The atmosphere inside the Konoha Jōnin Council chamber was heavy, suffocating even. The large round table was filled with the village's highest authorities and most influential figures.
At the head of the room sat the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, his age showing in the slight tremor of his hands as he placed a scroll on the table. His pipe lay extinguished beside him, forgotten in the gravity of the moment.
To his right were the two long-time advisors, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, their expressions rigid, eyes darting between the Hokage and the other clan leaders.
Opposite them sat the cold and imposing figure of Danzo Shimura, cloaked in Root's dark uniform. His one visible eye gleamed with both disdain and confidence, as though he alone had the vision to steer Konoha through the coming storm.
Beside him, other key figures filled the seats: Nara Shikaku, the ever-calm strategist of the Nara Clan, who rested his chin on one hand as if already calculating ten steps ahead; Hyuga Hiashi, stern and sharp-eyed, embodying the dignity of the Hyuga Clan; and several other senior clan leaders whose voices carried weight in village affairs.
A storm of political power had gathered under one roof.
---
Hiruzen's Report
Hiruzen cleared his throat, his voice low yet solemn as he began.
"This… is the truth we must face."
He then laid out the entire incident in precise detail—the awakening of Uchiha Gen's Mangekyō Sharingan, the overwhelming ocular power that had altered the trajectory of a celestial body, and how that asteroid now hurtled towards the world with unimaginable destructive force.
When his words ended, silence fell like a shroud. The weight of the revelation pressed on every heart in the chamber. For a few long moments, no one spoke. Even the usually unflappable Shikaku sat frozen, his sharp mind momentarily stunned by the magnitude of the disaster.
A sharp inhale broke the silence.
"…Hiruzen," Homura Mitokado finally spoke, his brow deeply furrowed, "have you notified the other villages yet?"
The Third Hokage shook his head slowly. "Not yet. I have resolved to convene a Five Kage Summit. When we gather, I will personally present the intelligence and propose a united front."
Koharu and Homura exchanged a brief look before nodding. They were old comrades of Hiruzen, and though they often quarreled over policy, they understood his reasoning. In times of crisis, diplomacy required both tact and strength. Announcing such world-shaking news without preparation could sow chaos and mistrust.
But beneath their agreement lingered another thought:
This delay also served Konoha's interests.
---
Danzo's Shadow
Before the Hokage could continue, Nara Shikaku raised his head. His voice was calm, but his words cut directly to the heart.
"Then, where are Uchiha Gen's remains? His Sharingan, in particular. Can they be recovered for analysis? If that ocular power altered a celestial body's path, perhaps it could be studied to find a countermeasure."
Before Hiruzen answered, Danzo's cold voice sliced into the room.
"Unfortunately," he said, his tone dripping with indifference, "his body was destroyed on the spot. As for his Sharingan, it could not be recovered."
The words hung heavy.
At once, eyes across the chamber turned toward Danzo. Suspicion gleamed in their gazes, thinly veiled but unmistakable.
Everyone in the village knew Danzo's obsession with the Uchiha clan's eyes. For years, he had maneuvered in shadows, collecting, experimenting, and hoarding power. Now, with Uchiha Gen's body and Mangekyō conveniently vanished, who could believe it was mere coincidence?
Yet Danzo stood there unmoved, his face a mask of arrogance. He did not bother to explain, nor did he intend to.
Darkness does not justify itself.
For a moment, Hyuga Hiashi's fists clenched on the table, his Byakugan gaze narrowing. The Hyuga clan had suffered under Danzo's manipulations in the past; seeing his smug silence now stirred fury in his chest. But Hiashi remained composed, aware of the delicate balance in this chamber.
The silence stretched, brittle as glass. Finally, Hiruzen exhaled and broke it, redirecting the focus.
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Hyuga's Intelligence
"Hiashi," Hiruzen said gravely, "the Hyuga clan obtained intelligence on this matter earlier than the Hokage's office itself. Tell us—have you discovered anything else?"
Hiashi's face remained calm, though the pressure in the room was immense. After a pause, he spoke.
"We investigated thoroughly. The asteroid's natural trajectory was not directed at the Ninja World. Left undisturbed, it would have passed safely by."
He raised his gaze, meeting every eye around the table.
"However, the path was forcibly altered by an external force. An extremely powerful ocular ability was used to pull it toward us."
The weight of his words deepened the room's silence.
