Stirring Restlessly...

Outside Konoha Root's headquarters, rain pattered against the eaves. A man in a black robe stood quietly, half his face shrouded in white bandages, his right arm wrapped beneath a black sleeve and his left hand resting on a cane, listening to the white-clad masked man kneeling before him report the situation.

"That's the situation... The invading enemies all seemed to possess the 'eyes' we once saw in the Rain Country!"

After hearing this, he closed his eyes in thought, recalling the scene half a year ago in the war-torn Rain Country, when he first saw that fledgling red-haired youth unconsciously synchronize with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as his companion's life was threatened.

That soul-shaking impact... was still etched into the very marrow of Shimura Danzō, the man known as the darkness of the shinobi world.

That power... did not belong to this world.

Danzo opened his eyes. "The Rinnegan is not such cheap power."

"Send a letter to Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, immediately. Tell him that the Akatsuki vermin who escaped the last encirclement have appeared in Konoha and gained new power. Tell him to remain especially vigilant..."

"Yes!" The Root member cautiously asked, "Then, sir... should Root take action against these enemies?"

"No need. There is no existence in this shinobi world that the old and new generations of Hokage cannot handle together."

"However... the remains left behind by those enemies are certainly worth investigating. Why has the Rinnegan appeared repeatedly? I must grasp this secret in my hands!"

Rumble... Thunder roared and lightning flashed as Danzo's lips curled into a shadowy smile.

"Because the Rinnegan surpasses even the First Hokage and Madara. It is the power of the Sage of Six Paths. Even if I cannot obtain it, I will destroy that power!"

Konoha's eastern district had been reduced to ruins during the fierce battle.

The Asura Path and the Preta Path had both died here.

Hiruzen had defeated them, but Minato had finished them off.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was in his prime. Clad in armor and gripping the Adamantine Staff, he stood in the rain, his slightly sharp eyes glancing toward Minato. "Minato, you should not have killed them. This will cause diplomatic problems."

Minato explained respectfully, "Lord Third, I had no choice. The enemy who stole the Scroll of Seals self-destructed before my eyes. I feared these two would do the same and harm innocent people. If this causes diplomatic issues, I will take responsibility!"

"Sigh, there was no helping it."

Hiruzen let out a soft sigh, only hoping this was the "rogue ninja action" of Sunagakure or another ninja village. That way, they would have no grounds to use it as an excuse to pressure Konoha.

At that moment, "eyes" opened on the Adamantine Staff, and Enma said gravely, "Speaking of which, those two had truly troublesome abilities. That big fellow's absorption ability nullified all of your best ninjutsu."

"As for the other one, he was even more troublesome. It would have been bad enough if he could use Magnetic Release: Sand Iron as powerful as the Third Kazekage's! His body was also packed with all sorts of strange contraptions. If not for my Adamantine Body, I might not have endured it either!"

Magnetic Release: Sand Iron as powerful as the Third Kazekage's... Those words drew Hiruzen's attention.

"..." He walked forward and used the Adamantine Staff to sweep aside the rocks and rubble burying the Asura Path, staring intently at the face he had not been able to inspect clearly during the battle.

"What!? How could this be?"

The moment he saw it, his pupils abruptly contracted, and his five fingers clenched tightly around the Adamantine Staff!

"He... is the Third Kazekage!!!"

"What...!?" Minato and the Konoha jonin present were all stunned.

During the Third Kazekage's reign, relations between the Fire Country and the Land of Wind had been tense. There had been almost no exchange of missions between them, and during wartime, the Third Kazekage had remained stationed far behind the front lines. No Konoha ninja had ever seen his true face!

"The Third Kazekage was known as the strongest Kazekage in Hidden Sand Village history, and his mysterious disappearance directly led to Sunagakure's surrender, marking the end of the Third Shinobi World War!"

"The strongest Kazekage whose whereabouts were unknown... attacked Konoha after the war!?"

"This, this... is too absurd, isn't it?"

Minato was the first to regain his composure. He said to Hiruzen, "Lord Third, the Third Kazekage's body was turned into a puppet body. Moreover, compared to the other enemies who were suspected to be puppets, his construction resembles the mechanical puppets we traditionally understand!"

"So... I believe he was killed and turned into a puppet before attacking Konoha. His death has nothing to do with us!"

"Fourth, you are too naïve. Even if that is the truth, Hidden Sand Village will not see it that way."

At that moment... a dark, low voice rang out.

Minato looked over. "Mr. Danzo..."

At the Uchiha compound's training ground, far from the residential area.

Members of the Military Police Force led by Uchiha Yashiro surrounded the edge of a deep pit, staring at the corpse of the Naraka Path, which had died miserably.

"I really do not understand how this guy, who clearly had no great ability, managed to subdue Yakumi and Setsuna."

"I find it strange too."

