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

Deep in the dense forest.

Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, but could not penetrate the enormous, almost transparent sphere suspended in the forest.

From the outside, there was nothing there except air and the occasional bird flying by.

But from the inside, it's a completely different story.

It was a perfectly transparent sphere with a diameter of over twenty meters, its inner wall as smooth as a mirror, yet possessing a strange resilience.

More than a hundred Konoha ninjas, like ants stuck to the inside of a glass wall, stood or sat, evenly distributed in all directions of the sphere.

Beneath their feet was a transparent, treadable "floor," which was actually part of the curved surface of a sphere. The precise manipulation of chakra allowed them to defy gravity and stand stably on the tilted or even inverted curved surface.

This is Konoha's unique joint barrier—Transparent Release: Glass Bubble Technique.

It shares the same name as the bloodline limit of the Moonlight Clan, but the underlying principle is completely different.

When used alone, it is useless. It consumes a lot of chakra and can only create a fragile, transparent shell with no concealment. It is a ninjutsu developed by Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, for the purpose of spying.

Later, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, caught Jiraiya spying on him and, in the name of his teacher, entrusted the ninjutsu to Jiraiya.

Then, this ninjutsu fell into the hands of Mitokado Homura.

He modified it into a combined ninjutsu that requires precise coordination among multiple people. Through complex principles of chakra resonance and refraction, it can not only perfectly conceal all chakra and life force within, but its "glass" inner wall also has a powerful telescopic and X-ray vision effect.

Of course, this combined ninjutsu is not without its drawbacks. It requires a ninja who is extremely proficient in sealing techniques to lead it, namely Mitokado Homura himself. This is why this ninjutsu has never been used since it was invented, because as an elder of Konoha, he basically had no chance to go to the front line.

At this moment, Mitokado Yan stood near the top of the sphere, his feet firmly "stuck" to the transparent curved surface.

With his hands behind his back, his gaze, peering through the special "glass," was like that of someone using a telescope with the highest magnification, clearly locking onto the devastated battlefield in the distance, and the Hidden Mist people who were urgently building defensive fortifications in the center of the battlefield.

His gaze finally settled on the small house constructed of paper.

The hut had extremely strong anti-spy capabilities; even the Byakugan couldn't see through it. But he knew that Uchiha Fugaku was inside.

The sphere was unusually quiet.

The ninjas split into two groups.

A group of about sixty people, with their hands forming the same hand seals, chakra flowed from their bodies like trickles, merging into the chakra network that maintained the spherical structure.

Another group, led by several medical ninjas, quietly performed final checks and bandages on their comrades who had been injured in the previous conflict with Kirigakure.

Efficient and silent, with only the slight clanging of medical equipment and suppressed breathing.

This is the quality of Konoha's elite.

A moment later, a silver-white figure emerged from the bottom of the sphere like a ghost, blurring the sense of direction inside the glass bubble.

Kakashi Hatake arrived behind Mitokado and reported in a calm voice.

"Lord Mitomon, all the wounded have been treated and will not affect the subsequent battle. Please give your instructions."

His voice was exceptionally clear inside the quiet sphere.

Mitokado Yan didn't turn around immediately, but continued to gaze quietly into the distance, as if trying to see through the paper house.

After several seconds, he slowly spoke.

"Kakashi, what do you think? Should we launch a surprise attack, or continue negotiating?"

"I don't know, Lord Mitomon. I'm just a ninja carrying out a mission. I don't understand this level of decision-making."

Kakashi's dead fish eyes remained expressionless as he simply bowed his head and answered.

"Oh."

Mitokado Homura finally turned his head and gave Kakashi a deep look, but he didn't expose Kakashi's obvious "lie".

But this is also reasonable.

This is not just a tactical choice, but a major decision that could determine Konoha's strategic situation for years to come, or even longer.

This responsibility is too heavy.

Even within the entire Hidden Leaf Village, at this moment, probably very few people dare to truly make a decision.

But things must come to a conclusion.

Mitokado Homura's gaze once again turned to the distance, his mind uncontrollably replaying the astonishing battle he had just witnessed through the "glass bubble telescope".

