— — — — — —
"I agree with that!"
Uchiha Naori nodded in agreement after hearing Uzumaki Mito's suggestion.
"While the timing isn't perfect, with your current reputation and achievements, Kaito, it's still unlikely you can become Hokage just yet.
"But there's no need for us to rush to choose a new Hokage right now.
"We can stall until this war is over.
"For now, after you've raided the Root headquarters, hand over the evidence to us and head back to the frontlines.
"Leave the affairs in the village to us!"
"Understood?!"
Kaito smiled and nodded. "Alright, it's settled. I'll be on my way!"
With that, Kaito vanished from sight, teleporting away instantly.
— — —
The next moment, he appeared in a dense forest near the Root headquarters.
With a crackling sound, Kaito transformed into a bolt of lightning, flashing toward the entrance of the base.
"Who is there?"
The slight noise, of course, alerted the Root ninja guarding the entrance.
They turned immediately toward the sound.
"Sharingan: Ensnaring Illusion!"
By then, Kaito's eyes had already activated the three-tomoe Sharingan.
With a simple flick of genjutsu, he dragged the Root ninjas into a vivid illusion.
He then created more than a dozen shadow clones, ordering them to infiltrate the base. Meanwhile, Kaito himself approached the entranced Root ninjas.
Using a unique jutsu, he implanted a new "Tongue Curse Seal" into them.
This version of the seal, far more refined and covert than Danzo's, ensured they couldn't disclose any information about Kaito. The seal remained invisible unless triggered by specific means, making it nearly undetectable.
While there was still a slight risk of exposure if someone probed too deeply, Kaito deemed it acceptable.
Once the seals were implanted, he knocked the ninjas unconscious.
Focusing his thoughts, he teleported again using the Flying Thunder God Technique, locking onto a shadow clone as his coordinate.
With his mastery of the Flying Thunder God nearing perfection, he could effortlessly use his clones as teleportation points or inscribe new marks in passing with ease.
"Who's there?"
"We're under attack! Kill the intruder!"
Kaito's brazen infiltration didn't go unnoticed for long. Soon, Root ninjas within the base rushed to confront the clones.
Without hesitation, Kaito's clones subdued them one by one, using the same genjutsu to control them.
The main body then implanted new Tongue Curse Seals before rendering them unconscious.
In just a few minutes, Kaito had subdued and controlled every Root ninja within the base.
He then began systematically raiding the base, relying on Danzo's memories to locate valuable resources and information.
— — —
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, a Root squad leader arrived to meet the Third Hokage.
"What's the matter? Did Danzo send you?"
The Third Hokage frowned slightly, puzzled by the unexpected visit.
It seemed odd. Danzo was on the frontlines and usually relied on messenger hawks or Root ninjas to communicate.
If this was from Danzo, the messenger would've made that clear.
The squad leader bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama, this isn't about orders from Danzo-sama. I believe something might have happened to him."
"What?"
The Third Hokage's expression shifted to shock. "What do you mean something happened to him? Explain yourself!"
The Root ninja reported, "Hokage-sama, you're aware that Danzo-sama applied the Tongue Curse Seal on all Root members. It prevents us from revealing any of his secrets, and it's marked on our tongues.
"But just over an hour ago, every Root member in the village had their Tongue Curse Seals lifted!"
"There's only one explanation for this—Danzo-sama is... dead."
"What?!"
The Third Hokage's face twisted in disbelief. "Dead? That's impossible! He's the commander of the frontlines!"
"Look at this, Hokage-sama."
The Root ninja opened his mouth, showing his unmarked tongue.
"You're saying Danzo is dead?"
"How could this happen? He's no ordinary shinobi!"
"Unless…"
The Third Hokage's mind raced.
Danzo had recently sent word that the Uchiha and two allied clans had fallen into a trap he devised with Hanzo.
The plan was supposed to eliminate the Uchiha clansmen, Kaito's team, Tsunade, and many others in one fell swoop.
Now, before any good news could arrive, he was hearing this?
"Could Danzo and Hanzo's plan have failed?"
"What exactly is happening at the frontlines?!"
A sense of dread crept into the Third Hokage's heart.
