Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 162 Fugaku's Power

Leaving aside Tamura Hao's research and training, the high-ranking members of the Konoha ninja army on the opposite front gathered to discuss the matter.

They also received news that the Raikage's son had come to the front lines to take command of the ninja army, and that reinforcements had been sent to the three battlefields of Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure, escalating the war significantly and increasing casualties.

They must be not far from here.

"According to the intelligence we have, there are six people who came from Kumogakure this time. They are Raikage's son, Yotsuki A, Fukai, Tamura Hiro, Uchiha Hikaru, Uzumaki Kushina, and Uzumaki Kaoru. The latter four also participated in the Chunin Exams held by the village."

As he spoke, Uchiha Chiri, who was in charge of intelligence work, distributed the copied information to everyone present.

Everyone frowned as they looked at the intelligence they had obtained.

"Fugaku, does the clan head have any information about this Uchiha Hikaru?"

Sitting in the main seat, Uchiha Myōkyō looked at Uchiha Fugaku. He had heard of this Uchiha Hikaru, and it seemed that his identity was strange, but he didn't know the specifics.

However, one thing is certain: the other party is from their Uchiha clan, and those Sharingan eyes that they can control at will cannot be faked.

Are they a branch of the clan that were separated from their ancestors and lived elsewhere?

Everyone looked at Uchiha Fugaku; they were quite curious about this Uchiha Hikaru.

Without delay, Fugaku Uchiha stood up and began to explain: "That Uchiha Hikaru was a figure from the Warring States period. Not only did he awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan, but his clan also transplanted a pair of Mangekyou eye techniques into his eyes, making them the clan's ultimate weapon."

It seems that he was eventually sealed away by powerful members of the Senju and Sarutobi clans, and it is unknown why he has survived to this day.

The Third Raikage's sudden appearance in the heart of the Land of Fire was likely for her.

We, the Uchiha clan, are currently enemies.

"Two pairs of kaleidoscope pupil techniques."

Everyone's expression turned serious, especially the four members of the Uchiha Myokke group.

They all possess kaleidoscopes and are well aware of their power, not to mention that one also has four kaleidoscope eye techniques, making him undoubtedly stronger.

"Do you have specific information about eye techniques?"

Uchiha Myokke inquired again, as knowing the effects of the eye technique would undoubtedly make him much easier to deal with.

"There is no record of her own eye techniques, but the eye techniques she transplanted are Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi."

Fugaku Uchiha answered truthfully that this was all he knew.

The main problem is that too much time has passed, and the records at the time were not detailed enough; even in the family records, they could only find a few words.

"Two very troublesome eye techniques."

Everyone's expression darkened again. One was the strongest offensive illusion technique, the other was the strongest flame, plus two unknown eye techniques and Susanoo, whose potential level was unknown.

It's an existence with absolutely no solution.

"Is this Tamura Hao the brat who stole your fiancée? I heard he was pretty impressive during the Chunin Exams?"

Uchiha Naka suddenly said something, with a playful smile on his face.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people present were mostly mocking.

They had all heard about it. Tamura Hao stayed at the clan head's house for a month and then ran off with the clan head's daughter, Uchiha Fugaku's fiancée.

Only Uchiha Myokyo and Uchiha Chiri frowned, disliking this scene of internal strife, especially with a powerful enemy outside.

"Naka, this is the front line. If you're bored, you can go and visit the Cloud Ninja on the other side."

Uchiha Myōkyō rebuked him, saying, "This guy is a troublemaker."

Uchiha Naka smiled and said nothing more.

He acknowledged Uchiha Myokyo's strength, and even found that his eye techniques were somewhat effective against him, so he couldn't go against Uchiha Myokyo.

However, Fugaku, who was valued by the clan leader under his tutelage, was not a problem.

You think you can become the clan leader? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror?

But the next moment, he was angered by a single sentence from Fugaku Uchiha.

"He's very strong. Someone like you, he should be able to kill you."

Fugaku stared coldly at Naka Uchiha, as if he were looking at a dead man.

These are the damn people!

"What did you say?"

He stood up abruptly, his Mangekyou Sharingan activating on its own. Uchiha Naka's expression was cold, as if he was ready to start a fight immediately.

Fugaku Uchiha did not get up, but he unleashed a powerful burst of chakra to contend with Naka Uchiha, even suppressing Naka's chakra.

Didn't you hear me? Let me say it again.

"He could kill someone like you with a knife."

