After the jutsu was successfully completed, Akira's main body used the Flying Thunder God Technique to silently return to his tent, leaving no trace of his presence behind.
Inside the tent, a gust of desert wind slipped in as Yakushi Kabuto—now under Akira's subtle control—lowered the flap quietly. The wind stirred the blankets and rustled the edges of the makeshift bedding. The slight disturbance was enough to rouse Nono.
Her eyes fluttered open in the dim light, the faint glow of the stars just barely illuminating the interior. She spotted Kabuto kneeling by the tent's entrance.
"Kabuto? Did you go outside just now?" she whispered, her voice soft and full of maternal concern. She glanced around briefly, hoping not to wake the other orphans nestled close together.
Kabuto, his expression calm and eyes filled with an unnatural clarity, replied in a gentle tone:
"It's nothing, Mom. I just got up to go to the bathroom."
Nono's eyes softened. "Alright, dear. Just be quiet on your way back. The little ones need their rest."
Kabuto nodded and smiled faintly. "Then I'll sleep, Mom."
Though their time together had been short—barely over a year—Kabuto had come to call her 'Mom.' In truth, it was Nono's kindness that bridged the gap. To a boy who'd lost everything, with no memory of his past or his parents, her love had become an anchor. She had taken him in without hesitation, and when she discovered his budding talent in medical ninjutsu, she nurtured him with devotion.
But that Kabuto was now Akira.
This body was still young and undeveloped—unused to battle, untrained, and low in chakra reserves. Even activating the Sharingan briefly had tired it out. Soon, Akira's consciousness in this form drifted into a deep sleep.
Back in his original body, Akira remained wide awake, unable to settle despite lying down. Unlike the weak vessel of Kabuto, his own body had undergone extensive training and still retained much of Uchiha Kawa's vital chakra. It pulsed with strength and vitality, resisting fatigue. Even so, Akira maintained the habit of resting. Growth, especially for a developing body, was accelerated by sleep. Height was important too, after all.
But the strange state he found himself in fascinated him.
For the first time, he could feel both of his consciousnesses simultaneously—one awake, one asleep. He could clearly distinguish the divide. While Kabuto's body slept soundly, Akira's mind in Uchiha Nan's body observed the activity of his other brain from a detached perspective. It was a feeling not of duality, but of unity across two vessels.
He realized then—through this strange synchronicity—he could manipulate his own subconscious. Where others could only dream, Akira could direct the dream itself, wielding control over the landscape of his inner world.
This rare ability wasn't just a parlor trick. It was a frontier.
He yawned, finally feeling the tug of sleep reach even his more robust form. There would be time to explore that mystery later. Tomorrow, the march back to Konoha would begin.
Dawn broke with the golden blush of the desert sun spreading across the battlefield. Akira's squad reassembled, preparing to escort the wounded and the orphans back to the Leaf Village. Nono and the children would be among them.
Although they had won the battle against Sunagakure, the retreat was fraught with danger. Hidden ambushes, deserters, or enemy scouts could still lie in wait. Caution was paramount.
Far away, within the stony confines of the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage had returned to Konoha ahead of the rest. His face was solemn as he summoned his council—Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and the ever-acerbic Danzo Shimura.
The meeting was swift but tense.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan... and he got away?" Danzo barked, slamming a hand down on the desk. His eye burned with fury. "Hiruzen, do you even understand what this means?"
The Hokage puffed his pipe, eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Uchiha Kawa escaped using the Reverse Summoning Technique. We were caught off guard."
"Then his allies were nearby," Danzo snarled. "You should've sent forces to pursue him. This isn't just a deserter; this is a ticking time bomb."
"Everyone was exhausted after the final battle. Even Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and I had little chakra left. Continuing pursuit would've been reckless."
Danzo scoffed. "Reckless? The Mangekyō Sharingan cannot be allowed to exist outside our control. We must label Uchiha Kawa an S-rank missing-nin, place a bounty on his head, and eliminate him. Before the Uchiha make their move."
