After decades of peace, without any external threats since its founding, the Hokage Building was, for the first time in its history, experiencing the agony of internal conflict.
Sougen and Danzo were locked in a fierce battle. Before either of them could shed blood, the Hokage Building had already taken a significant beating. Thankfully, as the administrative center of Konoha, its structure was incredibly durable and wasn't easily reduced to rubble.
The fact that neither Sougen nor Danzo used large-scale destructive ninjutsu helped, as neither wanted to escalate things further, especially within the Hokage Building. Bringing it down would cause major chaos in the village.
Danzo, still obsessed with the position of Hokage, figured it was better to conserve chakra by focusing on single-target ninjutsu rather than waste energy on wide-range techniques.
As for Sougen, he was having a blast!
When Akimichi Torifu led the Ino-Shika-Cho trio to sit this one out, the other clan heads wisely abandoned their plans to pressure the Uchiha alongside the Third Hokage. After all, even the Ino-Shika-Cho, who were close allies of the Sarutobi clan, had pulled back. They couldn't be blamed for not going all in.
Now, the situation had turned into a direct face-off between the Uchiha and Danzo. The Third Hokage hesitated because of Torifu's unexpected retreat, wondering what kind of trump card the Uchiha might have up their sleeve. He couldn't make a decision and simply shouted for Sougen and Danzo to stop, but made no real move to intervene.
Anyway, as long as no one dies, Danzo getting roughed up isn't a big deal.
The ANBU, following orders, evacuated the office staff and imposed a gag order, forbidding anyone who witnessed the fight from gossiping—at least not until the Hokage gave an official order.
"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!"
Sougen formed a one-handed seal.
In the next second, a forest of rock spikes erupted from the ground like a field of spears.
This technique didn't harm Danzo at all, but Sougen wasn't trying to hurt him; he just wanted a more manageable weapon. Shuriken were too sharp, and accidentally killing Danzo would cause complications.
To be honest, though, beating Danzo was incredibly satisfying, so much so that Sougen's eyes started to itch.
Maybe… Danzo was the trigger?
Could it be that activating the Mangekyō didn't actually require intense negative emotions? Perhaps his mastery of Yin Release was so advanced, and his ocular power in the Three Tomoe Sharingan so fully matured, that he didn't need the overwhelming despair others required to ignite the Mangekyō's light.
Maybe… that was the real answer.
To Sougen, power wasn't inherently good or evil. It's just that deep, lasting sorrow and despair seemed to produce stronger emotional waves for the Uchiha, propelling their Sharingan to higher levels of evolution. Of course, this was just a fleeting thought. Whether it was true or not could be tested later. Right now, the priority was to keep beating Danzo and maintain this fleeting burst of happiness. Who knows? He might awaken the Mangekyō today.
He reached out and snapped off one of the stone spears.
The power of *"A Knight Never Dies Empty-Handed"* flowed into the staff, turning what was originally a brittle stick into an indestructible weapon. He swung it with great force, shattering Danzo's Wind Release techniques. His physical strength surged, and he charged right up to Danzo, delivering blows that caused deep pain but weren't enough to knock him out completely.
Of course, Danzo wasn't just a punching bag.
Anyone bold enough to aim for the Hokage's position had some serious skills. A silent Wind Release technique sliced through Sougen's sleeve, leaving bloody cuts on his arm. While they weren't deep enough to reach bone, the pain was definitely real.
"Can I only stop the bleeding?"
Sougen calmly observed the state of his wounds.
It was clear his skill in Yang Release hadn't reached the level of the First Hokage's legendary no-seal healing technique. He could only stop the bleeding from these minor cuts, not fully heal them. But Sougen wasn't bothered by this. His Samehada sword helped him train both Yin and Yang Release.
Most of his focus was on Yin Release, so while he had made progress in Yang Release, it still had a long way to go.
Whether stopping bleeding or relying on his already impressive physical strength and speed, Sougen was satisfied. Desire motivates progress, but excessive greed is a path to self-destruction.
Besides, Sougen needed the bloodstains on his sleeves and clothes to prove that Danzo wasn't a pushover. That way, the Third Hokage and others wouldn't feel the need to step in and play favorites. From the looks of things, Danzo was fine, thanks to his repeated use of Earth Release to protect himself. It was Sougen, bleeding and battered, who seemed like he might collapse any second.
Not everyone was fooled by Sougen's act, though.
There were plenty of skilled sensor ninja on the scene. But—
Ever since Hiashi Hyuga's younger brother was forced to commit suicide to protect him, Hiashi had lost his competitive drive to surpass the Uchiha as the top clan in Konoha. He also harbored resentment toward the Third Hokage for caving to the Cloud's demands. So, he wasn't about to ruin this show.
Yamanaka Inoichi, leader of the Analysis Team, glanced at the calm Torifu Akimichi and chose to remain silent as well.
Even without a report from a sensor, the Third Hokage wasn't completely oblivious to Sougen's tricks.
But just as he prepared to step in, Sougen, fully caught up in his excitement, took Danzo's Vacuum Blade to his right leg, then smashed his indestructible stone staff down onto Danzo's right leg in return.
The sound of bones breaking was music to Sougen's ears.
The only downside was that Danzo was tough—his leg was a bloody mess, but he didn't even scream. Get full chapters from novel·fire.net
"Oh well… Since you helped me open that door, I'll let you be the first to witness my eye technique!" Sougen whispered, his voice so low that only those within arm's reach could hear.
In the next moment, his crimson eyes underwent a dramatic transformation.
From this day forward, Sougen, a Uchiha, shattered the belief that the Mangekyō Sharingan could only be awakened through hellish despair.
The Uchiha could awaken the Mangekyō… with joy!