Chapter 153: The Night of the Nine-Tails (Part 4)

At the Root Base.

After receiving orders to support the Third and Fourth Hokage, Danzo did not immediately head to the frontline to assist with the Nine-Tails' rampage. Instead, he gathered all his subordinates and went to the outskirts of the Uchiha clan compound.

Seeing this, Ryoma Aburame asked in confusion, "Danzo-sama, shouldn't we be heading to support the Third and Fourth Hokage? Why have we come to the Uchiha compound?"

Danzo glanced at Ryoma with tried eyes before sighening, "Ryoma, do you think the Third and Fourth Hokage can't handle the Nine-Tails? Do they really need our support?"

Ryoma nodded slightly, though he remained somewhat puzzled.

Certainly, with the strength of the Third and Fourth Hokage, they should be more than capable of dealing with the Nine-Tails. However, just because they can handle the Nine-Tails doesn't mean Root's ninjas can ignore the crisis unfolding before them.

Danzo sighed quietly at Ryoma's lack of insight.

As his subordinate, Ryoma should have been more perceptive than this. If Orochimaru were present, he would have understood Danzo's intentions, and his 'student' Byakuya would certainly have grasped the underlying meaning.

But Orochimaru was disloyal and had left the village to gather experimental materials, and Byakuya was a schemer who used Danzo's tactics against him.

Despite Ryoma's dullness, his loyalty was undeniable.

After a moment's thought, Danzo continued, "Ryoma, you only see the Nine-Tails causing chaos and conflict after breaking free from the host's seal, but you haven't seen the truth behind it."

"What truth?" Ryoma asked, puzzled.

Danzo looked at Ryoma and said:

"The Nine-Tails' escape from its seal is no simple matter. There must be a ninja behind this, orchestrating the whole conspiracy. Who do you think has the capability to control the Nine-Tails?"

"Could it be… a Uchiha…?" Ryoma hesitated for a moment before answering.

Danzo nodded with a grin.

"That's right. Only the Uchiha's Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails. The reason the Nine-Tails broke free from its host must be that the Uchiha knew the host's delivery time and deliberately chose this moment to manipulate the Nine-Tails into attacking."

Ryoma was somewhat skeptical of Danzo's explanation and muttered to himself, "But Danzo-sama, if the Uchiha really had the ability to control tailed beasts, they should have used them in previous battles against the Iwa and Mist villages to turn the tide and gain the position of Hokage."

The mention of Hokage made Danzo's expression shift. He knew there were logical flaws in his reasoning that couldn't stand up to scrutiny.

However, he trusted the teachings of his mentor, Tobirama.

The Uchiha were inherently evil ninjas, and under the influence of the Sharingan and chakra, their actions were unpredictable. This attack on the Nine-Tails' host was certainly orchestrated by the Uchiha!

With a serious expression, Danzo answered, "Follow my orders. Even if there is only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, we cannot let the Uchiha find an opportunity to attack the village."

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

As his subordinates responded, Danzo's gaze inadvertently drifted toward the location of the Nine-Tails.

He had brought his team to the outskirts of the Uchiha compound not only to guard against the Uchiha but also to preserve his strength, hoping for a future chance to become Hokage.

He remembered a year ago when he had provided Byakuya with two strategies for seizing power:

One was to develop quietly, waiting for all competitors to die off, and then naturally take the position of village leader through experience and influence.

The other was to step up during a village crisis, becoming a hero in the eyes of the people and using absolute prestige and reputation to become the highest leader of the village.

Danzo had always been intent on implementing the second strategy.

Despite having the opportunity to become a hero, Danzo often hesitated, unwilling to risk death to become a figure of glory.

In this regard, Byakuya's harsh words were accurate—Danzo indeed lacked the courage to be a hero.

---

At the Uchiha Clan Compound

As Danzo led Root to block the Uchiha compound, chaos erupted within the Uchiha clan. The moment the Nine-Tails appeared outside the village, they sensed its vast and violent chakra.

Rather than causing them to retreat, the raging chakra of the Nine-Tails ignited their fighting spirit. They were eager to head to the battlefield to reclaim the Uchiha clan's honor.

However, when the Uchiha ninjas assembled and appeared before the Security Building, they found Root ninjas blocking their way. The message from the Hokage was clear: the Uchiha Security Force must remain in the compound and not step outside under any circumstances, or it would be considered treason.

The command caused an immediate and severe reaction among the Uchiha ninjas.

Some of them were ready to defy the order and leave the compound, but they were stopped by Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader.

Wearing his Security Force captain uniform, Fugaku said sternly, "Everyone, stay put. Do not step outside the compound!"

"Captain Fugaku, why?"

"Yes, why are the Anbu preventing us from going out? If we don't support the village now, what will the ninjas and villagers think of us?"

"They'll think we Uchiha are cowards, lacking even the courage to fight."

"Yes, we can accept death, but we cannot allow the Uchiha honor to be tarnished!"

Fugaku scanned the crowd, making eye contact with every Uchiha ninja. His tone was firm and unyielding as he said, "This is the Hokage's order. Do you want to be considered traitors?"

"This is the Nine-Tails attacking the village, and while we haven't made any move against the host, only we Uchiha have the capability to control the Nine-Tails in the entire ninja world! It's only natural for the village to be wary of us."

At this moment, an Uchiha jonin stepped forward and said, "But we really haven't attacked the Nine-Tails. If we had the ability to control it, why would we have waited until now?"

Fugaku glanced at the jonin and replied, "Precisely because we are innocent, we must not leave the compound. Otherwise, we will be unable to clear our names in the aftermath of tonight's chaos. For the honor of the Uchiha, please be patient. The Fourth Hokage, unlike the previous Hokages, does not discriminate against us Uchiha. He has issued many policies favorable to us in recent months. I believe that after tonight ends, the Fourth Hokage will clear our suspicions."