"Those bandits were impersonating Shimura Danzō men?"
The three Uchiha elders were visibly shocked, their expressions turning extremely grim.
If the bandits truly were disguised members of Shimura Danzō forces, then this was no random incident it was a conspiracy aimed at luring the Uchiha clan head out of Konoha to make a move against him.
"Clan Head, are you certain?"
Great Elder Uchiha Setsuna asked solemnly.
"I can't confirm it, but it's highly likely," Uchiha Fugaku replied. "Lately, I've been in constant conflict with Shimura Danzo. He's probably eager to eliminate me as soon as possible."
At this point, a cold smile appeared on Fugaku's face.
"Even if it wasn't Danzō men who did it, once he learns that I've left the village, I'm sure he'll take action regardless."
"Then what should we do now, Clan Head?" asked the Third Elder, Uchiha Siji, hesitating slightly.
"Naturally, we follow the original plan."
A chilling murderous aura radiated from Fugaku.
"Danzō wants to lure me out of Konoha? Well, I've been wanting to draw him out as well. It's just unfortunate that six of our clansmen had to die."
A trace of sorrow appeared on Fugaku's face—but it was quickly replaced by an even more intense killing intent.
"Whether or not this was Danzo doing, I will make them pay. No one responsible will walk away alive."
"Please be careful, Clan Head," said Second Elder Uchiha Mamoru, his tone filled with concern.
"Don't worry. With just Danzo and Root, they're still not enough to deal with me."
A look of disdain flashed across Fugaku's face before he continued:
"I'm heading to the Hokage Office to formally request approval for this rescue operation."
"You all start gathering the team now. Some will openly follow me on the rescue mission. The rest, once we've left, will discreetly sneak out of the village and follow us in secret."
"Hokage-sama, Clan Head Fugaku requests an audience!"
In the Hokage Office, an Anbu member knocked on the door and reported.
"Fugaku? Why is he coming here?"
The Third Hokage, who had just finished his paperwork and was enjoying a moment of calm, was briefly surprised.
After a short pause, he responded:
"Let him in."
Not long after, Uchiha Fugaku was led into the office or rather, escorted and closely monitored by Anbu the entire way.
"Hokage-sama."
Fugaku greeted with respectful formality.
Although he harbored a deep desire to eliminate the Third Hokage, he still had to maintain appearances and not give others a reason to question him.
"Mm."
The Third Hokage nodded slightly and smiled kindly.
"What brings you here, Clan Head Fugaku?"
"Hokage-sama, just recently, the Uchiha clan received news that six of our members were killed during a caravan escort mission, including two jōnin."
"I request permission to leave the village to investigate this matter and avenge our fallen clansmen."
Fugaku's tone was calm but resolute.
"Six Uchiha members killed by bandits including two jōnin?"
The Third Hokage's face showed a hint of genuine surprise—it wasn't an act. He had truly not heard about this.
The ambush had occurred in the Land of Fields, where Konoha's intelligence network was weak. This explained why he hadn't yet received any information—which was precisely one of the reasons Shimura Danzō had chosen that location for the attack.
"A group of bandits capable of killing two jōnin…"
The Hokage pondered for a moment, and suddenly recalled a recent conversation with Shimura Danzō. A suspicion began to form in his mind:
Could these so-called bandits actually be Danzō's Root operatives in disguise? Their goal luring Fugaku out of the village to eliminate him?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
His tone turned serious, even angry:
"Outrageous! Killing two of our jōnin?! Clan Head Fugaku, I approve your request!"
If this truly was one of Danzō's schemes, then there was no reason for the Third Hokage to stop it. If Danzō was going to make a move, then he, too, needed to cooperate a little.
Of course, he personally disapproved of attacking fellow Konoha shinobi, and he did not endorse Danzō's plan.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Time is of the essence I'll take my leave now."
Fugaku bowed and exited the office.
Once Fugaku had left, the Third Hokage's expression of anger vanished—replaced by a cold, sinister smile.
"There's a high chance that those six Uchiha were killed as part of Danzō's plot."
"With the forces Danzō and Root command, they should be more than enough to deal with Fugaku and the team he's bringing."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, clearly in a good mood.
Danzō had taken action—just as the Hokage had expected.
As for the consequences, the Hokage would never admit involvement. Even if it came to light, all blame would fall on Danzō.
Without sacrificing a single soldier, the Hokage would achieve his objective and cleanly distance himself afterward.
When it came to manipulation, Danzō was far inferior. This was precisely why, after all these years, he was Hokage and Danzō was just an advisor.
Meanwhile, twelve elite Uchiha ninjas had assembled.
Among them were two elite jōnin; the remaining ten were either jōnin or special jōnin.
They would be the public team accompanying Fugaku to "rescue Taiwa Hiroshi" and avenge the six slain Uchiha.
"Fugaku, please be careful."
Uchiha Mikoto voiced her concern sincerely.
She knew the enemy this time was no simple opponent, and though she was deeply worried, she couldn't stop him.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, it was his duty to take charge in times like these.
"Mm."
Fugaku nodded and turned to the twelve Uchiha behind him. His expression turned solemn.
"This mission is extremely dangerous. Even I cannot guarantee you'll all return unharmed. Some of you may be injured. Some may die."
"But remember this: as long as the Uchiha Clan still stands, your families will be taken care of."
"That is my promise to you. Even if I die, the next clan head will honor it."
"Move out."
"Yes, sir!"
The twelve shouted in unison.
Fugaku took the lead, the twelve following close behind as they headed for Konoha's village gate.
Passing through the gate, they quickly vanished into the dense forest outside the village.
At that moment, Root operatives, who had been monitoring the Uchiha Clan's every move, sent a message beyond the village walls.
Back at Root's base, most of the elite shinobi had already been mobilized, and even Shimura Danzō himself who normally remained within Root was nowhere to be found.
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