Naruto : Cruel Rebirth

In Konohagakure, inside the temporary Hokage tent: 

Danzo, who narrowly survived the Land of Iron, now leaned on a cane with his left hand. His right eye and arm had been replaced with prosthetics, heavily wrapped in bandages to avoid suspicion. 

The Daimyo had just sent a letter, its contents unfavorable to him. 

It read: 

"Danzo, your performance at the Five Kage Summit was, frankly, a huge disappointment. However, since I personally appointed you as Hokage, dismissing you outright would reflect poorly on my judgment. You have 100 days to turn things around and bring Konohagakure back on track. Otherwise, I will select a new Hokage." 

After reading, Danzo burned the letter with a candle, his gaze dark. 

"If only I still had Shisui's right eye, I could have used Kotoamatsukami to handle the Daimyo…" 

After destroying the letter, Danzo fell into deep thought. He summoned the head of Konohagakure's reconstruction efforts to inquire about village rebuilding and added a directive to restore the Sixth Hokage Rock. 

"This…" The official hesitated. 

"Although the village received reconstruction funds from the Land of Fire, the workload is massive, and morale is unstable. At this time, focusing on the Hokage Rock might… not be appropriate." 

He cautiously observed Danzo's expression, speaking carefully. 

But Danzo, skilled in seizing power, maintained his composure. 

He replied firmly, 

"Every Hokage's tenure involves restoring the Hokage Rock, symbolizing a new beginning. Right now, with the village in ruins, a new Hokage Rock is essential as a pillar of hope for the people." 

"This…" The official wanted to argue, but upon noticing the cold stares from the masked Root members nearby, he quickly said, 

"That does seem reasonable!" 

Danzo ordered, 

"Begin immediately. The Hokage Rock must be tailored to represent me. Every material, process, and worker must meet my approval!" 

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" 

After the official left, Danzo lifted the tent flap, revealing his only remaining eye as he gazed at the ruined mountainside where the Hokage Rock stood. 

"My Hokage's appearance will finally be revealed to the world…" 

The near-death experience in the Land of Iron still felt surreal to him. Even now, recalling it filled him with unease, and he had been restless for days. 

Sitting back down, gripping his cane tightly, he muttered, 

"I was so close… just after securing the Hokage title, it almost slipped through my fingers. I underestimated Uzumaki Naruto's strength. The Rinnegan's power is unparalleled. If I had known earlier, I would have found a way to acquire Nagato's eyes back in Amegakure…" 

Losing his right eye and arm had cost him his best tools for survival. 

Now, wherever he went, dozens of Root elites guarded him within a hundred paces. All Anbu originally in charge of village security had been replaced with Root operatives. 

---

That evening, on the eve of the Five Kage Summit, Terai, whom Danzo had sent to capture Yakushi Kabuto, returned heavily injured. 

Terai reported, 

"Danzo-sama, I found his whereabouts, but his strength far exceeds what we expected…" 

Danzo frowned. 

"Far exceeds intelligence? Then how did you survive?" 

"To be honest, it seems he deliberately let me go…" 

Suddenly, a slit-pupil like a snake's flashed briefly in Terai's eyes. 

Danzo's gaze sharpened. He abruptly dropped his cane, leapt from his seat, and grabbed Terai by the throat. 

"Gaaahhhh…!!" 

A white snake with a scroll in its mouth slithered out of Terai's mouth as he collapsed, lifeless. 

Danzo bent down, picked up the scroll, and opened it. His eyes flickered sharply at the contents. 

"Danzo-sama…" 

"Dispose Terai's body." 

"Yes." 

"And also, I'll be leaving the village for a while. This is top secret—don't let anyone know!" 

"What about you, Hokage? What will happen to the village while you're gone?" 

"My 'double' will handle things in my place!" 

As a schemer often targeted by enemies, having a double was essential. From appearance and physique to mannerisms, every detail was carefully perfected. Even Jonin-level ninja would struggle to tell the difference. 

