Chapter 49: On the Eve of the Uchiha Massacre

Izumi Uchiha’s thoughts were relatively simple.

In her eyes, given how things were developing, either the Uchiha would launch a coup first, or Konoha’s higher-ups would receive Uchiha Itachi’s report and choose to strike first.

Regardless of which outcome occurred, all she needed to do was rescue her mother amid the chaos.

Her mother wasn’t a shinobi or a combatant, so there wouldn’t be many people paying attention to her.

However, once she rescued her mother, Izumi herself probably wouldn’t be able to remain in Konoha.

Thinking of this, Izumi looked toward Naruto, reluctant to leave him.

Naruto’s eyes flickered...

Given the current situation, there was a very high probability that Uchiha Itachi would make his move.

Rescuing Izumi’s mother would be easy.

He could simply set the Uchiha compound ablaze.

Naturally, no one would notice if one "corpse" was missing.

However, if he wanted to use this opportunity to make Izumi awaken her Sharingan, he would need to make some arrangements.

While Izumi was consumed by reluctance and anxiety over what she might lose, she had no idea that Naruto had already set his sights on her.

...

The calls for an Uchiha coup didn’t disappear simply because Uchiha Shisui had "disappeared."

Instead, they grew even louder.

On the night Shisui "disappeared," Fugaku gave an explanation for Itachi’s whereabouts.

The Uchiha clan members appeared to accept it on the surface, but deep down, none of them believed it.

Of course a father would cover for his son.

The clan members believed that Uchiha Itachi had betrayed the Uchiha clan.

He had secretly accepted orders from Konoha’s higher-ups and killed Shisui.

Itachi’s position in the Hokage’s ANBU made him highly suspicious.

Of course, the Uchiha clan members weren’t entirely wrong to suspect Itachi!

He really had betrayed the Uchiha clan.

Every day, he reported the clan’s situation to Konoha’s higher-ups.

He had even personally installed surveillance equipment within the clan compound to monitor his fellow clan members’ every move.

Meanwhile, Danzō’s Root continued secretly investigating Uchiha Shisui’s whereabouts.

They wanted to see him alive or find his corpse.

The Uchiha clan all believed Shisui had been killed by Itachi.

But Danzō didn’t believe that!

A mysterious person had appeared that day.

If Shisui was dead, then the one who killed him had to be that mysterious person.

It couldn’t have been Itachi.

Yet, rumors had appeared within the Uchiha clan claiming that Itachi had killed Shisui!

And Itachi had voluntarily pledged his loyalty to Konoha’s higher-ups.

Danzō, who was naturally suspicious, believed that all of these actions were meant to lull Konoha’s higher-ups into a false sense of security.

Uchiha Shisui wasn’t dead!

He was simply hiding in the shadows!

The rumors within the Uchiha clan and Itachi’s submission to Konoha were all part of a scheme devised by Fugaku and Shisui.

Perhaps even the mysterious person was an ally of the Uchiha clan!

Would Shisui use Kotoamatsukami on Sarutobi Hiruzen?

Would he use it to plot against Danzō’s chance of becoming the Fifth Hokage?

Danzō was filled with a deep sense of crisis.

The Uchiha clan cannot be allowed to remain!

...

Time passed.

One day.

"Uchiha Izumi!"

"Is there something you need?"

Izumi Uchiha, who was carrying a vegetable basket on her way to Konoha’s market, was surrounded by several Uchiha clan members.

One of them raised his chin and looked down at Izumi.

"We need you to contribute to the clan! As long as you hand over information about when the Jinchūriki’s seal is at its weakest, along with the method for releasing it, we’ll give you a chance to return to the clan!"

"..."

Izumi looked at the Uchiha clan members as though they were idiots.

Where did they get that sense of superiority?

And did the Uchiha clan really not know that ANBU were monitoring her?

Surely they were only making this request privately?

Shisui was already dead, yet they still dreamed of controlling a Tailed Beast?

Where did they get that confidence?

