Uchiha Ran noticed Utatane Koharu's warning glance but didn't take it seriously. He stretched lazily and said, "Tell the elders—we're going home."
The Uchiha shinobi erupted with excitement. Several of them, overwhelmed by emotion, had their Sharingan evolve directly from two tomoe to three.
Nara Shikaku couldn't help asking what Ran had done inside the mansion. After hearing the explanation, even he trembled with excitement.
First, Ran seized the initiative—crippling Homura Mitokado with force and using genjutsu to strip Utatane Koharu of any ability to resist.
Second, he negotiated, ruthlessly suppressing the price until the Uchiha reclaimed a fully renovated compound.
Third, he ensured no blood was shed, making it clear to the village that the Uchiha's return was not for slaughter, but coexistence.
That alone completely won Shikaku over.
If Ran had relied solely on brute force, Shikaku would have seen him as nothing more than another tyrant—someone the Ino–Shika–Chō would only pretend to submit to, just as they once did with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But Ran proved otherwise.
He demonstrated the bearing of a true leader—one who walked the king's path.
---
Elsewhere.
A hidden cave in Kirigakure.
Uchiha Obito materialized out of thin air, clutching his scorched mask as he gasped for breath. He grabbed a kettle and drank deeply before finally steadying his heartbeat.
"Black Zetsu," he called.
"What is it, Obito?" Black Zetsu replied smoothly.
"Call me Madara," Obito said coldly. "From now on, I am Madara."
Black Zetsu sneered inwardly. You? Madara?
If it were the real Madara, the Nine-Tails attack would've been a frontal massacre, not a scheme from the shadows.
And compared to that child…
Black Zetsu recalled the boy's face—so similar to Madara it was almost unsettling. The overwhelming Fire Release. The chakra quality. If not for his age and height, Black Zetsu would have believed Madara had truly returned.
"Black Zetsu, are you listening?" Obito snapped.
"O–of course, Madara-sama," Black Zetsu replied belatedly.
"I'm asking whether our plan should change," Obito said grimly. "Three Mangekyō have appeared in the Uchiha clan—Itachi, Shisui, and that child."
"It's no longer realistic to wipe out the Uchiha," he said, his voice heavy with regret.
As an Uchiha, Obito understood better than anyone how terrifying the clan became once their bloodline bloomed. If more awakened, and they stood against him…
He might not win.
Black Zetsu fell silent. Unless Senju Hashirama were reborn, no one could suppress multiple Mangekyō users at once.
"Madara-sama," Black Zetsu said slowly, "besides extermination, there's another option—cooperation. Persuade Uchiha Ran. Make him one of us."
Obito removed his mask.
His scarred face twisted with killing intent.
"Then who listens to whom?" he growled. "Who gives the orders?"
Black Zetsu's mouth twitched. Ever since Rin's death, Obito had become a rabid beast that lashed out at everyone.
If not for the Eye of the Moon Plan…
"I'll think about it," Black Zetsu said smoothly. "You should recover first. By the way—the new Bloody Mist is about to begin. Do you want to watch?"
At the mention of the Bloody Mist, Obito froze—then burst into manic laughter.
"Of course I'll watch," he said. "Kirigakure killed Rin. This era of slaughter is my gift to them. Let them kill each other. Hahahaha!"
Black Zetsu silently merged back into Obito's body, while ordering the White Zetsu in Konoha to monitor Uchiha Ran closely.
The moment Ran left the village, it was to be reported.
---
Konoha.
The news of the Uchiha clan's return swept through the village like a storm.
The major clans began recalculating their positions. After the newspaper incident, the Third Hokage's prestige collapsed almost overnight.
His biographies, his speeches on the Will of Fire—once treated as doctrine—were thrown away like trash.
Factories shut down. Schools closed. Konoha fell into collective unrest.
Hiruzen Sarutobi locked himself in the Hokage Building for two full days.
Nearly seventy percent of the village no longer supported him.
He wanted to abdicate—but Uchiha Ran had refused to take the position.
And so, Hiruzen thought of one man.
Danzō Shimura.
"So… you wanted to be Hokage, didn't you?" Hiruzen muttered.
He picked up his brush and wrote three documents: an abdication letter, an appointment letter, and a report to the Fire Daimyō.
At this moment, the title of Hokage was a poisoned chalice. Other than Danzō, no one would dare take it.
Once Danzō stepped in, Hiruzen would retire completely—return to the Sarutobi compound and live out his remaining years in peace.
He had already taken enough blame. One more meant nothing.
After sealing the letters, he handed them to an ANBU loyal to him and ordered delivery to Root and the Daimyō.
When the ANBU left, Hiruzen smiled faintly.
He was certain that when Danzō saw the abdication letter, he wouldn't be able to sleep that night.
------
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