"Have you investigated thoroughly?"
"Is the Uchiha clan preparing to act?"
Inside Root's headquarters, Danzo questioned his subordinate in the dim candlelight.
Tonight's blackout was far too suspicious.
An incident like this inevitably made Danzo suspect that the Uchiha might be making their move.
However, the thought only flickered briefly before he dismissed it.
He knew the Uchiha wouldn't act so openly.
Because of Shisui's Mangekyō, those "inherently wicked" Uchiha wouldn't choose to clash head-on with the village.
The Root ninja lurking in the shadows remained silent for about ten seconds after Danzo's question.
Recalling the night's blackout, his expression beneath the mask twisted uncontrollably.
"It was Uchiha Kaito and Uchiha Sasuke."
"They… were training in Lightning Release. They pulled two wires under a utility pole, which caused a large-scale power outage in Konoha."
After these words, the empty, shadowy room fell into dead silence.
A long time passed before Danzo finally spoke.
"How has Shisui been recently?"
The Root ninja lowered his head. "He hasn't been alone."
"Itachi… has been sticking close to him."
"We… had no opportunity."
Danzo's brows furrowed deeply. He tightened his grip on his cane, slamming it against the floor with a sharp crack before bellowing in fury.
"Useless!"
"I demand results! I don't want to hear excuses for failure!"
"Go and face your punishment!""Next time...you know the consequences of failure."
The shinobi in the darkness trembled slightly, bowing his head low. "Yes! Lord Danzo!"
With that, he vanished into the shadows.
After pondering for a long while, Danzo leaned on his cane and walked out of the Root headquarters.
Hokage's Office—
"Lord Third! Please believe us!"
"My father would never declare war on the village at this time!"
Itachi Uchiha spoke with utmost sincerity, his head lowered. Beside him, Shisui quickly followed suit.
"That's right. The clan head would never do something so reckless."
Both Shisui and Itachi knew they were the Uchiha clan's hidden trump cards.
Fugaku and the other elders intended to use their power to pressure the village's leadership without bloodshed.
Direct confrontation with the village...
The Uchiha clan stood no chance.
Moreover, neither of them wanted conflict between the Uchiha and the village, which could lead to other villages taking advantage of the chaos.
"Is that so?"
The Third Hokage looked troubled, puffing on his pipe as his gaze remained distant, lost in thought.
"Itachi, Shisui."
"I hope you both will continue working together for the Uchiha clan's sake."
Pausing briefly, he took a deep breath before continuing.
"I'll do my best to find a proper solution."
"Thank you, Lord Third!" x2
Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances, feeling the path ahead was clear—the Uchiha's future seemed bright.
Knock, knock, knock—
A sudden knock at the door drew the attention of all three in the room.
"Lord Third, we'll take our leave now."
Shisui bowed slightly before pulling Itachi toward the exit.
They figured it was best to avoid being present for ANBU's report on the Uchiha...
to prevent any suspicion.
"No need. It's good for you both to hear this."
The Third waved his hand with a chuckle before calling out, "Enter."
The door opened to reveal an ANBU operative, but the three were surprised when they recognized the masked figure.
They all knew him...
It was Kakashi.
At that moment, the same question flashed through their minds:
What was Kakashi doing here now?
"Lord Third..."
Kakashi's voice came muffled through his mask, sounding both exasperated and resigned.
"There's something I must report to you..."
For the next ten minutes, Kakashi recounted the night's events in meticulous detail.
When he revealed that the village-wide blackout had been caused by Fugaku's two youngest sons practicing Lightning Release...
Silence fell over the room—even Kakashi stopped speaking.
The Third simply puffed on his pipe, his expression visibly irritated.
Shisui kept glancing at Itachi, his face full of disbelief.
He remembered...
Kaito and Sasuke weren't supposed to be this outrageous, were they?
Having spent days surveilling Kaito Uchiha, Kakashi had developed some tolerance for absurd situations.
At this point, he might not even be surprised if those two did something even more ridiculous.
As for Itachi, being stared at by the three of them made his scalp tingle—he felt both awkward and helpless.
He wasn't sure whether to explain things to the Third or just apologize.
After about half an hour, the Third finally broke the silence.
"Itachi..."
"Have I been putting too much pressure on you lately?"
Hearing this, Itachi Uchiha immediately responded with humility."Not at all. For the sake of the village and the clan, everything I do is what I should and must do."
The Third Hokage shook his head, indicating he wasn't interested in hearing empty pleasantries.
He stood up and walked to the bookshelf, retrieving a scroll from the top before tossing it to Itachi Uchiha.
"A B-rank Lightning Release ninjutsu - Lightning Clone."
"Take it back for your two younger brothers."
"Don't let them continue causing trouble in the village..."
From intelligence reports, the Third knew Itachi's brothers were... not the brightest children.
Hmm... somewhat like Might Guy's type.
Practicing Lightning Release techniques on power lines...
Just how reckless did one have to be to do such things??
And moreover...
If the Uchiha clan truly lost their minds and launched a coup against Konoha, the consequences would be unbearable for both sides.
In any case.
One ninjutsu scroll in exchange for peace of mind.
A fair bargain.
Itachi's expression faltered slightly as he opened his mouth to explain that while his brothers were indeed mischievous, they weren't actually mentally deficient.
But he found himself at a loss for words, and seeing the Third's uncompromising expression, he quickly accepted the scroll with both hands.
"Thank you, Lord Third."
"I'll... I'll definitely keep a close eye on them when we return!"
Kakashi, standing nearby, rolled his eye.
He seriously doubted Itachi could control those two.
"Dismissed."
The Third waved his hand, and the three bowed before taking their leave. Just as Itachi was about to exit, the Hokage called him back.
"Oh, about tonight's damages..."
The Third deliberately left the sentence hanging, even drawing out the last syllable.
Itachi immediately understood and bowed apologetically.
"The Uchiha clan will cover all losses from this incident!"
Perhaps worried his word alone wasn't sufficient, he added:
"My father would agree to this as well!"
The Third nodded in satisfaction and waved the Uchiha away.
At that exact moment, Danzo barged into the office leaning on his cane.
Before the door even closed, he began shouting.
"Hiruzen!"
"Tonight's blackout was clearly Fugaku's scheme!"
"We must act against them immediately!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, well aware of his old friend's ulterior motives, gave him a sidelong glance before reprimanding sharply.
"You've been overstepping your bounds lately!"
"Remember your position!"
"And one more thing..."
"I am the Hokage!"
The Third immediately asserted his authority, warning Danzo that as a Hokage Advisor, he shouldn't overreach.
The Hokage title had always been Danzo's sore spot, and this remark made him see red.
With a cold snort, Danzo spat out one last sentence before storming out, slamming the door behind him.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
BANG—
As usual, their conversation ended in discord. Meanwhile at the incident site, a thoroughly electrocuted Sasuke was currently hugging Kaito in celebration.
"Kaito!!"
"It worked! I think I understand how to use Lightning Release now!"
...