Konoha, Temporary Hokage Tent.

Danzō, who had narrowly escaped death in the Land of Iron, now used his left hand to support a cane.

His right eye and right arm were replaced with prosthetics, both covered with bandages to avoid drawing attention.

A letter had just arrived from the Daimyō, and its contents were unfavorable to him.

It read:

"Danzō, your performance at the Five Kage Summit was deeply disappointing. However, since I appointed you as Hokage, removing you immediately would reflect poorly on my judgment. You have one hundred days to rectify the situation and bring Konoha back on track, or I will choose another Hokage."

After reading the letter, Danzō burned it with a candle, his gaze dark. "If only I still had Shisui's right eye, I could have used Kotoamatsukami to deal with the Daimyō..."

After burning the letter, Danzō pondered for a long time before calling in the head of Konoha's reconstruction efforts, adding the requirement for the construction of the Sixth Hokage's face on the Hokage Rock.

"This..." The head hesitated. "Although we have received reconstruction funds from the Land of Fire, the project is vast, and the people's morale is unstable. Rebuilding the Hokage Rock at this time might be... inappropriate?"

He watched Danzō's expression carefully, speaking cautiously.

Danzō, having seized the position of Hokage, was not without patience.

He said solemnly, "Every Hokage has had their face added to the Hokage Rock upon taking office, symbolizing a new beginning. With the village in need of rebuilding, a new Hokage Rock will serve as a pillar of hope for the people..."

"This..." The head wanted to say more, but seeing the cold eyes of the Root members beside him, he quickly said, "It seems reasonable!"

Danzō said, "Then start immediately. The materials, process, and personnel must all be approved by me!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

After the head left, Danzō lifted the tent flap, revealing his left eye, staring at the mountain where the Hokage Rock stood.

"My face will finally be seen by the world..."

The experience of narrowly escaping death in the Land of Iron still seemed unbelievable to him.

Looking back, he still felt a lingering fear, unable to sleep or eat well for days.

Returning to his seat, he gripped his cane tightly. "Just a little more, and I would have lost the Hokage position I just gained. I didn't expect Uzumaki Naruto's strength to be so formidable. The Rinnegan's power boost is unprecedented. If I had known, I would have tried to get Nagato's eyes back in Amegakure..."

The loss of his right eye and arm left him without his life-saving tools.

Now, wherever he went, elite Root members guarded within a hundred paces, replacing the ANBU members originally responsible for village security.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

In the evening, Terai, who had been sent by Danzō to capture Kabuto before the Five Kage Summit, returned injured.

Terai said, "Danzō-sama, I found his whereabouts, but his strength far exceeds our intelligence..."

Danzō frowned. "Far exceeds our intelligence? How did you survive?"

"To be honest, he seemed to let me live on purpose..."

Hiss! Terai's eyes suddenly flashed with snake-like pupils!

Slash! Danzō's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly dropped his cane, leaping up to choke Terai...!

"Ugh...!!!"

A white snake with a scroll in its mouth emerged from Terai's mouth, and he fell dead...

Danzō picked up the scroll, opened it, and his eyes flashed sharply!

"Danzō-sama..."

"Dispose of Terai's body."

"Yes."

"And I need to leave the village. This is top secret. Do not alert anyone...!"

"What about the Hokage's duties in the village...?"

"Let my 'double' handle them!"

As a frequently targeted conspirator, having a double was essential. From appearance to behavior, everything was meticulously crafted, making it difficult even for Jōnin to distinguish.

Danzō added, "Though it's a double, the Hokage's presence must be maintained to avoid suspicion. The Daimyō is already pressuring me, and we can't afford any mistakes now."

"What about your personal guards?"

Danzō's personal guards, Fū and Torune, had been killed by Naruto...

After pondering, he thought of someone. "Recall Ryōma..."

"Aburame Ryōma-senpai!?" The Root member in white showed respect.

Aburame Ryōma, one of the top experts of the Aburame clan, had once partnered with Orochimaru while serving Root.

At night, after arranging everything, Danzō, dressed in black and concealing his appearance, quietly left the village.

Before leaving, he glanced back at the Hokage Rock and murmured, "When I return, the Hokage Rock should be complete. My era is finally coming..."

Danzō turned and disappeared into the night.

...

The long night intertwined with darkness.

In the southern part of the Land of Fire, in Akatsuki's hideout.

"Ugh..." Sasuke woke up.

"Sasuke..." Karin beamed.

"You're awake..." Tobi, sitting high up, rested his chin on his hand.

Sasuke's confused mind cleared, and he asked, "Where's Naruto?"

Tobi said, "After a clash with the Raikage, he safely left the Land of Iron..."

Thud!

Sasuke's fist slammed into the stone platform!

"Damn it, Naruto's power has reached such a level...!"

Tobi said, "Sasuke, don't be discouraged. Your power awakened greatly during your fight with him. If Naruto hadn't obtained Nagato's eyes, he wouldn't have defeated you so easily."

Sasuke coldly replied, "Hmph! I don't need childish excuses to comfort me!"

Tobi coaxed, "So, what are your plans? If you go to Konoha for revenge now, the result won't change..."

Sasuke's eyes burned with the desire for power. "I want to transplant Itachi's eyes...!"

"Oh?" Tobi's eyes moved as he descended.

"Finally decided?"

"I need enough power to crush Naruto and Konoha, nothing more!!"

Tobi looked deeply at Sasuke. "Come with me..."

...

Outside the Land of Iron, in a cave hidden in the mountains.

Hiss! Naruto's right eye slowly opened, revealing the four distinct tomoe of Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan!

"Naruto-kun, how do you feel?"

Orochimaru, who had personally performed the transplant, asked with a smile.

Naruto said, "The darkness is clearer now..."

Orochimaru said, "Kotoamatsukami is a very special dōjutsu. Without Hashirama's cells, it can only be used once every ten years. But Naruto-kun, as a member of the Uzumaki clan, distant relatives of the Senju, you don't need to wait that long. The interval is about half a month, but the risk of blindness still exists..."

Naruto asked meaningfully, "Orochimaru, aren't you afraid I'll use this dōjutsu on you?"

Orochimaru replied wisely, "Heh heh... If you intended to use it on me, why tell me? Besides, even if you did, I wouldn't notice, right?"

Naruto looked away.

Konan stepped forward and asked, "Now that the goal is achieved, should we return to Amegakure?"

"..." Naruto's gaze deepened.

Akatsuki was currently hunting the Eight-Tails.

The Raikage had rushed to rescue him overnight.

That man was likely in grave danger.

Naruto couldn't forget that man's determination to protect his comrades to the end...

"To facilitate our next actions, we should increase our manpower as much as possible..."

Konan asked, "Recruit more after returning to Amegakure?"

Naruto covered his right eye. "There's a man I want to save and use for our cause..."

Konan asked, "Who are you talking about?"

Naruto's eyes burned. "One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the wielder of Samehada, Hoshigaki Kisame!"