In the darkness of night, regular Konoha jonin led the wounded ahead while elite jonin guarded the rear as they quickly retreated toward their base.
From the back of the formation, Choza looked behind toward the camp and said worriedly, "Is it really safe for Fugaku and the other two to be covering our retreat?"
Tsume Inuzuka added, "Don't even mention Kitsuchi and Han—other Iwa jonin aren't weak either. If they get caught in a fight, it'll be hard to escape. If I remember right, the Third Raikage was worn down and killed by Iwagakure!"
As everyone expressed concern, Shikaku tried calming them down. "Fugaku isn't someone who acts recklessly without thinking. Since he distributed the tasks this way, there must be absolute confidence behind it."
Thinking about how successful this attack had been thanks to Fugaku's plan, everyone felt slightly reassured and nodded in agreement.
Just at this moment, suddenly they all felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding. Moments later, flames and smoke once again rose into the sky from the direction of Iwagakure's main camp.
"That was just a Sharingan technique! I won't look into your eyes…"
Suddenly remembering what Nobusuke had said at that high-level meeting, everyone couldn't help but think how much he'd regret those words if he saw this now.
They were already nearly a kilometer away from Iwagakure's main camp. Without even seeing Fugaku's eyes, they could still feel a cold dread settle deep in their bones.
What would such terror feel like up close?
[Murderous Gaze] Fugaku?! Could this truly be Fugaku's real power?!
All the Konoha ninja fleeing immediately halted their steps and turned around in horror, looking back toward Iwagakure's main camp in shock.
Shikaku exhaled and then gave a dry chuckle. "Now you guys don't need to worry anymore, right?"
Hearing this, Choza shook his head repeatedly. "No worries now! No worries at all!"
Tsume also said, "Let's go, let's go! I actually worried about such a monster!"
With that, he leapt onto Grayfang, his greyhound-sized dog—only for Grayfang to crash down under his weight.
"Grayfang, what's wrong with you? Weren't you so brave earlier?"
"Woof! Woof!"
After communicating with Grayfang, Tsume realized that Grayfang's legs had been trembling out of fear. He muttered in disbelief, "Damn it! You're more scared than me!"
Shaking his head, Tsume hoisted Grayfang onto his shoulder and followed after the retreating group.
...
Using the ocean of flames created by [Great Fireball Technique] as cover, Fugaku and the others instantly evacuated from Iwagakure's main camp.
Aozora and Shisui protected Fugaku on either side, vigilantly watching for any potential ambushes.
At this moment, Fugaku's Mangekyou had reverted back to the Three Tomoe Sharingan. The piercing intensity in his eyes had faded, and the tears flowing down his face from his nose bridge were slowly drying.
Concerned, Aozora asked, "Clan Leader, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine… Just can't use the Mangekyou Dojutsu again so soon!" Fugaku answered, clearly out of breath.
Clearly, using such a massive genjutsu—one so powerful it felt like a natural disaster—had drained him badly.
Afterward, Fugaku intended to wipe off the bloodstains on his face, but Aozora quickly stopped him. "Clan Leader, don't wipe! These are your medals of honor!"
Fugaku frowned. It was the Uchiha way to hide their injuries and project an image of invincibility.
Aozora quickly explained to Fugaku, "Leaving behind bloodstains shows the heavy cost we paid covering the retreat. This will help other ninja appreciate the clan leader's grace and also make everyone recognize both your strength and Iwagakure's might."
Fugaku and Shisui got the first part, but the second confused them slightly.
Seeing their puzzled expressions, Aozora elaborated, "If Iwagakure hadn't retreated, the subsequent war with them might have dragged on for a long time. If other ninja misjudged your abilities during that period, it could create serious consequences.
For example, they might think you can use [Mangekyou Dojutsu] without any cost, which would lead them to frequently ask you to confront Kitsuchi and Han.
If you agree, repeatedly using [Mangekyou Dojutsu] will gradually make you blind.
But if you refuse, those ninja might think you're disregarding the lives of your own comrades."
After hearing this, Fugaku paused in thought, then gave a slight nod.
As they neared the Konoha ninja ahead, Aozora made one final suggestion, "Clan Leader, I recommend distributing all the credit evenly among everyone..."
Before Aozora could finish, Fugaku snorted and said, "I've been head of the Police Force for many years—do I really need you to teach me how to handle these matters?"
Aozora responded with an awkward smile, acknowledging this advice was indeed unnecessary.
As they talked, the three spotted Ino-Shika-Cho and other jonin trailing behind.
When Nara Shikaku and others saw Aozora's group approaching, they slowed their pace slightly, waiting for Aozora's team to draw alongside.
When they drew closer and saw the bloodstains on Fugaku's face and his weary eyes, a deep sense of gratitude filled everyone.
Choza stepped forward in concern, asking, "Fugaku, are you okay?"
Fugaku replied expressionlessly, "I'm fine!"
Hearing Fugaku's cold words, everyone gained a new understanding of Fugaku and the Uchiha clan.
So that was it—the Uchiha weren't just cold on the surface; they masked compassion with pride and cruelty.
