As soon as Uchiha Hikaru left the Ninja Academy, he sensed a small squad of ninja trailing him.
He frowned. He hadn't expected Danzo to act so quickly.
This could only mean the worst had happened—Hiruzen Sarutobi's time as Hokage had reached its end.
Without showing any sign, Uchiha Hikaru continued on his way, quietly preparing for battle.
It was only when he passed through a more remote part of the village that something changed.
The scenery in front of him suddenly "rippled" for a moment—then returned to normal.
Not far ahead, a muffled groan rang out.
Uchiha Hikaru focused his gaze. A masked man was helping up a staggered companion.
At the same time, noise came from behind him—someone had cut off his escape route.
Using genjutsu on Uchiha Hikaru? Frankly, Root really miscalculated this time.
Even though he hadn't yet learned Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change, the technique specifically for rebounding illusions—
The base abilities of his Mangekyō were still more than enough to reflect ordinary genjutsu.
While he was thinking, the Root ninja who'd been hit by the rebound illusion had already recovered with help from his comrade.
And the two Root operatives who had blocked his escape now stepped out, completing their encirclement.
Uchiha Hikaru chuckled softly, then whispered to Tsunade and Nonō Yakushi:
"Close your eyes. It'll be over in a moment."
As soon as he finished speaking, the attack began.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu! x2"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough! x2"
Root might struggle to cultivate Kage-level shinobi, but their coordination was decent.
They worked in pairs—one casting Fire Style, the other Wind Style.
It wasn't a full-fledged combination jutsu, but the synergy still packed quite a punch.
In a blink, their attacks struck the area where Uchiha Hikaru stood.
A deafening explosion rang out, and thick smoke billowed.
Before Root could even confirm the results, a skeletal arm, sword in hand, swept toward them.
Three of the attackers' pupils shrank—before they could even scream, they were gone, erased by Susanoo's swing.
The last ninja reacted quickly, dodging with a Body Flicker at the last moment.
He now stood a short distance away, staring at the Susanoo slowly taking form within the smoke, drenched in cold sweat.
Even Root's brainwashing couldn't override the primal fear in the face of overwhelming power. He trembled involuntarily.
Suppressing the dread in his chest, the surviving Root ninja prepared to launch another strike.
But a terrible premonition suddenly overwhelmed him.
The temperature around him spiked. Small white flames appeared in the air.
He tried to form hand signs for a jutsu—but it was too late.
The next moment, flames of Mahāvairocana roared skyward, reducing him to cinders.
The blast of heat blew the lingering smoke away completely.
Uchiha Hikaru stood in the center, Susanoo enveloping him, Mangekyō slowly spinning in his eyes.
Tsunade had obediently kept her eyes shut, but Nonō Yakushi had watched everything from behind him.
She saw him shield them from deadly attacks. She saw him eliminate the threat she had brought.
The firelight cast his already-handsome face in an even more striking glow.
Nonō Yakushi stared, entranced, at Uchiha Hikaru's profile.
Once trapped in despair, she had truly been rescued by her prince.
Uchiha Hikaru, for his part, wasn't paying attention to any of that.
Once he confirmed the attackers were eliminated, he deactivated Susanoo and closed the Mangekyō.
Even a lion goes all out to hunt a rabbit—and he was dragging two burdens with him, with little real combat experience.
To be safe, he'd simply gone all out and wiped them out.
"You can open your eyes now. Are you both okay?"
At the sound of his voice, Tsunade opened her eyes and asked:
"I'm fine. What about you?"
Nonō Yakushi also came to her senses.
No one had noticed her earlier reaction, but she herself now felt unbearably shy.
She hugged Uchiha Hikaru tightly and whispered:
"I'm okay too."
Feeling her grip tighten, Uchiha Hikaru quickly said:
"I'm not hurt—Nonō Yakushi, you don't need to squeeze so hard."
At that, Nonō turned even redder, her face matching the shade of an apple.
But she obediently loosened her arms slightly.
Freed, Uchiha Hikaru let out a breath of relief and thought:
'If I end up injured not from battle but from you hugging me to death, how unfair would that be?'
Once he confirmed they were both fine, he said:
"That attack made a lot of noise. We're not safe here—we need to move. Hang on tight."
With that, he picked up the pace and rushed nonstop toward the Senju estate.
Thankfully, no more attacks came, and they safely returned to the compound.
Mito Uzumaki had just returned, and Senju Yosuke and his wife were listening to her instructions.
When they saw Uchiha Hikaru walk in—carrying Tsunade and with another girl on his back—their expressions turned odd.
Especially after seeing the look Nonō Yakushi gave Uchiha Hikaru—it only got stranger.
But then, Uchiha Hikaru's next words pushed those thoughts aside.
"We were attacked on the road."
Mito Uzumaki sighed in disappointment.
So soon, and they were already trying to silence witnesses.
There weren't many people in the know—Hiruzen Sarutobi's involvement was almost certain.
Though Mito Uzumaki had suspected as much, she had still held onto hope.
Hope that Hiruzen wouldn't take this path of no return. Hope he wouldn't disappoint her.
But cruel reality rarely bends to one's wishes.
After a moment of silence, Mito Uzumaki composed herself.
Melancholy and sentiment could wait—right now, Konoha needed her leadership.
Senju Yosuke, realizing the gravity of the situation, turned to her and said:
"Lady Mito, please give the next orders."
Mito Uzumaki looked at her resolute son and briefly spaced out.
Then her expression sharpened.
"Summon all clan heads and Jōnin. I'm calling a Jōnin Council!"
Senju Yosuke bowed and left with his wife.
As they passed Uchiha Hikaru, his expression shifted slightly.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Hikaru had talent, looks, and character—an heir of a noble clan.
And his daughter Tsunade? That look she gave Hikaru—how could he not notice?
A godson would never be as close as a son-in-law—Senju Yosuke had long seen him as a future match for Tsunade.
But now, there was another girl looking at Hikaru with that same expression.
'This kid's gonna have no end of girl trouble, huh?'
Senju Yosuke couldn't help but think it really might happen.
He wanted to say something—but let it go in the end.
He simply patted Hikaru's shoulder.
With a meaningful look that said, you're on your own now, he Body Flickered away.