After pondering, Yashiro made a rational analysis. "Could it be that he had accomplices? The moment he saw us, he fled without hesitation, and he deliberately ran to this place far from the residential area. We could interpret that as him covering for that accomplice, right?"

"That does make sense... Should we hurry and search the area?"

At that moment, a long-haired boy following behind the Military Police Force members jumped into the pit.

"Compared to his accomplice, there is something else worth confirming."

"Inabi." Everyone looked toward the speaking boy.

Uchiha Inabi was nine years old. He had already awakened the Sharingan and become a reserve member of the Military Police Force.

Inabi stared at the Naraka Path Pain's "eyes" with his immature one-tomoe Sharingan and said in a low voice, "Brother Yashiro, compared to his accomplice, do you not think his eyes are strange?"

Yashiro looked closely. "Now that you mention it, that base color and pattern do not resemble ordinary eyes..."

Likewise unaware of the Rinnegan, the Uchiha clan, who were particularly sensitive toward eyes, discovered the abnormality in Pain's eyes before the rest of Konoha did.

Inabi said calmly, "This corpse will eventually have to be handed over to the village."

"I mean, if these eyes are some kind of ocular technique besides the Sharingan and Byakugan, would it be detrimental to our clan if the village obtained them?"

Yashiro asked, "Then what do you propose?"

Inabi lightly clenched his fists as a bold thought emerged from the depths of his heart. "How about we remove these eyes and hand only the corpse over to the village? If the village asks, we can say his eyes were destroyed in battle!"

This was a serious matter, and Yashiro had some reservations. "Your idea is not without merit, but without Captain Fugaku making the call, we should not act on our own..."

Inabi smiled. "One of the Military Police Force's principles is to handle special matters with special measures. I think if Captain Fugaku were here, he would certainly consider the clan's interests."

"If it is really too difficult, then let me do it. I am only a child, after all!"

As he spoke, Inabi bent down, preparing to gouge out the Naraka Path's eyes!

Whoosh!

A slender black shadow descended into the pit through the rain and seized his small wrist!

Deva Path Pain looked down at Inabi. "Boy, your idea is very dangerous."

"So there really was another accomplice!!!"

"Let Inabi go!!!"

The young Uchiha men drew their blades and leaped forward one after another!!

Deva Path muttered coldly, "Shinra Tensei."

Boom...!!

The powerful repulsive force expanded the deep pit by dozens of meters!!

"Ah...!!!"

The unprepared Uchiha members were all sent flying miserably, crashing into the training ground's railings!!!

"Y-you..." Inabi stared at Deva Path's face in terror, cold sweat streaming down his face.

Through Deva Path's eyes, Nagato recognized the child's face before him.

"This face... It is him."

During the early stages of the Uchiha rebellion, after Shisui's death caused them to suspect Itachi, three Military Police Force experts went to question him.

The long-haired young man leading them was the Uchiha Inabi before him. Besides another rising talent named Uchiha Tekka, the one accompanying him was also Yashiro, who was quite respected among the young Uchiha at this time.

Though Itachi had dismissed Inabi's caliber, looking at him now, he was undoubtedly a "genius" as well. His brilliance simply did not shine as brightly as Shisui's and Itachi's.

"W-with just one strike, Brother Yashiro and the others..."

The overwhelming power displayed by Deva Path... frightened Inabi so badly that his entire body trembled. If his arm had not been held by the other man, he would have collapsed to the ground in fear.

At that moment, Deva Path Pain raised his palm... covering Inabi's terrified face.

I am not interested in your blood sample... But a Sharingan awakened at such a young age may contain considerable potential as well.

"I will remember you. When you die in the future, I will come and take your eyes."

Nagato smiled as he reserved a pair of eyes in advance. Of course, they would not be for himself—he did not think highly enough of them.

Thud! Deva Path drove his knee into Inabi's abdomen.

"Uwaaaaaah..." Inabi curled up and dropped to his knees, losing consciousness.

"Damn it!!! You dare... lay hands on a junior of the Uchiha clan!!!!"

"This is absolutely unforgivable!!!"

Ignoring the pain in their bodies, Yashiro and the others climbed back to their feet, their Sharingan turning to Three-Tomoe as they charged in to attack!

Deva Path sighed with mixed emotions. "The Uchiha clan's devotion to kinship and bloodlines is truly admirable and lamentable. Unfortunately, you... are not my family."

Danzo's appearance caused all the Konoha people at the scene to change expression and retreat into the distance without prompting.

Danzo did not care about that. He walked straight to Minato and Hiruzen, staring at the Third Kazekage's corpse on the ground as he said,

"This matter... must be kept strictly confidential. In my opinion, let Root handle the Third Kazekage's body, along with the bodies of the other invaders. We will ensure that not a single flaw is left behind."