Hiruzen Sarutobi's old eyes welled with tears as he gazed at Danzo's lifeless body, surrounded by a pool of blood. His heart ached deeply. Before coming here, he had never imagined Danzo would die by his hand. Killing Danzo was something he had never considered, nor could he ever have let anyone else do it.
He cared too much for his old friend.
From childhood to old age, they had always been like this.
Years of competition, both overt and covert, had forged an unspoken bond between them. But today, Hiruzen severed that bond with his own hands.
He had no choice. He couldn't tolerate what Danzo had done.
Shisui's Sharingan, Hashirama's cells, and the arm full of Sharingan...
Any one of these would be an unforgivable crime.
Destroying the Uchiha clan only to graft their power onto himself.
Claiming the Uchiha were evil, all for the sake of Konoha's stability, but in truth, it was for his own selfish desire for power.
Danzo's ultimate goal was to seize the Hokage position.
"Sigh..."
Hiruzen put away his kunai, wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve, and prepared to leave.
"Hi... Hiruzen..."
Just as he was about to exit, a faint groan came from behind, calling his name.
Hiruzen paused. "Danzo, you're still alive?"
"Come... come closer..."
Using his last bit of strength, Danzo weakly raised his arm, gesturing for Hiruzen to come to his side, as if he had something important to say.
Hiruzen knelt beside Danzo, gently lifting his friend's body.
Danzo grasped Hiruzen's hand tightly, his voice a faint whisper: "Hi... Hiruzen... I'm relieved. After all these years, I've finally seen you be ruthless. I... I don't blame you... Seeing this, I can rest easy..."
"And one more thing, I... I have to tell you, Orochimaru... has planted... planted a spy in Konoha..."
"His name is Kabuto. He is disguised as a Genin, but... but his abilities and cunning are not to be underestimated. You... you must be careful! I have a feeling that one day... Orochimaru will move against you..."
"Hehe... cough..."
"Dying... in your arms... isn't so bad..."
As he spoke his last words, Danzo gazed into the eyes of the friend he had competed with his entire life, and breathed his last...
Danzo was dead.
Five minutes later, outside the mental hospital.
Hiruzen Sarutobi emerged from the main entrance, his robes stained with fresh blood.
The Anbu captain rushed to his side. "Hokage-sama! Are you alright?"
Hiruzen waved a hand dismissively. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Gather some men and go to Danzo's room to handle his body. He... committed suicide."
"What?"
The captain was momentarily stunned, but quickly composed himself, signaling to his team to move into the hospital.
Another Anbu captain handed Hiruzen a sealed note, bowing respectfully. "Hokage-sama, this message just came in from Uzuki Yugao."
"Hmm..."
Hiruzen took the note, formed a single-hand seal, and broke the sealing jutsu on it.
"Release!"
The note opened, and it read:
"Hokage-sama, I have successfully gained Uchiha Natsuhane's trust. Tonight, I will become his wife."
"Good..." Hiruzen nodded approvingly, instructing the captain, "Send a reply to Yugao, telling her to find out the specifics of Natsuhane's Mangekyo Sharingan ability as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir!"
"By the way, your team has been monitoring the police force, right? Have there been any unusual activities?"
"Nothing significant so far, but nearly all the staff in the police department are Natsuhane's wives..."
"All women?"
"Yes... led by Special Jounin Anko Mitarashi."
"...I see. You may go. Also, allocate some personnel to investigate a Genin named Kabuto in our village."
"Understood!"
Hiruzen's expression turned somber as he pondered the situation.
"Looks like I need to have a chat with Anko..."
At the Uchiha compound, Natsuhane's home.
Having just finished their intimate moment, Uzuki Yugao and Natsuhane were lying in bed, resting. After some lighthearted chatter, Yugao decided the time was right and began to subtly probe Natsuhane.
"Natsuhane, how did you become so strong all of a sudden? I was there the day you fought Danzo. When I saw that blue giant you summoned, I was stunned..."
"Oh, that? It's called Susanoo. Only those who awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan in both eyes can use it."
"Mangekyo Sharingan?" Uzuki Yugao feigned ignorance, her eyes wide with curiosity. "What's that? Is it stronger than the three-tomoe Sharingan?"
Natsuhane adopted a proud expression and nodded. "Of course."
Seeing Natsuhane's willingness to share, Yugao felt a surge of excitement. She quickly pressed on, "Can you tell me what your Mangekyo ability is? I really want to know how powerful it is..."
Normally, a shinobi's abilities are considered highly classified information and not easily shared. But Yugao believed that after their recent closeness, this was the perfect moment. Natsuhane would surely tell her.
And she was right.
Natsuhane didn't hesitate. "My Mangekyo Sharingan ability is called 'Insight into Everything.'"
"Oh?"
Such an abstract name...
"Natsuhane... could you explain it in more detail? I'm not quite sure I understand..."
Natsuhane narrowed his eyes, murmuring softly, "Insight into Everything means I can see through everyone's thoughts, their past, their future, and... the present moment..."
"?"
Yugao was stunned...
"W-What did you say?"
...