Konohagakure, Temporary Hokage Tent.

  Danzō Shimura, who had narrowly escaped death in the Land of Iron, now leaned on a e with his left hand. His right eye and arm had been repced with a prosthetic eye and arm, both tightly ed in bao avoid drawing attention.

  A letter from the daimyo had just arrived, and its tents were far from favorable.

  It read:

  "Danzō, your performa the Five Kage Summit was, to be frank, utterly disappointing. However, since I personally appointed you as Hokage, dismissing you immediately would only reflect poorly on my judgment. I am giving you one hundred days to rectify the situation and steer Konohagakure ba track. Failing that, I will select a new Hokage."

  After reading the letter, Danzō bur with a dle, his gaze dark and brooding. "If only I still had *Kotoamatsukami* in my right eye... I could have easily resolved this with the daimyo."

  Ohe letter was reduced to ashes, Danzō sat ihought for a long time. He summohe overseer of Konohagakure's restru to inquire about the vilge's rebuilding progress and added a new directive: the stru of the Sixth Hokage's fa the Hokage Rock.

  "This..." The overseer hesitated, clearly ed. "Although the vilge has received restru funds from the Land of Fire, the workload is immense, and public morale is unstable. Wouldn't fog on the Hokage Rock at this time be... inappropriate?"

  He carefully observed Danzō's expression, speaking with caution. But Danzō, who had mao seize the position of Hokage through ing and patience, was not oo lose his posure so easily.

  "The inauguration of every Hokage is marked by the addition of their likeo the Hokage Rock," Danzō said with feigned earness. "It symbolizes renewal. Now, more thahe vilge needs a new Hokage Rock to serve as a spiritual pilr for the people."

  The overseer wao object further, but the cold, pierg gazes of the Root members fnking him silenced his protests. "That... does make sense," he finally ceded.

  "Then begin immediately," Danzō anded. "The Hokage Rock must be tailored to reflect my stature. From materials to craftsmanship to manpower, everything must be approved by me."

  "Uood, Lord Hokage."

  After the overseer left, Danzō stepped out of the tent, his single visible eye fixed on the distant ruins and the cliff where the Hokage Rock stood.

  "My visage as Hokage will finally be etched into history..."

  The experien the Land of Iron, where he had narrowly escaped death, still left him shaken. Even now, he often found himself sleepless aless, haunted by the memory.

  Ba his seat, he gripped his e tightly. "I was so close... Just as I seized the position of Hokage, it nearly slipped away. I never imagined Uzumaki Naruto's strength would reach such heights. The power of the *Rinnegan* is unparalleled. If only I had foreseen this, I would have done whatever it took to obtain Nagato's eyes ba Amegakure."

  The loss of his right eye and arm had stripped him of his most crucial survival tools. Now, wherever he wee Root members guarded him within a hundred paces. Even the vilge's ANBU security had been repced by Root operatives.

  That evening, Terai, whom Danzō had sent to hunt down Kabuto Yakushi before the Five Kage Summit, returned, battered and bruised.

  "Lord Danzō," Terai reported, "I found his whereabouts, but his strength far exceeded our intelligence."

  Danzō frowned. "Far exceeded? Then how did you survive?"

  "To be ho... it seemed he deliberately let me live."

  Sss! A serpent's slit pupil flickered in Terai's eyes for a brief moment.

  Snap! Danzō's gaze sharpened. He suddenly dropped his e, leapt from his seat, and seized Terai by the throat.

  "Urghhh—!"

  A white snake emerged from Terai's mouth, clutg a scroll in its jaws. Terai colpsed, lifeless.

  Danzō bent down, picked up the scroll, and unrolled it. His eyes fshed with iy as he read its tents.

  "Lord Danzō..."

  "Dispose of Terai's body."

  "Yes, sir."

  "Also, I must leave the vilge for a time. This is an absolute secret. No one must know."

  "But, Lord Hokage, what about the vilge...?"

  "My 'double' will hahings in my absence."

