Chapter 106: Shisui, You Are Konoha's Hero

"I don't know if it's finished over there yet. I should have had that guy Yangzhe come guard the Barrier while I went to help."

At the clan grounds' border, Hui led his men hidden in the shadows, looking back toward the clan head's manor, sighing repeatedly.

But Hui also understood the importance of the Barrier; no matter what, they could not let Konoha's people interfere at this moment and turn an as-yet-unhappened Coup into established fact.

As he sighed, word suddenly came from the people guarding the talismans.

"Captain, someone has broken into the formation."

On the other side of the Barrier, the Third Hokage and his three assistants had already arrived at the perimeter, anxiously awaiting the result.

"Where is Orochimaru? Still not here?"

The Third Hokage kept puffing on his pipe, wreathing the surroundings in smoke that even the wild winter wind could not disperse. The three exchanged a glance of distaste and tacitly retreated outward.

Turning over in his sleep, Koharu looked at the Barrier and suggested, "If we can't wait any longer, let's send a few people to sneak in and check the situation first."

The Third Hokage frowned, hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

It had been over half an hour since the Barrier was activated. Though the agreed-upon time had not yet arrived, the Third Hokage felt as though every second lasted a year—consumed with anxiety, desperate to know what was happening inside.

The best outcome, naturally, was for Shisui to successfully replace Fugaku. The next best would be for Shisui to fail, but with both sides erupting into fierce battle, the Uchiha severely fractured and suffering heavy losses, allowing them to go in and pick up the pieces.

The most unacceptable outcome, of course, would be for Shisui to be killed by Fugaku without having done anything at all, and then for the other side to detect their movements and begin mobilizing the clan to strike first in a desperate fight.

Konoha absolutely could not lose the initiative and give the Uchiha this chance!

"I'll take some people to go take a look," Danzo rose and said in a low voice.

"You?"

The three exchanged a glance, shook their heads simultaneously, and refused, "You can't go in."

They were well aware of how much the Uchiha hated Danzo. Once Danzo was discovered, he would either be surrounded and killed or would directly provoke them into an immediate uprising.

Danzo snorted coldly, displeased in his heart. He wasn't stupid—how could he possibly risk himself personally?

"Naturally, I won't go in myself."

With that, he turned and left, recalling the Root members outside the Barrier, then brought several people to a gap in the Barrier and instructed, "Send two in first to scout the situation. Once you confirm it's safe, go in together and head straight for Fugaku's house. If Shisui failed and was killed, come out immediately. If both sides are fighting fiercely, find a way to bring back some eyes."

Danzo gave his instructions in a low voice, his eyes full of greed.

Three-tomoe Copy Wheel Eyes were not easy to obtain under normal circumstances. Tonight was an opportunity.

Several Root members nodded, then two of them stepped forward without hesitation and slipped through the gap in the Barrier.

The moment the two crossed the Barrier and set foot inside Uchiha clan territory, they were spotted by Police Department members who had long been lying in wait at this gap.

He glanced at the yellow talisman stuck to his side and did not act rashly. Though the talisman was yellow, it faintly radiated black-and-white light. He wasn't sure whether people outside the formation could see it, so he could only cover it with his clothing, then silently watched the two from the shadows.

After entering the clan grounds, the two Root members immediately assumed a vigilant stance. After a moment, finding no movement around them, they began scouting outward. Confirming there was no danger, they nodded to each other, and one of them immediately returned to report.

Danzo was overjoyed and immediately ordered the Root members to enter the Uchiha clan grounds. Before departing, he reiterated, "If you're spotted by Uchiha people, withdraw immediately. Also, you must report back promptly!"

His Root had been disbanded several times. The people he had privately cultivated outside the official roster had all been poached by the Third Hokage. Now only these few remained, and he could not afford any further losses.

"Yes, sir!"

The men nodded and entered the clan grounds. The Root member stationed on the other side had already pulled out a map to confirm their bearings. Once everyone was inside, he pointed toward the clan head's manor and led the way. The rest kept silent and followed closely behind.

The Police Department member hidden in the shadows held his breath and watched from afar, only relaxing once they had blundered into the formation.

