"Older man, what should we do next?"
Seeing the Konoha Shinobi unit completely retreat from sight, an Uchiha Jōnin with fully awakened Three Tomoe Sharingan stepped beside Uchiha Yue, his tone reverent and fanatical with admiration.
"Although Konoha's forces have been repelled for now, there's no assurance they won't return with reinforcements or attempt a surprise flanking strike. Take some of the younger clansmen and begin a full perimeter patrol."
Yue's voice was steady as he issued orders, arms crossed with calm authority.
"As for the rest, have them retrieve the bodies of our fallen kin and tend to the injured. Once that's done, continue the clan's relocation and regrouping. We'll be consolidating our strength from here on out."
"This time, the Uchiha clan must address all internal rot. No more compromise."
Though his train of thought had been interrupted, Uchiha Yue didn't mind. After a brief pause, he resumed his command without hesitation.
"Yes, the older man!"
The Jōnin's eyes gleamed with fervor. Hearing Yue's concise and tactical orders, he responded with enthusiasm and quickly went off to organize personnel into action.
Watching the Uchiha mobilize efficiently under his command, Yue's gaze softened momentarily with satisfaction. His eyes then settled once again on the corpse of Shimura Danzo.
Danzo's death had been unexpectedly pitiful.
Perhaps up until the moment his life was snuffed out, Danzo truly believed himself invincible. He probably assumed the combination of the Sharingan and the Hashirama cells implanted into his body—along with his prized Izanagi—would make him unkillable. He might have even thought that, should the worst happen, he could activate the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Jutsu and drag Yue into death with him.
But reality had no obligation to entertain such delusions.
Danzo died, and the Izanagi he placed such faith in never activated.
Why? Why had it failed, just like Uchiha Obito's Izanagi had previously failed?
Uchiha Yue scoffed inwardly. "Use magic to defeat magic"—the old proverb echoed in his mind.
With his Mangekyō Sharingan's unique ability to interfere with illusion-based ocular techniques, Yue could tamper with even high-level visual jutsu like Izanagi. Against an evolved Sharingan with such depth, standard Izanagi simply couldn't activate, or would be nullified before it triggered.
So now, anyone who thought they could rely on Izanagi in front of him was merely giving Yue the right to choose whether they lived or died.
"Well, fortunately, I showed restraint this time—Shisui's Mangekyō wasn't damaged."
Yue frowned slightly as he reached into Danzo's corpse and retrieved the other of Shisui's eyes—the Mangekyō that granted the fearsome Kotoamatsukami, once said to be the strongest genjutsu short of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. As the eye was placed carefully away, his brows eased and a satisfied smile emerged.
Unlike other Uchiha, who needed their blood siblings' Mangekyō to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Yue's Mangekyō was fundamentally different. He had no true brother, yet the rules didn't apply to him.
His ocular evolution had surpassed traditional thresholds—he had fused with Hashirama Senju's cells, which were notoriously incompatible with the Uchiha genome. But not for him. He could integrate them completely, and his body didn't reject transplanted cells or dojutsu the way others did.
Moreover, his Mangekyō ability could consume and fuse other Mangekyō.
And with the genetic and spiritual support of Hashirama's lineage within him, the power of those fusions approached the mythical. The Eternal Mangekyō could become a mere stepping stone toward the Rinnegan—his final destination.
By combining three separate Mangekyō sets—including Shisui's and the Kamui Mangekyō of Obito—he might very well push his ocular powers to their theoretical apex, rivaling the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths.
"Once the internal Uchiha consolidation is complete, I'll retrieve the remaining Kamui eye from Kakashi. Fusing all three pairs should bring my pupil strength to the limit."
Storing Shisui's Mangekyō with reverence, Yue's mind raced with plans and future ambitions.
Time passed.
While Uchiha Yue was overseeing the relocation and restructuring of the Uchiha clan, another development was brewing back in the Hidden Leaf.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, after a failed military operation, returned to the Hokage Building with what remained of his shinobi force.
"Hiruzen, what happened? Where's Danzo? Why didn't he return with you?"
Mitokado Homura's voice was sharp the moment Hiruzen entered the office. Beside him, Utatane Koharu sat with a few visible injuries still bandaged, her expression filled with unease.
"The mission failed. We underestimated Uchiha Yue's capabilities. He's sharper—and far more dangerous—than we anticipated. As for Danzo… he's not coming back."
Sarutobi's tone was heavy. His expression was drawn with fatigue and regret.
"What?" both Homura and Koharu exclaimed in unison, eyes widening in disbelief.
"You're saying… Danzo's dead?"
"Yes. Yue's strength is far beyond Danzo's. Even I couldn't subdue him. Danzo activated Izanagi, but it never triggered. Yue must have developed a way to suppress even that."
Hiruzen's words were firm, bitter even, as he disclosed what little could be said.
Homura and Koharu exchanged a long look, the shock settling in.
"Danzo always pushed too hard," Koharu muttered. "Ever since Tobirama chose you to be Hokage, he's resented it. We didn't expect his ambition to become this… dangerous."
"Yes, he was always the more militant of us," Homura sighed. "But I didn't think he'd die like this, caught between ideals and power plays."
"There's no use discussing him now. His legacy—flawed as it is—will be sanitized. The Root dealings must never reach the public eye."
Hiruzen straightened and faced them fully.
"Now to more pressing matters. The Uchiha clan, with Yue at its center, has become a force we can't control. Not with our remaining strength."
"So… what do you propose?" Koharu asked warily.
"I'm recalling Jiraiya and Tsunade."
"What? Already?" Homura was stunned. "Is the situation that dire?"
"There are other powerful ninja in Konoha," Koharu added. "Can't we rally them?"
"Ninja clans are not easily manipulated," Hiruzen replied sharply. "And the civilian shinobi may sympathize with Uchiha grievances. They won't act decisively against Yue."
"Even ANBU are hesitant. And against Yue's power? Sending ordinary forces is pointless. He's already Kage-level—maybe beyond. Only Sannin-level forces can confront him now."
Sarutobi's expression was grim as he concluded.
Uchiha Yue had grown into an undeniable threat.
A shadow among shadows. A rival not just to Danzo… but to Hokage himself.