His expression remained indifferent, yet carried a seriousness, as if stating a fact, which was indeed the truth.

During the Chunin Exams, Tamura Hao was able to unleash Kage-level power; now that his chakra has reached Kage-level, the power he can unleash will undoubtedly be even greater.

Although Uchiha Naka possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan, it cannot be used as a regular power, and against Uesugi Tamura, it would only lead to certain death.

Everyone present was stunned by the chakra that Fugaku Uchiha unleashed. The chakra was not only extremely powerful, but also of very high quality, giving them all a sense of oppression.

Even Uchiha Naka was shocked, never expecting the opponent's chakra to reach such a level.

"Fugaku, you've broken through too?"

Uchiha Myōkyō said with delight, but his heart was filled with worry.

Fugaku is a very ambitious man. His current breakthrough in strength and his enormous chakra reserves may not be a good thing for the Uchiha clan and the village.

Uchiha Chiri looked over in confusion, not understanding how Uchiha Fugaku had increased his chakra to such an extent, more than both himself and Meikyō.

Moreover, his chakra is somewhat strange; has he also awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan?

"They broke through long ago."

"Reclaim your chakra," Fugaku Uchiha said simply, without elaborating further.

"Naka".

Uchiha Chiri gestured to Uchiha Naka, indicating that this was not a place for trouble.

"snort!"

Uchiha Naka's face was grim, and he finally sat down with a cold snort.

"Fugaku, you've met Tamura Hiroshi. What's your opinion of him?"

Seeing that the conflict had subsided, Uchiha Myōkyō continued the previous topic, paying more attention to Tamura Hao.

Reflecting on his time with that boy, Fugaku Uchiha remarked, "He is a genius, a genius who surpasses everyone I know. Even the First Hokage couldn't compare to him in terms of talent."

I sparred with him back in the village. I was inferior to him in swordsmanship and taijutsu. Moreover, he was immune to genjutsu, possessed sage power, and had a bursting secret technique similar to the Eight Gates. He was also proficient in lightning ninjutsu and taijutsu. His overall combat strength had surpassed the level of a Jonin.

With so much time having passed, he must have become even stronger, and even if I were to defeat him, I wouldn't have much of a chance.

In addition, his mental fortitude and composure are top-notch; he is likely the successor nurtured by the Raikage's assistant in Kumogakure, and a future Raikage's assistant.

Fugaku Uchiha gave it a very high evaluation, and even seemed somewhat wary of it.

If I don't unleash the power of the Seven-Tails, I might not be able to defeat that boy.

The crowd instinctively disbelieved it; it was too incredible, it completely overturned their understanding.

However, given Fugaku Uchiha's recent outburst, they did not refute it.

Not to mention that the Raikage's assistant was also involved. They were all a little scared of the Raikage's assistant because his record was too frightening.

First, he spearheaded the war in the Land of Whirlpools, taking half of the Uzumaki family and all the Uzumaki lineage at minimal cost, and severely damaging Danzo Shimura and his elite troops.

They even speculated that the complete annihilation of Sunagakure and Iwagakure in Uzushiogakure was likely part of that person's scheme.

Then came the Kirigakure coup, in which the person who intervened at the most critical moment seized the descendants and foundation of several major ninja clans in Kirigakure and formed an alliance with Kirigakure. Afterwards, he spearheaded the alliance with Sunagakure and Iwagakure, forming a four-village alliance to jointly target Konoha.

Then there was the incident in their village, where the Hokage Building was destroyed.

Later, they obtained that big tree from Takigakure and used it to create an absolute defense for Kumogakure.

The Hidden Cloud Village has been making quite a stir in recent years, continuously developing and expanding.

All of this is thanks to the Raikage, who has only been in office for a few years. No wonder his bounty is the highest in the underground gold exchange, even higher than the Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

The person they value must be extraordinary.

"I can't believe that was a twelve-year-old... no, he should be thirteen now."

Uchiha Myokyo sighed, saying that although he also found it unbelievable, he did not believe that Uchiha Fugaku would lie about this matter.

In other words, he was truly a child prodigy, a child prodigy who transcended cognition and broke the norm.

At least when I was thirteen, I was only a Jonin, and I only broke through to the next level by awakening my Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Powerful in taijutsu and swordsmanship, immune to genjutsu, skilled in lightning ninjutsu and taijutsu, and possesses explosive secret techniques and sage techniques, truly formidable."

