The Hour of the Boar was approaching.

The night at Naka River was deeper than in any other corner of Konoha. The moonlight was fragmented by the cliffs and dense forest, casting only shimmering, cold light upon the turbulent river surface. The murmuring of the water sounded like an eternal lament, telling of the glory and curse of this clan.

Shisui Uchiha stood alone on the edge of the cliff, his back to the stone tablet inscribed with the secrets of the Uchiha clan. He wore a standard Anbu uniform, a short sword resting at his waist, his figure as straight as a pine. The evening breeze ruffled his slightly curly black hair, but it could not disperse the heaviness between his brows.

His heart was filled with struggle. The meeting with the Third Hokage had made him feel the immense pressure from the village's upper echelons. And this "invitation" from Danzo had made him sense an unusual aura. Yet he still came, because he held onto one last glimmer of hope in his heart. Perhaps Danzo, an elder known for his hardline stance, was truly willing to have an open and honest conversation about the future of the Uchiha clan.

He was willing to gamble on this illusory "peace."

A faint sound of footsteps came from the forest behind him. Shisui did not turn around; he had long since sensed the newcomer's Chakra.

"Elder Danzo," he said calmly.

Danzo Shimura stepped slowly out of the darkness, his exposed right eye appearing particularly sinister in the moonlight. He leaned on a wooden staff, his face devoid of any expression, like a walking statue.

"Shisui, you are very punctual," Danzo's voice was hoarse and low.

Shisui turned around and looked him in the eye: "You said you wanted to talk about the future of the Uchiha clan. I have come."

Danzo did not answer immediately, just looking at Shisui calmly with his single eye. In that moment of silence, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Immediately after, several figures emerged from the surrounding shadows. They all wore white masks without patterns, exuding a deathly, tool-like aura. They silently occupied every position, sealing off every path of retreat for Shisui.

It was the elite of Root.

Shisui's heart sank, his hand instinctively pressing onto the hilt of the sword at his waist. The last glimmer of fantasy in his heart was completely shattered by the cold reality at this moment.

This was not a meeting at all, but a long-planned hunt.

"Elder Danzo, what is the meaning of this?" Shisui's voice turned cold.

"It means nothing," the muscles on Danzo's face moved, pulling into an expression that resembled a cold smile, "It is just to ensure that our conversation will not be interrupted by anyone."

He took two steps forward, the wooden staff in his hand making a "clack-clack" sound on the stone ground, each strike hitting Shisui's heart.

"Shisui, you are a genius, and a Ninja who truly loves the village. I appreciate that," Danzo's tone suddenly became like that of a patient mentor, "Precisely because of this, you should understand that the Uchiha clan is already a lesion on the great tree of Konoha. It is constantly absorbing nutrients and spreading a virus called 'hatred.' If it is not excised in time, the entire tree will rot because of it."

"Shut up!" Shisui shouted sternly, "The Uchiha clan are one of the founders of Konoha! The blood we have shed for the village is no less than anyone else's!"

"Shed blood?" Danzo sneered, "During the Nine-Tails Incident, where was your Military Police Force? When the village was plunged into a sea of fire, your arrogant clansmen chose to stand by and watch! Your blood is only shed for yourselves!"

This accusation, which turned black into white, made Shisui tremble with anger. It was meaningless to argue any further. The other party had never come to reason from the very beginning.

"What exactly do you want to do?" There was already killing intent in Shisui's voice.

Danzo finally revealed his true colors. In his single eye, unmasked greed and desire erupted, staring fixedly at Shisui's eyes.

"For the greater good of Konoha, to eradicate this malignant tumor, I need your power," he said in an irrefutable tone, "Shisui, hand over your Mangekyō Sharingan to me."

"Only by using it can I bring out its true value. Only by becoming the 'Root' of Konoha, delving into the darkness, and eliminating all threats, can I bring about absolute order and peace!"

Shisui was completely disappointed. He looked at the old man before him who had been swallowed by the desire for power, and the last shred of respect in his heart vanished. He slowly shook his head, the Three-Tomoe in his eyes beginning to spin rapidly, finally condensing into his unique four-pointed windmill-shaped Mangekyō Sharingan.

"My eyes will only be used to protect my village and my clan," Shisui's voice became incomparably firm, "It seems there is nothing left for us to talk about. Elder Danzo, if you persist in your delusions, then I can only use my own way to change your mind!"

Kotoamatsukami, activate!

He would use this strongest Ninjutsu to forcibly twist Danzo's distorted will!

However, Danzo had long been prepared for this. The cold smile on his face grew even wider, as if mocking Shisui's naivety.

"Do it!"

Following his command, the surrounding Root Ninjas moved instantly!

A Ninja formed hand seals, pointing directly at Shisui. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

It was the secret Ninjutsu of the Yamanaka Clan! An invisible mental shock shot toward Shisui's mind like a sharp arrow.

At the same time, another bloated Ninja suddenly spread his arms, and countless tiny, highly toxic nano-sized poisonous insects, like a purple-black mist, covered the sky and earth, enveloping Shisui. It was the forbidden Ninjutsu of the Aburame Clan!

Not only that, but Kunai, Shuriken, and special Ninja tools with explosive tags attacked from all directions, sealing off all of Shisui's evasion space. Various eerie secret Ninjutsu, such as shadows that bound limbs and cursed seals that eroded Chakra, erupted at the same time.

This was Root's most classic encirclement tactic; it did not emphasize one-on-one combat, but only pursued the most efficient and lethal combination attacks!

"Susanoo!"

Shisui roared, and emerald-green Chakra surged out from within him, instantly condensing around him into a massive ribcage armor made of energy, firmly protecting him within. All physical attacks were deflected by this indestructible energy armor.

But Yamanaka Fuyin's mental attack and the poisonous insects of the Aburame Ninja were not something the ribcage of Susanoo could fully defend against!

The poisonous insects attached themselves to the surface of the Susanoo, crazily gnawing at the Chakra, making a "hissing" sound. And that mental shock pierced through the defense of the Chakra, striking directly at Shisui's spiritual essence.

Shisui groaned, feeling a sharp pain in his brain, and the operation of his Mangekyō Sharingan experienced a momentary stagnation.

Although he was powerful and hailed as "Shisui of the Body Flicker," he was gradually falling into a disadvantage in the face of these Root elites who spared no cost and coordinated perfectly. His Susanoo was still only in its initial form, unable to be maintained for long, and even less capable of perfect defense.

"Capture him!" Danzo shouted sternly.

Yamanaka Fuyin saw this and increased the output of her mental power. Shisui's consciousness began to blur, his body gradually stiffened, and even the energy of the Susanoo began to become unstable.

He was about to be completely controlled by the Mind Transfer Jutsu!

A glimmer of despair and unwillingness flashed in Shisui's eyes. Could it be that the fate of the Uchiha clan would really end here? Could it be that his own eyes, which existed to protect peace, would ultimately fall into the hands of this conspirator?

Just at this critical moment.

Just at the moment when Yamanaka Fuyin's mental power was about to completely occupy Shisui's brain.

An anomaly suddenly occurred!

The space in front of Shisui suddenly distorted without warning. It was not the form of any Ninjutsu, but a more essential, eerie vortex that seemed to swallow even light and time.

That vortex appeared out of thin air and expanded at an astonishing speed.