Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

He reached out with trembling hands, his fingertips touching the hilt of Indra's sword.

A strange power surged through his arm and into his body. The hilt of the sword was cold, but it warmed his heart little by little.

Itachi took a deep breath and suddenly stood up from the ground.

On the other side, Danzo was bound to the ground like a dead dog, his eyes filled with terror and despair.

Although he lost his voice, he remained conscious.

He witnessed firsthand how Sasuke gradually broke down Itachi's mental defenses and how he returned the sword to Itachi's hands.

He wanted to struggle, to escape, and to use his high-sounding reasons to justify himself.

But the binding spell prevented him from doing anything.

"Go," Sasuke's voice rang out.

Itachi stood up and walked heavily toward Danzo.

"Lord Danzo..." His voice was now eerily calm, "No, Shimura Danzo."

He raised the long sword in his hand, the tip of which was aimed at the heart of Danzo's soul.

"You once said that for the greater good, one must abandon emotions and become a root walking in the darkness."

Itachi's Sharingan spun wildly, and thanks to the previous stimulation, the three tomoe in his eyes quickly connected to form a sharp shuriken pattern.

"Now, for the Uchiha clan, and for true peace..."

“You rotten roots must be severed.”

A soft sound like a sharp blade slicing through the air.

A burst of pitch-black flames erupted instantly, Danzo's eyes widened in shock, and he let out a silent scream.

The black flames hissed as they burned.

A moment later, the flames died down.

Danzo's soul completely vanished from this world.

"Huff... Huff..." Itachi breathed heavily, his sword hanging limply in his hand, but the confusion in his eyes had completely disappeared.

He staggered back two steps, nearly falling, but a hand caught him just in time.

"Well done, Itachi."

There was no blame in Fugaku's voice, but a complex sense of relief: "You're finally back."

“Father…” Itachi raised his head and murmured softly.

"Alright, let's save this touching scene for later." Sasuke's cold voice interrupted the tender moment between father and son.

He stepped forward, took "Indra" from Itachi's hand, and glanced at everyone present with a serious expression.

"Danzo is dead, but the matter is not over yet."

"Yes."

Fugaku took a deep breath and forcibly composed himself. "We killed the Hokage's assistant, which is tantamount to declaring war on the village."

"Although Danzo's death was concealed, he had been operating within Root for many years. His chakra disappeared, and the Root ninjas who had been marked with cursed seals would soon find out."

"What should we do next?"

Fugaku frowned, his tone grave, "And what about the Third Hokage..."

"Don't worry about the roots."

Orochimaru chuckled sinisterly and pointed to the culture tanks around them.

"This is the core of the Root organization, and also the hub that Danzo used to control his subordinates."

"With just a little manipulation, those puppets controlled by the cursed seal won't react for a while."

As someone who had previously collaborated with Danzo, Orochimaru was intimately familiar with the Root organization's operating mechanisms.

"As for the third generation..."

A cold glint flashed in Sasuke's eyes. "I'll handle it."

"You're going?" Fugaku was taken aback. "You're planning to just...?"

"Yes."

Sasuke nodded. "Let's go straight to the Hokage Building."

"But the area is guarded by the Anbu, and the Hokage's own strength..."

Shisui couldn't help but express his concern, "Moreover, if we launch a large-scale attack on the Hokage Building, it will inevitably cause panic among the villagers, and may even lead to the intervention of other families."

"In that case, even if we win, all we'll get is a Konoha that's falling apart."

Sasuke glanced at him. "I can go by myself."

"Alone?!" Everyone was shocked.

"Your mission is not to fight."

“You will bring the police force and, under the pretext of ‘root rebellion, intending to endanger the village,’ secretly block all entrances and exits of the village and take over all defenses.”

"What?!" Fugaku exclaimed in surprise, "The Root rebellion? This excuse..."

“This is the evidence.” Sasuke pointed to the room full of Sharingan and human experimentation equipment behind him. “Danzo kept Sharingan in secret, conducted human experiments, and even attempted to murder ninjas from his own village.”

"But remember..."

Sasuke's tone turned stern, "It's just a blockade and deterrence; absolutely do not make the first move."

"What we need to do is take over, not slaughter."

"We want everyone to see that the Uchiha not only possess power, but also the ability to maintain order."

"Don't let the death of a few people plunge the whole village into chaos, but if they strike first, there's no need to hold back."

As Fugaku listened to Sasuke's plan, the look of admiration in his eyes grew even stronger.

This composure and strategic vision are precisely what the Uchiha clan lacks most right now.

“I understand.” He nodded solemnly. “I will keep my people in check and will never let you down.”

"very good."

Sasuke nodded in satisfaction, then turned to face the exit leading to the ground, his black robe billowing slightly in the air currents.

"Yoruichi," he called softly again, "I'd like you to go and help the clan leader and the others control the situation. If any fools dare to obstruct us..."

"Got it, got it." Yoruichi stretched.

"Orochimaru, I'm leaving this place to you."

Sasuke took one last look at the pale man. "Don't forget to preserve all the evidence here. It will be our best weapon to judge the old high-ranking officials after we take over Konoha."

"Don't worry, this is something I'm an expert at." Orochimaru licked his lips.

After arranging everything, Sasuke didn't linger. He raised his hand and made a sweeping motion, and a dark rift appeared out of thin air.

He stepped inside, and his figure vanished instantly, leaving only a single sentence that echoed in the empty underground space.

"After tonight, Konoha will still be Konoha, but the flames of Konoha will burn only for the Uchiha."

...............

Late at night, in the Hokage's office.

The candlelight flickered in the breeze, as if it might go out at any moment.

Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pen and let out a heavy sigh.

His gaze fell on the report about the Uchiha clan's territory that had been sent not long ago.

Although the report only mentioned a few words, saying that everything was normal, the overly deliberate calm only intensified his unease.

"Danzo, what are you doing..." he murmured, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

He was not unaware of Danzo's underhanded tactics; in fact, to some extent, he tacitly approved of Danzo's surveillance and suppression of the Uchiha clan.

Because he is the "shadow," he must be responsible for the stability of the entire village.

The pride and stubbornness of the Uchiha clan are indeed a huge hidden danger.

But he has been working hard to find a way for both sides to coexist.

Shisui's plan and Itachi's maneuvering were his last hopes.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his pipe from his pocket, filled it with tobacco, lit a match, and took a deep drag.

The acrid smoke lingered in his lungs, slightly relaxing his tense nerves.

"As long as nothing goes wrong tonight, there might still be a chance," he comforted himself.

Shisui is a good boy; he inherited Kagami's will. If his "Kotoamatsukami" could truly work, if Fugaku could be persuaded...

"call......"

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of white smoke, and as the smoke swirled, his thoughts drifted back to that era filled with war.

Back then, he, Danzo, Monjo, and Koharu were all spirited young men, following behind their teacher and fighting side by side to protect the village.

Back then, the Uchiha were their most reliable comrades.

"When did this change begin?"

As Hiruzen Sarutobi looked out the window at the silent village, his eyes became cloudy and confused.

Is it because of the temptation of power?

Or is it because of that deep-seated suspicion?

"teacher......"

He subconsciously turned his head and looked out the window at the majestic Fire Shadow Rock.

The faces of the Hokage from past generations are carved there; they are silently watching over the village, and watching over him as well.

The gaze finally settled on the portrait of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

"If you were in this situation, what would you do?"