Naruto: I am Uchiha Fugaku

The conversation lasted for over half an hour before the three elders finally left.

Uchiha Fugaku made his way to the hidden chamber beneath his study. He took out a sealing scroll and retrieved the corpse of a member of the Yamanaka clan.

"Corpse Refinement—"

The Yamanaka clan corpse was placed into the corpse refinement space. From it, a biological tissue resembling cells—but not quite—began to form. It bore the characteristics of bloodline inheritance.

The tissue flowed toward the brain, reacting with his brain tissue.

A burning sensation arose instantly.

Fugaku's forehead grew hot, and sweat trickled down—it was as if he had developed a high fever.

The fever lasted only briefly and gradually faded once the biological tissue stopped forming.

Fugaku then checked the changes in himself.

"My perception range has expanded!"

There were hundreds of people in the Uchiha clan, each household with its own residence, meaning the clan occupied a vast area.

Previously, Fugaku could only sense most of the Uchiha compound. Now, if he wished, he could encompass the entire clan within his perception.

"My chakra sensing has also become more acute!"

The sensory abilities inherited from the Yamanaka clan worked by detecting chakra fluctuations. But this ability had limits—when chakra fluctuations were too faint, they couldn't be sensed.

Now, however, that threshold had increased—he could detect even the slightest of chakra fluctuations, making his sensory perception far sharper.

The refinement of this Yamanaka clan corpse once again proved that bloodline strength could be enhanced through repeated refinement.

"Those six Uchiha corpses…"

Resting his chin on one hand, Fugaku thought of the six fallen Uchiha clan members.

Now that he knew bloodline strength could be increased through repeated refinement, naturally, those six corpses shouldn't go to waste.

Although it would be desecrating the remains of his clansmen, in a way, it was all for the sake of the Uchiha.

After all, his rise in strength meant a rise in the clan's strength. Only by growing stronger himself could he better protect the Uchiha.

Those six, whose souls had already departed to the Pure Land, would surely understand.

"After the burial, I'll secretly retrieve the six bodies."

"I wonder… if refining the bodies of six Uchiha will be enough to evolve my Mangekyō Sharingan into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Fugaku was filled with anticipation—hoping that through refining the six corpses, his eyes would undergo the final evolution.

"But even if not… there's still Uchiha Shisui."

A cold smile crept onto his face.

As someone who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, Shisui's bloodline was bound to be extremely pure. Just his body alone might be worth several—perhaps even ten—ordinary Uchiha corpses.

After refining the six Uchiha bodies, if he could then refine Shisui's as well, Fugaku did not believe he'd fail to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office

At his desk, the Third Hokage sat smoking his pipe, a heavy expression on his face.

"Hokage-sama!"

Uchiha Shisui, wearing a mask, knelt on one knee.

The Third Hokage's face was unusually stern today, prompting Shisui to silently wonder what had happened.

"…Mm."

The Hokage gave a slight nod, his face still solemn.

After a moment's pause, he finally spoke.

"Advisor Danzō has gone missing."

"What?!"

Beneath his mask, Shisui's face was full of shock. He hurriedly raised his head to look at the Third Hokage.

For one of the three Konoha Advisors to go missing—this was an extremely serious matter.

"To be precise, he disappeared a day ago."

"Given the gravity of the matter, I've blocked the information, which is why it hasn't spread in the village yet."

The Third Hokage took a drag of his pipe, sighed, and continued:

"But it's only a matter of time before word gets out. When it does, unrest will follow."

"Hokage-sama, how could Advisor Danzō suddenly disappear?"

Shisui, fully aware of the chaos such news would cause if it got out, asked in surprise.

"A few days ago, he left the village in secret. Then, just one day ago, the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal he placed on Root operatives was suddenly lifted."

At this, the Third Hokage paused briefly before continuing:

"Advisors Homura and Koharu, along with myself, suspect that he may have been killed."

"Killed…?"

Beneath his mask, Shisui's expression grew grim.

Though he never liked Danzō, the man was still one of Konoha's three Advisors.

If such a high-ranking figure had truly been assassinated, the ripple effects could be massive.

A major disturbance in the village seemed almost inevitable.

After some contemplation, Shisui asked:

"Hokage-sama, where was the last place Advisor Danzō was seen?"

"The Land of Fields (Tanokuni)."

The Third Hokage's voice was deep and heavy.

"What?!"

Shisui's expression shifted dramatically beneath his mask.

A few days ago, a squad of Uchiha shinobi had been ambushed and wiped out. In response, Uchiha Fugaku himself had led a team to the Land of Fields. Shisui was well aware of this.

Now, Danzō had disappeared in that same region, around the same time.

His instincts screamed that the two events were connected.

"Hokage-sama… are you suspecting the Uchiha clan is behind Advisor Danzō's disappearance?"

"It's not a matter of trust or mistrust—the situation is simply too suspicious."

The Third Hokage nodded and, eyes flashing, said gravely:

"According to the Anbu's investigation, the Uchiha squad sent to the Land of Fields didn't just include the thirteen publicly acknowledged members."

"Additional elite Uchiha operatives left the village in secret and also headed to the Land of Fields."

"More than just the thirteen known members? Hidden elites also went?"

Shisui's eyes widened.

Why would the Uchiha send additional members secretly?

Given the bad blood between the Uchiha and Danzō, he had already formed a strong suspicion.

Most likely, they had learned Danzō would be in the Land of Fields… and moved to assassinate him.

An intense anger surged within him.

His clan had attacked a fellow villager—someone within Konoha.

Even if Danzō had many flaws, he was still an Advisor to the village. How could they dare strike him down?

Didn't the clan realize such an act would weaken Konoha as a whole?

Or worse—did they know and proceed anyway for their own gain?

"Advisor Danzō's disappearance is a grave matter that could shake the village. We must fully investigate and provide both the village and the Shimura clan with an answer."

"I summoned Clan Head Fugaku to question him—but he flatly denied everything."

At this point, the Third Hokage turned to look directly at Shisui, his eyes filled with expectation.

"I hope you can investigate this matter—confirm whether or not the Uchiha clan is responsible."

He paused, then softened his tone:

"Of course, this involves your clan. It may put you in a difficult position. If you're unwilling, I won't force you."

"Hokage-sama—before I am a member of the Uchiha, I am a shinobi of Konoha. I accept this mission!"

Meeting the Hokage's gaze, Shisui lifted his head. His voice was firm, resolute.

"Good… Very good. I knew I wasn't wrong about you."

The Third Hokage nodded in deep satisfaction, a gentle smile finally appearing on his face.