The next day.
As usual, Uchiha Fugaku delivered a rousing, fiery speech, igniting the spirit of every Konoha shinobi on the battlefield—while also solidifying his own growing prestige.
Now that Uchiha Fugaku no longer hid his strength and had fully revealed the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan, his true combat ability was beyond imagination.
Even though Konoha's numbers and overall strength were inferior to Kumogakure's, the moment Fugaku stepped onto the battlefield and activated Susanoo, the overwhelming force he radiated felt like an entire army in the form of one man.
Once, then twice—
With each skirmish, Fugaku's influence grew. Among the high-ranking shinobi, there was no doubt left regarding his power. And among the mid- and lower-ranks, the awe they felt for him gradually transformed into something more profound: respect, even admiration.
The once deeply feared Uchiha—the red-eyed, cold-tempered, borderline-unstable shinobi—were now proving themselves to be dependable, unshakable warriors.
"Clan Head… Lord Fugaku, Kumogakure has begun drawing back its forces. Some units are even retreating."
Standing atop the massive branch of a towering tree, Uchiha Fugaku listened calmly as Uchiha Inabi delivered the latest intelligence.
"They're probably planning something—consolidating their strength for one decisive strike."
Fugaku didn't immediately respond. His voice was steady:
"Any sign of the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki?"
"None yet."
Despite all the chaos, despite Fugaku's Mangekyō slicing through battle after battle—his chakra blade from Susanoo now practically stained red with blood—the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, the supposed backbone of Kumogakure's frontlines, hadn't appeared since his brief clash with Tsunade. That absence made Fugaku uneasy.
His blood-red Sharingan narrowed as he gazed into the distance. Though the Sharingan's perception didn't rival the Byakugan, it still clearly picked out the dense treetops and lush terrain ahead.
Beyond this forest lay a vast open plain—and just past that, Kumogakure's main encampment.
In terrain like this, many classic shinobi tactics—tree-leaping, water-walking—would be rendered useless. A battle here would be pure, brutal direct confrontation.
If Kumogakure was pulling back its frontlines, then Konoha would have no choice but to take the offensive.
Traps and barriers aside, if the Eight-Tails were to suddenly erupt from the rear during an all-out frontal clash, it could easily mean disaster for Konoha's forces.
"Looks like… the next fight is mine to lead."
Fugaku murmured to himself, his gaze full of unshakable resolve.
He had felt it—how the perception of the Uchiha clan was changing, especially in the eyes of Konoha's ordinary shinobi.
Once, their eyes had been filled with fear and suspicion.
Now… they looked up to him.
That gaze—so foreign, yet so warm—felt like the glow of a campfire in winter. Not just admiration, but hope.
And that hope ignited something inside him: a desire to carry the weight of leadership.
"So this… is what it feels like to lead."
"Inabi."
Fugaku inhaled deeply, his Mangekyō glinting fiercely.
"I've walked on thin ice my entire life. Tell me… can I really make it to the other side?"
Inabi paused, then nodded firmly.
"You can, Clan Head! You awakened the same eyes as our ancestors. You're destined for it!"
"You're right. With the Mangekyō Sharingan, success is inevitable."
Fugaku clenched his fist.
"When this war ends… I, Uchiha Fugaku, will become the Fifth Hokage."
"Pass the order to the rear—advance at full speed. I'll lead the vanguard!"
"Yes, sir!"
Fugaku leapt forward, launching himself toward the wide-open plain.
Behind him, countless shinobi watched in awe.
Elsewhere—
Dressed in the white haori of the 4th Division Captain, Tsunade stood among the Shinigami from Soul Society, silently observing that lone figure charging ahead.
"After this battle, Fugaku's fame will reach its peak," someone remarked.
"There'll be no doubt—he'll be the Fifth Hokage."
Jūzō Biwa grinned.
"So, Princess Tsunade… any thoughts on that?"
Tsunade shot him a sidelong glance but didn't answer.
Instead, it was Kushimaru Kuriarare who spoke calmly:
"For Konoha's current state, allowing an Uchiha to become Hokage is probably the best option. It'll ease factional tensions within the village and help preserve their remaining fighting strength."
"And let's be honest—the Uchiha deserve a Hokage. They helped found the village, yet four Hokage have passed with not a single Uchiha on the throne. Tch."
"By the way, Kushimaru ," Jūzō said, eyes narrowing with curiosity, "what exactly did your captain offer to convince the Fourth Mizukage to let us support Konoha?"
