Konoha Village, Nanga Shrine.
Not long after the masked man and Uchiha Itachi left, a group of figures arrived at the scene.
They were dressed in uniform gray cloaks, wearing various animal-shaped masks, each carrying the same type of straight-edged sword on their backs.
They were members of Konoha's Anbu—elite operatives under the direct command of the Hokage.
"Hey... what happened here?"
"I can't believe the entire Nanga Shrine was destroyed... So this was the source of that explosion earlier."
"Did a major battle take place here?"
One of the Anbu crouched down, examining the deep cracks etched into the ground. He took a sharp breath and sighed.
"Tch... hard to imagine what kind of slash caused this kind of damage."
Just then, another Anbu noticed something near the shrine ruins.
"There are two bodies over here."
He quickly approached, checked their condition, then stood up and reported:
"It's two Uchiha clan members. The ones assigned to guard the Nanga Shrine."
"They're dead. The wounds are nearly identical to those of the others killed in the Uchiha clan."
"It seems the killer was also... Uchiha Itachi."
The group fell silent.
If these two were killed by Itachi… then who was it that fought with him here just moments ago?
After a long pause, one of them broke the silence.
"Speculating won't help."
"Let's go. Report to the Third Hokage."
With that, he led the group as they vanished into the night, moving swiftly toward the Hokage Building.
---
Meanwhile, in a dark underground chamber somewhere in Konoha, Shimura Danzo sat calmly in a wicker chair, as though awaiting something important.
Before long, a Root member entered, knelt down respectfully, and reported:
"Lord Danzo."
"The Uchiha extermination is complete."
"All members of the Uchiha clan, except for Itachi's younger brother Sasuke, are confirmed dead."
"Additionally, all those who had awakened the Sharingan... their eyes were removed—every single one."
Danzo's expression shifted slightly at the report, then he nodded.
"I understand. Dismissed."
"Once you observe Hiruzen's reaction, return and inform me immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The Root member bowed again and exited.
A faint smile began to spread across Danzo's face.
It was a success.
The greatest internal threat to Konoha—the Uchiha clan—had been wiped out under his careful orchestration.
From now on, there would be no more risk of Uchiha rebellion.
Under the flickering light of a candle, the shadows danced on Danzo's face as his grin widened.
Uchiha Itachi was indeed a genius... and Uchiha Madara, the so-called Ninja Shura, had strength and speed to match the stories.
Hmph...
Now, all that remained was the transaction with the masked man—Uchiha Madara.
Once he secured the Sharingan...
He would be the biggest winner of tonight!
---
Time passed slowly.
The candlelight began to dim.
Danzo, still sitting, shifted from early excitement to growing impatience.
He looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, frowning deeply.
What was going on...?
Uchiha Madara said he would meet for the transaction immediately after the operation.
It's already been over thirty minutes.
Why hasn't he shown up yet?
Did something go wrong...?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, another Root member rushed into the basement, knelt down, and reported urgently:
"Lord Danzo, a new development—"
"Our investigation shows that there was a fierce battle near Nanga Shrine not long ago. The identities of the participants are unknown."
"However—"
"One of our members stationed outside the village saw a masked man in a black cloak appear from that direction... and he left the village together with Uchiha Itachi."
"...What did you just say!?"
Danzo's expression changed instantly.
He slapped the armrest of his chair and stood up, eyes wide in disbelief.
"You're telling me... a masked man left Konoha with Uchiha Itachi?!"
"Y-Yes, Lord Danzo!"
The Root member bowed deeply, completely unsure why Danzo had become so agitated.
Danzo froze, slumping back into his chair as the realization sank in.
His fingers dug into the wicker armrests, veins bulging with rage.
His eyes burned with hate.
"Uchiha... Madara..."
"You dare betray me at this moment?!"
"What happened to our agreement?!"
"I supported your plan with Root's full resources... and now you've disappeared with all the Sharingan?!"
"Didn't leave a single one for me?!"
"You... bastard!!"
Danzo gritted his teeth, trembling with rage.
Then suddenly, he began coughing uncontrollably.
"Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!!!"
He was still an old man after all—over fifty years old, and this kind of emotional shock was simply too much.
The Root member panicked.
"L-Lord Danzo! Are you all right?! Should I call for a medical-nin?"
"Get out!!"
Danzo's furious roar echoed through the basement.
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