Although he thought that, the Totsuka Blade wasn't something that could be easily found. Orochimaru had searched tirelessly for it, yet found no trace. When he finally found the Totsuka Blade he had yearned for, it was on his enemy.
Based on Fumori masaki's conjecture, the whereabouts of the Totsuka Blade should be in the Uchiha clan's archives. For Itachi Uchiha, a rogue ninja who was also on a spy mission for the Akatsuki, the possibility of accidentally finding the Totsuka Blade was extremely low.
—Once the war is over, I'll have a good discussion about this with Kagami.
Fumori masaki pondered this in his heart. Meanwhile, Uchiha Kagami's experiences during that time allowed him to reveal some information about Black Zetsu. Previously, he had always struggled with no one understanding the truth; even if he spoke about it, he might be dismissed as a joke.
However, Uchiha Kagami had now personally witnessed Black Zetsu's existence, and Fumori masaki also knew that Kagami had learned from Madara the reason for leaving Konoha Village. With these pieces of information, he should be able to provide some evidence for Black Zetsu's existence that others would believe. What one sees with their own eyes is always easier to believe.
Once more people knew about these secrets, Fumori masaki would no longer be fighting Black Zetsu alone. It wouldn't be so easy for Black Zetsu to fish in troubled waters anymore. No matter how elusive Black Zetsu was, as more and more people searched for it, it would become like a turtle in a jar, eventually caught.
Moreover, Fumori masaki could also choose to formulate a plan with others to lure Black Zetsu out and then decisively eliminate this threat. From then on, Kaguya Otsutsuki would absolutely never be revived. Ordinary people would never choose to revive such an entity. The ninja world would usher in an era of peace. Even if there were problems, they would be entirely issues among humans themselves, a different matter from legendary gods like Kaguya.
As Fumori masaki thought, he made his initial endorsements on the investigation list provided by the Anbu. Those with clear evidence after investigation were arrested and sent back to Konoha Village for imprisonment and trial. Those without clear evidence, who were merely suspects, were suspended pending further notice. Those with neither evidence nor suspicion, but only a connection, were reinstated to their original positions.
Aside from Uchiha Setsuna's faction, Fumori masaki also took this opportunity to clean out some of the cancerous elements that had emerged in the village during its peaceful development. In the past, it was difficult to apprehend them due to their lack of obvious actions, but the Anbu and the Military Police Force had provided evidence. This opportunity was perfect for catching these individuals.
With such a thorough reorganization of the entire force, its combat effectiveness would undoubtedly improve, and the efficiency of the entire village would increase, Fumori masaki thought. Although the previous counterattack plan had been halted, it should play a decisive role in the upcoming plans.
Fumori masaki could vaguely see the dawn of resolving the conflict with Sunagakure. Regarding this, he began issuing orders to the Anbu operating within the Land of Wind. The moment the front-line operations showed a glimmer of hope would be the time for them to create chaos from behind.
Next, Fumori masaki wrote another secret order, which was relayed by the Anbu to the prisoner-of-war camp. It was time for these captured Sunagakure ninja to be activated.
After dealing with Sunagakure, the next target would be Kirigakure. Iwagakure was a tough nut to crack. Instead of taking the initiative, it would be better to slowly wear them down. After dealing with the two easier ones, they could focus on Iwagakure.
Of course, if Onoki were to come to his senses and persuade the Daimyo to abandon this war, it would also be a good option for Fumori masaki. Seeing Iwagakure's performance in this war, he realized that it would be impossible to suppress the Land of Earth through this ninja world war, so ending the war quickly would be more advantageous.
However, seeing Onoki's stubborn demeanor, Fumori masaki had a bad premonition. This person might not give up so easily. His advice to Onoki was sincere; if Onoki continued down this path, he truly wouldn't have a good ending in the future.
Given Onoki's performance in the Fourth Great Ninja War in the original story, Fumori masaki was willing to give Onoki a good ending.
But if he remained unrepentant, Fumori masaki, as the leader of Konoha Village, naturally couldn't protect him at the expense of his own village's interests.
