บท 35: Hiruzen

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, a serious expression on his face as he held his pipe between his fingers.

An ANBU stood in front of him, ready to give his report.

"What have you discovered?" Hiruzen asked gravely.

The ANBU bowed slightly. "Hokage-sama, at the specified location, we found only ashes and a piece of clothing with the Uchiha clan emblem." He extended the garment, handing it to Hiruzen.

Hiruzen took the piece and examined it closely. At that moment, Yi was present, silently observing the scene.

"Do you recognize this garment, Yi?" Hiruzen asked weakly, turning to the Uchiha.

Yi approached and examined the garment. "…Yes, it's from the Uchiha clan, but I can't identify who it belongs to," he replied cautiously.

With a glint in his eyes, Hiruzen nodded slowly. "Investigate within your clan and find out if any members are missing or injured. Let's hope they aren't involved in this."

Yi hesitated for a moment before responding. "Well, Hokage-sama, the ashes could belong to a clan member, but the pattern of destruction suggests a different jutsu style, likely wind. I don't think the Uchiha clan is directly implicated."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, his expression unwavering. "Even so, I want you to investigate thoroughly. And ANBU, keep an eye on any suspects within Konoha. We can't allow other spies to intervene in this."

Yi nodded and withdrew, leaving Hiruzen alone in the office. The Hokage looked at the Uchiha garment once more before setting it down on his desk. Then he walked to the window, gazing out at the village.

"Was it you, Danzō?" he murmured, his voice barely audible.

The tense relationship between the Shimura and Uchiha clans was well-known, and Danzō's proficiency with wind element made him a natural suspect.

However, Danzō's deep-rooted influence and position in Konoha made confronting him without solid evidence an extremely delicate task.

The other village leaders, aware of Danzō's relentless and manipulative nature, preferred to avoid accusing him openly unless they had conclusive proof. Danzō was a powerful figure whose shadow loomed over Konoha like a constant threat.

Hiruzen sighed deeply, aware that this situation could trigger many events. Frowning, he turned back to his desk.

Outside the office, the ANBU dispersed.

---

The tension at the Uchiha residence was palpable. Yi slammed the table forcefully and stood up abruptly, his face contorted with rage.

"What are you talking about?! Kaiden is dead?!" he exclaimed.

A trembling subordinate replied, "Yes, we haven't been able to find Kaiden-san."

Yi gritted his teeth bitterly. "It must be Danzō, that crazy bastard! He's been harassing our Uchiha clan for a long time. It was definitely him. The traces at the scene can't be faked."

Kaiden had been one of the pillars of the Uchiha clan, and his death couldn't be ignored.

With the three-tomoe Sharingan exposed in his eyes, Yi declared furiously, "This matter cannot be forgotten, Shimura Danzō."

"Patriarch, what do we do about the Hyuga child and the traitor Mikoto?" asked the subordinate.

Yi responded dismissively, "What do they matter! I'm going to see Hiruzen for an explanation."

Without wasting any time, Yi headed to the Hokage's mansion, where he had a heated argument with Hiruzen. After a tense meeting, both parties parted ways, dissatisfied.

Left alone, Hiruzen sighed sadly. "Danzō, Danzō! You've gone too far." Yi had demanded that Hiruzen hand over Danzō, but the Hokage had refused.

However, Hiruzen decided to make a deal. He allowed the Uchiha clan to take charge of an ANBU team, although Yi remained unsatisfied.

Later, Hiruzen also warned Danzō.

This time, the matter ended with Danzō taking all the blame from Chen.

---

After enjoying the picnic, Chen returned home late at night. Mikoto, as usual, headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Chen, on the other hand, locked himself in his room.

Once alone, Chen carefully took out two eyes from the system where he had stored them.

They were Kaiden's eyes, with the three-tomoe Sharingan activated. Chen observed them closely, aware that these eyes possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Despite not knowing the abilities these eyes could grant him, Chen didn't feel particularly tempted by them. After all, he already possessed the Tenseigan, a dōjutsu even more exceptional than the Mangekyou. Not even the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan seemed worthy of his attention.

However, Chen considered the Tenseigan's ability to manipulate puppets, which could be useful if he combined that skill with Kaiden's eyes.

After all, the unique abilities of the Mangekyou Sharingan are always unusual and could prove useful in the future.

________

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