"You don't even know where he is, yet you unknowingly got trapped inside an illusion?"
Motonami Uchiha's expression turned serious.
"I was sleeping at that time. Suddenly I was yanked into the illusion, and after just one sentence, the genjutsu ended."
Eno Uchiha still felt utterly confused—someone had dragged him into an illusion out of nowhere and ended it just as suddenly with a single word.
It came out of nowhere—and vanished just as quickly.
"What did he say?"
"The manga update tomorrow will include Uchiha-related storylines."
That was Eno's answer.
As for exactly what kind of plot, he didn't get a chance to ask before the other party disconnected.
"I see."
Upon hearing this, Motonami instantly understood. He gave a slight nod while rapidly considering his next move.
"Clan Leader, we—"
"Hesitation brings disaster. We've come too far now to stop."
Motonami already knew what his clansman was going to say—he cut him off before he could finish.
The internal chaos within the clan must end here and now.
"Yes, sir."
Eno Uchiha lowered his head respectfully.
The manga is nothing but fantasy, yet there was no denying that it might reflect their clan's future.
To survive, they had to change.
We either resist completely and leave Konoha behind…
or we fully integrate, letting go of the pride in our Uchiha identity and becoming true citizens of Konoha.
Of course,
true integration also required acceptance by Konoha's leadership.
The Third had taken no action thus far, clearly indicating he had accepted this inevitable outcome. Plus, without Danzo present in the clan, these members had slightly bolder hearts.
In short, everything appeared foolproof.
Motonami carefully considered all angles, gradually feeling reassured.
Eno Uchiha didn't return immediately. He sat silently in the courtyard of the Clan Leader's house, lost in thought and visibly conflicted, not leaving until bedtime approached.
A storm was coming…
He let out a soft sigh, weighed down by heavy thoughts.
Nighttime.
A group of people hurriedly returned to Konoha.
"Lord Danzo, perhaps we should go to the hospital first for further treatment; otherwise, your health—"
"No. Return to Anbu first—we'll handle the medical issues there."
They took secret paths under cover of darkness, reaching Anbu headquarters without anyone noticing.
Early the next morning.
Akaba woke up rather late. When he arrived at his shop, he planned to work on the latest promotional poster for One Piece.
However—
As he approached the shop, he noticed a mark beside the door.
It was the Anbu mark.
If it weren't for the fact he'd been working closely with Anbu recently, he wouldn't have recognized the symbol's origin from internal documents.
"Did he return already? And now he wants to see me right away? Not even a moment to rest!"
Akaba sighed inwardly. He made a Shadow Clone to manage the shop while he headed over to report to Anbu himself.
Though curious about Danzo's injuries, Akaba figured there couldn't be immediate danger—otherwise, why avoid the hospital and instead go straight to Anbu?
When he reached the base, Aburame Yugen was already waiting for him.
Thanks to a guide, Akaba passed through unobstructed all the way to Danzo's private chamber.
"You may enter. Master Danzo is waiting inside."
With that, the Anbu member made a hand seal and vanished in a flash.
Now that his temporary authority was gone, everyone started showing disrespect — Akaba had no choice but to obediently open the door himself.
Danzo's residence was rare in that it had a small window carved into the mountainside, making it one of the few places in the base touched by sunlight.
He lay motionless in his chair, facing the narrow beam of sunlight head-on, yet somehow it made the whole scene look all the more eerie and ominous.
"Teacher, seeing you unharmed puts my mind at ease."
Akaba spoke respectfully.
"Drop the flattery."
Hiruzen's tone was ice-cold as he spun his chair to face Akaba directly.
His face gave nothing away — Akaba couldn't tell if he was pleased or furious.
Ever since returning from Sunagakure, this guy had gotten even more unreadable — practically inscrutable now.
Looking up, Akaba also noticed some bandages covering parts of Danzo's face — an image eerily close to how he'd look in the future with a Sharingan embedded — except for now, he was still quite young.
"How are you feeling?"
"Thanks to the medical team you sent ahead, only one eye was lost. But the Second Kazekage suffered far worse than I did."
Danzo spoke casually, as if he hadn't been injured at all.
"Did he die?"
Akaba asked curiously.
"Not likely, but probably not even viable for conversion into a semi-puppet anymore. He won't be able to serve as a ninja in the future."
While speaking, Danzo covered his eye, smirking sinisterly, "One eye for a Kage; tell me, was it worth it?"
Akaba opened his mouth slightly, eventually lapsing into silence.
Considering the current battlefield situation, losing one eye to take down a Kage was an extremely worthwhile trade. Otherwise, Konoha, caught between two enemies, wouldn't have effectively supported the Land of Whirlpools.
But looking long-term, undoubtedly Wind Country would seek revenge.
Of course, even without retaliation, Wind Country's attention would naturally focus on Fire and Earth Countries anyway.
Thinking for a moment, Akaba finally answered, "Sunagakure Village won't be a threat for at least five years. We can focus entirely on the Land of Whirlpools."
"Hmph. Finish explaining what happened with the Uchiha clan first."
Danzo's expression darkened as he moved aside the manga and intelligence reports about the Uchiha onto the bed.
"I speculate that Motonami Uchiha wants to purify his clan internally and fully integrate into Konoha," Akaba explained.
Danzo remained indifferent and gave no response.
