"Impossible… It's impossible!" The sensory ninja's voice trembled, his face a mask of disbelief.
The Anbu captain's voice was sharp with anxiety. "What's wrong? What happened? Report, now!"
"There is… no one in the Uchiha compound!"
"What did you say? How can that be?" The Anbu captain froze, a shiver of pure shock running down his spine. He no longer bothered with stealth. Activating the communicator in his ear, he gave the order to all Anbu teams. "All units, breach the Uchiha compound and investigate! Move!"
Swish, swish!
Dozens of black-clad figures descended upon the silent compound, kicking down doors and sweeping through every house. They searched inside and out, but found nothing. Not a single person.
"What in the hell?!"
"The entire clan… they escaped, right under our noses?"
"Damn it!" The Anbu captain slamd his fist against a wall in frustration. "Report this… to the Hokage," he ordered his n, his voice heavy with defeat. For things to have ended this way was a catastrophic failure, a serious dereliction of his duty as a captain. The most damning part was that he had no idea how or when the Uchiha had disappeared. There was no sign, no trace. It was as if they had simply vanished from the face of the earth.
In the Hokage's office, when Minato Namikaze heard the Anbu's report, his face darkened with shock. Before he could even begin to process how an entire clan could have disappeared, the village elders ca barging in, uninvited as always.
Koharu Utatane's voice was shrill with accusation. "Minato! The entire Uchiha clan is missing! You are aware of this, I presu?"
Homura Mitokado added, his tone equally harsh, "I told you to send soone to monitor them! Is this how you monitor? For this situation to have developed, Minato, as the Fourth Hokage, you bear an unshirkable responsibility!"
Shimura Danzō sneered, "Humph! If we had used force to suppress the Uchiha from the beginning, as I advised, how could we have given them the chance to escape!"
Koharu declared, "They have now openly defected! I suggest we imdiately designate all mbers of the Uchiha clan as rogue ninja and issue a worldwide hunt for their whereabouts!"
"No!" Danzō imdiately shot down the idea. "This is a matter of internal sha! It must not be made public! If the neighboring countries learn of this, Konoha will beco a laughingstock!"
"If we are to hunt them, it must be done in secret."
Homura nodded in agreent. "You are right. We can activate the spies we have planted in the other great nations. If we discover the Uchiha have fled to another country, they must be eliminated without rcy!"
Koharu added, "Yes. The Sharingan is too powerful. We cannot allow it to fall into the hands of another nation!"
Riding the wave of panic, Danzō pressed his advantage. "Admit it, Minato. Your orders are too slow, your decisions too weak. You are indecisive. I now strongly doubt you are qualified to be Hokage."
Homura and Koharu chid in, piling on the pressure. "This is a shaful disgrace, Minato! You were unable to act decisively, and now you have put the entire village in danger! This is your fault as Hokage!"
"In the end, he is still too young. His governance and decision-making are not mature enough. He always lets his personal feelings interfere with his duties."
Minato Namikaze suppressed the burning anger in his heart, choosing not to respond to the old guard's relentless attacks. Looking at the situation objectively, it was indeed his responsibility. But who could have imagined that the Uchiha clan would simply vanish into thin air? What happened here? Was there so outside force involved? Minato knew the capabilities of the Uchiha clan; they could not have accomplished this on their own.
"Honored elders, we do not have ti to wage war with each other here. Finding the Uchiha clan is our top priority. Once this matter is resolved, I will give you a full explanation!"
"If I do not handle this properly, I will willingly abdicate my position as Hokage to soone more capable!"
"…"
Hearing Minato issue such a solemn vow, the three elders looked at each other and nodded. "Alright, Minato. We will wait for news. If you do not give us, and the village, a satisfactory answer, then… I hope you will rember what you have said today."
"Yes. I will."
After they left, Minato turned and looked out the window toward the empty Uchiha compound in the distance. "Fugaku," he murmured, his voice heavy with sorrow, "you still didn't believe in ."
"You have taken so many people with you. Where are you going? Where can you possibly go?"
"Why are you so disheartened…"
At the Uchiha's secret base, Madara sat alone in his chair, feeling the changes in his body. Over the past few years, his condition had improved dramatically. His organs had resud their normal functions, his gray hair had darkened, and a few of his lost teeth had even grown back. His skin had beco firr, and even his vitality had returned. Madara looked at his own palm and said to himself, "Why does my recovery feel so slow? Obito's left eye recovered in just three years."
A White Zetsu clone responded, "Do not worry, Madara sama. It may be because Obito is still young."
"Hmm." Madara considered this and nodded. "That is possible. And Obito's injury was more recent."
"Let us not speak of this anymore. How is my son doing? Did the Uchiha give him any trouble?" Madara asked, his voice filled with concern.
The White Zetsu clone replied, "Tsk tsk… Do not worry, Madara. Shiro completed his mission successfully. It was, you could say, effortless. They are on their way back now and will arrive shortly."
"Excellent. He is worthy of being my son!" Madara was quite satisfied. Then his tone shifted, his expression growing serious. "And where is Obito? Is he slacking off?"
The White Zetsu clone answered, "He is far more ruthless than Shiro. The Hidden Mist Village is now like a living hell. It feels less like weakening a great nation and more like a personal vendetta."
Madara replied, "It does not matter. Let him do as he pleases, as long as my plan proceeds smoothly."
In the Land of Water, the Fourth Mizukage's insane policies had shocked the villagers to their core. Even taking a simple walk down the street was a risk; you might see a shinobi being killed for no reason at all. The people of the village were in a constant state of panic. Both ninja and civilians alike hid in their hos, daring not to show their faces, terrified they would be accused of so false cri and assassinated. For the entire morning, the Yuki and Kaguya clans were brutally massacred, nearly to the point of extinction. Not only that, but many other ninja who possessed secret techniques were not spared.
Inside the Mizukage's office, Karatachi Yagura looked coldly at Juzo Biwa, who stood before him, battered and bleeding.
"Juzo, you disappoint ."
"Why did so many mbers of the Kaguya clan escape?"
Juzo Biwa clutched his still-bleeding arm and replied through gritted teeth, "Their Shikotsumyaku is incredibly powerful. My team and I fought them for a long ti. In the end, I was the only one left standing."
"The remaining Kaguya knew they could not defeat , so they scattered and fled. I was seriously injured and could not pursue them."
Yagura said, "I do not care for the process. I only care about the results."
"The Kaguya clan cannot have any survivors. I will assign you more n. You will not rest. Go and hunt them down now."
"If you fail again, you are no longer worthy of serving by my side. It would be a waste for you to wield the Executioner's Blade."
"Go now. Do not disappoint again!"
"…"
Juzo felt a profound sense of disillusionnt. Was this truly the Fourth Mizukage he had known? How had he beco like this? He was seriously injured, yet the Fourth didn't care at all. Not only did he show no sympathy, but he was ordering him to continue the mission. And if he failed, he would be stripped of his legendary sword. This was an impossible task.
Juzo suppressed his anger and lowered his head. "I understand, Lord Mizukage."
"Good. You are dismissed."
Juzo Biwa walked out of the Mizukage Building. He looked up at the thick, blood-red mist that now blanketed the sky and saw his own future reflected in it. This place, where he had spent most of his life, no longer had a place for him.
Never mind! Juzo's face darkened, and he made a bold decision in his heart. Betray the village! Right now, imdiately!
Juzo didn't even bother to tend to his wounds. He just wanted to leave this place that had beco so hopeless. After walking out of the village gates, Juzo headed north, alone. At that mont, a voice he had never heard before sounded from behind him.
"Juzo Biwa. Do you… wish to join the Akatsuki?"
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