The atmosphere inside the Hokage's office was suffocating.
At such a critical moment, the death of the Hokage had created a massive problem for everyone present. Even when Hiruzen Sarutobi was alive, Kumogakure had acted arrogantly. Now that he was gone, the situation had only grown worse.
Everyone in the room understood one thing clearly, the news of Hiruzen Sarutobi's death must never reach the Kumogakure delegation.
However, as the Hokage of Konoha, especially during such a sensitive period of negotiations, his absence would immediately raise suspicion. Not long ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi had personally promised to give Kumogakure a satisfactory answer.
Even if they managed to stall things for now, he would still need to appear when the final treaty was signed.
Keeping this hidden until the end seemed almost impossible.
And even if a treaty was signed, it would mean little. If news of his death leaked afterward, Kumogakure could easily tear the agreement apart.
In the ninja world, strength dictated everything. A piece of paper held no real power unless both sides were evenly matched. If Konoha weakened, no one would respect any agreement.
"Everyone, this is the situation we are facing. If you have any ideas, speak freely."
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses, his voice heavy with pressure.
The room fell into discussion, but no one could come up with a solid solution. The situation itself was contradictory and difficult to resolve.
Hours passed.
Late into the night, after intense debate, Nara Shikaku finally proposed a bold plan.
Have someone impersonate Hiruzen Sarutobi.
That way, Konoha could maintain stability until the treaty with Kumogakure was successfully signed.
"I know this may seem disrespectful to the Hokage," Shikaku said, his tone firm, "but we have no better option."
"This negotiation is critical. If anything goes wrong, Kumogakure will resume the war."
"Konoha has already lost the Fourth Hokage. Our deterrence is weakened. If news of the Hokage's death spreads, other villages may act as well."
"This is the only way."
The others exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
The plan was risky, but necessary.
As for who would take on the role, the decision came after careful consideration.
Homura Mitokado.
He had grown up alongside Hiruzen Sarutobi, both of them students of the Second Hokage. As an advisor, he had worked closely with him for years. No one understood Hiruzen better.
If anyone could pull this off, it was him.
The next day, Homura used the Transformation Jutsu to take on Hiruzen Sarutobi's appearance and personally met with the Kumogakure delegation.
He apologized and offered compensation.
The situation was temporarily stabilized, and negotiations continued.
From start to finish, no one came looking for Ryūjin Uchiha.
It seemed everyone had accepted the explanation he gave in the Hokage's office that night.
Ryūjin himself did not care.
While "Hiruzen Sarutobi" was dealing with Kumogakure, Ryūjin had already used Kamui and arrived on the moon.
His destination was clear, Ōtsutsuki Toneri's castle.
The moment he arrived, Ryūjin entered Sage Mode.
All chakra fluctuations within the castle became clear to him.
With his knowledge from memory, locating the Giant Tenseigan took almost no effort.
He moved silently, slipping inside without alerting anyone.
Then, as he stood before the Giant Tenseigan, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! A check-in location has been detected: Location of the Giant Tenseigan. Do you wish to check in?"
"Check in."
There was no hesitation.
"Ding! Congratulations. Check-in successful. Reward obtained: Tenseigan."
In that instant, Ryūjin's eyes changed.
A pair of Tenseigan formed.
"The Tenseigan… dope."
A grin spread across his face.
This trip had been worth it.
In terms of power, this was second only to the Rinnegan among everything he had gained so far.
"Probably the only one walking around with both the Rinnegan and Tenseigan," he muttered.
He tested it immediately.
With a thought, his eyes shifted back to the Rinnegan. The abilities of the Mangekyō Sharingan still worked without issue.
Another thought, and his eyes returned to normal.
Switching between them was effortless.
It was as if the Tenseigan had been perfectly integrated, like any other ability.
"System's doing its job," he said casually. "Good. I don't need extra eyes growing somewhere weird."
His thoughts were interrupted.
"Who are you? How did you get here?"
Ryūjin turned.
Two figures stood behind him, Ōtsutsuki Shinichi and Ōtsutsuki Gengetsu, along with several puppets.
Their expressions were filled with shock.
This was the moon.
Someone from Earth had no business being here, let alone standing in front of the Giant Tenseigan.
Then Shinichi's expression changed.
"It's you!"
Recognition hit him instantly.
"Shinichi, you know him?" Gengetsu asked.
"He's the one I encountered in Konoha," Shinichi replied, his voice filled with resentment.
Gengetsu was surprised.
So this was the person who had forced Shinichi into a disadvantage?
He looked younger than expected.
"Who are you?" Shinichi demanded. "Explain how you got here."
Ryūjin shrugged.
"Try beating me first. Then we can talk."
"Arrogant."
Shinichi snorted and raised his hand.
The puppets rushed forward.
Ryūjin's eyes shifted to the Rinnegan.
He raised one hand.
"Asura Path."
Missiles launched instantly.
Explosions filled the space.
The puppets were obliterated before they could even get close.
"Rinnegan…"
Shock flashed across both of their faces.
Still, Shinichi quickly regained composure.
"If this were Earth, I might take you seriously," he said coldly. "But here, you're out of your depth."
He clapped his hands.
The Giant Tenseigan responded.
A radiant white chakra cloak wrapped around him.
With a wave of his hand, multiple light spheres shot toward Ryūjin.
Ryūjin didn't move.
The attacks passed straight through him.
Intangibility.
Shinichi's expression darkened.
"What kind of technique is that…"
Ryūjin smirked.
"You're not the only one with a Tenseigan."
His eyes shifted.
Blue light filled them.
"Tenseigan!"
Both Shinichi and Gengetsu froze in disbelief.
That was impossible.
The Tenseigan belonged to the Ōtsutsuki, descendants of Hamura.
And this Uchiha already had the Rinnegan.
This made no sense.
Ryūjin looked at them, relaxed.
"I can tell you're confused. Not my problem."
He raised his hand.
A Truth Seeking Orb formed.
Golden light followed.
He entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode.
The orb reshaped into a golden blade.
"Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion."
He swung.
A flash of light cut through the space.
Shinichi's chakra cloak shattered instantly.
He was sent flying, crashing into the wall before dropping to the ground.
Gengetsu suffered the same fate, struck down in a single motion.
Both of them lay there, barely conscious.
Ryūjin let out a quiet breath.
"Had to hold back a lot," he muttered. "Would've erased you otherwise."
He looked down at them.
"Listen carefully."
"Stay away from Earth."
His tone turned cold.
"Because I'm the one protecting it."
He turned away, completely unconcerned whether they lived or died.
^_________^
Send Powerstones