The Land of Water Challenges the Land of Fire

The two men's conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps around them.

Yajirobe and Might Guy returned to the scene.

A conspicuous bruise had appeared on Yajirobe's face, and his kimono was somewhat dirty and disheveled.

There was also a slight bruise at the corner of Might Guy's mouth. His large white teeth stood out especially clearly, while his green jumpsuit remained completely intact.

"Let's go!" Uchiha Feng led Yajirobe toward the town.

The Dumpling clone suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Kakashi. "Give Uchiha Sasuke my regards. We'll meet again."

The Dumpling clone's face was the very one that had bitten off Uchiha Sasuke's finger.

Only Guy and Kakashi remained at the scene.

Seeing the dazed Kakashi, Might Guy asked with concern, "How are you? You weren't hurt, were you?"

Kakashi shook his head. He was recalling the information Uchiha Feng had revealed. His father's death had indeed been extremely strange. If it had been Kotoamatsukami, it could have produced such an effect.

He had personally witnessed the terrifying power of Kotoamatsukami. It could directly twist a person's mind.

But did Shisui possess such power at that time?

His heart was filled with doubt!

"Kakashi?" Might Guy gave the still-thinking Kakashi a push.

"What about you? How did your fight with that fat guy go?" Kakashi snapped back to his senses and said, as if changing the subject.

"Oh, Yajirobe? He seemed like a pretty decent guy. What he used should have been pure taijutsu too. He could even fight me to a draw when I opened the Fourth Gate, but both of us were holding back.

He didn't use his samurai sword.

And I didn't continue opening the Gates.

It seemed like he only fought me to hold me back. I couldn't sense the slightest killing intent from him."

Might Guy immediately became interested.

"Then what exactly is their goal? Never mind, let's return to the village first. There are still plenty of big problems waiting for us!"

Kakashi fell into deep thought. Could it be that they only wanted to reveal that information to me, to drive a wedge between me and the village?

Within the Land of Water.

After receiving the intelligence Uchiha Feng had released, a storm erupted.

The clans of the Land of Water hated the former Blood Mist policy to the bone. How many family members and companions had not died at enemy hands—

But at the hands of their own people.

Now, someone was telling them that all of it had been manipulated by an enemy. Wouldn't they want revenge?

The dead had to be given an explanation.

Even if it was not the truth.

Representatives from several clans gathered together and went to the Mizukage's office.

"Elder, this information is already spreading throughout the shinobi world. Is it true?"

The head of a shinobi clan from the Land of Water questioned him. His was an emerging shinobi clan, and he knew nothing at all about certain secret matters.

The other clans did not act, because some among them had experienced that upheaval and knew something about the hidden truth behind it.

Genji, who now held the reins of power in the Hidden Mist Village, had an ever-changing expression on his face, yet he remained silent.

Ao, an elite Anbu jonin, seemed as though he wanted to speak but hesitated.

"Many years ago, we discovered something abnormal about Yagura and suspected that he had been controlled. In the end, Ao used the Byakugan's power to dispel the genjutsu. It truly was a Sharingan genjutsu.

Because the village was weak at the time, we did not want to make a big issue out of it.

That was why we concealed this matter as a secret.

I never expected someone to dig it up now."

Genji finally sighed and began explaining the circumstances behind the matter.

The head of the emerging clan looked toward the other jonin around him. None of them reacted.

Is this the foundation of shinobi clans?

These established clans had long since infiltrated every aspect of the village. Some matters no longer needed to be spoken aloud.

"I witnessed this matter personally. I can confirm that the chakra on the Fourth Mizukage was not the same as the chakra on Shisui. The only thing that can be confirmed is that Shisui possessed that kind of ability!"

Ao stepped forward and explained.

He had carefully studied that intelligence. Its logic was airtight. If he had not personally dispelled Yagura's genjutsu, even he would have been misled.

"No! The genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage was cast by Shisui Uchiha."

Genji interrupted Ao, looking at him solemnly, his eyes fixed directly on Ao.

Then he looked at the crude shacks below the Mizukage building.

He had once carried out missions in the Land of Fire. Even commoners in the Land of Fire lived better than shinobi in the Hidden Mist Village. Why was that?

Because they were rich in resources and occupied the most fertile land in the shinobi world.

"Yes, Lord Genji, you are right!" Ao changed his words. Everything was for the village.

"The current Konoha is a big piece of fat meat. A few years ago, the Hidden Cloud Village bit off a piece of them. Even the village's great clan, the Hyuga Clan, was forced to hand over the Byakugan.

Now that Konoha has lost the Uchiha Clan, how much strength does it still have?

Ao, lead a delegation to Konoha."

Genji took out a document and handed it to Ao.

Sending Ao to Konoha meant danger. If the negotiations broke down, Ao would never be able to return, because that eye was a bloodline limit unique to Konoha.

Genji was gambling that Konoha had no ability to start a war at this time, and that most of its attention was focused on the Land of Lightning.

Moreover, with this intelligence, the Land of Water held the absolute moral high ground this time.

Ao accepted the document.

What he saw were the reparations they were to demand after the negotiations.

The amount of compensation was 130 million ryo.

Lastly came Ao's compensation: Konoha had to recognize the legitimacy of the Byakugan in Ao's possession.

Seeing the flexible negotiation terms in the order, Ao felt somewhat troubled.

At this time, was Konoha truly the only weak one?

The Hidden Mist Village had likewise not yet emerged from its weakness. But he could understand Genji. This was their best opportunity.

Now, Ao even felt grateful to Uchiha Feng for releasing the news and giving them such an excuse.

"Genji, rest assured. Everything is for the Hidden Mist Village!"

At this moment, the Third Hokage was also overwhelmed in the Hokage's office.

Several Hokage advisors were also present in the office. Even Shimura Danzo, who had been stripped of his position, was there.

The Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning had stationed troops at the border, while several other countries had sent spies to probe Konoha's true strength.

It was at this moment that the Third Hokage received the information released by Uchiha Feng.

The Land of Water had even directly submitted a letter of negotiation, hoping to settle the matter of Shisui controlling the Fourth Mizukage.

But what did that have to do with me?

At that moment, he felt exactly the same as Danzo.

Why is every bit of blame being dumped on me?!

"Hiruzen, we need to be tough. Your actions have already made the shinobi clans in the village dissatisfied!"

Shimura Danzo appeared in the Hokage's office. Though he seemed to have been stripped of power, he had every reason to intervene when the village faced a crisis.

"Danzo, I am the Hokage." The Third Hokage's face darkened. "Wasn't all of this caused by your failure to clean up after yourself? The Uchiha Clan truly deserves to die!"

The Third Hokage felt some regret. Danzo, his black glove, had failed to wipe out the Uchiha Clan completely.

Now Uchiha Feng, that leftover remnant, was stirring up trouble outside.

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane stepped forward at the same time to mediate.

"Right now, the most important matter is how to deal with the Hidden Mist Village. Hiruzen, you need to make your stance clear."

The two still chose to help Shimura Danzo divert the pressure. Otherwise, if the two of them fell into conflict, Konoha would face enormous problems.