After joining together, this group of Konoha ninja soon reached their Konoha outpost.
After verifying identities, the outpost commander—covered in wounds—eagerly ushered Fugaku's team inside.
Seeing leading elite jonin like Fugaku and Shikaku, he cried out with tears, "We've finally been saved! The village never abandoned us!"
Other ninja at the outpost also displayed excitement on their faces.
Such swift reinforcements had saved their lives.
Fugaku encouraged them briefly before continuing, "We heard news about Iwagakure attacking the border, so we rushed here nonstop—but still arrived a little late."
As the commander waved his hand denying this, Fugaku continued, "However, we avenged our fallen comrades. Before coming here, we carried out a sudden strike on Iwagakure's main camp, killing over a hundred Iwa ninja. We've collected at least some retribution for our fallen brothers!"
Though Fugaku spoke calmly, his words shocked the dozen or so injured ninjas within the outpost.
The commander asked excitedly, "So those explosions coming from Iwagakure's direction earlier were your doing?"
Fugaku nodded and calmly stated, "We broke through their frontline camp. If not for Kitsuchi and Han reacting quickly, we could've wiped out their entire main camp by now!"
After Fugaku confirmed this, many Konoha ninja within the outpost couldn't help shedding tears—they'd lost close friends to Iwagakure's invasion.
They tearfully thanked the jonin who led the raid.
"Thank you, honorable sirs! Lisha can finally rest in peace!"
"I'm thanking you on behalf of Nobu!"
"Guangzhao, the jonin lords have avenged you!"
"…"
Fugaku noticed that nearly everyone at the outpost looked worn out, so he ordered all the stationed personnel to return and rest while he took over command.
After completing the shift change, Fugaku gathered the elite jonin who had participated in this raid.
"Shikaku, what's our casualty report?" Fugaku asked first.
Shikaku had already begun tallying figures on the way back, so he answered without hesitation: "A total of 83 jonin joined the raid. Three jonin were killed, nine sustained serious injuries, and the rest suffered minor wounds of varying degrees."
As soon as Shikaku finished speaking, the elite jonin present looked at one another in surprise.
It wasn't because the losses were heavy—but shockingly light.
Such a dangerous mission had only cost three lives, with just nine seriously injured. Compared to the expected danger level, these casualty figures indeed seemed unbelievable.
As participants in the actual raid, they initially estimated Iwagakure had lost hundreds of genin and chunin, plus several jonin killed in the attack.
Though everyone had thought Fugaku's surprise attack plan sounded promising from the start,
when they actually achieved such incredible success, they still felt stunned—like they were caught in a dream.
At that moment Aozora chimed in: "Genius plan to secure the realm!"
Shisui was momentarily taken aback. After racking his brain for something appropriate to say, he simply echoed: "Genius plan to secure the realm!"
Inspired by Aozora's playful praise, everyone snapped back to reality and began expressing their admiration with laughter.
The flattery made Fugaku feel delighted, but knowing the strategy hadn't originated from him, he didn't let it go to his head.
He said sincerely, "The success of this raid came entirely from all your effort and courage! I'll petition for commendations on your behalf, especially ensuring maximum benefits and compensation for the families of those three fallen jonin."
Upon hearing those words, every elite jonin there was more convinced than ever.
After pushing themselves nonstop for three straight days and jumping right into the raid, everyone showed clear signs of exhaustion once victory was secured.
Seeing this, Fugaku arranged the night watch rotation before dismissing them all to rest.
Soon after, only Fugaku, Shisui, and Aozora remained in the outpost hall.
Just as Fugaku was about to tell both of them to go rest too, Aozora asked, "Clan Leader, how bad was the damage to your eyes from testing the Mangekyou today?"
Fugaku answered, "Whenever we use [Mangekyou Dojutsu], our eyesight inevitably deteriorates—it can't be helped. After all, mortal eyes struggle to withstand divine power!"
Hearing this, Shisui nodded in agreement. Whether it was [Kotoamatsukami]'s ability to secretly manipulate others' consciousness or the fear-inducing power of Fugaku's dojutsu, neither seemed like abilities humans should possess.
Aozora pondered briefly before asking, "So, may I understand this as follows—each usage of the Mangekyou causes permanent eye damage because the eyes cannot bear its dojutsu strength?"
Fugaku lowered his head slightly in thought before replying, "That could very well be true!"
Aozora asked, "Then why not develop a Secret Jutsu to enhance the power of our eyes?"
Fugaku stared at Aozora in disbelief, as if questioning whether that absurd question had really come from him.
Seeing this, Aozora explained with a shrug, "I get it already—that's more trouble than it's worth."
Fugaku nodded. "Exactly. Developing a Secret Jutsu for Eye Enhancement is extremely difficult and highly dangerous. Even among the Uchiha, a Mangekyou doesn't awaken once every hundred years. Besides, blindness caused by the Mangekyou isn't unavoidable..."
At this, he suddenly realized he had let something slip and immediately shut his mouth.
