Not to mention that Uchiha Yue had returned home triumphant, having stolen the Book of Seals and piled new training tasks upon himself in pursuit of greater strength.
However, at that same moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, who had finally returned to the Hokage building after the failed operation against Uchiha Obito, were greeted by devastation. The headquarters was littered with scorch marks, shattered walls, and the lifeless bodies of several elite Anbu.
Their expressions were thunderous. An invisible pressure radiated from their bodies, suffocating the atmosphere. None of the elite ninja who had accompanied them dared breathe too loudly, for fear that the slightest misstep might incur the wrath of either man and result in punishment—or worse.
"Hiruzen, Danzo—you're back at last!"
Mitokado Homura, standing in the battered Hokage office, greeted them with a grave tone. He had been waiting, eyes heavy with both worry and judgment.
"Tell me what happened," Hiruzen demanded, voice hoarse with fatigue and fury. "And where is Koharu? Why isn't she here?"
They had left Homura and Utatane Koharu in the Hokage building to coordinate from behind while they engaged the masked Uchiha in the field. Given the destruction, the old Hokage needed answers—and fast.
"Koharu's alive," Homura replied, sighing. "She took a hit while evacuating the records chamber and is being treated by the med-nin now. Nothing critical."
"As for the intruder—it was him. The masked Uchiha again."
His voice faltered as he said it. A flicker of fear passed across his aged features.
"Hmph! You mean the same masked man we encountered? If you hadn't interfered, Hiruzen, I would have severed his teleportation jutsu. We could've finished this!"
Danzo's growl was sharp, bitter, and unapologetic. His glare cut across the room toward Hiruzen.
"Wait—what?" Homura's eyes widened. "Hiruzen, is that true?"
"Enough, Danzo!" Hiruzen snapped, his chakra flaring with frustration. "Have you still not realized it? The masked man we confronted and the one who infiltrated this building—they weren't the same person."
Danzo's breath caught in his throat. The fire in his eyes dimmed with confusion.
"Your Root compound was attacked, wasn't it?" Hiruzen continued. "While we were in the field, it was dismantled systematically, your vaults looted. You really think Obito had time to be in two places at once?"
"Tch…"
"Whoever this new intruder was, he anticipated our plan and exploited it. We were played, Danzo. All of us."
The room fell into uneasy silence for a moment.
"Regardless, what's done is done," Hiruzen said at last, the steel in his voice returning. "We must focus now on identifying this second masked Uchiha and understanding his true goal. If we delay, the next blow he strikes might be fatal."
"Hiruzen, I understand your caution," Danzo said, recovering. "But that masked man—Obito, as he calls himself—his Kamui is a space-time jutsu linked directly to his Mangekyō Sharingan. It's not some jutsu you can just mimic."
He leaned forward, voice low and dangerous. "Do you really believe another Mangekyō user with the same unique ability just happened to show up?"
Homura nodded slightly. "Danzo's right. I saw the invader myself. Ninjutsu passed straight through him—just like before. Even genjutsu had no effect. His physical strikes were so devastating, even elite jōnin were helpless."
"If that was a clone," he added gravely, "then the real body must be beyond comprehension."
"I disagree," Hiruzen said. "I fought the first masked man up close. The chakra signature, the battle rhythm—it was different."
He looked out the broken window, eyes narrowing. "And we cannot discount the possibility that this is another Mangekyō Sharingan user. The Uchiha bloodline is deeper than we've ever truly understood."
"In the original scrolls from Naka Shrine," he added, "it's said that Mangekyō evolves differently depending on the trauma and user. Similar abilities arising independently… it's rare, but not impossible."
"And this one—this new one—knew everything. He struck the Hokage building while we were gone. He bypassed every seal and trap. He targeted the Book of Seals and Root records with surgical precision."
Danzo's face twisted. "You think this new masked Uchiha is siding with the clan's radicals? That he deliberately pitted us against Obito to weaken us both?"
"Exactly," Hiruzen answered grimly. "And that means the Uchiha we're dealing with now isn't just powerful. He's cunning, and he's informed. Possibly even one of our own."
"Damn it…" Homura muttered, turning away. "The Uchiha… they truly are cursed by power. Mangekyō after Mangekyō, generation after generation. Are we even capable of uprooting them anymore?"
"Don't speak like that!" Danzo barked. "They are not blessed—they are cursed. The Mangekyō's power comes at the cost of sanity. The stronger their eyes, the more unstable they become."
He stepped forward. "That's why we must act now. Before they spiral out of control. If this new Uchiha is hiding among the clan radicals, we strike them all down and purge the corruption."
His glare landed on Hiruzen again. "We don't wait. We crush them before they make their move."
But Hiruzen shook his head, voice resolute. "No. The Uchiha are still a part of Konoha. I will not order a massacre of our own villagers."
He exhaled slowly. "And with this new Mangekyō user, we may not even be capable of 'crushing' them. Until we identify and neutralize him, a direct assault is too risky."
"You're too soft!" Danzo shouted, furious. "You'd rather wait and react while the Uchiha prepare to revolt? What will you do when the Naka Shrine erupts with flames and half of Konoha is in ruins?"
"If that day comes," Hiruzen said, his gaze cold, "then I will take responsibility."
"But I will not be remembered as a Hokage who slaughtered innocent clansmen based on suspicion alone."
Danzo's fists clenched. "You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
Without another word, he stormed out, slamming the office door behind him, leaving Homura and the Third Hokage standing in silence.