Chapter 55: The Third Hokage Senses a Storm Brewing

Madara narrowed his eyes."The power of the Sharingan... has recovered? And she can manifest the fourth stage of Susano'o with just a standard Mangekyō? Hmph. Not bad."

He remembered how difficult that feat was, even for him—wielding two undamaged Mangekyō Sharingan. Yet she, a girl without the Eternal Mangekyō, had reached that level?

Still, in Madara's eyes, Hikari Uchiha was limited. She would never awaken the Eternal Mangekyō or reach the Rinnegan. That meant she posed no true threat.

"Not bad," he repeated.

Beside him, Black Zetsu nodded thoughtfully."It's not just her. Other Uchihas seem... different. There's something unusual going on."

Madara's gaze sharpened. He didn't like uncertainty.

"Oh? No exceptions? Interesting..." His eyebrow rose. "Go to Konoha. Investigate thoroughly. And while you're at it—find me a suitable candidate among the Uchiha to serve as our agent."

"Yes," Black Zetsu replied without hesitation.

Madara leaned back. Everything else was irrelevant—as long as his plan proceeded without obstacles.

Eight Days Later — Gates of Konoha

"Finally!" Tsunade stretched with a satisfied yawn as the village gates came into view. "Now I can finally get some rest."

"You?" Mito Uzumaki rolled her eyes. "This mission was easier than most. You didn't even do much."

"Heh." Tsunade smirked. "I've only been gone a few days. You know how much work is waiting at the hospital? I'm heading straight there!"

With that, she sprinted ahead.

"That girl," Mito sighed with amusement as she led the returning group to the gates. The Uzumaki clan needed to be formally registered.

There was no need to notify the Hokage—ANBU would've already delivered the news. Indeed, soon after, Hiruzen Sarutobi, flanked by Koharu, clan representatives, and a few elders, arrived at the gates.

He formally welcomed the Uzumaki delegation, congratulated Mito on her success, and began the resettlement proceedings. Hikari didn't get involved in those negotiations—that was left to Mito, Aminari, and the Third Hokage. Instead, she led her clan back to their district.

Uchiha District

The moment they arrived, a patrol ninja spotted them.

"Lady Hikari has returned! Inform Captain Shisui and Lord Gin immediately!" the patrol leader commanded.

"Yes, sir!" a shinobi sped off.

Less than ten breaths later, Shisui Uchiha arrived at the gate.

"Welcome back, Lady Hikari!"

Hikari gave a curt nod. "Tashiro, lead the elite guard back to base. Rest for three days, then resume training."

She turned to Shisui. "Any trouble in the clan while we were gone?"

"None, ma'am," he reported. "No ANBU surveillance. The Hokage made no sudden moves. Patrols were increased as a precaution, but everything was calm."

"Oh—and the Uchiha Pharmacy was closed during your absence. There was a minor stir, but once we explained it was temporary, things settled. Should we reopen?"

Hikari nodded. "I'll issue orders later. In the coming weeks, production will increase. A few days of lost profit won't matter."

Medicines were scarce. With limited production, unsold stock had just piled up. Reopening would recover losses swiftly.

"Understood." Shisui bowed. "We'll scale back security today. If all remains quiet tomorrow, we'll return to normal operations."

Hikari's eyes narrowed slightly. The Uzumaki's arrival might disturb Konoha's balance. The village was large, but its political cake could only be sliced so many ways. With another powerful clan entering the mix, someone's influence would suffer.

At Home

As she walked, two figures ran to meet her.

"Mom! Welcome back!" Gin waved energetically."Aunt Hikari, we're so glad you're safe," Mikoto added.

"I'm back." Hikari smiled, gently ruffling their hair. "You two behaved while I was away?"

"We didn't leave the clan at all," Gin replied. "Just training."

"Good."

"Mom! Now that you're back, can we start exploring Skypiea? I want to get the Thunder Fruit and maybe find a way to lift the curse!"

"Haha. Eager, aren't you?" Hikari chuckled. "Give me two days. We still need to finalize the Uzumaki's integration into the village. The clan heads will meet soon to sort territory, rights, responsibilities…"

"Got it," Gin nodded. "In the meantime, can I take Minato and Kushina to train in the pirate world?"

He had avoided the old base—too remote and risky. Instead, he used the Sandjo clan's abandoned compound.

"You haven't already?" Hikari raised an eyebrow. "Feel free. That's up to you."

After a quick check on the clan's status and training routines, Hikari turned her attention to something she had sorely missed: a good meal.Out on the road, she'd survived on pills and rations—no time or tools to cook sea king meat. But now, real food awaited. Juicy, flavorful, chakra-rich... heavenly.

Hokage's Office

Inside the Hokage tower, Hiruzen sat in his office with Koharu, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura.

"I've read the ANBU reports," the Third said gravely. "But I want to hear it from you, Danzo. Did Mito really fight the Raikage to a standstill? Was she able to extract Nine-Tails chakra? And did Hikari truly summon a Susano'o hundreds of meters tall, enough to make Onoki flee?"

Koharu and Homura turned toward Danzo, awaiting his answer.

Danzo's expression was grim."Yes. Their power was overwhelming. Mito Uzumaki and Hikari Uchiha are no longer within standard measurement. That Susano'o... it rivaled the First Hokage's wood constructs."

He folded his arms. "And it wasn't just them. The entire Uchiha elite is abnormally strong—chakra reserves, physical resilience, vitality. They must have access to advanced medicine beyond anything on the market."

Hiruzen leaned back, concern tightening his jaw."That is… troubling. We need those medical secrets. If we don't suppress the Uchiha now, they may become unstoppable."

"I agree," Koharu said. "Over the last month, they've bought vast quantities of herbs, chakra-conductive metal, and reagents. If we compare that to their known products, we may reverse-engineer their formulas. Bring in skilled alchemists."

"The problem," Hiruzen muttered, "is that the best pharmacists—Tsunade and Mito—won't help us. Not with their current allegiances. All we have left are the hospital staff and maybe the Yamanaka-Nara-Akimichi trio."

He paused, gaze distant.Something had changed with Tsunade. She still acted casual, but their bond had frayed. Ever since Mito had spoken to her about the Senju legacy, she had grown colder. More distant.

He understood why.But he didn't regret what he'd done to the Senju clan. It was necessary. Otherwise, how would he have become Hokage?

It wasn't his fault the Senju had grown complacent, arrogant even. Any other man in his position would have done the same.

But now... the storm was returning, and the Uchiha were at its center.