I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

The chakra residue was so faint that ordinary ninjas couldn't detect it at all.

But Sakugo's three-tomoe Sharingan could see—those tiny specks of light in the air, like fireflies, slowly dissipating in the morning light. He stared at those specks of light, changed direction, and turned inland from the coastline.

"Over here."

Kai and Hong followed behind, and the three of them disappeared into the dense forest.

The trees were so dense that they blocked out the sky, making the light dim and the air humid.

There were footprints on the ground—not ninja footprints, but deliberately left fake footprints, going in the opposite direction.

Shuoge didn't look at the footprints; he stared at the remnants of chakra, the points of light heading in a direction slightly to the northeast.

"They used counter-tracking technology," Red whispered. "The footprints are fake."

"I know." Shuoge didn't turn around.

After walking for about half an hour, the woods gradually thinned out, and a bamboo grove appeared ahead. The bamboo leaves rustled, and the wind blew through the bamboo grove, carrying the coolness of the stream.

Shuoge stopped and raised his hand.

Kai and Hong stopped at the same time.

"There's an ambush ahead," Shuoge said softly. "Three people. Two in the bamboo forest, and one by the stream."

"How did you know?" Kai asked in a low voice.

"I can see."

Shuo Ge did not explain further.

"plan."

Shuoge squatted down and drew several marks on the ground.

"Kai, charge in from the front and draw their attention. The bigger the commotion, the better. Kurenai, hide on the left side of the bamboo forest. Once their attention is drawn, use genjutsu to control the one by the stream. That guy is a Jonin; your genjutsu only needs to last three seconds."

"Three seconds is enough."

Kai nodded, his body tensing instantly.

Red nodded, her little face turning serious.

"And me? Just trying to attract attention?" Kai asked.

"Charge in to draw the enemy's attention while I seize the sealing scroll."

Shuoge stood up. "Lin is inside the sealing scroll, carried by two genin. When Kai rushes in, they will protect the scroll behind them. I'll go around from behind."

Their goal is to save people, so saving Lin is a higher priority than eliminating the enemy.

As soon as Shuoge finished speaking, the three of them immediately dispersed.

-

Kai charged into the bamboo forest from the front.

He was fast and his steps were heavy, like drumming on the ground.

"Konoha: Power Cyclone!"

He kicked a bamboo stalk, snapping it in two. The stalk flew out and crashed deep into the bamboo forest.

Two Hidden Mist Chunin jumped out from behind the bamboo grove, their kunai aimed straight at Guy's chest.

Kai dodged to the side and punched the first man in the face, sending him flying and breaking three bamboo stalks.

The second person stepped back, aiming the blowgun at Kai—poison needles flew out of the blowgun, and Kai ducked to dodge them. The poison needles stuck into the bamboo behind him, and the bamboo pole instantly turned black.

Hong hid on the left side of the bamboo forest, her hands forming a mudra.

The Hidden Mist Jonin by the stream was watching Guy's battle closely, preparing to intervene.

Red's illusion spread silently—Tree Binding Kill. The Jonin's body stiffened for a moment; in his vision, countless vines sprouted from the ground and bound his hands and feet.

three seconds.

Only three seconds.

Shuoge moved.

He circled around from behind the bamboo grove, moving so fast that the air seemed to be torn apart.

Two genin carrying sealing scrolls were retreating, their attention entirely focused on Guy.

Shuoge's sword slid out of its sheath and severed the first genin's strap with a single stroke, causing the scroll to fall.

He caught the scroll with his left hand and struck the second genin on the back of the head with the back of his right hand, knocking him unconscious. The first genin reacted and thrust his kunai into Sakugo's throat.

Shuoge dodged to the side, his blade slashing upwards, severing the man's wrist and sending his kunai to the ground. The second strike, a throat slit. The man collapsed.

Three seconds have passed.

The Kirigakure Jonin broke free from Kurenai's genjutsu, his eyes bloodshot and his chakra surging.

He saw Sakugo—the brat holding a sealing scroll in his hand, with the corpses of two genin lying at his feet.

His pupils contracted.

"The Blade of the Uchiha Clan!"

He rushed up.

It is fast, has strong chakra, and its kunai is coated with poison.

Shuoge tossed the reel to Hong.

"Take the scroll with you."

Hong caught the reel and hesitated for a moment.

"Go!" Shuoge didn't turn around, holding his sword horizontally in front of him as he met the Jonin.

The first strike caused the kunai and the sword to collide, sparks flying everywhere.

Sakugo was forced back a step; the Jonin's power was greater than his.

The second stab came from the side from the Jonin's kunai. Sakugo parried with the blade, but the tip of the kunai pierced through the blade and came out from the other side, just an inch away from Sakugo's chest.

