"The Hokage has won!"
"Thank goodness—it's Lord Hokage who won!"
"If it had gone the other way… the consequences would've been unimaginable!"
…
From afar, the shinobi of the Five Great Villages finally exhaled in relief when they saw the battle between Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Madara come to an end—with Fugaku standing victorious.
Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi, along with the First and Second Spore Clones, also concluded their fights and made their way toward the scene.
"How did your battles go?" Fugaku asked, his calm eyes turning to the four of them.
"Both Black Zetsu and White Zetsu have been slain," the two Spore Clones reported.
"The Wood Release ninja has also been eliminated," Kakashi added quietly. "Sasuke and I took him down together."
"Good." Fugaku nodded in approval.
"Did you see his face?" asked the Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei. "Who was the Wood Release user, really?"
She had every reason to despise that man—the one who had secretly manipulated Kirigakure for years, causing countless bloody tragedies.
"His face was covered in scars," Kakashi hesitated before replying. "It was impossible to recognize who he truly was."
In truth, Kakashi was shaken to the core—because the Wood Release user had been none other than his old teammate, Uchiha Obito.
He considered revealing it but chose not to. Obito was already dead. At the very least, Kakashi wanted him remembered as a hero, not as the infamous "Wood Release murderer."
"Covered in scars? No wonder he always wore a mask," Terumi Mei muttered, showing no sign of suspicion.
"And what about that spiral White Zetsu?" Fugaku asked again.
"He's been dealt with as well," the Fourth Raikage and Jiraiya replied.
The two had encountered Spiral Zetsu on their way to the Ten-Tails, and working together, they'd cut him down.
"Lord Hokage," the Third Tsuchikage asked cautiously, "what of the Ten-Tails? How was it handled?"
His tone held unspoken respect. With the power Fugaku had displayed, even Iwagakure itself might not stand against him.
"I couldn't kill it," Fugaku admitted. "So I sealed it—and banished it into the stars."
"Sealed it? And sent it into space?" the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, echoed, his expression filled with awe.
The others were no less shocked.
They had all faced the Ten-Tails together, and even then, their combined might had been useless. Many had died in vain. Yet Fugaku—alone—had sealed the Ten-Tails and cast it into the heavens.
Such power could only be described as godlike—the strength of a Sage.
"As of now," Fugaku continued, "most members of the Akatsuki are dead. The only one who might still be alive is Konan—codename 'White.' The Akatsuki threat has been eliminated."
"Indeed," Terumi Mei agreed. "One person alone can't cause any more trouble."
"Hmph," the Fourth Raikage grunted. "Even if there's only one left, we shouldn't take chances. I propose that if any trace of her is found, all Five Great Villages join forces to hunt her down."
"I agree," said the Fourth Kazekage, the Third Tsuchikage, and the Fifth Mizukage in unison.
"Agreed," Fugaku nodded as well.
He suspected that Nagato, Konan, and Obito had not been on good terms, and that after Nagato's death, Konan had likely been killed by Obito and Zetsu. But there was no need to mention that now.
After some rest, the shinobi of the Five Great Villages went their separate ways.
This would likely be their last cooperation.
They had united against the common threat of the Akatsuki—and now that it was gone, so was their alliance. The next time they met, they might stand as enemies once more.
That evening, Fugaku and his group of eight stopped at a hot spring inn on their way back to Konoha.
In the men's bath, all were present except Jiraiya.
"Strange," Might Guy said. "Lord Jiraiya came in with us—where'd he go?"
"He's probably… doing research for his next novel," Fugaku replied with a knowing smile.
After all, Tsunade was bathing in the women's hot spring next door—and given Jiraiya's habits, it wasn't hard to guess what "research" meant.
"Research? Lord Jiraiya truly is dedicated," Kakashi said in admiration, completely missing the implication. "No wonder his books sell so well."
"Such diligence is inspiring!" Guy declared, leaping up. "I can't fall behind—I must make up for the training I missed today!"
