The morning sun poured into Konoha, its light spilling over tiled rooftops and bustling markets. After a rare night of restful sleep, Uchiha Yato rose early. His steps were steady, his eyes cold but resolved, as he made his way toward the residence of the Uchiha Great Elder.
When he arrived, he didn't waste time with formalities. He looked directly at the old man and declared, "I have investigated the cause of Aunt Michiko's death."
The elder blinked in surprise. Yesterday, Yato had asked him to watch over Shisui for a while so he could look into Michiko's murder. The elder had assumed it would take weeks, perhaps months, before there was progress. Yet here was Yato, standing before him less than a day later with answers.
The old man's hands trembled on the armrest of his chair. "Who?" he asked, his voice rising. "Who exactly did it? Was it someone from the village… or a spy from another nation?"
Yato's expression hardened. He didn't circle around the truth. "It was Hokage's advisor—Danzo Shimura."
The words struck like a hammer. The elder froze.
For years he had kept the clan peaceful, avoiding direct clashes with the village leadership. But now, Michiko's death had been tied to the Hokage's right-hand man. A wave of disheartenment swept over him.
But Yato did not let the despair take root. He continued firmly, "First, Aunt Michiko must be buried properly. My request to keep her body was only to obtain evidence and confirm the culprit. That is done."
The elder studied the boy's face. Despite his grief, Yato's tone was controlled. That alone spoke volumes of his growth.
He exhaled slowly. "Very well. From here on, you need not worry about the funeral. The clan will see to it." Then his eyes narrowed knowingly. "But tell me—your plan isn't so small, is it? Not for a troublemaker like you."
Yato's lips curved in a faint smile. He bowed his head suddenly and knelt. "I must apologize, Elder. I cannot take revenge on Danzo immediately. Not while the entire clan stands behind me. This isn't just about personal grudges—it touches the balance between the Hokage and the Uchiha."
The elder gazed at him quietly. For the first time, he saw not the mischievous boy who stirred chaos wherever he went, but a man beginning to shoulder the weight of the clan.
From a purely personal view, Yato already had the strength to kill Danzo. The Mangekyō Sharingan was not a weapon to be underestimated. But viewed from the clan's perspective, such an act would plunge Konoha into chaos.
The elder chuckled bitterly. "Old man though I am, I can probably last another ten years. When my time comes, it won't be too much trouble to drag Danzo into the grave with me." He glanced sideways at Yato. "As for you—stop rattling these old bones with your antics."
Yato smirked but did not argue. Both of them knew that if not for Yato and little Shisui, the elder might have confronted Danzo already, even if it meant his death.
"I need the clan's cooperation," Yato said suddenly.
The elder raised a brow. "Oh? And how would you have us cooperate?"
"Danzo's obsession is becoming Hokage," Yato said. His eyes gleamed coldly. "So I want to make sure it remains just that—an obsession. An eternal dream he'll never realize."
The elder understood immediately. Yato intended to undermine Danzo, not just strike at him. Slowly, he nodded. "Very well. Do what you must. I'll speak with the clan head."
After exchanging a few more words and sparing a brief glance at baby Shisui—peacefully wrapped in swaddling clothes—Yato left the elder's house.
---
A Visit to Uzumaki Mito
From the Uchiha district, Yato's steps carried him across Konoha toward the Senju compound. There, within the gardens fragrant with medicinal herbs, resided the venerable Uzumaki Mito, widow of the First Hokage and one of the most respected figures in the village.
When Yato entered, the elderly woman looked up with a faint smile. Her hair, though streaked with white, framed eyes still sharp with vitality.
"Boy," she said teasingly, "who are you proposing for this time?"
Having dealt with Yato before, she knew his reputation well. If he wasn't stirring trouble, he was proposing some outrageous scheme—often involving marriage alliances.
Yato bowed politely. "Lady Mito, please don't tease me. I didn't come here for that today. I came to confirm something important."
Her expression grew serious. She gestured for him to sit across from her. "Oh? Then speak. I will listen."
Yato's tone grew cold. "Uchiha Michiko is dead. Her Sharingan was taken. The culprit is Danzo Shimura. I have evidence." He fixed his gaze on her. "I want to know your stance."
