Konoha.
"Danzō! What is the aning of this?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slamd the desk in anger, his eyes glaring at Danzō. This ti, he had gone too far!
Shimura Danzō, however, was equally filled with frustration and shock as he stared at the reports.
"Hiruzen! You know . Root only intended to use the Kumo Ninja to eliminate the outsider Uzumaki. Tsunade and the others were never really in danger…"
But before he could finish, Hiruzen threw the frontline reports at his face in fury and roared:
"Danzō! I'm stripping you of your authority over Root!"
Hearing that his leadership of Root was being revoked, Danzō's anger flared. He glared with wide eyes and barked:
"Hiruzen, everything I've done is for the Konoha! This was rely an accident! You're going to regret this, siding with an outsider!"
"Danzō! I am the Hokage!"
Faced with Hiruzen's wrath, Danzō's face turned ashen with rage. Gritting his teeth, he stord out, slamming the door behind him.
Danzō fud inwardly. When Root carried out these plans, you stayed silent. But now that there's been a slight mishap, you're blaming everything on ? Is that fair? What ninja mission can guarantee 100% success?
...
In a dimly lit cave, Uchiha Madara listened to Zetsu's report. After hearing everything, his expression shifted to disbelief, and he muttered,
"You're saying there was an accident, and Shirou almost died?"
"Yes, Lord Madara. Uchiha Shirou had his chest blown open—organs shattered, bones and flesh scattered everywhere…"
Madara's face twisted as Zetsu described the grueso scene in his usual odd manner. Unable to hold back, Madara cursed:
"Idiot! Just for a woman, he put himself in such danger?! Does the dream of peace in the ninja world an less to him than a woman?!"
Despite his harsh words, a faint glimr of envy and nostalgia flickered in Madara's eyes.
This bond… He had once possessed sothing similar.
"Fool!" The mory of Hashirama flashed in his mind—the mont he was stabbed at the Valley of the End. Rage surged within him.
"All of my planning wasted! If he misses this opportunity, let's see how long it takes for him to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan next!"
Though Madara's voice was cold as he spoke, there was a hint of pride on his face. To Madara, running from or fearing bonds was contemptible. Only those who risked their lives for them were worthy of the Uchiha na.
"Lord Madara, in the end, the Uzumaki girl awakened…"
Madara fell silent upon hearing this. Alone on his stone chair, he grew pensive. After the battle at the Valley of the End, he had lost all bonds. Now, he was left with nothing but endless solitude.
"Uchiha Shirou is luckier than I ever was."
The silent cave echoed with Madara's bitter sigh.
Once, he too had friends he would sacrifice everything for. He had a family and a clan. But he had lost them all.
His father, his mother, his five brothers—until only he remained. Even his clan eventually abandoned him. The pain of losing everything silenced him for a long mont.
"And what about that Uzumaki girl? Should we still use her?"
Zetsu, as tactless as ever, asked with a confused expression. Madara slowly raised his head and replied calmly,
"No need. I've intervened once—once is enough. Though there were so unexpected twists, the outco was roughly as planned. Even though he hasn't awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, the seeds of doubt have already been planted."
To Madara, whether or not Shirou awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan didn't matter much. A Uchiha without loved ones was destined for limited growth.
"Besides, the wheel has already begun to turn. Let's see how much this storm can change the ninja world."
Madara's voice carried a hint of anticipation. His plans were far from simplistic, and the Kumo Ninja incident was rely one piece of a larger gift for the younger generation.
...
A small town in the Land of Rain.
Inside a house, Tsunade's gaze was cold as she stared at Shirou, who sat on the bed with his head bowed like a child awaiting scolding.
"Shirou! If it weren't for Kushina this ti, you'd be dead!"
Faced with Tsunade's scolding, Shirou kept his head down and obediently took it. But the more she spoke, the angrier she beca. Finally, she took out the scroll detailing the secret ssage.
"And you, Kushina! What's your take on all this?"
After finishing with Shirou, Tsunade turned her stern gaze to Kushina. Yet this ti, her tone softened significantly.
"Sister Tsunade…"
Kushina glanced at the scroll, her face showing a mix of complicated emotions. In the end, she took the scroll, looked up, and smiled warmly.
"I'll listen to you and Shirou, Sister Tsunade."
Now, when Kushina looked at Shirou, her eyes no longer carried the fiery, domineering facade she used to wear. Stripped of her mask, she was left with nothing but endless gentleness.
As Tsunade accepted the scroll, her eyes burned with frustration. But just as she was about to take it, another hand grabbed her wrist.
