Xia Yu, what is your Mangekyō ability?

Looking at Danzo lying in a pool of blood, Hiruzen Sarutobi wept bitter tears, his heart bleeding.

Before coming here, he had never imagined Danzo would die at his hands, nor had he ever thought of killing Danzo. He would not let anyone else do it, either.

Because he cared far too much about his old friend.

He always had, ever since childhood.

After so long competing with each other and fighting both openly and in secret, an invisible bond would form.

But today, Hiruzen Sarutobi had severed that bond himself.

He had no choice. He could not tolerate everything Danzo had done.

Shisui's Sharingan, Hashirama cells, the Sharingan arm...

Any one of those three was grounds for an unforgivable crime.

He had wiped out the Uchiha Clan, only to add their power to his own body.

All his talk of the evil Uchiha, all his claims of acting for Konoha's stability, had actually been driven by selfish desires.

All because he coveted the Hokage position...

"Sigh..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi put away his kunai and raised his sleeve to wipe the tears from his face.

He slowly turned, ready to leave.

"Hi... Hiruzen..."

Just before he stepped out, Danzo's faint groan suddenly came from behind him, calling his name.

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze briefly. "Danzo, you're still alive?"

"Come... come here..."

With his last breath, Danzo weakly raised an arm, beckoning Hiruzen Sarutobi to his side as though he had something to say.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over to Danzo, bent down slightly, and lifted his body.

Danzo grabbed Hiruzen's hand and groaned softly, "Hi... Hiruzen... I'm glad. After all these years, I've finally seen you be ruthless for once. I... I don't blame you... Knowing you can do this puts my mind at ease..."

"There's one more thing. I... I must tell you. Orochimaru... has planted... ngh... planted a spy in Konoha..."

"His name is Kabuto. His cover... is a genin, but... but his strength and cunning mustn't be underestimated. You... you must be careful! I have a feeling that one day... Orochimaru will act against... you..."

"Heh... cough!"

"D-dying in your arms... isn't so bad..."

A dying man's words were kind...

After uttering his final word, Danzo gazed dimly at the friend he had spent his entire life desperately trying to catch up to, and breathed his last...

Danzo was dead...

Five minutes later, outside the psychiatric hospital.

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked out through the gates, fresh blood still staining his robes.

The Anbu Captain hurried over to Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Lord Hokage! What happened to you?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Take some men to Danzo's room and collect his body. He killed himself."

"What?"

The Anbu Captain froze, but quickly recovered and signaled the members beside him with a glance before rushing into the psychiatric hospital with them.

The captain of Anbu Squad Two took out a sealed note and said respectfully, "Lord Hokage, this is a message Uzuki Yugao just sent."

"Mm..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took the note, formed a seal with one hand, and instantly undid the sealing formula on it.

"Release!"

The note opened, revealing the message inside:

"Lord Hokage, I have successfully gained Uchiha Xia Yu's trust. Tonight, I will become his wife."

"Very good..." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and instructed the captain of Squad Two, "Send Yugao a reply. Tell her she must find out Xia Yu's Mangekyō Sharingan ability as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

"By the way, your squad has been responsible for monitoring the Konoha Military Police Force lately, correct? How has it been? Anything unusual?"

"Nothing so far, but almost everyone working at the police department is one of Uchiha Xia Yu's wives..."

"They're all women?"

"Yes... Special Jōnin Mitaraishi Anko is in charge."

"...All right, I understand. You may go. Also, assign some people to investigate someone named Kabuto. He's a genin from our village."

"Yes!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment, his expression grim.

"It looks like I'll have to have a talk with that child Anko..."

Xia Yu's home, in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Having just finished, Uzuki Yugao and Xia Yu were lying in bed, resting.

After exchanging a few flirtatious words, Yugao's eyes shifted. Feeling the time was right, she began discreetly probing Xia Yu with an indirect question:

"By the way, Xia Yu, how did you suddenly become so strong? I was there the day you fought Danzo, too. When I saw that blue giant you summoned, I was stunned..."

"Oh, that... It's called Susanoo. You can only use that ability after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan in both eyes."

"The Mangekyō Sharingan?" Pretending she had never heard the name before, Uzuki Yugao blinked her adorable big eyes, brimming with a "thirst for knowledge," and asked:

"What's the Mangekyō? Is it something stronger than the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"

Xia Yu deliberately put on a proud expression and nodded. "Of course~"

Seeing that Xia Yu had taken the bait, Yugao grew excited and hurriedly continued, "Then can you tell me what your Mangekyō ability is? I want to know just how strong it is..."

Under normal circumstances, a ninja's abilities were extremely important intelligence and would not generally be revealed to others lightly.

But Yugao believed that, having just given Xia Yu everything she had, this was the best possible moment. Xia Yu would surely tell her.

Sure enough... she had guessed right.

Xia Yu spoke without any reservations. "My Mangekyō Sharingan's ability is [See Through Everything]."

"Oh?"

What an abstract name...

"Xia Yu... could you explain it in a little more detail? I don't really understand..."

Xia Yu narrowed his eyes and murmured, "See Through Everything means being able to see everyone's thoughts clearly, including their past, their future, and... this very moment..."

"?"

Yugao froze...

"Y-you said what?"