Land of Water, Hidden Mist Village
More than a year had passed since the attack led by Konoha's Lightning Flash. With the full force of the Land of Water behind it, the village rebuilt at an astonishing pace. Walking through Kirigakure now, it was almost impossible to find any trace of the destruction from that night.
Everything appeared normal again. However, that did not mean the Hidden Mist had forgotten what happened.
If anything, as the Great Ninja War intensified, the village began to change. Once isolated and closed off, it was now slowly turning its attention toward the outside world.
The Bloody Mist policy still remained in place, but it could not suppress the curiosity of its shinobi. Many of them longed to break past the invisible walls around the village and witness the wider world for themselves.
Despite strict restrictions, information from other lands still found its way in.
Reports spread about the A and B duo overwhelming Konoha and injuring Danzō. There were also stories of Tsunade and Orochimaru, two of the Sannin, crushing a large portion of the Sand forces during the battle at Mount Kikyo, effectively ending the war in the Land of Wind. Nearly every major update revolved around Konoha.
This was not simply because Kirigakure paid special attention to Konoha, but because throughout this war, Konoha had been the primary target of multiple nations.
Among all the news, the most anticipated updates were always about Konoha's Lightning Flash.
After all, it was this man, Hayashi, who had single-handedly infiltrated their village and brought about a disaster that nearly destroyed it.
And as expected, Hayashi did not fade into obscurity. Instead, more shocking news followed. There were reports of a so-called demigod being captured, and of Hayashi fighting alongside the Third Hokage to eliminate two thousand Sand shinobi.
Within Kirigakure, opinions about him varied. Some were filled with anger, others with hatred, some with fear, and a few even felt admiration.
Yet there was one strange point they all shared. No one wanted him to lose to someone else.
It was a complicated mindset. Simply put, since Kirigakure had suffered at his hands, they did not want any other village to have an easy time against him either.
Hayashi had to die, but not at the hands of outsiders. Only Kirigakure shinobi had the right to defeat him.
If anyone in the village could accomplish that, or even hold him to a draw, that person would instantly rise to fame. They would be hailed as a hero and likely become the next Mizukage.
It sounded absurd, but Hayashi had become something like a psychological shadow over the village.
Under such pressure, Kirigakure had, in a way, become more unified than before.
This, however, made Yagura uneasy. Or rather, it made Fugaku, who was secretly controlling Yagura, uneasy.
If Hayashi was the most hated figure in the village, then Yagura came in second.
His rise to the position of Fourth Mizukage had already been questionable. Worse still, he disappeared during a crucial battle. Many viewed his actions as disgraceful, a failure to stand firm when it mattered most.
If not for the ongoing war and the village's need to rebuild, he would have likely been removed from power already.
Even so, dissatisfaction continued to grow.
This was not something that could be solved through force alone. If pushed too far, the shinobi of the village might revolt. They were not helpless civilians.
As evening settled in, Fugaku stood inside the Mizukage's office building, wearing a mask as he looked out over the village.
Away from the battlefield, everything seemed peaceful. The sight stirred something within him.
He let out a faint, self-mocking smile.
"I wonder how Konoha is doing now… and whether the Uchiha district is still as it was."
It had been five years since he last returned. In quiet moments, memories of his former home would surface.
At first, he resented Konoha and had no desire to go back. Later, that feeling changed. It was no longer hatred, but hesitation.
He was afraid that if he returned, he might not be willing to leave again.
In the beginning, all he wanted was to be a capable clan head and lead the Uchiha to greater heights. He never imagined things would spiral this far.
Fugaku placed both hands against the window.
At that moment, White Zetsu emerged silently from the floor.
"Fugaku, Biwa Jūzō has left the village. Should we send shinobi after him?"
Fugaku's expression hardened, the earlier trace of emotion gone.
"No. Let him go."
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were no longer what they once were. Out of the original group, only three remained.
Suikazan Fuguki and Kurotsuchi Raiga had died at Hayashi's hands. Akebino Jinin was killed by Nawaki. Kuriarare Kushimaru was executed by Fugaku himself after attempting a coup against Yagura.
Biwa Jūzō had been close to Kushimaru for years. After witnessing his friend's death and growing disillusioned with the village, he chose to leave.
During a mission, he quietly defected, taking the Kubikiribōchō with him, along with a slashed forehead protector.
Based on his route, his destination appeared to be the Land of Iron, a neutral country known for its samurai and its refusal to take part in ninja conflicts.
Under normal circumstances, Fugaku would have ordered his immediate capture or execution. But this time, he chose otherwise.
The morale within the village was unstable, and Fugaku himself did not intend to remain here forever.
He had already begun considering preparations for the Eye of the Moon Plan.
There were several capable shinobi he had taken an interest in. Biwa Jūzō was one of them.
Letting him leave now would allow Fugaku to approach him later under different circumstances.
"Once he leaves the Land of Water, announce a bounty," Fugaku said calmly. "Make it known that Biwa Jūzō has defected."
Allowing him to escape was one thing, but ensuring he could never return to Kirigakure was another.
"I understand," White Zetsu replied.
Fugaku then shifted the topic.
"What about Sunagakure?"
Compared to Kirigakure, the Sand Village had suffered less damage, even though its defeat came later. It had also largely recovered.
However, White Zetsu's surveillance revealed unusual developments.
"The Third Kazekage is having a difficult time," White Zetsu said with a quiet laugh. "Now that the war is over, many in the village are demanding his resignation."
Before the war, the Third Kazekage had secured support from the major clans by promising to step down afterward.
Now that the Sand had lost, those same clans were demanding he honor that agreement.
But power was not something he was willing to relinquish so easily.
His earlier promise had only been a temporary measure.
Instead, he proposed a new plan.
While Iwagakure and Konoha remained locked in conflict, Sunagakure would move through the Land of Birds and launch an attack on the Land of Earth.
In other words, the Third Kazekage intended to drag his village back into war.
Only this time, the target would be Iwagakure.