Fugaku has gone mad; he's going to create a new Uchiha clan in Kirigakure.

The roar of the Watermelon Pufferfish Demon echoed through the empty camp.

The ninjas of the Ninja Clan Alliance were somewhat dazed.

They were still immersed in Uchiha Fugaku's brand-new theory when, in the next second, the one who shouted the slogan of "unity" was actually their long-time rival, the one who represented Kirigakure's Anbu and the cold-blooded execution of the Blood Mist policy, Suigetsu Fuguki.

This feels...so unreal.

And all of this was because of that man...

Uchiha Fugaku.

With just a few words, he managed to make even the most steadfast opponents surrender.

Even Mei Terumi's emerald eyes were filled with undisguised surprise. She and the Ninja Clan Alliance had fought together for so many years, but they had not been able to truly mend this rift. Yet this man had done it with just a "movie" and a heartfelt conversation.

To be honest, this shocked her more than when he swallowed a thousand Konoha ninjas with mud.

However, as shocking as it may be, now is not the time for reflection.

"Senior Xiguashan is right!"

Mei Terumi stepped forward, her clear and melodious voice carrying throughout the entire venue.

"Regardless of our past grievances, from this day forward, in this camp, there is no Ninja Alliance, no Bloodstained Faction, no Non-Bloodstained Faction, only one common enemy: that scoundrel lurking in the shadows, seeking to utterly destroy Kirigakure!"

Her gaze swept over the ninja alliance members with their complex expressions, and also over the assassination squad that was on high alert.

"According to Fugaku's investigation, this person is currently hiding among us. Therefore, from now on, everyone must maintain distance, and no one is allowed to leave the camp area without permission!"

She looked at Suigetsu Hobutsuki, and their eyes met, reaching a silent understanding.

"Anyone who dares to leave without permission is a traitor who has brought disaster to Kirigakure, and will be killed without exception!"

"So...and then what?"

In the crowd, a young ninja couldn't help but ask.

"We can't just sit here and wait, can we? How do we find him?"

Upon hearing this, Fugaku Uchiha, supported by Mikoto, slowly straightened up. The fatigue on his face seemed to have dissipated somewhat, and then he gently snapped his fingers.

The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly the next moment.

In the open space in the center of the camp, the dark silt surged and bulged as if it had a life of its own, slowly lifting up a... thing.

It could barely be identified as humanoid, but its entire body was a strange pale white, with a smooth surface and no hair. Its facial features were so blurred that they resembled an unfinished sculpture. Even more bizarrely, there seemed to be a wood-like texture under its "skin," and at the joints, one could even see fibrous structures resembling plant roots.

It was motionless, without breath or heartbeat, like a meticulously crafted, incongruous corpse.

"What...what the hell is this?"

"A monster?"

...

Even the well-informed Watermelon Pufferfish Demon frowned deeply; just looking at this thing sent chills down one's spine.

Fugaku Uchiha walked to the strange "corpse" and his gaze swept over every bewildered face in the room.

"Ever since my friend, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, was framed and killed, I have been investigating the mastermind behind the Uchiha clan's complete marginalization in Konoha and Minato's sacrifice."

"And this thing in front of me is one of the pieces of evidence I've collected."

As he spoke, he pointed to the White Zetsu's "corpse".

"It is not human, but more like a strange plant creation with intelligence."

"They possess a secret technique that allows them to traverse underground at incredible speeds. What's more troublesome is that they can evade most conventional detection methods, including the Byakugan and Sharingan. I can only barely track them down by relying on my Mangekyou Sharingan, combined with my special bloodline ability—that is, my perception of this silt."

"It took me a lot of effort to get this one sample. And as I said before, the mysterious person was hiding in the crowd, through another characteristic of this thing, a unique 'spore'."

"These spores can silently attach themselves to a person's body. They absorb the host's chakra, and once they have absorbed enough chakra, they have two options."

"First, it grows independently, slowly becoming an independent individual exactly like the host. This process is slow but covert; the host may not even know that it has been parasitized."

"Secondly, if the host's strength is insufficient, it can also choose to grow inward, directly parasitizing the host's body and replacing it from within. This process is fast, but the risk is slightly higher."

"But in either case, the replaced 'body' is not human."

"Once the wound is opened, no more blood will flow..."

A deathly silence filled the camp. Even these battle-hardened ninjas felt a chill run down their spines. It wasn't fear or terror, but rather a nauseating feeling, like the innate human aversion to parasites...

"so."

After pausing for a moment to give everyone time to process what he had said, Fugaku Uchiha continued.

