In another courtyard within the Land of Whirlpools marketplace—much larger than Fugaku’s temporary residence—stood the provisional headquarters of Kirigakure’s ninja clan alliance.
As Fugaku stepped into the courtyard, led by two Mist ninja, the first thing he noticed was the young man standing beneath the eaves.
Hōzuki Mangetsu.
He looked more mature than his age.
Dressed in a dark blue Kirigakure uniform with a light gray haori draped over it, the most eye-catching detail was the pair of blades crossed on his back.
Or rather—
A single weapon.
The twin blades of Hiramekarei.
Just like in the manga—though calling it a “blade” was generous.
It looked more like a massive slab, something closer to a shield capable of cutting.
In a drawing, any weapon looked fine.
But in reality, carrying something that resembled a door panel on your back…
Well, it was a bit ridiculous.
Then again—
If that “ridiculous slab” could absorb chakra and release it in a single devastating strike—powerful enough to smash even a first-stage Susanoo—
Then maybe looking a little ridiculous didn’t matter.
In a few years, he’ll die from illness… and Chōjūrō will take his place.
The thought flickered through Fugaku’s mind before he quickly refocused on Mangetsu himself.
Compared to his younger brother Suigetsu—who was eccentric, unhinged, and borderline insane—the Mangetsu before him appeared calm, composed, and reliable.
The kind of person who, just by standing there, exuded authority.
A natural leader.
With a brother like that, Suigetsu really shouldn’t have turned out so… unhinged.
Perhaps it was precisely because Mangetsu died early.
The Hōzuki clan declined rapidly, and the young Suigetsu fell into Orochimaru’s hands—warped by experiments and manipulation into the person he would later become.
Such was the ninja world.
The rise and fall of a clan often depended on just one or two individuals.
“Clan Head Fugaku, please.”
Fugaku nodded and took his seat.
Mangetsu placed Hiramekarei beside him and sat down as well.
A low table separated them, already set with tea.
Around them sat representatives from the various Kirigakure clans, positioned along both sides of the room.
Their gazes converged on Fugaku—
Curiosity.
Scrutiny.
Caution.
Expectation.
A mixture of emotions filled the air.
“First,” Mangetsu said, lifting his teacup, “on behalf of the Kirigakure clan alliance, I welcome the Uchiha clan.”
“Clan Head Mei has conveyed your intentions to me.
I’ve also seen the letter exposing the Fourth Mizukage’s manipulation.
As for the enemy lurking in the shadows—everyone in the alliance shares a deep hatred for them.”
He paused slightly, his tone turning more serious.
“However, I trust you understand— even blood brothers must negotiate properly when interests are involved.”
“Once the Uchiha join Kirigakure, matters such as territory, positioning, and resource distribution… all of these will need to be discussed in detail.”
“I understand.”
Fugaku nodded, voice calm.
“No one willingly gives up their interests for nothing.”
“So when the Uchiha arrive in Kirigakure, we will not encroach upon the interests of the bloodline faction.
At the same time, I believe that in a place as vast as Kirigakure, there will be space for the Uchiha to exist.
As for where—that doesn’t matter to me.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone present.
“And besides…”
“I’ve always believed—rather than dividing a cake, it’s better to make the cake bigger.”
“When the time comes, we can cooperate for mutual benefit.
After all—we share a common enemy.”
“The faction led by the controlled Fourth Mizukage… that too is a rather large ‘cake,’ isn’t it?”
Silence fell for a brief moment.
Then—
Everyone remembered who this man was.
The one who had just annihilated a thousand elite Konoha ninja.
Captured Danzō alive.
And crushed the “Kotoamatsukami” eye in public.
With that level of strength—and that level of resolve—
His words carried weight.
And just like that—
What should have been the most difficult negotiation… ended in less than ten seconds.
After all—
Who wouldn’t want an ally who strengthened them without costing them anything?
“Then, the next matter.”
Mangetsu’s expression grew serious.
“Regarding the Fourth Mizukage being controlled—can you elaborate further?
Your letter mentioned ‘Sharingan control,’ but how exactly was it done?
Who is the enemy?
What is their goal?”
All eyes returned to Fugaku.
He took a sip of tea, organized his thoughts—blending knowledge from his previous life with the memories he had inherited—and began speaking, half-truth and half-fabrication.
“That man wears an orange spiral mask.”
“He claims to be Uchiha Madara.”
“Uchiha Madara?!”
“The one from the First Hokage’s era?!”
“That’s impossible—he died long ago!”
A name carried weight.
And Madara’s name still cast a long shadow over those who had lived through the end of the Warring States era and the First Shinobi War.
