161-165

Chapter 161: Susanoo vs. Matatabi

Just as Hyuga Hiashi was saved by Guy, Shibi Aburame, who was entangled in a battle with Matatabi's Jinchuriki, was also reaching his limit. However, unlike Hiashi's desperate situation, the Aburame clan's secret techniques were excellent for self-preservation. He hadn’t yet reached the point of having to self-destruct to protect clan secrets.

Of course, this was only a slight advantage.

In reality, Shibi’s bugs couldn’t absorb chakra from Matatabi's Jinchuriki to sustain him in battle. Like Hiashi, he had to rely solely on his own chakra. Even using military ration pills, he couldn’t squeeze more energy from his depleted system.

“This is so annoying! I hate bugs and rats!”

The half-transformed Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii, finally roared in frustration. Shibi had repeatedly evaded her lethal attacks, slipping away like a greased eel. To make it worse, Shibi continued to harass her, interfering with her movements.

Finally,

“Die already!!!”

Enraged beyond reason, Yugito fully transformed into her Tailed Beast form, releasing the full power of Matatabi. Her massive body, covered in a cloak of red chakra and blue flames, loomed over Shibi like a mountain. She swung her two tails, and the feline beast opened its mouth, launching a massive fireball.

The surrounding forest was incinerated, the soil dried out, and rocks shattered in the intense heat. This indiscriminate attack would have certainly consumed Shibi.

“Shibi-senpai, I apologize for being late. I ran into quite a few Cloud ninja on the way and had to deal with them.”

A sincere apology reached Shibi’s ears. The voice sounded familiar, but what stood out was the speed of the person speaking. Before Shibi could even brace himself, a flash of lightning passed by him.

Then,

Shisui Uchiha’s Sharingan spun, the black tomoe merging into a four-pointed windmill pattern, and the crimson glow intensified.

At the same time,

A green Susanoo descended, instantly entering its fourth form. Draped in armor resembling a crow tengu and wielding a spiral sword, the majestic Susanoo stood tall, completely shielding Shibi from the oncoming flames. Not even a hot breeze reached Shibi’s side. The usually stoic Aburame clan leader couldn’t help but reveal a trace of surprise as he stared at the formidable Susanoo in front of him.

Another Susanoo!

“Clan leader, are you able to move?”

Shibi didn’t need to turn around. The voice belonged to Torune Aburame.

“Torune, what’s going on? Is that… Uchiha Shisui?”

“Yes, it’s Shisui.”

Torune walked over.

“A second Uchiha has awakened Susanoo?” Shibi murmured, awestruck by the Uchiha clan's power. Supporting the coup against the Third Hokage had proven to be the right decision. If the Uchiha ever staged a full-blown rebellion, Konoha might not survive.

The village itself could be destroyed.

Shibi shook off these distracting thoughts. “My chakra’s almost gone, but as long as we’re not fighting, I can still move. Let’s get out of here for now!”

He glanced at the looming battle between Matatabi and Susanoo.

The destructive power of such a clash was like a natural disaster. Getting caught in the crossfire could be fatal, even with nine lives.

...

Many were stunned by Susanoo's appearance, including Yugito herself. She stared at the green Susanoo standing like a god of war, holding the spiral sword, utterly baffled by what she was seeing.

She had never seen anything like this before, not even heard of it.

Fortunately, she wasn’t alone. She had Matatabi, a living encyclopedia.

But—

“Yugito, be careful! This is Uchiha Susanoo, a power only those who’ve awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan can control. It’s strong enough to rival or even defeat a Tailed Beast. Don’t underestimate it,” Matatabi warned sternly.

“Is it really that powerful?”

Yugito didn’t doubt Matatabi’s warning but was simply shocked by the information. Matatabi had no reason to lie.

“Yes!”

Matatabi replied immediately. “The Uchiha clan’s strength is beyond your imagination. Don’t take them lightly. I’ll lend you my power, but if things go south, retreat immediately, or you could lose your life.”

The repeated warnings made Yugito fully aware of the danger her opponent posed.

This was the first time she had ever seen Matatabi so rattled.

So,

Instead of launching an attack, Yugito cautiously observed the massive entity called Susanoo.

“Also, avoid looking directly at the Uchiha’s Sharingan,” Matatabi added with another warning.

...

“What’s going on?”

Darui paused his attack on Guy and Hiashi, looking up at the green Susanoo with astonishment. He had no idea what it was. Despite being one of the village’s top young Shinobi, Darui had spent most of his time training, so he lacked knowledge of such rare phenomena.

The younger generation in the Cloud, including Darui, had no idea what Susanoo was, not even the Fourth Raikage’s generation had seen it.

But even without understanding what Susanoo was, Darui could sense the shift in the situation.

It seemed,

Konoha's reinforcements were well-prepared!

The man with the absurdly strong taijutsu had already put Darui under pressure, and now Konoha had revealed a new, unknown method to combat Jinchuriki.

“Send the order to halt all attacks, especially near Yugito-senpai. Allow them to abandon their mission if necessary. No, I order them to abandon all mission objectives and scatter as quickly as possible. They must not be caught up in Yugito-senpai’s battle.”

Despite the rapid changes, Darui remained calm and issued orders in an orderly manner.

“Also, send word to Raikage-sama, informing him we need reinforcements immediately…”

Darui’s words trailed off as he looked up.

The two giants had clashed.

Matatabi struck first, the cat demon wreathed in blue flames pouncing at Susanoo with a swipe of her claws. The force of the attack knocked down several trees, showcasing the immense power behind it.

Boom!!!