He jumped out of the water, threw on his clothes, and dashed off, full of enthusiasm.
Fugaku couldn't help but chuckle at the two.
Just then—
"AHHH!"
A scream echoed from the women's side. It was unmistakably Jiraiya's voice.
Apparently, he'd been caught peeking at Tsunade.
Ignoring the commotion, Fugaku later returned to his room in a yukata, ready to sleep.
Knock, knock, knock.
He heard a soft knock at the door.
Standing up, Fugaku opened it to find Hatake Kakashi, also in a yukata, waiting quietly outside. Fugaku wasn't surprised—his sensory abilities had already detected Kakashi's approach.
"Come in," Fugaku said calmly.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Lord Hokage… earlier, when the Fifth Mizukage questioned me, I didn't tell the truth. The truth is—I recognized the Wood Release user."
"Someone with a Mangekyō Sharingan… then it must be a missing member of the Uchiha clan," Fugaku replied. "Who was it?"
"It was Uchiha Obito."
"I see." Fugaku's brows lifted slightly.
"Lord Hokage," Kakashi continued, pulling out a scroll, "his body is sealed in here. I'd like to request that his true identity remain confidential—that the village not learn who he was."
"If that identity were made public, it would bring no benefit to me—or to the Uchiha clan," Fugaku said, taking the scroll. "Rest assured, I'll keep it a secret."
Two days later, after traveling at a relaxed pace, Fugaku's team finally returned to Konoha.
They went their separate ways, while Fugaku and Sasuke returned home.
"Papa! Big brother!"
A little girl with twin pigtails, Ruri, ran to them with a bright smile.
"Ruri, have you been good while we were gone?" Sasuke asked, crouching down to lift her into his arms.
He always looked cold in front of others—but with his little sister, he was all warmth.
"Ruri's been very good!" she said in her tiny voice.
"You're home," Mikoto said softly, relief flooding her expression. She had worried endlessly when she learned Fugaku and Sasuke would both join the operation against the Akatsuki. Seeing them return safely—unharmed—made her heart finally settle.
"Lord Fugaku, Sasuke—you're back!" added Yuki no Natsu, her voice bright with joy. She had grown into a graceful young woman over the years.
"Yes, we're home," Fugaku replied with a rare smile.
With the Akatsuki destroyed, a great weight had lifted from his heart.
Now, the only lingering threat was the Ōtsutsuki main family.
But for the time being, they had yet to arrive—so there was no need to worry.
After spending some time at home, Fugaku took a sealing scroll containing the bodies of Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito and headed to a hidden chamber near the Naka Shrine.
"Release."
With a few seals, the scroll opened, revealing the two corpses.
Fugaku carefully removed their eyes and placed them into special containers.
Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan could turn its user into a Kage-level powerhouse if transplanted properly.
Madara's Rinnegan, however, was another matter—it held power on a far higher plane.
"These aren't eyes that should be wasted on corpses," Fugaku murmured.
"If Obito's Mangekyō is transplanted into the Second Spore Clone, his strength should reach the peak of the Kage level."
A person without Hashirama's cells would eventually go blind from using the Mangekyō, so the eyes needed to go to someone who already had them.
The First Spore Clone already possessed a Mangekyō Sharingan; that left only the Second Clone, whose Ice Release bloodline already made him formidable.
With Kamui's unique ability added, his power would soar.
Fugaku estimated that once the clone fully adapted, his strength would rival even the strongest Kage—and perhaps, with Kamui's dimensional advantage, even challenge those beyond.
"As for the Rinnegan… I still don't have a suitable candidate."
The Rinnegan demanded immense chakra reserves—something Sasuke lacked for now. Besides, he already carried the potential to awaken the Rinnegan naturally; forcing a transplant might hinder his own evolution.
Among those Fugaku trusted, no one else qualified.
"I'll have to keep them sealed… until the right person appears."
His gaze shifted from the eyes back to the two bodies lying before him—Madara and Obito, two men who had shaped the course of history, now motionless and silent.
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