Konoha, the Hokage Building.
Though night had already fallen, the entire structure blazed with light.
The reconstruction after the Nine-Tails' attack, daily political matters, wars raging on two fronts, and the unseen struggle with rival great powers had turned the Hokage Building into a place of constant activity.
Uchiha Gen, the great fan strapped to his back, walked straight inside.
There was no 'face-slapping' scene, no showing off. Gen was a jōnin, and well-known enough that anyone who needed to recognize him already did.
After the usual announcement, he stood outside the Hokage's office.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Please, come in."
Gen entered, bowing with composure. "Hokage-sama."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze flicked to the fan on Gen's back, his kindly expression shifting for a moment as he clearly recognized it. But he quickly returned to calm, voice steady.
"To think you'd rush back from the front line yourself… did something major occur?"
"Yes. A significant event."
Gen drew a scroll from his pouch. His posture was respectful but unbending, his movements precise. Holding the scroll with both hands, he presented it. "This is the detailed report. Please review it, Hokage-sama."
"Don't be so tense." Hiruzen's tone softened. "Publicly, you are a hero at the front lines. Privately, you are my grand-disciple. Be at ease."
Tch. Smooth words, Gen thought. No wonder Hiruzen's grip on power never wavered even after returning to the seat of Hokage, he had the tongue of a politician.
Another Uchiha youth might have melted under such words, eyes brimming with tears. But Gen knew better. Hiruzen had certainly been keeping an eye on him already.
Pretending to be naïve would only seem fake.
"I'm not nervous," Gen replied evenly. "This is simply the respect owed to my sensei's master."
Public and private, both addressed neatly. Respectful, but not sycophantic.
At this point, he could afford measured confidence, but outright arrogance would be foolish.
He knew the truth; Danzo alone, with his wind release and summon, could tear through a Susanoo's defenses. And Hiruzen was stronger than Danzo.
People underestimated him because of his later years. But the Third Hokage at his peak was a monster.
Gen recalled; on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, Hiruzen had pinned the beast and dragged it out of the village with one strike of Enma's staff. During the Fourth War, he had countered the divine tree's branches not with finesse like Tobirama, but with brute force. His Five-Release Great Consecutive Technique rivaled any Kage's trump card.
Hiruzen's prime could match almost anyone short of those wielding giant chakra avatars. Even Ōnoki, with his Dust Release, might not win. Power meant nothing if you couldn't land the hit.
Yes… it would be unwise to underestimate him.
Hiruzen smiled faintly, thinking; This child truly is different. His emotional intelligence surpasses most of his clan.
He opened the scroll. As his eyes moved down the lines, the smile faded. His brows furrowed. His heart stirred.
At last, he exhaled a long breath. "Whew…"
When he looked back at Gen, his expression was complicated.
This youth was no ordinary Uchiha genius. Shisui wasn't even in the same league.
A second bloodline limit… awakened with Orochimaru's aid?
The Sharingan alone had made the Uchiha a clan among clans and prestigious even beyond Konoha. And now, one of them had gained another bloodline limit.
Was this unique to Gen? Or could others also awaken it?
The implications shook him.
Not only that, Gen and Orochimaru had dismantled the enemy's plot and reclaimed the Uchiha clan's heirloom war fan. With dual bloodlines, his strength had already reached Kage-level. And he was still so young.
Such power could be boon or bane to the village.
But in this delicate moment, chaos was unacceptable. Stability had to be maintained.
"You and Orochimaru did very well," Hiruzen said finally. "You've won back honor for the fallen of Konoha. This is a great merit."
"Hokage-sama overpraises me. I fought mainly to protect myself as the enemy was after my eyes. But as a Konoha shinobi, this is also my duty."
His tone hardened. "Konoha must not be destroyed."
Hiruzen nodded, heart eased. As long as someone placed Konoha first, things would not go too wrong.
"Regardless of your intent, the credit stands," he said. "Continue striving. When this war ends, and the ambitions of the foreign villages are crushed, you may choose an S-rank jutsu from the Scroll of Seals."
This was no empty platitude. Hiruzen rarely made promises outright. The likelihood of him retracting it was slim.
Gen's lips curved. Perfect, now he had an official reason to use the Flying Thunder God openly.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," he said, voice strong and solemn. "I will give my all to destroy the enemy's schemes and restore Konoha to the glory of peace!"
Hiruzen studied him a moment, then nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Go now. Finish your business, then rest well."
"Yes. Goodbye, Hokage-sama."
Gen bowed fully, then departed.
Not long after, Danzo entered, having been tipped off.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
Hiruzen's brow twitched. "What are you doing here?"
Danzo forced a thin smile on his usually cold face. "I heard Uchiha Gen rushed back from the front lines. Did something happen?"
"See for yourself." Hiruzen tossed him the scroll. "After reading, send some Root operatives to search. Chances are slim, but we can't sit idle."
Danzo read, his face darkening with each line. When he finished, he spat under his breath. "Damn Uchiha… like a lingering curse."
"Danzo," Hiruzen warned sharply, "don't speak words that cause misunderstanding."
Danzo coughed, masking his irritation. "Understood. I'll send Root to investigate the mysterious man."
Hiruzen nodded and relit his pipe.
But Danzo wasn't finished. "And what of this bloodline limit? The Uchiha have the Sharingan, yes, but another? There must be deception here. I think..."
Hiruzen's eyes turned cold, voice cutting him off. "Enough. I know what you want to say. But I will not hear it, not now."
His tone sharpened to steel. "Konoha needs both master and disciple to give their all. It needs stability. If you dare pull anything in secret, I will not forgive you. This is no empty threat, Danzo. Test me, if you like."
The faint killing intent rolling from Hiruzen was unmistakable.
Danzo, reading the danger, swallowed his retort and backed down. "Very well. Forget I said it."
"Good." Hiruzen waved him off, sour mood lingering. "Leave me."
Danzo withdrew quietly, shutting the door softly behind him.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Gen having finished skewers of street food slipped back into the Uchiha compound, leaping lightly toward the clan plaza.