Utatane Koharu leaned forward anxiously. "If ocular power shifted it once, then surely it can be shifted again. Is there no way to use similar abilities to correct the trajectory?"
Gasps echoed softly. The idea was dangerous but logical. All eyes turned again toward the Hokage… and then, almost instinctively, toward Danzo.
Hiashi's lips curled in a bitter half-smile. He shook his head. "If that is possible, only the Mangekyō Sharingan possesses such strength. And as you all know…" His voice grew heavy. "…the Uchiha clan is no more."
His words struck like a bell of mourning. The massacre had ended the Uchiha line, leaving Konoha without its most formidable ocular power. The silence that followed was suffocating.
---
Danzo's Cold Calculations
Breaking the stillness, Danzo spoke again, his voice devoid of sympathy.
"If the Uchiha are gone, then we must seek alternatives. Surely in the vastness of the Ninja World, there exists some other forbidden technique, some force capable of rivaling ocular power. Are we so quick to despair?"
Shikaku frowned, rubbing his chin. His tone remained thoughtful, but his words carried grim weight.
"I fear it is not so simple. The Mangekyō's power is unique. Even if other techniques could approach it, the scale needed to shift a celestial body is beyond imagination. And if such power existed, the Five Great Shinobi Nations would have already suppressed it. No one would allow such a threat to remain unchecked."
His logic was sound, and the chamber knew it.
Hiashi remained silent, though his thoughts wandered briefly to the Hyuga's distant kin on the moon—the Ōtsutsuki descendants. Their power was ancient and formidable. Could they intervene? He dismissed the thought quickly; the lunar clan had long severed ties with the earthbound Hyuga.
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A Necessary Summit
Finally, Hiruzen rose to his feet. His voice carried the authority of decades of leadership, though fatigue lined his features.
"Speculation will not save us. We must prepare for two outcomes. On one hand, continue to gather data on the asteroid's path and explore countermeasures. On the other, we must convene the Five Kage Summit as soon as possible. The entire Ninja World must stand united against this calamity."
Shikaku nodded in agreement. "Konoha has already begun constructing underground defenses. But our actions have raised suspicion in other villages. When we meet at the Summit, timing and trust will be critical. Mishandling the pace of information could spark panic—or war."
The strategist's calm words resonated with every leader present.
---
Danzo's Domineering Aura
Then Danzo's voice rose, colder and sharper than steel.
"Hmph. Regardless of what becomes of the asteroid, Konoha must seize the initiative. When the new world order emerges from this disaster, it must be Konoha that stands at its center."
His words boomed in the chamber, so filled with conviction that it seemed the walls themselves reverberated.
For a fleeting moment, those present felt as though they had returned to the days of the Ninja World Wars. Danzo's tone was not of defense, nor survival—it was conquest.
Too domineering. Too reckless. His words carried the weight of a declaration, as though he were already preparing to ignite a new war.
Hiashi's brows knit together, Shikaku's eyes narrowed, and even Koharu shifted uneasily in her seat.
Only Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had known Danzo longer than any of them, looked upon him with growing unease.
Danzo had always been ambitious, ruthless, willing to dirty his hands where Hiruzen would not. But this aura—this brazen, world-devouring confidence—was new. It was as if something had changed within him, sharpening his will to a dangerous edge.
---
After the Meeting
When the council finally adjourned, the leaders dispersed with heavy hearts. The fate of the world hung precariously above them, yet even in this crisis, shadows of mistrust and ambition lingered.
Danzo, however, wasted no time. He returned directly to the hidden Root base.
The underground corridors echoed with the silent footsteps of his operatives, who saluted him without a word. Root was a world apart from the village above—silent, ruthless, obedient to only one man.
A masked operative stepped forward, bowing low.
"Lord Danzo. Orochimaru has arrived near the village. He requests an audience."
Danzo's lips curled into a cold, calculating smile. "So, he comes swiftly. Very well. Bring him in."
Moments later, a tall figure glided into the dim hall. Pale skin, snake-like eyes, and a smile that never reached its depths—Orochimaru.
His golden gaze swept the chamber before settling on Danzo. The air between them crackled with unspoken history, two serpents measuring each other.
Danzo's eye narrowed, his voice frigid, domineering beyond doubt.
"What is it, Orochimaru? Have you returned to beg for Konoha's shelter?"
The Sannin chuckled softly, the corners of his mouth curling higher.
"My, Lord Danzo," he purred, voice laced with mockery. "You certainly know how to jest."
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