Chapter 171: Dividing Forces — The Mission to Retrieve Karin and Eliminate the Fire Daimyō's Mansion
Yagura Karatachi sat quietly in the Mizukage's office, his expression clouded with a mix of confusion and unease.
Not long ago, he'd been contemplating stirring trouble in Konoha — but thankfully, Genma and several of his subordinates had talked him out of it. In hindsight, that hesitation had saved the Hidden Mist from certain ruin.
After all… the once-proud Hidden Cloud Village had been wiped out in silence by Konoha.
Just when did Konoha regain such terrifying strength?
Back then, the village had been in decline, ridiculed and trampled by others. Even the Hidden Cloud had mocked Konoha without fear of reprisal. But now, just with a change in Hokage, the entire balance of power had flipped.
The annihilation of the Hidden Cloud was proof of that.
Yagura narrowed his eyes, murmuring under his breath.
"Sharingan… Uchiha Fugaku."
He remembered the man clearly — that calm yet imposing presence, those eyes that seemed to pierce through everything. During the Third Shinobi World War, when the Mist launched its assault against Konoha, it had been Fugaku and his Uchiha Clan who held the front line against them.
Back then, he had held the upper hand.
So how had that same man now risen to a level where even the Fourth Raikage — a monster of strength — had fallen before him?
The question gnawed at him.
The defeat of the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails he could still understand; the Sharingan had always been a natural nemesis of the Tailed Beasts. Even his own Three-Tails, Isobu, had been effortlessly subdued by the Uchiha Clan's dōjutsu.
When the Sharingan's control finally faded and Yagura regained his will, Isobu had spoken bitterly:
> "Against the Sharingan, we Tailed Beasts have never fared well. Even the Nine-Tails once fell under that man's eyes."
That "man," of course, was Madara Uchiha.
Given that history, it wasn't hard to imagine Fugaku's power — but Yagura still couldn't fathom how the Fourth Raikage had been slain.
Regardless, he wasn't foolish enough to provoke Konoha again. The Mist was only just beginning to recover from years of bloodshed and manipulation. Another misstep would doom them completely.
He exhaled heavily, tossing the intelligence report he'd received from merchants onto the desk. Rising from his chair, he started for the door.
A Jonin from the Hidden Mist approached hurriedly.
"Lord Mizukage! How shall we handle those merchants we detained earlier?"
"Release them immediately," Yagura ordered. "Treat them with respect. In fact, exempt them from all trading taxes for six months — and provide them free storefronts if needed. We need them here."
The Jonin blinked in surprise before bowing. "Y-Yes, Lord Mizukage!"
As the ninja dashed off to carry out his orders, Yagura quietly followed, watching from afar as the merchants were released and escorted to their new business quarters. Only when he saw smiles replace their fear did he turn back toward his office.
But halfway down the hall, another thought sparked.
The Land of Lightning… must be in chaos right now.
Konoha couldn't have secured the entire country so quickly. There were bound to be unclaimed resources — money, supplies, weapons.
A grin tugged at his lips.
"If we go disguised as rogue ninja, maybe we can pick up some of the scraps left behind."
Desperation had its own kind of courage. Hidden Mist's coffers were nearly empty. Without new income, reconstruction would stall completely.
"Summon Genma and the senior Jonin," Yagura said aloud. "We're going to hold a meeting — immediately."
As the Mist prepared its next move, far away, Uchiha Fugaku and his forces were already on the march.
They had crossed the Land of Lightning, cutting a path through ruined territory until they reached the borders of the Land of Demons — a small, secluded nation surrounded by minor countries like the Land of Frost, the Land of Rice Fields, and the Land of Waterfalls.
The army paused briefly before reaching the Land of Fire's frontier. There, Fugaku issued new orders.
"Split off a squad of ten elite Jonin," he commanded.
Uchiha Yashiro stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Understood, Lord Fugaku."
This unit's mission was simple: head west toward the Land of Grass — a small nation wedged between the Lands of Fire and Earth — and locate a girl named Karin Uzumaki and her mother.
Fugaku's expression softened slightly at the thought.
Karin's temperament was bright, calm, and resilient — far better, in his opinion, than Sakura Haruno's fiery impatience.
"If she's still in the Grass Village, bring her and her mother back to Konoha safely," Fugaku said. "If the mother has passed, then bring the girl alone. We'll make sure she's cared for."
He chuckled to himself. "Perhaps Sasuke could use another companion — someone with the Uzumaki bloodline wouldn't be a bad match."
Privately, he also knew that both Karin and her mother possessed potent life force — the kind ideal for a Jinchūriki.
Though he didn't currently need one, given how effortlessly he now controlled the Eight-Tails with his Sharingan, having potential candidates ready was simply good strategy.
Meanwhile, the main army advanced toward their next objective — the Capital of the Land of Fire, home of the Fire Daimyō.
The city lay east of Konoha, near Jiangjin Pier, about a two-day march away.
For Fugaku, this wasn't just another mission. It was an act of cleansing.
He'd long despised the weak, pampered nobles who held political power over the shinobi world. The Fire Daimyō in particular — frail, powdered, and cowardly — was a symbol of everything he hated about the old order.
"Eliminating him," Fugaku muttered under his breath, "will unite the Fire Country under one voice — ours."
Even if unrest followed, he wasn't concerned.
Konoha's power had reached a level where rebellion simply wouldn't survive long enough to matter.
And so, under Uchiha Fugaku's command, the forces of Konoha continued their march — one squad bound for the Grass Country to retrieve Karin Uzumaki, and the main army heading straight toward the Fire Daimyō's palace…
A storm was coming — and this time, it would sweep across the very heart of the Fire Country itself.
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