The Four Nations Allied Shinobi Force was besieging Amegakure, and as Hokage, Fugaku had taken nearly half of Konoha's elite forces with him. This gave some of the old fox in the village an opening to start moving their own pieces.
No one was truly willing to be ruled by Uchiha Fugaku. Even if Konoha's current situation looked prosperous and full of promise, there were always those who felt unwilling, even resentful.
For example — Shimura Danzō, who outwardly seemed to still be trusted by Fugaku in Root, yet in reality had been stripped of real power and left as nothing more than a scapegoat to take the blame.
Or the former Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose reputation had collapsed and fallen to the very bottom.
...
Moonlight poured down.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly closed his door and picked up the secret reports from the front lines of the Land of Rain, reading them carefully.
A cool night breeze slipped in through the window, making the lamplight on the desk flicker.
Suddenly, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. He looked up.
"I didn't expect you would still go and make contact with Itachi."
The space rippled and then turned into an inverted whirlpool. The figure of Obito Uchiha gradually emerged from it, and then solidified into a physical form:
"If Fugaku finds out, your fate won't be as simple as just being imprisoned here again."
"That boy came to me of his own accord. I wasn't the one seeking him out," Hiruzen replied evenly.
"You're still the same as ever — always putting some grand, righteous-sounding hat on your own head," Obito sneered, shaking his head. "You should learn from your old partner. You're no longer Hokage, yet you still want to play these political games."
Hiruzen instinctively wanted to retort, but something in Obito's words made his expression shift.
"…What do you mean by that?"
"I mean it's time to act, Sarutobi Hiruzen."
"Now?!" Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock.
"Why not? It's the perfect timing." Obito's voice was low and hoarse, giving nothing away of his inner thoughts. "Uchiha Fugaku is on the battlefield in the Land of Rain with his elite Uchiha forces and personal loyalists. Yuki Yoru and his Shinigami are also in that weeping nation."
"If we move now, there will be no one to stand in our way. You'll get the ending you've always wanted, and I'll take what I came for."
Though Obito's reasoning sounded persuasive, Hiruzen's expression shifted back and forth.
What Obito meant by "move" wasn't just a coup d'état. After all, Hiruzen's own standing in Konoha was already in shambles — even if Fugaku wasn't in the village, a coup would never allow Hiruzen to step into the spotlight again.
Their original plan was to weaken the Uchiha as much as possible — to prevent this clan, who had thrown in their lot with Yuki Yoru and would one day lead Konoha to ruin, from establishing a lasting, hereditary dominance over the village.
But Obito's idea… was far bloodier.
He wanted to wipe out the Uchiha entirely.
This was the true reason Hiruzen had hesitated to commit.
First, the Uchiha were still part of Konoha — one of the two founding clans of the village, its current absolute core, and now the "Kage clan" of the Hokage himself. Destroying them would be crippling for Konoha, and could even allow Yuki Yoru to swallow the village whole.
Second, the gap in strength was considerable.
Under Fugaku's leadership, the Uchiha had grown enormously in power. With vast resources funneled their way, trying to wipe them out now would be a daunting task with almost no chance of success.
But now…
"Still hesitating? You remember what I told you about Yuki Yoru's threat, don't you?" Obito's gaze was cold, his tone detached. "If we want to bring him down, we need to start by cutting off his claws. Right now, this is a rare opportunity."
"But when Fugaku comes back, he won't spare us. Not just me — the entire Sarutobi clan—"
"Who said you were the one who'd make the move?"
Obito's voice turned almost mocking.
"That boy from earlier… isn't he the perfect blade?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted. He seemed to have understood Obito's idea.
"Don't overthink it. Just prepare the chakra I need, and I'll quietly take care of everything for you!"
...
Outside the Uchiha Compound
Fresh from leaving Hiruzen's home — where they'd been discussing the Will of Fire — Uchiha Itachi was heading home, still turning over in his mind the lofty, abstract words the old man had been spouting.
"Itachi, the Uchiha and the Will of Fire are not in conflict. On the contrary, under Fugaku's leadership, as his son, you are in the best position to carry this will forward!"
"Your flame — the Uchiha's flame — will light Konoha's path, illuminating its future, letting this great tree grow more vibrant and alive. The thing you must grasp… is how exactly to light that flame."
Hiruzen's words kept echoing in Itachi's head.
Ever since Fugaku had taken power and Hiruzen's fall from grace, Fugaku had been working to steer Itachi away from the twisted interpretation of the Will of Fire, but the more one tried to change some things, the deeper they became entrenched.
Even with Hiruzen's disgrace, Itachi still held hope for the man.
No one is perfect; even the Third Hokage had made mistakes in policy — but his ideals weren't necessarily wrong.
With that mindset, Itachi had repeatedly sought Hiruzen out in secret to ask about the Will of Fire — and had come away deeply moved each time.
"Even if Father is Hokage, the gap between the clan and the village hasn't disappeared. Only by truly fusing the two together can Konoha's future shine bright."
"Just like the Senju — the village is the Senju, and the Senju are the village…" Itachi scratched his head. The Senju were long gone from the village now, but their name, as Hiruzen had said, was still ingrained deeply in everyone's mind.
Could this be the Uchiha's true future? The vision of clan and village completely united?
"…Maybe my own understanding is still too shallow to fully grasp the Will of Fire."
Suddenly, Itachi's brows twitched.
A strange, hair-raising feeling crept over him — as though something had fixed its gaze on him.
The last time he'd felt this was during the Third Shinobi World War, the first time he'd stepped onto the battlefield and fought Iwagakure genin.
Space in front of him rippled faintly. Itachi's eyes narrowed sharply as his Sharingan flared open, the three tomoe swirling in eerie, ghostly rotation.
