Three days later, in the evening, Rinjin and the recovered Kagami Uchiha silently returned to Konoha.
Inside the Root organization base, Danzo Shimura leaned on his cane, his head wrapped in white bandages, his expression extremely grim.
Kagami was missing.
Although the aftermath had been handled well, Danzo couldn't shake off the feeling that Kagami was still alive.
After all, under those circumstances, it was impossible for the mysterious figure who suddenly appeared to just pull Kagami underground without saving him.
The key issue was that rescuing Kagami under such conditions would require very unique abilities.
Thinking of this, Danzo rubbed his temples hard.
He felt that things were heading towards an irreversible disaster.
If... if Kagami had indeed been saved by that bastard, then he would face Hiruzen Sarutobi's wrath, as overwhelming as a landslide or tsunami.
After all, targeting the Uchiha was one thing; targeting Kagami Uchiha was an entirely different matter.
As he was lost in his worries, the door to the secret chamber was suddenly kicked open.
Then, three corpses were thrown inside, landing heavily in front of Danzo, stirring up a cloud of dust.
At the doorway, a figure silhouetted against the light slowly walked in.
Under the flickering candlelight, Danzo finally saw who it was.
Instinctively, cold sweat began to form on his forehead.
Damn it!
When did Kagami return?! And how did he do it so quickly?!
It had taken Danzo nearly two days to return to the village from the front lines; yet Kagami, even while recovering from injuries and poison, had managed to get back in just three days?
There was no time to think further. Suppressing his panic, Danzo furrowed his brows.
"Kagami, I believe you should be on the battlefield at the front lines, not here at my Root organization's base!"
Starting with an aggressive tone, Danzo's implication was clear: being in the village now could only mean desertion.
Hearing Danzo's righteous words, Kagami's cold, icy gaze locked onto him, filled with killing intent.
This was the man—someone he had saved multiple times before!
Poisoning, plotting to kill a comrade, sending assassins to intercept the village's team, and nearly taking his life.
Kagami said nothing, but his heart was filled with profound sorrow.
A sorrow not just for Danzo, but also for himself.
For the sake of power, for the sake of strength, his former classmate had changed too much.
But Kagami knew that without Hiruzen Sarutobi's tacit approval, Danzo could never have left the village on his own, let alone gone to the front lines.
Thinking of this, Kagami felt even more sorrowful.
"Lord Danzo Shimura, may I ask you something?" Kagami ignored Danzo's aggressive tone and spoke coldly, distantly.
Hearing this, Danzo frowned, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the doorway where Rinjin was sneakily peeking in, and he felt a surge of hatred.
If Kagami were alone, Danzo would risk everything, even exhausting all of Root's resources, to take him down.
But! There was also that fool outside.
And he was the kind of fool who couldn't be beaten or outwitted.
After a moment of contemplation, Danzo snorted heavily and nodded impatiently.
"What is it? Ask quickly!"
Kagami, who had been closely observing Danzo's expression and gaze, understood everything. He spoke coldly and distantly.
"Lord Danzo Shimura, I want to ask: Can the Uchiha and the village coexist?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Danzo abruptly stood up, his face frosty.
"What do you mean by that?!"
This was a question he couldn't answer.
The answer was clear: they couldn't.
But no matter how deep the conflict between the village and the Uchiha, the words "they can't" must never be spoken aloud.
Especially during wartime, if such words reached the ears of the Uchiha clan, it would cause an enormous uproar.
Without hesitation, Danzo replied:
"The Uchiha are a part of the village. How could there be any question of coexistence or not?
The real question is, Kagami Uchiha, what are your intentions in asking such a thing?"
Kagami didn't respond. His eyes stared straight at Danzo, growing colder and colder.
He already knew the answer.
And it wasn't the answer he had hoped for.
With a soft sigh, Kagami let out a self-deprecating laugh and turned to leave.
Danzo stood on the platform, his expression dark as he watched Kagami's retreating figure in silence.
He wanted to act, desperately so.
But his chances of success were as slim as a Northerner eating noodles without garlic.
Outside the door, Rinjin grinned widely, waving cheerfully at Danzo as if to say goodbye.
The next second, the two figures disappeared without a trace.
Staring at the empty doorway, Danzo felt a chill in his heart.
Flying Thunder God Technique. Too dangerous.
...
After escorting Kagami back to Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village), Rinjin returned to Kirigakure (Hidden Mist Village) in the Land of Water.
He had guessed correctly—Danzo had indeed made a move against Kagami. But what he hadn't expected was how quickly Danzo had acted.
Originally, Rinjin had thought Danzo would wait until the war reached a stalemate before making his move. He hadn't anticipated the old fox's impatience.
But this was fine. With Kagami, the plan could finally accelerate.
As Rinjin made his way back to Kirigakure, a black-and-white figure slipped into the ground and disappeared from a room adjacent to the Mizukage's office.
Observing the figure avoiding Rinjin and leaving the area, Madara Uchiha stared into the flickering candlelight, his gaze unreadable.
Moments ago, the White Zetsu scattered across the ninja world had brought him news.
Rinjin, the so-called "Immortal," had saved one of Madara's unremarkable descendants.
And this descendant, Kagami Uchiha, seemed to have joined Amegakure.
Madara had to admit, the Immortal had his ways.
As a former clan leader, Madara knew all too well how proud his clan was.
At the same time, he knew how deeply his clansmen recognized Konoha.
Yet the Immortal had somehow managed to pry an outstanding clansman away to Amegakure.
Madara couldn't help but think that if this young man had been born a decade or two earlier, he might have been moved to marry off an Uchiha girl to him.
That way, this clever mind might have been put to good use.
But such thoughts were fleeting and were soon dismissed by Madara.
Such trivial matters no longer concerned him.
Still, Amegakure, this emerging village, held promise.
Though not as hidden as Kirigakure, Amegakure boasted the Uzumaki clan, the Uchiha clan, and the Immortal.
Coupled with its modified terrain, which was easy to defend and hard to attack.
And its geographical advantage at the intersection of the three great nations. Even just collecting tolls from passing merchants could rake in profits.
Not to mention the hefty water fees it charged the Land of Wind daily.
Thinking of this, Madara cared even less about Rinjin's next moves.
At worst, it would come to a fight. If Kirigakure was ruined, he could always hole up in Amegakure.
In the flickering candlelight, Madara's eyes narrowed as his lips curled into a faint, contemptuous smile.
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