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Konoha.
When news of Cloud's declaration of war arrived, the village leadership stayed calm. They had already prepared for this. If anything, Cloud was late.
Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura were still discussing how many forces to send north when worse news hit.
Cloud's strike team had bypassed their retreat and hit the Konoha camp in the Land of Rivers. According to Jiraiya's report, they had killed over two hundred shinobi in a single surprise attack.
The mood in the office turned heavy.
The casualties were bad, but manageable. What really unsettled the three of them was the mention of a giant skeletal warrior that had appeared during the fight.
They knew exactly what that was.
A Mangekyō Sharingan. Susanoo.
The three of them had lived through the era of Uchiha Madara. They understood the weight of those eyes.
" Hiruzen, what do we do?" Homura's voice shook. "Those eyes… they've appeared again."
"Panic won't help," Hiruzen said firmly. "A Mangekyō is only as dangerous as the person using it. The one who awakened it is still just a boy."
Koharu wasn't convinced. "But what about the Uchiha clan? They were already unstable. Now that one of them has those eyes, how long until they start making demands? Or worse?"
Hiruzen stayed quiet. He knew she had a point. The Uchiha had always been difficult to handle. Adding a pair of Mangekyō into the mix made everything more volatile.
Koharu pressed on. "We should place the Uchiha under surveillance. At the very least, we need to confirm whether the clan knew about this boy's eyes."
Before Hiruzen could answer, Koharu spoke up again. "Why don't we call in Matsushita Taiichi? He was Yohei's captain. He should know more about the boy than anyone."
Hiruzen nodded. It was a good suggestion.
A short while later, Taiichi walked into the Hokage's office.
Koharu didn't waste time. "Did you know Uchiha Yohei had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Taiichi's eyes narrowed slightly at her tone. He answered anyway. "Yes. I knew."
"Then why didn't you report it?" Koharu snapped. "What are you hiding?"
Taiichi's expression cooled. The killing intent that leaked from him made the air in the room feel heavier. "Are you questioning me?"
Koharu flinched.
"Enough," Hiruzen cut in sharply. He glared at both of them. "Koharu, watch your tone. Taiichi, calm down."
Taiichi dropped the pressure immediately and put on an innocent face. "Hokage-sama, I was just answering the question. Elder Koharu started off aggressive and then accused me of having bad intentions before I could even finish speaking. It felt like she was questioning you, Jiraiya-sensei, and Tsunade-sensei too."
Hiruzen rubbed his temples. This kid really knew how to twist things.
"Alright, enough. Taiichi, explain properly. When did you find out about Yohei's Mangekyō?"
Taiichi dropped the act. "He awakened it during the fighting in the north. I told him to keep it hidden. I didn't want the radicals in the Uchiha clan to find out and try to use him."
Hiruzen studied him. "And why should we believe he listened to you?"
"Because if the clan knew, they would have already made some kind of move. They haven't. More importantly, Yohei used Susanoo to protect the camp during the Cloud attack. He risked exposing himself to save his comrades. That tells you where his loyalty lies."
Koharu still looked doubtful. "Even if that's true, how do we know he won't change sides later?"
Taiichi smiled faintly and raised his right hand. Dense green chakra, rich with life force, gathered in his palm.
"I can slow down the damage the Mangekyō causes to the eyes. It's not a full cure yet, but it's enough to keep him from going blind if he uses it carefully."
The room went silent.
Koharu stepped forward and placed her hand over the chakra. After a moment, she nodded at Hiruzen. The quality was extraordinary.
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, visibly relieved. With this kind of leverage, the situation with Yohei became much easier to manage.
He turned his attention back to Taiichi. "You've heard about the Cloud attack on the southern camp, right?"
"Yes."
"What do you think we should do about it?"
Taiichi didn't hesitate. "Hit them back. Hard. They attacked without warning and killed our people. If we let them walk away clean, every other village will think Konoha is weak."
Hiruzen nodded, satisfied. "I want you to return to the southern front. The camp took heavy damage. They need your strength there."
Taiichi stood up straight. "Understood. I'll leave right away."
After Taiichi left, Koharu turned to Hiruzen. "You're really going to trust him on this? The Uchiha are unpredictable. That boy could turn on us tomorrow."
Hiruzen shook his head. "We can't act on fears of what might happen. Right now, we need stability. For the time being, we'll trust Taiichi's judgment."
Far to the south, near the coast.
Minato tracked the retreating Cloud forces from a distance. His usual easy smile was gone. Every movement was sharp and focused.
He had been ordered to follow them, but he knew Jiraiya expected more than that.
He was waiting.
When the Cloud shinobi were only a short distance from the sea, a familiar ripple of space appeared beside him.
Minato didn't turn around. He simply said, "You're late."
Taiichi stepped out of the distortion, eyes cold.
"I'm here now. Let's go make them regret ever coming here."