Uchiha Fugaku had won the Hokage election and was now the sole candidate for Konoha's Fifth Hokage. Under the urging of the fervent Uchiha faction, he even moved directly into the Hokage Office, tossing all the old guy's junk into the trash.
Of course, this didn't mean Fugaku had officially become Hokage just yet.
In this world, becoming a Kage required more than just a village's approval. It also needed the endorsement of the Daimyō. However, this step was generally a formality.
Three days later, Uchiha Fugaku officially received the Daimyō's recognition and was formally instated as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha.
The news sent shockwaves through the entire shinobi world.
Everyone knew about Konoha's situation. This village, co-founded by Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, had gradually pushed the Uchiha clan out of the center of power after Madara's departure, especially under that white-haired Second Hokage who had suppressed the Uchiha relentlessly.
Now, with Uchiha Fugaku ascending to the position of Hokage, it was a public declaration to the world—the Uchiha had returned.
...
"The Fifth Hokage?!"
Kumogakure.
The Fourth Raikage read the intel in his hand, his eyes narrowing with fury. He slammed a fist down, instantly obliterating his recently replaced office desk.
His thick, calloused hand crumpled the intel in his grip, veins bulging with suppressed rage and unwillingness.
"Damn Kirigakure! If it weren't for the help from that damn Soul Society group, how could we have lost to Konoha?!"
"It's just a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan! There's no way he's as powerful as that Uchiha Madara from the past!"
"Fourth Raikage, calm down—those are Mangekyō Sharingan,"
An elderly advisor in the corner, a once-athletic old shinobi, spoke in a low voice, "We still have no effective countermeasures against genjutsu. Even if you can match Susano'o in direct combat, we have no way of countering the illusions of the Mangekyō."
"Exactly, Fourth Raikage. Though we lost to Konoha in that battle, our losses were minimal. Apart from Kirigakure, Kumogakure still has the strongest overall force in the shinobi world."
"Right, exactly! We just need to take things slow. As a Kage, patience is key."
The old jocks tried everything they could to calm the temperamental Raikage and persuade him to accept the current situation.
But how could the hot-blooded Fourth Raikage swallow his pride?
Kumogakure was powerful—two Tailed Beasts, countless elite shinobi—yet they ended the war so weakly, like scared mice. Wouldn't that make them the laughingstock of the entire shinobi world?
And if, in the end, they at least gained something—resources, spoils, anything—it would have been tolerable. But after the Third Great Ninja War and this most recent conflict, Kumogakure hadn't gained a single thing.
How could the Fourth Raikage possibly accept that?!
"No! This can't be the end! Absolutely not!"
The Raikage crushed the intel in his palm and shouted angrily, "Kumogakure cannot cower just because of a little Mangekyō Sharingan!"
"Genjutsu counters, right? Then we'll find a way to break genjutsu!"
"Um…"
The old jocks looked at each other helplessly.
Sure, they wanted a way to break genjutsu… but Kumogakure really didn't have one.
Kumo-nin specialized in Lightning Release—lethal, explosive, and unmatched in speed. Even a random Jonin from Kumogakure was a top-tier shinobi in the shinobi world.
Storm Release, Magnet Release—all powerful.
But when it came to genjutsu… well, they were basically muscle-heads…
"If Kumogakure doesn't have it, then does that mean the shinobi world doesn't have it either?!"
The Fourth Raikage's glare swept over the now-silent advisors. His temper flared.
So what if Kumo didn't have it? Then steal it. Take it. As long as it ends up in their hands, it becomes theirs!
"If we go with the Fourth's plan…" one of the old-timers, unable to endure the Raikage's rage, spoke cautiously, "During the early stages of the Third Great Ninja War, a Mist Jonin named Ao once managed to seize a Byakugan from the Hyūga clan's main family."
"Using that Byakugan, Kirigakure severely weakened Konoha's genjutsu units. Maybe we can follow a similar strategy…"
At that, the Fourth Raikage's eyes lit up.
The Byakugan—of course they knew its value. That dōjutsu had immense strategic potential on the battlefield. It allowed for long-distance reconnaissance and, more importantly, could detect chakra fluctuations. With that, they could observe whether their comrades were under genjutsu.
If Kumogakure had the Byakugan, then even if their ninja were caught in genjutsu, their teammates could interfere with their chakra and help them break free.
What? You're saying Mangekyō genjutsu can't be broken with ordinary methods?
Kumo doesn't care—they don't know that!
"Good. Our new objective is the Byakugan!"
The Fourth Raikage waved his hand, making the decision on the spot.
The other elders looked at each other, then at the "idea guy" who had suggested this. Their eyes practically said: You got us into this mess—now figure it out!
The poor idea guy was sweating bullets. Sure, everyone knew the Byakugan was great, but everyone also knew that the Hyūga clan guarded it like gold.
The Caged Bird Seal was infamous—it ensured that no Byakugan ever left the clan. After what happened in the Third War, the Hyūga main family no longer left Konoha, sending only the branch family to battle. Even if Kumo did manage to capture a Hyūga now, it would definitely be a branch member—useless.
But now that the Raikage had set his sights on it, the idea guy had no choice but to double down.
He racked his brain, his scalp tingling.
Finally, as the Raikage's gaze turned hostile, he shot up and exclaimed—
"I've got it!"
"Konoha protects the Byakugan fiercely—we'd never succeed in a frontal assault. But… what if we come at it sideways?"
Grinning, the idea guy launched into his pitch: "Since we lost the war, we'll need to sign a peace treaty with Konoha, right? As the losing side, going to Konoha to show our sincerity for peace is totally reasonable."
"At that point, under the pretext of signing the treaty, we launch a covert operation against the Hyūga and steal a Byakugan!"
