"Lord Fugaku, someone left Iwagakure's camp late last night."
"It might be the Four-Tailed Jinchūriki defecting."
A Hyuga clan member bowed respectfully as he reported to Fugaku what he had witnessed.
"What do you mean by 'might be'? Vague intelligence like this is unacceptable."
Fugaku frowned. Unclear intelligence like this was affecting his mood.
"The distance made it hard to see clearly."
"He appeared about seventy or eighty percent similar."
The Hyuga clan member truthfully reported, also worried about being held responsible if his report turned out to be wrong.
"Seventy or eighty percent similarity is good enough."
"Where is he now?"
Fugaku trusted the Byakugan's long-distance vision abilities of the Hyuga clan.
Ever since the Uchiha had integrated into the village, they'd worked with the Hyuga on multiple occasions—the Byakugan had never once failed them.
"I've already sent people to follow him."
"He might have already left the Land of Earth."
The Hyuga always handled matters steadily and reliably, which was why Fugaku didn't question why he hadn't been informed earlier.
"Good, confirm his position and then report back to me."
"Yes sir."
The Hyuga clan member accepted the order and withdrew. Only then did Dai slowly speak up.
"Unexpected good fortune, huh?"
It wasn't just Dai who felt surprised; even Fugaku hadn't expected Rōshi to defect.
Originally, he had only wanted to disrupt Iwa's plans. He hadn't anticipated that Rōshi would act so decisively.
"Yeah, an unexpected blessing."
A genuine smile appeared on Fugaku's face—he was genuinely pleased.
With Rōshi leaving Iwagakure's camp, he'd be much easier for Fugaku to handle.
And without the Four-Tailed Jinchūriki, Iwagakure's combat readiness would further decline.
This was a classic case of killing two birds with one stone—a brilliant move that produced incredible results.
"In that case, we don't need to rush into war just yet."
"Let's wait until you've captured the Four-Tailed Jinchūriki."
Dai knew he couldn't handle this matter himself. It would definitely require Fugaku to intervene personally.
"Mm."
Fugaku nodded. The two men waited in silence for further updates.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted within Iwagakure's camp. They combed every corner of their base but couldn't find any trace of Rōshi.
Ōnoki fumed over Rōshi's sudden disappearance.
He could never have predicted Rōshi would pull a stunt like this. It caught him completely off guard.
"Could it be... Rōshi has defected?"
An Iwagakure ninja hesitantly voiced his suspicion, glancing cautiously at Ōnoki's face before quickly looking down again.
"What's the point of saying this now?"
"Just find Rōshi immediately!"
"Out of so many people in this entire camp, not a single person saw where he went?"
Ōnoki's face darkened, his voice rising with every word.
"I've already questioned all the sentry posts."
"No one saw him leave."
A timid voice replied. The sentry commander felt increasing unease.
He knew he'd soon be caught in the crossfire.
"Useless."
"All of you are useless."
"Don't come before me again until you find Rōshi."
Ōnoki finally lost his temper, smashing the chair beneath him into pieces with one slap.
"Yes sir."
The sentry commander hurriedly accepted the order and retreated, his back already drenched in cold sweat.
"If it weren't for you making that letter public, Rōshi wouldn't have defected."
Kitsuchi recalled how Rōshi had invited them for drinks the day before, along with his strange behavior. He was now certain that Rōshi had defected.
"Are you blaming me?"
Ōnoki glared angrily at his son. At this moment, only Kitsuchi dared to challenge him like this.
"You already know the truth in your heart."
"Now that Rōshi has left, there may be danger."
"Fugaku Uchiha will never let this slip by. We must find him before Konoha does."
"If we lose Rōshi, it would be a catastrophe for us."
Kitsuchi saw things clearly now—he had realized that the letter was part of Fugaku's scheme.
"Hmph~"
"Monitor Konoha closely and report any suspicious activity immediately."
Ōnoki knew his son made sense, so he quickly started taking corrective actions.
If Konoha learned where Rōshi was, they'd certainly send someone after him. All he needed to do was watch Konoha to get the information.
Of course, he wouldn't pin all hopes solely on Konoha.
After all, letting Konoha find Rōshi first would not be good news.
He still sent out numerous operatives, hoping someone might discover Rōshi's trail.
While Iwagakure was thrown into chaos, Rōshi had already entered the Land of Taki.
Free from all burdens, he felt elated and light-hearted, as though he could soar.
There was no more scheming or betrayal to ruin his mood.
All memories from yesterday were like drifting clouds—fading without a trace.
He didn't care in the least about the impact his departure might cause.
Who had ever truly cared for him?
Walking with a light step, Rōshi remained completely unaware that under Byakugan surveillance, his every move was exposed.
He happily believed he had concealed himself perfectly, never realizing he had long become someone else's closely tracked quarry.
Dreaming about future freedom, Rōshi gradually slowed his steps.
After wandering aimlessly for what felt like a long time, he finally stopped.
"Lord Fugaku, we are certain it's the Four-Tails Jinchūriki."
"The person is within the Land of Taki. Our men are still tracking him."
A Hyūga clan member brought the latest report, and Fugaku stood up excitedly.
"The Land of Taki—it seems like a fitting place to lay one's bones to rest."
A faint smile flickered across his lips before vanishing, leaving behind only ice-cold killing intent in his eyes.
"Go ahead. I'll handle things here."
Dai could sense Fugaku's urgency and took initiative to speak.
"Alright then. That side is in your hands."
Fugaku didn't bother being polite with Dai. He knew that Iwagakure, having lost Rōshi, was unlikely to mount a full-scale assault.
Even if, by some chance, Iwa did launch an attack, he trusted Dai fully capable of handling it.
"There's nothing to thank me for."
"But you should stay cautious, remember, he's a Jinchūriki."
"Don't end up getting pummeled."
Dai teased slightly, laced with genuine concern—though minimal.
"Haha~"
"Who do you think you're talking about?"
"I'm off."
Fugaku waved and walked out of the tent, choosing two of his most trusted men before setting off at once.
His movement immediately drew the attention of the Iwa ninjas, and the news swiftly reached Ōnoki.
"So they noticed first after all."
"Confirm that the person leaving was Fugaku Uchiha?"
Ōnoki's furrowed brow didn't relax for a moment. It had finally come down to a contest with Konoha over this individual.
He steeled his resolve—no matter what, he had to bring Rōshi back alive and unharmed.
If Rōshi fell into Konoha's hands and perished, it would spell catastrophe for Iwa.
Now he clearly saw the reality: war with Konoha had become inevitable.
All that talk about a three-day deadline and the chance to speak with Tsunade was nothing but a cover.
From start to finish, Konoha had pursued a single goal: seizing control of the Land of Earth.
If such an important combat asset as Rōshi were lost, he didn't know how he could face Konoha's future attacks.
"Yes, exactly right."
The Iwa ninja reporting the news nodded without hesitation.
"You're coming with me."
Ōnoki pointed out several elite soldiers and immediately walked outside, trailing Fugaku from a distance.
Fugaku led the way while Ōnoki followed behind. One after the other, both parties crossed into the Land of Taki.
Unaware of the chaos unfolding around him, Rōshi remained where he was, inhaling the crisp air of freedom.
...
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