The air in the Hokage's office was heavy, like the pressure before a catastrophic storm. Inside, the pillars of Konoha's power—Hiruzen, Mitokado, Homura, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sakumo Hatake—stood in a circle of paralyzed silence.
Orochimaru was the first to break the stillness. He casually lifted a stack of freshly filed ANBU reports, his eyes scanning the pages with a clinical interest.
"The ANBU have finished collecting the pieces," Orochimaru noted, his voice smooth and unsettling. "Danzo's remains were recovered from various locations across the village. It seems Kaori was quite thorough."
He paused, a dry, dark chuckle escaping his lips. "Interestingly, some of the limbs weren't cleanly cut. They appear to have been ripped out forcefully. It was quite... visceral. The sheer physical strength required to—"
"Enough," Hiruzen barked, his voice cracking with exhaustion. He looked significantly older than he had just twenty-four hours ago, his chest still tightly bound in bandages from Satoshi's strike. "Leave the details. I will read the description of the... situation... myself."
Orochimaru shrugged, undeterred. "As you wish, Sensei. But perhaps you'll be interested to know that thirty Root ninjas were also found dead at the secure location where Danzo was staying. Every single one of them was slaughtered before they could even trigger an alarm."
The room's temperature seemed to drop. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Sakumo immediately turned their gaze toward Hiruzen, their eyes filled with scrutiny.
"Sensei," Tsunade said, her voice trembling with fury. "Didn't you tell us that Root was disbanded four years ago? Why were there thirty elite Root agents guarding Danzo in secret?"
Hiruzen remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor, unable to meet his student's eyes. The weight of his hidden concessions to Danzo was finally being dragged into the light.
Mitokado stepped forward, cutting through the tension with a cold, political pragmatism. "Tsunade, this is not the time to litigate old administrative decisions. What is important is how we deal with Satoshi, Kaori, and Ren. It is confirmed that Ren and Satoshi possess the Mangekyō. We will determine if Kaori has awakened them as well once we attempt to probe what is left of Danzo's fragmented memories."
"Does it even matter if she has them?" Orochimaru asked, leaning against the wall. "Think about the reality of what happened. Satoshi came alone. He suppressed the powerhouse of this village single-handedly. Meanwhile, Kaori butchered Danzo and thirty of his best men and scattered them like trash, all while threatening to come back and finish you off, Sensei."
He looked around. "They left right in front of our eyes without a single scratch on them. And if we're being honest... instead of trying to arrest them, we were all secretly wishing they would just leave as quickly as possible."
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with a terrifying realization. "This is the true power of the Uchiha and their Eyes. I find myself wondering how the Senju clan ever managed to keep up with them during the Warring States period."
No one refuted him. The humiliation was too absolute to deny.
"It's more than just the eyes," Jiraiya spoke up, his expression more somber than anyone had ever seen it. "Satoshi wasn't just using the Mangekyō. He was using Natural Energy."
Hiruzen looked up, stunned. "Are you sure, Jiraiya? He doesn't have a contract with any of the Three Holy Lands. There is no record in the Senju or the village archives of an Uchiha ever using Sage Mode."
"He used it," Jiraiya insisted. But here is the part that haunts me: there were no changes. No change in his eyes, no swelling of the face, no markings. This indicates he has achieved a Perfect Sage Mode—a balance so flawless it leaves no physical trace."
Hiruzen's hand trembled as he reached for his pipe. "Only one person in history managed to develop a Perfect Sage Mode without the help of the Holy Lands... Lord Hashirama. And even he had facial markings when he entered that state. No one was ever able to learn his method."
"Then there is the ninjutsu," Orochimaru added, his voice dropping to a whisper. "That shadow technique they used to appear and disappear... and Satoshi's spatial movement. It's like an upgraded version of the Flying Thunder God, but it requires no markings. In conclusion: they can appear anywhere in Konoha, at any time they want. Our walls are meaningless."
Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, who had remained silent throughout the meeting, finally spoke.
"Where is Ren?"
The one who swore to destroy the village, and massacred 200 of our ninjas four years ago, never showed up tonight."
Sakumo looked at the Hokage, his white eyes narrowing.
"Looking at Kaori," Sakumo mused, "it's safe to assume Ren successfully cured her. She returned far more powerful than she ever was. So why didn't Ren show up to finish what he started?"
Jiraiya leaned against the window frame, "They appeared to be in hurry. It wasn't a retreat out of fear—it was a scheduled departure.
"We don't know what they are preparing for, "But we know this: the next time they appear, it will be even more devastating."
