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"You… you killed a Root ninja!?"
The words hit like a thunderclap. Fugaku spun around, eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Ken.
Root ninjas were no joke—they were all at least chunin-level, and many were jonin. And now this six-year-old kid, fresh out of the academy, had somehow done the impossible?
What kind of freak was this?
Even Kakashi wouldn't be this terrifying.
It was pure horror.
Fugaku drew a deep breath, forcing down the storm of shock and disbelief inside him. His voice was heavy as he spoke.
"Ken… don't lie. I need to know the truth. If I misjudge your strength, it could affect how I train you in the future."
Still, he wasn't completely convinced.
Because if the truth got out… it would be terrifying.
Ken's dark eyes met Fugaku's without flinching. "I'm not lying."
Then he explained exactly how he had taken down the Root ninja.
Every move in his attack had been deliberate—methodical, flawless, one wave of offense leading into the next. In the end, he had killed the Root ninja.
Wood Release was his ultimate trump card.
But he didn't reveal that part. Not yet.
He also pointed out how careless the Root ninja had been, which had made his victory possible.
When Fugaku heard all this, the shock inside him crashed like a tidal wave. But beneath that, he couldn't help but marvel at Ken's battle instinct.
After a long pause, Fugaku finally spoke.
"For your own safety, I'll cover this up. When word goes out, people will think it was me who did it."
He'd thought it through carefully.
Relations between the village and the Uchiha were tense. If word got out about Ken's talent, it could put him in deadly danger.
Once Ken reached jonin level, those concerns would vanish.
Ken nodded once, eyes full of gratitude.
A faint aura of lethal intent surrounded Fugaku as he spoke slowly.
"Today's events… Konoha will answer for them."
The Root had gone too far. Fugaku intended to make Danzo answer for it.
At the same time, he mulled over a bigger question: why had the Root kidnapped Ken and Itachi?
Sure, there was tension between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership—but it wasn't a war. They wouldn't just abduct two kids.
And Itachi—being the clan leader's son—kidnapping him was basically declaring war on the Uchiha.
Konoha's power may be greater, but trying to chew through the Uchiha would cost them dearly.
Even though the Third Great Ninja War was over and the five great villages were mostly at peace, undercurrents still ran deep, with small schemes bubbling everywhere.
Choosing to clash with the Uchiha now? That would be sheer stupidity.
Could it have something to do with the recent land auctions? Fugaku shook his head.
No. That didn't make sense. Those projects were still in their infancy—they weren't making money yet. The major families were just waiting to see the Uchiha stumble. No one would act recklessly now.
Ken, following closely behind Fugaku, furrowed his brow.
There was only one plausible explanation: Orochimaru wanted to study the Sharingan.
After all, he was Danzo's subordinate and could order the Root directly—or indirectly.
Seems our Orochimaru-sama really never gives anyone peace of mind…
Itachi's Side
There were two groups converging.
One was the Uchiha, led by Hachidai.
Members of the Uchiha Police carried specialized signal flares. When the flares went off, anyone nearby had to respond immediately.
Hachidai and his team, upon receiving Fugaku's message, rushed over.
They found not only Itachi but also a dazed Root ninja.
Itachi explained what had happened.
As he spoke, the expressions of the Uchiha grew dark.
How infuriating!
The other side consisted of four or five Root ninjas.
They had seen the flares too and, assuming something serious had occurred, had come running as well.
"You attacked a Uchiha child. We're taking him into custody," Hachidai said, pointing at Shin.
Not only had the Root injured Itachi, but they had chased after Ken as well. Such cowardly abuse of power stirred Hachidai's blood with anger.
And Ken wasn't just any kid—he was a recognized Uchiha prodigy. Losing him would be a devastating blow to the clan.
Every Uchiha present glared at the Root ninja like tigers sizing up prey.
The Root team leader, a jonin, frowned beneath his mask.
All Root ninja actions were Danzo's orders, so they didn't know what the kids had been sent to do. Still, seeing a teammate fall to Ken stirred silent fury in their hearts.
They were proud, elite Root operatives. When had they ever been humiliated by the Uchiha?
The jonin addressed Hachidai. "Captain Hachidai, whatever's going on, let us first release our teammate from the Ken. Once that's done, we'll clarify the situation."
"All will be resolved when Captain Fugaku returns."
Within the clan, Fugaku was addressed as "Captain." To outsiders, he was just the village police captain.
Before leaving, Fugaku instructed Hachidai not to let anyone near the Root operative, especially not the Root itself.
Hachidai obeyed strictly.
"Captain Hachidai, the Root answers directly to Danzo. Don't provoke them, or you'll burn yourself," the Root jonin warned, his eyes growing dark.
A fight could break out at any moment.
Itachi suddenly stepped forward, confronting the Root ninja. His voice rang with anger.
"You are supposed to protect the village. The Will of Fire burns in Konoha endlessly. Isn't it your duty to protect us?"
"Why… why did you attack two kids?"
"Is being born an Uchiha a crime?"
Itachi's voice cracked with emotion.
He already considered Ken a true friend. Seeing him hunted and in mortal danger tore at his heart.
In questioning the Root, he was also questioning himself.
Was the Will of Fire truly fair? Truly just?
The Root's actions had utterly betrayed it. The Will of Fire seemed like a cruel joke.
His words cast a shadow over the Uchiha present.
The Uchiha were one of Konoha's two founding clans. Even the village's name had come from Uchiha Madara, the first clan head. Yet after all these years, the Uchiha had never been respected. Their resentment ran deep.
But Itachi's words had no effect on the Root. They stood above everyone, evaluating them coldly.
"We in the Root are loyal to Konoha. We work in the shadows, sacrificing ourselves for the village. We are the true enforcers of the Will of Fire. Today's incident is an accident. Hand over Shin to us, avoid escalation—it's best for both Root and Uchiha."
"Never!" Hachidai crossed his arms, eyes cold, refusing to yield.
The air was taut with tension, every second ready to erupt.
"Stop!"
Just as the clash seemed inevitable, Fugaku and Ken finally arrived.
"....."