man's voice came from above. Before Kinoe could even respond, a small flame drifted onto the wood, instantly igniting it.
"Oh, thank you!" Kinoe said politely, then suddenly felt something was off. That voice sounded unfamiliar.
He looked up. Under the brilliant sunlight, a young man wearing a white haori windbreaker stood atop a golden sword, looking down at the group.
"Makiya Uchiha!" Danzo Shimura hissed, gritting his teeth.
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