Naruto: Starting with Snatching the Mangekyō Sharingan

Makoto turned to Akihiko and asked, "So, when do we make our move?"

"Obtaining the Byakugan is crucial for us, but we can't rush things and lose control of the situation," Akihiko replied with a shake of his head. "The wielder of the Rinnegan and the so-called Uchiha Madara are enemies of Konoha. Let's observe for a while—this may be the start of chaos in the ninja world."

They were no longer ignorant of the world's political climate. On the contrary, they had gained a clear understanding of the brewing tensions in the ninja world and believed that war was inevitable.

Makoto hesitated and looked at Akihiko with concern. "What if the chaos never unfolds? Based on my observations, using Hyūga Hiashi's daughter's Byakugan to awaken Toneri's eyes will take quite a bit of time."

"We may not be able to wait that long," Makoto said, shaking her head.

"You have a point," Akihiko agreed with a nod. "We certainly can't wait forever. If no chaos arises, we'll have to choose the right moment and act on our own."

At the Uchiha Clan Leader's Residence in Konoha, Fugaku had summoned Akira for a private discussion.

"Danzo has been very active lately," Fugaku began, sitting in his study. "He's recruited several promising young ninja from various clans into his Root. It seems Root's power is set to expand again."

"It won't matter," Akira said nonchalantly, shrugging. "He won't be smug for long."

Fugaku raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You're planning to make a move?"

"Soon. Just waiting for the right opportunity," Akira replied calmly.

Fugaku nodded, his expression firm. "This time, we must ensure that Danzo and Orochimaru are utterly crushed. We can't give them any chance to recover."

"Of course," Akira affirmed.

When the time came, Akira had no intention of leaving them any path to resurgence. Danzo, in particular, would never reclaim power once Akira struck. Orochimaru's ability to slither out of trouble was concerning—who knew how far his experiments with curse seals had advanced? Akira suspected Orochimaru might have intercepted Jūgo, which would explain why his ninja cat network had failed to find any trace of him.

Orochimaru was notoriously cunning. It was unlikely his research base was confined to a single location.

"Are you acting now?" Fugaku inquired.

"Not yet," Akira replied, shaking his head. "Based on my observations, they'll soon begin a new round of human experimentation. That's when we'll act—targeting the missing persons as an entry point to storm their research base. Even if Hiruzen wants to shield them, he won't have a leg to stand on."

"Very well. I'll leave this to you," Fugaku said, granting Akira full authority over the matter.

Since deciding to groom Akira as the future Hokage, Fugaku had begun delegating more clan responsibilities to him.

"Perhaps it won't be long before I can step down as clan leader and enjoy some peace," Fugaku mused, feeling an odd sense of relief.

In the Uchiha clan, leadership was based on merit, unlike the hereditary traditions of the Hyūga Clan. If Akira became Hokage, the role of clan leader would naturally pass to him as well.

Deep underground in Root's base, Danzo glared at Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, why hasn't there been any breakthrough in the First Hokage's cell transplantation experiments? What have you been doing with all the funding I've provided?"

Orochimaru chuckled to himself. If he gave Danzo results too easily, how would he keep the funds flowing?

In truth, Orochimaru had long since identified the key to successfully transplanting Hashirama's cells—the balance of yin and yang. But revealing that now would cut off his financial lifeline.

What truly represented mastery of Hashirama's cells was the ability to achieve universal transplantation success, a goal Orochimaru wasn't ready to share.

"Danzo," Orochimaru replied in his characteristic raspy voice, "we're on the verge of a breakthrough. Just a little more funding from Root, and we'll see results soon."

Danzo snorted, his displeasure evident. "You said the same thing last time, yet all the experimental subjects I provided ended up dead. Where's the success you promised? And what about the cloning project? Why do the Uchiha clones lack Sharingan? Explain yourself!"

"Danzo-sama," Orochimaru said smoothly, unfazed, "while the cloning technology hasn't met all the original specifications, it's still functional, isn't it? With continued investment, we'll eventually achieve mass production of Sharingan."

"Don't try to sidestep the issue!" Danzo snapped, his expression dark. Orochimaru's silver tongue was as sharp as ever, but the results were lacking.

"This time, I expect to see tangible progress," Danzo growled. "If you don't deliver, don't expect any further funding from Root!"

Recognizing that Danzo needed appeasement, Orochimaru smirked inwardly. It was time to give him a taste of success to keep the money flowing.

"Rest assured, Danzo-sama," Orochimaru said with confidence. "This time, we'll bring Mokuton back to life."

"You'd better," Danzo warned, narrowing his eyes. "And keep a low profile. Don't kidnap villagers for your experiments. If Hiruzen catches wind of it, we'll have a major problem."

"Sensei is too busy dealing with Iwagakure's growing aggression to notice a few missing people," Orochimaru replied with a sly smile, brushing off the concern.

Danzo frowned. "Iwagakure… That old fox Ōnoki just won't die."

The mention of Iwagakure reminded Danzo of his own shortcomings in infiltrating their intelligence networks. Gaps in their knowledge were a constant frustration.

"If only I could bring back Nonō Yakushi," Danzo thought. The former Root member, known as the Wandering Nun, had been one of his most valuable assets.

"Perhaps it's time to visit the orphanage," Danzo muttered to himself, turning to Orochimaru and his core member of the Root, Aburame Ryouma .

"Come," Danzo ordered. "We're going to the Konoha Orphanage."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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