"Hmm?"

The Root members had entered the formation and walked less than a hundred meters when their bodies all froze, stopping dead in their tracks. A peculiar sensation welled up in their hearts. They immediately looked around vigilantly, but the surroundings were still empty—no enemy in sight.

After a moment's hesitation, the men spread apart and continued advancing toward the center of the clan grounds.

Meanwhile, the eight people guarding the talismans saw a black and a white tomoe suddenly appear in the sky above the clan grounds. The black-and-white tomoe flashed and vanished. The other seven immediately understood the formation had been activated—someone had entered the array. The one nearest to Hui immediately sent word.

As for the Police Department member who had been watching the Root members from the shadows the entire time, he was thoroughly astonished. After the black-and-white tomoe flashed, he saw the men's bodies freeze, then assume a defensive posture. After staying on guard for a while, they began marching in place, unable to advance another inch.

"Is this... a genjutsu?"

On the other side, Hui received the message and frowned, a surge of killing intent rising in his heart. But in the next moment he suppressed it—they could not make a move against Konoha's people at this juncture.

After a moment's thought, he looked at the others and said, "Old man, I'll take a few people to go take a look. You and those two stay here and stand guard."

Beside Hui, Uchiha Kazumasa was staying at his side. Hearing this, he shook his head and said, "I'll go. You still need to stay here to receive Shisui."

"All right then. Dad, once you get there, don't rush to act. If they're trapped in the formation, leave them be. If they manage to escape by luck, capture them, but whatever you do, don't take their lives."

Hui gave careful instructions, only to receive a glare from Kazumasa. "Your old man knows better than you!"

With that, Kazumasa took several men and headed toward the direction where the formation had been triggered.

Watching Kazumasa's retreating back, Hui twitched his lips but didn't dare shout out loud.

In any case, as long as Konoha didn't launch a full-scale assault, Hui wasn't worried about a few squads' probing attempts. He had great confidence in this Eight-Trigram Yin-Yang Cage formation. Though the name was a bit ugly, it was, after all, Sima Yi's painstaking creation.

This formation encompassed multiple functions—trapping enemies, confusing them, suppression, isolation, killing, and sensing. It was Sima Yi's full application of everything he had learned of sealing arts, his greatest masterpiece. Judging by its effects, its power was considerable.

Thus, another period of time passed.

It seemed that because the people Konoha had sent in never reported back, the commotion outside grew louder and louder. Scouts came wave after wave. After three consecutive waves of scouts were lost in the Eight-Trigram Cage, the outside finally ceased its probing. Hui knew the other side had completely exhausted their patience. He frowned, gradually growing restless.

Just then, a figure came running from the center of the clan grounds, braving the wind and snow.

He leapt across the rooftops, drawing nearer from afar, and within a few breaths arrived at the clan grounds' edge.

"Shisui, you're finally here. How did it go? Did you succeed?"

Hui immediately stepped out of the shadows, revealed himself, and came before Shisui, asking anxiously.

"Don't worry, it's already over. I'll go report to the Third Hokage first. You close the Barrier immediately, then go home and tell Grandfather and Itachi the result."

Shisui smiled faintly and gave his instructions softly.

His voice seemed to carry a peculiar power, instantly easing Hui's taut nerves.

Hui nodded at once and replied, "That's good. Go ahead. I'll go find Uncle Yi right away."

With that said, he suddenly remembered something and quickly grabbed Shisui, who was about to leave, saying, "Uncle Yi's formation has trapped a few of Konoha's squads. Should we release them immediately?"

Shisui's smile gradually froze. His eyes shifted slightly, and after a moment's thought he said, "Release them, but don't let them know it was the power of a formation or a Barrier. Say it was the result of clan members ambushing them with the Copy Wheel Eye. When the time comes, pick a few people and send them to the Police Department."

Hui suddenly understood. He looked at Shisui with surprise in his eyes and nodded repeatedly, "I understand."

Having said that, he set off immediately.

Shisui frowned, steadied his emotions, and after a moment a gentle smile returned to his face as he walked out of the Barrier.

