Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Konoha.

Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Danzo Shimura—Konoha's top leaders—were all gathered.

Even though the war had ended, the expressions on everyone's faces were still heavy.

"Because this war did not unleash ambition or power, the Shinobi world appears peaceful. But, in reality, it is still teetering on the edge of conflict. All it lacks is a spark to ignite the flames once again..."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, spoke with a grave expression, laying bare the precarious situation of the Shinobi world.

In other words, the Second Shinobi World War had ended in an anti-climactic fashion, but the embers of war could reignite at any moment with just a tiny spark.

Amidst the somber atmosphere, Danzo Shimura broke the silence with a cold voice:

"Hiruzen, for now, maintaining stability in the Shinobi world is our priority. The Root will do everything in its power to provoke conflicts between the other villages, such as the tensions between Iwagakure and Kumogakure..."

Even as a hawkish figure, Danzo fully understood the impossibility of Konoha facing off against all four major shinobi villages simultaneously.

As the leader of the Anbu Root organization, Danzo chose to take on the most difficult and grim task. Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression softened into a rare look of approval, and he solemnly nodded.

"I'm counting on you, Danzo. The Anbu will also cooperate with Root."

The major shinobi villages were already rife with tension and grudges. Provoking wars was something the shinobi of every village were well-versed in.

Watching the tacit understanding between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane couldn't help but show rare expressions of relief.

But then, Danzo's tone shifted sharply:

"However, there is one more matter at hand—the Wood Release Project!"

The same Danzo, who had just expressed a willingness to sacrifice for Konoha, suddenly revealed a sinister glint in his eyes as he brought up this critical issue.

Hearing this, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane also grew serious. Koharu spoke in a low voice:

"Hiruzen, are you planning to move forward with it? If the Senju clan regains this power, and coupled with Uchiha manipulation, it could bring chaos to Konoha!"

Instinctively, they reverted to their usual practice of blaming the Uchiha for any potential problems. Anything remotely connected to the Uchiha was seen as a threat.

Compared to Homura and Koharu's excuses, Danzo was far more direct.

"Hiruzen, while including the Senju clan in this plan was part of the strategy, Tsunade's agreement completely caught us off guard. The Senju clan may be weak now, but they are united on this matter.

If the Senju gain control of the Wood Release Project, this power will become uncontrollable!"

Although the Wood Release Project had been their idea, they had anticipated that Tsunade would never agree to participate. The plan had been designed to exploit the internal divisions within the Senju clan.

After all, with Tsunade's personality, her refusal would have stirred dissatisfaction among the Senju, creating internal conflicts.

No one had expected Tsunade to agree so unexpectedly, completely derailing their strategy to weaken and divide the Senju clan.

Now, instead of weakening the Senju, the plan felt like it was slipping out of their control.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply at this, his voice heavy:

"We all know Tsunade's personality. There's no way she would agree to this out of the blue. This is... unexpected."

Koharu's eyes narrowed as she spoke sharply:

"Hiruzen, are you saying there's someone behind her?!"

The office fell into a tense silence. Everyone's faces darkened as they thought of one person:

Mito Uzumaki.

Only she could have persuaded Tsunade. Only she could wield such influence.

In the oppressive atmosphere of the office, Hiruzen finally exhaled a puff of smoke and broke the silence.

"The Wood Release Project must proceed. Since Tsunade has agreed, it is only appropriate that she be the one to lead it."

"Hiruzen! That's far too dangerous!" Homura and Koharu slammed their hands on the table, immediately opposing the suggestion.

The thought of the Senju clan regaining their peak strength—and mastering the Wood Release—filled their minds with fear.

"Tsunade is far too reckless. If the Senju gain control of this power, both Konoha and the entire Shinobi world could be thrown into chaos!"

To them, any power they could not control was inherently a threat to the village.

But as Homura and Koharu voiced their objections, Danzo let out a cold laugh.

"You're scared of this and that before the plan has even begun? The Wood Release Project will be led by Root. Tsunade is merely a figurehead. The final results will belong to Konoha alone!"

Seeing Danzo's resolute attitude, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a rare sigh of relief, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

As expected, in critical moments, he could always count on Danzo.

After all, the Root organization, the shadowy underbelly of Konoha, existed to handle matters that couldn't see the light of day.

