Chapter 168: Departure
From his investigation, Black Zetsu had already learned that Uchiha Fugaku was an exceptionally cautious man — one who hid his strength behind layers of restraint.
It was highly likely that Fugaku had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan as early as the Third Shinobi World War, yet for decades, he had never revealed it publicly.
Even when cornered again and again by Shimura Danzo, the Hokage's shadowy advisor, Fugaku had remained calm, never once exposing his hidden eyes.
Even Black Zetsu, who had always taken pride in his patience and cunning, couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration.
> "That man… truly terrifying in endurance."
By contrast, Obito now seemed utterly useless — a complete failure.
> "If I'd known things would turn out like this," Black Zetsu thought bitterly, "I would have urged Madara to choose someone else as his vessel."
Now, Obito was dead, and with his pawn gone, the Eye of the Moon Plan had stalled. Advancing it alone would be far more difficult.
He had been racking his mind over how to manipulate Nagato into continuing the plan. But fate, it seemed, had lent him a hand.
Nagato himself had now decided to initiate the Tailed Beast hunt ahead of schedule.
It was rash — but beneficial.
After all, Fugaku's existence was too dangerous to ignore. A Mangekyō user like him, capable of controlling Tailed Beasts as if they were nothing, posed a direct threat to the plan.
Some Mangekyō abilities could even surpass the Rinnegan in certain domains — especially in genjutsu and mind control.
Fugaku's power, secrecy, and independence made him nearly impossible to manipulate. He was older, shrewder, and far less impressionable than Obito had been.
So, for Black Zetsu, the conclusion was simple: Fugaku must die.
> "Hopefully, Nagato succeeds in killing him," he muttered darkly.
If that happened, he could simply return to the Uchiha clan's lands in Konoha, seek out a new candidate, and repeat Madara's method.
After all, he'd already perfected the formula once before with Obito —
find a promising Uchiha, push him to the brink of death, then "save" him.
Make him witness the tragic death of someone dear to him.
Break his heart.
Force the Mangekyō Sharingan to awaken through agony and despair.
Then, whisper to him the secrets of the Eye of the Moon Plan.
It was, in Black Zetsu's mind, the perfect cycle.
---
Meanwhile, deep in the ruins of Kumogakure, Konoha's forces were still hard at work.
By midnight, the second wave of reinforcements had arrived — a large group of Chūnin, among them Iruka Umino from the Ninja Academy.
Konoha had truly emptied its ranks for this operation.
They had left earlier than the Jōnin unit but, being slower, were the last to arrive. Once they reported in, the Jōnin took command and directed them to comb through the wreckage for anything salvageable.
Every valuable item was to be piled in the plaza for sealing into storage scrolls.
No one rested — not even the newly arrived Chūnin. Despite their exhaustion, they worked tirelessly, rummaging through debris for loot.
After all, there was no mission more satisfying than stripping the ruins of the Cloud Village bare.
But hunger soon set in. Their ration packs had been consumed on the way.
Fortunately, Fugaku had already anticipated this. He sent Hyuga Hiashi and his clan members to hunt for food, their Byakugan eyes making it easy to track prey.
Before long, the Hyuga returned with a large haul, and the scent of roasted meat spread through the encampment.
Meanwhile, Fugaku turned his attention to the battlefield's grim remains.
The enormous burial pit — once filled with corpses and rubble — was no longer of use. Under his command, the Eight-Tails he controlled began clearing it out, tossing debris into the hole, and then fetching boulders from a nearby mountain to fill and compact the area completely.
There was no need to leave such a foul mark behind. The sight and stench were unbearable — and the pit had already served its purpose as a deterrent.
By morning, the Konoha shinobi were energized once more.
They worked nonstop until mid-afternoon, finally finishing their sweep. Every useful resource from Kumogakure had been sealed away.
Thanks to the large cache of storage scrolls found beneath the Raikage Building, nothing had to be left behind.
After a brief two-hour rest, they prepared to begin the journey back to Konoha.
---
"Hokage-sama," called Uchiha Sihu, stepping forward.
"Are we truly leaving the Land of Lightning's territory untouched?"
Fugaku turned slightly, his tone calm but final.
> "We don't have the manpower. These spoils alone are more than enough. There's no need to be greedy for empty land."
Sihu hesitated, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
> "Understood."
It was a rare feat — the complete destruction of the Hidden Cloud Village. To claim the entire Land of Lightning as Fire Country territory would have been a grand achievement.
But Fugaku didn't elaborate further.
The truth was, Konoha's population was too small to occupy such vast, rugged terrain. The Land of Lightning's geography was remote, mountainous, and difficult to traverse. Expansion would bring more burden than benefit.
So, he simply shook his head and gave the signal to move.
Hundreds of shinobi began leaping through the forest canopy in disciplined formation. Their synchronized movements — gliding from branch to branch — made for a breathtaking sight.
As the sun began to set, the trees thinned, revealing a sprawling mountain city ahead — the capital of the Land of Lightning, nestled among towering cliffs.
"Hokage-sama," a scout called, "that's the Lightning Capital ahead!"
Fugaku narrowed his eyes.
> "Good. Proceed according to plan."
Perched on a high branch, his gaze was cold and distant as he watched the city basking in the fading orange light.
"Yes, sir!"
At once, Uchiha Yashiro gestured to a squad and led them forward, dashing across the rocky terrain.
The guards at the city gates spotted the approaching shinobi and immediately sounded the alarm.
When their shouts failed to deter the oncoming force, they drew their bows and loosed a volley of arrows — desperate to halt the unstoppable advance of the Konoha Ninja.
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