"The Fifth Hokage—you're the Fifth Hokage! "
The speaker was a middle-aged ninja from Iwagakure, his aura nearly rivaling that of a Kage.
He stood as a quasi-Kage, stronger than most jōnin but just shy of true Kage-class, and he was the commander of this border outpost—Suma Mitsu.
Recognizing Uchiha Fugaku, his voice rose in anger:
"Fifth Hokage, why are you attacking Iwagakure's border outpost? "
"Why?"
Fugaku's cold gaze fell on him, a faint, mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"Iwagakure sent thirteen shinobi into the Land of Fire—including the Jinchūriki of the Five-Tails—hoping to capture Konoha ninja as hostages. My attack today is to ensure Iwagakure receives a lesson it will never forget."
"What?"
Suma Mitsu's expression flickered with shock—not feigned, but genuine.
Though he commanded this garrison, Iwagakure had clearly kept the secret mission hidden from him.
He frowned, then demanded,
"What happened to the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki and the others who infiltrated the Land of Fire? "
Fugaku's answer was merciless.
"Anyone bold enough to trespass and commit crimes in our land cannot be allowed to live. Naturally, I killed them all."
"Impossible! "Suma Mitsu snapped. "Among them was Han, the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki! "
He could hardly believe it. In his mind, even if the mission had failed and they'd run into Uchiha Fugaku, with Han leading them—a shinobi with Kage-level might—complete annihilation was unthinkable. At the very least, Han himself should have been able to escape.
Fugaku gave a low, dark chuckle.
"You want proof? Very well—though it won't change anything. I'll return the corpses to you."
From a sealing scroll, he released the bodies. Thirteen corpses tumbled out, piled together into a grim mound.
"Han…?"
Suma Mitsu's eyes widened as he spotted one corpse.
The ruined red armor, the massive hole punched clean through his chest—there was no mistaking it. This was Han, the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki.
His trained eye knew at once this wasn't some Transformation Technique trick. It was truly Han's body.
"How can this be? Lord Han… a Jinchūriki… slain? "
"No… impossible! This is impossible! "
All around, Iwagakure shinobi reeled in shock.
A Jinchūriki was the pinnacle of a village's power, a living weapon at the level of a Kage. To see such a force dead before them shattered their sense of certainty.
"Avenge Lord Han! "
"Kill him! Avenge Lord Han! "
Fury drowned out their disbelief. Dozens unleashed ninjutsu from all sides—even beneath the ground—hurling their jutsu at Fugaku.
But every strike splashed uselessly against Susanoo's black armor and the molten rubber armor of his Lava Release: Armor of the Hōmu. Not a scratch touched him.
Fugaku's smile turned cruel. Both of Susanoo's massive arms stretched outward and swept across the battlefield.
Crack! Crash!
Dozens of Iwagakure shinobi were sent flying like broken dolls, blood spraying. The lucky ones merely coughed crimson; many others died mid-air before hitting the ground.
"Create a swamp under his feet! " Suma Mitsu ordered sharply.
Though shaken by Han's death, he remained pragmatic. Fugaku had charged alone into a fortress housing thousands of Iwagakure shinobi. No matter his strength, sheer numbers would wear him down.
After all, even the mighty Third Raikage—legendary and unmatched—had been brought down by Iwagakure's relentless waves of shinobi.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld! "
Several shinobi wove signs, and the ground beneath Fugaku liquefied into a mire, dragging him downward.
At last, they thought they had him. But Fugaku's expression never wavered.
For others, the swamp was deadly. For him, it was nothing.
"Mayfly Technique—"
In an instant, his body became as fluid as water, slipping through the mire with ease. The technique allowed him to merge with the earth and vegetation—swamps included. The trap was meaningless.
His eyes locked onto the shinobi maintaining the jutsu. Susanoo's hands slammed down from above like titanic hammers.
Boom!
The ground quaked as two massive handprints caved into the earth. The swamp-casters were reduced to pulp in an instant.
"Keep your distance! "Suma Mitsu barked, changing tactics. "Attack from range! His defenses drain chakra—he can't hold out forever! "
Obeying, the Iwagakure forces withdrew, pelting him with long-range jutsu.
But Fugaku's speed outmatched their retreat.
With a blur of Shunshin, he was among them—Susanoo's frame bulldozing through their ranks.
"Aaaahhh!"
Everywhere he passed, shinobi were hurled away, bones shattering, bodies broken.
Hours dragged on, the massacre relentless.
Over a thousand Iwagakure shinobi lay dead or dying. The outpost was a sea of blood, bodies piled like refuse. In low places, blood pooled into crimson ponds.
The survivors stared at Uchiha Fugaku with a mix of terror, rage, and despair. His defense was unbreakable, his offense merciless. Every swing, every strike took lives.
Slash!
Wielding a kunai infused with Wind Release, transformed into a glowing azure blade, Fugaku cut down several who had dared to close in, cleaving them at the waist.
By now he had dispelled Susanoo, conserving chakra, relying only on his Lava Release armor to shield his body.
He exhaled, surveying the carnage.
"It's time to withdraw."
With a final glance at the blood-soaked border outpost, he vanished with Body Flicker, heading away from the battlefield.
His chakra reserves were low. He had no intention of dying as the Third Raikage had—fighting to the last breath, slain by exhaustion.
"Stop him! "
Some Iwagakure shinobi cried out, realizing the Hokage was weakened.
But his speed was unmatchable. In a blur, he cut down dozens more, then slipped beyond the outpost perimeter.
One more Shunshin—and he was gone, his form dissolving into an afterimage.
Pursuers gave chase, but within moments his presence vanished completely. No tracks, no chakra trace.
Fugaku had used the Mayfly Technique again, slipping unseen into the earth, leaving nothing behind but devastation.
In the end, the Iwagakure shinobi could only halt, powerless, forced to accept their failure.