Uchiha Yusuke cleared his throat and spoke evenly.
"Military Police enforcement is being carried out strictly according to procedure."
"Why are you two insisting on pinning trumped-up charges on me?"
"First it's 'openly usurping power,' then it's 'disrupting the assembly.'"
"I'm timid, you know. Please don't scare me."
The Third Hokage's face stayed blank, but inside he was already cursing.
Timid?
Yeah, right.
You flip the table the moment you feel like it—what on earth could you possibly be afraid of?
The two advisors' cheeks twitched.
Yusuke's attitude made it painfully clear: he didn't take either of them seriously.
Koharu Utatane flew into a rage and issued the order to ANBU again.
"Did you not hear me?"
"What are you standing around for?"
"Arrest Uchiha Yusuke at once!"
The nearby ANBU felt their scalps go tight. One side was a high-ranking Konoha advisor; the other was the blazing-hot newly appointed Hokage Assistant. Offending either one would be suicide.
Seeing the situation teetering, the Third Hokage immediately stepped in to smooth things over.
"Stand down!"
"I will handle this."
The ANBU practically exhaled in relief.
Yusuke's name had long since spread across the shinobi world. Even the Fourth Raikage couldn't beat him—how could ordinary ANBU possibly deal with him? If they really had to fight, there was a very real chance they wouldn't see tomorrow.
"Danzō, you—" Koharu started, then stopped. In the end, she didn't dare openly defy the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage wanted to be the peacemaker.
Yusuke had no intention of letting this go.
"Trying to force a conviction on me. Interfering with the Military Police while we enforce the law."
"You two are protecting Danzō this hard—"
"Could it be you're connected to the crimes of harming Konoha's own people as well?"
The instant those words fell, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane surged with fury.
"Uchiha Yusuke!"
"Don't you dare slander us!"
They knew perfectly well what kind of crime "harming Konoha's own people" was. Even the Third Hokage avoided being dragged into it—how could they possibly take that onto themselves?
They denied it flatly.
Yusuke's lips curled into a thin smile.
"If you have nothing to do with harming Konoha's people—"
"Then you shouldn't be obstructing Military Police enforcement any longer, right?"
He flicked his hand in a casual gesture and issued his order.
"Seize Danzō. Immediately."
"And anyone who obstructs official duties—treat them as accomplices."
The two advisors still wanted to argue, but the Third Hokage shot them a sharp look.
Danzō is finished.
If you keep jumping in, you'll be buried with him.
Reading the meaning in the Hokage's eyes, the two advisors went pale.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't unwilling to save Danzō.
He simply had no way left to do it.
With his three old companions backing off, sweat sprang up on Danzō's forehead.
At this point, his "teammates" were useless.
If he wanted to turn the tables, he'd have to do it with his own hands.
Danzō's eyes flickered.
Yusuke was strong, but he—"Konoha's Darkness"—wasn't some harmless old man.
Even clay has its breaking point.
If you insist on pushing him to the edge, then fine—let it end in mutual destruction!
Danzō stared at Yusuke and let out a cold laugh.
"Heh. You want to take me down?"
"It won't be that easy!"
The next second, he threw away his cane, smashed through the window, and bolted.
As for dignity? Face?
Danzō had never had much of either. Once he chose to run, he abandoned even the scraps without hesitation.
Taking hostages, fleeing for his life—none of it would weigh on him for a second.
I'm the man who will become Hokage and rewrite shinobi history. How can I die so easily?
And of course—it's all for Konoha.
Only Danzō could dress cowardice up as righteousness so smoothly.
"Danzō the old thief is escaping!"
"Military Police—after him!"
The moment Danzō dove out the window, Uchiha Inabi and Uchiha Tekka sprang up to lead the pursuit. They didn't bother with honorifics—calling him "old thief" without restraint.
After being around Yusuke long enough, they'd long since treated Danzō as an enemy.