Danzo added, "Even though it's just a double, all the formalities and presence expected of the Hokage must be maintained. Otherwise, it will raise suspicions. The Daimyo is already pressuring me, and we can't afford any mistakes at this critical moment." 

"What about your personal guards?" 

Danzo's close guards, Fuu and Torune, had both fallen to Naruto. 

After some thought, he said, "Call Tatsuma." 

"Aburame Tatsuma!?" The Root member dressed in white showed a look of deep respect. 

Aburame Tatsuma was one of the top fighters of the Aburame clan. In Orochimaru's early days working under Root, Ryoma had been his partner [as seen in the Orphanage Arc, where Tatsuma stood alongside Orochimaru behind Danzo]. 

Late at night, after making all the arrangements, Danzo, dressed in black and concealing his face, quietly left the village. 

Before leaving, he looked back at the Hokage Rock and muttered, "By the time I return, this Hokage monument should be finished. My era is finally about to begin..." 

He turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night. 

... 

The long night was heavy, filled with intertwining shadows. 

In the southern part of the Land of Fire, inside Akatsuki's hideout. 

"Ugh..." Sasuke slowly woke up. 

"Sasuke..." Karin's face lit up with a smile. 

"You're awake..." Masked Obito sat at a higher level, propping his head with one hand. 

As Sasuke's scattered thoughts cleared, he asked, "Where's Naruto?" 

Obito replied, "After clashing with the Raikage, he safely left the Land of Iron." 

Bang! Sasuke slammed his fist onto the stone platform. 

"Damn it! Naruto's power has already reached this level...!" 

Obito said, "Sasuke, there's no need to lose heart. By the end of your fight with him, your own power had greatly awakened. If it weren't for Naruto obtaining Nagato's eyes, he wouldn't have defeated you so easily." 

Sasuke coldly retorted, "Hmph! Don't use childish excuses to comfort me!" 

Obito leaned forward, his tone coaxing. "So, what's your plan? If you go to Konohagakure for revenge as you are now, the result won't change..." 

Sasuke's eyes burned with a desire to grow stronger. "I'll transplant Itachi's eyes...!" 

"Oh?" Obito's gaze shifted slightly as he descended from his perch. 

"Finally ready for that step?" 

"I need power strong enough to crush Naruto and destroy Konohagakure. Nothing else matters!" 

Obito stared deeply at Sasuke. "Come with me..." 

... 

Outside the Land of Iron, in a hidden cave among the mountains. 

Zzz! Naruto's right eye slowly opened, revealing four sharp, curved tomoe—the Mangekyou Sharingan that once belonged to Uchiha Shisui! 

"Naruto-kun, how does it feel?" 

Orochimaru, who had personally performed the transplant, asked with a sly smile. 

Naruto replied, "The darkness has become even clearer in my eyes..." 

Orochimaru explained, "Kotoamatsukami is a very unique ocular technique. Without Hashirama cells, it can only be used once every several years. But since you're from the Uzumaki clan, distant relatives of the Senju, your wait time is much shorter—about half a month. However, there's still the risk of going blind..." 

Naruto gave a meaningful look and asked, "Orochimaru, aren't you afraid I'll use this technique on you?" 

Orochimaru chuckled knowingly. "Heh... If you really intended to use it on me, why bother warning me? Besides, even if you did, I wouldn't notice, would I?" 

Naruto turned his gaze away. 

Konan stepped forward and asked: 

"Now that the goal is achieved, are we heading back to Amegakure?" 

Naruto remained silent, his gaze deep and distant. 

At the moment, the Akatsuki were preparing to hunt the Eight-Tails. Raikage had already rushed overnight to save him. The odds didn't look good for that man. 

Naruto couldn't forget that man's determination to protect his comrades, even to the very end. 

"For our next actions to go smoothly, we'll need more people on our side." 

Konan asked: 

"Are you planning to recruit more after returning to Amegakure?" 

Naruto covered his right eye slightly and said: 

"There's someone I want to save and bring to our side." 

Konan asked: 

"Who are you talking about?" 

Naruto's eyes burned with resolve. 

"The wielder of the Great Sword Samehada—Hoshigaki Kisame !" 

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