"Danzo, the Wood Release Project must proceed. You will oversee it and ensure it remains under control."

Hiruzen's firm yet ambiguous tone made it clear that he was giving Danzo full authority to handle the project.

The two men had long since developed a tacit understanding. Danzo knew exactly what Hiruzen meant: if anything went wrong, Root would take the blame.

"Don't worry. The Wood Release experiments will take place entirely within Root's labs. No one will be able to take anything from us!"

Danzo's cold smirk deepened. Tsunade's involvement would only accelerate the experiments. As for the results? There was no way he would let anyone else have them.

Once he mastered the power of Wood Release, the position of Hokage would inevitably be his.

Hiruzen, too, nodded silently. The power of Wood Release was not so easily mastered. Even Tobirama Senju had studied it and eventually abandoned the research.

If any breakthroughs were made, Root's labs would be under the watchful eye of the Anbu, ensuring the results remained in his control.

As for the Senju?

From the very beginning, involving the Senju in the project was merely for appearances. After all, the Senju still existed, and their approval was needed for the sake of formality.

Otherwise, if Konoha were caught secretly experimenting with the forbidden techniques of the great clans, it would lead to serious consequences.

...

A Small Town in the Land of Rain.

Under the gloomy sky, a drizzle continued to fall.

"Nagato, your parents were killed by Konoha ninja, weren't they?"

The calm voice echoed, tinged with certainty. This made Nagato, who had just finished training in the nearby forest, freeze in place. Beside him, Konan's expression turned anxious, unsure of how to respond.

Leaning against a tree and gazing at him calmly was Uchiha Shirou. Nagato's heart grew heavy. Over the past few months, he had come to see this man as someone incredibly important to him.

"Yes."

Nagato's hoarse voice broke the silence, filled with bitterness. He didn't know what awaited him next, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to the person who had shown him the way forward.

To his surprise, Shirou did not react as he had imagined. Instead, he gazed at the overcast sky with a face full of melancholy.

"Greed and desire lead to wars that satisfy the ambitions of the powerful, while ordinary people suffer the most. Nagato, I'm sorry for what you've been through."

Hearing this, Nagato's eyes grew wet with emotion, while Konan, standing beside him, looked at Shitou with gratitude.

Shirou was the most important person in her life, and Nagato was her companion.

"You've probably noticed it by now, haven't you?"

Shirou's calm voice broke the silence again, making Nagato and Konan's expressions darkened. Of course, they had noticed.

Recently, Konoha had been withdrawing from the battlefield, leaving the Land of Rain in chaos. At the same time, Shirou had begun teaching them advanced ninjutsu.

Previously, they had only been trained as basic ninjas, but even ordinary people understood the importance of ninjutsu.

"I have to return to Konoha. The two of you..."

Shirou trailed off, lowering his gaze to look at them. Finally, his eyes rested on Nagato. He shook his head and said:

"I'm sorry, Nagato. I can't take you back to Konoha."

This sentence made Nagato tremble slightly, but a warm feeling surged in his heart. He brushed aside his red hair, revealing those mysterious purple Rinnegan eyes.

"Lord Shirou, is it because of these eyes?"

Since revealing his Rinnegan, Shirou had already told him about the legendary power and significance of these eyes, so Nagato fully understood the reason.

"In this ninja world full of conflict, even my village isn't as idyllic as you might imagine. If I were to take you back, I wouldn't be able to protect you."

"Lord Shirou, if possible, I'm willing to give you these eyes!"

Nagato said sincerely, completely unaware of how shocking his words were to the hidden White Zetsu, who widened his eyes in disbelief.

These eyes—can they just be given away so casually?

"Idiot, don't say foolish things."

Shirou suddenly laughed and scolded him, then pulled a red book out of his ninja tool pouch and tossed it over.

"The latest volume. I wrote in it that if the legendary Rinnegan were to appear, it would bring transformation to the ninja world. Don't let me down—train hard so I can one day see how strong the legendary eyes that can bring peace to this turbulent world truly are."

Holding the book in his hands, Nagato's eyes grew slightly misty. "Lord Shirou, I…"

"I've taught you everything I can. I only have one request for you: since you possess these eyes, you must bring change to the ninja world. So my request is—don't limit yourself to one village or one nation!"

