Upon waking up again, Uchiha Fugaku immediately checked his body and found that it was much better. There was a piece of bread and a glass of water on the bedside cabinet.
The bandages on his face hadn't been removed, and they were still tied the way he had done it before. However, the medicine on his body had been changed, and he didn't feel as much pain.
"So naive....."
Uchiha Fugaku felt grateful for them changing his medicine, but such naive behavior would eventually cost them in this Ninja World.
Touching his eyes, Uchiha Fugaku picked up the bread and water and began to eat. He needed nourishment to regain his strength, and this bit of bread was better than nothing, but it helped a little.
His eyes were from a fallen clansman, given to Uchiha Yashiro by the Great Elder. Although they weren't his own, the Uchiha Race's physique allowed Uchiha Fugaku to freely use the Three-Tomoe.
He even felt that he could still use Susanoo.
However, Chigaeshinohokami and Amaterasu were no longer accessible. These pupil techniques, residing in his eyes, became unusable after he removed the Mangekyo.
"Where to go next.... the Land of Bear? Or the Land of Snow?"
After finishing his bread, Uchiha Fugaku began pondering his next steps: to hide and avoid Konoha and the Uchiha's search, then look for a chance to return to Konoha in a few years to check on Itachi.
To the west of the Land of Rain were these two small countries. He had only heard of the Land of Snow, knowing very little about it.
These distant small countries had no exchanges with Konoha, and not interacting for over a decade was normal.
"Maybe I'll settle in the Land of Snow first and evade Konoha's and Uchiha Yoichi's pursuit for the first few years...."
Having decided, Uchiha Fugaku got up, ready to leave. Before departing, however, he wanted to buy some more medicine.
Uchiha Fugaku left the room and saw that the people here were already busy moving goods back and forth. Not knowing whom to ask, he inquired, "Where's the person who let me stay yesterday?"
"Oh, you're awake, huh? Looking for Lady Konan? She's at the gate. If you want to thank her, just go there and say so."
After learning the name and location of the female ninja from a passerby, Uchiha Fugaku headed directly to the gate. He realized today that this wasn't an inn but a base for their organization... seemingly called Akatsuki.
When Uchiha Fugaku reached the entrance, he saw the ninja named Konan. Before he could speak, she addressed him first: "You're awake? Do you have any plans, are you staying or leaving?
If you decide to stay, you can't live here for free. You'll need to follow Akatsuki's philosophy to help others in need, spreading Akatsuki's beliefs; if you choose to leave, you should head out before it starts raining to wherever you plan to go."
Konan spoke, recognizing from the bandages on his face that he must be a ninja, possibly a rogue. However, she didn't care about Uchiha Fugaku's identity, as long as he seemed to have no malicious intent. She'd then ask if he wanted to join Akatsuki.
To be precise, Akatsuki also had many rogue ninjas. Although they were Hidden Rain Ninja, they never followed Hanzo's orders and even sheltered many ninjas dissatisfied with Hanzo's policy to make the Land of Rain powerful through war.
To the Hidden Rain Village, Akatsuki was likely the number one threat as a rogue ninja organization.
"I...."
Uchiha Fugaku initially wanted to buy some medicine and leave immediately. But seeing so many busy people, including older ninjas, all respectful towards this blue-haired female ninja.
"Can I stay?"
"Of course, but you must embrace the ideals of the Akatsuki Organization. We are looking for people who resonate with us. If one doesn't accept Akatsuki's ideals, they can still stay in our haven, where Akatsuki will protect all who long for peace."
Konan explained. At thirteen or fourteen, Akatsuki had developed into an organization that even Hanzo found troublesome. They relied on attracting like-minded people through this philosophy to grow.
In just a few years, it became a force not to be underestimated, and later, even Hanzo would need Danzo's strength to eradicate the Akatsuki Organization.
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When Konoha's counterattack began, it caught the Hidden Sand Ninja off guard.
In their eyes, Konoha had no capability to counter; as long as they deployed the One-Tail on the battlefield, Konoha would be no match. Although capturing Kikyo Castle was challenging, Konoha couldn't fight back without dealing with the One-Tail.
Yet this time, Konoha's counterattack completely surprised them. Before the war started, Jiraiya finally received good news: thanks to Uchiha Yoichi's message, the bear beside Minami agreed to go to the battlefield.
This newfound confidence enabled Konoha to take charge of the main battlefield.
At the war's outbreak, Konoha directly attacked the area where Chiyo was located. Although she had the One-tailed Jinchuriki, Konoha wasn't afraid, directly letting Namikaze Minato engage Chiyo, while Uzumaki Minami and Gates tackled the One-Tail.
Gates, though still in its growth stage and not as strong as the One-Tail, had the assistance of Uzumaki Minami. The Vajra Seal, particularly effective against Tailed Beasts, along with the Vajra Chain restraining the One-Tail's arms, significantly helped Gates.