News that Gengetsu had killed the Land of Fire's daimyo, occupied the Daimyō's Residence, and displayed the terrifying power of the Mangekyō Sharingan soon spread throughout the Shinobi World through various secret intelligence channels.
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure, Raikage's Office.
Bang!
A deafening crash rang out.
A single punch smashed a huge hole straight through the sturdy desk, sending countless wood splinters flying.
Fourth Raikage A's muscles were taut as he stared at the intelligence scroll in shock.
"What!? The Fifth Hokage is actually a member of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Gengetsu!"
"Uchiha Gengetsu killed the Land of Fire's daimyo and outright occupied the Daimyō's Residence!?"
"Uchiha Gengetsu has the Mangekyō Sharingan!?"
"This! Has Konoha gone mad!?"
"Is this news true!?"
Fourth Raikage A bellowed at the top of his lungs.
Clearly, Raikage A had also been shocked by the news.
Even though Raikage A had an extremely volatile temper and would smash a desk with a punch at the slightest provocation, he would never dare attack his own country's daimyo, no matter how much nerve he had!
The daimyo was the symbol of the country and controlled its entire economic lifeline!
Killing the daimyo was tantamount to challenging the fundamental rules that had governed the entire Shinobi World for countless millennia!
And now, Konoha's newly appointed Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Gengetsu, had not only killed the daimyo but openly occupied the Daimyō's Residence. How could the Raikage not be shocked?
"Lord Raikage, we've confirmed the news repeatedly! It's all true!"
The Kumogakure ninja responsible for intelligence knelt on one knee and spoke with absolute certainty.
Once the intelligence was confirmed, it was not only Raikage A who was shocked. His aides standing beside him and several of Kumogakure's senior officials also exchanged looks and sucked in sharp breaths.
But after their brief shock, a fervent light suddenly blazed in the eyes of these warlike Kumogakure officials.
"Lord Raikage! This is a heaven-sent opportunity for us!"
"Exactly! Konoha just suffered the Nine-Tails' Rampage, and now the Land of Fire's daimyo is dead. The whole Land of Fire is bound to fall into unprecedented chaos! This is the perfect opportunity to attack Konoha!"
"Wait! Didn't you notice the crucial information in the latest report!?"
"The Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Gengetsu, has the Mangekyō Sharingan! We absolutely cannot underestimate that terrifying power!"
"Tch! What's so scary about the Mangekyō Sharingan? That's ancient history from decades ago! Our village has powerful kekkei genkai too!"
"Lord Raikage, stop hesitating! Make your decision!"
For a moment, all the Kumogakure ninja turned to Raikage A with burning gazes, waiting for his final decision.
Listening to the heated discussion around him, Raikage A folded his arms and pondered.
To say he was not tempted to attack Konoha would clearly have been a lie!
The Land of Fire's fertile land was a treasure coveted by every country in the Shinobi World.
However, as the Kage of a village, Raikage A possessed a shrewdness few could match beneath his rough, hot-tempered exterior.
He could not launch an attack lightly either.
"You're right. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"But we need to investigate Konoha's internal situation first! Let's see just how capable that so-called Mangekyō Sharingan really is!"
"Send a delegation to Konoha to probe its strengths and weaknesses!"
After some thought, Raikage A spoke.
"Understood!"
Everyone answered in unison.
Soon, a delegation made up of Kumogakure's elite ninja set off toward Konoha.
Land of Earth, Iwagakure.
Inside the Tsuchikage's office building.
Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki had likewise received the news from the Land of Fire.
"This! Has Konoha gone mad!?"
"He actually dared to kill the Land of Fire's daimyo!"
"The new Fifth Hokage is actually a member of the Uchiha Clan!"
"Uchiha Gengetsu has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
Ōnoki was also deeply shocked as he read the intelligence in his hands.
He understood better than anyone just how appalling an act killing a daimyo was.
Then there was the shock of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ōnoki would never forget the time he had accompanied his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, to Konoha and encountered Madara Uchiha.
Madara Uchiha's terrifying strength, and that dreadful power with which he had casually crushed them like ants.
