Just as Uchiha Byakuya was gaining the upper hand against Danzo, a group of Konoha shinobi arrived, having responded to the emergency signal flare.
They halted upon seeing the chaotic scene—masked Root members engaged in battle, Danzo bloodied and on the retreat, and Uchiha shinobi holding the field with organized precision.
"What's going on!?"
"Is that... Shimura Danzo?"
"Why is the Uchiha clan fighting with ANBU?"
"Wait... those aren't regular ANBU. Their movements are... off."
"Are those Root members? I thought Root was disbanded after the Third Great War..."
Confusion swept through the ranks of the Konoha ninjas. Most were unaware of Root's continued existence, as Danzo operated in secret, and the members were trained to conceal their identities.
"I am Shimura Danzo, elder of Konoha!" Danzo barked, his voice laced with desperation. "The Uchiha clan has rebelled—subdue them at once!"
Still holding his blade, Byakuya scoffed coldly. "You accuse the Uchiha of rebellion while leading an illegal force to attack the village's police force? You're the traitor here, Danzo."
Tension crackled in the air as the Konoha shinobi hesitated. The Uchiha clan was officially in charge of Konoha's Military Police Force. Danzo, despite being a senior advisor, had no direct authority over village military actions, especially not covert attacks against another clan.
Before the confusion could be resolved, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, arrived with several ANBU.
"What is going on here!?" Hiruzen demanded, eyes widening as he took in the sight—Danzo wounded, Uchiha warriors on edge, and several masked Root members lying unconscious or worse.
He had ordered Danzo to investigate suspicious movements, not to engage the Uchiha.
"Everyone stand down! This is an order from the Hokage!"
The Uchiha halted instantly, trained to obey chain of command. However, Byakuya did not. Rage burned in his eyes as he leapt forward. In a flash, his sword slashed downward—
Shnk!
"Ahhh—!"
Danzo's right arm was severed, blood spraying as he collapsed at Hiruzen's feet. Byakuya followed it with a brutal kick, sending Danzo sliding in the dirt.
"You dare! Uchiha Byakuya, are you out of your mind!?" Hiruzen roared. "That is an elder of the village!"
[Ding—You've triggered Sarutobi Hiruzen's wrath. +500 negative energy acquired. Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet unlocked.]
Around them, ANBU operatives closed in, weapons drawn and chakra flaring.
But Byakuya stood his ground, blood still dripping from his blade.
"Hokage, I should be asking you that… Why are you protecting a man who attempted a coup against the village's police force? Who uses children as experimental weapons? That's not the Will of Fire—that's the rot beneath it."
Hiruzen's face twisted in frustration. Danzo's Root was supposed to be dissolved. But clearly, he had never truly let go of power.
"Danzo is no traitor!" Hiruzen snapped. "He has acted—"
"In secret. Without your sanction. Against the Uchiha. That makes him a traitor!" Byakuya interrupted.
Danzo, clutching his bleeding stump, glared through gritted teeth. "You—Uchiha scum... you've always been a threat to the village…"
Before the Hokage could retort, two other elders, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, arrived with their own ANBU escort.
"Uchiha Byakuya, you've gone too far!" Homura snapped. "As elders of Konoha, we command you to stand down!"
"What's the Guard Squad?" Koharu sneered. "A group of hotheaded thugs who defy even the Hokage?"
But Byakuya simply chuckled darkly.
"You want to know what we are?" he said, raising his sword. "We are the blade the Hokage is too afraid to wield. We arrest the ones the council won't touch. We execute the traitors no one else dares name."
The crowd fell into stunned silence.
"In short, the matters concerning the village's security fall under the jurisdiction of the Uchiha Police Force. Even if it's under the Hokage's directive, if it threatens the safety of Konoha or contradicts the Will of Fire… we will act."
"With the Will of Fire, we protect this village."
"Anyone who endangers Konoha—will face judgment."
"Even the Hokage is not above accountability. If he strays from the Will of Fire… the Uchiha will not sit idly by."
"This… is the Uchiha Police Force."
Uchiha Byakuya's voice echoed over the silent square, brazen and absolute.
Arrogant. Defiant. Uncompromising.
He hadn't just challenged the system—he had directly called out its highest authority.
The crowd of Konoha shinobi froze in shock.
Among the Uchiha, however, Byakuya's words stirred fervent excitement. The blood of the clan burned with pride.
"Look at Lord Byakuya… That's the voice of a true leader!"
"Only someone like him can lift the Uchiha from this shadow!"
But among the Konoha leadership, faces had turned grim.
Sarutobi Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, the usually warm expression gone. Danzo Shimura scowled, a flash of killing intent in his eye. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances filled with unease and indignation.
[Ding. Detected anger from Sarutobi Hiruzen: +700 Negative Energy. Taijutsu +30.]
[Ding. Detected anger from Shimura Danzo: +800 Negative Energy. Genjutsu +32.]
[Ding. Detected anger from Utatane Koharu: +900 Negative Energy. Ninjutsu +35.]
[Ding. Detected anger from Mitokado Homura: +1000 Negative Energy. Chakra +40.]
"Hokage-sama," Byakuya said with a mocking smile. "Are you satisfied with my answer?"
Sarutobi's jaw tightened. Danzo's hands twitched toward his cloak, itching to respond with violence. But neither moved.
They couldn't.
Byakuya was too strong. More importantly, he wasn't alone. The assembled Uchiha stood united behind him, their eyes sharp, their intent clear.
A rash move now could spark civil war—and everyone in power knew it.
And Byakuya knew they knew it.
That's why he could say such things with impunity.
He wasn't just defiant. He was calculating.
This—this was a public blow to the Hokage's authority.
And it was working.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen, ever the seasoned politician, kept his composure.
"…Uchiha Byakuya. Your conviction is admirable," he said slowly. "With such dedication from the police force, I am reassured about Konoha's internal security."
"However—Danzo Shimura is a village elder. If he has made mistakes, ANBU will investigate and deliver judgment. That responsibility lies with me."
His eyes met Byakuya's without flinching.
"So—I ask the Uchiha to hand him over. Let ANBU take custody."
Byakuya narrowed his eyes.
"The Hokage himself intends to pass judgment on this traitor? Fine."
"But," he added coldly, "the Uchiha compound has suffered damage from this unauthorized assault. People have died. Property destroyed. Will the village compensate us?"
Sarutobi said nothing at first. The silence was heavy with meaning.