When Did You Get the Delusion That You Weren't Under a Hallucination?

Seven days later, Land of Hot Water.

Uchiha Sora summoned several clansmen with three-tomoe Sharingan to take over the protection of the Land of Hot Water's daimyo, serving simultaneously as monitors.

The controlled daimyo of the Land of Hot Water signed a series of treaties to pay tribute to the Land of Whirlpools, and the first shipment of supplies was already on its way.

With everything completed, the next stop for the two was the Land of Iron.

On the border of the Land of Hot Water.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two kunai shot through the air, aimed directly at the faces of Uchiha Sora and Shisui.

After dodging with a sidestep, they saw a squad of ninja ahead.

The leader wore a hood, his left eye covered by a black patch, his expression stern and resolute.

Kumogakure headbands...

With a quick thought, Shisui recalled who it was and whispered a reminder: "It's Dodai from Kumogakure!"

A close aide to two generations of Raikage, a ninja possessing the Lava Release bloodline limit, his status was roughly equivalent to a department head in Konoha.

Why would someone like him be here...

Ah, the Land of Hot Water was adjacent to the Land of Lightning, and Uchiha Sora hadn't exactly been infiltrating in secret this time; it would have been strange if they hadn't been discovered.

Step.

Dodai stepped forward, his voice solemn: "Konoha ninja, your hands are reaching too far!"

There was a tacit understanding between the great nations.

The territories of the five great nations did not border each other; they deliberately preserved smaller nations to serve as strategic buffer zones.

The Land of Rain and the Land of Grass were similar to the Land of Hot Water. The reason the great nations did not annex these lands was precisely to have a place to let loose when they needed to fight.

Uchiha Sora tilted his head and smiled: "We aren't wearing Konoha headbands, Mr. Dodai. You are being a bit presumptuous."

Dodai let out a cold snort: "If I told you the Yotsuki Clan wasn't part of Kumogakure, would you believe me?"

The Yotsuki Clan was a vital family within Kumogakure, with a status roughly equivalent to, or perhaps even higher than, the Hyuga Clan of Konoha.

"Enough talk. Withdraw from the Land of Hot Water, or it will be considered a declaration of war by Konoha against Kumogakure!"

Uchiha Sora's smile faded, and he slowly shook his head: "Did you leave your brain at home? Konoha and Kumogakure haven't signed a peace treaty yet."

"And... as I said, we are not Konoha ninja."

Swish!!

A flash of blade light appeared; Uchiha Sora struck first!

Dodai dodged the incoming short blade, but upon turning back, he was met with a massive fireball.

Lava Release: Rubber Wall!

Dodai spat a mass of rubbery substance from his mouth, forming a protective membrane.

BOOM!!

The Great Fireball slammed into the membrane and exploded violently!

A hole was blown into the membrane, and Uchiha Sora used the Body Flicker Technique to close the distance, pulling a kunai from his pouch to stab directly at Dodai's face.

The kunai pierced the head, but Dodai dissolved like liquid.

Lava Release: Clone Technique.

Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!

A hand burst from the ground, grabbed Uchiha Sora's ankle, and dragged him into the soil, leaving only his head exposed.

"Too impatient, brat."

Dodai remained expressionless, stabbing down with a dagger.

"The one who is impatient is you. Facing an Uchiha, you actually dared to look me in the eye."

A crimson flash appeared as the three-tomoe Sharingan manifested.

Dodai's movements faltered, and he hurriedly mobilized the chakra within his body...

Wait!

The secret technique sealed in my left eye was specifically meant to counter genjutsu, so I shouldn't be afraid of eye contact with an Uchiha. I haven't fallen for a genjutsu!

It was precisely because of this hesitation that Uchiha Sora burst from the ground, his hand clawing toward Dodai's eye patch.

!!!

Rip--

At the critical moment, relying on his wealth of combat experience, Dodai barely managed to dodge, though a bit of flesh at the corner of his eye was torn by Sora's fingertips.

Retreating several steps in a hurry, Dodai roared, "Bastard! You lied to me!"

"Ah, language can also be considered a form of genjutsu. It achieved the goal, didn't it?"

