Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had gone by, and June arrived.
June 1st marked Uchiha Mikoto's birthday.
Born in Year 23, she was now thirty-two. Her closest friend, Uzumaki Kushina, was four years younger—twenty-eight this year.
There was no grand celebration, no public feast. Mikoto preferred warmth to spectacle. Only family and a few close friends were invited to share a relaxed afternoon gathering.
After a sumptuous lunch, the courtyard filled with laughter and idle chatter. Adults sipped tea and sake; children darted through the garden, their laughter echoing between the flowered hedges.
In the back garden, Mikoto walked hand in hand with Kushina and Anna Uzumaki, admiring the blossoms as they spoke quietly among themselves.
As always when three women gathered, the topic inevitably turned toward beauty, complexion, grace, and the secrets of maintaining both.
"Mikoto, your skin is incredible," Anna said, leaning in with mock seriousness. "Tell us your secret—what kind of beauty jutsu are you hiding?"
Kushina grinned. "You're four years older than me, but your complexion looks younger than mine! That's not fair."
Mikoto laughed softly, her eyes curving into crescents. "There's no secret. I just take care of myself normally, nothing special."
"Really?" Kushina pressed, teasingly suspicious. "You're not lying to your best friends, are you?"
"Of course not. If you don't believe me, you can look at my dressing table yourself."
"Maybe you're just naturally beautiful," Kushina said with a good-natured sigh.
Anna suddenly clapped her hands. "I know why!"
Kushina blinked. "Why the drama? What do you know?"
Anna pointed dramatically at Mikoto. "The difference between her and us… is that she has the Head of the Konoha Police Force to take care of her."
Mikoto's cheeks instantly flushed. "Anna!" she hissed, half glaring, half embarrassed.
Anna only giggled. "It's true! With Gen's… 'care,' no wonder Mikoto looks even more radiant now than in her twenties!"
Kushina nearly choked on her laughter. That's a little too blunt, she thought, though she couldn't help smirking.
"Gen must be something," Anna continued mercilessly. "Powerful, young, and apparently tireless—he has Mikoto glowing. And so many admirers besides her…"
"Are you jealous, Anna?" Kushina teased. "If Mikoto doesn't mind, maybe you can try your luck."
Mikoto laughed behind her hand. "I don't mind."
Anna rolled her eyes. "I doubt he'd even notice me. But if it were you, Kushina—the legendary beauty of the Uzumaki—he'd be very interested."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Kushina protested, blushing, and lunged to tickle both of them. Their laughter soon spilled through the garden, bright and carefree.
When they finally caught their breath, Anna spoke again, more softly this time. "Kushina, have you ever thought about… finding someone new? Raising Naruto alone must be hard. It might be nice to have someone beside you again."
Her words were carefully chosen, deliberate. Anna had long noticed Uchiha Gen's occasional glances toward Kushina, subtle but telling. She understood the look. It wasn't lust alone; there was admiration, even tenderness.
If she could gently guide Kushina toward him, perhaps it would bring both of them peace and, in her heart, Anna considered that a way of repaying them both.
Kushina, however, only smiled faintly. "I don't think so. I'm fine like this. Who would even dare approach me? I'm still the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—and so is Naruto. Men don't exactly line up to court a family like ours."
Hearing that, Anna knew not to push further. Patience would serve better than persuasion.
Mikoto quietly changed the subject, and soon the three were laughing again, the conversation flowing easily to lighter things. But a subtle understanding passed between Mikoto and Anna—one that didn't need to be spoken aloud.
Elsewhere, unaware of their talk, Uchiha Gen was reading a letter from his operatives—Suikazan Fuguki, Hoshigaki Kisame, and Biwa Jūzō.
Each had mastered part of the Second Hokage's Water Release techniques, and together, their strength now rivaled the most formidable of Kage-level shinobi.
It was time.
Gen burned the letter to ash with a flick of Fire Release chakra, then returned to the tea room, calmly chatting with his father-in-law, Uchiha Setsuna, over a pot of green tea.
He would not move tonight—it was Mikoto's birthday. He intended to celebrate it properly.
But tomorrow… tomorrow, Danzō would die.