Shisui met the attack head-on with his spiral sword. The impact echoed through the forest, sending a shockwave that scattered leaves like rippling waves.

Matatabi stood firm, while Susanoo was pushed back a step.

It seemed,

In terms of raw power, Matatabi had the upper hand.

“So heavy!”

Shisui muttered as he controlled Susanoo.

“This is the power of a Tailed Beast? How terrifying! Can these monsters really be affected by genjutsu?” He recalled instructions from his patriarch that if he ever faced a Jinchuriki or Tailed Beast in battle, no matter which village they came from, he should rely on genjutsu.

Shisui had been skeptical.

He had read in the Uchiha clan’s archives about their ancestors controlling Tailed Beasts with the Sharingan, but as a practical person, he reserved judgment until he experienced it firsthand.

Now,

This was the chance.

With Matatabi pressing her advantage, she unleashed a flurry of ferocious attacks, forcing Susanoo to retreat.

Then—

Shisui’s eyes locked with Matatabi’s, and in that brief moment, his powerful gaze broke through all defenses, invading Yugito’s consciousness. In an instant, Shisui’s mental form stood outside the cage where Matatabi was sealed.

“This… this was even easier than I thought!”

Looking at the imprisoned Matatabi, Shisui realized just how naturally Sharingan suppressed Tailed Beasts.

(Chapter ends)

*Chapter 162: Another Journey, Am I Still Trapped in an Illusion?*

Above was an endless pitch-black void, and below, ankle-deep water pooled around her feet. Surrounding her was darkness as thick as ink, and in front of her, the sealed Two-Tails was the only source of light in this abyss. The azure blue flames entwined around the beast drove away the surrounding darkness, illuminating the small space in front of the cage.

The sealing techniques used to imprison Jinchuriki varied from village to village.

However, the manifestation of the world of mental willpower appeared quite similar across the board, with landscapes so alike that they could be called monotonous.

“Annoying eyes!”

The Two-Tails, lying inside the cage, let out a low growl, clearly irritated. Its scarlet eyes, so close by, stirred up terrible memories from the past.

“You... Why are you here?”

The figure outside the cage wasn’t just Shisui. This was mental realm of Yugito Nii, perfect Jinchuriki who shared a close bond with Two-Tails, granting her the ability to freely enter and exit this space. However, upon entering, Yugito noticed an unfamiliar Konoha ninja alongside Shisui.

Shisui had arrived after Yugito had fully transformed into Two-Tails. So it wasn't wrong to say this was their first meeting.

“Yugito, let’s work together to get rid of him. We can deal with details later,” the Two-Tails whispered loudly to Yugito. As it spoke, chakra began to seep through the gaps in the seal, and the azure flames outside the cage started forming a new body.

It roared and, despite a splitting headache, Yugito joined the Two-Tails in attacking Shisui.

Yugito was truly frustrated. Just a moment ago, she was fighting the enormous being called Susano’o, and now, out of nowhere, the battlefield had shifted to the sealed space deep within her mind. An enemy from the Uchiha clan had intruded into this place where no one else had ever set foot!

Her head pounded, but she vaguely understood why Senior Dodai had always exaggerated the power of Uchiha. No, it wasn’t an exaggeration. This was the first enemy that had ever made Two-Tails take initiative. In the past, no matter how close their bond was, the Two-Tails had never volunteered to attack—only to lend chakra.

Also, how exactly do you fight in a world constructed from mental willpower? With genjutsu?

Yugito employed a rarely used illusion technique.

*Lightning Style: Lightning Flash*

This was a basic illusion technique widely used among the Cloud ninja and one of the few that Yugito, who wasn’t skilled in genjutsu, had mastered. Lightning crackled around her body, releasing a blinding light, while the Two-Tails provided her with additional chakra at just the right moment.

This was Yugito’s mental realm.

Unless it disregarded her life entirely, Two-Tails couldn’t recklessly attack. It cared too much about her well-being, so it had to let Yugito take the lead while supporting with chakra.

The bright light became so dazzling it nearly blinded her. It was a basic illusion technique, but the power was forcibly amplified by Two-Tails’ chakra. The flash was so intense that even Yugito couldn’t help but shed tears, despite knowing this was all just a mental projection.

Wait... something’s wrong!

Tears streaming down her face, Yugito felt something off.

The Lightning Flash illusion shouldn’t have affected the caster, so why was she, the one who cast the technique, feeling its impact?

"Your battle instincts are sharp. You've already grasped how to fight here, but... such an illusion won’t work on me. If you wish to challenge an Uchiha in genjutsu, you’ll need to polish your skills first," came a clear voice, sending a shiver down Yugito's spine.

She rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying to restore her vision.

In this world of mental consciousness, unlike physical injury, attacks only damaged one’s mind. It wouldn’t cause actual blindness, and as long as her will held strong, even if her spirit was torn apart, she could recover. Of course, in the real world, most people whose minds were shredded in such a place would end up as vegetables if they didn’t die outright.

“Two-Tails!!”

As her vision returned, what Yugito saw horrified her—Shisui had grabbed Two-Tails and torn it apart. She screamed involuntarily in shock.

However, the next second, a familiar voice rang in her ears.

“Yugito, don’t worry. That was just a bit of my chakra.” Realizing her outburst was a mistake, Yugito bit her lip in frustration, embarrassed by her moment of panic. She had momentarily forgotten that tailed beasts couldn’t truly die.

But still...

So strong! This Uchiha ninja is absurdly powerful.

She and the Two-Tails had fought together and still lost.

“Two-Tails, what just happened? Why was I affected by my own Lightning Flash?”