At this point, Shirou squinted his eyes and gazed into the distant sky. The dark clouds far away began to disperse, revealing the morning sun.

"Your eyes should focus on the entire ninja world, just like this rising sun. Your eyes must bring light and dawn to the ninja world!"

Dawn.

Shirou's resolute voice echoed, leaving Nagato stunned. He had never imagined that Shirou had such high expectations for him.

Yet, as he stared at the rising sun in the distance, Nagato felt both shocked and a little afraid.

He feared he wouldn't be able to live up to Shirou's expectations. He had never dreamed of changing the ninja world; all he wanted was to protect his companions and live a peaceful life.

Seeing Nagato and Konan's timid expressions, Shirou sighed inwardly.

As expected, neither of them had such grand ambitions.

In the original story, Yahiko was the one with ideals and aspirations. After Yahiko's death, Nagato merely carried on that will out of guilt and pain, while Konan simply wanted to protect her companions.

"A parting gift."

At that moment, Shirou chuckled and casually tossed over a crystal box. When Nagato caught it, he was stunned, looking at the gift with some confusion.

Shirou crossed his arms and teased with a smile:

"This is a pair of special contact lenses I prepared for you. Remember, until you have the strength to change the ninja world, don't reveal your eyes to outsiders. Otherwise, they'll only bring disaster."

Faced with Shirou's stern warning, Nagato lowered his head to look at the gift in his hands, feeling warmth in his heart.

The Rinnegan, the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, yet Shirou wasn't tempted by them. Instead, he taught Nagato ninjutsu and guided him.

At that moment, a loud, cheerful laugh echoed from afar, causing Shirou to glance toward the river with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

In the distance, Yahiko was following Jiraiya with a look of admiration, diligently training as an ordinary ninja.

Seeing this, Nagato seemed to grow more cautious, lowering his head and quickly putting on the disguised contact lenses.

When Shirou saw the two of them, he squinted slightly. Could this be fate?

Yahiko had encountered Jiraiya, and judging from the situation, Jiraiya was guiding him in his training.

"Haha, Shirou, I heard you're heading back?"

Jiraiya leaped from the water's surface, laughing heartily as he approached Shirou. Behind him, Yahiko was panting heavily.

"Jiraiya-san, what's this about?"

By now, Shirou's reputation and strength no longer required him to address Jiraiya with excessive formality.

Jiraiya didn't mind, laughing as if it were only natural. That's the way of the Uchiha—when you have enough strength, you naturally stand as equals without needing to demand it.

"Tsunade and Orochimaru are returning to the village, leaving me here alone in the Land of Rain. This kid is one of the many children affected by the war, so I've taken him as a disciple and am teaching him survival skills."

As Jiraiya laughed, Yahiko stepped forward respectfully and bowed to Shirou. "Lord Shirou!"

Yahiko's gaze then shifted to Nagato and Konan, and the three of them tactfully stepped aside to give the adults some space.

Leaning against a large tree, Jiraiya sighed wistfully.

"Time flies. At least the war is finally over."

Shirou nodded slightly but didn't share Jiraiya's optimism.

"But this war ended far too abruptly. It feels like the ninja world has returned to its pre-war state. Otherwise, the withdrawal from the Land of Rain wouldn't have happened so quickly…"

Shirou spoke bluntly about the current situation. Konoha didn't want to provoke conflict, but at the same time, it was reluctant to give up the resources of the Land of Rain.

On the surface, many shinobi had been recalled, but in reality, key areas were still under Konoha's control.

Plundering resources. That's what the ninja world had always been about.

Jiraiya sighed deeply. That's the nature of war. He intended to stay behind to gather intelligence on the Land of Rain.

Shirou glanced at Jiraiya without showing any emotion. In the original story, Jiraiya stayed in the Rain Village for three years out of so-called compassion.

At that time, Jiraiya hadn't even discovered Nagato's Rinnegan and the ninja world's political situation wasn't particularly favorable.

So Jiraiya's decision to stay also carried hidden motives from Konoha.

One was to gather intelligence on the Land of Rain, and the other was to oversee Konoha's operations there.

After all, compared to Tsunade, who was from the Senju clan, and Orochimaru, who had his eccentric pursuits, Jiraiya's personality made him the most reliable choice.

As Shirou and Jiraiya continued their exchange, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were chatting and laughing by the lake.