Shimura Danzō arrived in the Land of Rivers.
He stood on the battlefield where Uchiha Yoru had wiped out the ten-man Sunagakure squad. Around him followed more than thirty Root ninjas wearing masks etched with intricate patterns.
Mixed among them were several ninjas without masks.
These were all high-ranking members of Root, including the Third Hokage's beloved disciple, Orochimaru.
At the moment, Orochimaru was in extremely high spirits, directing Root ninjas to scrape up every kind of sample they could find.
Danzō and Orochimaru had already gone to inspect that battlefield outside Sunagakure.
But there, they had been watched by over a hundred Sunagakure ninjas.
There were too many details they couldn't see clearly.
And they had no desire to examine things too carefully in front of Sunagakure's people either, lest they expose information they should not.
So instead, they had come to the battlefield in the Land of Rivers to conduct their investigation.
In this neutral country, Root could mobilize enough manpower to conduct a truly exhaustive search.
Compared to Orochimaru's delighted mood, since he had gained quite a bit from the investigation, Danzō's expression was extremely gloomy.
The traces left on this battlefield were far too exaggerated.
In his memory, only Sarutobi Hiruzen's combined Five Release ninjutsu could create destruction on this scale.
Which meant that, in the ninja world, there was now yet another enemy Shimura Danzō could not defeat.
Actually, that was a slight exaggeration.
For the moment, Uchiha Yoru was only stronger in close combat and large-scale ninjutsu. If he truly fought a life-and-death battle against Shimura Danzō, his advantage was not yet completely overwhelming.
In close combat, he still had to be wary of Danzō completing the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique. That was an absolute sealing technique capable of destroying an entire bridge, and when it unfolded, it practically looked like a black hole. (doge)
And Yoru's even more shocking techniques had not yet matured. In actual combat, they required a fair amount of preparation time, while in long-range exchanges he still had to worry about Danzō taking the initiative with Vacuum Wind Release. (doge 2)
In short, Uchiha Yoru still could not kill Danzō with one hundred percent certainty.
Danzō's worry was just a tiny bit excessive.
A very long time passed.
From dawn to night.
From night to the next dawn.
Root ninjas were not merely searching the battlefield. Even more of them came and went constantly.
They conducted wide-ranging searches over a very large surrounding area, and information related to the case was continuously gathered and brought back.
At last, Orochimaru ended the investigation in complete satisfaction and came to Danzō's side.
In his hoarse voice, he said, "It's finished. I already have a complete grasp of all the clues here. There's nothing left worth seeing."
Danzō shook his head.
"It's not over yet."
"Not over yet?"
Orochimaru was somewhat surprised.
He looked over the valley. The entire ground had been scraped away by half a foot. There shouldn't have been any intelligence left behind at all.
Danzō did not answer directly. Instead, he deliberately put on a profound air and asked, "What information can be confirmed for certain?"
Orochimaru did not care in the slightest about Danzō's performance.
He was far too smart.
While still in his teens, Orochimaru had already seen through Shimura Danzō's essence. Since he didn't care about face, he was perfectly willing to follow Danzō's temperament and cooperate with him. That way, he could fight for the greatest practical benefit for himself.
So he smiled and reported his conclusion.
"Hehe, leaving aside what you already know…"
"What happened here was an abnormal battle."
"The technique that burned the entire valley was driven by natural energy, not sage chakra. It was pure natural energy."
Orochimaru's eyes shone with excitement.
"There is one more senjutsu branch in the ninja world now. How truly exciting."
"I really want to speak to this person face to face."
Danzō let out a cold snort, then said, "As long as it can be confirmed, that's enough. Come with me. My people found something highly suspicious."
"Oh? What situation could possibly require both you and me to verify it personally?"
"To the northeast, in a valley about four hundred kilometers away, the ninjas found an outpost belonging to Cat Castle."
"The Ninja Cat clan?"
"That's right."
"Then yes, that really is something the two of us need to see for ourselves."
The secrecy surrounding the contract between the Ninja Cat clan and the Uchiha clan was extremely high.
Even when Uchiha Fugaku did business with Granny Cat, the transactions were routed through several layers of indirection, successfully ensuring that no one in the ninja world knew.
But that secret was never absolute.
In fact, from the time of the Second Hokage onward, the upper ranks of the Hokage faction had known. That group included Shimura Danzō and the Three Legendary Sannin.
This was not Clan Head Uchiha Fugaku's fault.
Rather, it was because twenty years ago, the Uchiha clan had produced one Uchiha who held the overall interests of Konoha close to heart.
No matter when it happened, a mole from the upper ranks was always impossible to guard against.
And now, so close to such a critical incident site, there was actually an outpost belonging to the Ninja Cat clan.
Didn't that imply the Uchiha clan might be involved?
Furthermore, rumors had recently spread among the summoning beast clans, saying that the Ninja Cats had produced a Sage.
Both Orochimaru and Danzō had heard those rumors.