The mysterious man who called himself "Pain" and was suspected of possessing the legendary Rinnegan caused mountains to crumble and the earth to split with every move he made. Especially the final destructive white ball of light, the power of which, the terrifying scene that seemed to wipe everything away, made even this old man who had experienced two Shinobi World Wars and witnessed countless powerful figures feel a shiver from the depths of his soul.

"The First Lord's power in pacifying the chaotic world was probably no more than this..."

However, what chilled him to the bone even more was Uchiha Fugaku.

Faced with such an attack, the man not only survived, but he even won!

Although Fugaku Uchiha relied on his strange intelligence advantage and endless trump cards to gain the upper hand throughout the entire process, the final scene of reshaping a body from a pair of lonely eyeballs had already surpassed Mitokado Homura's understanding of ninjutsu and bloodline limits!

Then, the problem was laid bare before us.

"Both of these monsters have a grudge against Konoha..."

After a moment's hesitation, Mitomon Homura spoke.

"Pain's subordinates are the direct culprits behind the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, and the Nine-Tails' rampage. This is a blood feud that Konoha can never forget, but this is Konoha seeking revenge against him."

"On Fugaku Uchiha's side, Konoha almost wiped out his entire clan. Although it was his son who did it, judging from his attitude, he has clearly already held Konoha accountable. This is a situation that will never end."

"From this perspective, it seems we should choose a surprise attack, striking while the iron is hot and killing him!"

"But what if we look at it from another angle?"

"Pain claims to be a god, acts mysteriously, and has grand ambitions. He is clearly plotting a huge conspiracy that could endanger the entire ninja world."

"Fugaku Uchiha, his publicly stated goal is to revitalize the Uchiha clan and expand its branches. He has a wife, bonds, and territory he wants to manage. He has desires and concerns."

"Looking at it this way, it seems we should choose to negotiate peace again, stabilize Fugaku Uchiha, and concentrate our efforts on dealing with that more mysterious and potentially more threatening 'god'."

"But..."

Mitomon frowned deeply.

"What if we try another angle?"

"Pain chose to cease hostilities, concede defeat, and even hand over hostages despite having the upper hand, all to save his 'sister.' This shows that he wasn't a heartless killing machine; he had people he cherished."

"And what about Fugaku Uchiha? In order to leave Konoha, he even deceived and used his own son! His ruthlessness and decisiveness are chilling."

"Thinking about it this way, it seems that Fugaku Uchiha, who is so cold-blooded even to his own son, is more dangerous and should be eliminated first?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but rub his throbbing temples and gave a wry smile.

"You see, this is the trouble. Not to mention that I am caught in a dilemma here, even if Hiruzen, Koharu, and that old guy Danzo were all here, we might argue for three days and three nights and still not be able to come up with an answer that everyone would be convinced of. Both choices lead to an abyss."

Kakashi remained silent, not responding. He knew that this advisor wasn't really asking for his opinion, but rather organizing his own thoughts.

Mitomon Homura took a deep breath, the cool air inside the sphere, carrying the unique scent of chakra, rushed into his lungs, clearing his chaotic thoughts slightly. His gaze sharpened again, fixed intently on the paper house in the distance.

"But, Kakashi, I'm all alone here now."

His voice lowered, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

"I have to make a decision."

---Divider line

In the center of the battlefield, in a small hut constructed of paper.

The room was simple, with only a bed made of white paper. Fugaku Uchiha lay quietly on it, his eyes closed and his breathing steady and long, but a deep weariness still lingered between his brows.

Xiao Nan stood quietly not far from the bed, like an exquisite ice sculpture.

Her gaze was mostly fixed on Fugaku Uchiha, but she would occasionally peer through the cracks in the paper window, warily watching the Hidden Mist ninjas outside who were busy building defensive fortifications.

"Actually, you can sit down and rest for a while."

Mikoto Uchiha looked at Konan with a complex gaze, containing concern, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible acceptance.

"No need, I'm not tired."

Konan shook her head, her voice calm and composed, her gaze still fixed on Fugaku.

"Is he alright?"

"It's nothing serious, just overuse of the Mangekyou Sharingan, especially his special ability, which puts a lot of strain on his mind. He needs a period of deep rest to recover."

As she spoke, she looked at Xiao Nan, hesitated for a moment, and then asked.

"You...don't regret it?"

No regrets.

Xiao Nan answered without the slightest hesitation.

