_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At the very edge of the Uchiha compound.
A few minutes earlier.
A massive crowd of shinobi had gathered there. In the distance, two colossal giants clashed in a battle so violent it seemed to tear the night apart. The sight alone left everyone shaken.
"Th-This… could that be the legendary ultimate ocular technique only the Mangekyō Sharingan can use—Susanoo?!"
Hyūga Hiashi had activated his Byakugan. Veins bulged at his temples as he stared at the two towering figures locked in combat, his voice trembling as he turned to the Third Hokage beside him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grave. His answer came low and steady.
"That's right. It's the Uchiha clan's strongest dōjutsu—Susanoo."
"But how is there two of them? I thought only Uchiha Itachi awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Shock and confusion warred across Hiashi's face.
"If my guess is correct," Hiruzen said slowly, "Fugaku must have awakened the Mangekyō as well. The other Susanoo should be his."
"Fugaku…"
Hiashi's expression turned complicated.
He had always believed that as the heads of Konoha's two most prestigious clans, he and Fugaku stood on equal footing.
But watching those two titanic avatars trading earth-shattering blows in the distance, he felt something close to despair.
If the Hyūga faced monsters like that… they had no countermeasure. None.
So the so-called claim that the Hyūga and Uchiha stood side by side as Konoha's greatest clans—
What a joke.
And yet, a cold sneer crept into his heart.
Even if the Uchiha possessed such terrifying power, what of it? By dawn, their entire clan would be wiped out.
After tonight, the Hyūga would be Konoha's undisputed number one.
Hiruzen noticed the flicker of emotion on Hiashi's face and understood his concern.
"We should consider ourselves fortunate," he said calmly. "Had we not acted tonight, we might have been the ones facing Susanoo."
"Now we have Itachi fighting at the front for us. Let them exhaust each other. We'll reap the benefits."
"And don't forget—Danzō and his Root are holding the line as well. My old friend has prepared thoroughly for this. We can trust him."
"As for us, we only need to watch the situation and prevent any Uchiha from escaping in the chaos. There's no need for undue worry."
The Third Hokage gave a faint smile, looking as relaxed as if he were discussing the weather.
As though with a few casual words, the Uchiha would turn to ashes.
Truth be told, Hiruzen felt deeply relieved.
Who would have thought that Fugaku, that thick-browed, seemingly upright man, had been hiding so much? Quietly awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan without anyone noticing.
Thank heavens he had turned Itachi and Shisui ahead of time. If the Uchiha had three pairs of Mangekyō in play… three Susanoo rampaging through the Hokage Tower…
Just imagining it made his scalp prickle.
Of course, he only thought that because he didn't know Itachi's Mangekyō had awakened after Shisui's death.
Either way, at this moment, Hiruzen felt rather pleased with himself.
Eradicating a clan guarded by three Kage-level fighters?
That was the kind of accomplishment he could boast about for the rest of his life.
—
Closer to the Uchiha compound, another group had assembled.
Every one of them wore a mask.
Root.
Danzō's personal force.
They stood in silence, staring at the two red-and-purple giants that loomed like demon gods over the district.
The shockwaves alone were enough to rattle the air. Buildings crumbled like stale tofu, shattering at the slightest touch. Even from this distance, the gusts of wind from their clash whipped across the battlefield.
"Th-This is what we're supposed to fight next?" one Root shinobi whispered, swallowing hard. His feet shifted back an inch without him realizing. "That's not something ordinary ninjutsu can handle…"
"Oh?"
A cold voice drifted up from behind him.
"So you're afraid? Thinking of retreating?"
The shinobi jolted as if struck by lightning. He dropped to one knee immediately, trembling.
"N-No, Lord Danzō, I was only—"
"Enough. Root has no use for trash."
Danzō's voice cut him off like a blade.
"On any other day, I would have executed you on the spot for that display."
"But tonight is… special. I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."
He pointed forward.
"You'll take point. Lead the charge."
"If you survive, I'll overlook your cowardice."
His single visible eye gleamed with icy indifference.
To Danzō, Root shinobi were tools. And tools did not require feelings.
The kneeling man's heart sank.
Take point? That was no redemption. That was being sent to die.
He looked again at the two towering Susanoo in the distance, their battle shaking heaven and earth.
There was no way the vanguard would live through that.
But he had no choice.
With the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal branded onto him, his life and death lay entirely in Danzō's hands. Resistance wasn't even an option.
"…Yes."
His voice was barely audible as he moved to the front of the formation.
Around him, the other Root members remained perfectly still. Silent. Expressionless. Like wooden stakes hammered into the ground.
As though nothing had happened at all.
Danzō found the sight satisfying.
This was how Root should be. Cold. Unfeeling. Efficient.
Still, that flicker of fear had annoyed him.
Perhaps the training methods needed refinement. More cruelty. More severity.
Only then could these tools discard their useless emotions completely.
He made a mental note to revise the program once the Uchiha were eradicated.
Then his gaze returned to the battlefield.
Instead of fear, his single eye shone with naked excitement.
Two Susanoo.
What did that mean?
Two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan.
One likely belonged to that brat Itachi.
The other… almost certainly Fugaku's.
Hmph.
So Fugaku had been pretending to be simple and upright all along, while secretly awakening the Mangekyō.
He must have harbored thoughts of rebellion for years.
How convenient.
Soon, those eyes would belong to him.
An unexpected windfall.
Danzō licked his lips, greed flashing in his eye.
He was already calculating how to transplant four Mangekyō Sharingan into his own body.
Once he succeeded…
With two pairs of Mangekyō at his command, he would cut down gods if they stood in his way.
As for the title of Hokage?
It would be within easy reach.
"..."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________