**Konoha Hospital.**
In a single-patient room on the second floor, near the corridor's corner, lay Uchiha Sougen's room.
The hospital life wasn't as pleasant as one might imagine. Sougen had misjudged the extent of his current influence. After Shisui relayed the events that transpired at the Hokage's office to the elders, they exaggerated the story and spread it among the clan.
And so,
the clan exploded in excitement.
The fact that the despised Danzo had been reduced to a vegetative state by clan leader and was lying in a hospital was the best news they had heard in five years. Especially the radical faction, who had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Sougen's firm opposition to a coup during the clan assembly, now suddenly became his staunch supporters.
When they learned that the clan leader had also been injured during the battle with Danzo and was currently hospitalized at Konoha Hospital, groups of clan members started arriving with fruit baskets and various gifts, nearly wearing down the threshold of Sougen's hospital room. There were so many gifts that they had nowhere to put them, so they had to send the perishable fruits to the police force to be shared.
*Sigh!!!*
Leaning back on the bed, Sougen let out a helpless sigh.
"If I had known this would happen, I would've just gone home. Those little rascals from the clan wander the hospital late at night instead of going home to sleep, saying they're patrolling to protect me from being ambushed… Honestly, if I've fallen to the point where I need their protection, I might as well jump out the window."
"Don't say that. It's a sign of their affection. Everyone knows you're strong and skilled, but there's a saying: 'It's easier to dodge an open attack than a hidden one.' They care for you, which is why they're doing this!"
Uchiha Ranzan, sitting in the chair beside the bed, was peeling an apple.
The small fruit knife danced in his hand like a butterfly, quickly revealing the white, juicy flesh beneath the red skin.
"Hmph, stop with the excuses. If you ask me, those kids are just bored and need something to do. Speaking of which, how's the situation with the police force? Any trouble there?" Sougen had entrusted Ranzan with handling the police force during his hospital stay, while he took the opportunity to relax.
"Pretty good! The news about Danzo becoming a vegetable has lifted everyone's spirits. Even the recent covert harassment and interference with the police force have stopped. Everything's going well!"
Ranzan bit into the apple, its sweet juice spraying out.
"Good to hear."
Sougen didn't bother asking further.
As things stood, the Uchiha should enjoy a period of relative peace, as long as he remained standing. The Third Hokage and his people wouldn't act rashly again. Of course, if they did, it would be a thunderous strike… But that was for the future. For now, he had more immediate problems to worry about.
*Knock, knock!*
A knock came at the door.
"Another one?"
Sougen twitched slightly at the corner of his eye.
He glanced at the table and coffee table, both overflowing with gifts, and sighed wearily. "Come in! It's not locked!" he said listlessly, while mentally guessing who the new visitor could be. But when the door opened—
Sougen raised an eyebrow.
"Sougen, how's your injury?"
The man who entered had a gentle appearance, an affable smile, and a scholarly aura. He carried a delicately crafted fruit basket that clearly wasn't cheap.
"Sōgyun-senpai."
Sougen sat up straight.
He was somewhat surprised to see this familiar face, though their relationship wasn't particularly deep. Kurama Sōgyun, the newly appointed head of the Kurama clan, had teamed up with Sougen several times during the Third Great Ninja War. At the time, as a Jonin, Sōgyun had looked after Sougen.
However, after the Third War, the Nine-Tails incident occurred soon after, and the Uchiha clan's situation deteriorated. Sougen hadn't seen Sōgyun in two or three years… Wait. A flash of insight crossed Sougen's mind as he recalled the meeting four days ago at the Hokage's office. After defeating Danzo, Sougen remembered sensing someone watching him. The gaze's owner had seemed to be Kurama Sōgyun.
"Looks like you're recovering well!" Sōgyun glanced at the gifts piling up on the coffee table and casually placed his fruit basket on the bed.
"Just a minor injury. But Sōgyun-senpai, you've got guts. If people find out you came to visit me… It won't do you any favors. On the contrary, if you anger those elders, things could get tough for you."
As the saying goes, "no one visits without reason."
Kurama Sōgyun wasn't a bad person, but he wasn't the type to lend a hand without expecting something in return. Their relationship had always been lukewarm, not close friends by any stretch.
For him to risk his clan's reputation to step into Sougen's hospital room, there had to be something driving him.
"Four days ago, you must have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, right?" Sōgyun acknowledged Ranzan, who politely stood up to make space, and sat down as if it was no big deal to reveal such a secret.
"Ranzan, keep an eye on the door. I need to have a private chat with Sōgyun-senpai."
Ranzan shot a deep look at Sōgyun, tossed the apple core into the trash, wiped his hands with a napkin, and exited the room, closing the door behind him as he leaned against the wall to stand guard.
Inside the room,
Sougen sat cross-legged on the bed, studying Sōgyun with interest. "Sōgyun-senpai, where did you hear about the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"That's no secret!" Sōgyun replied calmly. "In its prime, the Kurama clan was said to rival the Uchiha in genjutsu. An ancestor of ours once battled an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyō. Thanks to that encounter, I happen to know about the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"I see."
Sougen nodded,
though he didn't really care whether it was true or not. True or false, it didn't matter. He didn't mind showing his power to the world. As long as he was strong enough, what could anyone do if they knew he had the Mangekyō Sharingan? Did they think they could figure out how to counter his eye techniques?
Despite the constant disturbance from clan members over the past few days, Sougen had found time to study his eye techniques. Breaking them wouldn't be an easy task.
"So, Sōgyun-senpai, what brings you here?" After the pleasantries, Sougen got straight to the point.
"Still as direct as ever, Sougen!"
A hint of bitterness appeared on Sōgyun's face as he took a deep breath and said, "I'm here to ask you for a favor!"
(End of Chapter)