Shirou stood up from the bed, smiling as he gently pried her fingers open, took the scroll, and let it burn to ash in his palm with a flash of lightning.
"Shirou! Do you know what you've just done?"
Tsunade's anger flared at the sight, but deep down, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
Shirou, however, remained calm as he nodded.
"Sister Tsunade, I know exactly what I've done. And you should know too. As long as this information exists, the village will be at risk of unrest. The Land of Rain's war ended only six months ago. All the major nations are stirring. If the village experiences any turmoil now, it could ignite another war."
Shirou understood better than anyone that a single scroll wasn't enough to turn the Konoha's leadership against each other. Tsunade, Uzumaki Mito, the Senju clan, and even the Uchiha all loved the village.
If he insisted on using it, he'd only alienate himself. But by being the first to suppress the fire, the outco would be entirely different.
It gave everyone a way out while simultaneously burying the flas deep in their hearts.
Anger needed to be released. If suppressed, it would fester and grow into sothing far more dangerous when it finally exploded. Shirou understood it better than anyone.
"And what about Kushina? She was the target this ti!"
Tsunade grew silent. She understood that this was the best course of action for now. But the thought of Kushina—soone she already considered family—nearly dying filled her with rage that couldn't be quelled.
The best course of action, but at Kushina's expense.
Facing this question, Shirou turned to Kushina with an apologetic smile.
"Kushina, I'm sorry. But I promise, like last ti, I'll continue to protect you. Please forgive my selfishness."
His clear eyes revealed no attempt to hide his selfishness.
Between the village and her, he had chosen the village.
Yet Kushina showed no sadness. Instead, she smiled gently and nodded. Even if he had chosen the village, to her, she was still more important to him than his own life.
"I believe in you. And the village is my ho too."
At the mont when Shirou sacrificed his life to save her, it no longer mattered. What mattered was that she would treat Shirou's ho as her own.
Looking at the scene before her, Tsunade couldn't help but let out a cold snort, but the corners of her mouth still lifted slightly, betraying a smile she couldn't suppress. "Shirou, the identity of the Kumo ninja who attacked you has already been uncovered. He's the cousin of the Third Raikage. Here's so intel extracted from his brain—it should be useful to you."
With a casual expression, Tsunade pulled a scroll from her ninja pouch and tossed it over.
When Shirou opened the scroll with a puzzled look, his expression shifted to one of utter shock.
"Sister Tsunade! This—this is—?!"
The scroll contained information about two B-rank jutsu: the Lightning Release Chakra Mode and the Hell Stab.
Seeing Shirou's shocked expression, Tsunade smirked coldly and said:
"This ti, we got lucky. Although the two jutsu were incomplete when retrieved from his brain, all the necessary details for training, including the dicinal baths and key techniques, were fully recorded."
A ninja's brain is one of the most mysterious places. Even after death, it can reveal a wealth of intelligence. However, most ninjas have seals in their brains that destroy critical information upon death, leaving nothing behind.
After Tsunade's explanation, Shirou was secretly alard. He had already guessed sothing—this must have been deliberately left behind by none other than Uchiha Madara in the shadows.
If the information were too complete, it would arouse suspicion. On the contrary, incomplete intel seed more believable, as it still required the recipient to piece it together.
However, this incident made Shirou realize that Uchiha Madara seed dissatisfied with his progress, so he gave him a subtle nudge from the shadows.
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence for these two jutsu to appear? Tsunade and the others were unaware of the invisible hand manipulating events in the ninja world, but Shirou was all too aware.
"Sister Tsunade, about these two jutsu...?"
Neither of them was stupid, and Shirou's implication was clear. Tsunade coldly smirked and replied:
"What jutsu? I don't know anything about a scroll or jutsu."
Her tone practically scread, The old geezers in the village want to play dirty and steal the techniques? Let them dream!
If those villagers dared to act so shalessly, Tsunade wasn't afraid to call them out.
Seeing Tsunade's response, Shirou smiled. Inwardly, he felt relieved. It seed Tsunade's dissatisfaction with the higher-ups in the village had grown even stronger. Now, she was openly drawing a line between herself and them.
"Your scheming isn't bad—imdiately pulling in the Hyuga and Abura clans once you noticed sothing was off."
Suddenly, Tsunade's tone shifted. She glared at Shirou as if to say, If your brain works so well, why are you still as stubborn as a mule?!
Shirou looked at Tsunade and Kushina, giving an awkward smile.
"Well… isn't the Senju and Uchiha relationship a bit awkward?"
Before Shirou could finish, Tsunade cut him off:
"So you decided to drag the Hyuga, Abura, and other clans into the mud? No matter what they say, to outsiders, it looks like these clans are siding with the Senju and Uchiha.
