Two days later
In Konoha
The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the battle report from the front lines in the Hokage Building, his brow slightly furrowed. He tapped his pipe lightly against the desk as smoke curled around him and his thoughts raced.
"Might Duy? So the Eight Inner Gates are actually this powerful a technique. I never realized it while he was in the village."
"Can his son, Might Guy, use the technique too? I should make sure he gets proper training. If he has the potential to open the Eighth Gate as well, he'll become one of Konoha's trump cards."
Hiruzen Sarutobi drew on his pipe and muttered to himself.
"The Mist lost four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at once. Their offensive will probably let up for now."
"The Hyuga lost a member of the Main Family, while two new stars have emerged among the Uchiha: Wicked Eye Fugaku and Body Flicker Shisui."
"The balance of power has shifted further. The two sides can no longer keep each other in check."
He sighed. The prolonged war had thrown Konoha's power balance into disarray once again. The village had suffered heavy losses, while the survival rate among the major clans' ninja was far higher than among the civilians.
On top of that, the Uchiha Clan was growing stronger as the war went on, further upsetting the balance of power within the village.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind broke through the room. An Anbu Ninja appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi and dropped to one knee, interrupting his thoughts.
"Lord Hokage, this is a battle report from Lord Jiraiya."
The Anbu Ninja respectfully handed him the scroll, then quickly withdrew. He wasn't qualified to hear reports from the front lines.
Hiruzen Sarutobi unrolled the scroll. It detailed Uchiha Iori's raid on an Iwagakure Ninja camp and his slaying of the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.
"Uchiha Iori. I remember him. Isn't he the Uchiha boy who was just promoted to jonin? He's already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow furrowed, and his expression turned grave. To evolve from the One-Tomoe Sharingan to the Mangekyō in just a few days was a terrifying display of talent.
And killing the Five-Tails Jinchuriki meant he wasn't some rookie with power he couldn't control.
He wasn't merely a genius anymore. He was a powerful shinobi who had realized his potential.
Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his head and continued reading the report.
"Hmm. He has a good relationship with Minato, cares about his teacher and teammates, and takes the initiative to protect his comrades."
"He seems different from the other Uchiha. He's a shinobi who understands the Will of Fire."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow relaxed. If another hard-line Uchiha with the Mangekyō emerged now, the situation would become extremely complicated. They might even be forced into compromises they didn't want to make.
"I should tell Jiraiya about him and see if we can bring him into Minato's camp."
"With his strength, he could bring a number of Uchiha over to the village's side."
He took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled. A glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes. "Perhaps Kagami's wish can come true through him."
Just then, the door to the Hokage's office was thrown open with a loud bang.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, but relaxed when he saw who it was.
"Danzō, what's the hurry?"
The man who had entered was Shimura Danzō, leader of Konoha's Root.
His right arm and eye were wrapped in bandages. Ever since he'd been injured during a mission, he had never taken them off.
Everyone had grown used to his appearance and never looked into the details.
"Hiruzen, hand Uchiha Iori over to me. I'll make him Konoha's blade," Shimura Danzō said excitedly.
His research into Hashirama Cells had stalled for a long time. After discovering that the Sharingan could suppress Hashirama Cells, he had secretly collected several pairs, but the results had been unremarkable.
Now a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan had appeared right before him. How could he possibly contain his excitement?
"Danzō, don't even think about laying a hand on him. He understands the Will of Fire. He's one of us!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened in his chair and tapped his pipe against the desk. His voice was stern.
"You need to understand that although the Kirigakure Ninja and Iwagakure Ninja have been pushed back, they may still attack again."
"What if you make a move against him now, inflame tensions, and drive the Uchiha Clan away from the village?"
"Hmph. Does he actually think he can resist? Is he planning to defect from Konoha?"
Shimura Danzō sounded more bluster than conviction. His earlier confidence vanished as he remembered that Iori wasn't the sort of person whose head was full of the Will of Fire.
If Danzō failed to kill him in one strike, Iori might not care that he was an advisor.
"That's enough, Danzō. I won't hand him over to you, but you can try recruiting some of the other Uchiha."
"The Uchiha are growing stronger in this war, and there's no stopping it. We can only try to divide them."
"I'm assigning Uchiha Iori to Minato. Give it up!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slapped the desk and sternly warned Danzō. He had his own plans and wouldn't let Danzō interfere.
Even so, as an old friend of many years, he still gave a little ground and handed Danzō part of the authority to recruit for the Anbu.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!" Shimura Danzō slammed the desk in anger, his voice full of resentment.
"Danzō, I'm the Hokage!" Hiruzen Sarutobi roared back, refusing to yield.
Furious, Shimura Danzō stormed out of the Hokage's office, slamming the door behind him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat back down and took a deep breath. As he recalled their argument, his thoughts grew clearer.
The Uchiha are unstoppable now. I can only divide them.
Kagami's branch has always been loyal to the Hokage. Kagami may be dead, but his will lives on.
Uchiha Iori and Shisui Uchiha both possess the Will of Fire.
Bring the moderate Uchiha, led by the two of them, under Minato's command and help them integrate into Konoha.
Have them oppose the hard-line Uchiha and restore the balance.
With that in mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi considered whether Iori or Shisui should become a student of one of the Sannin.
Just as Uchiha Kagami had become the Second Hokage's student, and Obito Uchiha had become Minato's.
Let things take their natural course. It's not even certain the Sannin could beat Uchiha Iori now, and Shisui Uchiha is strong enough to be an elite jonin.
How could they take on a student if they couldn't easily defeat him? I shouldn't force it. I'll see what they want.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and prepared to write letters of encouragement to Uchiha Iori and Shisui Uchiha.
He planned to find an S-rank ninjutsu—or an A-rank one particularly suited to Uchiha Iori—in the Scroll of Sealing and give it to him as a reward for killing the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.
At that moment, an Anbu Ninja silently appeared before him and handed him a scroll.
"Lord Hokage, this is a battle report from the Land of Wind front."
"Orochimaru's report? It's not the usual time for a message today. Did something happen?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sensed trouble. The front in the Land of Wind had always been stable, and sudden reports were rarely good news.
"Was it Chiyo or the New Kazekage? Did Orochimaru and the others suffer heavy losses?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly unrolled the scroll and read it carefully.
"What? How could this happen? Damn it!"