The facts proved that Uchiha Wen Lan's existence had indeed drawn continuous attention from all factions.
The major ninja villages dispatched spies one after another, attempting to gather more information about him.
At the same time, debates within Konoha over how to deal with this genius youth never ceased.
Even the civilians now knew the name Wen Lan.
When they learned that he came from the Uchiha clan, just like Shisui, their eyes were filled with disgust.
But when they heard that he trained together with Might Duy, that "big idiot," everyone was left completely dumbfounded.
Danzo secretly accelerated the deployment of Root, trying to seize control of the situation from the shadows.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi did his best to maintain stability within the village, preventing further unrest among the Uchiha.
The situation was like a bow drawn taut to its limit— the slightest disturbance could trigger irreversible chaos.
Wen Lan's talent was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over Konoha's head.
It could become a blade to protect the village—or a weapon that tore peace apart.
In this era of uncertainty, Wen Lan's existence forced Konoha's higher-ups to reassess the status and future of the Uchiha clan.
Every decision was like walking on thin ice.
Every choice could shake the entire foundation.
Root's Underground Base
Danzo sat in a dimly lit underground chamber.
Several Root ninjas in black stood beside him, their expressions cold and sharp.
A medical ninja was performing surgery on Danzo's right arm.
When the procedure ended, two Sharingan were revealed—embedded in the palm and the back of his hand.
"Danzo-sir," the medical ninja said softly, "Although the implantation is complete, I still don't believe this is a wise decision.
The power of the Sharingan is too sinister. Without a force to counterbalance it, it will be extremely difficult to control."
At this point, yin and yang chakra were still largely unexplored concepts in the ninja world, so the medic could only rely on instinct to warn him.
Danzo slowly clenched his hand.
In the darkness, the Sharingan emitted a faint crimson glow.
He snorted coldly.
"Power itself has no good or evil. Only the wielder distinguishes strength from weakness."
The medical ninja lowered his head in silence.
Oppressive stillness filled the room.
Danzo stood up and asked calmly,
"Have you located Wen Lan's team?"
"Yes, Danzo-sir!"
A Root ninja immediately stepped forward.
"According to our intelligence, Wen Lan survived and recovered at an astonishing speed.
Additionally, because the Hokage must negotiate with the Mizukage, Shisui has been reassigned as an escort.
At present, Wen Lan is carrying out patrol missions together with Sarutobi Asuma and others."
Danzo's eyes flickered.
He accepted his cane, tapping it lightly against the ground.
The Sharingan embedded in his arm glowed with a sinister light.
"So Hiruzen has pulled Shisui away…
That leaves a gap in the surveillance of the Uchiha."
"Pass down the order. Strengthen covert monitoring of Wen Lan."
"Also, make contact with Kirigakure's shinobi and arrange a joint encirclement to assassinate him."
"I don't believe someone who was just critically injured could recover that fast.
He must be forcing himself."
"Yes!"
The Root ninja vanished at once.
Danzo rested his left hand on the cane and raised his right hand before his eyes, gazing at the Sharingan.
"What a beautiful power… To even bring the dead back to life."
"Izanagi… Uchiha… just how many secrets are you still hiding?"
His fingers gently traced the tomoe patterns, greed and ambition flashing in his eyes.
Once he mastered this power, Root would no longer need to remain in the shadows.
Konoha's future should be guided by true strength of will.
At this moment, Danzo was no longer waiting for opportunity— he was personally ushering in the storm.
One Month Later
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Separated by the sea, both camps waited in tense silence.
The Uchiha awaited the Third Hokage's orders.
Yagura Karatachi waited for the reactions of the other great powers.
Gradually, Yagura realized something unsettling—
The other villages were too quiet.
This silence made him uneasy, like the calm before a storm.
While traveling to the Land of Iron to negotiate with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Yagura ordered frequent patrols along Kirigakure's borders, wary of a Konoha sneak attack.
The Land of Iron was neutral territory, traditionally uninvolved in ninja conflicts.
Kage-level negotiations were always held there.
As both sides had expected—
The talks collapsed.
War was inevitable.
Despite Wen Lan's title "Golden Thunder Flame" spreading throughout the ninja world, the other villages showed no reaction.
Standing on the rocky coastline, sea winds whipping his robes, Yagura finally understood—
The other powers were waiting to see how long Kirigakure could hold on, or rather, how this war would end.
If he withdrew first, it would prove Kirigakure's weakness, signaling the end of the Third Shinobi World War.
If he pushed forward aggressively, the other villages would swoop in to profit from the chaos between Kirigakure and Konoha.
He had to make a decision.
He couldn't let Kirigakure be underestimated— but he also couldn't let the war spiral into an inescapable quagmire.
As for Wen Lan's so-called Kage-level strength?
The other villages didn't care.
That was the arrogance of Kage-level confidence.
Yagura clenched his teeth.
He never imagined that a single Byakugan would escalate things to this extent.
He had to take back control of the situation.
"Since that's the case…"
He turned sharply and issued the order:
"Declare war!"
Kirigakure and Konohagakure—at war!
The war horn echoed across the ninja world.
The other powers finally broke their silence, each taking positions openly or moving secretly.
Upon receiving the declaration, the Third Hokage issued an immediate order for full mobilization.
The Uchiha clan also received the summons, entering full combat readiness.
A suffocating killing intent filled the air.
Kumogakure chose to remain on standby.
Meanwhile, Ōnoki of Iwagakure was overjoyed— he believed this was the perfect opportunity to crush Konoha together with Kirigakure.
As a result, Iwagakure's frontline forces began deliberately provoking Konoha.
Konoha Village
Hiruzen Sarutobi was at his wit's end.
Dealing with Iwagakure alone had already been a nightmare— now Kirigakure had joined in as well.
And all of it stemmed from that single Byakugan.
"Damn those Uchiha!"
Hiruzen slammed his fist onto the desk, his face livid.
He didn't resent Kirigakure for stealing the Byakugan.
He didn't resent the Hyūga for demanding its return.
He resented only the Uchiha— for speaking up in the Hokage's office and siding with the Hyūga.
Just a few sentences…
and the entire situation spiraled out of control.
Homura Mitokado spoke gravely from the side:
"Konoha's foundation is nearly exhausted.
Facing two great villages at once is simply unrealistic."
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, exhaustion flickering in his eyes.
But he knew—this was no time to retreat.
If Konoha backed down now, Iwagakure and Kirigakure would demand massive reparations—possibly even territory.
He took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening.
"Send envoys—form an alliance with Sunagakure."
"At the same time, contact Orochimaru.
Order him to proceed immediately to the Kirigakure front and take command."
"As for the Iwagakure front— it will be overseen by Minato Namikaze."
—------------------------------
Pat reon Advance Chapters: patreon.com/YonkoSlayer