Regardless, the focus now remained on the war with Sunagakure. Fumori masaki only needed to keep the Land of Earth occupied.
As the Hokage's orders reached every camp, the Anbu responsible for interrogations and the Konoha ninja responsible for supervision, based on the evidence collected and the Hokage's orders, apprehended the suspects. They applied sealing jutsu to them and sent them back to the village for trial.
Some who vociferously claimed their innocence were unwilling to accept, so the Anbu took strong measures to control them, warning that any uncooperative behavior would be very detrimental during the interrogation. For those who resisted despite knowing this, the Anbu naturally showed no mercy and would also record it in their report.
Among them, Uchiha clan members who truly had deep ties to Uchiha Setsuna and had committed acts of betrayal felt that they wouldn't receive good treatment upon returning, preferring to fight to the death. Smelling the wind before the Anbu began their arrests, they immediately started to flee. Of course, escaping within the entire Konoha camp was an action with a very low success rate.
The outcome was unequivocal. Those who attempted to escape had already been under close surveillance and were all captured before they could even leave the Konoha camp. For individuals with such clear acts of betrayal, there was no possibility of leniency; they were directly marked for execution.
After reporting, to completely cut off their chances of escape, the Anbu had members of the Hyuga clan sever their chakra pathways, leaving them to merely linger in prison. If it weren't for the need for clear judicial procedures, requiring a formal trial before execution, they would have already lost their lives.
Of course, those who were directly executed during the escape process for resisting arrest were another matter. For these Uchiha clan members, such a death might have been more immediate and less painful than enduring the torment of failure and suffering in prison, only to face a public trial and death sentence later.
These individuals tried every possible way to commit suicide. However, after the previous escape incident, the Anbu showed only basic mercy towards these de facto death row inmates. Even non-Anbu Konoha ninja had no sympathy for them. After being given drugs that rendered them powerless, they could do nothing but feel pain and regret.
As the saying goes, 'killing a chicken to scare the monkeys,' the treatment of these individuals sent a chill down the spines of all those under investigation. Someone told them that if they were truly innocent, the village would conduct a fair trial and later clear their names. Everything would return to normal, and they would even receive some compensation. But if there were indeed acts of betrayal, there would be no leniency. The choice was theirs.
No matter what their intentions were, at least after that escape incident, no one under investigation resisted. This made the Anbu's work easier. According to the Hokage's orders, traitors and suspects were either sent back or suspended, while others were released.
To everyone's surprise, Uchiha Ken, the adopted son of the mastermind Uchiha Setsuna, was also among those released. Logically, he should have had the deepest relationship with Uchiha Setsuna. How could he not be part of the anti-village faction?
Whether it was luck or something else, Uchiha Setsuna had always played the role of a good person in the past, primarily plotting with his peers. To prevent the young Uchiha Ken from accidentally exposing them, he hadn't involved Uchiha Ken too much in their schemes, and this very action saved his life.
When Uchiha Ken walked out of the temporary interrogation room, his complexion was unexpectedly pale. He looked up, shielding his eyes unaccustomed to the light. During the interrogation, he had barely seen the sun. Although the Anbu adhered to Fumori masaki's policy, their organizational nature dictated that they were not a gentle organization. Moreover, when dealing with trained ninja, to get what they wanted without resorting to coercive mental intrusion methods like those of the Yamanaka clan, they couldn't be too gentle.
Upon hearing the news of Uchiha Ken's release, his teammates Fujimura Yuki and another female teammate, Kurihara Kana, came to greet him. The moment they saw Uchiha Ken, they seemed to personally feel the torment he had endured. As teammates who had carried out missions together for a long time, they naturally felt indignant, especially since Uchiha Ken was found innocent.
However, when they thought about the cause of the incident and its consequences, they seemed unable to criticize the Anbu's rough methods. In this matter, caution was paramount. If they inadvertently missed something, it could lead to another incident like Uchiha Setsuna's. The Anbu was also working to maintain the security of the ninja village.
