Chapter 41: 041: The "Cure the Whole Clan" Plan!
"Saber! I didn't expect to see you here."
"There are many unique mongrels here. Are you interested in slaughtering them with this King?" Gilgamesh said, looking at Artoria, who suddenly stood before him, with a hint of delight.
"Archer, stop right there. Until I understand your purpose here, I won't let you near this neighbourhood."
Artoria gripped her sword with both hands, her gaze fixed intently on Gilgamesh. Just beyond was where her Master, Natsuki, was located.
"Foolish woman, don't think that just because this King admires you, you can stop me in my tracks.
"Get out of my way!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that!"
"Very well, you've angered this King as well."
Without any surprise, the mad dogs behind him would be closing in fast.
A swift victory was the best course of action.
In the blink of an eye, a barrage of attacks materialized as the Noble Phantasms rained down.
Saber dodged left and right, parrying with her swordsmanship. She continuously tried to close the distance with Gilgamesh, aiming to deliver a fatal blow.
"What's going on?"
"Another strange person has appeared."
"She seems to be wielding an invisible weapon."
"So strong! This level of swordsmanship is rarely seen."
"They appear to be enemies. What should we do? Take them both down together, or wait until they've finished fighting?"
The ninjas who arrived one after another discussed amongst themselves, unsure of what to do.
"This is bad. How did so many people notice us?" Artoria also noticed that more and more people were appearing around them.
As Heroic Spirits, battles in the Holy Grail War almost always take place at night to avoid unwanted attention from the mundane world.
However, if discovered, eliminating witnesses is necessary. Silencing those who see too much is a rule for magi, who usually serve as Masters, and this practice has gradually become a code for Heroic Spirits as well.
However, the Master in this time and space doesn't seem to be a magus, and these approaching humans don't resemble ordinary mortals.
"Return, Artoria.
"Don't harm the villagers recklessly for now; they are not our enemies."
Suddenly, the young Master's voice echoed in Saber's mind, stunning her.
How did he know her True Name?
And this coercive feeling...was it a Command Spell?
In the next instant, Saber vanished before everyone's eyes as if swept away by the wind.
At the same time, Gilgamesh received a similar command.
The little girl who summoned him, Ino, was frightened by the fierce battle along the way.
She remained near the Academy, praying for no casualties.
She hadn't exerted much control over Gilgamesh until now, but for some reason, a powerful constraint akin to a Command Spell was suddenly activated.
"Hmph! You mongrels have been spared this time.
"You won't be so lucky next time."
Golden glitter stood atop a tall roof, looking down with disdain, thoroughly antagonizing them before making a dramatic exit.
His body gradually dissolved into shimmering golden particles, vanishing from the scene.
Gilgamesh was the only Heroic Spirit who could act independently, disobeying his Master. Only powerful Command Spells could force his compliance.
In the Holy Grail War, he even manipulated Kirei Kotomine into killing his own Master, Tokiomi Tohsaka.
"What's going on? These guys appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as strangely."
"Are they hiding somewhere near?"
"No, they've truly vanished."
"Damn it, that guy in golden armor is so infuriating. Next time, we must capture him and skin him alive!"
"Are you sure you're not just after his armor?"
The Konoha ninjas were filled with indignation.
Danzo slowly emerged from the back.
As a seasoned old fox, he had retreated from the front lines after the first encounter, realizing the opponent was formidable.
Instead, he directed the Root members to relentlessly pursue them.
Now, witnessing the troublesome bastard vanish in plain sight filled him with immense unease.
"Recall all ninjas on missions outside the village within the next three months!
"Thoroughly investigate all of Konoha.
"Find this 'Goldy' and kill him on sight."
If they couldn't find him, then they would take this opportunity to cure a certain clan of their illness.
Konoha had become increasingly unstable lately.
The Uchiha clan all suffered from hereditary behavioral patterns, where the slightest provocation could trigger insanity and lead them to extreme actions.
Throughout the history of the shinobi world, this clan was often at the root of major conflicts.
According to his teacher, the Second Hokage's research indicated that the probability of developing this illness was 70% for those with pure Uchiha blood. However, if only one parent was an Uchiha, the probability dropped to less than 10%.
They were a group of madmen who could snap at any moment.
Those severely afflicted would fall completely into darkness, becoming violent criminals. They were a significant security threat to Konoha.
They must follow the Second's will and eliminate them. He had also received intel recently that the Uchiha were indeed planning to rebel.
It was time to fully implement the plan that could cure the whole clan.
Danzo's face remained expressionless, but his mind was filled with calculations for the sake of Konoha.
If it weren't for the hesitant and indecisive Third Hokage, he would have eliminated this threat long ago.
Now, the Third had finally relented, and the genius Itachi had become their spy, on the condition that his younger brother be spared.
Hmph, they would use him as the executioner. If he showed any signs of betrayal, they would eliminate him as well.
Furthermore, without enough people to make a pure blooded member, the Uchiha's hereditary disease could be effectively controlled.
"Teacher, your greatest mistake was not appointing me as the Third Hokage!" Danzo gazed at the Hokage Rock, sighing inwardly.
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