His Sharingan had already seen it—this slash would pierce the blade, and be only an inch away from his chest. He was waiting.

The Jonin's kunai got stuck in the blade.

The Jonin was momentarily stunned, unable to pull out his kunai.

In that instant, Shuoge loosened his grip on the hilt of the sword with his left hand and formed a hand seal.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Jade".

The wind bullet flew out from his palm and hit the Jonin in the chest.

The man was blown away and crashed into a bamboo stalk. The bamboo broke, and the man fell to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth.

He didn't die; he struggled to stand up.

Shuoge walked over, the knife already in his left hand—his right hand was cracked and he couldn't hold the knife.

He walked up to the Jonin and looked down at him.

"You..." The Jonin's voice was broken and intermittent.

Shuoge did not speak.

A clean and swift slash.

Accompanied by spurting blood.

The person collapsed.

Kai walked over, a wound on his arm. Hong stood by the bamboo grove, holding the scroll. Shuoge took the scroll and broke the seal. White smoke dissipated, and Lin fell to the ground, unconscious. Hong knelt down to examine her.

"fine."

Shuoge carried Lin on his back.

"Walk."

The three of them retraced their steps. Shuoge walked in front, his pace steady. Lin rode on his back, her breathing even.

After walking for a long time, Lin woke up. She saw the back of Shuoge's head, paused for a moment, and then remembered everything.

"Shuoge?"

"Um."

"You saved me?"

"Um."

Lin was silent for a moment, then reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck—not to hug, but to support him. Shuoge didn't flinch.

"Thanks."

Shuoge did not speak.

-

Back at camp, Lin was taken to the medical tent. Hong stayed behind to take care of her, Kai went to turn in his mission, and Shuoge stood outside the tent.

The wind came by. "They're saved?"

"Um."

"The Hidden Mist's plan?"

"I didn't get any information," Shuoge said calmly. "But she wasn't the target."

Feng glanced at him, asked no more questions, and turned to leave.

Sakugo stood outside the tent, gazing at the distant horizon. He knew Kirigakure's plan—to seal the Three-Tails inside Rin. He had intercepted them; Rin was empty. But Madara had other pawns. White Zetsu could disguise himself, allowing Obito to see what he wanted to see. Tragedy might still unfold.

He gripped the knife handle tightly, then loosened his grip.

At least this time, Lin is alive.

He turned and went into the tent. Lin was asleep, breathing very softly. Shuoge stood by the bed for a while, then turned and left.

Outside, the sun was setting. He walked towards his tent, knife behind his back, hand at his side. He didn't look back.

As long as Lin is alive, that's enough.

……

……

……

Deep underground, in a cave.

Water droplets dripped from the stalactites, striking the stone surface with a crisp sound, one after another, like some kind of ancient timer.

Several luminous pearls were embedded in the rock wall, their pale light casting long shadows on the cave walls.

Obito lay on the stone platform, his body wrapped in bandages, the right half of his body almost smashed to pieces—White Zetsu spores were slowly repairing his flesh.

Madara Uchiha sat on a stone chair next to the stone platform, the huge outline of the Gedo Mazo appearing and disappearing in the darkness.

His body had been deformed by the chakra of the Gedo Mazo, and black rods were stuck into his aged skin, making him look like a puppet nailed to a chair.

But his eyes were still bright.

Rinnegan.

Purple ripples slowly rotated in the pale light, like two bottomless wells.

"Nohara Rin has been rescued."

White Zetsu emerged from the rock wall, half of his body embedded in the stone, his voice neither male nor female, carrying an unsettling lightness.

"That brat from Konoha, Uchiha Sakugo. He single-handedly defeated an Anbu squad and rescued them."

Ban tapped his finger lightly on the armrest.

"The Three-Tails wasn't sealed inside?"

"No. There wasn't enough time. That brat arrived too quickly."

Bai Jue tilted his head.

"But it's alright, right? We have a backup plan anyway. White Zetsu can transform into Rin Nohara and let Obito see the scene of 'Kakashi killing Rin.' The effect should be about the same."

Madara didn't speak. He looked at Obito, who was unconscious on the stone platform. His Rinnegan eyes were devoid of emotion, containing only something unfathomable, like a trench.

"Uchiha Sakugo," he murmured the name. "Kagami's nephew?"

"Yes. That's him. He crippled the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in the Land of Fire and rescued Rin Nohara on the beach. Now, people in the ninja world call him Blade."

"Konoha's sharpest blade!"

Bai Jue's tone carried a hint of curiosity.

"This kid is very talented."

"..." Madara's lips twitched, but it wasn't a smile; it was something colder.