“He is definitely not Uchiha Madara.”
Fugaku’s calm voice cut through the commotion.
“I am familiar enough with our clan’s first leader after entering Konoha.
With his pride, even in death, he would never hide behind a mask.”
“But this man likely has some connection to him—perhaps he inherited something, or perhaps something else entirely.”
“His goal is the tailed beasts.”
“About six years ago, on the night the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki gave birth, he used the Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails and attempted to destroy Konoha.”
“He failed—stopped by the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.”
“And in Kirigakure—your Mizukage was controlled in the same way.”
“As for why he enforced the Bloody Mist policy… I am still investigating.
But it likely involves weakening Kirigakure and creating chaos.”
Silence filled the room.
Mangetsu tapped his knee unconsciously, brows furrowed.
After a long pause, he spoke:
“If… if we remove the control from the Mizukage… what will happen to him?”
“He won’t live long.”
Fugaku answered plainly.
“The technique used on him is extremely advanced—on par with the Kotoamatsukami I destroyed.
But unlike Kotoamatsukami, which has no side effects, this one is different.”
“As long as it remains in place, it maintains a kind of unstable equilibrium.”
“But once removed…”
“It’s like pulling out the main support beam of a house.”
“Both mind and body will collapse rapidly.”
This wasn’t a lie.
In the original story, once Obito’s control was broken, the Fourth Mizukage died soon after.
And in the inherited Uchiha records, there were indeed mentions of similar ancient ocular techniques.
The answer seemed to ease the tension in the room.
Fugaku noticed.
But that reaction was only natural.
The new power structure within Kirigakure had already stabilized.
No one wanted the old order restored—especially not at the cost of their own interests.
For Mangetsu—
The answer removed the need for hesitation.
“As a Mizukage, he failed.”
Mangetsu said slowly.
“His incompetence brought great harm to Kirigakure.”
He took a deep breath.
“Death… may be a form of release.”
With that, he stood and extended his hand.
“Then—welcome to Kirigakure.”
After seeing Fugaku off, Mangetsu returned to his seat, lifting his now-cold tea and sipping it slowly.
But the discussion did not end.
Accepting an outsider was never that simple.
“Clan Head Hōzuki… do you think the Uchiha can be trusted?”
Someone voiced the question lingering in everyone’s mind.
Agreements could be made.
But in a world of three great ninja wars—
How many agreements had already been broken?
Mangetsu set his cup down.
“Fugaku is a man of extreme self-control—and strong purpose.”
He swept his gaze across the room.
“He knows exactly what he wants.”
“And he knows how to get it.”
“Such a person understands his own path better than anyone.”
“There is no longer any room for reconciliation between him and Konoha.”
“To fully integrate into Kirigakure—using our strength to survive and grow—is his best… and only option.”
“So at this stage—he is trustworthy.”
“Because he needs us.”
“Just as we need him.”
“However, Clan Head Hōzuki…”
At that moment, one of the clan representatives—a middle-aged man—spoke in a low voice, his tone subtly suggestive.
“I heard… that in just a single day, he managed to win over our alliance leader, Clan Head Mei.
And when he faked his death, she almost went mad.
Earlier today, she even stayed at his residence for quite a while…”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
Mangetsu frowned, his gaze sharpening.
“Someone else’s private life—what does that have to do with you?”
“I mean…”
The man continued, unfazed.
“The Mangekyō Sharingan always comes in pairs.
I looked into it—those eyes belonged to the Uchiha prodigy, Uchiha Shisui.
And Shisui died two years ago.”
“The one that was crushed publicly is real—that can’t be faked.
But what about the other one?”
He paused, letting the implication hang.
“Do you think… he might have used it on Clan Head Mei?
And the one he later gave her… could it be—”
“Enough.”
Mangetsu cut him off coldly.
“Don’t spread baseless speculation.”
“If he truly used Kotoamatsukami to control Clan Head Mei, then why would he expose it?
He could have simply pretended ignorance and let Danzō keep quiet.”
“If he didn’t speak, and Danzō didn’t speak—who would know?”
“This kind of groundless suspicion does nothing except erode trust within the alliance.”
Mangetsu turned and walked toward the inner room.
“That’s enough.
Dismissed.
Prepare for negotiations with Konoha.”
Just how many secrets does this guy know…?
In a dark corner, Uchiha Obito narrowed his eyes, his expression gloomy.
“When a person walks across sand, they leave footprints.
When a bird flies through the sky, it leaves a sound…”
Compared to Obito’s concern, Black Zetsu remained calm.
“Plans, once executed, can never remain perfectly hidden.
Your battle in Konoha wasn’t exactly a secret.
