Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

The expression on this dark figure of Konoha's face became extremely distorted at this moment.

He couldn't believe that his plan, which he thought was a sure thing, had such a huge flaw. More than two hundred elite Chunin, with at least forty or fifty Jonin among them, had not only been wiped out by Jiang Si alone, leaving only one survivor, but more importantly, they hadn't even been forced to reveal their full strength.

'He didn't even use the Mangekyou Sharingan?'

At this moment.

Danzo was the one who truly realized how foolish a mistake he had made. Of course, he didn't think that his ambush of Uchiha Shoji was wrong, but rather that his biggest mistake was underestimating Uchiha Shoji's strength.

He could even guess that the reason his subordinate was able to return safely was more because it was a show of force by Uchiha Shoji. Otherwise, if the man could slaughter his subordinates in his normal Sharingan mode, would his subordinate have been able to retreat safely once he activated the Mangekyou Sharingan?

This was an unexpected turn of events for Danzo. The huge psychological gap caused the expression of this dark figure of Konoha to become incredibly ferocious and terrifying at this moment.

"Heh, Uchiha Shoji, I really underestimated you. It's alright, mistakes can only happen twice. As for the third time, I will definitely not repeat the same mistake. When that time comes, I will let you and the Uchiha clan know what true hell is!"

A hint of extreme ferocity also shone in Danzo's exposed pupils. At this moment, Danzo still did not think that his actions were wrong. His only mistake was that he had underestimated Uchiha Shoji's strength.

Danzo wasn't blind to the potential consequences of this, but being as arrogant as he was, he didn't think it would be a problem. Konoha was the number one ninja village in the ninja world, a force to be reckoned with among the four great ninja villages, and a force that had won three ninja wars. Now, it had only weakened a little. One against two might be difficult, but surely one against one wouldn't be a problem?

Even if Iwagakure were to launch an attack, since his own village had already made peace with Kumogakure, Danzo didn't think it was a big deal and wasn't worried about it at all.

So, as he strolled toward the Hokage's office, he was still thinking about how to recruit talent back into the village. This failed plan was a heavy blow to his Root organization, and he had to find a way to continue to gather talent, otherwise his Root would become an empty shell. As one of the important pillars for realizing his ambitions, Danzo attached great importance to the development of Root.

He wasn't worried at all that Hiruzen Sarutobi would stop him. In fact, he was even considering that even if his plan failed, it could still trigger a conflict between his own village and Iwagakure. Last year, due to various reasons, Konoha was unable to further pursue the Uchiha clan and did not hold Iwagakure accountable. This was Danzo's biggest regret. Now, it was an excellent opportunity. Danzo truly felt it was time to restart the pursuit of the Uchiha clan that had been going on for a year and a half!

It must be said that the Third Hokage's utterly unbridled indulgence was the biggest reason why Danzo had become so reckless. If Hiruzen Sarutobi had simply abolished Root and stripped Danzo of all his positions and authority in any previous instance of Danzo's transgression, Konoha might not have reached this point.

It can only be said that as the "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix" of Konoha, the two of them are truly indispensable.

He walked lightly to the Hokage's office building, still maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.

Upon seeing Danzo's expression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's anger began to rise uncontrollably.

"Danzo! Do you even respect me as Hokage anymore?! Don't you understand how hard-won peace is for Konoha?! Tell me, what mission did you send out those nearly two hundred Root members to carry out?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly stood up from his seat, a sharp look on his face, and looked at Danzo Shimura as he strode in through the doorway, speaking in a stern voice.

"Ha, Hiruzen, why bother asking about things that everyone already knows the answer to?"

Danzo casually walked to the sofa and sat down, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

The last sliver of hope was extinguished.

A steely blue hue appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

"Immediately send someone to recall the Root members you dispatched, Danzo. I'm not joking with you; this is the Hokage's order!"

"The Hokage's order? Hiruzen, you are the Hokage of Konoha, that's true, but don't forget, I am the Dark One of Konoha. Eliminating all enemies who are harmful to Konoha is my responsibility, and it is also the original purpose of the Root organization! I have done nothing wrong, and it's too late to say these things now."

Danzo turned to face Hiruzen Sarutobi, who sat at the head of the table. As his slightly somber voice fell, Hiruzen's expression first froze, then changed drastically, revealing a hint of danger as he said, "What did you say? Danzo? Could it be..."

"Hmph, it's not what you think. The mission failed. All the Root members I sent out were killed in battle, with only one survivor. And it's highly likely that the other side deliberately let him return. Hiruzen, this is provocation, this is a threat, this is a blatant declaration of war. I believe we should take appropriate measures immediately to eliminate the Uchiha clan. It has reached a point where there is no time to lose. One Uchiha Shoji can do this. Don't forget that the Uchiha clan also has two other pairs of Mangekyou Sharingan: Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Fugaku. If we continue to wait, our Konoha will surely face a crisis of complete annihilation in the future!"

