Chapter 338: Activating Kotoamatsukami
Konoha Village, the Gourmet District.
"Hehehe! Cho-nee-chan, come on! Hurry up!"
Accompanied by the sound of innocent, childish laughter, a small figure darted joyfully down the bustling street.
"Hey! Hatsuko, slow down!" Uchiha Cho, who was in charge of babysitting today, shouted with feigned anger as she watched the little blur dart back and forth.
Unfortunately, Cho's threats held no weight with the little girl. Hatsuko, having long since grown comfortable with her, paid no mind to the pretend anger.
Seeing that her act wasn't working, Cho flickered forward, appearing instantly beside the girl. She reached out a finger and gently flicked Hatsuko's forehead.
"I told you not to be naughty!"
"Ouch! Cho-nee-chan is bullying me! I'm going to tell Daddy!"
"Oh? So you've learned how to tattle now, have you? Come here, you!"
"Hehehe!"
The two of them, one large and one small, frolicked openly in the street. Passersby watched with warm smiles; such peaceful scenes were becoming common in the tranquil Konoha.
Just then, an old man in white robes walking toward them caught Cho's attention. A faint sense of threat, something she hadn't felt in a long time, radiated from him.
Immediately pulling the now-quiet Hatsuko behind her, Cho watched the old man intently as he walked slowly past them and disappeared into the crowd.
Only after he vanished from her line of sight did Cho breathe a sigh of relief. After a moment's thought, she made a subtle hand sign. Several figures emerged from the shadows and pursued the direction the old man had taken.
Having dealt with that, Cho looked down at Hatsuko, whose large eyes were fixed on her. She reached out to ruffle the girl's soft hair, about to say something comforting, when a cold glint suddenly flashed through her eyes.
"Seeking death!"
Using the Deva Path's attractive force, a pebble levitated from the ground. In the next instant, it shot out like a bullet, piercing the arm of a ninja hiding in the distance.
"Ugh." The ninja grunted in pain. He cast a fearful glance at Cho's back before melting into the crowd and vanishing.
"Root... you have some nerve."
Nighttime.
Kyosuke had just returned from a busy day at the experimental base when a small figure launched herself at him through the air.
"Daddy!"
"Hehe, my sweet daughter." Kyosuke caught the flying Hatsuko effortlessly, nuzzling her chubby cheek. "Were you a good girl today?"
"Yep!" Hatsuko dragged the word out, glancing at Cho for confirmation. When Cho nodded with a smile, the little girl beamed.
"Good job, Hatsuko." Kyosuke praised his precious daughter and sent her to her room to play. He then stayed behind, turning his attention to Uchiha Cho, who clearly had something to report.
Cho described the encounter with the white-robed old man and the Root ninja tailing them. Kyosuke listened quietly, sinking into deep thought.
"You suspect that the old man might be a member of that mysterious organization coming for revenge?"
"Yes."
Kyosuke nodded silently at her unhesitating answer.
Based on the fragmented intelligence they had gathered, the members of that organization were all "ancient relics" of the shinobi world. It wasn't strange for Cho to make that deduction; it had been Kyosuke's first thought as well.
However, as the saying goes, come what may. Whether the mysterious old man was hostile or not, as long as he was within Konoha's walls, Kyosuke didn't fear him causing too much trouble.
What concerned Kyosuke more was the other matter: the Root ninja tailing Hatsuko.
Kyosuke hadn't planned on moving against Danzo just yet. But the old warhawk had made a fatal mistake—he had targeted Hatsuko. Kyosuke could no longer tolerate his existence.
"Call Shisui," Kyosuke ordered calmly.
Cho couldn't read anything from his expression, so she simply stood up and walked toward Shisui's courtyard.
A corner of Konoha, Root Headquarters.
"Useless trash."
Looking at the subordinate kneeling before him, Danzo couldn't help but scold him, realizing his operation had likely been compromised.
However, judging by his demeanor, he clearly hadn't given up on his plan.
"As long as I can capture that daughter of his—wherever she came from—he will have no choice but to trade the Sage's Eyes for her."
The thought of Kyosuke casually bestowing such a precious item like the Rinnegan upon a subordinate filled Danzo with waves of indignation.
In Danzo's eyes, Kyosuke's action was a reckless waste of a heavenly gift. Handing those eyes over to him was the only correct choice... Danzo firmly believed this.
"Everything I do is for the sake of Konoha. It's a pity none of you understand. I thought you would be different, Kyosuke, but it seems... you are all just short-sighted fools."
Sitting in the leader's chair of Root, Danzo closed his eyes in contemplation.
Just then, a subordinate walked in from the outside.
Seeing the subordinate's face, a look of suspicion flashed across Danzo's visible eye. This particular agent had mysteriously vanished during a mission months ago. For him to return unharmed now was strange. Danzo prepared to question him about the details.
But before he could speak, a pair of blood-red pupils suddenly appeared in Danzo's vision. He knew all too well what the complex black pattern within them signified.
"Mangekyo..."
Before he could resist, Danzo was lost in the genjutsu of the Sharingan.
Time ticked by. Danzo was suddenly awakened from his stupor by a voice.
"Lord Danzo, the Third Hokage summons you. He says there is an important matter to discuss."
The subordinate reported and then withdrew, leaving a groggy Danzo sitting alone on his high seat.
"Strange... why did I fall asleep just now? Am I just too tired lately...?"
Unable to figure it out, Danzo eventually attributed the lapse to exhaustion.
"Forget it. I shouldn't dwell on it. I need to see what Hiruzen wants."
"...And so, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs lived happily ever after."
Finishing the story, Kyosuke looked at his daughter, who was fighting to keep her eyes open, and shook his head with a smile.
He pulled the blanket up to her chin and spoke softly. "Go to sleep now. I'll tell you another story tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Daddy..."
"Goodnight."
Kyosuke walked out of his daughter's room on light feet and headed to the tea room. Shisui had been waiting there for some time.
"Is it done?"
"Rest assured, Sensei. With my current pupil power, unless I actively dispel Kotoamatsukami, Danzo will never realize anything is amiss."
"That is good."
Smiling faintly, Kyosuke watched Shisui leave. He then stood up and walked out of his courtyard, heading out of the clan compound.