"Come, Ken, we'll take you back to rest and find a medical ninja to check on you," Fujimura Yuki stepped forward, his tone and demeanor somewhat stiff, unsure how to express himself.
Although Kurihara Kana also knew some medical ninjutsu, she understood that Uchiha Ken needed not physical healing, but psychological healing. This was not something found in traditional medical ninjutsu, and only a few people in the Medical Department specialized in psychological medicine, which was not her expertise.
To cope with the demands of the war, Fumori masaki had already dispatched some accomplished psychological medical ninja to the front lines, but they were in relatively safe, rear areas. To undergo psychological treatment meant leaving the front lines.
However, Uchiha Ken, even if released, would need time to regain trust and be given important assignments again. Kurihara Kana felt it would be good for Uchiha Ken to get some proper rest. Over the years, she had felt that Uchiha Ken's nerves seemed particularly taut, perhaps due to his childhood experiences.
"No need, just let me get some good rest," Uchiha Ken said. Although he had drunk water, his voice still held a hint of dryness.
Fujimura Yuki and Kurihara Kana exchanged glances. Knowing they couldn't offer much comfort, they took him back to the camp, planning to let him sleep first. They believed Uchiha Ken hadn't rested well in the interrogation room, which was indeed true. Causing mental fatigue was also a method of coercion; both body and mind would relax, making it easier for the Anbu to use genjutsu induction.
As the three entered the camp, Uchiha Ken could clearly feel the gazes from those around him. After hearing the news of Uchiha Setsuna's death, his Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyo Sharingan. It wasn't that entering the Mangekyo Sharingan state instantly brought a qualitative leap in strength. While the new dōjutsu provided power that allowed for stronger attacks than before, overall strength might not necessarily increase significantly.
Sasuke Uchiha quickly evolved his eyes to the eternally blind Mangekyo Sharingan, but in his battle with the Sage Mode Kabuto, his performance was no better than Itachi, who only had the Mangekyo Sharingan. Compared to him with only the Mangekyo Sharingan, his only advantage was perhaps longer stamina.
Why was this the case? Because the rapid advancement of the Sharingan's stage prevented Sasuke Uchiha from properly adapting to its power and integrating it well with his own abilities. In contrast, Itachi Uchiha had spent nearly eight years researching the Mangekyo Sharingan and had fully adapted to its power.
This is also why Itachi Uchiha was already able to fight using the third stage of Susanoo, while Sasuke, who had blinded his Mangekyo Sharingan, was still only in the second stage of Susanoo. It was only during a sudden burst before his blindness that the third stage of Susanoo briefly appeared.
For someone who has just awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, its greatest purpose isn't to bring immense power, but to once again raise one's own power ceiling, offering greater potential to pursue higher levels of strength.
Uchiha Ken's senses were now more acute than before. He could feel the astonished glances from the people around him. Even though he had been released, his experience of being investigated, and his identity as Uchiha Setsuna's adopted son, would cause those around him to look at him with strange eyes.
Not to mention ordinary Konoha ninja, even members of the Uchiha clan itself felt this way. As the three advanced, they happened to encounter Asuna and others coming out. Among them, Mizuki's father, Uchiha Kagami, had been manipulated by Uchiha Setsuna. As the daughter of the aggrieved party, even though she once felt sympathy for Uchiha Ken, she couldn't help but become cold due to misplaced anger.
However, after some time, Mizuki's attitude wasn't as sharp as when she first heard the news. She just turned her head away. Asuna, seeing this, said nothing, and didn't even engage Uchiha Ken and his companions in conversation. But in Uchiha Ken's eyes, he subconsciously felt that the other person also despised him in their heart.
The power of the Sharingan originates from love, yet it gives rise to negative emotions. The Mangekyo Sharingan further alters the brain structure of its wielder, deepening these negative emotions. This is the dark side of the Sharingan's bloodline limit.
Even though he knew that the other party's coldness was understandable, Uchiha Ken was shocked to find that a deep-seated hatred for others' attitudes suddenly sprouted within him.