The Third Hokage: First Move Send Danzō to Prison

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, soon received news from the Hyuga Clan.

Overnight, all of the Hyuga Clan's Main House elders had "passed away" from sudden illness.

When the ANBU delivered this report, Hiruzen was sitting in his office. A thin trail of smoke curled from his pipe, his brows knit together in a complex expression.

"All died of illness? Hiashi truly does carry the Will of Fire," Hiruzen murmured, repeating the report to himself.

In the end, Hiashi Hyuga was not like Fugaku Uchiha.

"Yes, Lord Hokage," the ANBU said, kneeling respectfully. "The Hyuga Clan claims it was a sudden outbreak of illness, but our investigation suggests otherwise. Last night, we detected a surge of powerful chakra within the Hyuga compound."

Hiruzen was silent for a long moment before waving his hand.

"This is an internal matter for the Hyuga Clan. ANBU does not need to intervene."

"Understood." The ANBU agent bowed and vanished.

Not long after, Hiashi Hyuga arrived at the Hokage's office. His left arm was wrapped tightly in thick plaster bandages. He looked pale and exhausted.

"Lord Hokage," Hiashi said, voice low but firm, "as of today, the Hyuga Clan will no longer distinguish between Main and Branch Houses."

Hiruzen praised Hiashi's resolve, commending the Hyuga as the strongest clan in the village, a true pillar of Konoha. He even remarked that Hiashi himself had the makings of a Hokage.

Later that day, another message arrived from the administration office. The Hidden Sand Village had finally caved under pressure. They agreed to the reparations and even announced that Gaara and his siblings would be sent to Konoha to study the Will of Fire.

After losing their Kazekage and suffering heavy casualties in the "Collapse of the Sand" incident, the Hidden Sand's ability to wage war had been severely diminished. It turned out they were even weaker than expected.

They likely feared not only Konoha's retaliation, but also that old schemer Onoki might exploit their vulnerability. At this point, the Sand Village was practically in need of Konoha's protection.

They had even surrendered their own jinchuriki Kazekage's own son to Konoha, allowing him to be raised in the Will of Fire. At this rate, the Sand would become little more than Konoha's vassal.

For the Sand, this might not be a bad thing. Some people spend their whole lives trying to get into elite academies and never have the chance.

Meanwhile, the pressure from the sinister Akatsuki organization was now squarely on Konoha's shoulders.

…

In a foreign land.

No, to be more precise in a foreign world.

A massive naval warship surged through the waves, the "Justice" flag at its bow fluttering sharply in the wind.

On deck, navy personnel moved in perfect formation, going about their duties in eerie silence. No jokes. No banter. Not even small talk. From captain to sailor, everyone moved like machines.

Such quiet was unheard of on a long, grueling sea voyage.

Was it because of the looming threat of war? After all, this vessel was headed straight for territory controlled by the Whitebeard Pirates.

A lone rear admiral daring to challenge one of the Four Emperors? Madness.

Of course, the truth was far more complicated.

Every single person on board was under the control of a powerful Uchiha genjutsu.

The true master of this vessel was none other than Uchiha Itachi, Konoha's top undercover operative, elite among elites.

Standing at the bow, Itachi stared out across the endless ocean, the salty wind brushing past his face. The entire situation still felt surreal, as if he himself were caught in a genjutsu.

He recalled the moment he departed.

It had all begun in the Hokage's office. The Third Hokage had asked simply, "Itachi, if you're ready, the mission begins now. We're counting on you."

"Ninjutsu: Portal Technique!"

With a forceful shout, Hiruzen had summoned a spiraling vortex into existence. The spinning energy grew wider, gradually forming a clear image within: a coastal city with towering buildings, a bustling port, and the scent of sea air on the breeze. The streets teemed with people of all shapes and sizes. It was clearly a whole new world.

"The portal won't land you precisely. It only gives an approximate location. Step through, and you'll arrive on the other side."

Despite the torrent of thoughts running through his mind, Itachi did not hesitate. He stepped through the portal and entered this unfamiliar world.

After some discreet investigation, he learned this place was a naval base town, still some distance from Whitebeard's territory.

Mission Objective One: Alter the Whitebeard Pirates' decision to rescue Ace.

To accomplish this, Itachi would need to confront Whitebeard directly and attempt to persuade him to abandon the rescue. If that failed, he would proceed with Objective Two.

But in this sea-dominated world, without a proper ship, even the strongest shinobi would be stranded.

So the navy became his first target.

At first, Itachi planned to control only the rear admiral. But he quickly discovered that this world's naval structure was extremely disciplined. Any deviation from protocol would be reported instantly. In the end, to avoid unnecessary complications, Itachi placed the entire crew under genjutsu.

He also took the opportunity to test the strength of this world's elite. Rear admiral-level fighters were not particularly difficult to handle.

Ordinary people had about the same resistance to genjutsu as civilians back home. However, the strongest individuals in this world possessed extremely high resistance. Still, with the Mangekyo Sharingan, he could push his luck.

He decided to try Kotoamatsukami on Whitebeard. If it worked, the mission would be complete.

"If it fails, I'll move on to Objective Two," Itachi thought to himself, gaze calm and steady as he looked to the horizon.

At that moment, the navy rear admiral under his genjutsu approached.

With vacant eyes, he bowed respectfully. "Commander Itachi, we're nearing the area controlled by the Whitebeard Pirates. Proceeding further may provoke engagement."

Itachi gave a slight nod. "Lower a small boat. I'll go alone. The ship is to return to port."

"Yes, Commander Itachi." The officer obeyed without hesitation. After a pause, he added, "Good luck with your mission."

Itachi did not respond. He simply gave a small nod.

A small lifeboat was lowered into the sea.

Itachi landed lightly aboard, forming a single hand seal. Chakra infused the vessel, propelling it forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, cutting cleanly across the ocean surface toward Whitebeard's territory.

The warship turned about and began its retreat. On deck, the navy sailors remained as lifeless as puppets.

Until they reached the harbor.

One by one, the navy men disembarked, each silently returning to their assigned stations.

And the moment they stepped onto dry land, the genjutsu lifted.

It was like waking from a nightmare to the sound of an alarm clock.

Their eyes cleared at once. Chaos erupted in the base as shouts and questions rang out.

"What the hell? How did I get back here?"

"Weren't we out at sea? Why are we back at base?!"

"What's going on?!"

The officers were livid, their roars echoing through the compound.

"Contact Navy Headquarters immediately! There's a dangerous individual on the loose he can control people's minds!"

"Uchiha Itachi! He's heading for the Whitebeard Pirates!"