Danzo's plot

"In just three months, the little girl grew into a graceful young woman. Her beauty was like the bright moon in the sky, and even the room where she lived shone with radiance. So the two elderly people named her Princess Kaguya."

"Powerful nobles came to visit, hoping to marry Princess Kaguya, but she turned them all away. She set five tasks for the five most persistent young gentlemen, telling them that anyone who wanted to marry her had to fulfill her demands."

But when Eiji reached the part where visitors from the heavens took Princess Kaguya back to the moon and the story ended, Kushina looked utterly dumbfounded.

"Huh?! That's it? Wasn't the story supposed to end with Kaguya living happily ever after with someone she truly loved?"

There was nothing Eiji could do. The original story really did start strong and end abruptly. Sayuri, however, seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. She even said she would write it down when she returned to the Daimyo's Palace and share it with others.

What he never expected was that Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, who was in the Pure Land at that very moment, had heard every single word of the story.

He was pinching the bridge of his nose, looking utterly at a loss for words.

At first, he had simply been intrigued by the unusual boy who had suddenly appeared in the Shinobi World, so he had spent some time observing his life.

Powerful, calm, composed, and kindhearted. He was very pleased with what he saw.

But the moment he heard the name Princess Kaguya, he could no longer sit still, especially when the moon came into it.

Yet this story had absolutely nothing to do with his mother's actual history. In particular, when he pictured his mother setting five difficult tasks to torment her suitors, the image made the corners of his eyes twitch.

Ah, perhaps it was only a coincidence. Everything involving Mother happened so long ago. How could a child possibly know about it?

Still, the story was quite interesting. Perhaps I could find some time to tell it to my younger brother, Hamura.

The next day, at Konoha's main gate, the luxurious carriage drawn by a sturdy water buffalo was already filled with nobles preparing to return to the Daimyo's Palace. As a courtesy, the Third Hokage had brought his two Hokage Advisors to the gate to see the Daimyo off.

Kushina and Sayuri seemed to have endless things to talk about. They left Eiji off to one side and began whispering together, laughing as they talked and occasionally looking back to make sure he was not eavesdropping.

Eiji did not mind. It was not as if he had some peculiar fondness for eavesdropping. They were only sharing little secrets between girls.

All right, he was a little curious, but he certainly would not stoop to listening in.

The two chatted for a while, only stopping when the Daimyo poked his head out of the carriage and urged Sayuri to hurry, since it was time to leave.

Sayuri then hurried over to Eiji and bowed politely.

"Thank you so much for looking after me these past few days, Lord Eiji. I'll write to you even after I return to the Daimyo's Palace."

Sayuri gave Eiji a gentle smile.

"Yes, I'll look forward to your letters."

Then Sayuri went over to the Daimyo's carriage and climbed inside. Just as the ox cart was about to leave, she leaned out and waved to them both.

"Thank you so, so much! I'll always remember the friendship we shared these past few days!"

Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes. It seemed finding playmates her own age at the Daimyo's Palace was difficult indeed.

Eiji and Kushina raised their arms and waved back.

She really is a wonderful girl. Whoever marries her someday will be a lucky man.

The Raikage's Office, Kumogakure

The atmosphere in the room was suffocating. Holding the Intelligence Scroll he had received from an Anbu Ninja, the Third Raikage read out the information about Ryuuzaki Eiji, word by word.

He possessed an unidentified Protective Ninjutsu that prevented both ninja tools and chakra from making contact with his body.

His eyes could see through a target's chakra pathways and copy enemy ninjutsu.

He possessed a Flight Ninjutsu similar to the Light-Weight Rock Technique, with an extremely long duration.

He was suspected of being capable of producing attacks with immense gravitational force. Their power was terrifying, enough to shred vast stretches of forest in an instant.

He had single-handedly faced a hundred opponents in the Arena with strength to spare, securing an overwhelming victory in the competition.

After reading through the report, the Third Raikage passed it to Dodai, the Raikage's Aide standing beside him. After reading the scroll, the young man who enjoyed the Raikage's deep trust lost his usual calm expression and looked utterly stunned.

"Lord Raikage, this intelligence..."

"It came from an intelligence ninja we planted in Konoha. The special chakra mark on it can't be forged, so it's most likely reliable."

The Third Raikage pinched the bridge of his nose, looking deeply troubled.

"If he's truly as the report describes, then this boy named Ryuuzaki Eiji will likely become a terrifying presence in the Shinobi World before long!"

"Yes. That's exactly what's giving me a headache."

The Third Raikage only looked hot-tempered; he was actually quite even-tempered and did not smash desks at the slightest provocation like his son.

Even so, upon receiving such suffocating intelligence, he felt an urge to rush to Konoha and kill this future threat by force.

"Six Eyes." That was the name Ryuuzaki Eiji himself had revealed in the Arena. Before long, those eyes would surely become famous throughout the Shinobi World.

As long as the Third Hokage was not an idiot, he would know exactly what to do next.

In a few years, he could arrange for many women to bear Ryuuzaki Eiji's children, creating a ninja family belonging to the Ryūzaki Clan.

Given that dojutsu kekkei genkai could be reliably inherited, all his offspring could possess those powerful "Six Eyes."

And Ryuuzaki Eiji had already developed numerous unique Kekkei Genkai Techniques based on his own kekkei genkai. If he remained in the village and taught those techniques to his descendants, he could easily establish an immensely powerful ninja noble family within just a few generations!

The Third Raikage could almost see it: dark figures appearing before him in the pitch-black night.

And the moment they all opened their eyes, their azure gazes lit up the darkness.

You've got to be kidding. Aren't the Sharingan and Byakugan enough? Why do geniuses always turn up in Konoha?!

Konoha already has more than enough geniuses in this generation. Now they've secured the next generation too?

The Third Raikage thought over Kumogakure's current generation and its younger members, shaking his head in frustration.

Aside from his own son, virtually none of them measured up. How could he feel at ease leaving Kumogakure in the younger generation's hands?

"If only there were a way to bring this Ryuuzaki Eiji to our Kumogakure...!"

The Third Raikage clenched his fists, frantically turning possible solutions over in his mind.

This matter was every bit as urgent as the war about to break out. If the coming war could secure enormous benefits for the village, mishandling the matter of the Six Eyes could place its very future in jeopardy.

Truly powerful individuals often appeared only once in several decades, yet the reliable inheritance of the Sharingan and Byakugan allowed Konoha to produce large numbers of powerful fighters year after year.

And now the Six Eyes had demonstrated abilities that utterly eclipsed the Sharingan and Byakugan. If he really established a ninja family, the consequences would be unthinkable!

"Dodai, if I forced my way into Konoha—"

"Absolutely not!" Dodai had still been looking down, considering possible solutions, but he hurriedly raised his voice to stop the Raikage. "Lord Raikage, you are Kumogakure's greatest fighting force. If you aren't here to lead us in the coming war, how can we possibly win? What would become of the village's future?"

"But Ryuuzaki Eiji is a serious problem too!"

"Even so—"

Just then, a figure appeared at the door to the Raikage's Office. He was a Kumogakure Anbu.

"Lord Raikage, an envoy has arrived outside the village. He claims to be a ninja from Konoha Root, here to deliver a message from Shimura Danzō."

"Someone from Konoha? And one of Danzo's men at that?"

The Third Raikage's brow furrowed at the name Danzo. According to their intelligence, that man was far from easy to deal with.

"We should at least see what he wants. Perhaps this could turn out to benefit us."

A sharp gleam flashed in Dodai's eyes.