It was already night in Konoha, but Hiruzen Sarutobi remained in the Hokage's Office. He had just received intelligence from the battlefield where the Konoha forces were engaging the Sand Ninja.
Only two days ago, he had dispatched ninjas toward the Land of Grass to block an impending attack from the Stone Ninja. Now that news from the other front had arrived, he wondered what the situation looked like.
Hiruzen read the report from beginning to end in solitude. He then set the letter on his desk and sat in a trance for over ten minutes, lost in his own thoughts.
"I didn't expect it. I truly didn't expect this," Hiruzen murmured, taking a long drag from his pipe to steady his nerves. He needed a moment of calm. Konoha had achieved a magnificent result in their clash with the Sand Ninja, and more importantly, it was all due to one person: Tianyuan.
"Good lad. I truly never imagined he could actually capture One-Tails Shukaku, defeat the Kazekage, and kill hundreds of Sand Ninja on his own. Such a feat is unprecedented. It is a monumental victory." Hiruzen's face flushed with excitement. "With this, the Sand Ninja won't be able to lift a finger against Konoha for quite some time."
"In that case, there shouldn't be any problem with me arranging for Tianyuan to handle the Stone Ninja advance," Hiruzen mused. He had previously sent the ANBU to notify Tianyuan's group that they were being reassigned to take charge of the war efforts against the Stone Ninja, and Tianyuan was to be one of the primary leads.
Previously, Tianyuan might not have had the record to support such a position; after all, he was still just a child. But now, this single battle against the Sand Ninja made it entirely possible.
"Perhaps Tianyuan can provide even greater help against the Stone Ninja." Hiruzen looked forward to it, hoping Tianyuan would carry this brilliant momentum into the next conflict.
"However, there is one point that must be noted... Tianyuan possesses the Mangekyō Sharingan. That is the supreme power of the Uchiha Clan, the power once held by Madara Uchiha." Hiruzen focused on that detail, as it was the most vital piece of information in the report.
"The Mangekyō... even the current Uchiha Clan doesn't possess such power," Hiruzen thought to himself. "Perhaps the Uchiha will make a move of their own because of this."
As for why Tianyuan hadn't disclosed the Mangekyō earlier, Hiruzen wasn't particularly worried. At the time, it was likely an act of self-preservation. Now that his strength had reached such a level, Tianyuan had simply allowed his true power to be exposed.
Hiruzen understood Tianyuan's personality well enough to know he couldn't be treated like an ordinary child.
"But at nine years old, to possess the Mangekyō Sharingan... that level of talent is simply too exaggerated." Hiruzen continued to click his tongue in disbelief.
Nine years old with the Mangekyō.
This wasn't just having the Sharingan at nine. This completely transcended the definition of a genius. There was only one word for it: monster. A total, absolute monster.
Even the First Hokage or Madara Uchiha couldn't have possessed such talent at that age. He was someone truly favored by the heavens, a favorite of the gods.
"Tianyuan, I hope you will always stay in Konoha," Hiruzen whispered, looking out at the perfectly black starry sky. For some reason, a seed of worry lingered in his heart.
"I hope... we don't end up on opposite sides in the end." Hiruzen realized there was little he could do now. As Tianyuan grew stronger, Hiruzen felt his own influence over the boy slipping away.
"I won't think about that for now." Hiruzen shook his head. "The reality is that this is a time for celebration. Konoha has gained another powerhouse, another hero, and we have seized the advantage in the war against the Sand."
After all, the Sand Ninja's Tailed Beast was now in Konoha's hands. The Sand had effectively lost their deterrent their nuclear weapon.
In a certain underground structure in Konoha.
This was the Root headquarters, the secret domain of Danzō. Unlike the branch headquarters Tianyuan had destroyed, the defenses here were far more sophisticated.
Danzō was currently looking at the intelligence report regarding the war between Konoha and Sunagakure.
"Capturing Shukaku, defeating the Kazekage, and killing hundreds of Sand Ninja alone." Danzō let out a cold sneer. "Impressive. Truly impressive. Tianyuan, it seems my eyes didn't deceive me. You are so powerful that I have an urge to destroy you."
"If you cannot be used by me, keeping you alive is a threat," Danzō said coldly. "The person who destroyed one of my Root bases... I'm starting to feel more and more that it was you."
"However, that formidable power... the Mangekyō Sharingan, Susanoo... the eyes of legend?" Danzō fell into deep thought. "Dealing with those eyes seems exceptionally difficult."
"And the power to defeat a Tailed Beast..." Danzō's mind raced as he considered his options. "I heard recently that there is an organization called Akatsuki in the Land of Rain. There is a ninja there who possesses a miraculous power quite similar to the Sharingan."
"The leader of Hidden Rain Village is Hanzō. It looks like I need to study how to proceed." Danzō's eyes flashed with a cold, predatory light.
For the sake of his ambitions, anyone standing in his way had only one path: death.
"Tianyuan, the hero of Konoha... I look forward to your performance. I truly want to see how it feels to fall from the clouds." Danzō laughed darkly. The sound echoed through the underground chamber, sounding eerie and sinister.
The Uchiha Clan Estate.
Although many Uchiha ninjas had already joined the Great War, Fugaku Uchiha had not yet entered the fray himself. He knew that wouldn't last long; he would eventually need to join the world-wide conflict.
However, Fugaku wasn't thinking about the war at the moment. Instead, he was staring at the report in his hands.
"Tianyuan possesses the supreme eyes of the Uchiha Clan, the Mangekyō, and can utilize Susanoo." This was the message contained within the report.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan." Fugaku was stunned. "Why does Tianyuan have the Mangekyō? He isn't a member of the Uchiha Clan. Could it really be atavism?"
"And at nine years old... the Mangekyō. This is the true monster of the Uchiha." Fugaku's eyes were full of shock. Compared to Tianyuan, even geniuses like Shisui Uchiha couldn't really be considered geniuses anymore.
"Should I try to get in contact with this Tianyuan?" Fugaku mused silently.
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