Reactions from All Sides

The news that Uchiha Shaoyu had led more than a dozen Uchiha elites in defecting from Konoha and successfully joining Kumogakure hit the already turbulent ninja world like a bombshell, and the chain reaction it triggered swiftly spread in every direction.

Land of Fire, the front lines of the Konoha-Sunagakure battlefield.

The atmosphere inside the command tent was grave.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru had just finished a small skirmish and were now listening to intelligence urgently delivered by Konoha Anbu.

"Uchiha Shaoyu... accompanied by twelve Uchiha clansmen, including Uchiha Renhuo and Uchiha Tiehuo, attacked Elder Uchiha Setsuna, defected from the village, and has now been confirmed to have joined Kumogakure, where he was granted the position of elder by the Third Raikage..."

Having delivered the report, the Anbu quietly withdrew.

A brief, deathly silence fell over the tent.

"What?! Uchiha Shaoyu defected?! And he went to Kumogakure?!"

Jiraiya was the first to leap to his feet, his face filled with shock and disbelief. He and Shaoyu had been in the same class. Although he had never much liked the absurdly handsome Uchiha genius for being too popular with girls and stealing much of his spotlight, he also knew full well just how strong and talented the other man was.

"That brat... has he gone insane? He was doing just fine in Konoha. What's he running off to that den of barbarians in Kumogakure for?"

Beyond his shock, a complicated feeling rose in Jiraiya's heart.

After all, Shaoyu was a genius from the same village. His resolute defection was undoubtedly an enormous loss and blow to Konoha.

Tsunade slammed a fist onto the nearby table with a dull bang, her expression extremely grim.

"The Uchiha... they really are a restless bunch."

Her tone carried undisguised fury.

The old feud between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan had left her with little fondness for the Uchiha to begin with. While she was not hostile toward them like certain extremists, she had never felt close to them either.

In her eyes, Shaoyu's defection only confirmed the Uchiha's inherently treacherous nature.

"More than a dozen pairs of Sharingan... handed over to those Kumogakure bastards just like that."

As a medical ninja, she understood even more clearly how deadlocked the frontline war was and how much pressure Konoha faced.

Not long ago, after receiving the close-fitting necklace of Senju Hashirama that Tsunade had given him as a gift, her younger brother, Senju Nawaki, had become too excited and recklessly charged ahead on the battlefield. An Explosive Tag had blown his internal organs apart, and even she, a top-class medical ninja, had been powerless to save him.

She had already been troubled enough, yet now the village had sent her news like this.

At a time like this, with Konoha's backyard catching fire and a top-tier Kekkei Genkai defecting to an enemy nation, it was nothing short of making matters worse.

Compared to the two's fierce reactions, Orochimaru appeared far calmer.

His golden slit pupils flickered slightly. He extended his tongue to lick his lips, and an amused and... knowing smile appeared on his face.

"Heh heh heh... Uchiha Shaoyu... so he has finally come to this point."

Orochimaru's voice was hoarse and magnetic, carrying the cold detachment of one who saw through human nature.

"With that proud, impatient, ambitious temperament of his, how could he possibly endure the hypocritical suspicions and ever-present suppression of Konoha's higher-ups for long?"

"That place called Konoha may appear peaceful, but in truth, it is a cage for the Uchiha. It could never imprison an eagle that truly yearns for power and freedom."

He recalled the black-haired youth who had shone brilliantly even during their academy days, whose strength had been on par with his own and who had even surpassed him in some respects.

Back then, Shaoyu had possessed extraordinary talent, but he had also tended to be somewhat all brawn and no brains. He was easily provoked and acted impulsively.

But now, it seemed...

"After experiencing certain things, he appears to have matured quite a bit. Choosing Kumogakure... was a very wise judgment."

A probing glint flashed through Orochimaru's eyes. The process of defecting, shaking off his pursuers, successfully reaching Kumogakure, and obtaining such a high position... none of that could have been achieved through the power of a Three-Tomoe Sharingan alone.

After all, Orochimaru still did not know about Shaoyu's Mangekyō Sharingan.

The Uchiha genius he had once considered somewhat reckless seemed to have become more interesting.

Land of Wind, Sunagakure's frontline command headquarters.

The Third Kazekage looked over the encrypted intelligence sent back by a spy within Konoha. His resolute face, weathered by wind and sand, first registered astonishment. Then the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably, before finally turning into a low, hearty laugh.

