Inside Orochimaru's dimly lit lab, Danzo's expression twists with disdain as he gazes upon the lifeless form of his subordinate sprawled on the floor with his only left eye. "What a waste," he mutters under his breath, his voice dripping with disappointment. He kneels beside the fallen Chunin, his fingers tracing over the still form as if searching for some semblance of life.

Beside him, Orochimaru stands tall and imposing, his eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and malice. "You brought me quite the assortment of specimens, Danzo," he remarks, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Shame they couldn't live up to expectations."

“And unfortunately, you cannot live up to expectations either… Orochimaru…” Minato’s voice is dripping his sarcasm as he slowly strolls at Orochimaru’s flank. “Jiraiya-sensei will be sad if he learns of this…”

Danzo grits his teeth, and his frustration is evident. "They were all specialists," he retorts sharply, his voice laced with indignation. "Skilled in Fuinjutsu or Genjutsu. Chunin in title, but capable of so much more. Yet they fell like flies."

There is genuine annoyance in Danzo’s eyes as he looks at Minato… The purpose of Danzo bringing his subordinates is to use them against Orochimaru with the intent to either capture him or force him to make a deal but unfortunately, the Yellow Flash just has to barge in.

Orochimaru chuckles darkly, a cold smile playing on his lips. "And yet, here they lie," he remarks, gesturing to the motionless bodies scattered across the room. "Victims of their own inadequacy."

“Stop with the fake pity, Danzo.” Orochimaru’s tongue slithers, and his eyes narrow down at Danzo. “We both know this Chunins of yours are just one of many pawns you have… the surprising thing here is Minato coldly killing this bunch.”

“You know that I’d kill them,” Minato casually remarks as he playfully tosses his unique kunai in the air like playing with a ball. “When you sensed my presence, you know that I have come here with the intent to kill you or apprehend you… And then you thought, Danzo is Minato’s political rival. So what are the chances of Minato taking advantage of the situation by killing Danzo’s subordinates here… The fact that Danzo cannot even protest against my killing of his people is because of the fact he tried to collude with you.”

Danzo looks at Orochimaru and then at Minato, “You do believe, Minato that I can reverse the story and imply that it is you who are colluding with Orochimaru…”

“And the witness?” Minato glances at the cloaked and very dead Chunins that Danzo brought with him, and it becomes self-explanatory. “You won’t make a simple situation into a complicated matter because that will jeopardize what you are trying to build… I am trying to make it easy for you, by cutting you a deal. So do you accept my proposition for a temporary partnership to apprehend Orochimaru?”

“Ooh, the drama…” Orochimaru slyly smiles. “How about I make a counterproposition for you Danzo? Don’t interfere, and let me go… In exchange, I will give you this…” The sly snake reveals a scroll, and the familiar seal of the Saurtobi can be seen in its center.

“How about this to motivate you more? Behind me is the treasure trove of knowledge I have gathered since I began my experimentations. While I run, Minato will chase me as I have higher priority... over your scheming. You will take your time, and ransack everything I have… Even if the Third Hokage learns what you did, he won’t be able to indict you, as Minato puts it, there is no witness anyway to corroborate the truth or even force it through interrogation or torture… Your political clout is enough to remedy your current situation and even benefit from it.”

“You!” Minato loses composure for a second as he recognizes the markings just on the side of the scroll indicating the Sealing Technique used in it is incredibly high level. “How do you have this? What is inside it, tell me!”

Orochimaru maliciously grins, “While I am smuggling Hashirama’s corpse carefully under the Hokage’s nose, I coincidently took interest in this scroll carefully hidden within the Sarutobi grounds… Do you want to know what is inside it?” He dangles it like a carrot as if he is teasing some mindless rabbit.

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The arrogance in Orochimaru has become more apparent and depraved after he has surrendered himself to the madness. And then he reveals what is inside it, “It has a beautiful pair of Mangekyou Sharingan…”

Out of the blue, Orochimaru tosses the scroll at Danzo.

Danzo catches it with both hands.

Orochimaru runs.

Minato chases.