"The way to find that 'thing' hidden in the crowd is simple: examine each one individually by drawing blood. Under the watchful eye of my Mangekyou Sharingan, no one can cheat. Whether it's human or ghost, one examination will tell."

...

"What do we do?"

Obito Uchiha's voice, through the unique mental connection of the Spore Technique, was transmitted to the depths of the ninja's consciousness, which was possessed by White Zetsu and was currently being precisely controlled remotely by Black Zetsu.

In a corner of the camp, the "little ninja clan leader" lowered his eyelids and glanced at Uchiha Fugaku in the distance.

"It turns out that Kotoamatsukami was just a deception. His target from the beginning was us. Right now, you can leave at any time using Kamui's short-distance teleportation, but he knows too much. How did he know about the Spore Technique, our way of existence, and even the Levitation Technique? He is too dangerous. We can't let him go."

"In that case, since he's relying on the Mangekyou Sharingan for close-range detection, that presents an opportunity. We can try a surprise attack, but I can't guarantee the outcome. Every Mangekyou Sharingan is a huge variable until we fully understand its abilities. What if we fail?"

Within the mental link, Black Zetsu remained silent for a moment.

"Don't worry, I have a backup plan."

"What backup plan?"

---Divider line

Inside the Mist-Hidden Camp, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed to drip water.

Everyone followed the instructions and stood still, several meters apart from each other.

Fugaku Uchiha no longer needed support. He walked in front, with Mei Terumi and Mikoto Uchiha following half a step behind on either side, forming a stable triangle.

The inspection began at the outermost perimeter of the camp and gradually moved inwards.

The process is simple yet ruthless.

At each area he reached, Fugaku Uchiha would stop, his crimson Mangekyou Sharingan slowly scanning the surroundings. Any ninja touched by his gaze, no matter how turbulent their hearts were, would unhesitatingly pick up a kunai and make a shallow cut on their arm.

The bright red blood seeping out, if it's not an illusion or a fake, then it proves you're human. The ninja who passed through the bloodletting silently moved to the outer edge, forming a loose encirclement, their wary eyes fixed on those inside who hadn't yet been checked.

One lap, two laps…

More and more people are being excluded, the encirclement is getting thicker, and the number of people in the core area who have not yet been checked is getting smaller and smaller.

The pressure, invisible and intangible, converged on those last few dozen people.

Finally, Fugaku Uchiha stopped in front of one person.

It was the leader of the small ninja clan who actively instigated the conflict at the ninja clan alliance meeting and provided the top-secret information that "Hozuki Mangetsu suffers from a bloodline disease".

At this moment, he stood alone in a small open space, surrounded by ninjas who had retreated, leaving him somewhat isolated.

All eyes instantly focused on this.

Nobody is a fool.

Hozuki Mangetsu is seriously ill. How could the leader of a small ninja clan easily learn about this top-secret information, which concerns the life and death of a clan leader and the transfer of power, "through special channels"? The fanatical and fearful atmosphere at the previous meeting masked the doubts, or rather, no one was willing or dared to stand up and question it at that critical juncture.

But now, with fewer and fewer people, how could the representatives of the ninja clan and the ninjas in their clan not understand?

Fugaku Uchiha looked at the ordinary-looking middle-aged man in front of him, whose eyes were unusually calm at the moment, and a faint, knowing smile appeared on his face.

"It's your turn, put your hand out."

The "Little Ninja Clan Leader" did not reach out.

He slowly raised his head, and the cautious, anxious, and fearful expression that belonged to the young clan leader receded like the tide, replaced by an inhuman, empty calm, and a barely perceptible chill deep in his eyes.

"Impressive. The plan is meticulously crafted, step by step. The ninja world is mostly just a bunch of reckless brutes who only know how to kill. It's been a long time since we've seen a ninja like you."

"Thank you for the compliment. So, you're admitting your identity? Well then, will you surrender, or..."

He tilted his head slightly, and the kaleidoscope pattern slowly accelerated its rotation.

"Want to fight me?"

"That doesn't matter."

The leader of the "Little Ninja Clan" shook his head.

"You can do whatever you want, but before that, I'm just curious, how exactly do you know so much about everything?"

"you guess?"

Fugaku Uchiha met his gaze, the corners of his mouth curving into a deeper smile, tinged with a hint of mockery.

"Sigh... since that's how it is..."

His voice suddenly became sharp and distorted.

"Then you'll have no choice but to die with these secrets in your heart!"

"boom--!!!"

Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred!

The body of the "Little Ninja Clan Leader" expanded violently in an instant, like a balloon being blown up. The speed was far faster than any ninjutsu hand seals, as if a human bomb was being detonated inside!

