Back in time slightly.
Just as Uchiha Yue had left the Root base and returned home to digest the harvest, Shimura Danzō, who had finally stabilized his emotions and regained his composure, wasted no time. He sought out Sarutobi Hiruzen overnight to report the incident at Root.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had just finished managing the day's village affairs and was about to rest, was also startled. Without delay, he dispatched Anbu to summon the other two advisors, and all gathered urgently at the Hokage Building.
"Danzo, what's going on? Did the Uchiha clan act ahead of schedule?"
Just after arriving at the Hokage's office, Mitokado Homura, who had been woken from bed, asked urgently with a grave expression.
Following behind, Utatane Koharu entered silently, her face equally somber, her gaze sharp as she studied Danzo, full of inquiry and concern.
"Enough! It's not merely about the Uchiha this time. A different issue has arisen, and we must act swiftly."
Seeing that his longtime comrades had arrived, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke first, attempting to calm the tense atmosphere, then motioned to Danzo to recount the full situation.
Receiving Hiruzen's signal, Danzo immediately repeated his account, though heavily colored with exaggerations and suspicion.
"Hmph! Such brazen ambition! The intruder assaulted Root and stole classified secrets and forbidden research materials. Clearly, all that talk of loyalty was merely a smokescreen to distract us."
"Moreover, Uchiha Itachi must be reexamined. He may already be colluding with the masked man. His so-called extermination of the Uchiha clan for the village's sake could be nothing but a well-staged farce."
"And this 'Uchiha Madara' claim is preposterous. Everyone knows Madara was Shodai Hokage's rival and was killed at the Valley of the End. How could he possibly be alive?"
"Furthermore, such an incident happening now of all times — it's obvious that both he and Uchiha Itachi harbor the same betrayal in their blood. After all, they are both Uchiha."
Listening to Danzo's inflammatory statements, Mitokado Homura could not help but snort, his distrust of the Uchiha flaring up. Meanwhile, Utatane Koharu, silent beside him, nodded in approval, her expression grim and mistrustful toward both the Uchiha clan and Itachi.
"Enough! The Uchiha have their flaws, but not every member harbors rebellion. Remember, Uchiha Kagami and Uchiha Shisui embodied the Will of Fire, and so does Itachi. His intentions are not easily doubted."
Seeing his two old comrades so quick to condemn the Uchiha and Itachi, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly, a flash of doubt flickering in his eyes. However, he did not show it openly and spoke instead with a soothing tone.
"Hmph! Hiruzen, then tell us — what do you propose? The Uchiha rebellion is on the verge of eruption. Now this disaster at Root has further destabilized things. If we continue with the old plan, we will lose the initiative. Should an all-out civil war break out, Konoha itself could fall!"
"And don't forget — the masked man, who claimed to be Uchiha Madara, warned that he would not relent. Now that he has stolen Root's intelligence, what do you think his next target will be? His threat must not be taken lightly!"
"And let's not forget the Nine-Tails incident," Danzo added darkly, referencing the past attack that had devastated Konoha, a tragedy many secretly blamed on the Uchiha.
Hearing Sarutobi's defense of Itachi, Danzo's expression darkened further, his tone cold and laced with provocation. His words caused the entire room to fall into a heavy, uneasy silence. Clearly, each of them had recalled bitter memories and ominous possibilities.
"Hiruzen, I agree with Danzo. The situation has become critical. We must abandon the old plan and revise our strategy immediately."
"And as for Itachi — if he wishes to prove his loyalty, let him lure out the masked man. We will work together to capture or eliminate him. Consider it a test of his allegiance."
Breaking the tense silence, Mitokado Homura, who had previously hesitated, now spoke firmly, voicing his proposed course of action.
"Homura is correct. If we misstep now, the entire village could suffer irreparable damage."
"Thus, Itachi must demonstrate his loyalty first. And while doing so, we can also eliminate this unpredictable threat from outside the village."
Utatane Koharu, seizing on Homura's momentum, added her agreement. In an instant, the majority opinion in the room solidified.
"Very well. The masked man must indeed be addressed immediately. However, handling space-time ninjutsu is not simple."
"I will summon Itachi shortly. He has interacted with the masked man before. Danzo, you've fought him as well. You two can collaborate to devise a countermeasure."
Seeing that a clear plan had been outlined, Sarutobi Hiruzen, without hesitation, made the final decision for their urgent meeting.
Afterward, Sarutobi Hiruzen personally ordered Anbu to summon Uchiha Itachi. They also discussed potential strategies to counter space-time techniques such as Kamui, and how to craft a new contingency plan.
Soon after, Uchiha Itachi arrived at the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage, honored advisors — you summoned me?"
Appearing suddenly before Konoha's leaders, Itachi's mind raced with questions, but his face remained calm and respectful, betraying none of his inner turmoil.
"Itachi, the reason we called you is that Root was just attacked. A significant amount of sensitive information and forbidden research was stolen — and the attacker matches the masked individual you previously reported, the one claiming to be Uchiha Madara."
Fixing his gaze on Itachi, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly, observing Itachi's reactions closely. When a flash of unmistakable shock appeared in Itachi's usually impassive eyes, Hiruzen's tone softened slightly, then explained the rest of the situation in more detail.
"I understand, Lord Hokage, and honored advisors. Please entrust this mission to me. I swear to either capture or eliminate the intruder."
Recognizing the subtle signals within Hiruzen's speech — the cautious pacing, the careful choice of words — Itachi instantly understood the depth of their mistrust. Nevertheless, he responded without hesitation, solemnly pledging his loyalty once more.
After all, despite having entered Akatsuki under secret orders to spy for Konoha following the massacre, Itachi had no real allegiance to the masked man. Their alliance had been only a cover.
Now that the Hokage himself had spoken plainly, the so-called secret mission was nullified.
What remained was simple: to fully cooperate with Konoha's leadership, fulfill his duty as a ninja of the village, and eradicate the hidden threat endangering Konoha — even if it meant killing the masked man, once mistaken for Madara Uchiha.