"Captain! What are you doing!"
From the mouth of the boy in front of him came a voice that was unmistakably his teammate's!
The man's whole body trembled as he focused his gaze.
The boy's face suddenly twisted and shifted, transforming into his teammate's appearance!
And his own hand was piercing through his teammate's chest!
Blood spilled from the corner of his teammate's mouth, his eyes wide with disbelief.
He suddenly turned his head, only to see Itachi standing there unharmed, the Sharingan in his eyes slowly spinning.
"Damn it… a genjutsu?"
"When did it–"
Before he could finish speaking, his vision suddenly spun.
His eyes saw his own body and another teammate's body standing not far away, blood gushing from their necks, their heads gone.
His own head rolled all the way to the boy's feet.
Bang!"
The boy's body suddenly turned into a flock of crows, scattering and disappearing into the morning mist.
His final thought was:
Was that a clone too?
The three Anbu corpses collapsed just like that at the entrance of the Uchiha clan compound.
Itachi's figure slowly emerged from the mist, glancing at the bodies on the ground, his expression still calm.
He carefully drew his ninja blade and delivered finishing blows to the three bodies to prevent them from feigning death.
At that moment–
Boom!
From the center of the clan compound came a violent explosion!
Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowing!
Itachi suddenly turned his head, his pupils shrinking.
That direction… was Kushina's new home!
One of the locations the clan head had personally ordered the Anbu to prioritize protecting!
Now, it was being engulfed in flames.
The echoes of the explosion still rang in his ears as fire soared into the sky.
At once, he rushed toward Kushina's house.
His figure darted through the early morning streets, covering hundreds of meters in just a few leaps.
When he arrived at the scene of the explosion, the sight before him made his pupils contract.
The courtyard wall of Kushina's home had been blasted apart, rubble scattered everywhere.
And Shisui was already standing at the front, short blade in hand, blocking the entrance.
Behind him stood four Uchiha Anbu members, each in a battle stance, fully alert.
Opposite Shisui stood a group of masked ninja.
A quick glance showed there were at least a dozen of them.
They wore the standard attire of Root.
At the front stood a middle-aged man in his fifties.
He wore a dark kimono, the right side of his face wrapped in bandages, the exposed left eye gleaming with a cold light.
His entire presence exuded a dark and dangerous aura.
It was Danzo Shimura.
Itachi quickly moved to Shisui's side and asked in a low voice:
"Shisui, what's going on?"
Shisui glanced at him:
"Danzo brought people here suddenly, saying he wants to see Kushina. I blocked them from entering, so they blew up the courtyard wall."
Itachi frowned and looked toward Danzo.
Danzo was also observing the boy who had just arrived.
That young face, those eyes so calm they were almost cold…
A trace of surprise flashed in Danzo's eyes.
So young, yet so composed.
The three Anbu he had sent earlier had likely already fallen to his hands.
But he said nothing more. Leaning on his cane, he stepped forward, his tone dark and authoritative:
"Shisui Uchiha, I'll say this one more time: step aside!"
He paused, his voice growing even colder:
"I have come under the Hokage's orders to summon the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. This is the village's command; not something a kid like you can obstruct."
Shisui did not move:
"Danzo-sama, this is the Uchiha clan compound. By the clan head's order, any outsider must obtain his permission to enter."
"If you wish to see Kushina, that's fine. Wait until the clan head returns."
Hearing that Gento was not currently in the compound, Danzo felt a flicker of delight.
He immediately sneered:
"Wait for your clan head to return? I don't have that kind of time."
"Kushina is a Jinchuriki. A crucial military asset of the village."
"The Hokage wishes to see her. Do we need your Uchiha's approval?"
"Furthermore, your Uchiha clan privately interacting with the Jinchuriki is already not permitted!"
His gaze grew increasingly cold:
"Shisui Uchiha, I will warn you one last time."
"Step aside!"
"Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Shisui's grip on his short blade did not waver in the slightest:
"I cannot comply."
Danzo's expression completely darkened.
…
Inside the courtyard.
Kushina stood behind the damaged courtyard wall, watching the standoff outside through the gap.
She recognized Danzo.
But this summons from the Hokage was incredibly unusual.
Danzo's gaze passed over Shisui and landed on her:
"Kushina, just in time. The Hokage wants to see you. Come with me."
Kushina was momentarily stunned:
"Danzo-sama, if the Third Hokage wanted to see me, why didn't he send someone to notify me in advance?"
Hearing this, Itachi touched his nose but said nothing.
Danzo's expression remained unchanged:
"I am here to notify you."
"Enough nonsense. Come with me."
The smile on Kushina's face faded slightly.
She wasn't a fool. This didn't look like a "summons" at all.
It was obviously an arrest!
And with Gento not here, if she went with Danzo now, who knew what might happen.
She took half a step back and shook her head.
Danzo's gaze turned completely cold.
He stared at Kushina, then glanced at Shisui and the few Uchiha Anbu blocking the courtyard entrance.
Gento was not here.
That was obvious.
If Gento were in the clan, he would have already come out; there was no way Shisui would be the one standing in front.
Since Gento wasn't here, this was the best chance to take Kushina away!
Danzo immediately sneered:
"Kushina, are you defying the Hokage's orders?"
Before Kushina could respond, Shisui spoke first:
"Danzo-sama, please listen to me–"
Danzo didn't even look at him, directly raising his hand:
"Since you refuse to appreciate kindness, don't blame me."
"Attack!"
As his words fell, over a dozen Root ninja behind him formed hand seals simultaneously.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Multicolored ninjutsu blasted toward the courtyard entrance in an instant.
Shisui's eyes sharpened–he no longer hesitated:
"Susanoo!"
A massive green giant appeared out of thin air, covering the entire courtyard entrance.
The ninjutsu slammed into the Susanoo, erupting in thunderous explosions, yet only sending ripples across the green energy form.
All attacks were blocked.
Seeing this, a trace of wariness flashed in Danzo's eyes:
"Shisui Uchiha, know what's good for you and get out of the way. Otherwise, I'll deal with you as well today!"
Shisui clenched his teeth, still standing firm at the entrance.
He said nothing, but his stance made his position clear.
Across from him, more than a dozen Root ninja had already completed a second round of hand seals, waiting only for Danzo's command.
On Shisui's side, there were only five people.
The disparity in strength was obvious.
Inside the courtyard, Kushina watched the scene, cold sweat forming in her palms.
She knew Shisui was protecting her under Gento's orders… but if this continued, Shisui and the others would be injured.
She bit her lip, about to speak.
Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky, landing in front of Shisui.
The man wore the dark blue attire of the clan head, his black hair a little disheveled, his gaze cold.
It was Gento, who had rushed back using the Flying Thunder God.
The moment he arrived, he saw this scene.
Over a dozen Root ninja launching ninjutsu at Shisui and the Uchiha.
He slowly turned around and looked at Danzo with a cold voice:
"Danzo, do you want to die?"
The instant his words fell, a system notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Host has triggered a side quest.]
[Side Quest Issued: Uchiha Pride]
⟩ Danzo has led people to forcefully intrude into the Uchiha clan compound; this is a humiliation to the Uchiha! As the clan head, you must uphold the Uchiha's pride!
[Option 1: Repel Danzo.]
⟩ Reward: Random A-rank Ninjutsu
[Option 2: Injure Danzo.]
⟩ Reward: Draw Chance ×1
[Option 3: Kill Danzo.]
⟩ Reward: Clan Relocation Card
...
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