Danzo snorted coldly, then looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose expression had become increasingly solemn as Danzo spoke, with a very serious expression, and said this.

"You mean? All the Root members you sent out were killed by Uchiha Shoji alone?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi deliberately ignored the second half of Danzo's sentence and went straight to the key points in the first half. Through the information fed back from the Anbu, Hiruzen Sarutobi roughly learned that Danzo had dispatched nearly two hundred Root members.

These are all elite forces comparable to his own direct subordinates in the dark.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi's initial prediction was that Shoji would break through the entourage of these Root members single-handedly, defeat them, and after most of them were killed or wounded, a considerable number of them would survive and retreat, then what Danzo Shimura said at this moment greatly exceeded the Third Hokage's prediction of Shoji Uchiha's strength.

"That's right, and he hasn't even used the Mangekyou Sharingan yet. Hiruzen, you should understand what that means!"

Danzo could also foresee that his close friend, the Hokage, was deliberately ignoring the meaning of the most important second half of his sentence. He frowned slightly and went a step further in promoting the 'threat theory' of Uchiha Shoji, and even the Uchiha clan as a whole!

"What did you say? You didn't even use the Mangekyou Sharingan!?"

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally showed a hint of emotion.

Wars between ninja villages can never be a one-man show. This was one of Hiruzen Sarutobi's most steadfast beliefs after the deaths of his First Hokage and the terrifying Madara Uchiha.

Even someone as powerful as the Third Raikage would die from the high-quality human wave tactics of Iwagakure.

This demonstrates that in the war among the five great ninja villages, no matter how strong an individual is, their power is ultimately limited. This is also Hiruzen Sarutobi's view of the Uchiha clan. He was wary of the Uchiha clan's Mangekyou Sharingan, but he didn't truly believe that Iwagakure, with the Uchiha clan as a member, could necessarily threaten the survival of Konoha, let alone the Uchiha clan alone. During the Konoha secession war a year and a half ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly witnessed the terrifying power of Uchiha Shoji and Uchiha Fugaku, and he acknowledged that the two were very strong.

But at most, they are at the same level of strength as him.

But Danzo's words now clearly indicate that Uchiha Shoji has made another qualitative leap. He can slaughter two hundred elite members of Root without even needing the Mangekyou Sharingan, which is enough to prove the terrifying nature of this evil young Uchiha.

Even so, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not intend to change his mind. At most, he would just adjust his target slightly in the future, because no matter how strong he was, in the eyes of the Third Hokage, he would only be at most the level of the Third Raikage.

This was not enough to make the Third Hokage truly change his governing philosophy.

This is not like before, where you only have to deal with one Uchiha clan. Instead, you have to face a massive force of 15,000 to 16,000 Iwagakure ninja, Onoki who is at least as strong as you, and two Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is still quite sensible.

"Therefore, we must take immediate action against the Uchiha clan. Hiruzen, while Uchiha Shoji is still within the Land of Fire's borders, immediately order the border garrison and all outposts to conduct a thorough search for Uchiha Shoji and his group. The village should also immediately organize elite troops to encircle and annihilate them. We must completely keep Uchiha Shoji within the Land of Fire's borders! This will not only eliminate a huge threat to our village in advance, but also provide us with an opportunity to study the secrets of the Mangekyou Sharingan. This is an unprecedented opportunity, Hiruzen!"

Danzo seemed to sense Hiruzen Sarutobi's deepest feelings, and his tone became increasingly urgent.

He gazed intently at his dearest friend.

You have to say that while Danzo did make many stupid mistakes, his judgment was correct in these few cases. The current Shoji is indeed still at the level of a 'mortal,' not to mention the level of Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha (Eternal Eye Mode), he is still a bit short of the Third Raikage.

It is true that Konoha can be ruthless enough to suppress an existence without paying too heavy a price, provided that Hiruzen Sarutobi can really make such a decision, even if Jiraiya and Tsunade are not in the village, he must be prepared to take action himself. Obviously, Hiruzen Sarutobi does not have such courage.

Or to be more precise.

He didn't think it was a rational judgment.

Even if the consequences of this action were that the Third Tsuchikage had brazenly launched a war between the rocks and the wood, the cost of killing Uchiha Shoji alone would be a result that the Third Hokage could not bear.

Two hundred elite Root members couldn't even force Uchiha Shoji to unleash his Mangekyou Sharingan.

Based on this, if I don't take action myself, I would have to send at least three or four thousand Konoha elites to besiege him, and I would have to be prepared for at least half of them to die in order to have any chance of successfully suppressing him.

This price is not something Konoha can afford in its current state.

