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

At a border post of Konoha, on the border between the Land of Claws and the Land of Fields.

A gust of wind blew by.

The towering wooden watchtower creaked and groaned.

Inside the outpost.

The dim light of the oil lamp cast a long shadow of Shimura Danzo onto the rough wall.

His face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

Before him knelt on one knee the four elite Jonin of Root: Tenzo, Ryoma Aburame, Fu Yamanaka, and Torune Aburame.

All four of them kept their heads down, even their breathing was deliberately quiet.

"waste."

"From losing them at the Crimson River to being toyed with by shadow clones, now we can't even find a trace of more than three hundred people. We wanted to let Root show their faces, but instead, we've exposed their backsides!"

Danzo paced back and forth in the cramped guard post, leaning on his cane.

The wooden clogs tapped rhythmically on the floor, each sound striking the hearts of the four people.

"Mountain wind, what's going on in the direction of the village?"

Shan Zhongfeng answered immediately.

"With the help of the outpost's communication station, current intelligence indicates that in order to counter Fugaku Uchiha's shadow clone tactics, the Third Hokage dispatched the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Under the coordination of Elder Mitomon, the Hyuga clan dispatched fifty branch family members, led by Hizashi Hyuga, forming fifty ninja squads."

"Fifty?"

Danzo stopped in his tracks, his one eye narrowing.

"Yes, currently these fifty ninja teams, under the command of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, have set off from within the Land of Fire and spread across most of the Land of Fire in a wide-ranging manner. They are rapidly approaching the Land of Rice Fields. At present... no trace of the Uchiha clan has been found."

Danzo walked to the simple wooden table, on which was spread a map of the ninja world.

His fingers swept across the Land of Fields and stopped in the Land of Claws and Teeth.

"The border of the Land of Hot in the east has been sealed off."

"To the west, I am right here."

"To the north lies the vast ocean."

"To the south, the Hyuga clan is constantly tightening their encirclement. Fifty Hyuga squads, with their Byakugan intertwined and combined with the high mobility of ninjas, can cover a range of hundreds of kilometers, enough to ensure that the enemy cannot escape."

He slammed his hand on the table!

"So we can be certain that these guys are still hiding in the Land of Minions!"

Danzo stared at the map, a cold glint flashing in his single eye.

"Mobilize the entire Nation of Minions! Every town, village, caravan, and wandering ninja—report anything suspicious and offer a hefty reward!"

"yes!"

"Get lost."

The four men, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly withdrew from the outpost.

---Divider line

The northern border of the Land of Fire.

Fifty ninja squads, like fifty moving nodes, spread an invisible net across the vast land.

Each squad consists of one member of the Hyuga branch family and two Chunin or special Jonin, spaced three to five kilometers apart, and maintains communication via radio equipment carried on their backs.

Behind this net, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and Hyuga Hizashi followed at a leisurely pace.

"Squad 7 reports: No anomalies in area C3."

"Squad 22 reports: Caravan spotted in area B7. Checked and found nothing unusual."

"36th Squad reporting, Area A9..."

Reports from each squad kept coming over the radio. As Nara Shikaku ran at a leisurely pace, he couldn't help but sigh.

"This is such a hassle..."

"Shikaku, where are they?"

Choza Akimichi followed beside Shikaku. Despite his heavy body landing on the ground, he made almost no sound, demonstrating his control over his body.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know."

That's the truth; he really didn't want to take on this mission.

Faced with the Uchiha clan, especially Fugaku Uchiha who led over three hundred people to successfully escape from Konoha, who would want to deal with such an opponent?

However, the Hokage's orders could not be disobeyed. Fortunately, their mission was only to conduct reconnaissance and contain the enemy from the rear. Everyone knew that it was almost impossible for a single small team to defeat the entire Uchiha clan.

"However, judging from Fugaku Uchiha's actions..."

Nara Shikaku began his analysis.

"His goal was clear: to join a certain ninja village. But in order to prevent us from knowing which one it was, he used the Crimson River as a means of transportation, moving back and forth without leaving a trace."

"That's right."

Shanzhong Hai nodded.

"The first time they pretended to go to the Land of Lightning, and the second time they pretended to go to the Land of Earth, but judging from the information sent back, they didn't even approach the border of the Land of Minions."

So my guess is...

Shikaku drew a circle in the air with his finger.

"The enemy is most likely hiding near the border between Konoha and the Land of Rice Fields. He's waiting, waiting for a loophole in our encirclement, or waiting for us to make a mistake."

"Could it be Kirigakure?"

A question from the mountain dweller.