Had they not appeared in time to block Kumogakure's assault, Danzo's forces wouldn't have been able to stall—they would've been annihilated long before Fugaku arrived.
Add in the fact that Tsunade defeated the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, forcing him to stay hidden, and it was clear: even with Fugaku's Mangekyō, Konoha would have lost without Soul Society's help.
"How would I know?"
Kushimaru shrugged.
"Our Second Division is the Onmitsukidō; we are only responsible for doing our job, nothing else concerns us."
"But what about you, Jūzō? That Eleventh Division captain's spot is still open. Not thinking of proving yourself?"
"Yeah, right. Even if I've mastered Bankai, I'm nowhere near captain-level."
"Enough."
Tsunade cut them off coldly.
"Check the battlefield. If Kumogakure is truly pulling out and no longer poses a threat to Konoha, we're not going to waste any more time here."
The moment the captain spoke, the two vice-captains exchanged a glance—then shut up immediately.
None of them wanted to experience Tsunade's iron fists. Even the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki hadn't withstood it—what chance did they have?
The two vanished in a shunpo, while Tsunade quietly watched the battlefield.
Konoha was built by both the Senju and Uchiha clans. Yet somehow, the Uchiha had always held a strangely marginal position in the village's structure.
Despite being a founding clan, their status had fallen behind even the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
And the one most responsible for that… was none other than her great-uncle, Tobirama Senju.
"The Uchiha clan… really does deserve the title of Hokage."
Tsunade murmured softly, heart stirring with complicated emotion.
But then—her gaze sharpened.
At the edge of the battlefield… she spotted a familiar figure.
Her expression immediately shifted.
...
"Mangekyō Sharingan, huh…"
From a concealed corner of the battlefield, a figure cloaked in a black cloak with red clouds licked his lips, watching Uchiha Fugaku single-handedly charge the Kumogakure camp with Susanoo blazing.
Orochimaru.
His eyes shimmered with greed.
The power of the Senju and Uchiha clans had always fascinated him. He had already experienced firsthand the might of Hashirama Senju's Wood Release—not just its destructive power, but the unique regenerative quality of Hashirama's cells.
Now, standing before him, was the other half of that legendary rivalry: the power of Uchiha Madara, the so-called Asura of the Shinobi World, embodied in Fugaku.
"To think you could awaken that power, Fugaku… I truly underestimated you."
Orochimaru muttered to himself, while silently releasing a few white snakes to gather fresh blood and flesh from the battlefield.
Konoha and Kumogakure's war had already claimed countless lives—including rare kekkei genkai users with Swift Release, Storm Release, and even deceased members of the Hyūga and Uchiha clans.
To Orochimaru, these bodies were precious resources—not just for research, but as raw material for Edo Tensei.
Hmm, though their souls had already been taken by the Soul Society's Shinigami, Orochimaru seemed unaware of this fact.
While the battle raged on, he continued his grotesque scavenging—having his snakes rip off limbs here, pluck out eyeballs there.
"Hmm? A complete three-tomoe Sharingan?"
His eyes lit up with delight. One of the white snakes slithered closer, prepared to gouge the eye out. But after glancing around and confirming no one had noticed, Orochimaru changed his mind.
The white snake opened its jaws wide and swallowed the entire Uchiha corpse whole.
"Heh heh… jackpot."
As the white snake began retreating—
Suddenly—darkness.
Orochimaru's shared vision through the snake went black.
And when it returned—
A figure had grabbed the snake.
Draped in a white captain's haori, standing tall and calm… someone Orochimaru recognized all too well.
Tsunade.
His eyes narrowed as he took in her familiar features—and the insignia on her back.
Then, slowly, a knowing smile curled across his face.
His tongue slid across his lips.
"Well, well. I didn't think you'd join Soul Society, Tsunade… Become a Shinigami.
Isn't that betrayal? Of Konoha?"
Tsunade's tone was calm and cutting.
"Didn't you also leave the village and join the Akatsuki?"
Two former Sannin. Two of the strongest shinobi in Konoha's history—now standing on opposite sides of the battlefield, representing entirely different powers.
What a poetic kind of tragedy. And of course, only Konoha could produce something this absurd.
Their eyes locked in the air—charged, tense.
After a long moment, Orochimaru gave a relaxed smile.
"It's been a few years, hasn't it? You're not here just for a class reunion, are you?"
"Hardly. I never cared for reunions. And frankly, I don't care to see you again.
But someone else has always had… an interest in you."
Tsunade's voice lowered slightly.
"He thought you'd show up in Kirigakure. Especially after you sent your disciples ahead.
