"Shouldn't we be suspicious?" Danzo said, turning his gaze to the Third: "Hiruzen, you've clashed with the First and Second's 'Impure World' bodies. Do you think Uchiha Shinji could break through their assault without awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
The Third remained silent.
Yet the empty sleeve where his arm once was gave a wordless answer.
Even the Third, as Hokage, struggled immensely against the First and Second's 'Impure World' bodies, barely surviving at the cost of his arm. So how could Uchiha Shinji escape so easily with Cloud's Darui and Mist's Ringo Ameyuri?
A guess flickered through everyone's minds.
Uchiha Shinji had likely awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and kept it a secret.
Danzo continued: "This kid isn't Uchiha Shisui. He's more like Uchiha Itachi. We can't ignore such a hidden threat!"
Koharu hesitated: "Danzo, aren't you being a bit alarmist?"
Mito Menma chimed in: "Even if Uchiha Shinji hid his Mangekyo Sharingan, it doesn't mean he's betrayed the village."
Danzo sneered: "Count the number of Mangekyo Uchihas in the Akatsuki! Trusting an Uchiha at a time like this? You're too naive!"
In the Akatsuki, excluding Hiruko, who gained the Mangekyo Sharingan through a Bloodline Limit fusion ritual, there were five confirmed Uchihas.
They were 'A,' 'B,' 'E,' the mysterious masked man, and Uchiha Itachi.
The masked man had recently ambushed the Two-Tails Jinchuriki with an unknown space-time ninjutsu, his strength undeniable. The other four had records of unleashing 'Susanoo' or 'Amaterasu,' confirming they were Mangekyo Uchihas.
The rarity of the Mangekyo Sharingan was well-known to Hidden Leaf's leadership.
The sheer number of Mangekyo Uchihas in the Akatsuki was enough to spark suspicion.
Shikaku said: "The next battle might be our final clash with the Akatsuki. We should indeed eliminate some hidden threats quickly."
Asuma frowned: "Uchiha Shinji and Uchiha Sasuke are vital assets to the village. Are we really going to abandon them over mere suspicion?"
Shikaku shook his head: "Not abandon—find a way to clear their suspicions!"
Kakashi asked: "How do we clear them?"
Shikaku replied: "Let the intelligence team figure it out. We can't disrupt our own ranks, but we can't ignore anomalies either!"
Undoubtedly.
Though everyone knew of Danzo's hostility toward the Uchiha and his past conflicts with Shinji and Sasuke, they had to admit his suspicions weren't baseless.
If the suspects weren't Shinji and Sasuke, they might have already approved Danzo's decisive measures to eliminate the threat.
In the shinobi world, absolute proof wasn't needed—reasonable suspicion was enough for those in power to order an execution.
The discussion in the Hokage's office returned to the main topic: strategizing against the Akatsuki.
They listed the Akatsuki members who required special attention.
Nagato, with his 'Sage Eyes' Rinnegan, and 'A' were unanimously deemed the most dangerous enemies.
Next were 'B,' Hiruko, Ranmaru, and Moryo.
These four surpassed the level of elite jonin. 'B,' who had unleashed a complete 'Susanoo,' and the demon Moryo were nearly unbeatable one-on-one by anyone in the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
As Hiruko and Ranmaru adapted to their multiple Bloodline Limits, their strength grew rapidly. Their infiltration into the Forest of Death, causing heavy Hidden Leaf casualties and effortlessly seizing two Tailed Beasts, spoke volumes.
The third tier included Itachi, the mysterious masked man, 'E,' and Sasori of the Red Sand.
These individuals either had records of defeating Kage-level opponents, like Itachi and Sasori, or had bested a perfect Jinchuriki, like the masked man.
As for 'E,' escaping the Fourth Raikage and being confirmed as a Mangekyo Uchiha barely qualified them for this tier.
The final fourth tier included Konan and Zetsu, who rarely acted; Hidan, who used 'dark jutsu' to ambush the Two-Tails Jinchuriki; Kakuzu; Mist's rogue shinobi Biwa Juzo; Rock's rogue shinobi Deidara; Sky shinobi remnant Shinno; Ice Release shinobi 'C'; the spirit-wielding 'D'; and 'F' and 'G.'
Though divided into four tiers, everyone knew that even the lowest tier's Akatsuki members could threaten the Five Kage.
Tsunade waved her hand decisively: "Have the intelligence team devise targeted countermeasures. We only have three Tailed Beasts left. No more sitting back—we'll take the offensive next time!"
"Yes!"
The group responded in unison.
After the meeting ended and everyone left, Shizune, standing by, spoke to Tsunade: "Lady Tsunade, Sasuke's been waiting in the hospital for the First's cell transplant surgery. Given the situation, should we proceed?"
Tsunade pondered: "Hold off for now. Let the intelligence team find a way to clear their suspicions first."
"Their?" Shizune paused, then asked: "You suspect Shinji too?"
Tsunade didn't answer directly, only shaking her head: "He's too strong for his age!"
…
After leaving the Hokage's office, Danzo sought out Koharu.
Danzo got straight to the point: "My suspicions today weren't aimed at you! Uchiha Shinji has too many secrets. We need to get to the bottom of it!"
Koharu frowned: "He doesn't strike me as someone with deep schemes. Danzo, don't target the Uchiha at a time like this!"
Danzo said: "If we keep losing, we might not even save the village. What are a few Uchihas compared to that?"
Koharu was puzzled: "What exactly are you planning?"
"Let me test him!"
Danzo spoke as he walked away.
Koharu called out: "He's under my direct command in the Anbu. Don't act recklessly!"
Danzo didn't stop, continuing to walk away slowly.
Koharu started to chase after him to warn him further but hesitated after taking a step.
Preserving her position was important, but as Danzo said, if they kept losing, Hidden Leaf itself might fall. Unifying opinions and eliminating hidden threats became critical.
After all, Hidden Leaf had tens of thousands of shinobi. No one was indispensable.