The following evening, Uchiha Gen vanished from his study in a ripple of space-time.
When the distortion cleared, he was standing in the opulent corridors of the Land of Fire Daimyō's mansion.
He was going to use an old method, because old methods worked.
His plan was simple: subtly manipulate the Daimyō into sending a confidential letter to Danzō Shimura, luring him out of Konoha with the promise of power.
The letter would hint that the Daimyō intended to support Danzō as the Fifth Hokage—but only if Danzō came to the capital in person to discuss terms.
Temptation wrapped in legitimacy.
And Danzō's hunger for that title was a wound that never healed.
Slipping through the palace was child's play. The Twelve Guardian Ninja, the elite guards of the Daimyō, were competent but to Uchiha Gen, they were shadows moving in slow motion. A flicker of Sharingan, a whisper of genjutsu, and none of them even realized he'd passed.
He entered the Daimyō's chamber, caught the man's gaze, and within seconds, the noble fell into a quiet, obedient trance.
The next morning, still under Gen's illusion, the Daimyō summoned his most trusted confidant. "Deliver this to Danzō Shimura," he commanded. "No one else must know."
The messenger bowed low and departed immediately.
He was a jōnin, swift and cautious, reaching Konoha in under two hours.
He disguised himself as a wandering merchant, moving through the gates without suspicion. Only at dusk did he approach the walled compound of Danzō Shimura.
Unfortunately, Root security was tight—paranoid, even. Within moments, masked Root agents surrounded him. The messenger barely avoided being killed on sight, revealing his identity at the last second.
Soon after, Danzō himself arrived, expression stern but intrigued. He dismissed his subordinates and ushered the messenger inside, offering tea as an apology.
The letter was handed over.
Danzō read it once. His hand trembled.
A support from the Daimyō, and an endorsement from the throne itself.
The Fifth Hokage position was finally within reach.
A slow smile crept across his lips.
Still, a faint wariness stirred in him. Why now? he wondered. The Daimyō never favored me before.
But greed is the most persuasive genjutsu of all.
By the time he sealed the letter, he had already decided.
Two days later, before dawn, Danzō departed the village in secret with three elite Root operatives.
No one knew of his absence—not even Hiruzen.
They traveled off-road, cutting through the wilderness, sleeping little, avoiding every settlement. Danzō trusted no one and told no one.
But Uchiha Gen was already watching.
His newly enhanced Conscience Envoys, modified from White Zetsu tissue and infused with natural energy—tracked Danzō's every step. They were faster, stealthier, and far more intelligent than before. Even the most paranoid Root sensor could not detect them.
By the second night, Danzō's group reached Gourd Valley; a vast, mist-shrouded ravine deep in the forests of the Fire Country.
As soon as they dropped into the valley, the trap was sprung.
A shimmering white barrier rose like liquid glass, sealing off the entire gorge.
Danzō's eyes narrowed. The Root formation shifted instantly, his men moving to guard every angle.
"North," one of the sensors reported.
All four turned.
Three figures emerged slowly from the pond at the center of the valley, water streaming down their armor.
They wore the masks and insignia of Kirigakure ANBU but Danzō recognized them at once.
Suikazan Fuguki, Hoshigaki Kisame and Biwa Jūzō.
The sensor's voice was clipped and mechanical as he recited their profiles.
"All three are confirmed to be genuine bodies.
Left: Suikazan Fuguki, ANBU Captain of the Hidden Mist, wielder of Samehada.
Center: Biwa Jūzō, S-rank rogue ninja, former Seven Swordsman of the Mist.
Right: Hoshigaki Kisame, S-rank rogue ninja, also one of the Seven Swordsmen—stole Samehada.
Estimated chakra levels: immense. Nature affinities: Water, Earth, Wind."
Danzō frowned.
Hidden Mist ANBU… and two S-rank rogues working together?
What kind of operation is this?
His hand slipped toward the bandaged arm beneath his cloak—the one that hid his greatest secret.
High above the valley, unseen in the shadows, Uchiha Gen watched silently, eyes glowing crimson.
The trap had closed.
And tonight, one of Konoha's darkest ambitions would end beneath the water's edge.