Chapter 65: Danzo’s Scheme! Fugaku’s Ultimatum, Itachi’s Unease!
Chapter 65: Danzo's Scheme! Fugaku's Ultimatum, Itachi's Unease!
"Dammit!!!"
The Third Hokage glared at Danzo with fury in his eyes.
"The one who is supposed to perform the Reaper Death Seal is me, not you, right? Do you really want me dead that badly?"
The Third Hokage furiously rebuked, "Have you even considered the consequences if Ishihara escapes?"
"Have you thought about the consequences if Ishihara allies with the Uchiha?"
"Have you thought about what kind of strength Ishihara will have in a few years? If he seeks revenge against Konoha, how will we deal with him then?"
He stood up, his aura overwhelming as he spat with rage, causing Danzo to unconsciously wipe his face.
The Third Hokage took a deep breath, calming down slightly:
"Do you think I want to keep Ishihara, this unstable factor, around?"
"It's because eliminating him involves too many unknowns and carries too much risk! If we fail, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"But if we cooperate with him, Konoha's strength will improve even further, and we can still negotiate the terms of cooperation."
"If negotiations fail, we can consider other solutions."
The office fell silent once again.
The four people present remained silent.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance. Koharu spoke up, "Danzo, why not let Hiruzen talk to him first?"
They were old now, seeking stability above all else, and did not want to cause more trouble.
Danzo coldly replied, "I don't agree with this. If you proceed this way, you'll regret it."
With that, he angrily turned and left.
Inside the office, with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's support, the Third Hokage breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'll handle Ishihara's situation."
"However, even though Fugaku has already verified it, to be cautious, we need to verify Ishihara's abilities ourselves."
"After all, those secret techniques and forbidden jutsus are Konoha's most vital secrets!"
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, after leaving the Hokage Tower, Danzo quickly returned to the Root organization's base.
The anger on his face had already vanished, replaced by shrewdness and coldness.
"What have you found regarding Ishihara?" he asked.
Swoosh!
An Anbu operative from the Root organization appeared. "There is still very little information. Most of it has been sealed by the Hokage."
Danzo's eyes flickered.
He wasn't surprised by this situation.
"Keep a close watch. The moment Ishihara enters Konoha, monitor him immediately."
"Understood!"
Danzo touched the bandages covering his right eye, a cold smile appearing on his face.
"If Ishihara's talent is truly as terrifying as Hiruzen says, using Kotoamatsukami on him would be well worth it."
The moment Danzo heard about Ishihara's talent, he was immediately tempted.
With such terrifying comprehension, if Ishihara could be controlled, it would be like divine assistance, making it far too easy for Danzo to become Hokage.
However, with the current delicate relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha, he had to save Kotoamatsukami as a last resort.
"Hiruzen, you want to become Ishihara's lapdog? Once I control him, I'll make sure you watch closely!" Danzo's face twisted into a sinister grin.
His earlier anger was genuine.
He would never allow Konoha's secret and forbidden techniques to be controlled by an outsider who couldn't be trusted!
...
Akimichi clan, Yamanaka clan, Inuzuka clan, Aburame clan...
All the clans quickly made their decisions.
Aside from the Hyuga clan's strong resistance, most of the other clans adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
After all, their clan's secret techniques were the foundation of their power, and they couldn't easily show them to outsiders.
Meanwhile, within the Uchiha clan.
After returning, Fugaku also convened a clan meeting.
Itachi attended as well.
Since it was a temporary clan meeting, it was held in the secret room of Fugaku's home.
All three elders of the Uchiha clan were present.
The eldest elder had graying hair and a ferocious scar on his face.
The second and third elders were middle-aged with cold, resolute expressions.
There were also eight squad leaders from the Police Force.
And all the elite members with three-tomoe Sharingan—around a dozen people in total.
These were the top figures of the Uchiha clan.
"Clan leader, I heard you met with the Hokage and the other clan leaders. Is the Hokage planning to take action against us?" the eldest elder shouted angrily even before everyone had arrived.
His words instantly provoked the anger of the others.
The second elder immediately shouted, "Damn it! Is the Third Hokage and Danzo trying to destroy the Uchiha clan? Let's fight them!"
Standing beside Fugaku, Itachi watched his enraged clansmen and sighed inwardly.
Was the conflict between the Uchiha and the higher-ups of Konoha truly irreconcilable?
Fugaku shook his head with a serious expression.
"This has nothing to do with the Hokage. The reason I called you all here is for another matter."
He then called toward the door, "Tetsuka, come in."
As soon as he spoke, the secret room's door opened.
Inaho and Yashiro helped Tetsuka, whose eyes were wrapped in bandages, into the room.
Boom!
Everyone's expressions in the secret room changed instantly.
Many people immediately activated their Sharingan, using their chakra to assess Tetsuka's condition.
The eldest elder stood up in shock. "Tetsuka, what happened to your eyes?!"
Tetsuka's lips tightened, and his body trembled slightly. "My Sharingan was taken!"
What?!
The Uchiha in the secret room were instantly enraged.
The eldest elder roared, "Who did it? Tell me, and I'll kill him!"
The second elder shouted, "Whoever dares to take our Sharingan is dead!"
The third elder questioned, "Was it the Hokage or Danzo?!"
Itachi's face also showed shock.
He, too, suspected that it was done by Konoha's higher-ups.
If that were true, then with the recent loss of Shisui, the Uchiha would likely go on a rampage!
War would become inevitable!
What exactly happened?
Itachi felt immense anxiety.
Tetsuka said, "It was Ishihara!"
Him?!
Itachi's pupils contracted, and his heart was in turmoil.
"Why did Ishihara take Tetsuka's Sharingan? What exactly is he planning?!"
Looking at Tetsuka's expression, trying hard to suppress his emotions, Itachi had an ominous feeling.
But the others had no idea who Ishihara was and were angrily shouting to kill him.
Tetsuka continued, "And before my Sharingan was taken, I had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Boom!
The entire secret room erupted.
They had just lost Shisui, who had awakened the Mangekyō.
Now, they finally had another member who had awakened the Mangekyō, but before they could celebrate, his eyes had been taken!
This was a death wish!!!
"Kill him! We must kill Ishihara and take back the Mangekyō!"
"Anyone who messes with the Uchiha is doomed!"
"Tetsuka, tell us where he is!"
The crowd was seething with rage!
No one was calm!
Ever since Shisui's death, the Uchiha had been simmering with frustration, like a powder keg ready to explode.
Now, it had been ignited!
Itachi stared blankly at Tetsuka, cold sweat breaking out all over his body.
"Tetsuka actually awakened the Mangekyō, and Ishihara took it?! Could it be that he was after the Mangekyō Sharingan all along?"
Recalling his recent face-to-face encounter with Ishihara, Itachi couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.
Yet, his heart remained filled with doubt.
He knew very well the conditions for awakening the Mangekyō. Recently, nothing significant had happened within the clan, so how did Tetsuka awaken his?
Could it have been... Ishihara's doing?!
Itachi's pupils shrank, and he held his breath.