After the battle in the Land of Lightning, Fugaku continued on to the Land of Snow with Mikoto to go skiing.
Of Kumogakure's five thousand elite shinobi, fewer than two thousand escaped. More than three thousand died, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki was gravely wounded, and the Fourth Raikage lost an arm.
The battle had dealt Kumogakure a devastating blow. It might rebuild its lower ranks with time, but replacing its strongest fighters would be nearly impossible.
Losing an arm would seriously weaken even someone as strong as the Fourth Raikage, whose greatest strength was his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. The Eight-Tails had lost nearly half its body. Neither would regain their former strength.
"To think Fugaku Uchiha had grown this powerful. We guarded against him as far back as the battle in the Land of Rain, yet he still rose to this point."
In the Tsuchikage's Office in Iwagakure, Ōnoki spoke with a worried frown.
"The war in the Land of Earth was another chance to eliminate Fugaku Uchiha. If Kumogakure hadn't betrayed us at the last moment, we might have succeeded. The Third Raikage sowed the seeds, and the Fourth Raikage reaped the consequences."
The Iwagakure official beside him did not know what to say. Ōnoki had joined forces with Konoha and Sunagakure against Kumogakure back then.
If the Third Raikage had not struck first and gravely wounded the Tsuchikage, Kumogakure might have met an even worse end.
"Tsuchikage, Fugaku Uchiha's strength is approaching Madara Uchiha's. You once said you had a Ninjutsu that could deal with him. Was that true?"
Ōnoki nodded. "I've never used it before. If someone draws Fugaku Uchiha's attention, I can kill him in a single strike. Only the two of us know about it. Keep it absolutely secret."
"Yes."
The man speaking with Ōnoki