Just as Uchiha Itachi was busy searching for Kabuto Yakushi, the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, immediately convened the top leaders of Kirigakure Village. They gathered in secret, their discussion focused entirely on the brewing crisis shaking the ninja world.
When Konohagakure had requested an alliance, Kirigakure had declined to send reinforcements. Instead, only a small contingent—just over a dozen shinobi—led by Uchiha Haru, had volunteered to aid Konoha.
This, however, did not mean Kirigakure intended to turn a blind eye. The coalition formed by Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure to strike against Konoha was a grave matter, one that would shake the very foundations of the ninja world. Even if Kirigakure wished to stay neutral, they couldn't ignore such a monumental conflict.
Should they truly remain uninvolved and disaster struck, Kirigakure would be left utterly defenseless.
So, despite not allying with Konoha outright, Kirigakure dispatched extensive intelligence operatives to closely monitor the situation.
The reports they received shocked the entire village.
Uchiha Haru, with his unparalleled strength, had faced the entire coalition—thousands of shinobi—alone, and had defeated three of the ninja world's most renowned Shadow-level masters without breaking a sweat.
These weren't ordinary foes. The Third Tsuchikage, Ohnoki; the legendary Sand Village elder, Chiyo; and the young yet fierce Fourth Raikage were all considered titans of the ninja world. Ohnoki and Chiyo were revered elders, veterans of decades of wars, while the Fourth Raikage had fought evenly with the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, in the Third Great Ninja War. None were to be underestimated.
Yet, all three fell to Uchiha Haru without any real contest.
Kirigakure's spies witnessed these battles firsthand and immediately reported back.
The news stunned the village leadership.
This outcome was completely unlike what they had anticipated.
The coalition of the three great villages had seemed overwhelming, especially against a Konoha already reduced to ruins, its strength shattered and no longer the dominant force it once was.
In front of such a coalition, Konoha was expected to fall without resistance.
Kirigakure ninjas knew Uchiha Haru was strong but had no idea just how powerful he truly was.
What was clear, though, was that with Uchiha Haru's might in the fight between Konoha and the coalition, the war's tide would inevitably change—perhaps even be reversed.
Yet no one expected Uchiha Haru to dismantle the entire coalition so effortlessly.
Had they known this earlier, they would have seized the chance to ally with Konoha.
They could have leveraged the situation to negotiate favorable terms and claim rewards.
At this critical juncture, Konoha was desperate—like a drowning man clutching at straws. They would have agreed to nearly anything to survive.
But now it was too late.
Uchiha Haru alone had crushed the coalition. Even if Konoha wanted to express gratitude, it would be to him personally—not to Kirigakure.
This realization brought mixed feelings to Kirigakure.
On one hand, Uchiha Haru served as the head of Kirigakure's Security Department, and the Uchiha clan had ties to their village. To some extent, his victory was their victory.
Thus, thanking Uchiha Haru was, in a way, thanking Kirigakure.
On the other hand, they harbored deep concerns.
Uchiha Haru was originally from Kirigakure but had grown up in Konoha and lived there far longer than in Kirigakure.
He had many close friends and strong ties within Konoha.
Previously, due to conflicts within Konoha, Uchiha Haru had led the Uchiha clan away from the village, but now everything had settled down, and his close friend had become the Fifth Hokage.
The rift between Uchiha Haru and Konoha was healed.
And now, with such close ties remaining, what if Uchiha Haru decided to lead the Uchiha clan back to Konoha?
Kirigakure would suffer an incalculable loss.
Everyone was aware of Uchiha Haru's power.
It was no exaggeration to say that his current strength rivaled that of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, in terms of deterrence.
No matter how weak a village was, having Uchiha Haru was enough to fend off any invading force.
Just like this time, when the coalition of the three great villages united against Konoha but were defeated by Uchiha Haru alone.
This was a unique power that no other ninja in the world possessed.
The Kirigakure Village must not lose Uchiha Haru.
He is the key to Kirigakure's rise.
He is also the person they cannot afford to lose the most.
But when this news reached Kirigakure, everyone harbored deep doubts.
Though they believed that Uchiha Haru's past conduct made such a decision unlikely,
people change—who could be sure?
They were unwilling to take such risks.
These concerns might have been invisible to ordinary villagers,
but the top leaders of Kirigakure were growing uneasy.
When Uchiha Haru first arrived, they were deeply hostile.
Some had unpleasant memories of him.
Yet over the past few years, Haru had proven his approach correct.
In just a few years, Kirigakure shed the dark shadow left by the Fourth Mizukage when he was manipulated by the masked man. The village flourished, brimming with vitality.
The lives of the upper echelons became more relaxed and free.
Although busier than before, they had gained far more.
They went from rejecting Uchiha Haru to becoming his supporters.
What changed everything wasn't just Haru's strength,
but the benefits he brought.
The benefits were enough to convert enemies into friends.
They absolutely could not accept the risk of losing Uchiha Haru.
So when word came that Haru could single-handedly defeat the entire ninja coalition,
the leaders immediately gathered to decide their next move.
The meeting was grim.
Elder Genji sat silent, expressionless.
He had been the one to refuse an alliance with Konoha.
But now reality struck hard.
Had they allied with Konoha, they would have reaped great rewards by now,
and retained Uchiha Haru.
But now it was too late.
This dark mood did not last long.
Soon, new intelligence arrived.
Though the ninja coalition was defeated,
the Akatsuki and their Impure World Reincarnation army had appeared.
Compared to the ninja coalition, the Impure World Reincarnation army led by the Akatsuki was far more powerful.
Not in sheer numbers,
but in the strength of each individual.
Most of the reincarnated shinobi were at the Shadow-level of strength.
A few were nearly at that level but possessed rare, unique ninjutsu, making them extremely dangerous.
Some recognized the reincarnated shinobi as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure.
Others saw echoes of the Fourth Mizukage.
More astonishingly, witnesses reported seeing a mysterious masked man in the Akatsuki clashing palm to palm with Uchiha Haru, neither yielding an inch.
In other words, Konoha's greatest asset could be countered by someone.
Though this was only a possibility,
it was enough to shake minds.
If Uchiha Haru were stopped,
Konoha would be powerless against the Impure World Reincarnation army.
Moreover, the masked man had declared personally that the Impure World Reincarnation technique was not yet perfected.
They needed more time to refine it.
Once perfected,
the Impure World Reincarnation army would fight Konoha to the death.
That meant the current Impure World Reincarnation army was already formidable,
but not yet at its peak.
This was enough to intimidate anyone.
Upon hearing this, Kirigakure's highest officials were silent.
They lamented not forming an alliance with Konoha to fight the ninja coalition earlier.
Now, with this new threat, they had another chance to ally with Konoha
and stand alongside Uchiha Haru on the battlefield.
Yet they hesitated.
This opponent was much stronger than the ninja coalition before.
Would Uchiha Haru still be able to stop them?
Especially with a ninja in the Akatsuki who could match him.
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