Danzo, I've come to discuss a collaboration with you.

"Although I've seen it in the anime before, I didn't expect this place to be so deep. Even with Earth Style ninjutsu, such a massive project couldn't have been easy to pull off."

Uchiha Arashi stood on the corridor within the atrium, clicking his tongue in wonder.

Three meters away from him stood a Root ninja; he didn't even bother to lower his voice, yet the other party remained completely oblivious.

Kyōka Suigetsu could alter every piece of information perceived by the hypnotized, so even if Uchiha Arashi were to scream right into the man's ear, as long as he willed it, the man would still "not hear" a sound.

At this point, Uchiha Arashi had completely let his guard down, even letting his Kotoamatsukami slide.

Because the ninjas in this place were all Danzo's true confidants, the very same group who had been surrounding Danzo at the time and had fully received the hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu. Here, with just a single thought, Uchiha Arashi could alter the perception of everyone present at will.

Uchiha Arashi watched for a good while before withdrawing his gaze and walking toward the building directly ahead; Danzo was usually inside.

On the way, he crossed a wooden bridge over a bottomless abyss... well, it was just very deep and very dark, impossible to see the bottom with the naked eye.

"How boring. Come, let me see, my dear Lord Danzo, what exactly are you up to?"

Uchiha Arashi pulled back his gaze, reached out to push open the door in front of him, and stepped inside.

Inside the room, Danzo was staring at a map, deep in thought.

Behind him, several ninjas knelt in the room, all waiting for Danzo's orders.

Uchiha Arashi walked to Danzo's side and discovered it was a map of the Ninja World, marked with at least a hundred red dots.

"There is no need to go to the other great nations for the time being..."

Danzo finally spoke, his voice as low and cold as ever.

"As remnants of the Uchiha, going to other great nations is a death sentence, where they'll just be captured and used as experimental material. As long as that person isn't a fool, he won't stay in other great nations. Focus the search on the surrounding small countries... excluding the Land of Fields."

"Yes!"

The ninjas behind him replied, and then the leader looked up.

"But Lord Danzo, what if he happens to be in the Land of Fields? Previous intelligence confirmed he has ties to Orochimaru..."

"I will handle the matter regarding Orochimaru personally. If we can confirm he is not in other countries, doesn't that confirm he is in the Land of Fields? Do not ask such foolish questions again; do not make me waste my breath explaining them to you."

Danzo said coldly.

"Yes."

The man lowered his head.

"Have the Third and Fifth Squads return first, and arrange for the other two squads to rotate in. If you discover the target's trail, do not rush to engage. Send the intelligence back first. This time, the Anbu will be operating alongside you. Pay special attention to ensuring the intelligence does not fall into the hands of the Anbu, understand?"

"Understood!"

"Very well, you may leave."

Danzo waved his hand with his back turned, and the ninjas in the room vanished instantly.

Now, only Danzo and Uchiha Arashi remained in the room.

Seeing Danzo still staring incessantly at the map, Uchiha Arashi rolled his eyes and suddenly raised a hand.

"Long time no see, Lord Danzo."

The next second, the voice that Danzo hated above all else rang in his ears.

"It's you!"

Danzo spun around violently, catching sight of that familiar mask and the swirl that had yet to fully dissipate.

He instinctively wanted to call for his men.

The Masked Man spoke first.

"Don't be nervous. I'm not here to cause you trouble today, Danzo. I want to discuss a partnership with you."

The Masked Man's tone was light and breezy. He walked to the table, looked down at the documents, and spoke casually.

"A partnership? Fine, give the eye back first."

Danzo sneered, having already gathered his chakra, ready to strike at any moment.

Moreover, he wasn't worried about losing to the other party here. Last time could be blamed on his own carelessness; this time, he had absolute confidence in driving the intruder away. If he was lucky, capturing him outright wasn't impossible.

"The eye cannot be returned to you. I said it before, that is the legacy of the Uchiha; it should not be held by an outsider... and even if I gave it to you, could you use it? You lack Uchiha blood. Do you want to be drained of all your chakra by the Mangekyo? Or do you have some other method? Let me guess, could it be the cells of the First Hokage?"

The Masked Man tilted his head, smiling playfully.

Danzo's pupils contracted sharply.

"That has nothing to do with you..."

"Indeed," the Masked Man nodded, "whatever method you have is irrelevant. In any case, the eye cannot be returned to you. If you're unhappy, you can try to take it back by force, if you're capable of it."

"Then there is nothing to discuss."

Danzo's expression grew increasingly grave; he was already prepared to summon his subordinates.

"If we're talking about the Sharingan, then indeed, there is nothing to discuss. But other aspects might be negotiable—for instance, the position of Hokage."

The Masked Man was not flustered in the slightest. He paced around the room, eventually stopping before a bookshelf against the wall, his palm brushing over the spines of the books as he spoke offhandedly.

"The position of Hokage? You... what did you say?"

Shimura Danzō was shaken to his core; the shock of these words was far greater than when his Hashirama Cells had been guessed earlier.

"Is it hard to believe? Or do you think I wouldn't help you? Rest assured, I'm not bored enough to play games with you."

The Masked Man withdrew his palm and returned to the desk, staring at Shimura Danzō from across the table through his mask.

Shimura Danzō instinctively averted his gaze, not daring to look at the other, fearing an ambush by Kotoamatsukami.

"Shimura Danzō, your dream is to become Hokage, yet Hiruzen Sarutobi snatched it first. All these years you have been accumulating power in the shadows—isn't it all to take back the position of Hokage? Relying only on yourself, I dare say, you have zero chance."

"Even if you have the Sharingan and the cells of the First, you are no match for the Third; in terms of reputation, you are at a complete disadvantage. You don't even compare to that fool, Uchiha Fugaku."

"If you intend to humiliate me, then you can leave."

Shimura Danzō turned his head abruptly and said viciously.

"Don't be impatient, I haven't finished yet. Although you have many shortcomings, you possess an advantage that no one else has: the Third trusts you deeply. Even after you have done so many unspeakable things, and even laid hands on your own comrades in the village, the Third still hasn't stripped you of your position. This is your opportunity."

"It doesn't matter if your strength is lacking; no one says the Hokage must be the strongest in the village."

"It doesn't matter if your reputation is insufficient, because I can help you accumulate it."

"Once your reputation is sufficient, then as long as the Third meets with some accidental mishap, you can take the position in the ensuing momentum, becoming the Fifth Hokage of Konoha legally and legitimately. How about it? Are you interested in this deal?"

The Masked Man was like a devil, his words filled with temptation.