"*Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change*. It's an Uchiha genjutsu, only possible with the power of Sharingan," Shisui revealed the truth before Two-Tails could respond. It didn’t matter if the secret was exposed—no regular genjutsu could overcome the technique. Almost any illusion could be reflected back by this power.

Of course,

this applied to Shisui’s use of the technique. A weaker Uchiha might not be able to reflect a strong enough mental force.

Yugito gritted her teeth. This strange battlefield, this unfamiliar way of fighting... Even though technically, she had the home-field advantage, everything felt foreign, creating immense pressure.

"Damn it! What do I do?"

Yugito watched Shisui step closer, her mind racing. Should she try genjutsu again? But the earlier failure had shown that illusions were useless against the Uchiha. If she couldn’t use genjutsu, could she still fight with ninjutsu or taijutsu in this place?

Gritting her teeth, she decided to give it a shot.

Sitting still and doing nothing wasn’t her style. Fighting till the end, even in a desperate situation, was.

*Cat Claw*

Yugito looked at the claws extending from her fingers and felt a slight sense of relief. It seemed ninjutsu and taijutsu would work here. As Shisui came closer, acting as if nothing could touch him, Yugito slashed at him with her claws, leaving ten deep, bone-revealing gashes across his chest.

"Ssshhh—!"

Blood gushed like a fountain.

It splattered across Yugito’s face, her expression one of shock rather than satisfaction. There was no way such a terrifying enemy could be defeated so easily. Was this another illusion? Was he mocking her with such a crude genjutsu?

Wait,

When did I fall under another illusion?

"Damn it! What is going on here?" she shouted in frustration. Falling for an illusion in mental space meant to seal Two-Tails—was this some kind of joke?

Yugito poured all her chakra into trying to break free from the illusion.

But it didn’t work.

Gradually, she realized that mental space, once submerged in endless darkness, had taken on a blood-red hue. Bodies floated on the water, blood still spilling from them, as if a hidden sea of blood had suddenly been unleashed.

“Grrr!”

Yugito gritted her teeth, the grinding sound unnerving.

For the first time in her life, she felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. The inability to fight back gnawed at her. Truth be told, she would rather face two of those giant things called Susano’o than deal with this frustrating and confusing battle.

Just then,

a small spark of azure blue flame broke through the sea of blood, appearing before her.

“Yugito, wake up!”

It was as if a large mirror had been shattered by a thrown stone. Her vision filled with countless cracks, and chunks of red began to peel away. The black void returned, and she found herself standing in front of the cage again, without having moved an inch. Her hands were normal—no claws, no blood. The Uchiha ninja stood in the distance, not having approached her at all.

"Yugito, are you okay?"

The Two-Tails asked from within its cage, concern in its voice.

"Two-Tails... Am I still in an illusion?" After a few seconds of silence, Yugito asked the question the Two-Tails least wanted to answer.

Uchiha genjutsu was terrifying!

It wasn’t just hard to break free from; even after escaping, it left lingering doubts. Victims questioned the reality of their surroundings, fearing they were still trapped in a false world...

The worst part was, Two-Tails couldn’t confidently say this was real.

It feared that if it said so, Yugito would immediately be pulled back into another illusion, making things even worse.

"Whether this is reality or an illusion, only you can determine that." Two-Tails knew it could pull her out of the illusion but stopped short of saying that last part. It glared at the Uchiha’s form, careful not to make eye contact, knowing from a thousand years of experience, to not to look directly at an Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan.

Unlike the Two-Tails and Yugito’s frustration, Shisui was in a good mood.

Through real combat, he had verified the truth of what Sougen had said—Mangekyō Sharingan’s ocular powers indeed seem to have a very strong suppressive effect on Tailed Beasts. Otherwise, with the immense mental energy of Two-Tails, it wouldn’t have been so easy for him to intrude into this sealed space.

As for the Two-Tails’ Jinchūriki, Even without the power of Two-Tails, Yugito Nii's own mental strength was impressive, but it still wasn’t enough to defend against Mangekyō Sharingan. However, when she combined her power with Two-Tails, they barely managed to break through his regular-level genjutsu.

His eyelids twitched slightly as the consciousness he left in the outside world signaled him.

He glanced up at the Two-Tails and its Jinchūriki, who were avoiding eye contact with him, and said, “What a shame! Looks like this is as far as we go for today. Next time, let’s have a proper fight.”

As soon as his words fell,

Shisui’s figure had already disappeared.

Just like when he arrived, Yugito Nii hadn’t noticed how Shisui vanished. Two-Tails did sense the flow of Mangekyō Sharingan’s power, but, fearing being manipulated, it didn’t dare to probe too deeply into the flow of this ocular power.

(End of the chapter)

Chapter 163: Why is My Eye Technique Always Kotoamatsukami?

When Yugito Nii finally came back to her senses and her eyes reflected the real world again, she noticed that the green Susano had disappeared. All that remained was the devastated landscape and the distant figures of her fellow Cloud ninja.

It seemed like the battle was over, and the Leaf ninja had all retreated.

She released her Tailed Beast form.

Returning to her human form, she stood there and muttered to herself, "This... shouldn't be a genjutsu, right?"

Still a bit shaken by the genjutsu cast by Shisui, Yugito Nii was unsure. Even now, just thinking back to it gave her chills. Both she and Matatabi couldn't stand up to Shisui’s genjutsu. If he hadn't left voluntarily... who knows how this fight would have ended.

"Matatabi, I guess we weren't that unlucky after all!"

She spoke to herself like a crazy person, standing alone amidst the ruined terrain.

