I, Uchiha, will not be whitewashed!

On the third day of the border conflict, the Cloud Village's offensive was even more intense than the previous two days.

Ai's patience has run out.

He stopped probing and feigning attacks, and directly ordered his troops to advance across the entire front.

Lightning Release ninjas led the way, Water Release ninjas provided cover from behind, and Yugito and his two elite squads advanced from the flank, their target being the rear of the Konoha camp.

Sakumo Hatake confronted Ai head-on, while Sakugo led four ANBU members to guard the rear.

"They're here." The eagle's voice sounded tense.

From the mist, two Yugito emerged. She was not wearing a mask or a cloak, but simply dressed as a regular Jonin from Kumogakure.

But her chakra was extraordinary—a blue tailed beast cloak covered her entire body, and two tails trailed behind her, swaying in the mist like two burning snakes.

Her eyes were vertical pupils, like a cat's vertical pupils.

"Konoha's Anbu?" Yugito's voice was soft, tinged with coldness. "Perfect, then you can use them as a sacrifice."

Sakugo remained expressionless; even the cold, evil chakra emanating from the Two-Tails could not shake him in the slightest.

His Mangekyou Sharingan activated silently, and three black crescent moons slowly rotated in his red pupils.

Yugito's brow twitched. "Kaleidoscope...you are Uchiha Sakugo."

Shuoge drew his sword.

Yumuren moved first. Her speed was fast, not a straight sprint, but the kind of movement unique to felines, darting left and right, making it impossible to judge her direction.

Sakugo's Sharingan caught her trajectory—not by looking at her body, but by looking at her shadow.

Shadows don't lie.

He slashed out with his sword. The blade sliced ​​across the ground, aiming at the wooden figure's shadow.

Yuki instinctively jumped up, dodging the blow. But she realized that even after jumping, her shadow remained. Shogo's second strike was already upon her, the blade slicing through her shadow.

A wound appeared on Yugito's arm. It wasn't deep, but the Tailed Beast Cloak had been cut open. She looked down at her arm, then at Sakugo, her pupils contracting.

"Your attacks can be reflected back to your main body through your shadow?"

Shuoge didn't speak. His knife came up again.

Yugito no longer underestimated her opponent. She accelerated, her tailed beast cloak intensified, and her two tails swung behind her, creating a gust of wind.

Her claws reached for Shuoge's face, but Shuoge dodged to the side and slashed upwards with his knife, aiming at her shadow.

Yugito didn't jump this time. She used her tail to block the direction of her shadow—the shadow of her tail overlapped with the shadow of her body. Sakugo's sword struck the shadow of her tail, cutting a gash in Yugito's tail, and blood spurted out.

Yukito took a step back, covering her tail. She looked at Shuoge, her eyes changing.

"Is this the power of the Uchiha clan?"

—This is absolutely outrageous!

How can anyone fight this? Her main body is protected by a tailed beast chakra cloak, but the opponent's attack is aimed directly at her shadow.

When the shadow is "injured," the damage is proportionally applied to the main body.

Shuoge remained silent, his left eye flickered slightly again, and the kaleidoscope pattern flashed in his pupil.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, and steadied himself.

Yugito stopped probing. She clasped her hands together, and her tailed beast chakra surged.

The blue Tailed Beast Cloak turned dark blue, and her body began to transform—not half-Tailed Beast, but fully Tailed Beast.

The enormous body of the two-tailed cat emerged from the mist, its two tails resembling two towers, and its eyes being golden vertical pupils that gleamed in the darkness.

"Nekomata..." the hawk's voice trembled. "She has fully transformed into a tailed beast."

Shuoge held his sword horizontally in front of him. His Mangekyou Sharingan was fixed on the shadow of Nekomata—a huge shadow that covered half of the forest.

"Very well, this is a good opportunity to test my chances of defeating a tailed beast." Sakugo's voice was cold.

He raised his hand, signaling everyone to retreat.

He wanted to have a one-on-one game with the big cat in front of him!

After a moment's hesitation, Eagle led the other three members of the Dark Guard to retreat to a distance.

-

The cat opened its mouth again, and black Tailed Beast Balls condensed inside.

Shuoge didn't wait for it to launch; he rushed forward.

It was fast, skimming the ground like an arrow.

The cat's tail swept across, and Shuoge leaped up, stepping on the tail to propel himself into the air. His blade slashed towards the cat's head. Not a decapitation, but the shadow of a decapitation.

The shadow of the cat's head was mostly obscured by its body on the ground.

Shuoge's knife only cut the edge, leaving a shallow bloodstain on the cat's cheek.

The cat roared again and slammed its paw down.

With nowhere to gain leverage in the air, Shuoge was swatted away by the claws and crashed into a tree, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. The Mangekyou Sharingan was still spinning, but his left eye's vision was even more blurred.

The cat demon's tailed beast ball had been fully formed, and the black sphere shot towards Sakugo.