"No."

After dropping that one word, Izumi simply walked around the Uchiha clan members and continued on her way.

One of them immediately shouted angrily,

"Uchiha Izumi, think carefully! Your mother is still living in our clan compound!"

Izumi stopped.

Seeing this, several of the clan members smiled.

But their smiles quickly disappeared.

Izumi had merely paused.

She didn’t even turn her head.

She simply continued walking away.

"What do we do? She just left!"

"Who cares what she does? We came here willing to talk to her nicely.

"She doesn’t know how to appreciate it. When the clan elders come, let’s see if she can still act so stubborn. Let’s go."

"Should we report this to the elders?"

"Report what, you idiot? We couldn’t even accomplish the task. What are we supposed to report?"

.....

Hokage’s Office.

"Hokage-sama, Uchiha Izumi requests an audience."

An ANBU knelt before Sarutobi Hiruzen and delivered the report.

Hearing this, Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes slightly and looked toward Hiruzen.

"Uchiha Izumi?"

Hiruzen lifted his gaze from the document in his hands and frowned slightly.

Izumi reported Naruto’s situation to him at a fixed time every month.

But judging from the date, it wasn’t time for her monthly report.

He was slightly puzzled.

Could something have happened to Naruto?

The thought crossed his mind.

No.

He immediately dismissed it.

Naruto should be attending classes at the Ninja Academy right now.

If something had happened to him, Izumi wouldn’t be the one reporting it.

Without thinking further, Hiruzen said,

"Bring her in."

"Yes!"

A short while later.

Izumi pushed open the door.

Seeing Danzō inside, she paused slightly before walking up to Hiruzen and respectfully bowing.

"Hokage-sama!"

She then turned and respectfully bowed.

"Lord Danzō."

Both men nodded slightly.

Hiruzen asked,

"Izumi, is something wrong?"

"Hokage-sama, some members of the Uchiha clan approached me just now..."

Izumi had barely begun speaking when both Hiruzen and Danzō immediately frowned.

Then Izumi subtly glanced at Danzō, as though asking whether she should continue speaking in his presence.

Hiruzen waved his hand.

"Go ahead. Advisor Danzō has no problem with it."

Danzō didn’t pay much attention to Izumi’s hesitation.

Whether it was an ANBU member or an ordinary Konoha shinobi reporting to Hiruzen, they usually behaved like this whenever he was present.

Danzō was used to it.

Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t annoyed.

If anything, it further strengthened his determination to become Hokage!

"The Uchiha clan members demanded that I..."

Izumi hesitated for a moment.

Then, as though she had finally made up her mind, she continued,

"They demanded that I reveal when Naruto’s seal would be at its weakest, and they also demanded that I hand over the method for releasing the seal."

The Uchiha’s actions were simply baffling.

They hadn’t even bothered determining whether ANBU were monitoring Izumi before making their demands.

And their attitude had been far too aggressive.

They had directly threatened her with her mother.

Afterward, whether it was ANBU or Uchiha Itachi, someone would report the incident to the Hokage anyway.

There was no way Izumi could hide it even if she wanted to.

Hiruzen and Danzō exchanged a glance before Hiruzen spoke.

"Shisui has disappeared. Does the Uchiha clan still have a way to control the Tailed Beast?"

Hiruzen had personally inspected the seal every month, and there hadn’t been any sign of weakness over the past several years.

Even Hiruzen himself didn’t know how to release it.

Therefore, they weren’t particularly concerned about the Uchiha clan’s demands toward Izumi.

Instead, they had identified the real issue hidden within them.

"I don’t know."

Izumi shook her head.

Then she spoke with an expression of indignation and concern.

"But... but they threatened me with my mother."

Hearing this, Hiruzen and Danzō exchanged another glance before nodding.

"Alright. I understand. You can leave for now."

Izumi looked worried.

"But..."

Hiruzen waved his hand.

"Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to your mother."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Only then did Izumi put on an expression of relief before leaving the Hokage’s Office.

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