Chapter 108: Father, You're Too Powerful

Sarutobi Hiruzen had just laid down to sleep when a knock echoed through his room. Confused, he wondered who would dare disturb him at this late hour. Unless it was something particularly urgent.

He quickly got dressed and went to the hall, opening the door to see a member of the ANBU, Tenzo.

"What is it?" Sarutobi asked, glancing at him. "Did you find the ninja who ambushed you earlier?"

"No," Tenzo replied calmly. "Just now, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi led an elite squad to attack Root."

"What did you say?!" Sarutobi's heart raced as shock spread across his face. The Uchiha clan had finally rebelled.? But why attack Root?

Could it be because they uncovered the truth behind Uchiha Shisui's death? But what about Itachi? Hadn't he shown unwavering loyalty to the Will of Fire? Was that just a lie?

Sarutobi furrowed his brow, his mind racing with questions. A few seconds later, he calmed himself. Over his long life, he had experienced far too many crises—the Shinobi World Wars, the Nine-Tails attack.

Compared to those, an Uchiha coup wasn't too surprising. In fact, he had long anticipated this possibility. The revolt was both unexpected and, at the same time, inevitable.

"What's the situation now?" Sarutobi asked, returning to his room and donning his ninja gear. He was already mentally preparing for battle.

"The fighting at Root is still ongoing," Tenzo replied, following closely behind him. "The ANBU have sent reinforcements, but they cannot get close."

"Why can't they get close?" Sarutobi asked, puzzled. "Does the Uchiha squad have that many members?"

"There are only eleven," Tenzo responded, "but all of them are jonin."

"Eleven jonin are enough to keep you from getting close?" Sarutobi began to question the competence of Root and the ANBU. Sure, the Uchiha clan was known for being exceptional in one-on-one combat, but this wasn't a one-on-one situation.

"It's Uchiha Fugaku," Tenzo explained. "He's holding all of us off by himself."

"That's impossible!" Sarutobi immediately rejected the idea. Since when was Uchiha Fugaku capable of something so outrageous?

Wait... Sarutobi's expression stiffened as a thought occurred to him. "Are his eyes still the three-tomoe Sharingan?"

"They're not the three-tomoe. The pattern looks like flower petals with dots and lines inside," Tenzo recalled.

"A Mangekyō!" Sarutobi's voice carried a complicated mix of emotions. "What a bunch of sneaky father and son!"

Tenzo didn't know what the Mangekyō Sharingan was, so he remained silent.

"Any movement from the rest of the Uchiha clan?" Sarutobi asked, realizing something was still amiss. Why were only Fugaku and these eleven shinobi involved?

"No movement," Tenzo replied, shaking his head.

"What do you mean no movement?" Sarutobi asked, more confused.

"They're sleeping," Tenzo paused. "It seems they don't know about the coup happening tonight."

"...What?" Sarutobi was now utterly baffled.

What kind of strategy was this? Did the Uchiha really believe they could overthrow Konoha with just eleven people? Did Fugaku possess some new, incredibly powerful ability with his Mangekyō Sharingan?

"Notify all available jonin in the village," Sarutobi ordered grimly. "We need every possible hand."

"Yes." Tenzo formed a hand seal, creating a Wood Clone that sped off into the night.

...

A few moments later, Sarutobi halted as they arrived at Root's headquarters.

"Lord Hokage," the surrounding shinobi greeted him. In addition to the ANBU, several other ninja had gathered outside. But none dared step inside.

On the other side, standing alone, was Uchiha Fugaku.

What an overwhelming presence, Sarutobi thought, a chill running down his spine.

Fugaku's eyes matched Tenzo's description—the Mangekyō Sharingan. His entire being exuded a chilling, oppressive aura that filled those nearby with a sense of dread.

Behind Fugaku, Konoha's ninjas lay strewn across the ground, unconscious. Two ANBU members stood rigid, under the control of his Mangekyō.

Sarutobi was momentarily disoriented. His previous image of Fugaku was one of a calm and composed man, but now, standing before him was a warlord.

Had he been hiding this power all along? Sarutobi's heart sank with the realization that Fugaku might've always been holding back.

Steeling himself, Sarutobi then glanced toward the Root headquarters. While things seemed relatively calm outside, inside, chaos reigned.

Various ninjutsu clashed wildly, the energy and force preventing any clear view of what was happening.