And at this moment, both of them thought of the same possibility.
Could the mysterious man who called himself the Natural Sage be a Sage from the Ninja Cat clan?
If so, the problem truly had become enormous.
Given that worst-case possibility, Danzō and Orochimaru had no choice but to go personally and figure out, one way or another, whether Cat Castle had any connection to this incident.
…
Land of Fire.
Konoha Village.
Uchiha Clan.
Just last night—roughly when Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru had been busy in the Land of Rivers—the Uchiha clan had also held a clan meeting.
The oldest qualified member of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Nobuhiro, a jōnin from the Warring States era, proposed the establishment of a ninjutsu and tactics study group for the younger generation.
The purpose was to strengthen the knowledge and power of the younger members of the clan in preparation for the coming war.
No one opposed the proposal itself.
But when it came to who should be in charge of the study group, the Uchihas argued with extraordinary intensity.
Actually, it wasn't as intense as one might imagine.
Because Uchiha Nobuhiro suddenly displayed unbelievable stubbornness.
He firmly believed that only Uchiha Yoru could do the job properly.
No one else would work.
Uchiha Nobuhiro was only old enough, that was all. He had faded from the center of power far too long ago. Normally, the elders would have ignored his stubbornness. In the past, they would simply leave the old man to the side, discuss things among themselves, and decide matters on their own.
Their attitude toward the so-called oldest Uchiha was basically total disregard.
But this time, old man Nobuhiro used action to tell everyone that that was only because he didn't care.
When he truly cared and insisted—
He became someone who absolutely could not be ignored.
Uchiha Nobuhiro did not even try to persuade them.
He simply beat up all the elders.
Yes.
Right in front of all the Uchihas with three-tomoe Sharingan, he not only beat up every elder, he also kept saying things like, "You little brats have grown wings now? You think you don't have to listen anymore?" and "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Everything you say is bullshit."
The Uchihas in power got so furious they nearly burst.
In their rage, they fought back with full force.
And they were still suppressed by Nobuhiro with ease, fully demonstrating combat power above the Kage level.
He used pure hard strength to tell everyone one simple truth.
Your elder is still your elder.
Actually, the old man himself was overjoyed inside.
Who would have thought that in his twilight years, he could regain vitality again and feel strength and vigor once more?
[The feeling of fists landing blow for blow… damn, this is satisfying.]
[Those dried small fish really are incredible. It's just a pity there's so little of them.]
…
Yesterday, Uchiha Yoru had secretly gone to see him and explained the action plan he had devised.
He had persuaded him to help with the plan almost effortlessly.
The only thing the old man worried about was that Uchiha Yoru was only eighteen.
Trying to overthrow Uchiha Fugaku within three years—wasn't that too impatient?
Uchiha Yoru smiled and asked, "Great-uncle, don't tell me you don't trust me and don't want to help?"
Uchiha Nobuhiro immediately stated his position.
"Nonsense!"
"This old man already handed things over to you. That means I've placed my hopes on you. If I can help, then naturally I'll help all the way."
"But what I'm worried about is that you're moving too early. And with me in my current state, I don't really hold any power within the clan. I'm worried that even if the proposal to establish the study group succeeds, the person put in charge won't be you."
"Since you trust me, then you should trust my judgment and my strength."
"You brat! Don't tell me… don't tell me…"
"No, no, I haven't awakened the Mangekyō yet. In our clan, only Clan Head Fugaku might have awakened it."
"If you don't have the Mangekyō Sharingan, how are you going to suppress the entire clan? And if Fugaku really has awakened the Mangekyō, how could you possibly force him down?"
"Yoru, do you even understand the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"I do. I really do. The power of Susanoo, right?"
"You really know…"
"But I'm confident. Maybe I can't do it right now, but within three years, there definitely won't be a problem."
"Good!! The one who leads our Uchiha clan should have exactly this kind of courage! This old man believes in you. Within three years, you will definitely awaken the Mangekyō!"
"Ah, this… what I meant was that even without relying on the Sharingan I can… forget it. Well, it's not as if the Mangekyō couldn't do it."
"I get the sense that for the moment, you don't want to make too much of a splash?"
"That's right. My current strength is already very strong, but not overwhelmingly so. It isn't enough to awe everyone into submission."
"For the sake of preserving the clan's vitality, I need time to grow. That includes both my own strength and my prestige within the clan."
"So this study group is extremely important. I'm counting on you."
Uchiha Nobuhiro quickly understood and accepted Uchiha Yoru's plan.
Yoru really was still too young right now.
It wouldn't suit him to step all the way to the front too suddenly.
And a study group like this, one that would organize the younger generation within the clan, was indeed highly suitable for helping Uchiha Yoru accumulate prestige and win hearts.
The old man raised his right hand.
The skin on that hand was slack and lined with deep folds. Once lifted, it trembled uncontrollably, looking frail and powerless with age.
