The next day, at the Home of Shōgetsu Uchiha.
Because he couldn't be certain whether he was being watched, Veigar had chosen to deliver a formal visit request to Shōgetsu, who was currently on leave.
Despite the Uchiha compound rarely admitting outsiders, Veigar was granted unimpeded access and soon arrived at Shōgetsu's residence.
After a brief word of thanks, he accepted the tea Shōgetsu offered him with both hands and took a sip.
Shōgetsu was the first to speak.
"Veigar, what brings you here?"
Veigar looked him straight in the eye, calm and unreadable. Only after a few seconds did he speak, his tone low and steady:
"Shōgetsu, I've been ordered to take your Sharingan."
Suddenly, a shock rippled through Shōgetsu's mind. In a flash, his eyes snapped open, blood-red with three black tomoe spinning in each iris, locking fiercely onto Veigar. A wave of killing intent surged from him, engulfing the entire house.
"Who gave the order?"
But the malice wasn't directed at Veigar, it was cast outward, blanketing the area, probing for threats.
At the same time, Shōgetsu pieced it together. Veigar clearly wasn't here to ambush him for his dōjutsu. If that had been the plan, there would've been no knock on the door.
"You're too impulsive, Shōgetsu," Veigar said, taking another sip of tea. "This isn't something we can handle on our own."
He paused, then asked,
"Tomou, the clan head, is he home?"
Assassinating Shōgetsu was never Veigar's intention. Even if he were to attempt it, he wouldn't have done so under Danzo's orders. That would've handed the Root leader the ultimate leverage over him, attempted murder of a fellow Leaf ninja.
Instead, Veigar had chosen a different route: leverage power against power.
While he no longer feared Danzo as he once had, Veigar knew better than to underestimate him. A head-on confrontation would only end in his own loss.
Yes, he could've gone to Hiruzen, the Third Hokage. But Veigar was well aware that, for now, he lacked the influence to make his voice matter.
That's why he needed someone whose words did carry weight, someone who could speak directly to the Hokage. Veigar would play the role of witness and instigator. No longer bound by the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, he could finally speak freely.
This time, Danzo would have no place to hide.
"You mean…" Shōgetsu's eyes widened slightly as he caught on to Veigar's thinking.
After a moment of reflection, he nodded.
"I'll speak with the clan head. But…"
Knowing someone had dared to order Veigar to come for his life, Shōgetsu's anger was palpable. Still, in the face of Veigar's honesty, he forced himself to remain calm.
"It was Danzo Shimura."
Veigar's voice was resolute.
"Bring Tomou here. Right now, only he has enough weight to act."
"…Understood," Shōgetsu said with a curt nod.
Thirty minutes later.
Still within Shōgetsu's home.
Tomou Uchiha, older even than both Hiruzen and Danzo, arrived with Shōgetsu in tow. Upon hearing his clan member's request, he had agreed to come without hesitation.
Outside the house, ten Uchiha elites stood guard, each one a fully-fledged jōnin with three-tomoe Sharingan active, silently encircling the residence.
"Clan Head Tomou, it's an honor to meet you," Veigar greeted respectfully.
Given Tomou's seniority, standing, and influence, such formality was not just warranted but expected.
Though no longer in his prime, Tomou's insight had only sharpened with age. The faint age spots on his face did little to diminish his presence as he sat across from Veigar, his expression unreadable.
"So, you're the Veigar Shōgetsu spoke of," he said at last.
"One of Minato's disciples."
Even though they hadn't met before, Tomou had investigated him. As the student of Minato, and by extension, the legendary Sannin Jiraiya, Veigar was no minor figure. That alone made many wary.
"That's correct," Veigar confirmed.
"Now, what's your decision?"
Since Tomou had come in person, he clearly already knew the situation from Shōgetsu.
Tomou nodded.
"Then allow me to thank you on Shōgetsu's behalf."
"But how do you intend to prove what you say?"
Veigar had anticipated this. If he wanted Tomou to confront Danzo, he needed more than allegations, he needed irrefutable evidence.
"I'm still a Root operative. Codename: Seventeen."
Tomou's eyes narrowed.
"…Root?"
"So that's how it is," he muttered.
Everyone in Konoha's inner circles knew about Root. And yet, no one truly knew about Root. It was the most secretive of all Konoha's organizations, and the clans had always kept their distance, yet could never truly avoid its reach.
Root members rarely leaked intel. That's what the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal was for, rendering them mute on all internal matters.
But Veigar was one of only two who'd been exempted.
The other was Danzo himself.
"Do you have proof?"
Tomou believed him, but belief wasn't enough. He needed the kind of evidence that could deal a deathblow to Danzo's grip on the village.
Veigar smiled faintly.
"Isn't my existence enough?"
Tomou nearly laughed, thinking Veigar was joking. But before he could speak, Veigar recited:
"No past. No future. No feelings. Only missions. The unseen roots that support the mighty tree of Konoha from the shadows below."
Tomou's face shifted, astonishment flashing through his eyes.
"So it's true," he said.
"You really were one of them."
Having confirmed Veigar's identity, he pressed on:
"Then what is your true goal?"
Veigar didn't deny he had one. But instead of answering directly, he nodded lightly.
"That's not what matters."
"What matters is… the Uchiha are not in a good position right now.
…Are we?"
The moment those words fell, Tomou's expression changed.
A crushing wave of pressure exploded from him, bearing down on Veigar like a landslide.
And yet, Veigar remained utterly calm, unmoved.
Looking into those composed eyes, Tomou narrowed his blood-red gaze.
"…Who are you, really?"
It wasn't just Veigar the man he was asking about.
It was the question behind him—
Whose will did he carry?
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