Back when Hiruzen had been captured and put on public trial by Fugaku, the surge of emotion had awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan.
Given his age, this placed him among the youngest in Uchiha history to achieve it. Coupled with his skill, even among Konoha's jōnin, Itachi was unquestionably top-tier.
"Who's there?!"
His voice was cold as his hand slid silently behind him to draw a kunai.
To have followed him without a sound — he hadn't noticed at all beforehand. Was this person after him? Or after Hiruzen? Had they overheard their conversation?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant — and in that instant, the spatial ripples faded, revealing a black-robed figure before him.
The strange garb set off every alarm in Itachi's mind. He opened his mouth — but the man suddenly raised his head.
Blood-red eyes met his. A tide of overwhelming ocular power surged forward, stabbing into Itachi's mind. Pain lanced through his eyes, and in an instant his gaze turned vacant.
"Go. Do what you were meant to do."
Obito's voice was soft and cold as he watched the now expressionless Itachi step into the shadows under his genjutsu's control.
...
Root Base
Hiruzen moved quickly. After parting from Obito, he went straight to Root and sought out his old partner.
Led by a Root operative, Hiruzen soon entered the underground base. A reinforced, barrier-protected door opened to reveal a figure he knew all too well.
"Danzō."
"Hiruzen?"
Danzō frowned, setting aside the scroll in his hands.
"What are you doing here?"
Hiruzen glanced at the Root shinobi behind him, then stepped inside.
"That guy wants to take this opportunity to make a move against the Uchiha clan directly."
"A move against the Uchiha clan?!" Upon hearing this, Danzo immediately became interested. His single eye flashed with light: "How does he plan to do it... No, what does he need us to do?"
"Nothing. He says he'll handle everything himself and make sure Fugaku can't retaliate against us when he returns." Hiruzen shook his head. "But I'm still uneasy. This is the Uchiha we're talking about."
Danzo's eyes changed. He already understood what his old friend had come here for, and he nodded: "I understand. I'll have Root seal off the entire Uchiha compound. But only if that guy truly handles them as planned — otherwise, Uchiha Setsuna won't let me off lightly."
"If we're cooperating, there has to be a degree of mutual trust."
Hiruzen's eyes fell on the scroll in Danzō's hands. It detailed how to stabilize one's cells after fusing different chakra natures.
He remembered — it was one of the key results from Orochimaru's human experiments, left behind after his defection. Hiruzen himself had sealed it away, yet here it was in Danzō's possession.
Had Fugaku unsealed these things after taking power? Or had Danzō obtained it on his own?
Hiruzen didn't know.
Danzō noticed his gaze, but didn't bother hiding it. The relationship between the two old friends had long surpassed the point where these things could affect it.
"I have a few ideas about the Chimera technique you gave me before, but there are some troubles with the sacrifices," Danzo put away the scroll in his hand and said slowly: "If that guy's plan is successful this time, I also want to try that jutsu."
"…You want Sharingan as the sacrifice?"
Hiruzen frowned deeply.
The success rate of the Chimera technique was very low, and the ritual was extremely troublesome. It wasn't just the sacrifices; the amount of chakra it required was also massive.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had suspected for a while that the reason that guy asked him for chakra was to try the Chimera technique, but he was lacking in chakra. He didn't expect that Danzo would also be eyeing this jutsu.
"I have no choice. I need Sharingan."
Danzo slowly unwrapped the bandage from his right eye. After making a special sealing hand sign, he opened his right eye.
Seeing the blood-red Three-Tomoe spinning in his eye socket, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a little speechless. He hadn't expected that Danzo would dare to transplant a Sharingan after Fugaku took office.
If Fugaku found out about this, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"My body already contains the First Hokage's cells. Without Sharingan to suppress it, I'd be consumed by the Wood Release's power."
Danzō unwrapped his right arm, revealing its pale flesh — and more chillingly, another Sharingan embedded there.
"With these two eyes, I can balance the Wood Release and Uchiha power. But the strength of these two Sharingan is limited. They are, in the end, not Kagami's eyes, nor are they a Mangekyō Sharingan. If I want to perform the Chimera technique, I'll need more."
"If Fugaku finds out, he won't spare you."
"Don't be ridiculous. If I can complete the Chimera technique, why would I be afraid of a pair of Mangekyō?" Danzo sneered: "Besides, didn't that guy say that he would take care of everything, and it wouldn't have anything to do with us?"
"..."
Hiruzen fell silent. He knew that Danzo would also not willingly submit to Fugaku's rule. But he hadn't expected that Danzo had already been preparing and planning these things.
From the looks of it, even without that guy, Danzo would have been constantly making plans until he finally made his move. Now that guy wanting to make a move against the Uchiha clan was actually helping Danzo and him.
"In that case, let's not hesitate anymore."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, his eyes shining as he looked at Danzo:
"This might be our last chance. As long as we seize it, we still have a chance to turn the tables!"
"It's not easy for you to make such a decision, Hiruzen."
A smile also appeared on Danzo's old face. He knew his old friend's personality. If he hadn't truly reached a dead end, he would never have made such a choice.
However, this feeling...
It's been a long time since I've fought alongside you like this, Hiruzen!
Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi's appearance, Danzo let out a light sigh, and the blood in his body began to burn a little.
"When does that guy plan to make a move?"
"Now. He plans to use Uchiha Itachi as the entry point."
"Fugaku's eldest son, hmm…" Danzō's eye narrowed. He rewrapped his right eye and arm in bandages, inhaling deeply before speaking in a low voice:
"Then there's no need to hesitate."
"Men — seal off the entire Uchiha compound!"