Afternoon.
Hokage Residence.
Not long ago, Danzo had just learned that Hiruzen had recruited Shōgetsu into the ANBU. He came knocking.
Staring out over the Hidden Leaf Village from the window, Hiruzen didn't turn to greet him.
Danzo's voice was cold as he spoke:
"Hiruzen, the Uchiha have no place in the ANBU."
Still with his back turned, Hiruzen responded evenly, the weight behind his words unmistakable:
"Danzo, ANBU matters are not yours to meddle in."
Danzo countered, equally pointed in tone:
"Uchiha will always be Uchiha. And Konoha will always be Konoha."
"They can never be trusted."
At that, Hiruzen slowly turned to face him, his expression placid but firm.
"You're overreaching, Danzo."
"I am the Hokage."
As Sarutobi's gaze met his, Danzo felt again that oppressive shadow—the same pressure from the past, the same feeling of being crushed beneath the weight of the word "Hokage."
But he concealed his resentment beneath a neutral expression, replying coldly:
"Hmph."
"You'll regret this."
Without another word, Danzo turned and left.
Yet behind that calm exterior, a storm was brewing.
He could already guess what Hiruzen's decision truly meant—bringing in Shōgetsu wasn't just an operational matter.
It was a calculated political move.
Hiruzen wanted to leverage the power of the Uchiha to stabilize the escalating tension in the village.
Danzo stepped out of the Hokage Residence, his thoughts a whirlwind:
"Hiruzen, I won't let you have your way."
"The seat of Hokage... will be mine."
To Danzo, now was the perfect time to strike.
War loomed on the horizon, and should conflict erupt, the losses among Konoha's shinobi would provide the perfect excuse.
He could rally the major clans and force Hiruzen to step down.
Then... it would be his turn.
As for Hiruzen's plan to break the deadlock using the Uchiha?
"Not a chance," Danzo thought darkly.
"Not even a window of hope—I'll weld it shut."
He was already planning how to eliminate Shōgetsu.
In doing so, not only would he claim a pair of fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan, but he would also sabotage Hiruzen's plan to ally with the Uchiha—completely.
Watching Danzo's figure disappear down the hallway, Hiruzen sighed quietly.
"These are troubled times indeed..."
"Sigh…"
...
Three days later.
After three days in the ANBU headquarters, Veigar and Shōgetsu had fully familiarized themselves with ANBU operations.
In the meantime, they had been training hard—and now, their first mission had arrived.
"Akuto, Fukushu—prepare to leave the village for your assignment," said Tenkaku, who had not shown himself for the past two days.
"Collect your gear and supplies from Logistics."
"Yes, sir," both responded without hesitation.
After gathering their mission kits, Tenkaku finally disclosed the objective.
"This is an A-rank mission."
"You are to track and eliminate former Special Jōnin Yuma Doto, and retrieve the classified intel he stole."
"Understood?"
Neither Veigar nor Shōgetsu flinched at the high-risk mission. They responded crisply:
"Yes, Captain."
"Move out."
With Tenkaku's command, the three of them departed the ANBU base.
Unbeknownst to them, this mission was in fact a test—an internal assessment of their combat capabilities.
Had it been a standard mission, they would've received a full profile on Yuma Doto: his ninjutsu affinities, techniques, behavior patterns…
Instead, all they had was a name.
The trio vanished into the forest, slipping through the village's hidden ANBU passageways.
"Shh... shh... shh…"
Their departure did not escape the watchful eyes of Danzo.
....
Root Base, Hidden Leaf Village.
In the gloom of Root headquarters, Danzo sat with a sullen expression. Kneeling before him was a Root operative wearing an animal mask.
"Lord Danzo," the operative reported.
"The target under surveillance—ANBU codename Fukushu—has departed the village on what appears to be a trial mission."
Danzo snorted coldly.
"Hmph."
His expression darkened further, voice steeped in venom.
"Hiruzen…"
"The Uchiha clan is utterly untrustworthy."
"This time, I'll deal with that instability myself."
The kneeling operative remained silent, sensing the danger in Danzo's rising fury.
Danzo's mind was filled with images of Shōgetsu Uchiha.
"Those triple-tomoe Sharingan…"
"I will have them."
Then came the order.
"Send word to Kazerei. Have him take Squad Ten and intercept Fukushu."
"No matter what, I want those eyes retrieved."
"Yes, Lord Danzo!"
The Root shinobi bowed deeply before departing, clearly headed to inform Kazerei—recently promoted and now carrying out Danzo's personal orders.
As silence fell over the dark hall once more, Danzo narrowed his eyes, voice laced with killing intent:
"Uchiha… Sharingan…"
"Hmph."
Soon after, Kazerei led his nine-man team out of Konoha, their pursuit swift and silent.
...
Veigar and Shōgetsu continued unaware, weaving through the forest in tight formation.
Neither had any inkling they were being hunted.
"Captain," Shōgetsu called, eyes fixed on Tenkaku's back.
"Where exactly are we headed?"
Without turning, Tenkaku replied:
"We're heading to Wilderness District, in the Land of Rain."
"Our intel says Yuma Doto was spotted there."
Veigar interjected with a sharp question:
"Do we have a confirmed hideout, or was it just a brief stopover?"
Tenkaku answered quickly:
"According to intel, it was just a passing stop. Whether he's still there or not…"
"That doesn't matter."
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