"That would be all," Shisui informed the Hokage, whose expression had turned somewhat somber.
"Does Yami know about this?" she asked.
"No. I didn't want him—at such a young age—to start distrusting his own village, so I took care of the individual before the young Senju could find out," the Uchiha replied honestly.
"I see," Miyu said with a sigh. "You may go. In your report, leave out any mention of the Root ninjas; you never know when these documents might fall into the wrong hands. It's best to simply feign ignorance."
"Understood," Shisui said, bowing before leaving the office.
Once alone, Miyu grimaced in annoyance.
The day had barely begun, and she was already developing a headache.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in," the Hokage said, sounding unenthusiastic. An elderly man entered—looking ten years younger than he had back when he held her current position.
"Miyu, long time no see," Hiruzen said, a pipe in his mouth and a smile on his face.
"If you've come to complain again about the 'sensual education' curriculum at the Academy, you might as well turn around and leave; I'm not in the mood. They may still be children, but they'll be graduating in a few months—they'll be ninjas, and they need to know about these things. Especially the kunoichi," the blue-haired woman retorted.
"Easy now," the 'old monkey' said, raising his hands in surrender. "That's not why I'm here."
Miyu narrowed her eyes. This old man usually enjoyed his retirement far too much to bother coming to the Hokage's office. The only reasons he ever showed up were to complain about his family or to discuss matters that happened to interest him personally. "Speak, then," said the Hokage.
The smile he had been wearing vanished instantly as he walked toward the desk, pulling along a chair he'd found on the way.
Once seated, he took a puff from his pipe and set it down in the ashtray.
"I've heard about the current situation in the village," he explained, to which Miyu merely raised an eyebrow. "That's the small advantage of having once been Hokage; people talk to me—even those who wouldn't dream of going to the official office—to share what's happening."
"People are sometimes afraid to tell the truth," the blue-haired woman remarked.
"Especially when they have to provide their name and identification. People tend to assume that because I'm old, I must be wiser," Hiruzen said, with a touch of humor.
"I have a few notes that might suggest otherwise," Miyu replied, matching his playful tone.
"I can well imagine," the 'old monkey' said with a fleeting smile, before his expression turned serious again. "Just because the civilians aren't ninjas, that doesn't mean they don't see anything."
"You mean..." Miyu began.
"The Uchiha," Hiruzen finished.
...
Miyu, Hiruzen, and Itachi were in a somewhat neglected room within the lawless district. The blue-haired woman had left a shadow clone behind so that her absence from the office wouldn't arouse too much suspicion.
All three were using a Transformation Jutsu—just to be safe.
"Things aren't looking good," Hiruzen remarked, sitting and staring at the floor, at a loss for what to do.
Miyu simply looked at him and shook her head.
*Why are you acting like you care, you senile old man? You didn't do a thing in the original story—don't play the victim,* the Hokage thought to herself, before shifting her gaze to Itachi. "So, it's Danzo, then?"
At the mention of that name, the 'Old Monkey' couldn't help but wince—a reaction that did not go unnoticed.
"Yes. I still don't know the nature of his pact with the clan, but it's practically a certainty that they're working together. It's in the records, and I've spotted several Root ninjas lurking near the clan compound," Itachi explained.
"I have a pretty good idea why. Besides, I suspect that most of the Uchiha disappearances—the ones that went unnoticed—are his doing," Miyu added, causing Itachi's eyes to widen.
"You think so?" the Uchiha asked.
"It's impossible for Uchiha to just vanish into thin air. It would have to be the Anbu—but I'm the one who controls them. So, I ask you: what other organization exists in the village that's similar to the Anbu?" the blue-haired woman countered, leaving Itachi speechless.
"But why would Danzo do such a thing?" Hiruzen questioned.
"Simple: to incite a conflict between the village and the Uchiha," the Hokage replied, causing both men in the room to tense up. "Are the disappearances being blamed on my 'truth'?" she asked Itachi, who nodded in response.