"Hiruzen!" Two figures appeared—the village elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

"As we suspected!" Koharu shook her head after a brief glance. "Our teacher was right. The Uchiha are inherently evil."

"Hiruzen," Homura said sternly, "your soft-heartedness is what led us here today."

"Enough!" Sarutobi snapped, his patience thinning.

How dare you raise your voice at us? The thought crossed both Koharu and Homura's minds, but they didn't dare say it aloud.

Despite their influence, Sarutobi's word was still final in times of crisis. Even Danzo had never completely escaped his grasp.

"Old man," Tsunade's voice suddenly interrupted as she stepped forward. Shizune and Shinho followed behind her. "What's your plan now?"

Sarutobi was taken aback, especially seeing that Tsunade was wearing sunglasses, and just like Shinho. The pair looked oddly synchronized, as if they were wearing matching outfits.

Is this how they're dealing with her hemophobia? Sarutobi wondered. No, that wasn't quite right. 

He noticed Tsunade's body trembling slightly. Even without seeing the blood, she was still affected by the fighting.

"Lord Hokage!" In the brief moments of conversation, more jonin arrived on the scene: Hiashi Hyuga, Shikaku Nara, Shibi Aburame, Kakashi Hatake, and Might Guy, among others.

Seeing the reinforcements, Sarutobi finally felt some relief. This was Konoha's true strength, the reason it stood as the number one shinobi village.

"Kakashi," Sarutobi called, signaling the silver-haired jonin forward.

"What about Naruto?" Sarutobi asked, worried about another potential Nine-Tails incident.

"No problems," Kakashi replied.

"You're not needed here. Go guard Naruto," Sarutobi ordered after a moment's thought.

"Yes," Kakashi said before vanishing in a flash.

Sarutobi turned his attention back to Fugaku. His mind raced. Mangekyō Sharingan or not, capturing Fugaku would come at a great cost.

As Hokage, the last thing he wanted was for Konoha's power to be weakened, especially when the other villages would undoubtedly be watching for signs of vulnerability.

"Fugaku," Sarutobi called out in a firm voice. "Stand down. You're surrounded. There's no chance of victory."

Sarutobi wasn't concerned about Danzo. Danzo and Root's forces, shouldn't lose to mere eleven jonin. If anything, it was high time Danzo got a little shaken up.

"Is that so?" Fugaku responded calmly, his expression never changing.

Everything was still going according to Uchiha Fugaku's plan—or more precisely, his backup plan.

The best plan had been to quietly control Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi, completing the coup without much bloodshed.

But that was nearly impossible, especially since Danzo possessed Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, making him immune to most illusions depending on how he used it.

So, the backup plan was for Fugaku to stall for time outside while Itachi fought Danzo. Once Itachi defeated him, he would use Shisui's Kotoamatsukami to control Danzo.

As expected, such a battle would inevitably attract attention, and the Leaf's forces, led by Hiruzen, would soon surround them.

However, that was part of the plan. Itachi would use this time to use Kotoamatsukami on Danzo's mind, ensuring control. From there, they could turn to Hiruzen and complete the coup.

"Does your confidence stem entirely from your eyes?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, his gaze sharp.

"Yes," Fugaku replied emotionlessly.

"No matter how powerful they are, do you think they can stand against the entire Konoha?" Hiruzen urged, trying to appeal to reason. "Fugaku, there's still time to stop this foolishness."

"Stop?" Fugaku suddenly flared with anger. "Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting!"

Hiruzen's expression darkened. Fugaku wasn't giving him any ear—not in front of all these people. He felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

"Lord Hokage," Fugaku continued, his voice cold but noticably calmer, "where were you when Danzo made his move against Shisui?"

The air grew thick with silence. Many of the surrounding shinobi who knew Shisui felt a subtle shift in the mood. Everyone knew Danzo operated in the shadows, often unchecked, but always under the Hokage's authority.

Hiruzen's heart sank. He could feel the atmosphere turning against him. He cursed inwardly, wishing he could drag Danzo out and beat some sense into him. Danzo always managed to mess things up at the worst times.

"I had no knowledge of that incident," Hiruzen said, quickly distancing himself from Danzo's actions. "Had I known, I would've stopped it."

"I'm not a child," Fugaku shook his head in disbelief.

