NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 32: Danzo’s Plan
"Lord Madara? Are we going to start examining candidates now?" Black Zetsu asked, surprised after hearing Madara's order.
Black Zetsu, being 'half' of Madara, was already aware of the plan to observe the Uchihas and select a successor after Madara's eventual death due to old age.
"Yes, it's time to start this plan... Absolutely!" Madara replied.
"I just received some very interesting information from the Hidden Mist Village."
Black Zetsu, intrigued, asked, "Is it about Uchiha Yuma?"
"That's right!" Madara confirmed.
He began explaining the information he had obtained from the Hidden Mist Village.
"Now I understand," Black Zetsu said. "I'll send White Zetsu to keep an eye on Uchiha Yuma immediately!"
Uchiha Yuma seemed too extraordinary to be an ordinary Uchiha.
At only twelve years old, his strength was off the charts!
"How can this be? Does he have Indra's Chakra? Wasn't he supposed to be reincarnated by now? Where did this Uchiha Yuma even come from?" Black Zetsu thought.
"Very good. While we keep an eye on Uchiha Yuma, let's also look for other good candidates," Madara instructed.
"Understood, Lord Madara!" Black Zetsu responded before diving underground.
As Black Zetsu left, Madara turned to look at the Gedo Statue behind him. He said solemnly to himself, "It's all for peace."
Time passed quickly. Over a week had gone by since Yuma returned to Konoha. Despite being consumed with his training, he soon became aware of some big news.
The Sand Village had officially declared war on Konoha, using the excuse that Minato Namikaze had killed the Third Kazekage. Konoha lodged a protest, but it was to no avail. The war was inevitable.
After the last Ninja World War, the economy of many nations remained in recession, which meant fewer jobs for ninjas. This made the poorest Sand Village desperate for resources, and Konoha seemed like the perfect target for them to exploit.
For most Sand Ninjas, including those like the Scorpion, they truly believed that the Third Kazekage's death was Konoha's fault. War was on the horizon.
Meanwhile, in the Death Forest's training ground, Yuma loved the solitude. As always, he practiced diligently. A week passed, and his strength underwent a major transformation.
His chakra volume, after stabilizing, had grown significantly. Now, at twelve years old, his chakra level was around 100 calories—comparable to Naruto's chakra at the same age. The best part was, he didn't have to use chakra to suppress the Nine Tails like Naruto.
The Mangekyō Sharingan granted him even greater enhancements, increasing his insight, Genjutsu power, and motion capture abilities. These were far superior to a standard Sharingan.
But what really made him proud was his self-discovered technique for Susanoo. After a week of training, Yuma's Susanoo was unlike any other. Thanks to his Gold-level genius and Purple-level Uchiha bloodline, he could activate Susanoo without using the Mangekyō pattern. This meant no blindness would result from using it, and he could even control it at will.
Yuma had effectively unlocked the power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—without the need for the Mangekyō Sharingan itself!
He could now use Susanoo freely and without consequences. The combination of this and his mastery over Flying Thunder God meant his enemies would be left in despair, unable to outmaneuver him.
"All these upgrades... It's only a matter of time before I reach the 'shadow' level!" Yuma whispered to himself with pride.
His strength now clearly surpassed that of a Kage-level warrior, and at only twelve years old, he was becoming a formidable force. No longer afraid of the war that loomed, Yuma eagerly awaited the challenge. With his Flying Thunder God and Susanoo, he felt unstoppable.
He was confident that his strength would only continue to grow, feeding into his combat value, and with that, his power would multiply.
At the same time, in Konoha's Root base, Shimura Danzo was reviewing a detailed report on Uchiha Yuma. As he read through it, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Yuma, just a graduate of the Ninja Academy, had been an average student. Yet, within less than half a year, his Sharingan awakened, and his progress was alarming. Not only did his Sharingan evolve rapidly, but his ability to learn Ninjutsu also improved drastically.
Danzo shuddered at the thought. As a disciple of Tobirama-sensei, he understood the impact of the Sharingan on the mind, but this boy's progression was too fast.
His rapid development was unsettling—Yuma's mind had definitely undergone significant changes.
Yet, the report showed that Yuma's character remained unchanged. This, in Danzo's eyes, was the biggest anomaly.
"That cursed Uchiha brat... I will find his flaw!" Danzo muttered, pacing around his room.
Considering the current state of the ninja world, with the Sand Village declaring war on Konoha and the Hidden Mist Village's intentions unclear, Danzo began to formulate a plan.
He recalled the ongoing tension between the Uchiha and the Hidden Mist. "Yes, war is inevitable. I can arrange for this brat to be sent to a place related to the Hidden Mist, then have him assassinated. I'll make sure to blame Kirigakure for it."
With his plan in motion, Danzo wasted no time. He immediately headed to the Hokage Building to put his scheme into action.