"Some time ago, with your father's approval, I conducted experiments on Uchiha, who had perished during the Third War," Miyu admitted. "Everything was supervised and controlled; I haven't performed any such experiments since the war ended. It's highly likely that, given these records—coupled with the disappearances of the Uchiha—I am being blamed, with accusations that I'm kidnapping them to use as test subjects."
"I see," the Uchiha said, resting a hand on his chin. "Between this, the existing friction between the Uchiha and the village—especially regarding the position of Hokage—the people have become even more repressed. Furthermore, having Danzo's backing likely gave those responsible the confidence to carry this out."
"In all likelihood, Danzo is aiming to incite a war that would lead to the total extermination of the Uchiha clan," Miyu concluded, leaving the room in complete silence.
"But why would Danzo want that?" I couldn't help but ask.
Miyu's gaze shifted toward Hiruzen, who remained seated.
"I wonder why, don't you?" she said, her tone mocking—prompting Itachi to look at the old man as well.
Hiruzen said nothing; to voice the potential reason would be, in effect, to insult his own master—the Second Hokage—and to admit that he himself had been wrong.
"Looking at it this way, if this is indeed Danzo's objective, then the pacifist faction would have been a nuisance to him," the blue-haired woman stated, drawing Itachi's full attention.
"What do you mean by that?" Itachi asked, his expression tightening. "I'll be clear: this isn't a statement of fact but a supposition—though it's highly likely that Danzo, along with the extremists, set a trap for your father to kill him and seize complete control of the clan," Miyu theorized.
Upon hearing this, Itachi couldn't help but sit down, resting a hand against his head. He desperately searched for any reason to believe otherwise—to think that the very clan his father had tried to defend wasn't the one that had killed him. But he couldn't; there were far more details confirming it than there were refuting it.
The Hokage was about to say something more, but Daiki appeared in the doorway, throwing the door open abruptly.
"Chief, this is serious—your son, young Yami, has been found at the village gate, on the verge of death." The room turned ice-cold in an instant.
...
*One day earlier*
Several Uchiha were gathered, led by Matsuda—the current head of the clan—as they awaited the arrival of Danzo.
They did not have to wait long; the man in question soon appeared, accompanied by his two personal guards.
"Why have you summoned us this time, 'war hawk'?" Matsuda asked, attempting to sound imposing.
Ignoring his words, the 'mummy' simply sat down in a chair and handed him a scroll.
"What is this?" the Uchiha clan leader asked, glancing at the document—his eyes widening as he took in its contents.
"Further proof of the sins the Hokage has committed against the Uchiha clan," Danzo finally replied with a smile. "How much longer will you allow her to trample upon you like this?"
The Uchiha standing behind him, having managed to read the scroll, were struck with shock—which quickly turned to rage.
"To her, we're nothing more than guinea pigs. How is she any different from Orochimaru?" someone remarked.
"We should reveal all of this," another suggested.
"Calm down. Do you really think she wouldn't have a way to deny all of this?" Danzo asked, drawing the full attention of the Uchiha.
"What do you propose?" Matsuda asked.
Danzo's smile widened.
"Eliminate the moles—and, while we're at it, secure some 'life insurance,'" he replied, gesturing toward the scroll.
The Uchiha clan leader looked back at the document, which prominently displayed a record of paternity.
...
*The following day*
It hadn't been long since Yami arrived in the village. Shisui had gone to report on his mission to his mother, but a fair amount of time had passed since then—he should have been back by now.
At the moment, Yami was waiting for his mentor to arrive at a training ground where they were planning to resume their training.
Knowing that Shisui would be delayed—what with having to write his report and address the situation regarding the clan—Yami decided to warm up in the meantime.
The half-Senju had wanted to ask a few questions, but his mentor had advised him to wait until he returned to the village; so, he had done just that.
In truth, Yami was troubled by the possibility that enemy ninjas might have infiltrated the village, requesting missions with the specific intent to assassinate them.
He couldn't quite grasp the full implications or how such a thing had come to pass—which was why he had wanted to talk to Shisui—but for now, he had no choice but to wait.
