Hiruzen left.
Before leaving, he instructed Shisui to rest and recover, then cast a profound glance at Fugaku.
That meaningful look left Fugaku deeply unsettled.
Since becoming the head of the Uchiha Clan, he had done everything possible to integrate the Uchiha Clan more fully into the village.
During the Third Great Ninja War, he personally led his team on the front lines, forging a strong camaraderie with Minato.
His wife, Mikoto, was also close friends with Minato's wife, Kushina.
When Namikaze Minato became the Fourth Hokage, Fugaku felt as though he could finally see the dawn of the Uchiha Clan's full acceptance into the village.
But then the Nine-Tails Rampage changed everything.
The rampaging Nine-Tails not only destroyed much of the village but also claimed countless lives… both civilian and shinobi. And the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes pointed directly at the Uchiha Clan!
The deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife stripped the Uchiha Clan of all political support.
With Hiruzen's return to power, the repressive policies against the Uchiha Clan, which was first implemented during the Second Hokage's era, were reinstated. Worse still, after the Nine-Tails Rampage, the Uchiha Clan was relocated to an even more remote part of the village.
And now, a Mangekyo Sharingan user had appeared outside the clan…
Fugaku was utterly exhausted, physically and mentally. He could already imagine how the village's high-ranking people would use this to pressure the Uchiha Clan.
"Fugaku-sama." Shisui's voice snapped Fugaku out of his thoughts.
He looked at the youngest three-tomoe Uchiha in the clan and reassured him, "You should have a good rest."
But Shisui grabbed Fugaku's hand.
Their eyes met, and Shisui whispered, "She has Susanoo… the Complete Susanoo…"
The moment Fugaku heard 'Complete Susanoo', his heart lurched violently.
This was the third power unlocked by the Mangekyo Sharingan!
Even Fugaku himself had only just grasped the basic forms of Susanoo… far from achieving the complete state.
"Sure enough, it really is a clansman taken by that man." Fugaku became even more certain of this Uchiha's origins.
Only this could explain how a lone Uchiha, who is raised outside the clan, could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan at such a young age and even develop the Complete Susanoo!
'Uchiha Madara!'
'Only the Uchiha Clan's strongest head in history could have nurtured such a powerhouse!'
'Though historical records stated that no clansmen followed him when he defected, Madara had indeed taken many of the clan's secret techniques with him.'
'If Madara had secretly taken a few Uchiha Clan's members under his wing, then everything made sense.'
'It has to be Uchiha Madara!'
…
Hokage Building.
"Huruzen! The Uchiha Clan must be held accountable!" Danzo stormed into the Hokage's office with a menacing look, a sinister light flashing in his one eye.
Hiruzen, who had just returned from visiting Shisui's team at the hospital, hadn't even settled into his seat.
Faced with his old friend's aggressive demand, he immediately frowned and said, "This matter has nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan in the village."
"An Uchiha is running loose outside the clan… that alone is their failure!" Danzo insisted.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, exhaling slowly: "It's likely one of the few clansmen taken by Uchiha Madara."
'Uchiha Madara!'
Even the scheming Danzo stiffened at the name.
Both Danzo and Hiruzen had been born before Konoha's founding. They grew up hearing tales of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and had even seen him in person.
And as the other central figure of those legends, the man who stood as Hashirama's equal, Madara had left an indelible mark on their minds.
Madara left Konoha Village in the Year 2 of the Konoha Calendar and tried to take his clan members with him, but it is said that no one was willing to go with him.
After disappearing for a few years, Madara finally returned and caused some trouble!
He was eventually killed by Hashirama at the Valley of the End.
When Madara was killed by Hashirama, Danzo and Hiruzen were already Genin or Chunin.
Even after decades had passed, the mere mention of Madara still sent a chill down their spines.
"Stop blaming everything on Uchiha Madara! He's been dead for years!" Danzo refused to accept this explanation… or at least pretended not to, solely to pressure the Uchiha Clan further.
"I will send people to continue gathering intel on Hoshigakure." Hiruzen said, deliberately withholding the information about the Uzumaki Clan from Danzo.
Even after learning the truth about Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan's Dojutsu, Kotoamatsukami, he still hesitated over whether to tell Danzo.
Meanwhile, at this moment, Danzō also recalled Nagato, whom he and Hanzo had once schemed against in Amegakure…
'Could this Uchiha be related to the Akatsuki organization?' Danzo wasn't entirely sure and decided to send someone to investigate.
The Land of Bears was too far from the Land of Fire, separated by several nations. The Land of Bears is also wedged between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, so it is impossible for Konoha to dispatch a large-scale Ninja Force there.
"Regardless, this is Uchiha bloodline. Either we capture her and bring her back, or..." Danzo gritted his teeth in hatred for the Uchiha, yet the idea of an Uchiha roaming outside the village was unacceptable to him!
"Then, who do you plan to send to capture her?" Hiruzen put down his pipe and asked, "Even an Elite Jonin like Shisui was no match for her, and the enemy surely has more than just one high-level combatant."
They both knew that within the current Uchiha Clan, Shisui's strength easily ranked in the top three, and in a few more years, he might even surpass Fugaku.
The other two members of this squad were a Special Jonin and a seasoned war veteran whose Taijutsu was nearing Jonin-level.
Yet, an elite team led by an Elite Jonin of this caliber had been so thoroughly defeated by a single enemy.
"Hmph, I have my own plans!" Danzo snorted coldly, fixing his one-eyed gaze on Hiruzen and seizing the opportunity to demand: "If you return Kinoe to me…"
Before Danzo could finish, Hiruzen cut him off: "Don't even think about it!"
"Tenzo's Wood Release belongs to Konoha, not to you, Danzo!" Hiruzen sat in his chair, locking eyes with the standing Danzo.
Though he had expected it, being loudly rebuked by Hiruzen still stoked Danzo's fury.
After painstakingly salvaging a Wood Release user from Orochimaru's experiments and nurturing him for years, Danzo had his prized asset snatched away by Hiruzen!
After that mission to pursue Orochimaru, Kinoe seemed to change, his loyalty to Danzo's ideals wavering.
He even clashed with Danzo.
Sensing that this pawn was slipping from his control, Danzo attempted to manipulate Kinoe using Sharingan's Genjutsu and Cursed Seals, only to be interrupted by Kakashi, who suddenly stormed the Root's base and rescued him.
Naturally, Danzō refused to let such a valuable piece slip away and immediately dispatched Root's members to pursue them.
But they were intercepted by Hiruzen, who arrived just in time.
Invoking his authority as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen removed Kinoe from Root and reassigned him to the Anbu directly under the Hokage… a move that left Danzo seething with resentment!
Hiruzen issued a warning: "Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!" Danzo spat out angrily before slamming the door on his way out.
Bang!
Watching the door rattle in its frame, Hiruzen exhaled a slow stream of smoke, the wrinkles on his brow deepening.
'A lost Uchiha bloodline and an Uzumaki survivor... Just what had happened in Hoshigakure?'