"We started the fight and provoked him. We lost, so we have to accept it. Besides, he agreed to my request and used his unique life chakra to heal my brother's leg. The deal was fair."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Mikoto Uchiha was stunned for a moment, then her fair cheeks flushed red at a visible speed, and her eyes became somewhat unfocused.

"How...how was it cured?"

Konan finally turned her head and looked at Mikoto with some suspicion. Why was this woman blushing? However, considering that Uchiha Fugaku seemed to know everything about her family, she saw no need to hide anything.

"My brother's ability is the Rinnegan."

Xiao Nan explained.

"One of its abilities, the 'Hungry Ghost Realm,' allows it to forcibly devour and absorb energy in all forms."

"So that's how it is..."

Mikoto Uchiha visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Welcome to join our big family from now on."

As she spoke, Uchiha Mikoto stepped forward, gently shook Konan's slightly cold hand, and smiled sincerely and warmly.

Xiao Nan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. She looked into Mikoto's clear eyes, which seemed to be free of any gloom, and a complex emotion welled up in her heart.

"A woman who's so naive she's almost...foolish."

She silently evaluated it in her mind.

But this "stupidity" is not a derogatory term; rather, it is a quality that makes her feel unfamiliar and even a little jealous.

Perhaps only in the relatively peaceful environment of Konoha, where the wife of the Uchiha clan leader was well protected, could she possess such an almost naive trust and gentleness?

"Do you believe me?"

Xiao Nan couldn't help but ask, her purple eyes staring directly at Mikoto.

"Before he fell into a coma, he didn't tell you anything about you that you should be wary of."

Mikoto smiled gently as she looked tenderly at the sleeping Fugaku.

"That means he trusts you. Although I don't know why he can trust someone who was just an enemy so quickly, I'm willing to trust his judgment and try to trust you."

Xiao Nan fell silent.

Just then, the curtain of the paper house was gently lifted, and a woman wearing a Kirigakure medical ninja uniform and a mask walked in.

She carried a standard medical kit and bowed slightly to Mikoto and Minami.

"Mrs. Mikoto, Miss Minami, I'm here to conduct further examinations and administer necessary medications to Lord Fugaku to help stabilize his mental state and accelerate his recovery."

Her voice sounded muffled through the mask, but it sounded very professional.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Mikoto nodded and made way for him.

The female medical ninja walked to the bedside, opened her medical kit, and skillfully began to perform some routine examinations, such as measuring pulse and pupil response.

Her movements were very light and professional.

"Lord Fugaku's physical functions are fine. I will give him a specially made nerve-soothing and chakra-mild supplement to help him recover from deep fatigue more quickly and reduce aftereffects."

As the female medical ninja spoke, she took a small, sealed glass bottle and a syringe from her medical kit.

She skillfully tapped open the bottle, drew in the pale blue, transparent liquid with a syringe, then expelled the air, the needle tip flashing a cold light under the lamp.

However, just as she held the syringe, preparing to bend down and pierce the vein in Uchiha Fugaku's arm...

Countless white, sturdy pieces of paper, like living white venomous snakes, suddenly burst forth from the ground and the walls, instantly covering the female medical ninja from head to toe, leaving only her wide-open, horrified eyes exposed!

"What happened?"

Outside the not-so-seamlessly sealed paper house, Mei Terumi sensed the fluctuations of chakra and immediately rushed in. Then, she saw the Hidden Mist Village medical ninja wrapped up like a dumpling by Konan's paper jutsu.

"What are you going to do?"

Konan didn't answer Mei Terumi. Instead, she went to the bedside, gently pinched the syringe that was about to be inserted, and pulled it out of the female medical ninja's stiff hand. Then, she pushed the syringe in, and a drop of liquid fell onto the paper, instantly staining it a deep purple.

"poisonous."

After glancing at the paper formed by her paper magic, Konan spoke calmly to the two of them.

"My former role was to protect my brother, so I specifically developed this ninjutsu to detect poisons. Although I can't determine its name, the color of the paper suggests it's a poison mixed with nerve-paralyzing toxins and chakra-blocking agents. It might not kill a powerful ninja, but it will..."

Xiao Nan's lips moved slightly, but she finally mustered her courage and slowly uttered the words.

"It will make Lord Fugaku...sleep even more soundly."