The Hokage's expression turned grim. "That's too extreme. He has not harmed the village."
"Yet," Danzo retorted. "You forget—he's Uchiha. This could be a clan conspiracy. A power play."
"I haven't forgotten. But they are still our people, Danzo. And I will not declare open war on one of our founding clans without proof."
"You're too soft, Hiruzen. This will come back to haunt us."
Despite Danzo's insistence, the Hokage held firm. Kawa would not be made an international target. The Anbu would monitor, and if possible, retrieve him quietly.
Homura and Koharu, though silent, subtly leaned toward Danzo's logic. Still, they deferred to Hiruzen's judgment. For now.
After the meeting dispersed, the Hokage sat in the silence of his office, smoke curling from his pipe.
He knew the danger.
The Mangekyō Sharingan was a power that could turn the tide of war.
He also knew the fragile peace that still held the Uchiha in check was fraying. Years ago, the Second Hokage had exiled them to the village's edge. The resentment brewed still. A spark was all it would take.
Killing Kawa might preserve peace... or ignite rebellion.
Then he thought of Akira—Uchiha Nan. A boy of strength and conviction. A boy who bore the flame of the Will of Fire. If that flame could be nurtured, perhaps it could light the way toward reconciliation.
Perhaps Akira would be the bridge.
The Third Hokage exhaled another long breath of smoke and whispered to the empty room:
"Let's hope the fire doesn't consume us all."
After returning to the dimly lit halls of Root headquarters, Danzo Shimura wasted no time. The shadows of the underground base seemed to pulse with urgency as he summoned his operatives and issued cold, decisive orders.
"Find Uchiha Kawa. Eliminate him if the chance arises. And bring me his Mangekyo Sharingan."
Danzo's voice was like steel wrapped in ice. In his mind, Kawa was a threat that could not be allowed to grow. He had long harbored the belief that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was too weak-willed—too sentimental to make the hard decisions necessary to secure the village's future. The Uchiha were dangerous, unpredictable, and proud. Hiruzen's tolerance of them was, in Danzo's view, a fatal flaw.
The Third Hokage had explicitly rejected Danzo's suggestion to assassinate Kawa, citing a lack of evidence and the need for peace. But Danzo had no intention of obeying. As far as he was concerned, peace was a luxury bought with blood—preferably the blood of threats like Kawa.
Danzo's disdain for Hiruzen ran deep. Over the years, they had clashed repeatedly, not only over the Uchiha issue but also in their fundamental philosophies. While Hiruzen sought balance, dialogue, and compassion, Danzo believed in absolute control and ruthless action.
One of his greatest recent irritations had been Hiruzen's insistence on nurturing Akira—Uchiha Kawa's younger brother. Before Danzo could intervene, the boy had been secretly taught the Flying Thunder God Technique, the legendary jutsu of the Second Hokage. According to Root's intelligence, Akira had already achieved preliminary mastery.
A shinobi with that technique was nearly impossible to kill. They could vanish in the blink of an eye, slipping through the fingers of even the most elite assassins. Once Danzo learned this, he abandoned his earlier plans to eliminate Akira. Instead, he proposed that the boy be brought into Root, where he could be properly shaped under Danzo's personal supervision.
To his fury, Hiruzen refused.
"The darkness of Root is no place for a child," the Hokage had said.
Danzo had nearly exploded. How could Hiruzen be so blind? So naive? The village needed warriors, not fragile ideals. If he had been Hokage, the Uchiha situation would have been resolved long ago, decisively and without hesitation.
Now, hemmed in by Hiruzen's authority, Danzo seethed in silence. But he would not remain shackled for long.
"This can't go on," he muttered, his lone visible eye cold with ambition. "I must become Hokage. Only then will the village be safe. Only then will it be strong."
