Damn it…
The moment the strange black flames wrapped around his body, Uchiha Yuan felt the oppressive Yin-Release power hidden within them—heavy, corrosive, and troublesome.
With a burst of Shunshin, his figure blurred and vanished, narrowly shaking the flames off his body.
"Lord Danzō."
Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Torune flashed to his side, kneeling low.
"Forgive us… we were unable to subdue him."
Danzō's expression shifted between gloom and irritation.
One hand clutched tightly over his right eye—feeling the hollow drain of chakra and vitality that followed the eye's activation.
…Kagami.
In the end… old as I am, I still have to rely on the very power that ruined this body.
His heart burned with resentment.
After a moment of silence, he rasped:
"Send a message to Unit A-1. Have them pick up our trail.
Follow the signs of battle—
that Cloud brat was struck by the Sharingan's Flame Seal, he won't get far."
A Waterfall, Several Miles Away
Yuan sat on a moss-covered rock beneath the torrent, the cold water pounding on his shoulders.
His Transformation Technique had already been dispelled—the black flames had shredded it the moment they touched his body. He now sat as his true self.
A golden glow flickered faintly between his brows.
The air around him buzzed with arcs of golden lightning dancing a few inches above his skin.
And in his open palm spun a dense black sphere—the remnant of the flames stuck to him.
"So it was a Flame-Sealing technique…
stored inside the Sharingan itself."
He gazed at the floating black fireball, his spiritual perception probing deep within it.
Moments later, his eyes sharpened.
This isn't an ordinary Flame Release at all…
The energy level is extremely high. Almost comparable to my own chakra.
Which meant—
the eye that cast it belonged to a truly powerful Uchiha.
Who?
Yuan took a slow breath, his expression darkening.
Only a handful of Sharingan had ever left the Uchiha clan.
The only openly acknowledged external eye was Kakashi's.
But the eye on Danzō's face…
"Uchiha Kagami."
The realization hit sharply.
A direct disciple of Tobirama.
A man who moved between clan and village, always serving missions as part of elite teams—not under Uchiha supervision.
A perfect target.
His strength… his chakra quality… it all aligned with the flame's nature.
Yuan's thoughts continued weaving together:
Kagami died during a confidential mission.
His entire squad was wiped out.
His body was returned by village shinobi—not by the clan.
And he died shortly after Hiruzen took the Hokage seat…
Yuan narrowed his eyes.
Teacher and student, all trusted by Tobirama…
and yet, one by one, all the others became elders—
while Kagami, who would've gained massive support from both the clan and ambitious shinobi…
died.
How "coincidental."
A cold smile tugged at Yuan's lips.
"So this is your Will of Fire, Third Hokage…
even fellow disciples can be sacrificed for your power."
He looked again at the black flame.
"A Flame Release nearly equal to Amaterasu…
there's no doubt. Danzō killed Kagami himself."
He clenched his hand.
CRACK.
The black fireball shattered into dust and vanished.
Yuan rose, the waterfall spraying around him.
"Danzō…
our little game is only just beginning."
His silhouette flickered—and he vanished.
Half a Month Later — Within the Rain Country
On a rare sunny day, Yuan perched atop a tall tree outside a small town, jotting down notes on a piece of parchment.
He had gathered detailed information on villages, supply routes, and Rain's inner conflicts.
Below the surface, however, he was watching something else entirely.
Not far beneath the ground, half-submerged in earth, two figures observed him silently—
Zetsu and Obito.
Zetsu murmured:
"That boy has investigated most of Amegakure. Looks like a Konoha scout.
He met Yahiko's group earlier—what do you think?"
Obito folded his arms.
"You've tailed him for days. Your assessment?"
"He doesn't know anything.
He didn't even recognize the Rinnegan."
Obito thought for a moment.
"Konoha's camp sits just outside Grass.
If we kill him here, they'll notice. They'll send more.
If he knows nothing…
he's not worth killing. Not yet."
Zetsu chuckled.
"Agreed."
The two sank back into the earth and vanished.
"Leaving already?"
Yuan closed his notebook and exhaled, eyes shifting toward the place where the two had disappeared.
So Obito's arrived.
Seems the Yahiko incident has concluded.
He had sensed their surveillance long ago, and acted exactly as a bland Konoha scout should—
quiet, obedient, and disinterested.
Only now did their presence withdraw.
Yuan allowed himself a breath of relief.
I'm not prepared to clash with them… not yet.
But suddenly—
"…Hn?"
He sensed subtle foreign signatures attaching to his skin—tiny, almost microscopic.
Zetsu's spores.
"Tch. Cautious bastard."
A pulse of chakra sealed them instantly, imprisoning them before they could send any data.
Just as he was about to leave—
Swoosh!
Five masked ANBU appeared before him.
The leader spoke coldly:
"State your reason for being in the Rain Country."
Yuan lifted his notebook.
"Rain shinobi raided Grass repeatedly.
I was assigned to investigate."
The ANBU exchanged glances, their killing intent fading.
"We are ANBU under the Hokage.
We need information."
"What is it?" Yuan asked calmly.
"Have you encountered… any Cloud shinobi?"
"…No."
The moment he answered, the five masked shinobi vanished.
Yuan watched them go, eyes narrowing.
ANBU? Out here?
So Danzō is still searching for the 'Cloud ninja' I disguised as.
He exhaled softly.
Good.
Keep looking.
The real enemy is right behind you, old dog.
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