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

Inside the first layer of the Four Red Yang Formation's barrier.

The crimson light wall pressed inward inch by inch.

However, when it touched the hemispherical defensive shell that was a mix of yellowish-brown and white, it made a teeth-grinding "crunching" sound, as if it were gnawing on an indestructible rock.

At the edge where the light barrier and the defensive shell met, milky white boiling acid mist surged and eroded wildly, emitting a sharp "sizzling" sound.

The barrier seemed to "know" the power of the acid mist and dared not squeeze it too hard, because doing so would only increase the corrosive speed of the Boiling Release.

Thus, a delicate stalemate was formed.

Maintaining this stalemate requires a tremendous amount of effort.

Konan focused intently on manipulating countless paper fragments imbued with lightning-attribute chakra, continuously repairing and reinforcing the "paper bone" structure inside the Lava Release wall, ensuring its stability under the combined effects of barrier pressure and acid mist backlash.

Mei Terumi is the absolute core of this power struggle.

A dense, almost tangible, milky-white acid mist was continuously spraying out like a high-pressure water jet from the opening deliberately left in the defensive shell in front of her, filling the narrow space between the inner barrier and the defensive shell.

Maintaining such a high concentration and high pressure of boiling release, while also having to control the molten release to maintain the overall structure of the defensive shell, is an extreme test of her control over and total amount of chakra.

Fortunately, her chakra reserves, which Mitokado Homura had described as "comparable to those of a tailed beast," were showing astonishing resilience at this moment.

Although the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly and his breathing was heavy, his chakra output remained stable and powerful.

Just then, the curtain of the paper house was gently lifted.

Mikoto Uchiha stepped out. As an "ordinary" Jonin with three tomoe, she couldn't offer much help directly inside the barrier where Kage-level or even Super Kage-level power clashed.

Her gaze swept over Mei Terumi and Minami, who were doing their best to maintain their defenses, and finally landed on the tightly closed paper house door. She bit her lower lip, as if she had made up her mind.

"Ming, Xiaonan."

Mikoto's voice was soft, but it clearly reached the ears of the two amidst the noise of surging chakra.

Mei Terumi didn't turn around, but simply made a "hmm?" sound through her nose to indicate that she was listening.

"I...I have a way that might wake Fugaku up ahead of time."

Mikoto's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice lowered a little.

"But I need your help, Xiao Nan."

Xiao Nan turned her head, her purple eyes asking a question.

"Could we... completely seal this paper house off? So that it's completely invisible and imperceptible from the outside?"

As Mikoto spoke, her eyes darted around.

"It's...it's some kind of Uchiha secret technique that requires an absolutely quiet and private environment."

"Secret technique?"

Xiao Nan tilted her head slightly, somewhat puzzled. What kind of secret technique would require such a tight seal at such a critical moment of life and death?

"Yes...yes."

Mikoto Uchiha's face turned even redder, and she didn't even dare to look Konan in the eye.

Nearby, Mei Terumi, who was "blowing" into the gap, didn't turn around, but her shoulders twitched almost imperceptibly. She turned her head and glanced at Mikoto out of the corner of her eye, a sly and knowing smile flashing in her emerald green eyes.

That look seemed to say, "Oh, I understand."

Mikoto felt her ears burning from Mei Terumi's gaze, but she took a deep breath and raised her head to meet Mei Terumi's eyes.

"Besides... I might not be able to 'solve' this by myself. I might need Ming's help in a bit."

"Pfft...cough cough cough!"

Mei Terumi almost choked on her own Boiling Release, feeling both ashamed and angry, but dared not glare at her any longer.

"Gurgle~~"

Seeing Mei Terumi's discomfiture, Mikoto couldn't help but chuckle and slipped back into the paper house.

Xiao Nan watched the two interact in a cryptic manner, her purple eyes filled with even deeper confusion, but she didn't ask any further questions.

He simply formed a simple hand seal.

Countless white paper scraps surged from the ground and walls, like a white tide that came to life, quickly covering every crevice, window, and even the joints of the curtain in the paper house.

Layer upon layer of paper sheets were stacked, glued together, and compressed, eventually forming a dense, smooth, and seamless pure white shell that completely enveloped the paper house, resembling a huge, opaque white cocoon.

From the outside, no part of the paper house can be seen, and even the fluctuations of chakra are greatly isolated by this specially made paper shell.

"alright."

Xiao Nan withdrew her hand and continued to reinforce the defensive shell.