Shuoge did not dodge—he formed hand seals and unleashed Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

A gust of wind erupted from his palm, not to attack the Tailed Beast Ball, but to change its direction. The Tailed Beast Ball was blown off course by the wind and crashed into the nearby woods. The shockwave from the explosion sent Sakugo flying, where he slammed to the ground and rolled several times.

He lay on the ground, still clutching the knife. His left eye was almost blind, but his right eye was still able to see.

The cat walked towards him again, each step shaking the ground.

Sakugo leaned on his sword and stood up, his Mangekyou Sharingan fixed on the shadow of the cat demon. The shadow was large, but from his current position, he couldn't see the whole shadow—it was blocked by the cat demon's own body.

He needs light.

He formed a hand seal with his left hand, unleashing Fire Release: Phoenix Fire.

It wasn't attacking the cat demon, but attacking the ground behind it.

Six fireballs exploded behind the cat demon, the flames elongating its shadow and projecting it onto the ground in front of Shuoge. A complete shadow, a gigantic shadow, like a mountain.

Sakugo's Mangekyou Sharingan stared at the shadow, three black crescent moons spinning violently in his pupils. He charged forward, his blade slashing towards the shadow's neck.

One cut, two cuts, three cuts—each cut landed in the same spot.

Three bloody marks appeared on the cat's neck, each one deeper than the last.

Its body began to sway, and the tailed beast chakra began to dissipate.

It tried to turn around and run away, but its shadow was pinned to the ground by the firelight and couldn't escape.

As Sakugo's fourth strike landed, the blade sliced ​​through the shadow's neck. Blood spurted from the cat's neck, and its massive body crashed to the ground. The tailed beast cloak dissipated, revealing the bodies of the two Yugitos inside.

She lay in a pool of blood, the wound on her neck still bleeding, but she was still alive.

Shuoge sheathed his sword, walked up to her, squatted down, took out a sealing scroll from his ninja tool pouch, and stuck it on her forehead.

A sealing technique was activated, sealing her chakra. Yugito's eyes were open, looking at Sakugo, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.

Shuoge didn't listen, stood up, turned around and left.

Eagle and the other three members of the Dark Guard ran over from a distance, looking at the unconscious Yukito on the ground, and then at Sakugo.

"You... captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki alive?"

Shuoge did not answer. He walked toward the main battlefield. His left eye was almost blind, but he did not show it.

Although they captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki alive, the cost was greater than expected.

That's true, a kaleidoscope is never a long-term solution.

The process of creating the eternal eye needs to be accelerated.

-

In the distance, the battle between Minato and A continued. Golden flashes and blue lightning flickered across the battlefield, moving so fast that ordinary people could only see two blurry shadows.

Shuoge walked to the edge of the battlefield, leaned against a tree, and looked at the two beams of light. His left eye was completely blind, so he could only see with his right eye.

Minato appeared behind A, and his Rasengan slammed into A's back. A was sent flying, crashing through three trees, before getting up, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Withdraw your troops. Now." Minato's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.

Ai stared at the water gate, then at Yukito being carried away in the distance, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He remained silent for a long time.

"retreat."

The Cloud Village troops began to retreat. This time, no one hesitated, and no one looked back.

Minato stood on the riverbank, watching the figure of Kumogakure disappear into the mist. Hatake Sakumo walked over and stood beside him.

"Sakugo captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki alive."

Minato remained silent for a moment. "Kumogakure is retreating."

Having the Two-Tails Jinchuriki in hand is the most unbeatable advantage.

The Raikage couldn't refuse.

"I'm optimistic about the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."

Sakumo Hatake nodded.

Shuoge leaned against the tree, his right eye closed, his left eye barely open, his vision blurred. He knew his left eye was failing. He'd used the kaleidoscope too many times.

He needs eternal light; he needs to find an opportunity to visit Orochimaru.

He turned and walked towards the camp. His knife was behind him, his hands hanging at his sides. His pace was neither fast nor slow, but more urgent than when he had come.

……

……

……

Three days after the Hidden Cloud Village withdrew its troops, the Hidden Leaf Village received a formal letter of credence from the Land of Lightning.

Minato stood in the Hokage's office, unrolled the scroll, and read it from top to bottom.

The letter was worded in a very official tone—acknowledging that the border conflict was a "misunderstanding," expressing regret over the "unauthorized actions of a few individuals," promising to strengthen border management in the future, and hoping that the two countries will continue to maintain peace.

"It's a misunderstanding." Minato placed the official letter on the table. "Dozens died and hundreds were injured, and it's all over with a simple misunderstanding."

Sakumo Hatake leaned against the window, his eyes closed. "It's already quite an achievement that the Fourth Raikage would bow his head."

Minato didn't reply. He walked back to the table, picked up a pen, and wrote a few lines on the reply.

The wording was also very official—accepting the Cloud Village's explanation, hoping both sides would abide by the peace agreement and jointly maintain border stability. He signed his name, affixed the Hokage's seal, rolled it up, and handed it to the Anbu.

