That afternoon, Danzo Shimura stepped out of his home, his right eye tightly wrapped in bandages, his left hidden by a blindfold. His expression twisted—sometimes fearful, sometimes vacant, sometimes grim—until all emotions merged into a darkness that seemed to consume him.
"Kagami… I will finally understand the true power of the Sharingan," he murmured, voice low and heavy with obsession.
Danzo made his way toward the Hokage Building, each step weighed down by resolve. When he arrived, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up, sensing the heaviness in the air.
"Hiruzen… tragic news," Danzo began, voice quivering with feigned grief. "Because our teacher stayed behind to cover the retreat, Kagami… he could not bear it. He died… of a broken heart."
Hiruzen froze. "What?"
He rose sharply, disbelief etched on his face. "You're saying Kagami is dead? An elite Jonin, strong, healthy, uninjured… dead because of heartbreak?"
Danzo nodded solemnly. "None of us wanted this to happen. But the world often unfolds in ways we cannot predict."
"Shut up!" Hiruzen slammed his hand against the desk. He studied Danzo closely, as if trying to reconcile the friend he knew with the monster before him.
"Danzo… could you really strike at Kagami?" Hiruzen's voice was steady, but cold, his gaze fixed on Danzo's bandaged eye.
Danzo smiled faintly. "Fair enough, Hiruzen. You've seen through me. Very well… I'll tell the truth."
He inhaled deeply. "I invited Kagami to my home, offered him wine to soothe his grief. He came unsuspecting. I… drugged him."
Hiruzen's fist clenched. "You… what?"
Danzo continued calmly, as if describing routine business. "Then I removed both of Kagami's Sharingan. He felt nothing. No pain. It was like a long, peaceful dream. For a ninja, it is a merciful death."
"One Sharingan is now in my right eye. The rejection is severe and drains tremendous chakra. The other is kept safe as a spare."
Hiruzen's chest tightened. A chill crept over him, a coldness he had never felt before. "Danzo… you've gone mad."
Danzo's smile widened. "Mad? No. I am free from fear. I am a true ninja now. Like our teacher, Senju Tobirama."
Hiruzen's voice froze, ice-cold. "Danzo Shimura… you murdered a comrade of the Village without cause. That is a crime punishable by death!"
Danzo leaned forward, unafraid. "You would execute me just days after our teacher's passing? To secure your own position as Hokage?"
"I act for the Village," Hiruzen said firmly. "Those who harm its people—"
Danzo interrupted sharply. "You speak of protection, yet the only way to protect the Village is to strike potential threats before they grow. I will not allow another Uchiha leader to unify the clan. Not even Kagami. Only this ensures our teacher's will is fulfilled."
"Enough!" Hiruzen shouted. "Stop justifying your twisted logic!"
"Men!" Hiruzen barked to the Anbu, struggling to contain his fury. "Lock Danzo Shimura in prison—pending my next command!"
Danzo's eyes gleamed with curiosity. Would Hiruzen truly execute him? Could the Hokage bear such absolute justice? Danzo had gambled his life to measure the darkness in Hiruzen's heart. As the Anbu approached to restrain him, he smirked faintly.
Hiruzen slumped into his chair, heavy with the burdens of leadership. How had things come to this? His friend, his comrade—turned into an enemy.
Hidden Mist Village.
Uchiha Su, seii taishōgun of the Land of Water, stood before the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, observing the village below. Calm, composed, he was a ruler free from internal strife. Disobedience? Heads would roll. Bribery? Punishment was swift and absolute.
During a month-long inspection of the Land of Water, Su uncovered two noble families undermining his authority and bribing ninja with wealth, women, and servants. He swiftly eliminated them, sending all offenders to meet the Second Mizukage in the Pure Land.
Su had long prepared for such challenges, deploying loyal Anbu for inspections to ensure his command remained unbroken. Even so, vigilance was necessary. A Kage could never rest.
That day, news arrived of Senju Tobirama's death. Su expected satisfaction, but felt only emptiness.
"If I had been Tobirama," he murmured, "I might have acted similarly. Perhaps more gently… or more brutally. But his strength, his decisions—they were acceptable. Yet he fell to fools."
Uchiha Hikari, ever attentive, asked, "Su… why aren't you pleased? Your lifelong rival is dead."
Su smiled faintly. "Because it should have been my hand, not theirs. The Gold and Silver Brothers… they do not deserve such an end. If they still lived, I would have struck without hesitation."
He shook his head. "Elder Shū is dead. Hiruzen Sarutobi is Hokage. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado are his advisors. Torifu Akimichi has withdrawn. And… Kagami… dead. Officially, it was heartbreak for failing his duty to the Hokage. Lies. Danzo… vanished after founding Root. Secretly imprisoned. Perhaps rightly so."
Su's eyes gleamed with purpose. "Ha. That is Konoha for you. But I have three reasons to act."
He straightened, voice firm. "One: Hiruzen's appointment mocks the Uchiha's history. Tobirama bypassed tradition, ignoring our founding family. Two: Elder Shū is dead. I must honor him. Three: Senju Tobirama… my rival. Despite all, he was an excellent Hokage. Ignoring him would be shameful."
Uchiha Nami, standing nearby, responded immediately. "Yes, Young Lord!"
Su's gaze sharpened. "Assemble three thousand troops of the Standing Army. Bring the Uchiha Clan and select elite ninjas. March on Konoha openly. We will not hide. The world must see our strength."
April 30, Year 29 of Konoha.
Three thousand troops of the Standing Army, led by Uchiha Su, seii taishōgun of the Hidden Mist, advanced toward Konoha. Alongside the clan and elite ninjas, they marched with precision, discipline, and power.
The news spread rapidly, shattering the fragile peace across the Ninja World. For ten years, Su's might had been restrained. Now, the Hidden Mist's monster had awakened.
Konoha's weekly publications described the advance in dramatic terms:
"The Monster from the Land of Water Lands at Kannagawa Port"
"The Unspeakable War Butcher Approaches Miwacho"
"The Despicable and Shameless Usurper Enters the South District of Xiao'an"
"Uchiha Su Occupies Kobayashi City"
"The seii taishōgun Approaches Konoha"
"The Invincible Mizukage and seii taishōgun Will Arrive at His Loyal Konoha Today"
The world braced for the arrival of a warrior who would challenge the peace it had only just begun to savor.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)