"Anyone who obstructs the Eye of the Moon Project is a stumbling block."

White Zetsu didn't reply. It emerged from the rock wall, circled around to Obito's side, and looked down at him.

Obito's face was bloodless in the pale light, his right eye was tightly closed, and his left eye... his left eye had been replaced with a Sharingan.

Those were Madara's eyes—no, they were relics that Madara picked up from the battlefield from some unknown Uchiha clan.

It's not a kaleidoscope, just a regular three-tomoe jewel.

But enough.

"But we don't have the power to kill that guy right now." Bai Jue tilted his head.

"Ignore him."

Madara opened his eyes, and the purple ripples in his Rinnegan slowly rotated.

"A little brat can't turn the world upside down. Once Obito awakens his Mangekyou Sharingan, he'll naturally go after those who 'killed Rin.' As for Uchiha Sakugo—"

He paused.

"It's just a stumbling block in the way; Obito will take care of it."

Madara Uchiha spoke calmly, confident in his judgment and plan.

There are far too many people in the Uchiha clan who are known as geniuses.

They were as numerous as carp crossing a river.

There was no one who could truly compare to him.

This is just a small stumbling block; Obito can handle it.

"Should we execute Plan B?" Bai Jue asked.

"Go and make the arrangements."

Ban's voice was very flat.

"Wait until he sees the little girl die."

"Witnessing the death of the person he cares about most, the pain and despair will stimulate the evolution of his eyes. The Mangekyou Sharingan. At that time, he will have the power to control the Nine-Tails."

"This is really exciting!" White Zetsu said, mimicking a human's tone.

"Then, he will hate. Hate Konoha, hate Kakashi, hate this world that made him lose everything." Madara leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

"Hatred is the best motivation."

White Zetsu smiled, mimicking a human. The smile was light and faint, like a drop of water sliding off a stalactite.

It looks a bit strange.

"Then I'll go prepare the White Zetsu substitute. Rin Nohara's face, Rin Nohara's voice, everything about Rin Nohara. Kakashi's Lightning Blade, piercing through her chest—Obito will remember that image for the rest of his life."

Madara didn't speak. He looked at Obito, who lay unconscious on the stone platform, and there was something in those old eyes—not expectation, not calculation, but a more ancient, deeper, fossil-like patience.

He's waited too long; a few more days won't make a difference.

Water droplets fell from the stalactites, hitting the stone surface, and the crisp sound echoed in the cave.

One beat after another, like some kind of countdown.

White Zetsu sank into the rock wall.

Only Ban and Obito remained in the cave, along with the massive, silent silhouette of the Outer Path Demon Statue. A pale light shone on the three figures, casting long shadows that stretched across the ground like three knives.

……

……

……

The fog on the eastern front suddenly dissipated.

It didn't fade gradually; it happened overnight, as if someone had pulled down the curtain.

The sea surface emerged, its blue so intense it was almost blinding.

The people in the camp stood in the sunlight, squinting, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

The news arrived in the early morning.

When the messenger ran into the command post, Orochimaru was looking at a map. He took the scroll, unrolled it, scanned it from top to bottom with his golden eyes, and then put it down.

"The Hidden Mist Village has ceased hostilities."

The people inside the tent were taken aback. The Nara advisor was the first to react, tapping the map with his finger.

"condition?"

"Unconditionally." Orochimaru's voice was calm. "Withdraw troops, exchange prisoners, and restore the border to its pre-war state."

No one speaks.

After fighting for so long and killing so many people, it suddenly stopped?

Unconditional?

The Nara advisor frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed his words.

Orochimaru didn't speak. He stared at the dense markings on the map, as if he was thinking about something.

He didn't know why the Hidden Mist Village had stopped fighting.

But Shuoge knew.

That night, Shuoge sat on the rocks by the sea, a knife across his lap, the sea breeze blowing his hair back.

The moonlight spilled onto the sea, shattering into pieces of silvery white.

He stared at the shards of light, his mind racing with things he knew but others didn't—Uchiha Madara, the Eye of the Moon, Obito.

Madara no longer needs Kirigakure. He has found his executor, and war has lost its meaning for him. Therefore, Kirigakure's ceasefire is not because they are unable to win, but because they no longer need to fight.

Footsteps sounded behind me. Very light, and it was Red.

"Going back to the village tomorrow." Hong stood behind him, not approaching. "Kai is packing his things."

Shuoge didn't turn around. "Hmm."

Hong stood there for a while, then turned and left. Her footsteps faded into the distance, eventually being swallowed by the sound of the waves.

A sudden start to the war, and a sudden ceasefire.

It seems illogical.

In fact, true rationality is hidden within everything that seems irrational.

Madara Uchiha achieved his goal.