Even now, the thought sent a shudder through Ōnoki's entire body.
Ōnoki had originally thought that with Madara Uchiha's death, the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan had vanished from the world for good.
But he had never expected another member of the Uchiha Clan to obtain that terrifying power!
Just as Ōnoki sank deep into those fearful memories, his son Kitsuchi shouted excitedly beside him.
"Dad! This is fantastic news! A Konoha ninja killed the Land of Fire's daimyo!"
"The Land of Fire must be in chaos now. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Iwagakure!"
But Kitsuchi had only just finished speaking.
Ōnoki, who had been floating in midair, rushed forward and slapped his son hard on the back of the head.
"Opportunity! What damned opportunity!"
"You idiot! You only see the opportunity, not the danger!"
Ōnoki's beard bristled and his eyes bulged with anger as he pointed at Kitsuchi's nose and cursed him out. Then, looking like a seasoned schemer, he said,
"Besides, there are people who are definitely more impatient than we are!"
"Let the others test Konoha's strength first! Once both sides have battered each other, we'll reap the rewards!"
Just as Ōnoki was feeling pleased with himself, a crisp sound of bones shifting out of place suddenly came from his lower back.
Crack!
"My back!"
Ōnoki let out a miserable cry, and his entire body fell stiffly out of the air, landing facedown on the floor.
Land of Wind, Sunagakure.
Inside the Kazekage's Office.
Fourth Kazekage Rasa likewise stared at the intelligence in his hands in surprise.
"Konoha's Fifth Hokage is Uchiha Gengetsu!"
"Uchiha Gengetsu actually killed the Land of Fire's daimyo!"
Clearly, Rasa had also been shocked by the news. Then excitement appeared on his face.
"Elder Chiyo, Elder Ebizo!"
"This is an opportunity to attack the Land of Fire!"
Rasa slapped the intelligence onto the desk and spoke loudly to the two senior Sunagakure officials seated opposite him.
But unlike the excited Rasa, Chiyo and Ebizo frowned deeply after reading the intelligence.
"Fourth Kazekage, our village still hasn't recovered from the last war!"
"And our One-Tail Jinchuriki is still too young to be of any use in battle!"
"With our current supplies and troop strength, we simply cannot wage another war!"
Ebizo and Chiyo sighed and spoke gravely.
There was no helping it. Sunagakure lay in the desert, battered by sandstorms year-round, and resources were already extremely scarce. The village had not recovered at all from the wounds of the last conflict.
"This! Damn it! Are we just going to let this opportunity to attack Konoha slip away!?"
At their words, Rasa slammed his fist onto the desk and spoke through gritted teeth, deeply unwilling to accept it.
Even seizing a small patch of the Land of Fire's fertile soil would be enough to feed Sunagakure for several years.
"Well! Although we can't wage war!"
"We can demand resources from Konoha!"
A shrewd glint flashed in Chiyo's eyes as she spoke.
"I believe that with Konoha's current situation, with the daimyo killed and internal unrest, they would never dare wage an all-out war against Sunagakure at a time like this! As long as we take a hard line, they won't dare refuse!"
"My sister is right! That's what we should be doing right now."
Ebizo also nodded in agreement.
"In that case, it's settled!"
"Send people to Konoha to demand supplies!"
"If they refuse, Sunagakure will attack!"
Rasa spoke with great resignation.
Land of Water, Kirigakure, a village shrouded in thick mist year-round.
The Mizukage's Office was very dim.
Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura sat blankly in his seat, his eyes utterly vacant and devoid of any spark, like a soulless marionette.
Beside him, Obito Uchiha, wearing a spiral mask, held a scroll and read the news on it.
There was no doubt that the Fourth Mizukage was now completely under Obito Uchiha's control through genjutsu, and all of Kirigakure was being manipulated by Obito from the shadows.
"Uchiha Gengetsu, the Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"Your appearance has already affected the Eye of the Moon Plan!"
"No one can stop the Eye of the Moon Plan!"
A cold glint flashed in Obito Uchiha's eyes.
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