Itachi's plan revealed!

Danzo stands over Hiruzen's lifeless body, a cold smile stretching across his face.

"No way. He just... killed the Hokage," one of the Anbu agents mutters, trembling with disbelief.

Smugly, Danzo kicks Hiruzen's body for confirmation. "I've finally done it... I've killed the Hokage. Now, it's time for a new era."

He turns to the paralyzed Anbu. "Get rid of the body. I have a village to run."

The agents don't respond, still in shock.

"Incompetents. I'll replace you all with the Foundation."

Just then, a cacophony of caws fills the air. Hiruzen's body dissolves into a flock of crows, and Danzo's eyes widen. "This level of genjutsu, even with my Sharingan active... Itachi Uchiha," he mutters.

Suddenly, his hand, laden with Sharingan eyes, cracks open like glass, blood spilling everywhere. As he frantically looks around, he sees the Anbu agents transform into Itachi clones.

"Itachi Uchiha, do you dare attack a Leaf elder?" Danzo sneers.

Ignoring him, Itachi unsheathes a tanto. "This was Shisui's. He died because of you. Now, feel the pain you've inflicted through my Tsukuyomi."

Itachi stabs the tanto into Danzo's leg, eliciting a gut-wrenching scream. Multiple clones proceed to take their turns, plunging their weapons into Danzo.

'I know this isn't justice, but it's vengeance. Thank you for being a part of my plan, Danzo. Watch from hell as the village moves on and spits on your name.'

The world returns to normal, and Danzo falls, defeated and broken, before the Hokage.

Itachi wipes away a trail of blood from his eyes, turning to face Hiruzen.

"If not for your information about Danzo's whereabouts, he would've had the upper hand," Hiruzen says, gazing down at Danzo, who lies unconscious, a kunai still clutched in his hand.

The Hokage's mind flashes back to the warning Itachi had given him earlier, thankful for the preemptive strike that prevented a deadly confrontation.

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Moments earlier, Hiruzen sat in his chair, waiting for an update from Itachi. The masked ANBU operative appears in the room.

"I have located Danzo," Itachi states, awaiting Hiruzen's nod before continuing. "It's not Arashi he's after. I believe this is all a diversion, a tactic to make the village vulnerable from within."

"And what do you think he's planning to do?" Hiruzen inquires, genuinely curious.

"I suspect he's planning to attack you, Lord Third," Itachi says. 

Hiruzen's eyes widen. "Danzo may be many things. Ambitious, obsessive, controlling, but he's not a fool. He's already failed to kill me once."

Itachi nods. "True, but that was a different Danzo. He was more calculated then. It's rumored that he's mentally unstable due to exposure to potent genjutsu. He's desperate."

Hiruzen lights his pipe, taking a moment to absorb the information. "Very well. So, what's our course of action?"

Itachi lays out his plan. "Today, the Uchiha Police Force will be dispersed throughout the village, making Konoha appear vulnerable. Danzo will likely seize this opportunity for a direct assault. I'll shadow you throughout the day. When you confront him, stall him, try to make him confess. When he retaliates, I'll put him under my genjutsu."

Hiruzen smokes his pipe and thinks of Itachi's plan.

'Itachi's ability to develop a plan under such circumstances is truly remarkable.'

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Back on the rooftop, members of the Uchiha Police Force arrive and handcuff Danzo. 

"Hokage-sama, rest assured, Danzo won't see the light of day again," Fugaku vows.

Hiruzen merely nods. "Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan has proven itself today. With Danzo's confession, there's no reason for your clan to be marginalized within the village."

Fugaku's face reflects his astonishment. "Thank you, Lord Third," he says, bowing deeply.

"Proceed to arrest anyone in league with Danzo," Hiruzen instructs. "However, spare the children he recruited into his Foundation. I will deal with them."

"Yes, sir," Fugaku agrees, bowing once more as the Third Hokage walks past him.

Itachi follows Hiruzen to a secluded hideout outside the village. They find two ANBU agents guarding the entrance and step inside. 

Inside, another masked ANBU agent awaits them. Though the mask obscures his face, his distinctive white, spiky hair is a giveaway. 

Lord Third stands before the two ANBU agents, his hands clasped behind his back.

"It's good to see you, Kakashi. The Uchiha situation has been resolved. When word spreads about their cooperation, especially given the history, they will undoubtedly be seen as heroes and gain the village's respect."

"Understood, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replies.

"Itachi, I have a question for you."

"Yes, Lord Third?"

"You employed a powerful genjutsu to neutralize Danzo during his attack on me. Am I correct?"

"Yes, the jutsu is called Tsukuyomi, awakened when Shisui died. Within its realm, I control time, space, and the subject's experience."

"Time and space... That's formidable," Hiruzen muses.

Kakashi looks at Itachi thoughtfully. Something feels off as if there's more to the story.

"We'll reconvene tomorrow. You're both dismissed for now."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," they respond, vanishing in motion blur.

Itachi and Kakashi head to the locker rooms to change out of their gear.

"Most of the shinobi should be returning soon," Itachi comments.

"It's hard to believe everything unfolded as it did," Kakashi replies.

"You're referring to Danzo?"

Kakashi nods. "The last time I saw him, he looked like a walking corpse."

Itachi casts a sidelong glance at Kakashi. "Well, he managed to break free of the genjutsu. Even the Rinnegan has its limitations."

"Or maybe something else is at play," Kakashi says, locking eyes with Itachi.

"Something else?"

"Don't take me for a fool, Itachi. You have them, don't you? Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan."

Itachi pauses, scrutinizing Kakashi's face. 'He knows about Kotoamatsukami. That's all he needs to piece it together.'

He nods. "Shisui entrusted them to me to protect Arashi."

"That much I gathered. But what I want to know is, who did you manipulate? The Hokage or Danzo?"

Itachi frowns. "Your analytical skills are sharper than I gave you credit for. You've deduced this much from a single piece of information. Impressive."

Itachi shuts his locker. "Let's head to Naka River. I'll walk you through every step of my plan."