Visitor from Akuma (Vote! Invest!)

Konoha Hospital.

On the second floor, near the end of the corridor, a private room—this was Uchiha Sōken's room.

Hospital life wasn't as pleasant as he'd imagined. Sōken had still underestimated his current influence. When Shisui told the Elders what he'd done at the Hokage Building, and the Elders embellished it before passing it on to the clan—

The clan erupted.

That damned Danzo had been turned into a vegetable by the Clan Head and was lying in the hospital. This was the most joyful news they'd heard in five years. Especially the Radical Faction, who'd been somewhat dissatisfied with Sōken's firm opposition to the coup at the assembly—they instantly transformed into his staunchest supporters.

When they heard that Lord Clan Head had also been injured in the fight with Danzo and was hospitalized at Konoha Hospital, clansmen came in groups of three or five, carrying fruit baskets and all kinds of gifts, nearly wearing down the threshold of Sōken's room. There was so much stuff that there was nowhere to put it, so he had to send the easily perishable fruit to the Police Force to be consumed.

"Sigh!!!"

Leaning back against the headboard, Sōken let out a helpless sigh.

"If I'd known this, I'd have just gone home. Those little bastards in the clan don't go to sleep at night—they have to patrol around the hospital, saying they're protecting me from assassination... Honestly, if I've fallen to the point where they need to protect me, I might as well just jump out the window."

"Don't say that. It's everyone's goodwill. Everyone knows you're skilled and outstanding, Lord Clan Head, but there's also a saying: 'It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to avoid an arrow in the dark.' They do this because they love and respect you!"

Uchiha Arashiyama sat on a chair by the bed, peeling an apple.

The small fruit knife danced like a butterfly in his hand, and in the blink of an eye, the bright red peel was stripped away, revealing the plump, white flesh inside!

"Hmph, stop talking nonsense. I say those kids are all too idle—they need something to do. By the way, how's the Police Force? Any tricky troubles?" These past few days in the hospital, Sōken had basically entrusted all Police Force matters to Uchiha Arashiyama, while he himself lazed around in the hospital.

"Not bad! The news that Danzo's become a vegetable has everyone in high spirits. And lately, all those open and covert harassments, the small moves to undermine the Police Force, have stopped. You could say everything's fine!"

Uchiha Arashiyama took a bite of the apple, sweet juice splattering.

"Good that there's nothing."

Sōken didn't feel like asking more.

For now, it seemed the Uchiha could enjoy a comfortable period. As long as he didn't fall, the Third and the others wouldn't act rashly again. Of course, when they did strike, it would be with overwhelming force... but that was a problem for later. For now, he'd worry about the immediate troubles!

"Knock, knock!!"

A knock at the door.

"Again?"

Sōken's eye twitched.

He glanced at the table and tea table piled high with gifts, sighed wearily, and said weakly, "Come in! The door's unlocked!" In his mind, he started guessing who it might be this time. But when the visitor pushed the door open—

Sōken raised an eyebrow.

"Sōken, is your injury serious?"

A man with a refined face, a gentle smile, and an air of scholarly elegance walked in, carrying an exquisitely crafted fruit basket that clearly cost a fortune.

"Murakumo-san."

Sōken sat up straight.

He looked with some surprise at this acquaintance—familiar, but not particularly close. Kurama Murakumo, the newly appointed head of the Kurama Clan. During the Third Shinobi War, he'd teamed up with Sōken a few times. Back then, already a Jonin, Kurama Murakumo had taken good care of Sōken.

But not long after the war ended, the Nine-Tails' Rampage broke out.

The Uchiha Clan's living environment had been deteriorating ever since. Honestly, Sōken hadn't seen Kurama Murakumo in two or three years... Wait—a flash of insight struck Sōken. He recalled the meeting at the Hokage Building four days ago. After defeating Danzo, he remembered someone watching him. The owner of that gaze seemed to be Kurama Murakumo.

"Looks like you're recovering well!" Kurama Murakumo glanced at the tea table piled high with gifts and simply placed the fruit basket on the hospital bed.

"Just a minor injury. But Murakumo-san, you've got quite the nerve. If anyone finds out you came to my room... it probably won't do you any good. On the contrary, if you anger those old folks, life might get pretty tough."

As the saying goes, one doesn't visit the temple without a reason.

Kurama Murakumo wasn't a bad person, but he wasn't a saint who'd offer help in a crisis either. Their past relationship was just that—nothing like close friends.

For him to risk bringing trouble to his clan just to step into Sōken's room, something must have driven him to this decision.

"Four days ago, Sōken, you must have awakened your clan's Mangekyo Sharingan, right?" Kurama Murakumo nodded in thanks to Uchiha Arashiyama, who had voluntarily stood up to make room, then sat down calmly on the chair as he spoke, without any self-consciousness about exposing someone else's secret.

"Arashiyama, help keep watch outside. Murakumo-san and I need to have a good talk."

Uchiha Arashiyama stared hard at Kurama Murakumo for a moment, tossed the gnawed apple core into the trash bin, wiped his hands with a tissue, walked out of the room, and casually closed the door behind him. He leaned against the wall by the entrance, acting as a guard.

Inside the room, Sōken sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, studying Kurama Murakumo with keen interest. "Murakumo-san, Mangekyo Sharingan... where did you hear that name?"

"It's not a secret!" Kurama Murakumo replied calmly. "At our peak, the Kurama Clan was said to rival the Uchiha in Genjutsu. An ancestor of our clan once dueled in Genjutsu with an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. Thanks to that, I happened to learn of the Mangekyo Sharingan."

"I see!"

Sōken nodded.

But in his heart, he didn't really care whether it was true or false. True or false, Sōken didn't mind showing his power to the outside world. As long as he was strong enough, what did it matter if they knew he had the Mangekyo Sharingan? Did they think they could find a way to break his ocular jutsu?

These past few days, though Sōken had been troubled by the endless stream of clansmen, he'd still managed to snatch some time to study his own ocular jutsu. Breaking his technique... wasn't something that could be done easily.

"So, Murakumo-san, what exactly do you want from me?" After the pleasantries, Sōken cut straight to the point.

"Sōken, your straightforwardness is just like before!"

A bitter smile appeared on Kurama Murakumo's face. He took a deep breath and said, "I came to ask for your help."