"Sigh. I can only do my best. I can't guarantee the final result."
"That's fine. I had an unexpected gain during this trip out."
Uchiha Yoru pulled out a dried small fish. Then, thinking better of it, he broke off only a quarter and handed it to Uchiha Nobuhiro.
"Great-uncle Nobuhiro, have a taste. This is a marvelous thing I obtained. You'll like it."
Uchiha Nobuhiro was simply too old.
His stomach had long since stopped being suited for fried food.
But the rich oily fragrance of the dried small fish, mixed with that unusual fresh aroma, was far too tempting. Just one light sniff was enough to revive the old man's salivary glands. His dried-up mouth flooded instantly, and even his stomach let out a loud growl.
Uchiha Nobuhiro felt hunger.
And that astonished him beyond words.
When people grew old, all sorts of sensations faded away.
Hunger was one of them.
It had been many years since Nobuhiro had truly felt hungry. Missing a meal no longer brought him appetite—only weakness.
Even the tofu and medicinal dishes Uchiha Yoru made could only bring fullness and renewed spirit after entering the stomach. Before eating, they still could not stir his appetite.
Yet merely smelling this little fried flour-based snack had already reactivated bodily functions.
How could Uchiha Nobuhiro fail to realize that it was definitely a good thing?
He no longer hesitated.
He directly shoved the dried small fish into his mouth and chewed with the few teeth he had left.
His loose teeth hurt so badly when dealing with the crispy fish that the corners of his eyes twitched violently.
Yet he ignored the pain completely and chewed with all his might before swallowing.
Then—
His eyes widened.
His pupils lost focus.
His stomach erupted with gurgling intestinal sounds.
At some point, a thick layer of dead skin had appeared across the surface of his body, quickly paling, cracking, and curling up. He looked utterly miserable.
But in Uchiha Yoru's eyes, old man Nobuhiro's aura went from a threadbare flicker to something rapidly swelling stronger, until it became a blazing flame—powerful and full of vitality.
As the dead skin began peeling away, Uchiha Nobuhiro's intestinal sounds grew louder and louder, almost like drumbeats.
His eyes recovered their sharpness and conveyed a signal of extremely intense suffering.
Understanding that it was the suffering of the three urgent needs, Uchiha Yoru tactfully took his leave.
Everything that needed to be discussed had already been discussed.
The rest could be confirmed tomorrow.
There was no need to stay in Shisui's home and watch the old man embarrass himself.
If he stayed any longer, the old man would definitely start hitting people out of shame and annoyance.
Yoru wasn't afraid of getting hit.
But if he angered the old man badly enough to cause some real problem, that would be a disaster.
The next morning, just after Uchiha Yoru got up, Uchiha Nobuhiro dragged Shisui to his door.
The moment he entered, he blew out a breath at Uchiha Yoru.
Just an ordinary breath.
With a faint scent of old tea.
But Uchiha Yoru burst out laughing.
"The effect is even better than expected."
The old man also laughed loudly.
"Good. Very good. Excellent."
Previously, Uchiha Nobuhiro's mouth had always carried an unpleasant smell.
It wasn't ordinary bad breath.
It was a foul turbid breath rising from deep inside his organs.
That stink carried the rotten scent of decaying innards, enough to overwhelm anyone. It was the outward sign of a body reaching its final stage of life, when the organs had already begun to die from within.
No medical ninjutsu could change that.
It was an unchangeable law of nature.
But now, the vile odor that represented that turbid breath was gone.
That meant the old man's internal organs were no longer decaying.
They had regained health.
Pleased with himself, Uchiha Nobuhiro raised a hand and steadily tapped his teeth with a finger, producing a crisp metallic sound. At the same time, he showed the steadiness of his fingers and the firmness of his teeth.
"This old man suffered quite a bit last night. I even lost twelve jin in weight. But it was worth it."
"This body has become at least twenty years younger!"
"Kid, I think I'll live long enough to see the day you become clan head, lead the Uchiha clan away from the wrong path, and restore it to glory."
Uchiha Yoru asked, "Great-uncle Nobuhiro, do you think you can eat dried small fish one more time?"
The old man immediately waved his hands.
"No. Absolutely not. This stuff's marrow-washing and body-refining effect is too strong. Enduring it once was easy enough, but I'm too old. A lot of the damage I've already suffered can't be restored."
"If I do it again, this old man will definitely die."
"Even if I can only eat it once, I can still live another ten years, and live those years comfortably. That's enough."
"A person has to know contentment. Otherwise even the gods will become jealous."
"But if you have extra, give some to Shisui."
"I don't have any money left, but as long as I'm alive, I will support every decision you make with all my strength."
Uchiha Yoru said, "I already prepared Shisui's share. You don't need to worry."
"As long as I still have any in the future, his share won't be missing."
[After all, Uchiha Shisui is the white glove I chose. As long as he doesn't surpass me, the stronger he becomes and the longer he lives, the better.]
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