Hiruzen turned his gaze toward Tsunade, his expression softening with a mix of grief and curiosity. "Tsunade... explain the sealing. Why did Mito-sama choose to seal the Nine-Tails inside you instead of Kushina?"
Tsunade looked away, her hands trembling slightly as she gripped the fabric of her pants. "Kushina was—and still is—unconscious. Satoshi's strike didn't just wound her body; somehow, her spirit was damaged. She will take at least two to three months to wake up." She took a shaky breath. "At that moment, the Nine-Tails was barely restrained by Nawaki. Sealing it was the only priority. Grandma Mito was out of time, her life-force fading, and we had no other prepared vessel. That was when Minato came forward."
Tsunade described the young ninja's resolve. "Minato offered to take the entire beast into himself to save the village. But Grandma realised his body, despite his talent, couldn't bear the full the Nine-Tails. I couldn't let him die for a burden he couldn't carry. So, I asked Grandma to seal it inside me instead."
Tsunade's voice cracked. "Grandma looked at Minato and said, 'I can see Hashirama's will to protect the village in you, Minato.' She used the Reaper Death Seal to divide the Nine-Tails into two halves. She sealed one half in me and the other in Minato."
Jiraiya, Sakumo and Orochimaru didn't know about the Reaper Death Seal, but Hiruzen knew. By using the Shiki Fūjin, Mito Uzumaki's soul was now trapped in the belly of the Shinigami for all eternity.
"Minato..." Hiruzen whispered, a spark of hope flickering. "That boy has inherited the true Will of Fire. Even in the face of absolute destruction, he stepped forward."
"He did," Jiraiya cut in, his face set with iron-clad determination. "And I'm taking him with me. I'm bringing Minato to Mount Myoboku. He needs to learn how to control that half of the Nine-Tails, and I'm going to teach him Sage Mode."
Hiruzen nodded, understanding Jiraiya's unspoken intent: he wanted Minato away from the influence of the Hokage and the Elders.
"Sakumo, issue the order immediately. Any shinobi encountering Satoshi, Kaori, and Ren Uchiha is authorised to abandon their mission immediately. The village will not hold any ninja accountable for a retreat in the face of these targets. Survival is the only objective.
Hiruzen commanded. He then looked at Tsunade. "I hope you and Nawaki can also learn Sage Mode. And you, Tsunade... you must learn to control your half of the Nine-Tails as soon as possible."
"Everyone can leave," Hiruzen sighed. "Orochimaru, you stay."
Once the room cleared, Orochimaru hissed, "Do you want anything from me, Sensei?"
"I want you to lead the re-established Root," Hiruzen said, his voice heavy with the weight of the moral compromise.
Orochimaru smirked, his golden eyes gleaming. "So, Sensei... do you finally approve of my research?"
Hiruzen nodded.
Orochimaru left the room, leaving behind the wary Hokage. As he stepped out of the building into the cool air, he found Tsunade waiting for him in the shadows.
"We need to talk," she said bluntly.
In the Uchiha Clan
The atmosphere within the Uchiha District was electric. In a secret meeting hall, the Hawks were in a state of near-religious fervor. Many of them had witnessed the towering glow of Satoshi's Susanoo, and the sight had intoxicated them.
"Did you see it?" one of the Hawk elders proclaimed. "This is the power of the Mangekyō! A single Uchiha suppressed the entire high-level command of Konoha! The Hokage, the Sannin, the White Fang—they were all helpless!"
He threw his head back and let out a signature Uchiha laughter.
"We must find them," he commanded. "Use every connection. We must contact Satoshi-sama. With him leading us, the village will finally bow to the Uchiha!"
In a quieter room, Fugaku Uchiha sat with his father, the current Clan Head. The elder Uchiha looked tired by the night's events.
"The Hawks' ambitions have been reignited," Fugaku's father said solemnly. "Seeing the Mangekyō's power has blinded them to the danger. They see Satoshi as a saviour. If they try to contact him, they will only invite a purge."
Fugaku remained silent, his mind drifting to his infant son, Itachi. He felt the crushing weight of the clan's future. If the Hawks succeeded in bringing Satoshi back, Konoha would bleed internally.
The Underground Cave
The dampness of the underground cave was a cold, stagnant weight.
Madara Uchiha remained on his makeshift throne, he held an origami flower, its delicate folds a sharp contrast to the monstrous statue behind him.
The ground rippled, and Black Zetsu emerged from the stone floor.
"Everything has gone south, Madara-sama," Zetsu rasped, his voice filled with an uncharacteristic edge of caution. "They have grown too strong to be controlled."...