In the 45th year of Konoha, the ninja world was shaken.

  When news of the Kumogakure Colpse Pn at the Land Fire border spread across the ninja world, it woke everyone up to a harsh reality.

  It turned out that the strongest vilge, Konoha, was not as invincible as they imagined. Even the Third Hokage, hailed as a hero of the ninja world, could be defeated.

  The countless halos surrounding Konoha shattered, and the vilge fell from its pedestal. Moreover, the insane pn targeting the Five Great Ninja Vilges caused panic to sweep through the entire ninja world. The smaller vilges were even more terrified.

  The name Colpse Pn left every vilge fearing for its safety.

  A wave of conspiracy theories about Konoha swept through the ninja world.

  ...

  Konoha.

  "I heard that our vilge secretly devised the Ninja World Colpse Pn, targeting the other four Great Ninja Vilges. The Third Kazekage disappeared, and there are no leads even now. If not for the two accidents that occurred on the Raikage's end..."

  "Yeah, now every vilge is on edge. The entire ninja world sees Konoha as an ambitious force trying to conquer the world..."

  "Exactly. I heard that the Third Hokage snuck back into the vilge st night under the cover of darkness, too ashamed to face anyone."

  Throughout the vilge, whispers and quiet discussions were rampant among the ninjas.

  Although the Kumo ninjas had retreated after the border battle, which should have been a good thing, a shadow loomed over the hearts of everyone in Konoha.

  The disappearance of the Third Kazekage from Sunagakure was now firmly connected to this incident. No one believed anyone but Konoha could have been responsible—it was too clear and deliberate.

  Conspiracy theories were everywhere, and there was no way to clear Konoha's name.

  "Ah, the Third Hokage lost!"

  "That was only because the barrier restricted Lord Hokage's usual fighting style. Otherwise, how could he have..."

  "Could have what? Held out longer? Just look at the intel spreading across the ninja world. That Third Raikage is absurdly strong..."

  "Yeah, I heard that ever since the Third Hokage returned, he's been holed up in the Hokage Tower, and he's even gloomier than before..."

  Ninjas and even civilians in the vilge were all gossiping.

  It's undeniable—whether in Konoha or across the entire ninja world—there's a darker side to human nature.

  Just like the criticism White Fang faced, or how Naruto was ostracized in the original story, the Third Hokage was now experiencing the backsh of public opinion.

  Public opinion is a double-edged sword—vile when turned against you, but also a powerful tool when wielded effectively.

  Handled well, it can turn someone into a hero. Handled poorly, a hero can become a rat that everyone wants to beat down.

  At this moment, the Third Hokage was enduring the same torment that White Fang once faced, suffering under the weight of public opinion.

  ...

  Inside the Senju Research Lab.

  "Good. As expected, my hypothesis was correct. The Wood Release cells and Sharingan not only counterbance each other but also share a symbiotic retionship. The Wood Release you've fused with..."

  Tsunade, dressed in a white b coat, stood by the hospital bed. She couldn't help but nod and praise as she examined the research data.

  "Such beautiful eyes... As I've said before, as long as you don't overuse or exhaust them, the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocur power is like physical stamina—it will recover over time after fatigue."

  Uchiha Shirou, stepping off the research chair, looked at Tsunade's curious and admiring gaze as if she were staring at a piece of art. He was speechless. Since when had she become so fascinated by the Sharingan?

  "Sister Tsunade, you, the commander of the front lines, actually came back as well?"

  Hearing Shirou's teasing, Tsunade snorted coldly.

  "The Kumo ninjas have retreated to the Land of the Moon. Their positions in the Land of Hot Water have completely colpsed. Also, based on intel, the Third Raikage suffered serious injuries during the battle.

  Even Sunagakure has temporarily halted their offensives due to this incident. For the sake of the so-called Four Kage Summit, I've returned because the vilge needs to rework its strategic deployments."

  It was undeniable—the impact of this incident was enormous. The Four Kage Summit was the prelude to an alliance among the four Great Ninja Vilges.

  Even Konoha, with its superior military strength, was feeling the pressure. The combined forces of the four vilges amounted to over 80,000 ninjas.

  Meanwhile, Konoha had only about 30,000 ninjas, including its entire popution.

  When discussing the dire state of the ninja world, even Tsunade couldn't hide the trace of worry in her expression. The brutality of the war was still fresh in her memory.

  "Now, let's talk about your ocur power. On the battlefield, when you confronted the Raikage, you weren't using the Flying Thunder God technique. After all, space-time ninjutsu requires seals, and you didn't have the chance to set them up then."

  Shrugging off her worries, Tsunade smiled wryly. After all, the Senju Cn no longer had the strength to save Konoha again.