He realized the situation was spiraling out of control.
The Third Hokage examined the Root ninja's tongue and body closely.
It was confirmed—the Tongue Curse Seal on this ninja had indeed been automatically lifted.
Additionally, the ninja's identity as a member of Root was genuine.
"This is bad. Something major is happening!"
The Third's heart sank, weighed down by dread.
But he couldn't afford to show his panic. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he said to the Root ninja, "Don't overthink it. The removal of the seal doesn't necessarily mean Danzo has been killed.
"There could've been some unforeseen circumstance.
"For now, our priority is to stabilize Root and its members.
"I'll also send people to the frontlines to confirm Danzo's situation.
"Meanwhile, take me to the Root headquarters. We need to ensure order is maintained and that any sensitive information stored there is secured."
The Third Hokage then summoned an ANBU squad leader and instructed him to inform a superior officer to assemble an entire ANBU unit to accompany him to the Root base.
The Third knew Danzo well enough to be sure that the base would hold not only incriminating evidence but also a trove of valuable resources.
He had to secure those immediately.
If they fell into the wrong hands, it could lead to a disaster.
"Yes, sir!"
The Root ninja had no objections.
After all, loyalty to the village was their second-highest creed.
The first?
Absolute loyalty to Danzo.
But with Danzo seemingly gone, loyalty to the Hokage naturally became their top priority.
The Third Hokage acted swiftly.
In just under half an hour, he and his team reached the Root base.
Unfortunately for him, Kaito was much faster.
Armed with Danzo's memories, breaking through the seals and traps guarding the Root base was child's play for Kaito.
In less than ten minutes, using his shadow clones, Kaito raided the base thoroughly.
He retrieved an array of resources, jutsu scrolls, Sharingan, Hashirama's cells, and more.
To add insult to injury, Kaito took the time to restore the traps and seals he had disarmed—making them even more complex and fortified than before.
This would significantly delay the Third Hokage's ability to uncover what had been taken.
By the time the Third Hokage arrived at the base, Kaito was long gone.
— — —
Kaito had already returned to hand over the incriminating evidence and information to Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori.
"All the dirt on them is here!"
Kaito gestured to the pile of documents and materials before them.
"How you handle it is up to you.
"The Third Hokage must've already arrived at the Root base and will soon realize everything is gone!
"To buy us some time, I made sure to reinforce the traps and seals I broke.
"It'll probably take him two or three days to get through them!"
"That's the time I've bought you. Make good use of it!"
"Oh?"
Both Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori's eyes lit up.
They gave Kaito a thumbs-up.
"Smart move! You've thought this through!"
"With two or three days, we'll have enough time to sway public opinion and set things in motion.
"By the time the Third Hokage figures out what's happened, it'll be too late!"
Kaito then pulled out several test tubes.
"These are Uchiha Kagami's other Mangekyō Sharingan, along with eight other Sharingan."
"Should I keep them, or do you want to hold onto them?"
Curious, Uchiha Naori examined the test tubes before looking at Kaito.
"What are you planning to do with these Sharingan?"
"I have some ideas," Kaito said confidently.
"I want to study Uchiha Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan and see if I can uncover a method for mastering Mangekyō jutsu.
"If it works, we could even learn his unique abilities without awakening our own Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"What?"
Both Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori froze mid-action, their eyes wide in shock.
"Is that even possible?"
Kaito scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
"Not sure yet, but there's a good chance!
"If it works, even without awakening a Mangekyō, I'll be able to master its abilities!
"Plus, other Uchiha clan members might be able to learn additional Mangekyō jutsu as well!"
His confidence in his natural talent and abilities was unshakable.
"hssss!"
Uchiha Naori took a deep breath, handing Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan back to Kaito.
"If you're confident, give it a shot!
"If you fail, no harm done. This kind of breakthrough would be extraordinary, after all."
"I've dabbled in this in the past but only managed to slightly reduce the strain of using my Mangekyō abilities."
"But if you succeed, the Uchiha clan's strength will skyrocket in no time!"
"Even if it's only for those who've awakened Mangekyō or Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, it would still be a massive boost!"
Success or not, this was an opportunity that could reshape the Uchiha clan's future.
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