Inside the sealed space, Matatabi, the Two-Tails, squinted. Yugito Nii was right—they weren't that unlucky. Although running into such a powerful Uchiha was unfortunate, their luck turned when he left on his own before they were defeated.

"Yugito, your comrades are approaching. Take it easy for the next couple of days and rest."

Matatabi’s voice echoed in her mind.

She turned to look in the direction Matatabi indicated, and after a few seconds, Darui came into view, running towards her. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward him, asking immediately, "Darui, what's the situation? Has the battle ended? Did the Leaf ninja retreat?"

Her rapid questions made Darui's expression change slightly, his previous irritation fading. Sensing something was off in her tone and actions, he suppressed the anger he had been holding back.

Originally, he had come to question her. Because of Yugito Nii's strange behavior during the battle, the Leaf ninja had managed to escape, forcing Darui to give up his pursuit of Byakugan. He had been furious watching Guy take away Hizashi Hyuga.

"Yugito-senpai, after you transformed into Two-Tails, you suddenly stopped moving. That green giant took advantage and attacked, and the Leaf ninja seized the chance to retreat. We couldn’t stop them. Only after they left did you revert back."

Darui summarized the situation, his tone restrained but still tinged with dissatisfaction. Losing Byakugan was one thing—it wasn’t in the original plan—but his goal had been to deal as much damage to the Leaf forces as possible. Her error had cost him that.

"I see," Yugito nodded slightly, unfazed by Darui’s implicit criticism.

This result was within her expectations. It wasn't great, but it wasn’t a disaster either.

“That thing is called Susano.”

“What?”

Darui paused, repeating the strange name, “Susano'? What is that, a forbidden jutsu or something else?”

She didn’t respond to his question.

“Darui, get ready. We're going back,” Yugito said decisively.

“Going back?” Darui frowned. “Yugito-senpai, have you forgotten our mission? Taking the Kusatsu Mountains is just the start. We still need to defend against the Leaf's counterattack…”

“I have more important matters to report to Raikage,” Yugito interrupted.

Darui was stunned.

“Darui, don’t let our recent success blind you. Leaf Village isn’t an easy opponent. We only caught them off guard because their main force wasn’t present... Now that reinforcements have arrived, the hard part is just beginning.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

Darui stood there, speechless, watching her retreating figure. This didn't seem like the Yugito Nii he knew—proud and battle-hungry. What had changed?

Darui furrowed his brows, confused. If not for the unmistakable presence of her Tailed Beast chakra, he would have suspected that someone had replaced her.

“What’s going on? I’ve never underestimated the Leaf; that’s why I wanted to build up as much of an advantage as possible,” Darui muttered. But Yugito Nii was already too far away to hear.

Despite his frustration, Darui couldn't help but feel curious about what she had mentioned. What was that 'Susano',' anyway?

---

“Shisui, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just a little blood loss. I’ll recover over time.”

Everyone looked at Shisui, blood still dripping from his eyes, speechless.

Can someone really get used to this?

For a ninja, being injured is common, but the eyes are a fragile and vital organ. Damage to them often means the end of a ninja’s career. Vision and hearing are essential, and without one, a ninja can’t continue missions.

But Shisui didn’t seem bothered at all.

His eyes were bleeding because of overuse visual powers. He could recover by borrowing chakra from Samehada later. It wasn’t a big deal. However, since Mangekyo Sharingan was a clan secret, he couldn’t explain this in detail.

Besides, the bleeding wasn’t from using Susano.

Sigh Why is my eye technique Kotoamatsukami!?

Shisui sighed internally.

Using a power that manipulates others’ wills always made him uneasy.

The guilt weighed more heavily than the pain in his eyes.

After a few moments of silence, Hiashi Hyuga changed the subject. “Looks like the Cloud ninjas aren’t pursuing us.”

He was sitting cross-legged on the grass, with a view of the distant Kusatsu Mountains to the north. After retreating to this spot, they hadn’t moved further, staying to observe the enemy's movements.

It seemed the Cloud ninja weren’t planning to follow up.

“Their goal must have been to capture the Kusatsu Mountains to deny us the high ground, forcing us to fight on the plains,” said Nara Shio, speaking softly.

“Terrain advantages only go so far. The real issue is the difference in strength between the two sides. We had to rely on the terrain earlier because we were at a disadvantage. Now, with reinforcements, we stand a much better chance against the Cloud,” Hiashi replied, glancing at Shisui.

At this point, Hiashi realized that the success of their defense hinged on whether Shisui could fend off the Tailed Beast users. “Shisui, can you still use Susano'o? If the Cloud's jinchuriki attack, can you hold them off?”

“As long as I’m not fighting both jinchuriki at the same time, I should be fine. If they team up, it’ll be more challenging, but not impossible. Ideally, we’d avoid that scenario.”

Shisui didn’t want to make any promises, but his confidence reassured everyone. His mention of needing extra effort against both jinchuriki teaming up sounded more like he was discussing a minor inconvenience.

“The fact that we can hold off the Cloud ninja gives us an advantage,” Hiashi nodded, feeling more hopeful.

As they rested and gathered their strength, the team set off for their new camp. The situation was still precarious, but with the tides turning in their favor, they were ready to face whatever came next.

(Chapter ends)

*Chapter 164: Yugito: Can't We Negotiate Peace with Konoha?*

The atmosphere was a bit heavy in the temporary command center of the Cloud Ninja, set up in a hotel. The Cloud Ninja standing guard outside the office didn’t dare to breathe loudly. They had no idea what was happening. They had just defeated Konoha again and seized the Kusatsu Highlands—a clear victory—so why did Lord Tutai look so serious?

