Throne Of The Uchiha

Tsuchikage's Response

The enemy's body twisted just enough to avoid a fatal strike to the heart.

The kunai grazed past the critical point and lodged into his left chest. A second Iwagakure shinobi lunged from behind, aiming a kunai at Fugaku's vitals.

With practiced ease, Fugaku twisted low, countering the strike with a slash of his own. His kunai met the attacker's neck, slicing deep into the throat. Blood spurted as the Jonin collapsed, and Fugaku felt a rush of vitality—his Sharingan silently absorbing what remained of the man's chakra and visual potential.

Activating the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) once more, Fugaku vanished in a blur. He reappeared at a safer distance and spotted Huang Yan, the elite Jonin, collapsed in a pool of blood and unconscious from blood loss.

Assessing the situation quickly, Fugaku made the decision to fall back.

Several Iwagakure shinobi had surrounded Huang Yan, disbelief etched across their faces.

This was one of their elite Jonin—an experienced, respected commander in Iwagakure's ranks—and yet he'd been defeated by a single Uchiha.

Fear and caution returned to their expressions as they stared in the direction Fugaku had vanished. The word "Uchiha" now echoed like a warning bell in their minds.

Fugaku had originally intended to eliminate the Jonin outright, but Huang Yan's sheer willpower and reflexes had saved him at the last moment. Whether he survived would depend on medical treatment—and luck.

At this point in the timeline, Tsunade had yet to revolutionize medical ninjutsu. Though she had begun advocating for the inclusion of medical support in every ninja squad, most villages—including Iwagakure—still relied on rudimentary field medicine.

Still, Fugaku's primary objective had been accomplished: to strike fear and disrupt morale. The pursuit stopped. The enemy was forced to regroup. Iwagakure had been dealt a psychological blow.

Above, crows circled like omens. Fugaku exhaled deeply. Even the gravely wounded Yamashiro Kiyokawa was still conscious, which meant the others had likely made it to safety.

His chakra reserves were nearly depleted, but rest would have to wait. They were still deep within the Land of Earth and vulnerable to further ambushes or patrols. Reconnaissance types like the Iwa Sensor Corps could track their signatures if they weren't careful.

He followed the crows' trajectory, mentally retracing the retreat route. Unless Iwagakure committed to a full-scale search-and-destroy grid operation, his team's escape path would remain undetected.

Finally, the crows dropped below a massive boulder, revealing four figures.

"Fugaku, you're back!" said Hyūga Ning, eyes filled with relief. "We were worried once the battle began."

"We couldn't do anything to support you. Sorry we became a burden," added Yamashiro Qinghe.

"Save it," Fugaku replied tersely. "We're not safe yet. Let's find cover and regroup."

---

That night, they sheltered in a rocky cave, hidden among the jagged outcrops of the Land of Earth. Fugaku opened a basic med-kit—just disinfectant, bandages, and coarse surgical thread. No antibiotics. No painkillers.

They cleaned and wrapped their wounds in silence, teeth clenched against the sting. True healing would only be possible after they returned to Konoha's Hospital, where proper medical-nin could treat them.

Fatigue gnawed at their strength. After setting up chakra-sensitive traps at the cave's perimeter, they collapsed into a light, uneasy sleep.

---

At that same time, deep within Iwagakure, news of the attack had reached the Tsuchikage.

Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, stared at the intelligence scroll, his face darkening with each line. His lips curled into a bitter smile.

"A single Uchiha Jonin waltzes into the capital, seriously injures one of our elites, escapes, and humiliates us before the daimyo and the people. Is this the state of Iwagakure now?" he growled.

He summoned a high-level emergency meeting.

"Look for yourself!" he snapped, tossing the report onto the table. "Huang Yan is in critical condition at Guodu Hospital. The civilians are furious. Our shinobi destroyed half the district chasing shadows. We've undone years of careful diplomacy with a single event!"

"Lord Tsuchikage," said one elder, "we will not be able to reinforce the Rain Country front lines in the short term. More importantly, we need a political envoy to reassure the daimyo."

Another added, "The assassination of a logistics minister was too precise. I suspect a leak. Konoha knew our deployment schedule."

Ōnoki's gaze narrowed. "Assign Anbu to root out the mole—quietly. As for Fugaku... this cannot be ignored."

He stood slowly. "I will go to the capital and apologize to the daimyo myself. Meanwhile, disseminate every available record of Uchiha Fugaku to our patrols, especially those in the Land of Rain and the border regions. Label him as extremely dangerous.

And tell them this: if they encounter him, they are to kill on sight."

The room fell silent at the mention of Uchiha. Especially one named Fugaku.

"I will not permit another Uchiha Madara to rise," Ōnoki muttered, low but firm. "The last time, we were lucky to survive at all."

Memories of the Valley of the End battle and Madara's Susanoo haunted many of the veterans present. They nodded grimly. The Uchiha could not be underestimated—ever again.

---

At dawn, Fugaku unfurled a weathered map and traced a new route.

"The Land of Earth is too hot now," he said. "We're altering course—Bird Country, then through the Land of Rain, and finally to Konoha. No detours."

The others nodded. No one objected.

Yesterday, adrenaline had masked the pain. Now that the danger had passed, their wounds burned with every step.

They helped each other up and moved out, leaning on each other in quiet solidarity.

The battle had forged something stronger than strategy—trust.

"Put away the crows," Fugaku said. "We've used them too much. Qinghe's scouting method is likely compromised."

"Iwagakure's response will be swift," warned Hyūga Ning. "They'll want blood after what we did."

Fugaku's expression darkened. "They won't stop until they erase the shame. If they find us still within their borders, they'll try to wipe us out completely."

And with that grim truth, the five leaf shinobi vanished into the rocky terrain—still breathing, still bleeding, but alive.