Considering Danzō had spent years plotting to wipe out the Uchiha, calling him "old thief" was practically merciful.
In an instant, the high-level Konoha meeting turned into a live arrest operation.
The Third Hokage felt displeased, but he didn't show it.
He had already decided to discard that piece—Danzō.
He wouldn't personally step in to protect him, but whether Danzō could actually escape would depend on Danzō's own ability and luck.
Danzō Runs for Root
Once out of the Hokage Tower, Danzō used Wind Release to accelerate and fled at full speed toward his lair.
Inside Root's base, he still had over forty fiercely loyal subordinates.
If he could reach that place, he'd be able to fight or retreat as needed.
Besides, a secret technique he had researched with Orochimaru had already reached an early stage of success.
With that trump card in hand, Danzō believed he might still have a chance to kill Uchiha Yusuke.
Outside the Base: Everyone Arrives
Back at the Hokage Tower, with Danzō's escape, the meeting was forced to end.
Fugaku Uchiha led Inabi, Tekka, and the rest of the Military Police at the front.
The Third Hokage also moved out with his own ANBU, following close behind.
Yusuke didn't hurry. He walked at the rear with clan heads like Hiashi Hyuga and Shikaku Nara—those who were on relatively good terms with him.
With Danzō's crimes exposed, he had already been pushed to the edge. A last, desperate struggle was inevitable—and Yusuke had expected it.
Dealing with Danzō alone wouldn't be hard.
Eradicating Root down to the last remnant, however, was another matter.
A spear can be avoided. A hidden arrow is harder.
Yusuke didn't want Danzō dead while Root still lurked in the shadows, waiting to strike.
Fugaku and the pursuers quickly reached Root's headquarters.
Seeing the towering structure, Fugaku frowned.
This was Danzō's nest.
If he forced his way in, he could easily walk into an ambush.
At that moment, the Third Hokage arrived as well.
Seeing Fugaku hesitate, he stepped forward, wearing the mask of a kindly elder.
"Fugaku, don't act rashly."
"Danzō has lost his mind."
"Forcing entry could cause heavy casualties."
Fugaku nodded.
He hadn't intended to charge in blindly anyway. He planned to wait for Yusuke's decision.
Soon, Yusuke arrived too—along with Hiashi Hyuga, Shikaku Nara, and others.
The Third Hokage again adopted the tone of a benevolent leader and addressed everyone.
"Punishing criminals is necessary, but we must keep losses as low as possible."
"If anything major happens, neighboring countries will exploit the opening."
"The shadow of war will fall over the village again."
"We cannot allow that."
It was a familiar argument—peace as a banner, restraint as policy—and it was very effective at persuading people.
Yusuke, however, sneered internally.
If enduring humiliation could buy peace, then what was the point of having fists?
Swallowing anger only invited the other side to grow bolder.
Still, Yusuke didn't debate him here.
His main target was Danzō.
Hiruzen Sarutobi might be ruthless in quieter ways, but he wasn't the one currently trying to exterminate the Uchiha.
Fugaku approached at once.
"Captain, the criminal has fled into his base. What should we do next?"
Yusuke smiled—businesslike and calm.
"You surround this place."
"Don't let a single one slip away."
"I'll go in personally and arrest Danzō."
Fugaku hesitated.
Yusuke, going in alone… it was dangerously risky.
Yusuke gave him a reassuring look.
He had handled the Fourth Raikage and Killer B.
A mere Danzō was nothing.
Seeing Yusuke's confidence, Fugaku gradually relaxed.
Yusuke was no longer the kid who used to show up at his house to freeload meals.
He was now someone who could lead others.
Hiashi and Shikaku also couldn't help admiring him.
Storming Root alone to capture Danzō—
that was the bearing of a true commander.
The Third Hokage forced out a thin smile and stepped forward.
"I'm counting on you."
"Be careful."
He sounded concerned, but what he truly thought—only he knew.