Uchiha Sora wiped the blood from his fingertips and said indifferently, "Let's end the pleasantries here."

"Due to some lingering historical issues, our clan has defected from Konoha."

"The Land of Hot Water choosing to hire us as guards is a reasonable and legal act. You people are overstepping your bounds."

Dodai's pupils constricted violently.

Compared to the news from Uchiha Sora's mouth, the matter of the Land of Hot Water became insignificant.

The Uchiha... had defected from Konoha!

People in the ninja world held a stereotype about the Uchiha: this was an extremely arrogant clan that generally did not lie.

Especially regarding a matter involving the reputation of the entire clan!

He did not know Uchiha Sora, but he recognized Shisui standing to the side.

Even Shisui did not refute it...

"Now that you have entered the territory of the Land of Hot Water, according to the authority granted to me by the Daimyo, I have the right to expel you."

Uchiha Sora stepped forward, with Shisui following closely behind.

Seeing that a battle was about to break out again...

"Wait!"

Dodai raised his hand and said urgently, "Is what you said true?!"

He thought of many things in an instant.

Most of the Cloud Ninjas were brutes, but Dodai was a strategist.

"How could the Fourth Hokage possibly allow the Uchiha to defect from Konoha!"

Dodai had heard the Raikage praise that man more than once; whether it was his strength or his character, he was nearly perfect.

With such a Hokage, how could the Uchiha defect?

Had something happened to the Fourth Hokage? Or was Konoha playing some grand scheme?

Pretending to let the Uchiha defect to annex small nations and prepare for the expansion of the Land of Fire?

"That is something I cannot tell you. You will have to find the answer yourselves."

Swish—

Uchiha Sora drew Shisui's short blade and slowly stepped forward.

Dodai retreated a few steps and said in a deep voice, "Fine, we will withdraw from the Land of Hot Water. My apologies."

He was now in a hurry to report this situation to the Raikage and investigate the truth of the matter; he did not want to fight the two of them.

He had just signaled for a retreat when he heard Uchiha Sora speak.

"Hey, if I just let you leave because you said sorry, I wouldn't be living up to the high commission the Daimyo paid us."

"Did you think I was talking so much nonsense for no reason..."

Dodai felt a sense of foreboding, but it was already too late.

He saw flames erupt from Uchiha Sora's five fingers as he slammed them onto the ground.

The accumulated chakra vented wildly, drawing upon the hellfire of the earth.

Whoosh!!!

Four walls of fire rose up, enclosing the group of Cloud Ninjas within.

Uchiha Flame Formation!!

"Move!"

Swish, swish, swish!!

Shisui launched over a dozen kunai, which accurately struck the vital points of the Cloud Ninjas. They only had time to let out a miserable cry before losing their lives.

One after another, Shisui clones branched out, causing a heart-wrenching sensation.

At the same time, Uchiha Sora charged at Dodai with the blade, his killing intent soaring!

Dodai raised his arm to block and roared, "Bastard! We were already going to withdraw, yet you still dare to attack us!"

"Are you a madman?!"

"To dare to kill my subordinates... unforgivable!!"

Seeing from the corner of his eye that Shisui was like a wolf among sheep, wantonly reaping the lives of the Cloud Ninjas, Dodai's eyes were filled with rage.

"Don't be ridiculous, old man."

Uchiha Sora's eyes flared with crimson light, and he said coldly, "If we were ordinary ninja, the kunai you just fired would have killed us."

"I am merely returning your killing intent; is that so hard to accept?"

Dodai was taken aback, locking eyes with Uchiha Sora in a fierce glare: "You have really... pissed me off!"

Uchiha Sora smiled indifferently: "You've locked eyes with me again."

"Do you really think the same trick will work twice!"

I won't fall for a genjutsu. The power residing in my left eye is enough to counter the Sharingan!!

Dodai let out an angry roar, preparing to force Uchiha Sora back...

His arm did not exert force as he had imagined.

Swish—

The blade, burning with bright red flames, severed his arm while simultaneously cauterizing the wound to a charred black.

"When did you..."

"Get the illusion that you hadn't fallen for a genjutsu?"