Shimura Danzo sat with an air of domineering confidence.
Of course.
As Konoha's elder and the head of Root, nothing of this sort could escape his notice.
When he learned that Uchiha Kai had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, his first reactions were fury and dread—but almost instantly, dark thoughts followed.
A dangerous man like that had to be brought under Root's control.
If he could be brainwashed and remade, he would serve as a weapon.
If not…
Then kill him, and take his eyes.
Danzo knew that procedure very well. He didn't believe for a moment that Uchiha Kai would dare lift a hand against him, an elder of the village.
So long as he prepared and struck from the shadows—he was confident he could do it.
But
Sarutobi Hiruzen flatly rejected his proposal.
"No. Absolutely not!"
"Your Root is not permitted to interfere in this matter. I will handle it myself."
"Danzo, listen to me."
"This Uchiha Kai is not like the others you've dealt with before. He has no ties to the Uchiha clan, and he was placed in one of the lowest-ranked genin squads—little more than cannon fodder."
"That means he and his teammates could never have formed strong bonds."
"More importantly, his parents are already dead."
"Do you understand?"
"This is an Uchiha with no bonds in Konoha, yet he has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"If we suppress him, perhaps he will endure it."
"But if you use Root's methods, do you think he will stay loyal?"
"If he defects, what leverage would we have against him?"
"Think carefully, Danzo."
"If you fail and drive him to turn traitor, then Konoha will face an unrestrained Mangekyo Uchiha. What if he begins launching constant surprise attacks?"
"Can you guard against him for the rest of your life?"
Hiruzen knew Danzo's methods all too well.
That was precisely why, before they discovered some means of restraining Uchiha Kai, he absolutely forbade any attempt against him.
Because if they failed—the consequences would be more than Konoha could bear.
"Hiruzen, you're too soft!" Danzo's gaze turned cold, his tone dripping with contempt. "Precisely because Uchiha Kai is dangerous, we must gather every resource and kill him as quickly as possible."
"If we let him grow, we'll truly be in danger."
"Indecision only leads to disaster!"
"Even if it carries risks, those risks are acceptable."
"I say we pay any price to strangle this threat in its cradle."
Hiruzen fell silent.
Of course he understood the logic in Danzo's words.
But no.
He was the Hokage. His every action had to stand upon the moral high ground.
If he lost that—how could he remain Hokage at all?
With that thought, he drew a deep breath.
"Danzo. You are not to make a move."
"As I said before—I will handle this myself."
Danzo froze.
He stared at Hiruzen in disbelief.
Yes, he often had his own selfish ambitions, always scheming to pull Hiruzen down.
But in this matter, he had no selfish motives at all.
Uchiha Kai was simply too dangerous.
And yet—Hiruzen still refused.
His face grew darker and darker.
"Hiruzen… you will regret this!"
"I am the Hokage, Danzo!"
Facing him, Hiruzen showed not a shred of deference.
Yes.
Though Danzo was an old classmate, in Hiruzen's eyes he was little more than a shadowy enforcer.
He, Hiruzen, was Hokage.
And since he had decided, he would not allow Danzo to interfere.
Thus, when Danzo stormed away in anger, Hiruzen's expression remained calm.
"Anbu."
"Hokage-sama!"
At his call, a masked Anbu operative knelt before him.
Hiruzen spoke without hesitation.
"Inform Elder Mitokado Koharu to lead a team to the Hidden Blood Mist Village front and prepare for negotiations."
"As for the Uchiha matter—once the Mist front stabilizes, Nara Shikaku will take over command, and the Uchiha clan will withdraw."
"As for Uchiha Kai… this time he slew the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. His contribution is immense."
"Effective immediately, promote him to Special Jounin."
"Uchiha Shisui has also earned more than enough merit—promoting him to full Jounin."
"Nara Kazama and Hyuga Aya will be promoted to Chunin."
"Have their squad return to Konoha for rest."
Three days later, at the Land of Whirlpools encampment.
Uchiha Kai lay sprawled on his bed, looking lazy and half-dazed.
His eyes seemed unfocused, but in truth, he had already opened his status panel.
Host: Uchiha Kai
Chakra: 5013
Reference: Adult Kakashi = 1000 chakra units.
Fire Style (Master): 131/500
Lightning Style (Beginner): 32/100
Taijutsu (Master): 12/500
Yin Release (Advanced): 17/300
Sharingan: Three Tomoe [Upgradeable]
Skills: Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, Transformation Technique, Rokushiki, Fireball Jutsu, Phoenix Sage Fire, Flame Bullet, Majestic Destroyer Flame, Gale Dance
Overall Evaluation: Peak Elite Jounin, half-step Kage level.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host.]
[Through your persistent loafing, Yin Release has broken through to the next level. Would you like to upgrade your Sharingan?]
"Upgrade!"
Kai clicked confirm without hesitation.
At once, his Sharingan opened. The three tomoe spun wildly, and with his choice, a vast flood of Yin chakra surged into them.
The tomoe whirled faster and faster—then fused, reshaping into a complex inner yin-yang taiji diagram. Around its edge shone a radiant hexagonal flower-like pattern.
His Mangekyo Sharingan.
Kai immediately began probing its abilities.
Left Eye:Mu — tears the soul.
Right Eye:Xu — tears the body.
Fusion of both eyes:Ame-no-Minakanushi — the power of "what is spoken becomes reality."
The descriptions were brief, but Kai drew in a sharp breath.
It was terrifyingly strong.
So what if Obito's Kamui was powerful? His own left eye could bypass everything and shred a target's very soul. His right eye could obliterate the flesh.
As long as his ocular power held out, he would be nearly invincible.
And if he fused them—the divine ability of Ame-no-Minakanushi would grant him ṣwords-made-law, a power that could only be described as godlike.
It made him think of gods.
Yes—true gods.
If he reached the very limit, perhaps he could even create a world of his own.
Of course, that was just imagination.ṣ
He was certain that trying to wield such power now would drain his eyes dry in an instant.
As he pondered, the tent flap opened.
Shisui, Aya, and Kazama entered.
"Kai—you're awake?"
To read 200+ Advance chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554