Yusuke had dared to rip the mask off in public and bring Danzō down.
To say the Third Hokage felt no fear would be a lie.
If you take down my old companion today, will you come for me tomorrow?
He and Danzō had long been two sides of one coin.
The logic of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" was not lost on him.
The reason he hadn't interfered was simple: Yusuke had anticipated every move and left him no opening.
Yusuke still remembered that wartime supply-cutting incident all too well.
Danzō liked dirty tricks.
The Third Hokage often killed without showing blood.
In terms of tactics, Hiruzen was a level above Danzō.
Inside Root: The Final Stand Begins
Within the Root base, Danzō stood before his men with blade and staff in hand.
"Uchiha Yusuke intends to seize power."
"This is a matter of survival."
"The time has come to die for Konoha!"
Over forty masked Root shinobi drew their weapons in unison.
"We are willing to die for Lord Danzō!"
Watching his loyal subordinates, Danzō's chest swelled with pride.
Who says only the Third Hokage can stand above all?
He—Konoha's Darkness—was no less.
If Hiruzen couldn't do it, then he, Shimura Danzō, would.
So what if Yusuke led the village to victory in a war?
Did he think that made him invincible?
Today, here, Danzō would kill Uchiha Yusuke and show everyone his true strength!
Just as he drowned in his fantasy—
Boom.
Yusuke smashed through Root's traps and dropped from above.
"Hey, Danzō."
"Ready to surrender?"
Danzō stared at him, voice icy.
"You dare come in alone?"
"How foolish."
"Uchiha Yusuke, you'll pay for your arrogance."
"This place will be your grave."
He began unwrapping the bandages on his body, hatred burning in his eyes.
If not for Yusuke, how would he have lost the Hokage Assistant position?
How would he have fallen to this point?
Danzō blamed everything on Yusuke—completely forgetting that he had been the one to target the Uchiha first.
Yusuke had never wanted the Hokage's exhausting life.
Make money, marry a couple of beautiful wives, eat and drink well, barely work—wasn't that better?
Or live like Jiraiya, traveling the world and talking with women—wouldn't that be pleasant?
But fate had pushed him here.
As long as Danzō lived, the Uchiha always had a blade hanging over their heads.
So Yusuke chose the simplest solution: eliminate the unstable factor early, once and for all.
To Yusuke, Danzō wasn't some untouchable "Darkness of Konoha."
He was a scheming clown.
Root wasn't a dragon's den—just a nest of rabble.
Danzō didn't order everyone to swarm Yusuke. He had them wait and support from the shadows.
Normal ANBU couldn't interfere in a Kage-level battle, but creating distractions was easy.
Hidden shuriken, surprise attacks, and clan techniques from Nara, Yamanaka, Aburame—none could be ignored.
Danzō's face hardened as he formed hand seals.
"'Flame Demon' Yusuke."
"Let me test your strength!"
Yusuke's expression stayed calm.
"You won't be disappointed."
In the next instant—
Air burst under Danzō's feet.
Wind chakra acceleration.
He threw everything into one punch straight for Yusuke's chest.
Boom!
His fist punched clean through Yusuke's body—
—and before he could pull back, strange flames clung to him like a curse.
"Fire Release: Flame Flow!"
At Yusuke's words, the fire flared even more violently.
Danzō's pupils tightened.
So this was the Fire chakra mode that didn't require hand seals.
It really was something.
At that moment, Root's observers finally proved their value.
"Water Release: Water乱 Wave!"
Two water globes slammed down, drenching Danzō from head to toe.
But in exchange—
he shook off Yusuke's flame attack.
Danzō nodded slightly to the two subordinates who had saved him.
Good.
Keep it up.
Unlike Hiruzen—who possessed all chakra natures—Danzō could "complete" his toolkit by recruiting the right subordinates.
And by choosing to fight inside Root's home base, Danzō was guaranteed at least some home-field advantage.
To read 40+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554