His mind began to spin with schemes.
Meanwhile, word of Uchiha Kawa's survival had spread like wildfire through the Uchiha clan. Inside their compound, an emergency clan meeting had been convened. At its center sat Uchiha Fugaku, the quiet, steely-eyed patriarch.
Around him, the clan buzzed with electric excitement.
"Lord Fugaku! Have you heard? Kawa is alive! Not only that—he's awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan! They say he defeated the One-Tail Shukaku singlehandedly!"
Fugaku, ever composed, gave no outward sign of emotion. But inside, his thoughts churned. Unlike the other clan members who saw Kawa's Mangekyo as a badge of glory, Fugaku saw a storm on the horizon.
He understood power, and he understood its cost.
He had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan himself, in a moment of loss and pain that still haunted him. But he had told no one—not even his closest allies. The power was seductive, yet dangerous. Relying too much on the Mangekyo would lead to blindness. Worse, it would stoke the already volatile pride of the Uchiha.
Now, with Kawa's return, that pride threatened to ignite into something uncontrollable.
"This is our chance," said one of the younger clan members. "If Kawa comes back, the village will have no choice but to respect us. Maybe... maybe the next Hokage could be an Uchiha."
Fugaku's jaw tightened.
Another voice rose: "Lord Fugaku, we must bring Kawa back. With him, the village elders won't dare to suppress us anymore."
This was what he feared.
Fugaku raised a hand, silencing the crowd. "This matter is not urgent. We don't yet know why Kawa defected, or what his intentions are. He has not tried to contact us. For now, we will wait."
There were murmurs of discontent, but Fugaku's authority was not lightly challenged. Many still trusted his judgment. They had not yet been ostracized by the village as they would be years later. The Nine-Tails incident had not happened. There was still a chance for diplomacy.
But the embers of rebellion were smoldering.
Fugaku sighed inwardly. He did not oppose taking power—not if it meant securing the clan's safety. But he also knew the limitations of their strength. Even with two Mangekyo Sharingan users, challenging Konoha directly would be suicide.
Still, he considered the possibility: he and Kawa, united, could be formidable. But the problem was, he barely knew Kawa. And Kawa's defection was troubling. What was he planning?
To answer that, he needed someone who might understand Kawa.
His thoughts turned to Akira.
Kawa's younger brother, Akira, had been away in the Land of Wind, part of the Konoha force that had recently defeated Sunagakure. He was returning soon, alongside the ever-enthusiastic Might Guy and the rest of the victorious troops.
Fugaku knew little about the bond between the brothers. But Akira might be the key to understanding Kawa's true motives.
Far from the Uchiha compound, in the arid and sun-scorched halls of Sunagakure, another storm brewed.
Inside the Kazekage's council chamber, the atmosphere was tense.
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, sat at the head of the table, his brow furrowed with concern. Flanking him were the battle-hardened Chiyo and the wise Ebizo, along with a host of Sunagakure elders.
They were reeling from the recent defeat. Not only had they lost territory and troops, but their ultimate weapon, Shukaku, had been bested. And the one responsible was not even a Kage—he was a teenager. A rogue Uchiha with the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"This is a threat we cannot ignore," Chiyo said gravely. "If Konoha harbors such power, our position in the balance of the Five Great Nations is in danger."
Ebizo nodded. "We must learn more about this Uchiha Kawa. He may be a missing-nin, but his power is undeniable. And if he returns to Konoha..."
Rasa remained silent for a long moment. Then he spoke, his voice heavy.
"We underestimated Konoha once. We will not do so again. Begin intelligence operations. I want every scrap of information on Uchiha Kawa. If there is even a whisper of his whereabouts, I want to hear it."
The seeds of future conflicts were being planted.
The Mangekyo Sharingan had reappeared, and the world was shifting.
And as these forces moved in the shadows, Akira's return to Konoha would soon become the spark that lit a fire none could put out.