CHAPTER 16: The Anger of An Uchiha

The question lingered -how did Hiro know exactly where the Root base was? The answer lay in the brief, intense moment when Hiro held Torune's head in his hands. Using his Sharingan, he had placed Torune under a powerful genjutsu, extracting the location of the Root base from Danzo's number one lap-dog.

The journey was swift. Hiro's heart pounded with rage. As he neared the Root base, he prepared himself for the onslaught. Reaching the concealed entrance, he didn't hesitate. Summoning his Susanoo, the colossal spectral warrior surrounded him, its eyes burning with the same fury as Hiro's. Before the Root ninjas could react, the Susanoo swung its ethereal sword, cleaving the base into two with a single, devastating strike. The sound of destruction echoed through the night as the building crumbled, blood and chaos erupting around the shattered structure.

Meanwhile, deep underground in a hidden bunker, Danzo conversed with Orochimaru amidst a sinister laboratory filled with scientific equipment and eerie, fluid-filled tanks containing grotesque figures. The air was thick with the unsettling aura of experimentation.

"How's the utilization of the First Hokage's cells going?" Danzo inquired, his tone calm but expectant.

Orochimaru, moving towards a body strapped to a table, injected something into the person's neck. "There is progress," he replied, his voice a mix of excitement and frustration. The person lay still for a moment, then began to react violently. His eyes bulged, blood streaming from his eyes, nose, and mouth. The veins on his skin darkened, pulsing grotesquely.

The man screamed in agony, his body convulsing as the cells of the First Hokage fought a gruesome battle with his own. The horrific scene caused Orochimaru to smile and frown simultaneously- delighted by the scientific breakthrough but dismayed by the apparent failure of the experiment.

Suddenly, a ninja covered in blood staggered into the room. "Lord Danzo, Hiro Uchiha has attacked the Root base," he reported breathlessly. "I'm the only one who managed to escape, but I can't be sure about the others."

Danzo's mood shifted from calm to fury. He turned to Orochimaru. "I'll be back," he said, disappearing with the bloodied ninja, leaving Orochimaru lost in thought.

"How did Hiro have the guts to attack the Root?" Orochimaru wondered aloud. "And how did he find out its location?" The answer seemed obvious-Hiro must have used his Sharingan on a high-ranking Root member. The thought filled Orochimaru with envy and fascination. Recalling the mighty red figure of Susanoo, and the destruction it caused during the ambush as at when they were on their way to the village, only fueled his obsession with becoming immortal and powerful. Hiro's transmigration had set Orochimaru on an even darker, more twisted path than before.

The commotion Hiro caused reached the Hokage's palace and the various clans, drawing them all to the scene, including the Hokage himself. As they arrived, what they witnessed was a sight to behold- pieces of flesh and blood scattered everywhere, along with the remnants of a collapsed building and caved ground.

The Hokage, standing amidst the destruction, sighed deeply. "What have you done, Danzo?" he murmured, his eyes filled with both sorrow and anger. He looked at Hiro, who stood covered in blood, looking like a warrior who had just crawled from the depths of hell.

Hiro stood amidst the carnage, scanning for any survivors with his sharigan. He had his Susanoo dissipate, and he felt no strain from this battle which he attributed to his Sage Body. He looked up to see the Hokage and the heads of various clans arriving, their expressions a mixture of shock, anger, and confusion.

"Hiro, what is the meaning of this?" the Hokage demanded, his voice stern but edged with anger.

"Some unknown shinobis attacked me and tracing their source using my sharigan, they were Root operatives Danzo sent to attacked me. I had no choice but to defend myself," Hiro replied, his voice steady with a hint of malice of wanting to frame Danzo, Hiro continues. "They were planning something, something dangerous involving the sharigan and the First Hokage's cells from the information I gleamed from one of them."

The clan heads murmured among themselves, the weight of Hiro's words sinking in. The Uchiha clan head, Fugaku, stepped forward,with a tone and face of anger, he asked, "Is this true, Hiro? Do you have proof, you should be aware of the consequences of lieing?"

Hiro nodded, pointing to the devastated area. "There are traces of battle at the hospital and the Root base is beneath us, you can verify both. They've been conducting experiments-horrific experiments and I think Danzo can only do such things with the permission of someone."

The Hokage's face darkened knowing whom Hiro is talking about and from Hiro's tone he has shed any kind of cordiality with him, Hiruzen Sarutobi. "We need to investigate this immediately. If what you say is true, Danzo has crossed a line that cannot be ignored." He said, trying to put the blame on Danzo for now while shifting everyone's focus from him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen then issued orders to the shinobis that came with him from the palace to search for any survivors.He also orders for an immediate investigation at the hospital and the roots base, with the anbu corps as Kakashi takes charge of the investigation.

Hiro's mind drifted back to the fight. The Root ninjas had been relentless and cautious, using techniques from enemy villages to disguise their true nature which will make the hospital investigations a bit hard but with the roots' base he had confidence with hard and concrete evidence tho he almost destroyed all evidence in fit of anger from being attacked by root.

Luckily his new powers, granted by the Ope Ope no Mi, had given him the edge he needed to end the battle quickly. He remembered the moment he activated his "Room" technique, the spherical space giving him control over the battlefield. The "Shambles" ability had allowed him to swap places with a Root ninja, causing their own explosive talismans to eliminate one of their own.

The Gamma Knife had been particularly effective, cutting down the elite Root shinobis with ease. And the final blow, the Radio Knife, had decapitated Torune, Danzo's right-hand man. The image of Torune's head, eyes wide with terror, was seared into Hiro's memory.

Hiruzen knowing what lies in the base can also implicate him, tries to pacify and convince the people gathered, using the sweet but manipulative words along with current war they face to diffuse the current atmosphere dispersing the crowd vowing he'll give an appropriate answer to everyone. Everyone leaves with some of the Uchiha including Fugaku, Shisui and Hiro staying behind on one side and the Hokage and his advisors at another side.

Danzo appears with the injured root Shinobi, both looking at the devastation caused by Hiro, Danzo clenches his fist looking at his years of hard work brought into destruction. Danzo turns to Hiro with a darkened face, his voice filled with anger and malice," Hiro Uchiha are you and the Uchiha trying to rebel against the village". Danzo as a cunning person always trying to shift the blame on people for his own evil deeds.

Hiro with a smile on his face looks at Danzo like a fool while turning his head to the other side. Danzo having a bad premonition follows Hiro's gaze and finds Hiruzen and the advisors standing there looking at him with a helpless and sad face. Hiruzen walks towards Danzo, "Danzo you have brought this upon yourself there is nothing I can do anymore, according the rules of Konoha you must be punished for harming fellow villagers but on accounts of your position and contributions to the village, I'll ban root from existing onwards and stripping off your position as a senior advisor of Konoha.

Danzo knowing he is done for currently doesn't try challenging Hiruzen. Danzo turns to Hiro once more as if trying to burn his face into his mind then leaves without speaking as his back disappears in the dark of the night with the injured root Shinobi following behind.