It was even possible that Hiruzen Sarutobi had reached a tacit understanding with Obito Uchiha in secret, allowing Kirigakure to take the brunt of the situation.
Whether Kirigakure survived or perished was irrelevant to him. What Hiruzen truly wanted was to avoid stepping into this muddy situation. Obito Uchiha alone was already a major threat to Konoha—he certainly didn't want to provoke someone even more difficult to handle, such as a dangerous Smoker-like figure (metaphorically speaking, as there's no such character in Naruto canon, so this line would be adjusted or removed for clarity).
Did they really think he was out of his mind?
But staying out of this conflict was now clearly impossible—unless the Third Mizukage could somehow return to normal.
However, the Mizukage was a village leader; how could he possibly allow himself to be manipulated by Hiruzen?
After much deliberation, Hiruzen abandoned the idea of using official diplomatic means to resolve the Mizukage's condition.
As for more covert methods…
A plan began to take shape in Hiruzen's mind, his eyes flickering with determination.
"Minato, return to Konoha and summon the head of the Uchiha clan. If anyone can break through a genjutsu cast by Sharingan, it's the Uchiha. Perhaps they have a way to deal with this."
Even as he said this, Hiruzen felt some hesitation. After all, the genjutsu controlling the Mizukage was cast by none other than Obito Uchiha—an infamous user of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
As far as Hiruzen knew, no member of the Uchiha clan currently wielded Mangekyō abilities—at most, they possessed the standard three-tomoe Sharingan.
Expecting them to unravel a Mangekyō-level genjutsu was an enormous gamble.
But Hiruzen had no other options.
Minato received the order and immediately teleported back to Konoha using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Kawaki Aoba (an original character) considered the situation. If Fugaku Uchiha was willing to take action, there might be a real chance to dispel the genjutsu. While the Mangekyō Sharingan was weaker than the Eternal Mangekyō, the prolonged duration of the genjutsu may have weakened its hold over the Mizukage.
Minato acted swiftly. Before long, he returned with Fugaku Uchiha.
Upon arrival, Hiruzen briefed Fugaku on the situation that Kawaki Aoba had observed. He asked whether Fugaku had confidence in breaking the illusion.
It was a somewhat redundant question. Minato had already gone to retrieve him—whether Fugaku was confident or not, he would have to try.
Fugaku, as expected, did not refuse.
The real challenge was getting Fugaku close to the Third Mizukage. Neither the Mizukage nor his bodyguard, Yagura, were simple opponents.
Visiting them openly was possible, but that would be a high-stakes gamble.
If successful, they would free the Mizukage and solve the problem quietly.
But if they failed, it could trigger a major diplomatic incident.
After weighing the risks, Hiruzen chose a covert approach. With Minato's teleportation technique, they could retreat safely even if things went wrong.
Thus began the secret mission of Minato and Fugaku.
They dismissed the Transformation Technique—it was too fragile, too easy to expose. Instead, they donned black cloaks and simple masks to obscure their identities.
Drawing on their shinobi training, they scaled walls and slipped past guards under the cover of night.
The Mizukage's quarters weren't far. But when they arrived, they encountered an unfortunate complication—the Third Mizukage and Yagura were in the same room.
Minato took the initiative, attempting to lure Yagura away.
As Fugaku hid in the shadows, Minato deliberately made a noise, drawing the attention of the occupants inside.
"Who's there?" came a shout, followed by a crash as someone burst through the window.
To Minato's dismay, it wasn't Yagura—it was the Mizukage himself.
A Kage personally chasing down an intruder, with a guard present? That made no sense.
Minato cursed internally. Fugaku realized there was no point in hiding anymore and moved to engage the Mizukage.
Unfortunately, Yagura also emerged and intercepted Fugaku's path.
Their planned matchups were now completely reversed. Fugaku inwardly cursed.
Unlike the covert Minato and Fugaku, the Mizukage and Yagura fought loudly and aggressively, unleashing powerful ninjutsu without restraint.
The Third Mizukage Awakens: A Change of Decision
Outside, the sound of battle shook the building.
Hiruzen frowned. If things were going smoothly, there wouldn't be so much commotion.
Kawaki Aoba, monitoring with his advanced sensory abilities, was speechless. Who would have thought the Mizukage himself would complicate things like this?
With this level of noise, it was only a matter of time before the other Kage were alerted.
If Minato had to teleport away in front of them, it would reveal Konoha's involvement.
Kawaki Aoba considered putting on a similar black cloak and mask to extract them.
But before he could act, a massive explosion rocked the area, and a crimson light flared through the windows.
Aoba's lips twitched. Had Fugaku really activated that?
So much for the careful, calculating man who had hidden his Mangekyō Sharingan even while living in fear of Danzō.
Yes—Fugaku had activated the Mangekyō Sharingan. In a moment of pressure and tension, he had summoned the skeletal form of Susanoo, bathing the night in a blood-red glow.
The power was unmistakable.
Fugaku, for his part, already regretted it. Coming straight from the battlefield in Kirigakure, his nerves were still taut. In that moment of crisis, he had resorted to instinct.
