12. Outside Reactions

"What!?"

Yahiko and Konan exclaimed as they came back to their senses, and saw blood in their hands and Nagato's eye-less sockets, blood flowing out.

"Nagato! What happened!?"

Yahiko shouted in disbelief, but Nagato, still in pain, swatted away Yahiko's hand instinctively. But, thinking things through, he realized that his friends wouldn't do such a thing.

"Yahiko, Konan, someone controlled you guys by genjutsu to take the Rinnegan!"

Yahiko's fist turned white as he dug into them, full of anger.

"Konan, take care of Nagato! I will get back his eyes!"

Yahiko started searching for intruders, and mobilized the entire Akatsuki in search for it.

A White Zetsu outside the Akatsuki base heard about it, and went to report to Madara.

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"No awakening? What a waste. I guess I have to place my hopes in Obito in the end."

The White Zetsu reported about the situation in Konoha, that Kei didn't awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan on seeing Mei's death, but just flew back to her house and entered her secret basement.

Kei was too realistic. She became crippled, so she created prosthetics good enough to walk in a month. Either she is now going to just accept Mei's death, or find a way to revive her.

If he let her on the plan, she might just use the Rinnegan for reviving Mei, which will end up killing Nagato.

So, she is now not suitable for his plans.

Well, Obito has gone to rescue Rin and Kakashi right now. Madara will have to just get the work done through that idiot.

"MADARA-SAMA! SOMEONE HAS STOLEN RINNEGAN!"

A White Zetsu hurriedly came and informed him.

"WHAT!? Who did it!? Have the other Zetsus caught the thief!?"

"We don't know. The five Zetsus inside the Akatsuki base to protect Nagato have also disappeared!"

"One should have atleast remained hidden to deliver information!"

Madara shouted.

"But you only gave them the order to protect Nagato."

"..."

Dammit! These Zetsus are so stupid!

"Tell me everything!"

"From what we have gathered, someone controlled Yahiko and Konan to rip out Rinnegan. And we don't how, what, or whatever!"

Madara felt the same despair when Izuna died, and when he heard about Hashirama's death.

He doesn't have much to live, and the Rinnegan is gone!?

Who the hell stole it!?

Was it Kei?

No. Even if she did awaken Mangekyo Sharingan, she shouldn't know about Nagato and Rinnegan. She has never ever gone to Land of Rain.

And Madara had made sure that no cat lingers around, so the existence of Rinnegan doesn't leak to the Uchiha clan and Konoha.

"DAMMIT!"

He shouted as his dream suddenly seemed unreachable now.

He didn't have much time. The moment he moves away from Gedo Mazo, he will die.

"You! Come here!"

Madara ordered the strongest White Zetsu around.

After awakening Rinnegan, he has completely understood Yin-Yang release. Atleast he thought so.

He put his hand on the White Zetsu, and transferred his will into it.

A black goo flowed from his hand, taking out more than half of his chakra in one go.

It took over half of White Zetsu's body.

Madara frowned.

'I guess I am nowhere near the Sage of Six Paths in Yin-Yang release huh.'

He accepted the result, and said to the Black Zetsu.

"You will carry out my will. Find Rinnegan, at all costs."

Madara also put some white Zetsus inside the Gedo Mazo. The person who has stolen Rinnegan will surely summon Gedo Mazo one day. That will reveal the position of the Rinnegan.

Then, Obito arrived, and Madara could feel that ge was successful in cultivating a Mangekyo Sharingan.

But, Rinnegan is more important.

So, Madara started explaining things to him.

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Back at Konoha, everyone was shocked. Iwa has just signed a peace treaty. Danzo was boasting about it that he accomplished such a task.

Now, a ninja skilled enough to sneak so deep into Konoha, and kill the Uchiha clan's head's wife...

Everyone remembered Kei's statements. That Danzo had repeatedly tried killing her.

Thinking about it, wasn't her student also killed?

The Uchihas inside the village stormed the Hokage building, interrupting the meeting between Hiruzen and Danzo, who were also discussing about Mikoto's death.

A senior Uchiha spoke coldly to Danzo.

"Danzo, so you truly were colluding with Iwa! Hokage-sama, hand over Danzo to the Police! We will interrogate the traitor!"

Danzo became angry at being called the traitor. Yes, he has killed several Uchihas on the battlefield via false information and their 'teammates' being ROOT. Yes, he has tried killing Akame several times. Yes, he has colluded with Onoki by telling him the exact location of Kei's camp and her position in it.

But he had nothing to do with this! He is not a traitor!

"Ridiculous! You guys are incharge of the internal security of the village! You are pinning the blame on me!?"

