The atmosphere in the Hokage's office was heavy.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's revelation about the mysterious shinobi only added to the confusion that had already consumed the Village after Danzo's sudden death. No one could confirm whether the two events were connected, and the investigation would now intensify on all fronts. Beneath the calm exterior of Konoha, currents of tension had already begun to surge.
In light of these larger crises, Rin Nohara's kidnapping by the Hidden Mist seemed suddenly minor. Kakashi leaving the Village quietly went nearly unnoticed.
Meanwhile, for Ryūjin Uchiha, life had returned to its preferred rhythm. After eliminating Danzo, his personal affairs were secure. By using his Sharingan to control all Root members who knew of him, he ensured that no information about himself leaked out.
The Village searched high and low, but nothing concerning Uchiha Ryūjin surfaced.
Other details, however, did come to light quickly under Konoha's investigation. Danzo's collusion with Orochimaru was exposed, including the existence of Orochimaru's secret laboratory. The higher-ups were shocked, but they were even more thrown off by the fact that Orochimaru had disappeared at the exact same time as Danzo.
Root operatives later confirmed that Danzo had secretly been plotting something with Orochimaru. Yet, thanks to Ryūjin's Sharingan control, no specifics about the plan, particularly those targeting him, were ever revealed.
This clarity came with its own confusion. On one hand, the disappearance of both Danzo and Orochimaru traced back to their secret plot, making sense of events that had previously been completely mysterious. It seemed highly probable that Orochimaru had killed Danzo before vanishing. On the other hand, questions remained: what exactly had they been plotting?
Suspicion regarding the hidden mysterious shinobi—Ryūjin himself—dropped to nearly zero.
"Good. No one suspects me of this mess," Ryūjin thought, observing the investigation through his Telescope Technique. When the focus shifted entirely to tracking Orochimaru, he finally allowed himself to relax.
Orochimaru's fate remained unknown.
With the Village distracted, Ryūjin resumed his patrols, blending into the chaos as if nothing had happened. Discussions about Danzo were rampant; a matter of that scale could not be hidden. However, Orochimaru's disappearance remained a secret for now. To reveal it would have thrown the entire Village into turmoil. After all, Orochimaru's influence and history in Konoha were too significant to ignore—he was one of the legendary Sannin.
"It's truly a time of trouble," Ryūjin murmured, though no one around him suspected he was the mastermind behind the events. He continued his patrols, moving with casual ease.
Two hours later, he returned to the Leaf Village Police Force for a brief rest, switching shifts with a fellow officer.
"Impossible… it has to be fake, right? That guy Kakashi actually awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"This is absurd! He isn't even an Uchiha. How could he evolve his Sharingan?"
"Only Shisui from the Uchiha clan has awakened the Mangekyo!"
"Who spread this rumor? It's ridiculous!"
The headquarters buzzed with chaos as Ryūjin walked in. Some officers were shocked, some angry, some incredulous.
"Has that guy Kakashi awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan?" whispers spread quickly.
Ryūjin allowed himself a slight smirk. He wasn't surprised. After all, he already knew the truth.
Rin Nohara had been captured by the Hidden Mist, who sealed the Three-Tails within her before returning her to the Village. To prevent the beast from wreaking havoc, Rin deliberately died by Kakashi's hand. Obito, witnessing this tragedy, was driven to awaken his Mangekyo Sharingan, which in turn triggered Kakashi's awakening as well.
Ryūjin observed all this silently, sighing softly in his mind. It was tragic, but it was not his concern.
Life went on. Ryūjin continued to work, live, and sign in at the Police Force every day, carefree and comfortable.
A year passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Ryūjin's training intensified. His chakra level reached that of a Jonin. His mastery over the Rinnegan and ocular techniques such as Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi improved dramatically. His strength was unmatched in the ninja world.
The Sign-in System rewards had been generous. Ryūjin had finally acquired the techniques he had longed for: [Kamui] and [Kotoamatsukami]. In addition, he gained mastery over five elemental chakra natures and became proficient in essentially every Leaf Village jutsu, sealing technique, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Compared to a year ago, his abilities had undergone a qualitative leap.
Major events also unfolded in the Village.
The Third Hokage retired, and Minato Namikaze was elected as the Fourth Hokage without competition, thanks to Orochimaru's strange disappearance.
Danzo's former position as Root leader was filled by Homura Mitokado, a figure nearly identical to Danzo in qualifications, experience, and ideology. Homura, alongside Koharu Utatane, effectively continued Danzo's policies within Root.
Meanwhile, a new peace-focused organization called Akatsuki had risen in the Hidden Rain Village. Their goal was to mediate between warring nations, seeking to end conflict and maintain peace.
Other skirmishes, such as those between the Leaf Village and the Hidden Mist, paled in comparison to these events. Danzo's death and Orochimaru's disappearance remained unresolved, yet the Village moved on, leaving Ryūjin completely unbothered.
No trouble reached his door.