"…Konoha's reinforcements, huh? It's not surprising that they’ve arrived. If Konoha doesn’t want us invading the Land of Fire, they would definitely send reinforcements. There's nothing unusual about that. Yugito, you said you have important intelligence to report, and you even abandoned the task of establishing a defensive line in the Kusatsu Highlands. What’s going on?"

The Fourth Raikage, A, a fitness fanatic, stood by the window, holding two dumbbells that looked like barbells.

Besides A, several others were present in the room. Tutai, Raikage's assistant and the strategist of the Cloud Village, sat on the sofa with a serious expression, his eyes half-closed as if deep in thought. Next to him sat Darui, who had returned with Yugito. Influenced by Tutai's mood, Darui had also curbed his usual laid-back demeanor.

A young man with blond curls and pale skin sat on the sofa opposite them. His name was Cee, one of the brightest new talents in the village, much like Darui. Both were regarded as the most outstanding of their generation, highly valued by A. In this battle, A had chosen to bring these young men, Darui and Cee, rather than the village’s veterans, to sharpen them.

"Yo, Yugito, you don't look so good!" said a man sitting on the windowsill. He had dark skin, pale yellow hair, a "Iron" symbol on his right shoulder, and horn-like markings on his left cheek. Wearing sunglasses and carrying seven swords on his back, his peculiar speech pattern clearly identified him as Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki and another key figure in Cloud Village.

Yugito stood in the center of the room.

All eyes were on her now.

She had claimed to have extremely important intelligence, which was why everyone had gathered.

"What I’m about to report is mostly information I received from Matatabi," Yugito began, immediately mentioning the name of Two-Tails.

"Konoha reinforcements include a member of the Uchiha clan, and not just any Uchiha—a Uchiha who has awakened Mangekyō Sharingan. I am no match for this person. If they hadn’t been in a rush to leave to rescue someone, I might not even be standing here right now."

These words shocked everyone.

Everyone present knew what kind of person Yugito was—proud, to put it kindly; stubborn, to put it bluntly. She had suffered defeats before, but she never admitted it and always sought to redeem herself.

Now, she was openly admitting she wasn’t a match for the enemy? It was almost like sun had risen from west.

But soon, everyone realized the gravity of situation. Yugito was a perfect Jinchūriki, fully in control of Two-Tails' power. For her to admit defeat… how powerful must this enemy be?

"Sigh," Darui sighed.

He had already witnessed Yugito's transformation earlier and wasn't as shocked as the others.

"Mangekyō Sharingan? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before..." A put down his dumbbells, frowning in thought. Unable to recall, he turned to Tutai, who sat on the sofa deep in thought. "Tutai, do you know what Mangekyō Sharingan is?"

"I’ve never seen it myself," Tutai shook his head, then added, "But Second Raikage once said that three-tomoe Sharingan isn’t the true limit of Uchiha clan. Above that lies a higher evolution known as Mangekyō Sharingan. It’s said that Uchiha Madara was able to rival First Hokage after awakening it."

The history of ninja world spans a thousand years, but no need to go too far back. Just within the past century, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara stood as unrivaled forces. Having reached pinnacle of ninja world, their power was known by all. Senju Hashirama’s Wood Release and Uchiha Madara’s Mangekyō Sharingan were no secret in that era. Any Jonin worth their rank knew that their battles reshaped the very maps of ninja world.

That’s not an exaggeration.

Every time Hashirama and Madara fought, ninja world’s various factions had to update their maps, either by surveying the land themselves or stealing finished maps from other villages. In short, every village had records of the damage caused by their battles.

The reason even the Raikage was unaware of Mangekyō Sharingan was simple: after Uchiha Madara, no other Uchiha had publicly awakened it on the battlefield. Or, more accurately, no one had seen it displayed on the battlefield since then. With so many generations of ninjas dying off like blades of grass, the knowledge had faded from memory.

Even those who survived didn’t constantly remind the younger generation about the glory days of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.

Thus, the Mangekyō Sharingan, like Wood Release, became a legend of past.

Only a few elders or people like Tutai, who enjoyed reading, had any chance of learning about Mangekyō Sharingan. After all, compared to the easy-to-understand Wood Release, Mangekyō Sharingan was a much more complex subject to explain, even in Madara’s era.

"Big brother."

"Mangekyō Sharingan is no joke. If you ever encounter one, be extremely cautious. Gyūki just told me to watch out if I ever meet a Uchiha with Mangekyō Sharingan," said Killer Bee, scratching his head.

When Yugito had mentioned Mangekyō Sharingan, the Eight-Tails inside Killer Bee had immediately stirred—not to break free of its seal, but to warn Bee to be careful in the future and not to wander recklessly just to practice rap or hold concerts.

"Even the Eight-Tails says that?" A picked up his dumbbells again and resumed his workout without breaking a sweat. "Yugito, is this all you wanted to report? If there’s nothing else, go back to working with Darui. Finish constructing the defensive line in Kusatsu Highlands. Once we’re ready, I’ll deal with this Mangekyō Sharingan myself and see if it’s really as powerful as you say!"

Tutai opened his mouth several times, but ultimately remained silent.

The Raikage’s calm composure wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, as Raikage, he had to be unshaken, even if the sky were falling. Otherwise, how could he lead the village’s tens of thousands of Cloud Ninjas? Even though Tutai believed they shouldn’t underestimate Uchiha clan, there was no need to confront Raikage head-on at this moment.

