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"Orochimaru, it's almost time. The Uchiha clan will be wiped out tonight."
Danzō paused, leaning on his cane, his voice low and heavy.
"Oh?"
Orochimaru looked at him in surprise. A sharp glint flashed through his vertical pupils.
"The schedule moved up? Interesting. Since when did Sensei Hiruzen grow that much backbone? This really doesn't feel like his style."
"That's because the Uchiha produced an unexpected variable. Uchiha Akira. That brat…"
Danzō went on to recount everything Akira had done that day, detail by detail.
When Orochimaru finished listening, he let out a slick "tsst" sound and excitedly licked his lips, as if washing his face with his tongue. His eyes shone with unmistakable interest.
"Interesting. Very interesting. Seven years old, casually one-shotting a jōnin, and not giving the Hokage any face at all. Heh."
"Orochimaru, I didn't come here just to inform you," Danzō said calmly, fixing him with a look. "I also want to discuss what to do about those two brats, Itachi and Akira."
"Oh? You're interested in them too, Danzō?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"Hmph. Don't play dumb. A Mangekyō Sharingan and the secret behind a sudden explosive increase in strength. It's not just me. Even Hiruzen is very interested."
"I see," Orochimaru said slowly. "You're afraid Sensei will forcibly snatch those two away from you, so you want me to spirit them off in secret, right?"
He'd guessed Danzō's intentions immediately.
"That's right. I'm here to deepen our cooperation," Danzō said without hesitation. "I'll handle subduing the two of them. You'll take them away quietly. We cannot let Hiruzen get his hands on them."
"No problem. I'm in," Orochimaru agreed readily. Then, as if to ease Danzō's worries, he added, "Relax. I won't just grab the kids and disappear. You and I will have plenty of chances to work together in the future. It wouldn't be worth throwing that away for a bit of short-term gain."
"Hm. You're a smart man," Danzō nodded. "Sabotaging our cooperation wouldn't benefit either of us."
"Heh. Exactly. Then here's to a pleasant collaboration."
Orochimaru smiled and extended his hand.
"To a pleasant collaboration."
Danzō reached out and shook it, a chilling smile creeping across his face.
Hiruzen, Hiruzen. You think I'm only playing on the first level, but I'm already three steps ahead. You'd never guess I still have help hidden in the shadows.
Danzō felt deeply satisfied.
With his goal achieved, he turned to leave. Then something occurred to him. He paused and looked back.
"By the way, Orochimaru. How's the arm I asked you to prepare coming along?"
"There's been progress. No need to rush," Orochimaru replied. "A couple of days ago, my subordinates found someone with an extremely special body. His cells show no rejection to any other cells."
Danzō's single eye lit up.
"Good. If that's true, then I'll replace my right arm with his."
He rubbed his right arm, barely able to hide his excitement.
That arm had suffered a hidden injury long ago. Using it was extremely inconvenient. He'd considered replacing it for years, but never found a suitable match, so the plan had been delayed until now.
But today, a perfect candidate had appeared.
An arm with zero rejection.
And on top of that, tonight just happened to be the night of the Uchiha clan's annihilation.
A brilliant idea suddenly sprang into Danzō's mind.
If there's no rejection, then maybe he could implant multiple Sharingan into that arm.
Once the thought appeared, it spiraled completely out of control.
"Then I'll go make the arrangements."
With that, Danzō hurried out of the secret chamber.
He needed to instruct his men to collect as many Sharingan as possible.
Anything he wanted would be available tonight. Truly his lucky day, Danzō thought smugly.
"Hmph. Fugaku really didn't believe my judgment. He didn't even evacuate the civilians."
Akira stood on a rooftop, looking down at the brightly lit homes throughout the Uchiha district, clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction.
He'd warned them. That was enough.
If fighting broke out later and the clan's non-combatants suffered heavy casualties, that wasn't on him.
Unable to hold back any longer, Akira decided to use the two check-in opportunities he'd earned from farming the Third Hokage's anger.
He'd originally planned to save up ten for a big pull, but his check-in soul simply wouldn't allow it.
"System, check in. Use both chances."
Ding… Check-in successful. Obtained: Supreme Sunglasses x1.
Ding… Check-in successful. Obtained: 24k Gold Chain x1.
"Sunglasses plus a gold chain? System, are you trying to turn me into some kind of gang boss?"
Akira complained internally, then asked, "System, these aren't just normal sunglasses, right? Care to explain?"
Supreme Sunglasses: Blocks all forms of visual perception. Once worn, even the Byakugan cannot see through to your eyes.
The system finally provided an explanation.
Akira raised an eyebrow. These actually sounded useful.
Perfect for hiding his six-tomoe Rinnegan.
Not that it would be a big deal if the Rinnegan were exposed, but if there was an option to keep it hidden, why not? Less trouble that way.
And, more importantly, sunglasses just looked cooler.
Next, he asked about the gold chain.
24k Pure Gold Chain: A must-have accessory for bosses. Wearing it makes you more domineering. In short, it's just stylish.
Alright. Trash item.
Akira reached that conclusion instantly.
Two check-ins. The sunglasses were useful, the luck wasn't bad at all.
With nothing else to do for the moment, Akira lay flat on the rooftop, staring at the full moon as it rose higher into the sky.
Swish.
With a thought, a pair of sunglasses appeared on his face.
No change in vision. Crystal clear, just like before. Solid review.
Man, that moon really is white, big, and perfectly round. Inside it's sealed that naive idiot Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Basically a bunch of Hyūga-types mashed together.
Could I go up there and steal that giant Tenseigan?
If I just blew the moon apart, would that unseal Kaguya?
Would breaking a seal with pure physical force actually work?
Does "brute force solves everything" apply in this world?
Staring at the moon, Akira let his thoughts run wild.
After a while, he started feeling hungry.
Looking at the round moon, it suddenly reminded him of a soft, delicious dango.
Dango?
Wait. Dango?!
As if realizing something, Akira suddenly sat upright…
"..."
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