Mito's composure cracked for the first time.
She remembered Yato's father well—born a Senju, a direct descendant of the clan. Had he not chosen to marry into the Uchiha, Yato would have been known as Senju Yato. When his parents died, she had even inquired about taking him into her care. But Michiko had stepped forward, promising to raise him like her own.
Now, that same Michiko was gone.
Mito closed her eyes briefly, sighing. "I did not expect the next news I'd hear of her would be this." She looked at Yato again, her eyes clouded with sorrow. "Back then, Michiko argued so fiercely to keep you under her care. Otherwise, you would have been raised by me, old as I am."
Yato chuckled, easing the heaviness of the moment. "That would've been too lucky—for me. Or perhaps unlucky for you. I'd probably have driven you mad by now. Then Tsunade would have come after me, and there'd be no one left to plead for me."
Mito's eyebrow twitched. The nerve of this boy—to turn a solemn moment into jest! Lucky, he says… meaning I was lucky not to have raised him, or else I'd already be dead from stress.
But his humor broke the suffocating grief, and she allowed the corner of her lips to curl slightly.
"So," she said, "you want me to intervene and see Danzo punished?"
Yato shook his head firmly. "No. I want you not to interfere. Whatever happens, I want this to have nothing to do with you. Can you promise me that?"
Mito regarded him silently, weighing his words. He wasn't asking her to help—he was asking her to stay uninvolved, to give him the space to act without restraint.
After a moment, she exhaled softly. "Very well. But if I'm to play along with you and keep silent, surely there should be some reward for this old woman?"
Yato calmly sipped his tea. "Then I'll investigate the cause of Nawaki's death for you."
The room fell into silence. Mito did not speak again. She only drank her tea slowly, her thoughts hidden behind her calm eyes.
When the cups were empty, Yato rose, bowed politely, and departed without another word.
---
Two Silent Agreements
After Yato left, another figure quietly slipped out of the Senju compound not long after, heading toward the forests outside Konoha.
Mito sat alone, her hands folded in her lap. Yato's words replayed in her mind. He had given her an opening, a chance to revisit the mysterious circumstances of Nawaki's death.
Nawaki—the bright hope of the Senju Clan, gone too soon from something as trivial as an explosive tag. That senseless death had driven Tsunade away from the village.
The thought made Mito uneasy. But now, perhaps, there was a chance to uncover the truth.
Very well, boy, she thought. If you've given me this chance, I will see it through.
Meanwhile, Yato walked through Konoha's streets, his thoughts swirling like storm clouds.
How can I make Danzo suffer more?
His system thrived on emotion points, and the strongest source of those points came not from random villagers or side characters, but from key figures in the story. Minor shinobi and background civilians barely registered. But provoke someone like Tsunade? That had once earned him a windfall of 2000 points in a single blow.
He smirked faintly. Yes… if I want to grow stronger, I'll have to keep fleecing the original cast. They'll hate me, fear me, respect me—but in the end, I'll grow beyond all of them.
---
Inside Root
Far beneath the village, in the cold, dimly lit chambers of the Root base, Danzo Shimura sat listening to reports from his operatives.
One Root ninja stepped forward and bowed. "Uchiha Yato visited Lady Uzumaki Mito's residence today."
Danzo's single visible eye narrowed. "How long did he stay?"
"Fifteen minutes."
"Do you know the content of their conversation?"
The Root agent shook his head. "No, Lord Danzo. Lady Mito's sensory perception is unparalleled. I did not dare approach closely. I only confirmed that Yato left the Senju compound."
Danzo leaned back, fingers tapping against his cane. For once, he was pleased with his subordinate's caution. Mito's abilities made reckless spying a death sentence.
He mulled over the possibilities. Only two made sense.
First—Yato might once again be trying to court Tsunade, hoping to tie the Uchiha and Senju through marriage.
Second—he had discovered the truth behind Michiko's death and was seeking Mito's aid.
Danzo dismissed the first Root operative, then turned to another standing silently at the side. His voice was low, dangerous.
"Which do you think is more likely?"
The man stepped forward, bowing. "Ryoma, reporting."
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