"How is that possible? To cross the entire Land of Fire and reach its southeast, how many lines of defense would one have to pass through?"

"I can't believe it," Akimichi Choza retorted.

"Nothing is impossible; Chief Fugaku is very cunning."

Nara Shikaku gazed into the distance.

"Maybe he's taking advantage of our thoughts? Now that he's hiding, nobody knows what he'll do next."

"Squad 36 reporting! Enemy attack! Targets are three kilometers away! The number of targets exceeds twenty! And their chakra levels are inconsistent!"

Suddenly, a hurried voice came through the radio, mixed with the sound of wind and faint running sounds.

Shikaku stopped in his tracks instantly.

"Attention all squads! Using Squad 36 as the core, execute a U-shaped retreat! Squads approaching Squad 36, the base of the U, must maintain a distance of at least three kilometers from the target! Avoid contact with the enemy!"

The order was conveyed swiftly.

Fifty squads began moving toward the coordinates of squad 36, like a spider web closing in on its prey.

"This should be the elite of the moderate faction."

Shika put down the microphone.

"Use an elite squad as bait to test our reaction."

"What are they going to do?"

A question from the mountain dweller.

"Ignore it."

Nara Shikaku took a deep breath and started running again.

"As long as we avoid contact and buy time, they're the ones who'll be anxious within the Land of Fire's borders..."

...

Time passed second by second.

The reports from each team are becoming increasingly detailed...

"Report No. 35: 23 enemies, 3 Jonin, 2 Chunin with Jonin chakra, and 18 Chunin, all of whom have Sharingan."

"Report No. 37, same as No. 35, and confirmed again, the enemy's chakra is different, there should be no shadow clones inside."

"Report No. 41: The enemy is moving southeast at a moderate speed."

However, as Nara Shikaku listened to the report, his expression grew increasingly solemn. Uchiha Fugaku was a smart man, and smart men make sense in everything they do.

Sacrificing an elite squad is understandable if the goal is to break through the encirclement.

However, the net that Shikaku has laid out will not completely encircle both sides. Just as he said earlier, they will converge with the ninja legions on the borders of the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Hot Springs, forming a huge U-shaped encirclement that will trap the enemy inside.

So, what is the purpose of deliberately exposing such an elite force?

Instinctively, Shikaku looked at Hyuga Hizashi beside him.

The younger brother of the Hyuga clan leader was calmly surveying his surroundings, his Byakugan activated and veins bulging. His movements were meticulous and impeccably professional, except that his head would always twitch slightly twice.

This suddenly reminded Shikaku of something...

The white eyes of those who have separated from their families have blind spots.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga main family provides a 360-degree field of vision, but branch family members have a small blind spot at the back of their necks due to the "Caged Bird Seal," which is negligible for ordinary ninjas.

but...

His opponent was none other than Fugaku Uchiha, who possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan.

With kaleidoscope-level insight, it's not impossible to observe a small team from a distance for hours and pinpoint that blind spot.

"Attention all units!"

Lu Jiu suddenly grabbed the microphone, and his voice trembled for the first time.

"Observe the elite Uchiha clan squad! Are any members carrying wireless headsets?"

A brief silence.

Then...

"Report No. 35: A discovery has been made; a person is suspected of having a small device on their waist."

"Report No. 37, same as Report No. 35."

"Report No. 42, heh..."

Suddenly, a soft laugh came through the radio.

The laughter was soft, yet it made the hairs on Nara Shikaku's body stand on end.

"Shikaku."

That's what the voice said.

"You're still so smart."

"Fugaku".

Nara Shikaku gasped; things were just as he had guessed.

Using an elite squad as bait, hidden within was a clone of Fugaku. This clone possessed kaleidoscope-level perception, choosing a squad leader to observe for a long time, locking onto the Hyuga branch family's blind spots, and then...

"Report number 43, Shikaku, you're still as smart as ever, haha..."

"Report No. 44...heh..."

"Report No. 33... Haha..."

A series of laughs came through the radio...

Of the fifty squads in the entire encirclement, more than half have already been hypnotized...

"He observed the Hyuga clan through the clone in the squad, recording their movement patterns, visual habits, and the location and timing of blind spots."

Nara Shikaku murmured.

"Then, via radio, the information is transmitted to the main body, which then creates clones to infiltrate other teams through this blind spot, taking down all the members of the Hyuga clan in one fell swoop..."

Seeing Hyuga Hizashi's face turn deathly pale, Nara Shikaku took a deep breath.

"Fugaku, for the sake of our shared village, let them go..."

"Should I let them go?"

A moment later, the crackling sound of Uchiha Fugaku, accompanied by signal fluctuations, came through the radio.