Suddenly, the young, black-haired boy stopped his stretching, catching sight of some ninjas wearing peculiar masks. They resembled the masks worn by the Anbu, yet there were distinct differences.
"What do you want?" Yami asked, his guard immediately going up.
"Lord Danzo wishes to speak with you. It concerns your father," the Root ninja replied.
Upon hearing the word "father," Yami narrowed his eyes.
For some time, the half-Senju had been curious about his father's identity. He had his suspicions and a few potential candidates, but nothing had been confirmed. He hadn't brought it up because—for obvious reasons—his father had to be an Uchiha; otherwise, he wouldn't possess the Sharingan.
He had been waiting for the situation within the village and the clan to settle down before broaching the subject.
Furthermore, the mention of "Danzo" caught his attention.
He had heard the name a few times before, though only in passing. His mother had mentioned it once or twice, though only to complain; she never discussed Hokage-related matters at home. On other occasions, he had heard other ninjas talking about the village's old elder—a man who, unlike his former peers, had yet to retire.
"How would Danzo know about my father?" he couldn't help but ask.
In truth, he was curious; being able to confirm his father's identity would be amazing—but he wasn't about to walk into the lion's den for no good reason.
"Lord Danzo was once a member of the village council; he knows many things. He discovered some documents that reveal your father's identity. He has no ill intentions—he simply wants to meet you by the riverbank. Just come along with me; you're free to leave whenever you like."
The temptation was strong. After all, Yami was still only seven years old. Despite being a ninja, he still possessed a certain innocence—and, above all, it never occurred to him that anyone in the village might wish him harm.
Yami wasn't a transmigrator who knew about all the dark deeds committed by Danzo or the village, and Miyu certainly wasn't going to go around broadcasting them—that would be no different than disparaging the very place they lived. Besides, Naruto wasn't exactly the type to keep secrets.
With that in mind, he decided to follow the ninja, intending only to confirm his father's identity—once that was revealed, he would leave immediately.
...
Upon arriving at the location, he saw a man covered in bandages. He immediately realized that the "mummy" his mother and Danzo had referred to was this very man. A sense of concern washed over him, but since he was already there, he decided it would be best to have the conversation calmly.
"I see you have quite a few people here. I didn't think Lord Danzo required so much protection—even my father doesn't keep this many bodyguards," Yami remarked, attempting to lighten the mood.
"I expected nothing less from that woman's son—that particular brand of humor, the way you deliver an insult without it sounding like one... it's just like her," Danzo commented with a hint of amusement—a reaction that caused the half-Senju to tense up. "Though, one has to wonder if you truly are her son at all."
Those words sent a chill through Yami.
"What do you mean by that?" he couldn't help but ask. In response, the "mummy" smiled and tossed a scroll toward him.
As the object landed at his feet, Yami picked it up, glancing warily at the Root ninjas to ensure they wouldn't do anything rash—but they remained perfectly still.
Upon unfurling the document, he noticed the heading: "Paternity Record."
He scanned the names: Uchiha Kosuke and Senju Yami—with a 99.9% blood compatibility match.
The young, black-haired man's eyes widened; the name "Kosuke" felt vaguely familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
"Funny, isn't it?" Danzo said, drawing the half-Senju's attention. "Uchiha Kosuke died before the end of the Third Shinobi World War, and you were born about a year after his passing."
Yami was taken aback, but the "mummy" continued speaking as he slowly drew closer. "Miyu never showed any signs of being pregnant during that time—her stomach never grew, and there are no records of any birth. You know what that means, don't you?" he asked. The young man with black hair stared at the scroll, as if unable to believe what he was hearing. "You were created in a laboratory, like a lab rat—you're an experiment that actually worked out. I imagine your sister is, too. You two were the successful experiments; I wonder how many failed ones—how many dead siblings—lie within that woman's facility."
Upon hearing these words, the scroll slipped from Yami's hands, and he stood frozen where he was.