"…" The other advisors couldn't take it anymore and growled, "That's insane! Whether it succeeds or fails, once exposed, it'll spark another war between Konoha and Kumo!"
"Not necessarily!"
The idea guy said confidently, "After our withdrawal, Konoha made no move to pursue. They only fortified the Land of Fire's borders. That clearly shows they don't want another fight."
"Even if they have the Mangekyō, can Uchiha Fugaku alone defeat the entire Kumogakure army? If we fail, we play dead—say it was a rogue faction or a misunderstanding. After all, we're going there to surrender and sign a treaty."
"But if we succeed…" His lips curled into a cold smile, "Then we fight."
"With no more genjutsu threats, and with Kumogakure's strength, what do we have to fear from a half-crippled Konoha?!"
The elders, who were about to chew him out, suddenly paused.
Come to think of it… it might actually work.
"Brilliant plan! Clever strategy! Excellent idea!"
The Fourth Raikage burst into laughter. "Everyone, what do you think?"
The old jocks glanced around—then nodded in unison.
"If this fails, we lose nothing. But if it works… Kumogakure will rise again!"
"Fourth Raikage, this plan is viable!"
"Excellent! Then let's do it. Find a time to tell Konoha we want to negotiate."
"Yes, Fourth Raikage!"
...
"Uchiha… Mangekyō…"
Iwagakure.
Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki floated in his office, staring out the window at the village.
Once, this stone-built village had been brimming with talent and might.
With Ōnoki wielding the Dust Release—superior even to most Kekkei Genkai—and holding two Tailed Beasts, the village had powerful bloodlines like Steel Release, Explosion Release, Lava Release… and no shortage of elite Jonin like Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi, Magma, and others.
They had it all.
But after the battle over the Box of Ultimate Bliss, this once-mighty stone had been shattered, fragmented beyond recognition.
From tens of thousands of shinobi, only a few thousand remained. The bloodline users and elite clans were wiped out. Both Tailed Beasts had been slain. Countless supplies lost. The national treasury bankrupt…
Now, Iwagakure was at rock bottom.
Ōnoki had done everything he could to stabilize the economy and hold the village together, but these losses couldn't be recovered in just a few years.
It would take at least a decade, maybe several, of buildup and stability.
But did they even have that kind of time?
Would the other great nations sit and watch as one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations became this vulnerable?
Ōnoki didn't know.
But there was one thing he did know:
Konoha, his village's nearly sworn enemy, had just placed a hawkish Uchiha in power.
"Uchiha…"
He murmured the name, eyes flashing with memory.
Decades ago, under another Uchiha's leadership, Konoha had dominated the shinobi world. Back then, Iwagakure had been forced to bow and pay tribute. Now, with another Uchiha in power…
"Am I to bow my head again, like I did decades ago?" Ōnoki clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.
He was unwilling.
But he had no choice.
In today's shinobi world:
Kirigakure, under Mizukage Yoru, was rising like a storm—its momentum reminiscent of early Konoha.
Kumogakure, though defeated, had retained its peak combat forces, Jinchūriki, and elite ninja.
Sunagakure had suffered heavily in the Third War, but with its closed-off policy, rich trade ties with Konoha and Kiri, and the resource-rich Fourth Kazekage, it was recovering rapidly.
And now… Konoha had the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Of the Five Great Nations, only Iwagakure had fallen.
Looking down at his village, Ōnoki—the old man who had never bowed to anyone—suddenly looked worn and weary. His stout form hunched slightly.
Bang!
The doors to the Tsuchikage Office burst open. Ōnoki didn't even need to look—there was only one person in the whole village who dared do that.
A young boy walked in, his long blond hair tied in the back. His blue-green eyes were lined with dark eyeliner. Though only four or five years old, he already looked strikingly mature.
"Hey, old man! Check out my latest work of art!"
"Oh?"
Ōnoki quickly suppressed his emotions and turned toward the boy with a teasing smile. "What little toy have you come up with this time?"
"Hmph, just watch!"
The blond boy huffed and dug into his pockets. After a moment of fiddling, he opened his hands to reveal a tiny pure-white clay spider.
"Ta-da! Behold the newest creation of this genius artist!"
"Hmmm, nice sculpting. Looks like you've been doing well in your pottery classes at the academy, Deidara."
"What the hell, you old fart! This isn't a clay doll! This is art! Whatever, I'll just let you experience the brilliance of my latest masterpiece!"
Fuming, Deidara's eyes gleamed mischievously. He tossed the little spider at Ōnoki.
Ōnoki casually caught it. "Not bad. I can sense a faint chakra flow. You actually used chakra for this? That's a lot of effort for a toy."
"It's not a toy—it's ART! ART!!"
Deidara shouted, "Watch closely! Hah!"
With that yell, Ōnoki suddenly sensed the chakra in the spider surge. A moment later—BOOM—the spider exploded in his hand.
The blast wasn't huge, but it left Ōnoki covered in soot. His office desk was shattered, scrolls and documents flying everywhere.
"HAHAHAHA! My art is perfect, isn't it, old man?! Huh?! Did you feel the greatness of my ar—"
Deidara didn't even get to finish his gloating.
He suddenly noticed the destroyed office, the scattered files, and most importantly—Ōnoki's increasingly dark expression.
He immediately turned and bolted.
"No time to chat! Gotta go to class! Later, old fart! Hmm!"
"DEIDARA!!!"
Ōnoki's furious roar echoed throughout the building.
But then, wiping the soot from his face, the old Tsuchikage found himself… smiling.
"At this age, to already develop this level of Explosion Release—and even create his own ninjutsu…"
"Deidara, you are the future of Iwagakure. The will of Iwagakure will not fall so easily!"