"Will you... let us go?"

---Divider line

Konoha, Hokage's Office

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his large desk, a detailed report submitted by Shikaku Nara spread out in front of him, his pipe glowing slightly red and filled with smoke.

"This is the third time."

He put down the report and exhaled a long puff of smoke.

"The first time, I crossed the Crimson River to the Land of Hot Springs, pretending to seek refuge with Kumogakure."

"The second time, they used the underground water from the Crimson River to transfer the water from the caves in the Land of Hot Water to the Land of Rice Fields."

"The third time, he crossed the Crimson River from the Land of Rice Fields back into the Land of Fire. This time, he exploited a loophole in the Byakugan and captured more than thirty members of the Hyuga clan's branch family in one fell swoop..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his temples.

Headache.

What do you think?

After a long while, he raised his head and looked at his two close friends.

"I reckon Danzo is going to be furious again."

Shuimen Yanhu leaned back in his chair, looking at the report in his hand with a heavy expression.

"Before the second transfer, Fugaku Uchiha deliberately mentioned the Hyuga clan to Danzo, probably with this in mind. Now that he has captured more than 30 members of the Hyuga clan, he can now scout a range of several hundred kilometers."

"This isn't all Danzo's fault."

Koharu sighed and said.

"He's different from the other Uchiha. If the other Uchiha are like a ball of fire, their joys and sorrows written all over their faces, then he's like an abyss. His plans are intricately linked, one step after another..."

"Okay, okay, there's no need to be so discouraged."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, with his hands behind his back, returned to the map behind him and looked up at it.

"There is also good news."

He stretched out his hand.

"In the Land of Hot Water, defenses have already been set up, blocking his path to Kumogakure."

"In the north, after receiving the notification, Danzo also left the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Minions as quickly as possible, and came to the border between the Land of Hot Water and Konoha to build a defensive line."

"To the west... I contacted Asuma, and after he applied to the daimyo, he mobilized the ninja legions under the Twelve Guardians and has already built a defensive line east of the capital."

"In addition, with Shikaku gathering the remnants and everyone coming together, it would be enough to withstand the Uchiha clan's attack."

"In short, although he captured the Hyuga clan and gained a surveillance range of hundreds of kilometers, he was also completely locked into this area."

"But, Hiruzen, there's a sentence in Shikaku's report that's very accurate."

Xiaochun, who was turning over, slowly opened her mouth.

"He said that Fugaku Uchiha was a smart man. Smart men don't do meaningless things, and they certainly don't put themselves in a trap. He must have some purpose that we didn't expect."

"What other purpose could there be?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled.

"It's nothing more than a reverse summoning technique. Relying on the reverse summoning technique, he is not afraid of being surrounded. If being surrounded was effective, he would not have been able to escape Konoha in the first place."

"But, Hiruzen..."

Mitokado Homura slowly straightened his body.

"Danzo has destroyed the summoning stone of the Ninja Cat Village. This thing is not a simple sealing technique. It requires a lot of materials and is also very large. There is almost no possibility of rebuilding it on the way out. No, there is no possibility. Ordinary coordinates cannot be used for summoning. After all, not every secret technique can compare to the Flying Thunder God."

"What if someone sends over other psychic scrolls?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes.

"The Northern Territory is so vast, it's impossible that it doesn't have spies from other ninja villages. Now that Fugaku Uchiha has the Byakugan, his reconnaissance range covers hundreds of kilometers. If he wants, he can easily capture these 'messengers' and use them to send messages out. As long as either side sends a new summoning scroll, he can sign a contract..."

Silence, for a long time...

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued.

"So, it's a race to see if we find him first and wipe him out before he gets the new scroll, or if he gets the 'gift' from the other villages first."

"So, Hiruzen, what do you plan to do?"

"How do I do it..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

"I admit that I underestimated Fugaku Uchiha. In small-scale head-on clashes, not many people are a match for the Uchiha clan. If Danzo's Root were to really face Fugaku, the outcome would be uncertain."

"But this very point proves my earlier conclusion: keeping the Uchiha clan within Konoha has a huge impact on us, and keeping them outside has an even greater impact on Konoha. After all, no one knows better than Konoha how troublesome the Sharingan is. This is no ordinary rogue ninja; we must strike hard!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gently tapped his pipe on the table.

"Without affecting the overall strategy, the village can mobilize a maximum of ten thousand ninjas. I want to send them to the encirclement to fight a... war against the Uchiha clan and Fugaku Uchiha within this area of ​​several hundred square kilometers!"

"No matter what, this time, with 10,000 to 300, the advantage is in my hands!"