  As a seasoned schemer, Danzō had long prepared a body double. From appearao mannerisms, the double was indistinguishable, even to most jōnin-level shinobi.

  "Even though it's a double," Danzō added, "the Hokage's presence must remain impeccable. Anything less will arouse suspi. The daimyo is already pressuring me; I ot afford any mistakes now."

  "And your personal guards?"

  Danzō's fuards, Fū and Torune, had both fallen to Naruto. After a moment of ption, he said, "Recall Ryōma."

  "Aburame Ryōma?!" The Root operative in white showed a hint of reverence.

  Aburame Ryōma, one of the most formidable members of the Aburame , had once partnered with Orochimaru during his time in Root. [Refer to the Orphanage Arc, where Ryōma stood alongside Orochimaru behind Danzō.]

  That night, after making all necessary arras, Danzō donned a bck cloak to ceal his identity and quietly left the vilge.

  Before departing, he gnced back at the Hokage Rod murmured, "By the time I return, my likeness will surely be plete. The era of Danzō Shimura is finally dawning..."

  He turned and vanished into the night.

  ...

  The long night stretched on, shrouded in darkness.

  In the southern region of the Land of Fire, within the Akatsuki's hideout.

  "Ugh..." Sasuke Uchiha stirred awake.

  "Sasuke..." Karied him with a radiant smile.

  "You're awake..." Tobi, seated on a high ledge, rested his on one hand.

  As Sasuke's muddled sciousness cleared, he asked, "Where's Naruto?"

  Tobi replied, "After g with the Raikage, he safely left the Land of Iron."

  Bang!

  Sasuke's fist smmed into the stoform.

  "Damn it! Naruto's power... it's already reached such heights...!"

  Tobi said, "There's o be disheartened, Sasuke. During your battle, your own power awakened signifitly. If Naruto hadn't obtained Nagato's eyes, he wouldn't have defeated you so easily."

  "Don't insult me with such childish excuses!" Sasuke snapped coldly.

  Tobi probed, "Then, what do you pn to do? If you go to Konohagakure seeking revenge now, the oute won't ge."

  Sasuke's eyes burned with the desire for strength. "I will transpnt Itachi's eyes...!"

  "Oh?" Tobi's gaze shifted slightly as he desded from his perch.

  "So, you've finally decided?"

  "I need power strong enough to crush Naruto aroy Konohagakure. Nothing else matters!"

  Tobi looked at Sasuke ily. "e with me, then..."

  ...

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

  Zzz! Narutht eye slowly opened, revealing the sharp, angur pattern of four Mangekyō Sharingan tomoe—the eye that once beloo Shisui Uchiha.

  "Naruto-kun, how do you feel?" Orochimaru asked with a sly smile, having personally performed the transpnt.

  Naruto replied, "The darkness is even clearer to me now..."

  Orochimaru expined, "*Kotoamatsukami* is araordinarily unique dōjutsu. Without Hashirama's cells, it only be used once every decade. But as a member of the Uzumaki , distaives of the Senju, your waiting period will be much shorter—approximately half a month. However, the risk of blindness remains."

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

  Orochimaru chuckled knowingly. "Heh heh... If you truly inteo use it on me, you wouldn't bother warning me first. Besides, even if you did, I wouldn't realize it until it was too te, would I?"

  Naruto withdrew his gaze.

  Konan stepped forward. "Now that yoal has been achieved, shall we return to Amegakure?"

  Naruto's eyes deepened with thought.

  The Akatsuki was now targeting the Eight-Tails. The Raikage was already rushing to rescue it.

  That man was likely doomed.

  Naruto could never fet the sight of that man, defending his rades to the very end...

  "To facilitate our move, we should increase our manpower wherever possible."

  Konan asked, "Do you pn to recruit more once we return to Amegakure?"

  Naruto half-closed his right eye. "There's one man I want to save and bring to our side."

  "Who is it?" Konan inquired.

  Naruto's gaze burned with iy. "One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, wielder of Samehada—the sharkskin bde—Kisame Hoshigaki!"