It’s normal that he knows some things.”
“But how does he know that I’m controlling the Fourth Mizukage?”
Obito frowned.
“You Uchiha have all kinds of strange abilities.
Isn’t that normal?
Otherwise, why did you go so far as to help Uchiha Itachi massacre his clan?”
“…Fine.”
Obito reluctantly accepted the explanation.
As long as the core secrets weren’t exposed, everything else was manageable.
“Still, your plan seems to have failed.
It was shut down by Mangetsu before it even started.”
What he referred to was Black Zetsu secretly planting spores to control a minor clan leader, using him to spread those rumors.
“Don’t be impatient.”
Black Zetsu’s pitch-black face revealed nothing, but his eyes gleamed with confidence.
“Humans are… fascinating creatures.”
“They believe what they want to believe.”
“So—”
“Let this kunai of rumor fly for a while.”
Land of Fire, Konoha
Inside the Hokage Tower, in a small lounge behind the main office.
The room was simple—
a low table, several cushions, and a bookshelf lined with scrolls and documents.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane sat around the table.
On it lay a steaming pot of tea—
And a letter.
To the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi:
During the events in the Land of Whirlpools, thank you for your “care.”
Your village elder, Danzō, along with over a thousand elite ninja, are currently “guests” under my care.
They are all safe—though their movements are somewhat restricted.
If you wish to retrieve them, you may send an envoy to the East Coast marketplace of the Land of Whirlpools.
I await your reply.
—Fugaku
Silence filled the room.
Only the faint steam rising from the tea drifted upward before fading into nothing.
Hiruzen smoked his pipe, eyes half-closed.
His face looked older than ever—since receiving the battle report, he seemed to have aged another decade.
“I’ll go.”
After a long silence, Homura Mitokado finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
“If we continue fighting, we lose an elder, the leaders of the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, the entire Root division, and a thousand-man elite force.”
“That loss is too great—so great that even you, as Hokage, cannot bear it.”
He looked directly at Hiruzen.
“After all, this began as a conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha—not an external invasion.”
“And throughout all of this, Fugaku hasn’t killed a single Konoha ninja.
Instead, it was us who wiped out the Uchiha’s militant faction.”
“Clearly, it’s not that he couldn’t kill—but that he chose not to.
He planned this from the beginning, even guiding public opinion within the village.”
“As a result, we’ve already lost the narrative.”
“In fact, rumors have already begun spreading in the village—without a doubt leaked by Kirigakure spies.”
“If you step down now… Konoha may not even have a suitable successor for Hokage.”
“So—I’ll go negotiate.
I’ll take full responsibility.”
“You can go.”
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
“But that burden… you can’t carry it.”
“And the rumors in the village—’the Hokage protecting his own guards’—are spreading like wildfire.”
“Fugaku’s words were simple, but they cut deep.”
“Since when does the Hokage guard protect the Hokage?
It’s always been the other way around.”
“People can’t help but question it.”
“That’s nonsense!
Who could possibly force Lord Tobirama into such a choice?!”
Homura slammed the table, tea splashing from the cups.
“We never did such a thing—nor could we have!”
“Tobirama-sensei has been gone for over twenty years.”
Hiruzen’s voice was steady.
“How many people in the village still remember his character?
His principles?”
“So—I will bear the responsibility.
And I will step down.”
“Bring Tsunade back.”
“She is the most suitable candidate for the next Hokage.”
“But she has hemophobia…”
Koharu couldn’t help but say.
“The Hokage doesn’t need to fight on the front lines.”
Hiruzen shook his head.
“Whether she fears blood is irrelevant.”
“What matters is her lineage—she is the direct granddaughter of the First Hokage, of the Senju.”
“If she becomes Hokage, these rumors will collapse on their own.”
“And what about the Uchiha?”
After a long silence, Koharu sighed and asked quietly.
“Danzō has been captured.
The Kotoamatsukami eye is gone.
Konoha is now at a disadvantage.”
“Talking about suppressing the Uchiha now is a joke—unless we’re prepared to go to war with Kirigakure.”
“But we can’t.
Not now.”
“Our internal stability is already shaken.”
“But if we do nothing… in the future, we’ll face the Uchiha’s full retaliation.”
“What can we do?”
Hiruzen was silent for a long time.
“Whatever we couldn’t obtain on the battlefield… we won’t gain at the negotiation table either.”
Finally, he spoke.
“As for the Uchiha issue… we have no choice but to accept it.”
“However—”
“We still have Uchiha Sasuke.”
“As long as we hold this card, Konoha will one day have another Uchiha Clan.”
“After this is over…”
“I will personally teach him.”
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