However, neither Mei Terumi, blushing with embarrassment, nor Mikoto, trapped in her cocoon, knew one thing.

This paper house was originally constructed by Konan using the "Art of the God of Paper".

It's like an extension of her body.

On the surface, Xiao Nan calmly manipulated the paper to reinforce the defense, her purple eyes focused intently on the front line where the barrier clashed with the acid mist. However, a small part of her mind was silently connected to the "cocoon" that enveloped the paper house.

Thus, from her "perspective," everything inside the paper house was clearly visible.

The severely injured Yakushi Nonou still lay in the corner. Her paper had shielded her from most of the Lava Release corrosion, but her body was still covered with horrific burns and ulcers, and her breath was weak.

Then, Konan "saw" Uchiha Mikoto walk to the bedside of the unconscious Fugaku and slowly tie up her hair...

..

"Hey! What are you thinking about!"

A short while later, Mei Terumi's voice came through, tinged with anxiety and confusion, as she gently nudged Konan's shoulder with one hand.

Xiao Nan suddenly snapped out of her daze and realized that she had been a little dazed, even delaying the reinforcement of a certain part of the outer defensive shell. She immediately focused her mind and manipulated more paper pieces to rush towards that weak point.

At the same time, her cheeks felt hot, but fortunately, the Akatsuki robes covered her face.

However, while she worked even harder to reinforce the defensive shell with the paper, she couldn't help but spare a moment to continue "peeking" at the scene inside the paper house.

"So, will I do the same thing with him in the future?"

An idea popped into Xiao Nan's head uncontrollably. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

..

As time passed, relying on the unique chakra perception of Paper Release...

Konan could clearly see that a massive amount of hot, boiling chakra, like underground magma, surged into Uchiha Mikoto's mouth like a flood bursting its banks.

The chakra was extremely violent, filled with a scorching life force. Just sensing it made Konan feel hot. Uchiha Mikoto seemed to act as a special "container" and "cooler," quickly calming and softening the chakra.

But the cost is enormous.

After completing all of this, Uchiha Mikoto lost consciousness.

A moment later, on the bed, Uchiha Fugaku opened his eyes.

The scarlet swirling pattern in his left eye slowly rotated.

An invisible suction force was generated, and most of the chakra that had been "cooled" and "transformed" by Uchiha Mikoto, and whose nature had become milder, flowed back into Fugaku's body like birds returning to their nests.

As this gentle chakra returned, the burning sensation within Fugaku's body began to cool rapidly.

"I see.."

Xiao Nan understood immediately.

Spending many years by Nagato's side, who possessed the Rinnegan, gave her a theoretical understanding of the nature of chakra, energy conversion, and even the principles of many bloodline limits and secret techniques that far surpassed that of ordinary people. In fact, her Paper Release was developed with Nagato's help.

Based on this theoretical knowledge, she understood.

The chakra generated by Fugaku Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan, which could instantly heal injuries and replenish chakra, was too powerful and had already damaged his soul. Women, on the other hand, are born with more "yin" qualities.

The "yin" here does not refer solely to yin attribute chakra, but rather to the chakra's own attribute being gentler and colder. This quality can neutralize and cool down the overly "yang" fiery life force.

However, from her unique perspective, she discovered a problem.

After the return was completed, Fugaku Uchiha's problem was not completely resolved, but Mikoto Uchiha had already reached her limit...

"Does this mean... I need to go help?"

The thought came to mind naturally.

Just then, Uchiha Fugaku, who was lying on the bed, suddenly turned his head slightly. His gaze seemed to penetrate through the layers of paper walls and accurately and directly met Konan's "sight" perceived through the paper house.

Then, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a meaningful, somewhat mocking smile.

*Sigh*

Xiao Nan felt her cheeks instantly burn up, and her heart skipped a beat, as if she had been caught red-handed doing something wrong. Almost instinctively, she severed her connection with the paper house, and the "scene" in front of her vanished instantly, leaving only the crimson light wall of the outer barrier and the surging acid mist.

"We've been...discovered..."

She thought in a flustered manner, her ears burning.

Inside the paper house.

The area was covered in silt.

Fugaku Uchiha walked to the corner.

When they arrived in front of Yakushi Nonou, all of her Lava Release abilities had been swallowed up by the mud.

He crouched down and looked at Yakushi Nono, who was lying on the ground, breathing weakly but with her eyes open.

"Did you all hear that?"

Yakushi Nonou struggled, using all her strength to turn over and lie face up.

"I heard you."

Her voice was hoarse and dry, but her answer was very firm.