Having followed the Second Hokage, he'd never held favorable feelings toward the Uchiha clan.
Precisely because of this, he disliked Akaba's actions here greatly — though his concerns weren't limited solely to the Uchiha issue.
Continuing further, Danzo added, "I also received news that Hiruzen intends to set up a research laboratory. Was that your idea?"
"That was the Third Hokage's own decision."
Akaba immediately shifted responsibility away.
He gained nothing from this affair, so why would he want to take credit?
"Putting everything else aside, your actions have benefited Konoha, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt — I'll reluctantly accept it."
Danzo ignored his explanation.
Given how well he knew Sarutobi, if that man ever found out about Orochimaru's dealings with him, he'd surely summon him in for an official reprimand immediately. There was no way he'd think instead to establish a lab and let Orochimaru emerge from underground into daylight.
From a strategic standpoint, this research institute held immense significance for Konoha. Even Sunagakure Village had already developed Magnet Release—how could Konoha afford to stagnate in ninjutsu?
As for the Uchiha clan, if they had truly resolved their internal conflicts and fully integrated into Konoha,
then what reason was there not to accept them?
Could the mighty Konoha possibly fear a weakened Uchiha after its restructuring?
Throughout the night, Danzo thought things through clearly.
What frustrated Danzo, however, was that all these actions had been carried out by Akaba, without any of his own involvement.
Akaba didn't fully grasp Danzo's meaning and silently hesitated, not responding right away.
They both remained silent for a moment before Danzo finally spoke: "With war approaching, I no longer have time to lead you all. Besides, you and Sakumo have already become Chunin. As for Shishio, who remains the only one yet to be promoted, I'll arrange for him to gain experience within Anbu. From now on, our squad is officially disbanded."
"Huh? That fast?"
Akaba showed clear surprise.
Disbanding meant he would be operating independently from now on, making future mission assignments uncertain.
"Sakumo needs more actual combat experience, and as for you—"
Danzo glanced at him, lips twitching slightly.
He paused intentionally, leaving the meaning clear without saying more.
You're just too lazy!
"Your meaning is...?"
Akaba feigned misunderstanding, unsure whether Danzo intended for him to enter Anbu or something else entirely.
"I'm entrusting Root to you."
Danzo stated calmly.
"What!"
Akaba's eyes widened in shock.
What exactly was Root?
Officially known as [Root], it served as Danzo's foundation for orchestrating covert schemes and taking responsibility when things went wrong.
Now suddenly, he was to become Root's new leader.
How did that even happen?
Akaba felt uneasy. At this rate, he might even end up inheriting the infamous title of "Potsunagi"—the shadowy burden-bearer.
"Your techniques are better suited for Root training. As long as you don't slack off, Root will surely develop even further."
Danzo continued calmly,
"Also, the Land of Whirlpools conflict will be handled by Anbu, so most of Anbu will be reassigned. You must ensure village security."
"This seems troublesome..."
Akaba couldn't help but mutter unhappily, though he swallowed his next words under Danzo's gaze.
Looks like there was no room for negotiation.
"You're familiar with Root's base. Regarding personnel, I will inform the various clans and soon have them send members there."
"So I'm dealing with a bunch of rookies?"
Akaba quickly caught on and felt even worse.
Who was the most difficult to manage?
Rookies—every one of them thinks they're some kind of genius, like they're invincible.
Not only unruly, but extremely annoying. Managing them might force him to create some Shadow Clones again.
But regarding the manga side…
"Such a hassle."
Akaba sighed softly. Between this and drawing manga, he'd definitely pick the latter.
In the future, he could leave Root management to his Shadow Clones.
"If there are no further issues, you may go."
Danzo said indifferently.
"Yes, Teacher, take care of your health."
Akaba raised no objections—asking more questions would just mean more work. Better to escape early and finish things quickly.
Leaving Anbu headquarters, his mind was spinning.
This development hadn't gone as expected—it was quite different from what he had imagined.
On his way back to the manga shop, Akaba seemed distracted.
He was thinking about [Root].
Danzo hadn't yet fallen to the point of being completely untrustworthy. Since Root had been handed over to him, it should have truly belonged to him.
Also, from what Danzo implied, most veteran members from Root would likely be sent to frontline duties, leaving behind only a small number of experienced operatives, along with many newcomers.
Thinking it over, Akaba realized Root would merely become a new training base. The chance of him succeeding to the [Pothole Kage] title was slim.
In the future, he'd just be busier than before.
Akaba tried to convince himself with those thoughts.
He had just left Anbu and entered Konoha when he saw Orochimaru waiting at the street corner.
"Orochimaru, what are you—"
Before he could finish speaking, Orochimaru bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. "Mr. Akaba, thank you so much!"
The moment they met, Orochimaru showed his sincerity with a deep bow.
A smile broke out on his face, genuine and full of satisfaction.
"What's got you so happy?"
Akaba had some vague suspicions, but since he'd just finished dealing with Danzo, he didn't want to think too hard right now.
"Teacher is going to establish a research institute. From now on, I won't have to conduct my studies in secret anymore."
Orochimaru felt extremely grateful. "Although Teacher didn't mention it directly, I know your involvement made this possible."
"Why do you think that?"
Akaba didn't understand. Had he really become outstanding enough to be unable to hide his abilities?
"This kind of brilliant idea—and turning it into something useful. Only you could've done it."
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