Under the ominous red glow of the Mangekyō Sharingan, not only Yagura Karatachi—who was their opponent—but also Minato Namikaze, Fugaku's teammate, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just arrived at the window, were momentarily stunned.
Susanoo? Fugaku Uchiha could actually use Susanoo? That meant… he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Perhaps even both eyes had attained that power?
When did this happen?
Now that his Susanoo had been revealed, Fugaku saw no point in hiding anymore. He could worry about the political aftermath later. For now, his priority was neutralizing Yagura.
If the other Kage and their guards joined the fray, there would be no chance of retreat.
Although Yagura was a Kage-level shinobi—and already the Fourth Mizukage—he had only recently ascended to the position. While his combat ability was formidable, especially when wielding the power of the Three-Tails, he was still not entirely adept in tactical warfare. Without full mastery over Isobu, his advantage remained unstable.
Against Fugaku's awakened Mangekyō and the defensive power of his skeletal Susanoo, Yagura could only dodge and stay on the move.
And that was exactly what Fugaku intended.
Meanwhile, Minato, having regained his composure, played his part perfectly. He feigned pressure and lured the entranced Third Mizukage toward Fugaku.
The Third Mizukage—still partially under Obito Uchiha's genjutsu—was cautious enough not to fall for obvious traps. But while focusing on Minato, he inadvertently glanced toward Fugaku.
That was the opening.
Their eyes met.
Fugaku's heart surged. Perfect.
Activating the full might of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Fugaku didn't dare hold back. He had no idea how deeply Obito's influence ran, and hesitation might cost them everything.
Blood streamed from his eyes as the chakra output surged dangerously. The clash of genjutsu ensued.
At first, the Mangekyō pattern took hold in the Third Mizukage's eyes, only for the swirling pattern of Obito's Eternal Mangekyō to overlap it.
For a moment, it became a battle of willpower.
Then Obito's pattern began to disintegrate—sluggishly at first, then rapidly.
The genjutsu broke.
Fugaku breathed a quiet sigh of relief and turned without hesitation to escape with Minato.
Yagura, having witnessed the Third Mizukage falter and collapse, was horrified. What kind of genjutsu could down a Kage in one glance?
He rushed to his senior's side, too concerned to pursue the fleeing duo.
A quick scan confirmed the Third Mizukage wasn't dead, but his consciousness had sunk into deep fatigue—an effect of long-term mental control being suddenly shattered. Fugaku's genjutsu had only finished what Obito's manipulation had strained to the breaking point.
Still, Yagura couldn't help but shudder. He had also exchanged glances with Fugaku. If the Uchiha had targeted him instead…
It was a sobering thought.
Even so, Fugaku's genjutsu wouldn't normally fell a Kage so easily—unless the user was willing to burn their eyesight to reach that power. Perhaps, with enough desperation, even that was possible.
Just then, four figures approached rapidly—the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki; the Fourth Raikage, A; and their guards.
Ōnoki, flying above, immediately noticed the residual chakra traces of the blood-red Susanoo still fading.
"That chakra… chase them! Don't let them escape!"
He took the lead, soaring forward, with the others trailing close behind.
As they passed, they barely spared the collapsed Mizukage a glance.
Moments later, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at the scene with his guards—Minato Namikaze and Koharu Aoba—alongside two shinobi from Sunagakure: Rasa, the future Fourth Kazekage, and Yōkan, his trusted aide.
Yōkan exchanged a meaningful glance with Rasa and subtly shook her head. No signs of hidden enemies.
Rasa frowned in thought.
Together, the group approached the fallen Third Mizukage to assess the damage.
Shortly thereafter, Ōnoki and A returned, both visibly frustrated.
"What happened?" Rasa asked, stepping forward. "Did you catch the attacker?"
Ōnoki's scowl deepened. "No. They vanished mid-chase. I strongly suspect they used space-time ninjutsu."
He turned to Hiruzen with a grim expression.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, don't you think your village owes us an explanation?"
Calling the Hokage by name in such a context was clearly meant as an insult.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. "Tsuchikage-dono, are you implying that because you failed to capture the suspects, you now place the blame on Konoha?"
Ōnoki sneered. "Don't act innocent. That was Susanoo—undeniably an Uchiha technique. And not just any genjutsu… the kind that rivaled Obito Uchiha's. Combined with space-time escape—are you seriously going to deny Konoha's involvement?"
His gaze briefly flicked toward Minato.
"Tsuchikage-dono," Minato replied calmly, "only I have mastered space-time ninjutsu in Konoha, and I've been by the Hokage's side this entire time."
"Also, from your words, it seems you didn't directly witness the technique being used. It could have been any number of methods."
"As for the Uchiha clan—Obito Uchiha has been listed as missing-nin since the end of the Third Shinobi War. If he's been active in secret or raised followers, wouldn't that explain the presence of another Mangekyō wielder?"
Hiruzen folded his arms. "Konoha does not protect missing-nin. If Obito Uchiha or a rogue Uchiha is acting independently, we are just as concerned as you are."
The tension among the Kage remained thick—but the proof had vanished with Minato and Fugaku.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters