Inside the dark underground palace.
The mysterious person who had previously attacked Uchiha Shinji and the others in the Forest of Death was now seated on a stone chair, silently staring at a severed hand resting on a nearby table.
The pinky finger of that severed hand still bore a ring inscribed with the character for "Sky" (空).
At that moment, Kabuto Yakushi stepped out of the shadows, adjusting his glasses. "Orochimaru-sama, did you gain anything from your trip to the Hidden Leaf?"
Without a doubt, Shinji's guess had been correct.
The mysterious person who had attacked them in the Forest of Death was none other than one of the Three Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.
Thinking of something amusing, Orochimaru chuckled. "The Uchiha clan never fails to bring me delightful surprises!"
Kabuto asked, "Oh, was it that Uchiha Sasuke, the boy who awakened his Sharingan at seven and subdued the rampaging Nine-Tails?"
Orochimaru nodded.
Although Sasuke hadn't put up much of a fight, his courage to stand up and his ability to maintain his will under Orochimaru's intense killing intent was impressive.
For a seven-year-old, that alone was enough to surprise Orochimaru. After all, he was just a child!
What fascinated Orochimaru even more was Sasuke's crimson Sharingan eyes.
Ever since his humiliating defeat at the hands of Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan, Orochimaru's obsession with the Sharingan had only grown stronger.
Before that fateful encounter, Orochimaru had never imagined being defeated by a single glance from Itachi.
That battle had given him firsthand experience of the power of the Sharingan—a power that filled him with both dread and an irresistible obsession!
Seeing Orochimaru's eyes practically glowing, Kabuto asked curiously, "Then why didn't you bring him back with you?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "He's still too young. Compared to him, that other Uchiha is much more perceptive."
"Uchiha Shinji?"
"Yes, a rather clever child," Orochimaru remarked with a laugh. "But such cleverness is useless. An Uchiha who can't awaken the Sharingan is worthless."
"He's only eight years old. Maybe he'll awaken the Sharingan in the future. I'll keep an eye on him for you."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses again.
He understood Orochimaru well. If Orochimaru truly didn't care about someone, he wouldn't bother to make any comment. For Orochimaru to offer such an evaluation meant that aside from not awakening his Sharingan, Uchiha Shinji's overall performance had been impressive.
Turning his gaze back to the severed hand on the table, Orochimaru pondered for a moment and said, "We can't let Uchiha Sasuke continue playing shinobi games at the shinobi academy. That will only waste his talent."
"What do you suggest?"
Orochimaru smiled. "Arrange for him to face a bit of... stimulus."
...
Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage spoke in a firm, unwavering tone. "He must not be provoked any further!"
Danzo's expression was dark and furious. "You've all been deceived by that boy. His existence is a threat to the village!"
Koharu Utatane countered, "He's only seven!"
Danzo glared at her viciously. "Which is why we need to eliminate him now! If he ever awakens those eyes, he'll be a disaster for us!"
On the other side of the room, Homura Mitokado coughed softly. "I must remind you, it was him who subdued the rampaging Nine-Tails not too long ago."
Koharu nodded in agreement. "Indeed, and this time, he also protected the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails."
Danzo's gaze, cold and sharp, swept across the room. "You all think you can use that boy, but I've seen through him. He's not the type of Uchiha you can control. You'll regret today's decision!"
With that, Danzo stormed out of the Hokage Tower.
Returning to his base, the darkness on Danzo's face gradually faded.
His previous display of anger in the Hokage's office had been an act. Even Danzo was now beginning to question whether someone else had stolen the Sharingan.
Or, if Uchiha Sasuke was truly the one who had taken the Sharingan, Danzo was even more interested in understanding why Sasuke would do such a thing.
He was desperate to uncover what hidden secrets those Sharingan, which couldn't be detected by any of his instruments, truly held!
So, he had no real intention of killing Sasuke. His earlier forcefulness in the Hokage's office was merely a way to conceal his deeper motives.
At that moment, he gestured with his hand.
Swoosh, swoosh.
Two Root shinobi appeared before him, kneeling. "Danzo-sama!"
Danzo issued a cold command, "Increase the surveillance on Uchiha Sasuke. I want to know who he meets, what he does, and every word he says! Don't miss a single detail!"
Both Root members responded immediately, "Yes!"
Danzo then asked, "Has the inventory been accounted for?"
One of the Root shinobi nervously swallowed. "Aside from the batch of Sharingan that was in the lab being scanned, all the other Sharingan have been stolen!"
"Useless!"
In an instant, Danzo drove his cane into the shinobi's throat.
Thud.
The Root shinobi collapsed to the ground, his life draining away as blood pooled beneath him.
The remaining Root member didn't dare move, not even to wipe the sweat forming on his brow.
Danzo coldly stated, "Failure deserves punishment!"
"Yes!"
The remaining shinobi answered with the utmost respect.
Danzo then glanced around the base, recalling Uchiha Shinji's Fire Release jutsu from earlier. His face darkened once again.
Despite the base being reinforced, it hadn't sustained much damage from a single Fire Release.
What truly enraged Danzo was that a mere Uchiha survivor had dared to use Fire Release in his domain—an act of blatant disrespect for his authority!
"A weed like him dares to act arrogantly in front of me?"
Danzo's eyes flickered with killing intent.
Uchiha Sasuke held too many secrets and was protected by Uchiha Itachi. Even without the Third Hokage's interference, Danzo wouldn't truly kill Sasuke.
But Uchiha Shinji, who had no one to back him, was a different story.
Because of Danzo's earlier act in the Hokage's office, neither the Third Hokage nor the two advisors would want to clash with him again over something minor.
As long as he didn't target Uchiha Sasuke and didn't go too far, there wouldn't be much resistance from the village leadership.
With that thought, Danzo asked, "Has the sketch of the mysterious attacker in the Forest of Death been completed?"
The Root member nodded quickly. "Yes, based on eyewitness descriptions, we've recreated the person's height and appearance. However... it's likely the attacker used a disguise. We haven't found any useful information yet."
Danzo replied coldly, "No matter. Have someone disguise themselves as that mysterious attacker and bring me Uchiha Shinji's head!"