"Send it to Kumogakure."

The officer in the shadows took the scroll and left the office.

Sakumo Hatake opened his eyes. "Do you think Kumogakure will let this go?"

"No. But they won't be coming for now." Minato's voice was calm. "Kumogakure needs time to recover, and it also needs time to persuade the hardliners in the village. This time, he lost more than just face."

Sakumo Hatake did not ask any further questions.

---

Konoha Village, Hyuga Residence.

Hiashi Hyuga sat in the courtyard, a pot of tea in front of him, the tea already cold. He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it down. Hinata sat beside him, holding a flower in her hand, her head bowed.

"Father, who is that masked person...?"

Hiashi Hyuga remained silent for a moment. "Uchiha Sakugo. A member of Konoha's Anbu."

Hinata looked up. "He saved Hinata."

Hiashi Hyuga nodded. He didn't say anything more. Some things don't need to be said.

---

Uchiha clan headquarters, clan head's hall.

Fugaku sat in the main seat, with battle reports of the border conflict spread out in front of him. He looked at them for a long time, then looked up at Shoko, who was standing in front of the table.

"You captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki alive?"

"Um."

"Did Minato release her?"

"One of the conditions for the exchange: Kumogakure withdraws its troops, and Konoha releases the prisoners."

Fugaku said nothing more. He knew this was the best outcome. Killing Yugito would not let Kumogaku off easily; refusing to release him would prevent successful negotiations. Minato had traded one life for peace on the border.

"You did a good job."

Shuoge turned and left.

---

A secret outpost, late at night.

Shuoge sat at the end of the corridor, his mask tucked into his waistband and his knife resting beside him. His left eye's vision had deteriorated significantly, and he could see the luminous pearl on the wall as if through a thick fog.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, and the Mangekyou Sharingan silently activated, with three black crescent moons slowly rotating in his red pupils.

The three crescent moons on my left eye are already somewhat blurry, and the edges are no longer clear.

He closed his eyes and turned back to black.

The vulture walked over from the other end of the corridor and sat down next to him. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing."

The hawk leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. "Everyone in the village is saying that if the Third Hokage were in power, Konoha might have had to compromise again. But the Fourth Hokage is different. He's not afraid of war, and his strength is enough to suppress the Five Great Nations."

Shuoge did not respond.

Do you think there are options for the fourth generation?

Shuoge was silent for a moment. "Yes. He chose not to back down."

The eagle didn't ask any more questions. He stood up, dusted off his trousers, and left.

Sakugo sat alone in the corridor, listening to the footsteps approaching in the distance. He recalled Minato's words to the Raikage at the border—"Withdraw. Now."

It wasn't a request, it wasn't a negotiation, it was an order.

Ai didn't refute it. Because he knew that Minato was capable of doing what he said.

This is the Fourth Hokage. Not the Third Hokage's gentleness, not Danzo's ruthlessness, but a bright, open, and unquestionable power.

Shuoge stood up, hung the knife on his back, and walked towards home. The moonlight shone on him, casting a long shadow.

Behind them, the lights in the secret base went out one by one.

---

Hokage Building, high-level meeting.

Minato sat in the main seat, a summary report of the border conflict spread out in front of him. Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were dead, and the council of elders existed in name only.

Representatives from various clans sat in the conference room—Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Choza.

Watergate pushed the report to the center of the table.

"The Hidden Cloud Village has withdrawn its troops. Peace has returned to the border. In this conflict, the Hidden Leaf Village did not lose an inch of land, did not pay a single tael of silver in compensation, and did not hand over a single person."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"I don't care what the Third Hokage did before. From this moment on, Konoha will not hand over any Konoha ninja or any Konoha clan member because of any person, any village, or any threat."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

Hiashi Hyuga was the first to stand up and bow deeply to Minato.

Fugaku remained seated, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Nara Shikaku leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and wore a faint smile.

Minato stood up and glanced at everyone present.

Meeting adjourned.

---

A few days later, Sakugo encountered Kakashi on the training field.

Kakashi leaned against a tree trunk, his headband pulled low, concealing his Sharingan in his left eye. He glanced at Sakugo, then looked away.

"I heard you captured the Two-Tails Jinchuriki at the border."

"Um."

Kakashi didn't say anything more. He straightened up from the tree trunk, walked to Sakugo, and the two looked at each other for a moment. Kakashi opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again. He turned around, took a few steps, and stopped.

"Even in peacetime, there are no shortage of dangerous missions..."

"I don't want to bring you flowers."

Kakashi is gone.

Clearly, he was worried about facing Sakugo, the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails.

"What an awkward guy."

Shuoge stood there, watching his figure disappear outside the training field.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

The Mangekyou Sharingan activated silently, the edges of the three black crescent moons in the left eye blurred, as if they were about to melt into the red pupil.

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

"I need to find a chance to go out."