"As Hokage, I admit there were failures in oversight," Hiruzen said decisively. "From this moment, Danzo will no longer be the head of Root."

"Lord Hiruzen!" Homura Mitokado immediately protested, "You must reconsider!"

"This is a serious matter," Koharu Utatane added. "We should convene a council to decide."

The power structure of Konoha rested on a delicate balance: the Hokage, the advisors, and Danzo's Root. If Danzo were removed, it could disrupt everything. Koharu and Homura were also worried they might be next.

"My decision is final," Hiruzen said firmly, waving them off.

"That's it?" Fugaku's cold laugh cut through the air. "You think removing Danzo from his position can make up for Shisui's death?"

Hiruzen was silent. Did Fugaku expect him to execute Danzo? That was impossible.

"I knew it," Fugaku said, deeply disappointed. "You're all the same—just like him."

For a brief moment, Fugaku had hoped Hiruzen might be different. But now, he saw that had been a foolish hope.

"Enough!" Homura shouted, his voice laced with frustration. "What do you know?"

"What do I not know?" Fugaku's blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan flared as he turned toward Homura, who stumbled back, terrified by the intense power in Fugaku's gaze.

Before Fugaku could say more, the battle behind him suddenly ceased.

It was over.

Fugaku no longer needed to stall.

Hiruzen, too, felt uneasy as the dust began to clear. A figure emerged from the smoke.

"It's Danzo!" Koharu's voice was filled with relief.

Hiruzen, too, let out a breath. Indeed, it was Danzo.

He walked slowly, dressed in his gray-white kimono, his right eye wrapped in bandages, and his right hand hidden within his robes, leaning on his cane as usual.

Fugaku suppressed a grin, knowing full well that Danzo had already fallen under Itachi's control.

Everything was falling into place.

Victory was inevitable. This is destiny, Fugaku thought, nearly bursting with the sense pf triumph.

"Danzo," Hiruzen called out, inspecting him, "What's the situation?"

"The Uchiha elite squad has been neutralized by Root," Danzo replied flatly.

"Well done!" Homura exclaimed, showing no restraint in his joy.

"Shut up!" Tsunade suddenly snapped, her anger spilling over. "Those were Konoha shinobi who just died, and you're happy about it?"

"They ceased being Konoha shinobi the moment they chose to rebel," Homura countered, clearly annoyed.

"Sensei," Shinho tugged at Tsunade's sleeve, trying to calm her down. Tsunade had already stepped forward, ready to unleash her fury. If he hadn't intervened, she might've started a fight right there.

"Quiet!" Hiruzen glared at both Koharu and Homura.

Now is not the time to be stirring trouble, he thought. Perhaps I've been too lenient with them.

Hiashi Hyuga shook his head slightly, troubled by what he saw. For the first time, he truly recognized the rot within Konoha's leadership. Would the Hyuga face the same fate as the Uchiha one day?

Shikaku Nara also sensed something was off. This coup wasn't playing out the way he had anticipated.

"Watch for my signal," Shikaku whispered to his teammates.

Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka exchanged glances. They could feel it too—something was about to happen.

Their unspoken communication was a testament to the close bond and trust within the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

"Fugaku," Hiruzen said with genuine regret, "you still have the Uchiha Clan behind you. You can stop this now."

"Stop? Of course not." This time, the voice came not from Fugaku, but from Danzo.

He tossed aside his cane and reached for the bandage covering his right eye.

"Hahahahaha!" Fugaku couldn't contain his laughter any longer. It was over. Danzo's right eye held Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan. Once uncovered, Danzo would control Hiruzen, sealing their victory.

But something was wrong.

As everyone turned to look at Danzo, confusion spread across their faces.

What was happening?

Fugaku's smile faltered as Danzo turned around. Where his right eye should have been was now nothing but a hollow, bloodied socket.

Fugaku stood there frozen, unable to process what he was seeing. Could Itachi have failed?

In that brief moment of shock, Danzo's right arm suddenly bulged, sprouting long, wooden spikes that shot forward, impaling Fugaku.

"You…" Fugaku's voice was filled with disbelief as he looked at Danzo.

Then it dawned on him—a terrifying truth he dared not believe even as he was impaled.

Danzo hadn't broken free of Itachi's control.

The person who had just killed him was his own son.

"I'm sorry," Danzo said softly, though the words belonged to Itachi. "You are too strong, Father."

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