The impact of Fugaku's move could be seen immediately. It was carefully calculated, targeting both timing and psychology.
His identity alone was enough to stir suspicion within Konoha's higher ranks. As a former Uchiha clan head and now a rogue shinobi, the situation naturally pushed the village leadership toward worst case assumptions.
And just as expected, the reaction came exactly as Danzo would have wanted.
Isolation.
In the original timeline, during the Nine Tails incident, Danzo had acted in the same manner, immediately linking the disaster to the Uchiha and moving to restrict them. Even now, without the Nine Tails present, the logic remained unchanged in his mind.
A rogue Uchiha attacking the village only reinforced his long held suspicion.
The Third Hokage opposed such measures in principle, but Danzo had already given orders before any consensus could be reached. In situations involving the Uchiha, Hiruzen Sarutobi often chose compromise over confrontation.
…
Inside the Uchiha Clan compound, the response was swift.
The moment Fugaku initiated the attack, Hayashi issued immediate assembly orders. The clan had been trained for emergencies long before this night.
Konoha was not a place that allowed carelessness. Since becoming clan head, Hayashi had regularly organized drills under various excuses, ensuring that both shinobi and civilians were familiar with emergency procedures.
Because of that preparation, panic did not spread.
Instead, discipline held.
A young Uchiha shinobi stepped forward.
"Grand Elder, when do we move to assist?"
The clan forces were already assembled, but they had not yet been allowed to leave the compound.
Chunin level and above were meant to deploy immediately, while civilians were to be protected and kept back. That was the standing order.
However, the exit was currently blocked.
Root shinobi stood stationed at the gates.
The instruction was clear. No Uchiha were to join the battle.
An order attributed to the Third Hokage.
At that moment, a shadow flickered into the gathered crowd.
One of Hayashi's shadow clones appeared, scanning the assembled elders and shinobi.
"What is the situation?" the clone asked sharply. "Didn't I order a quarter of our forces to evacuate civilians and the rest to reinforce the battlefield?"
Tonight was not only a crisis, it was also a test of perception.
If the Uchiha failed to act, public opinion would turn against them. If they acted too late, suspicion would still linger.
Silence meant guilt in the eyes of the village.
The Third Elder gestured subtly toward the gate.
"It is the Root. They are blocking all movement."
The clone's eyes narrowed slightly.
So Danzo had already intervened.
At the entrance, masked Root shinobi stood like statues.
Without hesitation, Hayashi's clone spoke again.
"Ignore them. Follow the original order."
He turned and walked toward the gate.
Behind him, the clan followed immediately.
At the entrance, a Root shinobi wearing a dog mask stepped forward.
"Stop. This is Lord Danzo's order."
The next instant, his body was sent flying, crashing violently outside the compound.
No one saw the exact moment of movement clearly.
Hayashi was already standing where the Root shinobi had been.
His voice was cold.
"Danzo cannot restrict me."
His Mangekyo Sharingan activated instantly, the pressure in the air shifting sharply.
"If you want to stop me, come forward. I will not hold back."
Killing intent spread outward, heavy enough to make the air feel suffocating.
The remaining Root shinobi drew kunai in unison, but none advanced.
They had all seen what just happened.
One strike without hesitation.
A man like Hayashi, whose reputation had been forged across two great ninja wars, was not someone they could casually engage.
Another Root member, broader in build than the rest, stepped forward carefully.
"Hayashi-sama, please do not make this difficult…"
He did not finish the sentence.
A kunai pierced his throat mid speech.
Silence fell instantly.
The remaining Root shinobi retreated without further hesitation, withdrawing from the compound entirely.
Hayashi casually flicked a kunai toward Mikoto.
"Take this. Anyone who blocks your path, eliminate them and label them as Hidden Mist spies. Especially Root. Do not show restraint."
Mikoto nodded slightly.
Without waiting, Hayashi vanished from the spot.
…
The report of the incident reached Danzo shortly after.
He did not react immediately.
Instead, he stood in silence.
This level of direct elimination was unexpected, even for him.
It was the first time Hayashi had responded with such absolute force.
In the past, he had always appeared controlled, even approachable.
Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly.
So even the so called calm shinobi had a limit.
He turned away.
"Return to Root," he ordered coldly. "It is safer there."
…
Elsewhere in the village, the situation was even more tightly controlled.
Foreign shinobi lodgings were heavily guarded.
This was no coincidence. Fugaku had chosen this timing precisely because Konoha's defenses were stretched thin by the Chunin Exams, with multiple village delegations present.
Any large scale unrest here could drag the entire system into chaos.
Which was exactly the point.
However, not all villages reacted the same way.
Rasa of Sunagakure immediately ordered his forces to remain still.
There was no benefit in interfering. At this stage, Sunagakure could barely maintain its own stability, let alone gain anything from joining the conflict.
Watching was the safest option.
As for the Hidden Mist delegation…
They had already moved.
Or rather, something wearing their identity had moved.
The figure publicly known as the Fourth Mizukage Yagura was not the real one. It was a White Zetsu impersonation, acting under hidden arrangements.
Once the chaos escalated, that identity would be discarded regardless.
So it was being used fully.
The so called Mizukage gave the order to advance.
The Hidden Mist shinobi hesitated.
They had not received any such directive beforehand.
But the order had come from their leader.
Refusal was not an option.
Thus, the so called "Konoha Crush Plan" began to take shape under false pretenses.
However, its success was never guaranteed.
Because Konoha had already anticipated external threats.
At the village perimeter, a figure stood waiting in silence.
The Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze.