Three-Tomoe Sharingan

At dusk, inside the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage and Danzo sat facing each other. However, the atmosphere between them was somewhat tense.

"Danzo, did you have someone do this?" The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and asked the expressionless Danzo through the curling smoke.

"Hiruzen, you're getting old. So am I." Rather than answer the Third Hokage's question, Danzo spoke of their ages.

However, having worked alongside Danzo for decades, the Third Hokage could easily understand what he truly meant.

"Even so, Sakumo is a hero of Konoha. I cannot agree with such a method." The Third Hokage hesitated before speaking righteously.

"Hmph. Hiruzen, you're simply too softhearted. If you can't bring yourself to do this, leave it to me." After saying that, Danzo stood up, preparing to take his leave.

Yet when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped. Without turning around, he said to the Third Hokage, "Isn't this what I've always done?"

With that, Danzo opened the door and left.

"Alas, Danzo. Even if your intentions are good, you still go too far in some matters." With a sigh, the Third Hokage clenched his pipe tightly. Then, looking dejected, he slumped back in his chair, seeming to age many years in an instant.

"Perhaps I truly am old."

Just as the Hatake Sakumo incident was escalating further and further, Kyosuke suddenly received a summons from Danzo.

"Sama Danzo." Kyosuke greeted him calmly while secretly guessing the old thief's purpose.

Danzo nodded at Kyosuke before suddenly asking, "Have you heard the rumors outside?"

Kyosuke's brows furrowed slightly beneath his mask. He cautiously replied, "This subordinate has heard some of them."

"Oh? Then what do you think of them?" Danzo continued.

"I have no particular opinion." Kyosuke shook his head and replied quietly.

"Hmph." Seeing that Kyosuke had no intention of voicing his thoughts, Danzo did not press him too hard. After a cold snort, he assigned him a mission.

After hearing the mission, Kyosuke hesitated before finally asking, "Sama Danzo, why choose this time to do such a thing?"

"Hm? Are you unwilling?" Danzo asked, staring directly into Kyosuke's eyes.

"This subordinate would not dare." Kyosuke lowered his head and answered in a "frightened" tone.

"Good. Choose a suitable date yourself. It would be best to finish it soon. Do you understand?"

"This subordinate understands."

"You may leave."

"Yes."

Just as Kyosuke was about to leave, Danzo suddenly spoke again. "As for the method of challenge, issue it in the name of your Uchiha Clan."

"Yes."

"Successfully triggered mission: Name of a Genius."

"Mission description: Defeat Kakashi Hatake before everyone and prove your title as Konoha's strongest genius."

"Mission difficulty: B."

"Completion reward: 100 experience points."

This suddenly triggered mission made Danzo's assignment quite clear.

He was to defeat Kakashi in full view of everyone.

Of course, Danzo was not so bored as to specifically target a young boy.

His true purpose was to use this opportunity to further damage Hatake Sakumo's reputation.

Kyosuke understood that very clearly.

However, he was somewhat resistant to this mission.

Doing so would inevitably offend Kakashi, as well as the future powerhouses among his peers.

It might even worsen the impression that the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, Minato, and others had of him.

But there was nothing he could do about it. After all, he still had to make a living in Root.

However, now that Kyosuke's wings had gradually filled out, he no longer needed to consider so many things when acting.

As he had said before, although Danzo and Orochimaru were somewhat unreliable, as long as the Uchiha Clan remained, no one would dare target him openly.

Even if some people developed a dislike for him because of this, Kyosuke could only endure it.

After all, he had chosen the path of Root himself.

While enjoying its conveniences, he had long been prepared to bear certain consequences.

That evening, within the Uchiha Clan Grounds, at the Second Elder's residence.

There, Kyosuke met Uchiha Nagisa, who had rarely appeared lately.

Ever since the previous kidnapping incident, Nagisa's personality had changed considerably.

She had lost some of her former fiery impulsiveness and gained a trace of composure.

At the same time, he had heard Fugaku say that Nagisa trained diligently with him every day and had already gained some skill.

"Little Kyosuke, you're here. Come, sit." The Second Elder still wore a smiling expression. Only after Kyosuke sat down did he ask, "Why do you have time to come over today?"

"I want to publicly challenge Kakashi Hatake," Kyosuke said calmly.

Upon hearing those words, not only was the Second Elder surprised, but even Nagisa, who had barely spoken, cried out in shock.

Because she was no longer ignorant of everything.

Nagisa understood very well that Kakashi's title as Konoha's number one genius had not been earned for nothing.

Although Kyosuke was indeed outstanding in her eyes, compared to Kakashi, she still could not help feeling worried.

"Hey, Kyosuke, you're not joking, are you?" Nagisa leaned her little face forward slightly and asked as if seeking confirmation.

Kyosuke smiled at her appearance, raised a hand, and flicked her forehead. Then, amid her angry glare, he said with a laugh, "Could you have a little faith in me?"

The Second Elder ignored their horseplay and merely looked at Kyosuke seriously. "Are you certain of victory?"

Kyosuke smiled without speaking. He simply closed his eyes, as though gathering something.

Seeing this, the Second Elder and Nagisa exchanged glances, and their breathing quickened at the same time.

They had seen this scene several times before.

And every time, Kyosuke had given them a surprise—or rather, a fright.

It can't be, can it? He's only six years old. Good heavens. The Second Elder's excitement at this moment was nearly no less than when he learned that Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyo.

While Kyosuke was still silently gathering himself, Uchiha Nagisa, who was already growing impatient, suddenly stretched out her foot and lightly kicked him.

"Hurry up! You're making me anxious!" Nagisa shouted.

Kyosuke's mouth twitched slightly, and he immediately threw his earlier assessment of her being "composed" out of his mind.

At the same time, he slowly opened his eyes.

Within his scarlet pupils, three black tomoe slowly rotated.

In an instant, the hall fell into dead silence.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan."

"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball."

"Sharingan."

Those three items were the spoils provided by Sarada's Instance Dungeon.

The first two were fine, but when Kyosuke saw the third item, he was so excited he nearly jumped up.

The Sharingan skill scroll he had been longing for had finally fallen into his hands.

Without hesitation, he chose to use it.

After going through the sensation that had gradually become familiar to him, his Sharingan successfully evolved into the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Of course, that was not all he had gained.

Although the skill scroll for Genjutsu: Sharingan was also good, he had already raised it to Level 2 some time ago, so he could only toss that scroll into storage for now.

What truly surprised him was that Lightning Release Ninjutsu.