Quiet.
The roar of the waterfalls at the Valley of the End was the only sound left in the air. All other noises seemed suppressed beneath that endless rush of water.
Shigure sat calmly in place, sweeping his gaze across everyone present.
"Come back."
A faint smile rested on his lips.
Tsunade's fist tightened—then loosened. Tightened again. She was calculating.
If they made a move here… what would the consequences be?
The answer was obvious.
Even with the legacy of the "God of Shinobi," Konoha could not casually turn hostile against Kirigakure. Not now.
Tsunade exhaled slowly and sat back down.
Kakashi felt the tension in his chest finally ease.
If a fight broke out here, the outcome would be disastrous.
On Konoha's side stood Kakashi, Might Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai—four elite jōnin capable of handling one opponent each.
But the other side…
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Each one was a monster in close combat.
Behind them were additional Mist shinobi, all proficient with blades. Even assuming equal numbers, Konoha's forces were stretched thin.
And above all of that—
Shigure.
A terrifying existence whose strength was still difficult to quantify.
Even if Tsunade fought him head-on, victory was uncertain. Add Naruto and perhaps one more high-level combatant, and it would still be a gamble.
A battle here would not be a skirmish.
It would be a war.
Tsunade fixed her gaze on Shigure.
"What do you intend to do with the Book of Seals?"
The Scroll of Seals recorded Konoha's forbidden techniques—dangerous jutsu such as the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and other classified arts.
But Tsunade knew something else.
Shigure did not lack power. With his talent, she could create original ninjutsu rivaling anything recorded within that scroll.
So why steal it?
Shigure tilted his head slightly.
"I may not lack ninjutsu… but there are techniques in it that interest me."
A direct admission.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. If Shigure had wanted to deny involvement, she would have. Instead, she admitted it openly.
Which meant she was confident.
"What technique?" Tsunade asked.
Shigure's gaze drifted briefly—then returned.
"Edo Tensei."
The Impure World Reincarnation.
Tsunade's pupils shrank.
Edo Tensei was a forbidden technique created by Tobirama Senju. It allowed the summoner to bind the souls of the dead into living sacrifices, restoring them to the world in an immortal state.
A technique that defied life and death.
"You want to resurrect someone?" Tsunade asked carefully.
Shigure nodded.
"There are indeed people I wish to bring back."
"Your parents?"
Shigure gave a small, distant smile.
"I have no real memories of my parents in this world. I grew up alone. If Uncle Masano hadn't helped me from time to time, I might not have survived."
Silence followed.
Tsunade studied his expression.
"So when you returned to Konoha before, you wanted to take them with you. But they refused."
"They're shinobi of Konoha," Shigure replied calmly. "They've lived there their entire lives. To them, Konoha is home. Why should they abandon it?"
"And so," Tsunade continued, "you arranged for them to receive money through various 'fortunate coincidences'… ensuring they could live without worry."
Shigure's smile widened slightly.
"You noticed?"
"Do you take me for a fool?" Tsunade snorted. "An ordinary chūnin doesn't just become one of Konoha's wealthiest shinobi through a string of miracles."
She paused.
"And it's not just me. Anyone who thinks about it long enough would figure it out."
Shigure didn't deny it.
The waterfalls roared on, heavy and unchanging.
Across the valley stood the statues of Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara—eternal rivals frozen in stone.
And beneath their silent watch, another forbidden decision was slowly taking shape.
Shigure shrugged indifferently.
"If you've figured it out, then so be it. I never expected to hide it from many people."
As long as the ordinary civilians remained unaware, that was enough.
Tsunade stared at him.
"Since you're not planning to resurrect your parents… what do you intend to do with Edo Tensei?"
Shigure did not answer immediately.
She certainly couldn't say she planned to use it to resurrect the Fourth Hokage. If she did, Tsunade would never allow it—even if it meant fighting to the death.
"You don't need to worry about that," Shigure replied calmly.
He turned his gaze toward the direction of Konoha.
Far away, chaos was unfolding.
Sasuke was fighting like a man possessed.
The rage within him had erased all caution. Instead of fleeing after obtaining what he wanted, he was cutting through Konoha's shinobi with ruthless efficiency.
Minutes passed.
Soon, another Konoha shinobi arrived in haste, kneeling before Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama! It's bad. We've suffered heavy losses. That man isn't retreating—he's actively attacking us!"
Tsunade's expression darkened.
"What exactly is going on? The Book of Seals has already been taken. Why is he still killing in Konoha? Who is it?"
Letting Shigure take the Scroll of Seals had been a calculated compromise—one meant to prevent further casualties.
But if Konoha's shinobi continued to die regardless, then what had that compromise achieved?
"Naruto-sama has confirmed it," the messenger said, voice tight. "The one who infiltrated Konoha is the missing-nin… Uchiha Sasuke."
Tsunade froze.
"Uchiha… Sasuke?"
Naruto's face paled as well.
Sasuke had returned?
And for the Scroll of Seals?
What was he trying to accomplish?
The messenger hesitated, glancing uneasily at the gathered shinobi—especially at Shigure.
"He infiltrated the ANBU underground storage facility. He… he took something."
"What did he take?" Shikaku demanded.
"The Sharingan eyes of the Uchiha clan that were collected by Danzō."
Silence.
Heavy and suffocating.
Tsunade's mind went blank for a moment.
The others' expressions turned grim.
They had assumed Sasuke was after intelligence, forbidden techniques, or political leverage.
Instead—
He had reclaimed the preserved Sharingan taken from his slaughtered clan.
The exposure of that secret alone was a stain on Konoha.
Now it was obvious why Sasuke was consumed by killing intent.
Shigure slowly rose to his feet, stretching his shoulders as if the matter no longer concerned him.
"It seems Sasuke has obtained what he came for," she said lightly. "Then this meeting can end here."
She glanced at Tsunade.
"Don't look so furious. Those eyes belonged to the Uchiha clan."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"And by right… they belong to Sasuke."
(End of Chapter)
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