Probably Danzo, ‘What the f? Does such a good thing exist? Does good things fall from the sky now?’ He strains a smile which is very uncharacteristic of him as he watches Orochimaru and Minato quickly vanish… Danzo unfurls the scroll, still deliberating on whose proposition to follow…

“So… It is actually a scroll painting,” Danzo remarks in admiration as he takes in the sight in front of him.

In the picturesque ink painting is an image of a Uchiha girl roughly a teenager… with eyes of crimson orbs. Enclosed on her dark pupils are triangular crescent moons that seem to pulse from the painting itself, looking directly at Danzo.

The ‘scroll’ becomes legit in Danzo’s eyes, and decides to follow Orochimaru’s arrangements instead.

But then suddenly, a presence expresses itself.

When Danzo looks over, he sees a white masked man wearing a dark robe over his slim frame… no… Not a man but a boy, obvious by the fact that he is only as tall as Danzo’s chest.

“Hand it now, it is not yours…” His voice has that dread inducement to it that makes anyone feel small in comparison to him. That is the kind of presence he carries. “Danzo Shimura. Hand. The. Scroll. To. Me.”

Danzo's eyes narrow as he assesses the boy before him, his mind racing to identify this new threat. "And who might you be?" he asks, his tone laced with suspicion as he tightens his grip on the scroll.

The masked boy doesn't flinch at Danzo's question, his expression hidden behind the featureless mask. "I am an agent of peace," he responds cryptically, his voice carrying an air of authority. "That scroll belongs to me. Hand it over and live, or face the consequences."

And then, the boy’s eyes flare red, summoning the Three Tomoe Sharingan, the trademark Bloodline Limit of the Uchiha. Things have just become more complicated.

Danzo's mind races, weighing his options. The Uchiha clan's involvement complicates matters further, adding another layer of intrigue to the situation. "I am unaware of the Uchiha clan's claim to the scroll," he replies, his voice firm and calculated. "And I don’t care… This scroll is now confiscated and interfering with my duties would mean treason, do you understand, boy?”

The masked boy's gaze hardens, and Danzo can feel the weight of his stare even through the mask. "Your duties are irrelevant," he states bluntly. "The scroll belongs to me, and I will take it by any means necessary."

Danzo's hand tightens around the scroll, his resolve hardening, perhaps fueled by his own greed. "I am not one to be intimidated by threats," he retorts, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "If the Uchiha clan wishes to reclaim the scroll, they will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands."

A tense silence hangs in the air as the standoff continues, neither party willing to back down. The dim light of Orochimaru's lab casts eerie shadows across the room, adding to the atmosphere of suspense.

Finally, the masked boy breaks the silence with a low, menacing chuckle. "So be it," he declares, his voice dripping with malice. "Prepare yourself for you have just made an enemy of… Madara Uchiha."

With that ominous warning, the masked boy vanishes in a swirl of darkness, leaving Danzo alone in the dimly lit lab with his thoughts and the coveted scroll in his hands.

Plop~!

Danzo feels a burst of pain in his right shoulder. ‘Too fast!’ He realizes with terror, almost seeing the visage of the Yellow Flash at the mysterious Uchiha… but… “Madara Uchiha!? You are the self-proclaimed Madara!?”

The said ‘Madara’ proceeds to pry the scroll from Danzo’s severed arm. “Self-proclaimed? I am Madara. What gives you the idea I am not Madara.”

“Obviously because you are just a boy—”

“The world is big,” Madara begins with a melodramatic cry, “And the secrets of the world are far grander than any mortal mind can ever dare to imagine… People die, live, and die again… but some persist through ideas, through the will of the world— and through souls! Reincarnation is not beyond me!”

Danzo having his pride wounded summons the courage to retaliate. Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere! A compressed wind chakra blasts from Danzo’s mouth, its spherical form is barely tangible to the eyes, and even a Sharingan user will find it difficult to evade.

But Madara simply stands there, seemingly having no intention to dodge.

When the compressed wind hits Madara, it simply passes him like a mirage… just like how water and wind have no shape and cannot be moved with meager hands… Madara has become untouchable.

Only now Danzo notices that Madara no longer has his Three Tomoe Sharingan, but instead, he now boasts a peculiar pattern in his eyes— three stretched triangles evenly spacing themselves around the pupil each curve at the top around the eye to form a circle.

It is the infamous Mangekyou Sharingan.