Outside the Barrier, after several waves of scouts had all been lost, Tuan Zang was no longer greedy or composed; his anxiety now rivaled that of the Third Hokage.

"No. Send more people to me; I will go in myself to take a look," he said.

The three ignored his words, and Zhuan Xin Xiaochun bluntly said, "Shisui and Rizhan's appointed time hasn't arrived yet, and Orochimaru's whereabouts are unknown; just wait."

"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer,"

The Third Hokage hunched over, eyes closed, standing aside, murmuring to himself.

A few Anbu nearby were ready, able to signal at any moment to summon the Anbu guarding the inner area and gather the Elite Forces of each clan.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, everyone's expression changed as they all looked toward the Barrier; the Third Hokage snapped his eyes open, his eyes bloodshot and trembling slightly.

Only Shisui passed through the Barrier; when he saw the crowd, he froze, then quickly ran to the Third Hokage's side and half‑kneeling, performed a salute.

"Third Hokage, Shisui, I will not disgrace my duty!" Shisui lowered his head, his words trembling with emotion.

The crowd fell silent, all eyes turning to the Third Hokage.

That brief sentence unsettled the Third Hokage's breath a little; he placed both hands on Shisui's shoulders, trembling slightly, and said, "Good, good, good."

After saying "good" three times, the Third Hokage finally helped Shisui to his feet, then burst into laughter: "Hahaha, good, good, good, Shisui. You saved all of Konoha, saved every comrade of Konoha. You are a ninja who truly understands the Will of Fire, a hero of Konoha!"

The ten days of pressure were finally released at once, and the Third Hokage, before everyone, did not hold back his praise.

If it weren't for the crowd here, he would have liked to pick Shisui up outright.

Shisui gave a shy smile and immediately said, "It is all thanks to the Third Hokage's support; without his understanding and trust during this time, I could not have completed this mission."

Hearing this, the Third Hokage laughed unabated, his wrinkled face stretching, his gaze at Shisui growing ever more satisfied.

"Since it succeeded, why hasn't the Barrier been closed yet?"

Zhuan Xin Xiaochun's tone was cold as she directly questioned.

"Eh?"

Shisui was startled, instinctively turned to look at the Barrier, then wore a look of sudden realization, and shifted to apology, explaining to the Third Hokage: "My apologies, Third Hokage, that was my oversight. Right after the clan council appointed me clan head, I rushed here to tell you the good news and forgot about the Barrier. However, I have already left Uchiha Hui behind; I'm sure he knows what to do."

The Third Hokage let out a sigh of relief, his eyes signaling the others, then pulled Shisui and said, "Uchiha Hui? Hahaha, it's fine, it's just a minor matter. You just became clan head; there are surely many affairs in the clan. If you're in a hurry, you can return to handle them, and we can discuss in detail tomorrow morning."

"No. Although I passed the clan council, officially becoming clan head is still tomorrow's matter. Tonight I remain an Anbu, your subordinate. Everything I have done is for Konoha! Please allow me to finish this task before returning to the clan."

Shisui shook his head in refusal, looking straight at the Third Hokage, his gaze sincere.

"Then I will take a bit more of your time,"

The Third Hokage sighed, but a smile at the corner of his eye was hard to hide; his hand movements grew more affectionate as he pulled Shisui toward the Hokage Tower.

Only the three of them stared at each other, while Tuan Zang raised an eyebrow, let out a cold snort, and, with a face full of anger, followed after them.

His men are still inside!

When the three left, Zhuan Xin Xiaochun and Shuihu Men Yan exchanged a helpless glance before taking over the Anbu, handling the aftermath: "Issue orders to strengthen vigilance; until the Barrier is closed and the situation clarified, everyone must remain cautious."

"Yes!"

Maybe I'm in a bad mood, my thoughts are tangled. I think I've gotten the after‑effects of a burst update; I napped until five o'clock, and writing this chapter I feel hazy. Not to mention it's only a little over three thousand words, and reading it feels a bit rough. This volume is barely finished; starting tomorrow I should try some farming and clan development.

To see what happens next, stay tuned for the next volume. (*ω) (End of chapter)