Mito Uzumaki quietly watched Uchiha Hikaru sleeping in front of her, speechless for a moment.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on this.
She gently tapped Hikaru's shoulder, trying to wake him.
Feeling someone calling him, Hikaru sleepily opened his eyes, still a bit dazed.
However, when he saw Mito Uzumaki's slightly anxious expression, his drowsiness immediately vanished, replaced by alertness and confusion.
"Did something happen?"
Hikaru's voice was hoarse.
Mito Uzumaki nodded and said seriously,
"Yes. The Anbu sent a message saying that the Land of Whirlpools is under attack by Kirigakure, and even the Mizukage is involved."
Her tone revealed anger and displeasure, clearly upset at the Third Mizukage's actions.
Hikaru frowned deeply, a flash of surprise and doubt passing through his eyes.
He found it hard to understand why the Third Mizukage would get involved in this crisis in the Land of Whirlpools.
After thinking for a moment, he spoke:
"There might be details we don't know. I'll go myself, just in case."
Mito Uzumaki nodded gently in agreement.
Yet a hint of worry appeared on her face as she said,
"I was going to let you go too, but Uchiha Madara might be targeting you. At this time, if you go, not only will you be in danger, but Tsunade and the others might be as well."
Hearing this, Uchiha Hikaru smiled calmly and shook his head:
"No problem. Yesterday, Uchiha Madara fled without even trying to fight. He must have something far more important than me that he needs to protect completely."
Hikaru knew well that Madara only launched this plan because Hikaru had shown overwhelming strength while eliminating Zetsu.
That made Madara worried someone would ruin his carefully laid Eye of the Moon Plan.
And judging by how he kidnapped Tsunade and others, it was obvious Madara wanted Hikaru to replace Obito as his proxy to carry out the plan.
However, Hikaru had full confidence in his own strength.
Especially with his space-time ninjutsu, which gave him enough confidence against Madara.
He knew well that before Madara could figure out how to counter his ability, Madara wouldn't dare act rashly.
Hikaru's thoughts surged like a flowing river, and suddenly, he seemed to see through everything.
The Third Mizukage's actions might not be controlled by Madara but driven by his own will to attack the Land of Whirlpools.
After all, this incident was undoubtedly a huge humiliation for the Water Country.
The Third Mizukage himself was controlled by genjutsu, causing the Water Country to lose face.
Moreover, he lost the Three-Tails, which was an enormous blow.
If he returned like this, he wouldn't just lose the Mizukage position; he might even become a criminal in Kirigakure, forever despised by the world.
Thinking of this, Hikaru's eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous light flashing within them.
He suddenly realized that the Land of Whirlpools' matter had to be resolved by himself.
Because in this world, Kirigakure wasn't the only village to lose a Tailed Beast — Kumogakure and Iwagakure had each lost one too.
Though his strength made these villages wary, it wasn't yet enough for them to fully respect him.
He clearly understood why Madara was more feared than Hashirama Senju.
That was because Hashirama's personality was gentler, and he wouldn't cross the line.
Madara, on the other hand, was someone who spoke once and acted decisively. His tyranny made everyone fear him.
This was the difference between people: the strong don't necessarily command respect, but ruthless ones always do.
During the Chūnin Exams, he had shown his strength and shocked everyone.
But now, he needed to show his external attitude.
He wanted everyone to know that Uchiha Hikaru was not only powerful but also a ruthless figure never to be underestimated.
Mito Uzumaki looked at the suddenly fierce Uchiha Hikaru, a little stunned.
She couldn't help but ask,
"What's wrong?"
Her voice carried concern.
Hikaru came back to himself, looked at Mito Uzumaki, and smiled lightly, then told her all his thoughts.
During his explanation, his expression was serious and focused, as if analyzing a complex chess game.
After listening, Mito Uzumaki nodded subconsciously, agreeing with his view.
Yet, she soon felt something was off but couldn't quite say what.
She furrowed her brow and fell into thought.
Seeing her expression, Hikaru smiled faintly, as if seeing through her mind.
Of course, he knew what was wrong.
In the past, Konoha mostly focused on self-preservation, but now he advocated taking the initiative — a shift in attitude.
Simply put, Konoha was once dovish, but if it shifted according to his words, it would become hawkish.
This change would undoubtedly have a profound impact on Konoha's future.
"No time to waste, Grandma Mito. The Land of Whirlpools should have my Flying Thunder God Kunai."
Hikaru suddenly interrupted Mito Uzumaki's thoughts.
She nodded without hesitation:
"Yes, I've already arranged for someone there."
Hearing her reply, Hikaru nodded, put on his clothes, tidied his appearance, then flickered away, vanishing from sight.
Only Mito Uzumaki was left standing there quietly, watching the direction where he disappeared.
...
In a hidden underground cavern in the Land of Iron, Uchiha Madara sat cross-legged on a huge rock.
His face flickered in the dim cavern light, his expression full of confusion as he looked at Zetsu before him.
He had also received news of the Land of Whirlpools being attacked by the Third Mizukage, which surprised him.
Although he did have such a plan before, considering Uchiha Hikaru's strength and ninjutsu, he had already abandoned it.
Madara frowned and fell into deep thought.
His mind raced, trying to find the reason behind this.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he understood the cause.
"Hmph, foolish lust for power." He said coldly, with disdain and disappointment in his tone.
He knew why the Third Mizukage attacked the Land of Whirlpools.
It was nothing more than trying to salvage his status and power, but to Madara, such behavior was stupid and laughable.
He recalled his Eye of the Moon Plan, a determined and hopeful gleam appearing in his eyes.
"As long as the plan succeeds, things like this will never happen again!"