The battle with Konoha wouldn’t erupt immediately. There was still time to gather information on Uchiha clan and Leaf ninja with extraordinary taijutsu that Darui had mentioned. Konoha’s resources ran deep—despite sending so many spies, they still hadn’t uncovered all of Konoha’s secrets.

"Yes, Raikage-sama," Darui stood up and responded firmly.

However, as he moved to leave, he noticed Yugito standing still, unmoving. A sense of unease crept into his heart—was Yugito about to say something else? A moment later, his instincts were confirmed.

After a brief hesitation, Yugito spoke again, "Raikage-sama, can’t we… negotiate peace with Konoha?"

Her words left everyone dumbfounded.

Even Tutai, who had been deep in thought, jerked his head up so quickly that he nearly sprained his neck, his face showing utter disbelief.

Was this really the proud, battle-hungry Yugito he knew?

"Konoha has sent more reinforcements. Even if we win the next battle, we’re bound to suffer significant losses. I think it might be better to take what we’ve gained and negotiate peace now. Even though we didn’t manage to invade Land of Fire, we’ve still made substantial gains in Land of Hot Water. If we make peace now…"

"Yugito!" A cut her off. "Are you questioning my orders?"

"No, Raikage-sama, I just don’t want to see too many of our comrades sacrificed."

"Then use Two-Tails' power. The stronger you are on battlefield, the fewer of our comrades will have to die." A didn’t lose his temper, but he raised his voice. He frowned at Yugito’s defiant expression, his brows knitting even tighter. "Alright, Yugito. If you're too tired, go rest. Darui will take care of constructing the defensive line in the Kusatsu Highlands. Cee, go help him."

"I understand," Cee, with his pale skin, blond curls, and handsome face, stood and nodded.

Yugito said nothing more this time, but her stubborn expression made it clear she hadn’t changed her mind.

“Yugito, go take a break! Once you're fully rested, I’ll assign you another task.” A raised his dumbbell and motioned for the two-tailed Jinchūriki to leave. Yugito silently bowed to Lord Raikage, then flicked her long braid as she walked out of the office, leaving everyone else staring at each other in confusion.

What on earth just happened?

“C, use your sensory jutsu to check on Yugito’s condition,” said Dodai, right after the door closed behind the departing Jinchūriki. C, one of the top sensory ninja in the village, glanced at Lord Raikage, who nodded in agreement.

Without delay, C formed hand seals and activated his sensory jutsu to probe Yugito’s state.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 165: Twisted Will and the Victors' Return to the Village *

"C, how is everything?"

"Everything is normal."

"Not a single anomaly?"

"I might lack the ability, but I can't find anything wrong with Yugito-senpai." C was helpless. His sensory ninjutsu was among the top five in all of Cloud Village, so if Yugito was under any genjutsu control, he should have noticed.

But the problem was, no matter how closely he observed, he saw no clues on Yugito. To ensure accuracy, he had checked three times. Yugito's chakra flowed smoothly, and her mental energy showed no abnormal fluctuations. Other than a trace of Matatabi’s chakra, there were no signs of a third party’s chakra. Yugito appeared completely clean and without issue.

"Not genjutsu?"

Tsuchi frowned deeply, even more confused.

"But it doesn’t make sense! Knowing Yugito’s personality, she would never suggest something like peace talks." He rubbed his forehead, racking his brain, but he just couldn’t figure out what was going on with Yugito. If she wasn’t under genjutsu, could she have been so frightened by that Uchiha from the Leaf?

After considering it for a while, this seemed like the only possible explanation, even if it was quite weak. He didn’t want to believe that Yugito was so fragile. As a perfect Jinchūriki, it took an indomitable will and immense strength to control such power. But after ruling out genjutsu, this explanation was all they had left.

"Have the medical-nin do a full check-up on Yugito later," A commanded.

"Raikage-sama, are you worried... about drugs?"

"Yugito’s behavior isn’t right. Tsuchi, have someone keep an eye on her. Whether her changes are natural or due to external control, we need to consider every possibility. I don’t want to see her get hurt." A didn’t say everything he was thinking. He actually hoped that Yugito was being controlled by a Leaf ninja, because if they could figure out their methods, the issue could be resolved.

What he feared was that Yugito’s behavior was coming from her own heart and not because she was being controlled.

Cloud Village didn’t need a Jinchūriki who was afraid of battle, yet training a new one was no easy task for any village. Cloud was lucky this generation to have both Killer B and Yugito perfectly control their tailed beasts. That was one of the key reasons A felt confident in waging war against the Leaf.

If anything happened to Yugito, the village couldn’t easily find a new Two-Tails Jinchūriki, and even if they did, they might not be able to control the beast as perfectly as she did.

Unless absolutely necessary, they would never replace a Jinchūriki lightly.

A continued lifting his dumbbells, seemingly unchanged from before. But those who knew him well could see the dark cloud of concern lingering over his brows, as he silently planned his next steps. The Leaf Village was proving to be tougher than expected.

A weakened beast is still stronger than a horse, and the Leaf was no dying beast—it was just in a vulnerable state.

"Tsuchi, investigate Leaf’s reinforcements, especially Uchiha clan. I want the name and detailed information of Uchiha who fought Yugito." As Tsuchi reached the door, A suddenly gave this new order.

"Understood, Raikage-sama. That was already a priority," Tsuchi replied. He lingered at the door for a few seconds, then, seeing no further instructions, left.

---

Walking through the sparsely populated streets, Yugito looked at the tightly shut shop doors on both sides. Occasionally, she’d spot a few hurried locals, who would immediately lower their heads upon seeing her Cloud Village headband, not daring to make eye contact. But even in that brief moment, she caught the hatred in their eyes.