But to see you join Akatsuki instead… That'll definitely cause problems when he finds out."
Orochimaru gave a theatrical shrug.
"It wasn't part of the plan. But Yoru-kun's research into souls… I couldn't ignore that.
Unfortunately, things change. And at the time, joining Akatsuki was the only option.
Besides, they have their own set of… resources."
"Temporarily, you mean?"
Tsunade let out a cold snort.
"You've never had an ounce of loyalty in you, Orochimaru."
"Come now," Orochimaru replied, smiling wickedly, "You and I both left Konoha. Our loyalties left with us, didn't they?
The only one I've ever been loyal to… is myself."
"Don't lump me in with garbage like you."
A violent gust tore through the forest.
It wasn't natural—it was the shockwave from Tsunade's thunderous stomp, as she exploded forward in a blur of speed.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Having fought alongside Tsunade for many years, Orochimaru knew exactly what kind of power she wielded—
And now that she had joined Soul Society and become a Shinigami, she was even more dangerous.
Almost the instant she charged forward, Orochimaru raised his hand and unleashed a torrent of massive venomous snakes, completely sealing off the path ahead of her.
But in the blink of an eye—
One of the giant snakes pounced—.
BANG!!
It was torn to pieces, shredded by an overwhelming burst of power.
In that same instant, Tsunade had already closed the distance.
She appeared right in front of Orochimaru, whose hands were still forming seals—
And her fist came crashing down.
BOOM!!
A single punch.
Orochimaru's body slammed into the ground like a sack of broken flesh. Limbs twisted, bones shattered, blood mixing with shattered rock and scorched dirt—he looked like a pile of ruined meat.
But Tsunade wasn't surprised.
In the very next moment—
A slimy, unharmed Orochimaru slithered out from the mouth of a giant snake, already weaving hand seals.
His chakra surged.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Fire gaining might from wind, wind aiding the fire's momentum!
The two ninjutsu converged and merged under Orochimaru's vast chakra, forming a terrifying fiery tornado that instantly engulfed Tsunade.
At the same time, Orochimaru's hands quickly formed hand signs, and with a wide open mouth, countless snakes surged forth, rushing towards the fiery tornado.
In just a brief moment, Orochimaru had mounted an absolute counterattack against his old teammate.
However.
"Still using the same old tricks, huh, Orochimaru?"
A fierce gale roared out, accompanied by Tsunade's soft snort, directly shattering the swirling fiery tornado and the snake swarm.
Tsunade walked out unharmed, her white haori fluttering in the wind, the character '四' (Shi, meaning 'four') on her back strikingly prominent under the lingering firelight.
"Incredible. So your strength, your durability—has all been enhanced… by your so-called soul power?"
He stared at the symbol on her haori and knew exactly what it meant.
Fourth Division Captain
That put her on par with the man he had clashed with not long ago—Sixth Division Captain, Hōzuki Gengetsu, the Second Mizukage.
"In that case…"
He licked his lips again—and bit into his finger.
Tsunade's gaze sharpened. She recognized the motion instantly.
She didn't raise her hand to bite her own finger.
Instead, her palm settled on the hilt of the Zanpakutō at her waist.
"So… becoming a Shinigami means you can no longer use chakra to summon, huh?"
Orochimaru slammed his palm to the ground.
"Well then. Let's see what your new powers can do.
Summoning Jutsu! Come forth—Manda!"
BOOM!!
A cloud of smoke burst outward—then, towering into the sky, a massive serpent striped in violet thundered into view.
But Tsunade frowned.
This Manda… was different.
The original would've cursed Orochimaru by now, taunting him. But this one was silent—and strangely obedient.
It also had four limbs, like some hybrid between a serpent and a dragon.
"To be precise, this is Manda II," Orochimaru said coolly, noticing her expression.
"I revived his cells through biochemical manipulation. Enhanced his strength, speed, sensory range—he surpasses the original in every way."
"All thanks to your precious Sixth Division Captain, the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu."
"So that's what happened…"
Tsunade hadn't fought Gengetsu personally, but she could imagine it well.
Against that kind of endless detonation, the original Manda never stood a chance.
"Now then, Tsunade—show me your power."
Orochimaru stood atop Manda II's head, tongue flicking, pupils gleaming with fervor.
"The power of a Shinigami."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
"…Since you're so eager to see it, then fine.
Feel it for yourself."
She exhaled and reached for her blade.
Her hand gripped the hilt of her Zanpakutō.
"This is my release."
"Shikai…"