"So, you mean to say that Hokage-sama is responsible? Afterall, the village's barrier is under ANBU. Anyone can't sneak into the village even from underground!"

Despite being furious, the senior Uchiha kept his rationality. Born in the same generation as Hiruzen, he knew both of their nature.

So, he also brought Hiruzen into the conversation forcefully, so that Hiruzen would have no choice but to blame Danzo.

Sadly, he failed to realise that Hiruzen and Danzo's friendship goes above and beyond his expectations.

Hiruzen, who has been quite until now, interrupted the conversation.

"We indeed detected someone entering Konoha. But when the ANBU caught him, he turned out to be a mud clone.

He was too skilled that he escaped from the grasp of both the Uchiha and the village."

Truthfully, there was no one detected.

Hiruzen bowed his head to the senior Uchiha and the people behind him.

"It was my failure that brought this on. I apologise for Mikoto-dono and Mei-chan's death.

As soon as the war ends, I intend to step down and there will be jonin election for the Fourth Hokage."

Hiruzen also knew his classmate. To make things bigger, the Uchiha would have surely tried to have all Uchihas withdraw from the war to attend Mikoto's funeral, and the blame for defeat in the battlefield will all be shifted to him and Danzo, who 'assassinated' the Uchiha clan head's wife. Theoretically, her status is equal to Tsunade, both being the princesses of the founding clans.

Theoretically.

So, it will be justifiable for the Uchiha to start fighting in the war after getting 'betrayed' by the Hokage.

That's why, he threw the candy of next Hokage's election.

But it is already decided who will become the Fourth Hokage.

Tsunade is the first choice, because even while not participating in the frontlines, she has continued making antidotes of Suna's poisons. And she has saved many people in bith Second and Third Ninja war. Plus, she is the granddaughter of First Hokage and grandniece of the Second.

But, due to her fear of blood, and her own disdain for the Hokage position, she will not become the Hokage.

Jiraiya also doesn't want to compete for the position.

So realistically, after Kei's withdrawal from the battlefield, only Orochimaru, Fugaku and Minato are the competitors.

But, only Minato has killed another Kage, the Third Raikage, who could fight to draw with the Eight Tails with his tough body alone.

Not only his status is currently much bigger than both Fugaku and Orochimaru, he is also stronger than both of them. He is currently even stronger than Hiruzen in his prime, and as strong as Second Hokage, despite being so young.

Jiraiya has recently boasted to him that Minato mastered Sage Mode perfectly recently within a week, though he can't hold the mode for more than one move.

Only Hashirama Senju has been able to master Sage Mode perfectly. If given time, it's possible that Minato will be able to become as proficient as First Hokage in it.

But Fugaku isn't that far behind Minato. He can control his enemies to go back to their camps and betray their comerades with just a look. That's why he is called the 'Wicked Eyes Fugaku'.

So, throwing the Fourth Hokage candy will keep the Uchiha clan on the battlefield, and Fugaku will become focused on killing the Third Mizukage to try to compete with Minato's achievements.

"I will have Danzo investigated by ANBU. But some responsibility also falls on the Uchiha clan for their flaws in the village's internal security. I will leave it to you, Iruma-san to deal with it."

Hiruzen basically gave Danzo a free-pass, and also gave Uchiha clan some face by letting the senior member of Uchiha clan to deal with the security without much reprimand.

The Uchihas could only grind their teeth and retreat.

After they left, Hiruzen turned to Danzo.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't do it."

"Alright."

The investigation on Danzo was done.

Danzo then said, "Where is Kei? Didn't her student die?

Oh! Hiruzen, I know who is responsible! Kei must have killed both her student and Mikoto using a Shadow Clone, and used the techniques she copied from Iwa Shinobi.

To frame me! And to escape suspicions falling on her!"

Hiruzen sighed.

"Danzo. Not everyone is like you. Let's forget about this and focus on war. I don't want any more internal instability."

"Hiruzen, you will regret this!"

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

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Itachi, who was eating dango, was informed by a grim-looking Uchiha policeman to return to the Uchiha clan compound immediately.

When he entered the compound, he found several Uchihas and Kushina surrounding his house, and several were banging the door of Kei's house.

He felt fear in his heart for the first time, and wiggled his way into his house, only to see his mother lying dead.

"What happened!?"

He screamed, but no one could get themselves to answer the kid who has just lost his mother.

They could only pat his head and give him the comfort of human warmth.

As his Sharingan flared open directly into 2 tomoe, when he is just about to turn 4. He heard someone whisper.

"Did Danzo really kill Mikoto-sama and Mei, like he has been trying to kill Kei-sama?"

Those were the last words he heard before fainting due to chakra exhaustion because of awakening the Sharingan too early.