Shisui stared at Fugaku in shock and urgently asked, "Clan Leader, are you saying there's actually a way to avoid blindness from the Mangekyou?"
After the battle at that gambling den, his vision had already begun deteriorating slightly, although it hadn't yet affected his abilities—but still, he now felt a sense of crisis.
Hearing this, Fugaku shook his head firmly. "No!"
In fact, the clan's secret history did record Madara Uchiha's story, including how he transplanted another Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan and never again suffered blindness.
If Shisui and Aozora weren't brothers, he might have been tempted to tell them. But since they were close siblings, he feared that revealing this might lead to an unbearable tragedy.
Upon hearing this, Shisui fell silent. But Aozora chimed in with a smirk, "Clan Leader, just because we haven't found one yet doesn't mean we won't find one in the future. Once I develop this Secret Jutsu for Eye Enhancement, none of you will need to fear blindness anymore—perhaps your dojutsu might even become stronger as a result!"
His main reason for bringing this up was to lay some groundwork, letting Fugaku and Shisui know he was researching in this area so that later, at the right time, he could pass on the cultivation method for the [Yin Yang Eye].
Of course, Aozora naturally knew there was another way to eliminate the Mangekyou's side effects—Hashirama's Cells—but he thought this method was unreliable.
"I never really studied biology," he mused, "and everyone's body is different; there's no guarantee injecting Hashirama's Cells into Fugaku or Shisui wouldn't cause other unexpected mutations."
Moreover, those who received Hashirama's Cells in the canon story ended up becoming quite strange—no longer entirely normal people. This was unacceptable to Aozora, especially due to his obsession with physical appearance.
When both Fugaku and Shisui heard about Aozora wanting to develop a jutsu for strengthening their eyes, they showed no happiness whatsoever.
Fugaku said sternly, "Aozora, I know you're a genius, but I forbid you from recklessly experimenting with such jutsu, especially not using your own eyes!"
And Shisui added a warning, "Don't go fooling around with stupid techniques! I'd rather lose my sight myself than see you hurt yourself!"
Under their intense stares, Aozora could only reluctantly nod. "Okay, fine..."
Later, Aozora muttered softly, "I do have some connections with Tsunade-sama... If anything really happens to my eyes..."
"Absolutely not!" ×2
Hearing this, Aozora shrugged. Like he needed their approval anyway. Finished that 'research' ages ago!
After promising them everything would be okay, Aozora didn't go to sleep immediately. Instead, he took out a sheet of letter paper and began writing furiously.
The Warzone Correspondent, Aozora, is now online!
Soon after, two hawks flew out separately from Konoha's outpost and Iwagakure's main camp. Then, a Maneki-neko (lucky money-attracting cat) took hold of Aozora's fabricated war report.
The next day, the sun rose as usual!
Iwagakure's main camp.
The sky had barely lightened when Kitsuchi led the Rock Ninja in repairing the main encampment. Even these hardened warriors, whose hearts were normally as solid as stone, could not suppress an uneasy feeling while looking upon the hellish scene.
By dawn, the Iwagakure camp had already been restored by Rock Ninja skilled in [Earth Release] techniques. Yet standing on the empty grounds, all of them felt a chilling emptiness deep in their hearts.
Kitsuchi clenched his teeth and spat, "Konoha! This grudge will never be forgiven!"
He completely ignored the fact that it was Iwagakure who had started this war.
Konoha outpost.
After grabbing a quick bite at the outpost, 35 Jonin immediately headed back to their village.
News that Konoha was vulnerable had quickly spread across the ninja world after yesterday's sudden attack. To prevent opportunistic strikes against Konoha, they needed to return as soon as possible.
The remaining 45 Jonin wouldn't stay indefinitely on the front line either. Once reinforcements from the northwest arrived, many among them would escort the wounded back to Konoha.
After seeing Shisui off, Aozora returned to his tent and sat cross-legged, summoning forth the Heavenly Book.
Golden droplets had continuously appeared and vanished from the Heavenly Book yesterday. At the time, he had simply ignored them, but now he finally had the time to take stock.
Floating above the ancient-looking Heavenly Book were six golden droplets, slowly flowing about.
"Heh! Not bad, considering!"
Yesterday alone, he had killed at least seven or eight Rock Ninja, and previously led countless [Fire Release] techniques.
If killing enemy Rock Ninja directly awarded golden droplets, there should have already been well over a hundred on the book by now.
Since there were only six, combined with past feedback from the book, Aozora became more convinced that these golden droplets were some kind of positive energy similar to "Gongde"—the spiritual merit gained through righteous deeds.
The mechanism seemed to be this: killing evildoers earned golden droplets, as did doing good deeds, while killing innocent people would deplete existing droplets.
What consequences might arise from killing a good person without any golden droplets left remained unknown.
Of course, Aozora had no desire to find out firsthand.
With Iwagakure suffering heavy losses and Konoha needing to wait for reinforcements, the border region of the Land of Fire fell silent after several days of constant warfare.
Meanwhile, both Konoha and Iwagakure villages were stirred up by intelligence coming from the northwestern border region of the Land of Fire.
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