As a top-tier medical ninja, she possessed an extremely keen sense of chakra. Although her vision had been blocked by Lava Release and she was unable to move, she could clearly perceive the intense and unique process of chakra transfer and nature change at such a close distance.

She understood one of Fugaku Uchiha's secrets: he needed female ninjas to "soften," "cool down," and "process" a certain overly hot and violent energy within him.

Moreover, judging from what I sensed just now, the energy within him was so immense that a female ninja couldn't handle it alone.

and so…

He set his sights on me.

"It is my honor to be chosen by the head of the Uchiha clan. You may do whatever you wish, but please give me a quick death afterwards."

She closed her eyes, awaiting what might be the final humiliation or pain of her life.

However, the expected harsh treatment did not materialize.

Instead, Fugaku Uchiha sat down on the ground next to her.

"I am the chieftain, not a bandit."

Fugaku's voice remained calm.

"The clan leader's sleeping arrangements must be legitimate, which means you need to agree."

Yakushi Nonou opened her eyes and looked at him with some surprise.

"I agree."

"No, I mean, you agree from the bottom of your heart, willingly, to become my woman."

Let me tell you a story.

Fugaku Uchiha continued talking to himself without waiting for her reply.

"After the Third Shinobi World War, a child who had lost his memory and didn't even know his name came to an orphanage in the empty area of ​​Konoha. The director was a kind woman who took him in, named him 'Kabuto,' and gave him the glasses she had worn for many years because the child had poor eyesight."

Yakushi Nonou's pupils suddenly contracted!

"Kabuto is very smart. He learned medical ninjutsu. Once, when he was treating an injured Konoha ninja, he met a ninja named Orochimaru, who discovered his talent."

"Later, an old man named Shimura Danzo, along with Orochimaru and another member of the Aburame clan, suddenly arrived at the orphanage. They threatened the director, a woman who was once known as the 'Walking Shrine Maiden' in the intelligence department, whose real name was Yakushi Nonou, to carry out a long-term undercover mission to investigate large-scale combat plans."

With each sentence Fugaku Uchiha spoke, Yakushi Nonou's body trembled, and her breathing became increasingly rapid.

"At the same time, Kabuto was also taken away by him and became a tool under his command."

"Over the years, the headmistress had been getting information about Kabuto from Danzo through various daily records and photos. However, what the headmistress didn't know was that those photos were fake; they were photos of other people, the faces of other children. As they grew up, Danzo gradually altered the appearance of the photos, making her believe that it was Kabuto."

"Because Danzo, from the very beginning, treated this woman like a rag that could be thrown away once it was dirty. She was stubborn and refused to fully join Root, refused to become a mindless dog under his feet. So, he wanted to kill her in the most perverse way."

Fugaku paused, looking at Yakushi Nonou's eyes, which had lost all their luster and were now empty and filled with despair.

"If it weren't for the Uchiha clan's defection, in Konoha year 58, which is this year, he would have arranged a scene where Kabuto, now grown up, would meet that woman during a mission. He would have given her the order to kill each other. He would have made you die at the hands of the only 'son' you cared about and protected with everything you had, and he would have made Kabuto personally kill the 'mother' he had cherished the most all these years."

"This is Danzo Shimura, this is the root of Konoha."

Dead silence.

Inside the paper house, only Uchiha Mikoto's even and faint breathing and Yakushi Nonou's almost stopped, faint heartbeat remained.

A few seconds later.

The medicine doctor, Nono, gasped for breath like a broken bellows. She wanted to cry and scream, but extreme grief and despair blocked her vocal cords, leaving her only with incoherent hoarse sounds. Tears mixed with pus, blood, and filth on her face, gushing out.

"Danzo!!!"

Finally, a piercing, inhuman roar erupted from the deepest part of her chest. After an unknown amount of time, the roar turned into a sob, then into intermittent sobs, and finally stopped. The room fell silent.

After a while, Yakushi Nonou struggled to prop herself up. She knew that Uchiha Fugaku had no reason to lie to her, and she wasn't worth him wasting so much breath on.

She smoothed her disheveled blonde hair with her hand.

"This humble servant... Yakushi Nonou greets the head of the Fugaku clan."

"If the clan leader does not abandon my crippled body, I am willing to serve him."

She paused, then looked up, her face a mixture of blood and tears, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

"If the clan leader is not in a hurry, could you please give me some time to treat my injuries, so as not to offend the clan leader's eyes?"

Fugaku Uchiha looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"No need for that. Just open your mouth; I have a faster way."