Konoha, Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, looking over the scroll with satisfaction and nodding repeatedly.
On the sofa, Danzo held an identical scroll.
No Uchiha was dead.
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long breath of smoke, emptying his lungs so thoroughly that he nearly ran out of breath before saying with lingering fear, "When No Uchiha betrayed Madara Uchiha and pledged allegiance to Teacher Tobirama, my father told me that No Uchiha was no simple man.
"He had been extremely arrogant these past years, yet I had no choice but to yield to him at every turn because I remembered the wary expression on my father's face when he mentioned No Uchiha that night.
"My father had seen No Uchiha in action and told me to be extremely careful of him.
"No Uchiha really had awakened the Mangekyō. Those were eyes on the same level as Madara Uchiha's and Izuna Uchiha's."
There was relief in Danzo's eyes as well. He said, "I wasn't surprised that No Uchiha killed Aogetsu Hozuki. We could have killed Aogetsu Hozuki too.
"But he was able to kill both Aogetsu Hozuki and the Three-Tails' jinchūriki in succession? He hid himself far too well, and he died at exactly the right time.
"I don't even want to imagine how troublesome things would have become if he had returned to the village crowned in victory."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded repeatedly. That would indeed have been extremely troublesome.
"Orochimaru did well. His timing was perfect." After thinking for a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Kinoe from Root performed well too. He handed many Uchiha over to the Mist Ninja, which enraged No Uchiha and lured him deep into the Mist Ninja's encirclement.
"Kinoe is a good child. He broke free of his clan's narrow shackles and can