As for the option of personally capturing Uchiha Shoji, the Third Hokage would never even consider it.

These are all options that don't require hesitation.

Just a few seconds later.

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head heavily: "Danzo, put away your dangerous ideas. What Konoha needs now is stability and peace, not war. This matter ends here. Leave everything else to me. You are absolutely not allowed to act on your own again. For the time being, you should stay in the Hokage Building. As for the Root organization, I will have Homura handle the beginning and end. You should not interfere anymore!"

Time and time again, they acted recklessly and crossed the line.

This time, Shimura Danzo's punishment was far more severe than in the original story, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer willing to just give verbal reprimands.

342. Let's translate what "surprise" means!

The existence of roots is still somewhat necessary for the leaves.

The reason why Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to the independent establishment of Root was because of this point. Therefore, he would not abolish Root, but necessary restrictions must be imposed. At least temporarily separating Root from Danzo's control is a very necessary thing.

Entrusting the leadership to Mitokado Homura, a high-ranking member who, like himself, is a conservative faction, would make Hiruzen Sarutobi feel much more at ease. As for whether to return Root to Danzo in the future, that depends on Danzo's future performance. At the very least, in the next few months or even a year or two, Hiruzen Sarutobi will have to limit Danzo's power and some of his independent actions.

"Hiruzen! You can't do this!"

Although he seemed somewhat anxious, Danzo generally thought that at most he would only receive some reprimands and that Hiruzen Sarutobi would not accept his suggestions. He never expected that Hiruzen Sarutobi would actually revoke his authority over the Root.

And what does it mean to stay here temporarily?

Isn't this a disguised form of restriction on freedom?

Danzo Shimura, filled with shock and anger, suddenly stood up and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting in the main seat, with an extremely gloomy expression, and shouted coldly.

"You can't do this? Danzo, your actions have already jeopardized the village's interests. The village doesn't need excessive provocative and dangerous behavior now; what it needs is stability and harmony. The people need peace, not war. And I'm not negotiating with you; I'm ordering you, Danzo!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood upright, his previously hunched figure suddenly straightening up, exuding an undisguised and terrifying aura.

As it spread throughout this office.

Danzo Shimura's pupils suddenly contracted as he sensed a chilling aura that seemed to seep into the depths of his bones, giving him a feeling of dread.

"Hiruzen, you!"

"That's settled then, Zero!"

Danzo seemed to want to say something more, but was abruptly interrupted by Hiruzen Sarutobi's wave of his hand, followed by a deep shout.

"Whoosh!"

It's located on the left side of the office.

A dark figure suddenly appeared, its silver hair so striking that Danzo's pupils gleamed with an even stronger cold light the moment he saw it.

'Kakashi Hatake!'

"During this period, you and your squad will be following Elder Danzo and responsible for protecting him, understand?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Kakashi Hatake and said in a deep voice.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Kakashi, still in his dark mode at this stage, had a cold look in his eyes reflected on his mask. As the Third Hokage finished speaking, Kakashi suddenly lowered his head and replied with a cold expression.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's completely unpretentious and determined-to-execute-the-direction demeanor, Danzo's hidden hand involuntarily clenched slightly. At this moment, he truly regretted his rash actions. Not only had he greatly weakened Root's power, but he was also about to be half-'imprisoned' by Hiruzen Sarutobi, completely losing control of Root. He was tempted to do something.

But in the end, he slowly released his grip.

He knew very well that he truly had no ability to confront Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. No, to be more precise, he had never had the confidence to truly confront Hiruzen Sarutobi because Hiruzen Sarutobi had never really gone all out.

After figuring this out.

Danzo took a deep breath. His seemingly calm expression masked a burning desire for the title of Hokage deep within his heart. He was determined to become Hokage, even at the cost of anything, he was determined to ascend to the throne of Hokage!

"Humph!"

Danzo snorted coldly to express his extreme dissatisfaction, intending to accept his predicament. In any case, it would only be a short time, and he believed that he would definitely have a chance to make a comeback. At that time, whether it was the Root organization, the position of Hokage, or the Uchiha clan.

'I will take it all! What rightfully belongs to me is mine!'

Beneath Danzo's seemingly indifferent expression, he roared the same rage deep within his heart.

Seeing Danzo's seemingly resigned appearance, Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although there was a hint of defiance in his words, Shimura Danzo was, after all, his companion since childhood, and they had been friends for forty or fifty years. Unless absolutely necessary, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never consider completely severing ties with his old friend.

This is also the main reason why Danzo was tolerated time and time again. First, the village really needed Danzo, and second, the feelings between them were taken into consideration.

This time, Danzo really went too far. This could be a serious incident that triggers a war between the two villages. Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally had to make a firm decision to deal with it, otherwise, who knows what serious consequences might follow.