Uchiha Chiri also felt troubled. Counting the methods he possessed, he realized that only the forbidden technique he had just created could possibly counter his opponent.

The only question is how strong the opponent's illusion immunity is, and whether a kaleidoscope-level illusion can suppress it; otherwise, the only option left is to use that forbidden technique.

"He has lived in the clan chief's house for so long, he must have something in mind. Fugaku, would you mind telling me?"

After some thought, Uchiha Myōkyō voiced a question that had been lingering in his mind.

The Third Hokage had previously sent him a message, which, although not explicitly stated, subtly indicated that the clan leader and the Hidden Cloud Village had some kind of deal.

It's likely that Mikoto's departure was not without its challenges.

He needed to know exactly what kind of deal the two parties had made. Although it wasn't good to ask directly, continuing to cover it up would only make things worse.

Now that the Raikage's son has arrived at the front lines and the real battle is about to begin, he has no time to test the waters with Fugaku Uchiha.

Everyone turned to look at Fugaku Uchiha again, equally curious.

"There's nothing inconvenient about it. He traded a portion of his immortal power for the clan leader's eyes."

Fugaku Uchiha revealed a past deal. He knew that everyone was suspicious of it, and those people and those present wouldn't feel at ease unless he revealed something.

"Sage Power!"

"The clan leader traded his eyes!"

Everyone was shocked. Neither the Sage Art power nor the clan leader's Mangekyou Sharingan were simple.

They were very familiar with the Kaleidoscope, and its Sage Mode was also top-tier; the First Generation even defeated that person using Sage Mode.

To be honest, neither side lost out on this deal, but it had a greater impact on them.

The clan leader lost his Mangekyou Sharingan, which would inevitably reduce his strength. At that age, he certainly wouldn't be able to cultivate Sage Mode, so it's highly likely that he was traded for it by Fugaku Uchiha.

No wonder Fugaku Uchiha suddenly broke through, and his chakra was still so enormous; he must have obtained the power of Sage Mode.

This made everyone envious and jealous, but Uchiha Naka and Uchiha Baru were thinking about the clan leader's affairs.

Since the old patriarch's strength has declined, he will inevitably be unable to lead the clan forward, so they can take this opportunity to seize power.

Noticing the envious, jealous, and even greedy looks in everyone's eyes, Uchiha Fugaku sneered inwardly, then said coldly.

"I have another mission for me on the front lines, given to me by the chieftain: the one who makes the greatest contribution in this war will become the chieftain."

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked again. Uchiha Naka and Uchiha Baru excitedly activated their Mangekyou Sharingan, while several others were also filled with surprise and greed, their minds becoming active.

Seeing the reactions of the others, Uchiha Myōkyō, who was sitting in the main seat, opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

This will boost morale and make the upcoming battles easier.

Uchiha Chiri frowned slightly, looking worried.

Boosting morale is a good thing, but the danger is that some people might be overly encouraged and do impulsive things.

"Now let's move on to the next topic—the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts."

After a while, once everyone had calmed down, Uchiha Myokyo brought up the next topic.

"The Hidden Cloud Village has obtained the complete Whirlpool Sealing Technique, which will definitely be able to perfectly seal the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails, with the Eight-Tails being the second most powerful tailed beast after the Nine-Tails."

If the Hidden Cloud Village gets serious in this Shinobi World War, there's a high probability they'll deploy the Jinchuriki, the Tailed Beasts.

Once the Tailed Beast Ball is launched, our lines will be very difficult to hold.

Uchiha Meikyo was most worried about this, as the Tailed Beast Ball's power was too great, practically capable of destroying the world.

Even if one possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan, it's not certain that they can withstand it. Although the Mangekyou Sharingan can suppress or even control tailed beasts, a single tailed beast and a tailed beast jinchūriki are different concepts.

Furthermore, they can release the Tailed Beast Ball remotely. If they release it while hiding among the Cloud Village ninja, even if they have the Mangekyou Sharingan, it will be useless.

Illusion spells can only be cast when the target is within a certain distance; the closer, the better.

"The latest intelligence indicates that two tailed beast jinchūriki have been spotted on the eastern battlefield, and a four-tailed beast jinchūriki from Iwagakure has also appeared on the Kusagakure battlefield."

Uchiha Chiri added that it was information obtained not long ago that the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts were about to enter the battlefield.

These words silenced everyone. Even the arrogant Uchiha Naka couldn't say anything and lacked the confidence to deal with the Tailed Beast Ball.

