Inside a dim chamber beneath Konoha's administrative district, Shimura Danzo sat alone.
Reports spread before him.
Battlefield updates.
Clan observations.
And one particular document…
Uchiha Kagami — Mangekyō Sharingan confirmed.
Danzo closed his eyes briefly.
Memory rose uninvited.
Years ago.
When Uchiha Madara stood against Konoha.
The air itself had felt heavy that day. Even seasoned shinobi hesitated. Not from cowardice — from instinct.
Because Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan…
Was something else entirely.
Danzo remembered:
Susanoo towering like a guardian deity.
Defense that ordinary ninjutsu barely scratched.
Offensive power capable of reshaping terrain.
Genjutsu so profound it could influence even beings fueled by raw chakra.
That wasn't just strength.
It felt… mythic.
And Danzo had understood something very clearly back then:
No matter how hard ordinary shinobi trained…
Some bloodline abilities operated on another scale entirely.
He didn't resent it.
But he never forgot it.
That realization shaped his worldview:
Power imbalance created vulnerability.
Vulnerability demanded compensation.
Compensation required acquisition.
Sometimes by alliance.
Sometimes by control.
Sometimes by less public means.
Kagami possessing Mangekyō Sharingan rekindled those thoughts.
And now…
Another variable existed:
Uchiha Kaen.
Unconfirmed Mangekyō.
Unconfirmed full strength.
Confirmed extraordinary restraint.
That combination intrigued Danzo more than open power would.
"Restraint hides intent," he murmured quietly.
To Danzo, Mangekyō Sharingan represented three strategic concerns:
Battlefield dominance potential.
Psychological influence capability.
Long-term political leverage.
Not mystical fascination.
Pragmatic calculation.
He didn't underestimate the Uchiha.
Nor did he trust them completely.
History complicated that relationship.
Both sides knew it.
But Danzo also knew something many overlooked:
Fear alone didn't maintain stability.
Understanding did.
Control sometimes did too.
So he issued quiet instructions to his intelligence network:
Observe Kagami's deployments.
Track Kaen's battlefield growth.
Report unusual chakra signatures immediately.
No direct interference.
Not yet.
Meanwhile, far away in the Land of Wind…
Kaen trained under the setting desert sun.
Observation Haki extended widely.
Battle instincts sharper than ever.
System points rising steadily.
Mangekyō still hidden.
Conqueror's Haki steadily refining.
He sensed distant political attention occasionally.
Not hostile.
Not immediate threat.
Just… watchers.
That didn't bother him.
Because he expected it.
Strength rarely remained invisible forever.
Hitomi trained nearby.
Kagami reviewing mission maps.
War continuing.
Life moving forward.
Neither Kaen nor Kagami knew yet how deeply Danzo's interest would grow.
And Danzo himself hadn't decided his next move.
He rarely rushed.
Because in his experience…
Patience often delivered power more reliably than force.
And somewhere beneath Konoha's calm surface…
Ambition, caution, and history quietly intertwined once again.