Especially after this incident, the Hyuga, Abura, and those smaller clans now know so secrets. In the eyes of those old fools, they're already in too deep, right?"
At this point, Kushina finally understood the logic behind it all and nodded in realization.
"And you," Tsunade continued, "you've been getting pretty creative with your last words. Last ti it was leaving a scroll to Katsuyu; this ti you made sure to say your dying words out loud."
The more Tsunade spoke, the angrier she got. She stood up, towering over the bedridden Shirou.
"Now that Kushina is here, why don't you repeat what you said about the Senju and Uchiha being in danger? Care to explain yourself again?!"
Hearing this, Kushina's expression turned determined. She imdiately said in a firm voice:
"Sister Tsunade, as long as I'm here, I'll make sure nothing happens to Shirou again!"
Facing Tsunade, Kushina rarely showed such a resolute attitude, standing her ground directly. This left Tsunade feeling slightly stifled.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Shirou gave Kushina a look, signaling her to step down. "Kushina, I'm feeling a bit hungry. Could you go downstairs and ask the kitchen to make a braised fish?"
"Oh! Sure!"
Realizing the situation, Kushina glanced awkwardly at Tsunade and quickly left the room like she was fleeing.
With the room quiet once more, only the sound of their breathing filled the air. eting each other's eyes, Tsunade eventually broke.
"Mikoto's eyes…"
Just as Tsunade ntioned her eyes, the window opened, and Mikoto, who had been standing guard outside, calmly entered the room.
"Lady Tsunade, are you talking about my eyes?"
With her calm voice, Mikoto raised her head. Her three tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, connecting into a tri-bladed windmill pattern with a circle in the center.
"As I thought!" Tsunade blurted out. After reviewing the events in her mind, she had noticed sothing unusual—that sothing was Mikoto's eyes.
Having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, Mikoto's eyes radiated a mysterious and bewitching glow. Yet when she gazed at Shirou, her expression softened to one of tenderness.
"I used to feel content with the present," Mikoto explained. "But Shirou once told my eyes could see farther. At the ti, I didn't understand, but when I saw him injured, I finally realized."
Her eyes glowed with a hint of madness as she continued, excitent flickering in her voice:
"Power! I need to keep pursuing the strongest Uchiha power. That way, I can protect Shirou and prevent sothing like that from ever happening again…"
Just as Mikoto grew agitated, Shirou tightly held her hand, instantly calming her down.
The Mangekyō Sharingan in her eyes gradually faded back to three tomoe. Shirou took a deep breath, turned to Tsunade, and said solemnly:
"Sister Tsunade, Mikoto awakened her Mangekyō because of . The ability she gained is Izanagi, which can alter reality."
Mikoto had awakened this power in her despair, denying reality and creating one favorable to her. That was how her dojutsu had manifested.
Knowing the harsh conditions needed to awaken a Mangekyō Sharingan, Tsunade's shock deepened, and she fell silent.
"This ability… was it used on you at the ti?" Tsunade eventually asked.
Shirou nodded calmly. "Yes. Mikoto's dojutsu was activated on , but before it could trigger, Kushina saved , so it wasn't used."
"This power is strong, but it takes three years to recover after being used," Mikoto added, looking at Tsunade with a calm gaze.
"These eyes awakened for Shirou. They're also the strongest form of genjutsu."
To Mikoto, Izanagi, a technique capable of twisting reality itself, was the ultimate illusion.
At this mont, Shirou was lost in thought. He agreed that this power was no less potent than Shisui's Kotoamatsukami and might even surpass it.
Looking at the two of them, especially Mikoto, Tsunade let out a soft sigh.
"Don't overuse these eyes. When there's ti, co to . I'll try to restore your ocular power so you can use them indefinitely. And you, Shirou!"
Tsunade turned to Shirou, her voice firm:
"The ntal strain of awakening the Mangekyō is imnse. I want you to spend more ti with Mikoto during this period to help stabilize her emotions."
The Uchiha are most vulnerable after their Sharingan awakens or evolves. The combination of emotional turmoil and the strain of their unique chakra often leads to ntal instability.
Tsunade's concerns were well-founded. In the original tiline, Sasuke genuinely cared for his Taka teammates at first, but after awakening his Mangekyō, he grew increasingly unhinged, eventually descending into darkness.
Thus, with Mikoto's Mangekyō newly awakened, her emotions were highly sensitive, and she needed grounding to stabilize her ntal state.
Mikoto's unique dojutsu, Izanagi, held great potential. In the future, with the support of Hashirama's cells, the cooldown period might even be shortened.
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