Naka Shrine.
Uchiha Raizen looked at Uchiha Ren, a quiet sigh escaping his heart.
This outcome—
He had never imagined it.
He had truly been forced down from his position.
And yet…
It wasn't unacceptable.
Because the man before him—
Possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The future of the Uchiha—
Would be brilliant.
"Clan Head-sama."
Raizen dropped to one knee.
From his robes, he took out a magatama carved from jade.
The symbol of the Uchiha clan head.
Passed down through generations.
Even Uchiha Madara had not taken it when he left—only the Gunbai.
"I will lead the Uchiha to a brighter future."
Ren accepted the heirloom calmly.
His tone steady.
His confidence absolute.
No matter what—
It couldn't be worse than the future he already knew.
Where the clan was nearly wiped out.
Reduced to almost nothing.
Just as he was about to receive the clan's formal reverence—
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"
A masked ANBU shinobi rushed in, shouting urgently.
"Raizen-sama! Konoha's defensive barrier has been destroyed! An enemy has breached the village!"
His voice faltered midway.
Because—
He saw Raizen kneeling.
Before Ren.
…What was this?
Some kind of ritual?
Raizen stood up calmly.
"I am no longer the clan head."
"The current head of the Uchiha…"
He gestured.
"…is Uchiha Ren-sama."
The ANBU froze.
His gaze shifted to Ren.
Shock flickered behind the fox mask.
For a moment—
He forgot why he was here.
Only after several seconds did he recover, quickly requesting Ren to lead the Uchiha in defending the village.
Ren blinked.
Enemy attack?
Then—
It clicked.
Ah.
That slash earlier…
He had felt something break.
So that was the barrier.
"Stand down," Ren said casually. "Konoha's barrier was destroyed by the aftershock of my attack."
"…?"
The ANBU fell silent.
Was that even a human statement?
That barrier—
Jointly created by Mito Uzumaki and Tobirama Senju—
Could only be broken under sustained bombardment by multiple elite jonin…
Or an S-rank forbidden technique.
And this man said—
Aftershock?
The ANBU didn't argue.
He simply nodded and vanished to report.
Offending the new Uchiha clan head—
Especially in their territory—
Would be foolish.
—
Not long after—
The truth spread.
The chaos subsided.
But the aftermath—
Was only beginning.
Because that single strike—
Had shaken all of Konoha.
The Senju.
The Hyūga.
The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans.
Even the smaller clans—
Had already armed themselves, prepared for war.
What kind of enemy—
Could reach Konoha undetected—
And shatter its barrier so effortlessly?
Combined with the death of Tobirama—
A terrifying thought emerged.
Was Konoha…
About to fall?
Within hours—
Intelligence circulated.
And when the truth was revealed—
The shock rivaled an invasion.
The Uchiha had changed leaders.
From Raizen—
To Ren.
But that wasn't the real issue.
The real issue was—
He had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Those who had witnessed the founding era—
Still remembered.
The towering clash between Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara.
Wood Release.
Susanoo.
Two titans colliding.
Every strike—
Shaking heaven and earth.
A battle beyond human.
A battle of gods.
And now—
That fear had returned.
Another Madara—
Had appeared.
But the Senju—
Had no second Hashirama.
The balance—
Was breaking.
Konoha…
Was about to change.
—
Senju Compound.
Mito Uzumaki sat quietly, reading through the intelligence.
Her expression—
Tightened.
Line by line—
The more she read—
The more unsettled she became.
Uchiha Ren's records lay before her.
Missions.
Battles.
Evaluations.
Even—
A personal comment from Tobirama himself.
"Uchiha Ren—an anomaly among the Uchiha. One who transcends clan boundaries and serves the village wholeheartedly. Worth cultivating."
A direct endorsement.
From Tobirama.
And yet—
Everything changed after his death.
According to reports—
Ren had thrown a destructive technique into a crowd just to assert dominance.
Madness.
Pure madness.
But—
If he possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan…
Then perhaps—
It made sense.
Still—
When had he changed?
If it was before Tobirama's death—
Then this was far more dangerous.
An Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō long ago—
Yet concealed it.
Pretended.
Fooled Tobirama.
Fooled the entire village.
Only revealing himself—
After Tobirama died.
That level of patience.
That level of control.
Combined with his strength—
He was more dangerous than Madara.
Madara was overwhelming—
But direct.
He believed in crushing everything head-on.
Ren—
Was different.
He could endure.
Wait.
Choose the perfect moment.
Like now.
Tobirama dies—
And he rises.
Mito's eyes darkened.
Coincidence?
Impossible.
This—
Was calculated.
Deliberate.
Dangerous.
He could not be left unchecked.
And now—
Having seized control of the Uchiha—
His next target was obvious.
The position of Hokage.
Who could stop him?
Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Mito dismissed the thought instantly.
Her son?
Senju Momoka?
No.
He lacked Hashirama's Wood Release.
In the end—
Only she—
With the power of the Nine-Tails—
Might be able to suppress Ren.
But before that—
She could test him.
Let Hiruzen go first.
After all—
Tobirama had chosen him.
Perhaps—
There was something she had yet to see.
And if not—
Then at least—
She would learn exactly what kind of monster…
They were now facing.
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