"Evil King… True Eyes?"
Itachi's breath hitched slightly as he repeated the phrase in disbelief.
Juzo didn't seem to notice his surprise. He nodded and replied as he walked, his tone indifferent:
"That's right. I heard it from Kakuzu."
"You noticed his golden pupils, right? Apparently, when he uses his eye technique, a white aura like burning flame appears in his eyes."
"Then, he can freely cast various elemental jutsu—even genjutsu."
"As for the power—"
"Let me put it this way: both Kakuzu and Orochimaru were defeated by those eyes. They barely had the strength to fight back."
"...?!"
Uchiha Itachi's pupils shrank sharply.
There was no doubt—Loquat Juzo's words had shocked him deeply.
To think that within the Akatsuki organization, aside from the leader Pain with his Rinnegan, there was actually *another* user of ocular powers.
And this mysterious flame-like golden pupil…
He had never heard of anything like it.
Was it a new, unknown kekkei genkai?
Itachi fell silent, his face unusually serious. While walking alongside Juzo, his mind raced.
It seemed he had one more person in Akatsuki to keep a very close eye on.
As Konoha's hidden agent, the burden on Itachi's shoulders suddenly felt heavier.
...
...
Time passed quickly, and night fell.
Far from the Rain Village, back in the Fire Country's Hidden Leaf Village...
The moon was thin, and black crows flew south in the dim sky.
Konoha, having recently experienced the Uchiha Clan Massacre, seemed unchanged on the surface.
Aside from the absence of the Uchiha Police Force's patrols, daily life carried on as usual.
Almost everyone had quietly agreed not to speak of it.
Even those who once had ties with the Uchiha now carefully avoided the topic.
Everyone understood—this event would become a turning point in Konoha's history.
As for the news of the Uchiha Clan's destruction, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had swiftly ordered a complete village-wide information lockdown.
This decision left many civilians and merchants confused and displeased.
But to the shinobi of Konoha, the intent was clear.
The fall of the Uchiha Clan had dealt a massive blow to the village's strength.
If word got out, it could invite attacks from enemy nations.
Such things had happened often in the past—just like when Konoha was raided in the aftermath of the Nine-Tails attack.
So this time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had moved with unprecedented speed and force to enforce the blockade.
Though everything *looked* normal in the village, the atmosphere remained heavy, shrouded in silence.
...
In a modest tea room, the head of Root, Shimura Danzo, sat face to face with an elderly woman, sipping an unknown brew.
Raising her teacup slowly, the woman asked calmly:
"Shimura, how's your health?"
"I hope my visit isn't disturbing your rest."
"I'm fine," Danzo replied flatly, taking a slow sip.
The woman before him was none other than Utatane Koharu, one of Konoha's two elders and advisors.
Long ago, she and Danzo had been among the six disciples of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju—alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, Uchiha Kagami, and Akimichi Torifu.
After Tobirama's death, Hiruzen took over as Third Hokage as per his master's will. Kagami and Torifu had stepped away from politics voluntarily.
The three who remained in power were Homura and Koharu—who became village advisors—and Danzo, who led the Root division.
Though the three didn't interact much anymore, they still shared a long history.
After hearing that Danzo had suddenly coughed up blood the day before, Koharu made time to visit him in person.
When she saw him, she was shocked—he looked ten years older, his face pale and exhausted. It was obvious he had suffered a heavy blow.
After a moment's hesitation, Koharu asked what had been on her mind:
"Last night… what exactly happened?"
"What made you—someone always so composed—so shaken?"
Her expression was stern.
Of course she knew about the Uchiha Clan's eradication—after all, she had also played a role behind the scenes.
But she couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone wrong in the process. Something serious enough to leave Danzo, usually in strong health, looking so drained.
Danzo didn't answer right away.
He lifted his head slightly, then waved his hand dismissively, unwilling to discuss it.
How could he?
After so much effort to orchestrate the Uchiha massacre… in the end, he didn't manage to obtain *a single Sharingan*!
The thought alone made him feel sick.
If he ever saw that masked man—"Uchiha Madara"—again, he'd definitely make him pay.
And this time, he'd use every method possible to reclaim all the Sharingan that had been taken.
Danzo lowered his gaze, a sharp gleam briefly flashing in his eyes.
But just then—something changed.
From the corner of the tea room, a black spiral suddenly appeared out of thin air!
A chilling, low voice echoed ominously:
"Shimura… Danzo."
"Are you ready… to face the wrath of Uchiha Madara?!"
"!!!"
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