Chapter 7: The Prologue to the War!

"No, no, Kagami is my good friend. How could I think that way?"

"Then should I target other Uchiha instead? Ordinary Sharingan… might still be of great help to me. Kagami probably wouldn't blame me, right?"

Danzo denied his own greed, but not entirely.

Uchiha Fugaku gave a helpless smile.

The news about the Mangekyō was simply too shocking.

For some, it might just be a piece of information, but for the Uchiha clan, it was an entirely different matter.

At the very least, he no longer had the qualifications to compete with Kagami for the position of clan leader.

[Ding! System Notification!]

[Affection from Yūhi Makoto +5… Affection from Umino Ikaku +10… Affection from Katō Dan +10… Affection from Akimichi Torikaze +10…]

[Gained 1250 Chakra Points, Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death, Spirit Transformation Technique, Partial Multi-Size Technique!]

Hearing the system notification, Uchiha Kagami maintained a gentle expression, but inside, he was elated.

Originally, he had planned to keep his Mangekyō hidden, but then he figured there was no need. First, Ginkaku wasn't dead, so it wouldn't remain a secret for long.

Second, spreading the news early would make it easier to farm more affection points. The jutsu of these Jōnin might be average, but right now, he lacked chakra.

He had only spread the news to a dozen or so Jōnin and had already gained over 1000 chakra points.

Once the entire village of Konoha caught wind of it, even if only a thousand people each contributed a single point of affection, that would be over ten thousand chakra points—an absolute Kage-level reserve!

By the time the Second Shinobi War broke out, accumulating a hundred thousand chakra points wouldn't be difficult. At that point, even Bijū-level chakra wouldn't just be a dream!!

After some brief exchanges, the meeting formally began.

Senju Tobirama sat in the Hokage's seat, while Uchiha Kagami sat beside him on a smaller chair. The rest were seated directly opposite them.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin the meeting regarding Kumogakure."

"If the Hidden Cloud dares to provoke Konoha, they must pay the price!"

"That's right! They dared to attack Lord Tobirama, so we should cut off their claws. I believe we should declare war on Kumogakure!"

"Yes, it's time to demonstrate Konoha's strength!!"

"..."

Senju Tobirama was alive.

Everyone was invigorated, showing no concern about winning or losing.

To put it simply, the Second Hokage was their pillar of strength. As long as he was around, war and the Hidden Cloud were nothing but paper tigers.

And now, with Kagami's Mangekyō, they felt even bolder.

Once the Jōnin finished speaking, Tobirama turned to his side.

"Kagami, what do you think?"

"War is necessary! But simply declaring war on Kumogakure is too weak!"

"We are Konoha, the number one shinobi village. The shinobi world has enjoyed peace for twenty years, yet Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure are all stirring trouble along the borders of the Land of Fire!"

Uchiha Kagami spoke with absolute dominance. "But none of them dared to start a war—except these reckless fools from the Hidden Cloud. Since they dare, we'll give them a war and make them understand… just how precious peace truly is!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated. "What about Kirigakure? They're far away and haven't really provoked us. Should we declare war on them too?"

"Of course! Equal treatment for all!"

"But… offending all the major villages at once…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to say more, but he was quickly interrupted by the firm voice of the Second Hokage.

"So what if we offend them? Konoha fears no enemy! In three days, we will formally demand answers from Kumogakure!"

"They dared to attack Konoha's Hokage—let them hand over the criminal, Ginkaku, and pay Konoha one hundred million ryō! Furthermore, we will simultaneously declare war on the Four Great Nations of Wind, Earth, Water, and Lightning. If they don't surrender, they better be ready for the baptism of war!"

"Yes, Lord Second!"

Senju Tobirama made the decision in one sentence.

No one dared to object. The Jōnin left one by one to assemble ninja forces and form an advance unit.

Afterward, Uchiha Kagami and Sarutobi Hiruzen walked out together. Strolling down the streets, they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.

After hours of meetings, everyone was starving.

"Teuchi, give everyone a Grand Slam Ramen. Put it on my tab."

"Kagami, you're too generous."

Uchiha Kagami treated everyone, instantly raising their goodwill toward him.

Grand Slam Ramen—loaded with chashu, fried egg, meatballs, and everything else—was undeniably delicious. No wonder Naruto would one day love it so much.

Everyone ate while chatting, with the main topic being Kagami.

How he saved the Second Hokage, how he awakened the Mangekyō, how he killed Kinkaku, and how he scared off Ginkaku.

In the corner…

Danzo ate his ramen in silence.

Watching everyone engaged in lively conversation, he suddenly found his ramen tasteless.

"What's wrong? Not happy?" Kagami whispered mischievously.

"N-no, I'm fine," Danzo replied, a little guilty.

"Come on, your face is as gloomy as death. I know why you're upset—it's because you lost the chance to become Hokage's advisor, right?"

Leaning in, Uchiha Kagami whispered, "I know what you really want is the Hokage's seat, but now that Lord Tobirama has passed it on to Hiruzen, you've lost even the advisor position. That's why you're upset, right?"

"You're too sharp for your own good. Either way, it's over for me," Danzo said bitterly.

"For now, maybe. But in the future, who knows?"

Uchiha Kagami smirked. "Tobirama-sama isn't getting any younger. I don't think he has many years left. The Hokage position will eventually be passed down, and when that happens, if I recommend you, wouldn't that solve everything?"

"You really mean that?!"

Danzo's eyes lit up.

"Of course! Didn't I always say I believed in you? Look, just now in the meeting, Hiruzen was naive enough to suggest sparing Kirigakure. Do you think if we let them go this time, they won't attack us in the next war?"

Uchiha Kagami continued, "He's still too naive. I'll put in a good word for you when the time comes."

"But… why aren't you interested in becoming Hokage?"

"Did you forget who I am? My brother wouldn't let me be Hokage, and besides, I genuinely don't care about the position. Do you believe me?"

"I do. Thanks, Kagami. You're a good man."

Danzo finished his ramen, feeling rejuvenated, and left the shop, practically skipping.

On the left, Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned in curiously. "Hey, what were you and Danzo talking about? I heard something about the Hokage…"

Uchiha Kagami turned to him and smiled. "Nothing much. Danzo was just feeling down about losing the advisor position, so I cheered him up a bit."

"By the way, you won't be the Third Hokage anymore. Feeling down about that? Be honest, we're friends—no need for formalities."

"Not really… just a little."

"Well, do you still want to be Hokage? I mean, after my brother gets older…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. "Of course I do. But after what just happened, do I still have a chance? Lord Tobirama seemed really disappointed in me."

"A little disappointment is nothing. He values you a lot. And even if he doesn't…"

Uchiha Kagami patted Hiruzen on the shoulder like a close friend. "I'll recommend you for the Third Hokage position. As his brother, my word carries weight, doesn't it?"

"You really mean it?"

"Of course!"

"Thanks, Kagami. You're a great guy."

Sarutobi Hiruzen scarfed down his ramen, feeling re-energized, and left cheerfully.

Watching them leave, Uchiha Kagami sighed, almost feeling guilty.

"Two big-brained fools… Tricked and still thanking me. Well, they're not seasoned schemers yet. Gotta take advantage while I can."

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