"Hahahaha! Good! Excellent! The Uchiha Clan is in turmoil, and a genius has defected! He even brought a group of elites to Kumogakure. Konoha has suffered grievous losses this time—and been utterly humiliated!"

The Third Kazekage's eyes gleamed with schadenfreude.

Sunagakure had already been at a disadvantage in its war against Konoha and had suffered considerable losses.

Now that he heard their longtime rival's backyard was on fire, that one of its foremost Kekkei Genkai clans had split apart, and that its talent had flowed into an enemy nation, how could he not be delighted?

This would undoubtedly weaken Konoha's strength and morale, perhaps even affect the situation on the front lines.

"Spread this news immediately! Make sure the Konoha ninja at the front hear about it!"

The Third Kazekage issued the order to his subordinates.

"Also, strengthen reconnaissance. See whether the morale and troop movements of Konoha's frontline forces have been affected. Perhaps... our opportunity has arrived."

Land of Earth, Iwagakure.

The diminutive Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, who nevertheless radiated an air of deep calculation, floated in midair as he carefully read the intelligence scroll in his hand. His brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed as he let out an inscrutable snort.

"Uchiha Shaoyu... that brat who had already become famous during his academy days? He actually led more than a dozen Uchiha in defecting from Konoha and successfully joined Kumogakure?"

Ōnoki stroked his graying beard, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

"More than a dozen Three-Tomoe Sharingan... that is no small force. That Raikage brat from Kumogakure has truly stumbled upon a great bargain this time."

There was undisguised envy in his tone.

Although Iwagakure had numerous ninja and a unique ninjutsu system, it truly lacked a top-tier Kekkei Genkai inheritance as versatile and powerful as the Uchiha's Sharingan.

Gaining more than a dozen fully developed Uchiha at once would be an enormous boost for any ninja village.

"Konoha... has it finally begun to rot from within?"

Ōnoki looked into the distance, as though he could see the direction of Konoha.

"They cannot even keep the elites of one of their founding clans. It seems that monkey's way is nearing its end as well. For Iwagakure... this may not be a bad thing."

He was already considering how to exploit Konoha's internal strife and weakness to secure more benefits for Iwagakure in the future.

At the same time, he remained wary of Kumogakure's sudden increase in strength.

Land of Water, Kirigakure.

Deep within the village, which was shrouded year-round in dense blood mist, the light was dim and the air damp and oppressive.

The Third Mizukage sat alone in a vast, frigid hall, holding a brief report received through intelligence channels outside the village.

Yet there was not the slightest ripple on his pale, almost translucent face.

He slowly set down the report. Not even the faintest disturbance appeared in his deep eyes, only cold indifference, as though he had read nothing more than irrelevant information.

"Uchiha... Sharingan..."

He repeated the words softly, his voice echoing through the empty hall.

"Another group of arrogant, unruly people who rely on their bloodline talents and think themselves above everyone else."

There was no envy or wariness in his tone, only disgust and disdain that seemed rooted in his bones.

To the Third Mizukage, Kirigakure's past troubles had stemmed precisely from having too many powerful Kekkei Genkai clans. Relying on their innate gifts, those clans often banded together, made themselves too powerful to control, interfered in village affairs, and repeatedly challenged the Mizukage's authority, creating enormous dangers of division and instability for the village's unity.

One of the core purposes behind his ruthless implementation of the Bloody Mist policy, regardless of cost, was to purge, weaken, and even completely control those Kekkei Genkai clans—to gather all power into the Mizukage's hands and forge a Kirigakure that obeyed his every command.

In his view, the defection of Konoha's Uchiha Clan was proof that his beliefs were correct.

Kekkei Genkai clans were inherently destabilizing factors, tumors within a village.

Konoha had failed to deal with the Uchiha in advance, and now disaster had indeed struck. Not only had it lost strength, it had also strengthened an enemy.

"Kumogakure... hmph."

The Third Mizukage's lips curled into an exceedingly faint arc.

"They picked up Konoha's discarded garbage and treat it like treasure. A pack of crude fools who worship brute strength."

Yet seeing Kumogakure gain such a powerful force out of nowhere naturally left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Strengthen border security, especially in the direction near the Land of Lightning. Also... surveillance and... management of the village's Kekkei Genkai clans must become even stricter."

He issued the order, his tone carrying the distinctive cruelty of the Bloody Mist policy. The Uchiha's defection seemed only to have further solidified his resolve to purge and control the village from within.