Hatred wasn’t new to her.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen such looks.

In the past, she felt nothing about it. This world was cruel, and sympathy was reserved for her comrades in Cloud Village. As for everyone else? They could die for all she cared. She didn’t even care about Frost Country, so why would she care about the people of Land of Hot Water?

But now, when she sensed that deep-seated hatred, her heart felt like a jar of mixed emotions had been spilled, flooding her with unfamiliar, complex feelings. The turmoil in her heart was even noticed by Matatabi.

"Yugito, what are you thinking about?"

"Matatabi?"

"Your mind is restless."

"...I can’t understand why Raikage-sama insists on attacking the Leaf. Life in the mountains might not be rich, but it’s not so difficult that we can’t get by. Fighting the Leaf again and again hasn’t brought us any real benefit, and it’s only made sure that many of our comrades never return to the mountains."

"If… if there were no conflicts, wouldn’t that be better? Then no one would have to die on the battlefield."

Yugito stopped at a small bridge, resting her hand on the railing. She seemed to be watching the stream below, but her mind was immersed in her inner world, confiding in Matatabi.

Matatabi, serving as her listener, remained silent.

Though the tailed beast had lived for a thousand years, it wasn’t human, and human conflicts never made much sense to it. It had never cared about them. Since the time of the Sage of Six Paths, Yugito was the first human it had cared about.

"I don’t understand what you’re talking about, but Yugito, you never used to care about such things."

Matatabi was confused.

It didn’t understand human conflicts, but it knew Yugito well. She had always been fierce and cared about her comrades, but only to a limited extent. Even if a close friend died, she’d mourn briefly but never talk about how much better it would be without war.

In fact, Yugito had always been known for her ruthlessness in Cloud Village, someone who reveled in battle.

So this sudden change to being so compassionate seemed odd. But despite being with her constantly, Matatabi couldn’t find any changes in Yugito’s soul or spirit.

Yet Matatabi, having been enslaved by Uchiha many times over centuries, knew that their Sharingan could control others. It suspected that Yugito’s change was connected to her fight with that Uchiha boy. However, the change wasn’t as simple as mind control—if it were, Matatabi would’ve sensed it.

"I was too young back then," Yugito said, unaware of anything wrong. She looked regretful. "I didn’t understand what comrade meant. I was consumed by fighting. Now I realize how much I regret those times."

Matatabi was even more certain something was wrong.

There`s something off. But despite recognizing the problem, it couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause. As a tailed beast trapped in a seal, it couldn’t do much to help Yugito. All it could do was reflect on the recent battle with that Uchiha, hoping to find a clue.

---

Meanwhile, in the Leaf Village...

The dusty group of travelers finally arrived at the village gates. Even though the north was still at war, seeing the familiar sights of home lifted Sougen’s spirits. After dealing with the Mist Village, he was finally back!

"Sougen-kun, welcome home."

Acting Fifth Hokage, Torifu Akimichi, had been waiting at the gate for a long time. Smiling, he stepped forward to shake Sougen’s hand. Behind him, a crowd of Leaf villagers had come to greet their returning heroes. Even the normally stoic Uchiha clan members were visibly touched by this grand welcome.

"Lord Hokage, Mist Village has surrendered."

"Excellent! Sougen-kun, you’ve done well!"

As they chatted, Torifu led Sougen and his troops through the village gates. Crowds lined the streets, watching in awe as the returning warriors marched home, while prearranged Leaf Cnobi spread word of their victory over the Mist Village.

They praised the Mist ninja for joining forces with the Leaf to stand against the Cloud’s aggression, glorifying each of the heroes who had earned renown on the battlefield.

As long as Sougen and the others make their move, they could instantly send the Cloud Ninjas running back to the Land of Lightning with their tails between their legs, listening to the gods bang their drums! This was a performance that had been prepared in advance, carefully planned to boost the village's morale.

After all, the village had first gone to war with the Mist Ninjas, followed by the invasion of the Cloud Ninjas from the south. On top of that, spies from various villages were secretly stirring up trouble, making the villagers' morale unstable. To prevent the village from panicking, a performance like today’s was devised by Nara Shikaku and the others to stabilize the situation.

Sougen knows, before they returned to village, they had already received a letter from Akimichi Torifu informing them about this performance, hoping that Sougen and the others would cooperate. To prevent any resistance from Sougen, the letter explicitly stated that performance would highlight contributions of Uchiha clan during the war, slowly change away their bad reputation in village.

Logically and emotionally, Sougen had no reason to refuse—this was a mutually beneficial arrangement. The chance to improve the Uchiha clan’s tarnished reputation in village was something Sougen was eager for. The more opportunities like this, the better.

As the saying goes, "A man lives for his face, and a tree lives for its bark." The clan's reputation and honor are very important.

Due to their ruined reputation, the members of Uchiha clan avoided going out unless they were on a mission. Otherwise, they would stay secluded within their clan’s territory, leading to a vicious cycle where, by isolating themselves, they had fewer and fewer allies in the village. This growing divide created an enormous rift between Uchiha and Konoha.

Even if the catastrophic “Night of the Clan’s Destruction” never happened, if the Uchiha didn’t change and continued to distance themselves from the village, their end would still come. In the past, the Uchiha clan had no choice, but now that they had a chance, they had to seize every opportunity. Integrating into the village was the best way for the Uchiha to change their future.

"Hokage-sama, it looks like your plan is working well!"

As he walked slowly along the street, Sougen observed the large crowd and listened to the thunderous cheers of the villagers. It was enough to know how excited they were.

