The Akatsuki had resurfaced—and this time, their target wasn't Konohagakure itself, but the Uchiha clan.
Under the command of Muren Uchiha, a squad of five launched the assault—or rather, one man, one puppet, and three unidentified creatures.
Kazuyama Gekkō was away from the village at the time, but the snakes he'd left behind alerted him. Relying on the Flying Thunder God Technique, he instantly returned, preventing the Uchiha from suffering even heavier losses.
Even so, over twenty members of the clan perished that night. By morning, the face of their leader, Fugaku Uchiha, was dark as thunder.
The enemy had attacked the Uchiha compound so brazenly, even stealing their Sharingan. It was pure mockery.
Even if the culprit was their legendary ancestor, Uchiha Madara, that didn't make it any less outrageous—after all, the current clan head was Fugaku Uchiha.
"That puppet—definitely Kabuto's handiwork. He's fused a Kekkei Genkai into it."
"But where the hell did that brat find Kakuzu's remains?"
"Puppet techniques mixed with Earth Grudge Fear... unbelievable. I've got to hand it to him."
Yes, the puppet was Kabuto's creation.
But it was no ordinary puppet. This one had transcended the limits of puppetry itself—it wielded Kakuzu's secret technique, Earth Grudge Fear. And since it was a puppet body, it had no heart, no vital point—its only weakness was the puppeteer.
That night, Kabuto had hidden himself extremely well. Without Kazuyama Gekkō's arrival—and his Sage Chakra sensory ability—he might never have been discovered.
"As for those inhuman things," Kazuyama mused, "they're probably one of Madara's contingencies."
"Their power exceeded my expectations, but with Earth Grudge Fear in play, they can churn out as many of those stitched-together abominations as they want."
The battle that night was brutal. To contain the chaos, Kazuyama deployed a Crystal Prison Barrier outside the village, trapping the three monsters inside. He then summoned several Tailed Beasts for assistance while maintaining the barrier himself.
He didn't join the fight directly—he wanted to observe their real combat power. And what he saw matched his expectations.
The three Tailed Beasts—Rōshi, Yugito, and Kokuō—handled the battle well. Though bringing Kokuō felt like overkill, the others relied on sheer experience to win.
Kokuō, however, was furious. Kazuyama had forbidden them from using Tailed Beast Bombs, leaving Kokuō to rely solely on Boil Release and brute strength.
Taking on a stitched monster armed with both the Sharingan and Rinnegan that way? Nearly impossible.
"Hmph. Don't remind me. Just thinking about that night pisses me off."
"Makes me want to find myself a Jinchūriki!"
Kokuō's irritated growl sent the others into laughter. It was the first time anyone had ever heard a Tailed Beast volunteer to have a host.
Tailed Beasts were powerful, but their sheer size was often a hindrance. In high-level battles, size didn't matter—skill and experience did.
"Alright, enough talk. You guys rest up," Kazuyama said. "I'll take my kids back to Konoha for now, then I'll resume the Akatsuki hunt."
...
A few days later, Konohagakure.
"You bastard! You actually remembered to come back?"
"Do you have any idea what happened after that mess? Fugaku quit his post—he's been sitting outside the Uchiha compound every day sharpening his sword. I'm too scared to even go near him!"
The moment Minato Namikaze heard that Kazuyama had returned, he grabbed him and unleashed a storm of complaints.
Who could blame him? Being Hokage was hell.
"What do you expect me to do?"
"The Uchiha took heavy losses. That's on you, Hokage. Complaining to me won't fix it."
Kazuyama brushed him off. He wasn't the Hokage—none of this was his problem.
Still, the Uchiha had suffered badly. Half their compound was destroyed, and most of their elites were gone. No wonder Fugaku was acting like a man ready to explode.
"Yeah, that's not even the worst part," Minato sighed. "You know Fugaku only managed to stabilize things by suppressing a faction of his own people. After this disaster, he's terrified they'll rebel again."
"But I'll say this—your two disciples are something else. Add Fugaku, and that's three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan. You should've seen the village elders' faces—especially Homura and Koharu. Their jaws dropped wide enough to fit a whole watermelon."
During the night of the attack, the wave of deaths had finally pushed Fugaku to his limit. His Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened in full.
The Uchiha clan head had faced off against his own ancestor in a battle that lit the sky on fire.
And when those inhuman monsters appeared, Obito Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha both unleashed their powers too.
It was thanks to those three standing at the front that the Uchiha hadn't been wiped out entirely.
"Tch. Mangekyō or not, the enemy's clearly marked the Uchiha for extermination. You think those old geezers are still worried about a rebellion?"
"Relax. But you're right—I should check in on Fugaku."
"He ought to thank me, honestly. If I hadn't arrived when I did, their whole compound would've been rubble."
"Oh, and by the way, both my kids are entering the Chūnin Exams. Help me file the paperwork, will you?"
With that, Kazuyama disappeared in a flash—the Flying Thunder God working smooth as ever.
As for Minato, he just sighed. He'd long since grown used to this. Getting angry at Kazuyama wasn't worth it.
...
The Uchiha compound had already been rebuilt. But just as Minato had said, at the front stood a small shack labeled "Duty Room."
Inside sat Fugaku Uchiha, surrounded by weapons, scrolls, and what looked like a mountain of explosive tags.
Kazuyama's eye twitched. This man… did he really store that many tags in one place? Wasn't he afraid he'd blow himself up?
"Yo, Fugaku, I'm back."
"Mhm…"
"Come on, the place is rebuilt, and you still look like that?"
"Mhm…"
"Your youngest son's up for the Chūnin Exams, right? Want to go watch?"
"No…"
Kazuyama Gekkō: …He's done for. Completely done for.