Although I have mastered the forbidden technique, it comes at a price.

He only has two Sharingan, which are gone once they're used up, while others can continuously release the Tailed Beast Ball.

"Can't our Tailed Beast Jinchuriki be deployed?"

One person suddenly spoke up, and everyone else shared the same thought.

If the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts were to enter the battlefield, it would undoubtedly be disastrous for the ninjas.

Just look at the Valley of the End; it was created by that person controlling the Nine-Tails and fighting against the First Hokage.

Faced with that kind of power, even the terrain would be altered; the ninjas would be no different from ants.

Terrible!

The only ones who can fight against the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts are the Jinchuriki themselves. Konoha also has one, and it is the strongest one, the Nine-Tails.

They all knew about the handover of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, as did the four great ninja villages. It was unclear who leaked the information, but it put them in a very passive position and was the reason for the escalation of this war.

However, none of that matters; what they care about is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

The Hidden Cloud Village possesses the Whirlpool Sealing Technique, which can perfectly suppress tailed beasts. Konoha's tailed beast sealing technique is no less impressive, and perhaps even more perfect.

If the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki were to come, at least it could deter the Cloud Ninja from releasing the Tailed Beast Ball, which would be bad for both sides.

"Those are just two children. They can't control the Nine-Tails' power at this stage. It's good enough if they can keep it from going berserk."

Uchiha Myōkyō shook his head bitterly; there was no hope of finding a Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.

He had previously reported to the Third Hokage about the Hidden Cloud Village deploying the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts, but the Third Hokage's response left him feeling disheartened.

"Can the village send reinforcements?"

One person stood up and asked, "If the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki isn't being sent, then surely some people should be sent over?"

Everyone looked at Uchiha Myōkyō.

The topic of the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki is difficult to answer; for now, we can only think about the war from other angles.

The number of people is another big problem.

They only have five thousand people on their side, most of whom are just genin.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Village ninja army on the opposite side now numbered ten thousand, a full double the size, and included many Jonin-level experts.

Although the Uchiha ninjas were all very strong, their numbers were limited, and they could never possibly contend with a major ninja village.

Even a defensive delay would result in heavy losses, and it's uncertain how many of you will survive in the end.

During the last Shinobi World War, even the Kage of the five great ninja villages were replaced once or twice, let alone these people.

Everyone looked at Uchiha Myōkyō, waiting for their commander's response.

"There will be no more reinforcements. We currently have the largest force on all four fronts."

Shaking his head bitterly, Uchiha Myokyo was quite frustrated about this.

This Ninja World War was extremely unfriendly to Konoha. The four major ninja villages were targeting them simultaneously, and even formed an alliance to share intelligence.

They were relatively fortunate; they hadn't actually started a war, so their losses weren't significant.

However, the situation on the other three battlefields is not so optimistic, especially the one against Sunagakure, where they have been driven into the Land of Fire.

Konoha is very powerful, but it still struggles to withstand the combined attack of four major ninja villages, and it could even be fatal.

The four major ninja villages can mobilize about 10,000 troops each. Konoha is in a better position, able to mobilize 20,000 troops, but it can be divided into four, with each front having only about 5,000 troops.

Even though their Konoha clan has the most ninjas and is stronger, it is still difficult to make up for the difference in numbers.

A headache!

"Their enemy has a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, while we don't, and they outnumber us by a factor of two. How are we supposed to fight?"

One person slammed his fist on the table in frustration; this was an unsolvable problem.

Even Uchiha Naka and his companions, who had developed ambitions, were quite troubled. Although they were arrogant, they were not fools and were well aware of the current gap in strength between themselves and the Cloud Village Ninja Army.

Once war breaks out, the outcome will certainly not be good.

Unless they can find an opportunity to control the enemy's tailed beast jinchūriki and turn around to annihilate the Cloud Village ninja army.

But the chances are too slim. The Yunren aren't stupid; they'll definitely be on guard, and might even use this as a trap to wait for them to take the bait.

After discussing for a long time, they still couldn't come up with a good solution. Uchiha Myōkyō could only dismiss everyone and lean back wearily in his chair.

Uchiha Chiri walked over and gently massaged Uchiha Myokke's temples to relieve his fatigue.

"This war is likely to get out of control again."

Uchiha Myōkyō was very worried. His father died at the end of the First Shinobi World War. Would he follow in his father's footsteps?

Uchiha Chiri remained silent, simply keeping him company.

(End of this chapter)