Countless sticky, pale, viscous substances, resembling aggregates of rotting fungi, burst and splashed in all directions. Most of them, as if alive and with a target, blanketed Uchiha Fugaku, who was standing right next to him!

These viscous substances rapidly expanded and stretched in the air, like a strange membrane that inflated instantly, and in the blink of an eye, they were about to completely envelop and devour Uchiha Fugaku!

Almost at the same time!

Less than five meters from the explosion point, an equally unremarkable ninja flashed and appeared directly in front of Uchiha Fugaku, his kunai thrusting straight at Uchiha Fugaku's right eye without hesitation!

This person was naturally Obito Uchiha, and the reason he did this was quite simple.

Consider defeat before victory.

Given the unknown abilities of the opponent, attacking the eye of this unknown eye technique is the best option. Even if this surprise attack fails, he must force out the ability of this right eye to obtain crucial information!

"Pfft—!"

The dull thud of a sharp weapon piercing flesh was indeed heard.

However, it was not a kunai that pierced Fugaku Uchiha's eye socket.

Instead, it was a pitch-black blade wrapped in silt, like a poisonous dragon from the underworld, that pierced through Obito Uchiha's abdomen at an even more violent and sudden speed. The silt and the blade merged together, and the huge impact generated was like an invisible hammer, sending him flying backward off the ground!

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang, mixed with the ear-piercing sound of wood cracking.

Obito Uchiha was pinned to the heavy wooden gate of the Hidden Mist Camp by this immense force!

"Cough...Pfft!"

Obito coughed up a mouthful of blood. The unfamiliar face faded, replaced by a familiar orange-red mask, and a single red eye protruding from it. Blood dripped from the bottom of the mask...

In the center of the arena, at the feet of Uchiha Fugaku, endless black sludge surged forth, easily swallowing the spores that clung to his body.

Then he looked at Uchiha Obito, who was pinned to the gate and looked utterly disheveled.

"Finally, I've caught the big fish, huh?"

"Are you deliberately feigning fatigue to appear weak?"

Obito Uchiha, pinned to the gate, struggled for a moment, seemingly trying to pull out the sword from his body, but failed. He looked like a teru teru bozu (a Japanese doll shaped like a sunny day).

"hehe."

Fugaku Uchiha smiled noncommittally, not answering the question, but instead turning his gaze to Obito.

Normally, his strike would have already decided the outcome.

Just like he sealed away Shimura Danzo's abilities earlier, anyone stabbed by his sword would be contaminated by the silt inside the blade and lose all their abilities, even Danzo was no exception.

But Obito Uchiha was different. Strictly speaking, Obito was a fragmented person divided into three parts.

His entire body consisted only of his own head, heart, half of his body, one arm, and one leg; the rest were patched up by White Zetsu. In addition, he also had a hidden White Zetsu, Tobi, which only separated from Obito in the very later stages of the original work.

And that was indeed the case. The sludge contained within his blade rapidly spread through Obito Uchiha's body, but it clearly encountered a dividing line, just as he had said, the dividing line between Obito Uchiha's original body and the White Zetsu.

Naturally, because of this dividing line, he didn't cause Obito Uchiha's part of his body to lose its abilities. So, in an instant, his body seemed to leave the real world, and the invincible mud from the underworld also fell away...

I see...

Fugaku Uchiha nodded secretly; he wasn't actually bothered that Obito hadn't been defeated by him instantly.

As the saying goes, sometimes when GMs are too thorough, people will question the necessity of GMs.

This is human nature, and to be honest, it's a bit despicable.

But it cannot be avoided.

So, all that wandering around was actually to lure Obito Uchiha out. His ability, which maintained its high level of prestige throughout the entire manga—even Kaguya Otsutsuki praised it—should teach the Hidden Mist ninja a good lesson, right?

"Just as I expected..."

A moment later, Fugaku Uchiha rubbed his chin, looking as if to say, "I've finally proven it."

"Minato is right. At the moment of your attack, you must be a physical entity."

"you--!"

Upon hearing this, Obito Uchiha finally lost his composure. Being humiliated by his teacher in three moves and even losing an arm was the biggest psychological trauma of his life. But how could this guy even know this information?

"Are you there?"

Everyone else looked confused, but only Uchiha Fugaku, who was the one who had given the spoilers, knew that the second most monstrous person in the ninja world, Uchiha Obito, was referring to the Nine-Tails Night, the night when he clashed with Namikaze Minato.

"Hehe, guess?"

"You idiot! Are you a kid? Trying to guess!"