Deep within the hidden chambers of Root, the air felt heavier than usual.
Danzo sat in silence, his expression dark and unreadable as a medical ninja carefully treated the grievous wound at his side.
"Lord Danzo, the bleeding has been temporarily contained. I have collected a blood sample and will begin cultivating a new arm for transplantation in the coming days."
The medical ninja straightened and bowed respectfully after delivering the report.
"You may leave."
Danzo's voice was distant, almost absentminded.
Once the room was empty, his lone visible eye hardened.
"Uchiha Ryūjin… what an Uchiha Ryūjin. This old man has never suffered such humiliation."
The words were forced through clenched teeth.
"Who would have thought that the so called idle Uchiha possessed strength comparable to a Kage?"
He had underestimated him. Severely.
"He hid it well. Far too well."
Danzo replayed the battle in his mind. The explosive force behind that taijutsu. The overwhelming pressure. It was not something an ordinary shinobi could achieve.
"What exactly was that body technique? To release such monstrous power… I have never encountered anything like it."
Then there was the flame.
"And that black fire at the end. Equally terrifying."
His thoughts sharpened.
"Could that have been his visual jutsu?"
The possibility refused to leave his mind.
"He formed no hand seals. The flames appeared instantly. If so… that could only be an ability of the Sharingan."
A more unsettling conclusion surfaced.
"Has he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Danzo's gaze darkened as he weighed the odds. The black flames had appeared without warning, devouring everything in their path. There had been no delay, no preparation.
The likelihood was high.
"If I could obtain those eyes…"
His breathing grew heavier. The greed in his eye was unmistakable.
Danzo had coveted the Sharingan for years. Initially, his greatest interest had been in Shisui Uchiha. The power of Kotoamatsukami, the ability to subtly alter a person's will, would have been invaluable in securing the position of Hokage.
But Kotoamatsukami had a fatal flaw. Its cooldown was far too long.
Becoming Hokage required influencing many people, not just one or two. A technique with such limitations was inconvenient.
Ryūjin's eyes were different.
If he could acquire them, his own combat power would rise to the peak of the Leaf. That was far more practical than manipulating a handful of minds.
"Moreover, Uchiha Ryūjin possesses not only visual prowess, but that defying body technique as well."
The more he considered it, the more restless he became.
At that moment, a Root operative knelt before him.
"Lord Danzo, the Hokage requests your presence."
Danzo gave a cold snort.
"That hypocrite, Hiruzen Sarutobi. He pretends to be tolerant of the Uchiha before the village, yet his fear of the Sharingan is no less than mine."
He already knew why he was being summoned. Word of the clash had undoubtedly reached the Hokage.
"I cannot allow Hiruzen to learn that Ryūjin may have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. If he does, seizing those eyes will become troublesome."
Decision made, Danzo formed a hand seal. He opened his mouth and expelled a lump of earth, shaping it into an Earth Clone.
Even then, he was not fully satisfied. Hiruzen was no fool. A simple clone might not deceive him.
Danzo sliced open his palm with a wind technique, pressing blood onto the clone. He performed a sealing jutsu, completely embedding his blood within the construct.
Only then did he relax.
The Earth Clone now carried his aura convincingly enough to pass as genuine.
The clone departed Root and soon arrived at the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen took a slow puff from his pipe before speaking.
"Danzo, I assume you have completed your assessment of Ryūjin. What were the results?"
Danzo's expression remained composed.
"I have tested him thoroughly. Uchiha Ryūjin has mastered an exceptionally powerful body technique. Even my Root jonin were unable to suppress him."
He carefully omitted any mention of the black flames.
"Oh? Such a body technique exists?" Hiruzen's brows lifted slightly. He had initially suspected genjutsu.
"It is merely a method of forcibly drawing out the body's latent potential. A crooked path, nothing more," Danzo replied dismissively.
Hiruzen fell into contemplation.
No power came without cost. That was a truth he understood well. Ryūjin had graduated as a genin merely half a year ago. Even with extraordinary talent, reaching chunin level in that time would already be impressive.
For a chunin to display jonin class taijutsu without consequence was unrealistic.
"And the Mangekyo Sharingan? Did he awaken it?" Hiruzen asked calmly.
"From beginning to end, he did not employ any genjutsu."
It was not a lie, yet it was far from the full truth.
…
Several days passed.
Ryūjin had expected his use of Amaterasu to stir up waves within the village. After all, he had destroyed one of Danzo's arms with it.
Yet there was silence.
No rumors. No summons. Nothing.
It was as though the incident had never occurred.
"Don't tell me those sunglasses actually fooled Danzo into missing the change in my pupils."
Ryūjin scoffed inwardly. Yeah right, as if Danzo were that blind.
Then the answer clicked into place.
"That old bastard deliberately concealed it."
Given Danzo's obsession with the Sharingan, the motive was obvious.
"So he has his eyes on mine."
A cold glint flashed through Ryūjin's gaze.
If Danzo truly intended to come after him, then so be it. He would wipe out Root entirely if necessary.
Unconsciously, his steps slowed.
He found himself standing before the Memorial Stone.
"System, sign in here."
His consciousness entered the Sign in System.
"Ding. Congratulations to the host for successfully signing in. Reward obtained, Uchiha Fan."
"This is an item reward. It has been stored in the system space and may be accessed at any time."
The Uchiha Fan, also known as the Uchiha Gunbai, had once belonged to Madara Uchiha. Forged from a portion of the God Tree, it was capable of executing the technique known as Uchiha Reflection.
With it, Madara had even deflected Naruto's Tailed Beast Bomb. Its defensive capability was unquestionable.
After Madara's death, the fan had fallen into the hands of Obito Uchiha before eventually returning to Madara upon his resurrection.
"This was taken when Madara left the Leaf."
Ryūjin exhaled quietly.
"Taking it out now would raise too many questions."
For the time being, it would remain within the system space.
Some weapons were better left unseen, at least until the right moment.