“As long as it’s effective! To be honest, many villagers have a strong aversion to war. These past few days, they’ve been clamoring that we should find a way to negotiate with the Cloud Ninjas instead of sending wave after wave of ninja to die on the front lines,” Akimichi Torifu murmured, expressing his frustrations without reservation.

“Trying to negotiate with Cloud Ninjas before we hit them hard... Do you think their attacks wouldn’t just get even more aggressive?” Sougen replied with a soft sneer.

“I understand that. Cloud Ninjas aren’t the kind of people who will be talked down easily. But many people in the village feel that it’s not worth going to war with them, especially with the northern front not progressing well. Many have seen this as an opportunity to stir up trouble... Even though I’ve suppressed it on the surface, there’s no denying that the unrest is real. This performance today was a last resort.”

“In the end, it’s Sarutobi Hiruzen’s fault. Back then, he sacrificed Hyuga Hizashi to temporarily shut up the Cloud Ninjas. Now, I bet many people think we should follow his example and sacrifice one or two members of a prominent clan to end the war, right?”

Even though Sarutobi was already dead, Sougen didn’t mind dragging his name through the mud from time to time.

Akimichi Torifu held back a laugh. “Sougen-kun, there’s no point dwelling on the past. Let me ask you, do you still have the strength to head north?”

“Dealing with Cloud Ninjas is no problem, but the issues within the village are just as important. You’ve been acting as the interim Hokage for nearly half a year now. Honestly, it’s not sustainable to keep this up. I think it’s time for the village to settle on a permanent Fifth Hokage.”

Torifu’s heart skipped a beat.

He glanced at Sougen, who was wearing crimson armor and carrying Uchiha clan’s signature fan on his back. For a moment, he saw the image of a man who had once lost the race to become the First Hokage. Jokingly, he asked, “What’s this? Sougen-kun, are you also aiming for Hokage seat?”

Even though Torifu clearly remembered that when Sarutobi Hiruzen was overthrown, Uchiha Sougen had personally stated that he had no interest in the position of Hokage.

But truth be told, who would believe that?

“I’m still too young.”

This time, Sougen didn’t deny his desire for the position but clarified that he had no immediate plans to vie for it.

As one of Konoha’s two founding clans, Uchiha clan certainly needed to produce a Hokage someday, but there was no rush. The clan’s reputation hadn’t yet been fully restored. Forcing his way into the position through strength would only invite endless trouble and problems.

After all, he was only fifteen years old.

There was no need to rush to the top.

“Hokage-sama, what village needs right now is a leader who can make the majority feel safe and reliable—an elder figure, not a young, reckless fighter in his teens. Didn’t they say that Jiraiya-sama returned to the village? What’s his situation?”

Whether Torifu believed Sougen’s words was his own business, but he didn’t press further, instead following the conversation to Jiraiya. “Jiraiya said he needs some time to think. He hasn’t given me a clear answer yet, so we’re just waiting.”

“And Tsunade-sama?”

“She’s still nowhere to be found. According to reports from the ANBU, it seems she’s deliberately avoiding them.”

Torifu sighed as he spoke, then quickly adjusted his expression into a friendly smile as they walked through the streets. He inwardly lamented how he couldn’t understand Sarutobi’s two disciples—both treating the position of Hokage like a hot potato...

As they discussed Jiraiya, the man himself stood on the rooftop of a building in center of konoha, holding a telescope and watching Torifu and Sougen. “Uchiha Sougen, fifteen-year-old clan leader of Uchiha... Impressive for his age.”

After watching Sougen for a few seconds, Jiraiya change his focus, scanning crowd for the real reason he was here.

It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for. Several children were positioned at the front of the parade, and after spotting Sougen, Jiraiya’s eyes quickly fell on a particular group of young kids. “...Naruto!” His gaze locked onto a boy with bright yellow hair through the telescope.

To be fair, Naruto hadn’t perfectly inherited Minato’s good looks. The whisker marks on his face, a result of the Nine-Tails’ chakra, made it hard for most people to associate him with the Fourth Hokage.

But that was just the average person’s perspective.

The moment Jiraiya saw Naruto, he knew immediately that this was the child of Minato and Kushina. Those bright blue eyes were just like Minato’s, full of spirit, and the smile on his face was as bold and confident as Kushina... though his frame was a bit small.

Looking at Naruto, who was even shorter than the girl standing next to him, Jiraiya was filled with a deep sense of regret and guilt.

Throughout his life, Jiraiya had trained many students, but the one he was most proud of always been Minato. Minato was his favorite disciple, someone he had nurtured almost like a son, teaching him all his best techniques, even his secret Sage Mode.

Not even Nagato, the so-called “Child of Prophecy,” had received such special treatment.

Minato’s child... was like a grandchild to him!

“Naruto...” Jiraiya softly whispered the name he had taken from his book Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Cnobi, his heart heavy with guilt. He regretted not being there for Naruto, blaming himself for his negligence, which led to Naruto’s difficult childhood.

Over the past few days, Jiraiya had roamed the village and learned almost everything about Naruto’s life.

Naruto hadn’t thrived—he had survived.

What hurt the most was that much of Naruto’s suffering had been caused by his own teacher, Third Hokage.

With no interference from acting Hokage, Jiraiya had gained access to many classified documents, revealing things he had never known before, and his heart ached even more.

“Sarutobi-sensei... It’s just as well that you’ve passed on. I don’t know how I’d face you otherwise,” he whispered, his words carried away by the chilly autumn wind.

(End of Chapter)