  Moreover, after past experiences, every major cn was willing to fight for Konoha but would never recklessly throw themselves into the fray again.

  Mentioning his Mangekyō Sharingan, Shirou instinctively touched his left eye, a confident smile appearing on his face.

  "The ocur power I awakened is called Kyōka Suigetsu. It can manipute all five senses, making someone believe in the appearance, shape, texture, feel, and even smell of whatever I want them to perceive..."

  As Shirou expined his ocur power, Tsunade couldn't help but marvel. Indeed, the Mangekyō Sharingan was Uchiha's ultimate power, with each ability reflecting the wielder's inner self.

  "You named it?"

  Though surprised, Tsunade didn't question it further.

  In that desperate moment on the battlefield, with no way to escape, Shirou had awakened this ability. He hypnotized the Third Raikage into believing he was attacking Shirou's head, only to be momentarily bewildered and realize it wasn't true.

  Combined with Shirou's space-time ninjutsu, this ability could thoroughly confuse opponents.

  "Unlike genjutsu, this is complete hypnosis. For example, I could be standing here, but make someone believe I'm lying on the hospital bed. It's not just visual—it affects touch, smell, and even the sense of weight, making it feel completely real."

  As he described his awakened ocur power, Shirou's confident smile deepened. He was utterly in love with this ability.

  Perhaps the Mangekyō was the eye that mirrors the heart. His strength y in deception and manipution, and the ability he awakened perfectly aligned with his desire to evade the Raikage's fatal blow.

  In fact, during his speeches, he could use this hypnotic ability to subtly amplify the emotions of excitement and admiration among the audience. Whatever someone already felt could be unwittingly magnified.

  Mangekyō's abilities were often named after gods, but he preferred the name Kyōka Suigetsu.

  After all, his ocur abilities were simir to a certain schemer shinigami.

  "As long as someone has seen my eyes or interacted with me, I can activate this hypnotic power at any time. And it's not limited to one person—it can affect a group, simultaneously..."

  As Sirou's confident, mysterious smile deepened, Tsunade couldn't suppress her shock. A group effect? This meant that, theoretically, if his mental strength were sufficient, he could hypnotize everyone simultaneously.

  "Complete hypnosis... What a terrifying ocur power," Tsunade excimed, deeply impressed. As a medical ninja, she understood the stark difference between hypnosis and genjutsu.

  Hypnosis could communicate with the subconscious and impnt suggestions, repcing negative thoughts with positive ones to alter the subject's mental state.

  Genjutsu, on the other hand, attacked the five senses to trap someone in illusions, making it inherently offensive.

  "Sister Tsunade, you must keep this ability a secret for me. To the outside world, I'll cim it's just an illusionary eye."

  Looking at Shirou's sly expression, Tsunade couldn't help but snort, though she couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.

  After all, she vividly remembered how this power had awakened—to save her.

  Every ninja keeps a trump card hidden, even from their closest allies. Yet, he had confided in her. What was there left to doubt?

  "Alright, you come back to the vilge in the middle of the night, yet instead of going to your cn first, you let Mikoto go back alone. Don't you want to see how the Uchiha cn reacts to the appearance of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

  Tsunade teased in her usual proud and sharp tone. Shirou, however, responded with a calm smile, as if indifferent to her words.

  "As you said, Sister Tsunade, when you're weak, you must learn to adapt to the so-called rules. But when you grow strong enough, rules are nothing more than a game created by the powerful.

  Under the immense power of the First Hokage, he could make the entire ninja world obediently py along with his childish games of make-believe."

  Hearing this, Tsunade chuckled softly, lightly fixing the disheveled clothing she had just been examining.

  "I wouldn't admit to those words publicly, and anyway, you're still far from my grandfather's level."

  Shirou shrugged, smiling casually as he nodded and said:

  "That's why my earlier words were directed at the Uchiha cn. But I believe that one day, I will possess power equal to or even greater than the First Hokage's."

  If it had been in the past, Tsunade would have dismissed such words with a sneer. But ever since she secretly uncovered the truth about the Uchiha and Senju cns, she now smiled sincerely.

  "Fine, I'll wait for you then."

  A person possessing both Senju and Uchiha powers—surpassing her grandfather, the First Hokage—might not be impossible after all.

  "Alright, you should head back to your cn. I think word of your Mangekyō Sharingan has already spread throughout Konoha, perhaps even the entire ninja world. The Uchiha cn must be eager to see you."

  As Shirou prepared to leave, Tsunade adjusted her white coat and reminded him:

  "Last night, after the Third Hokage returned, he and the elders convened in the Hokage's office to formute a strategic pn. They also decided to form an elite reserve unit for the war effort—and your name is on the list.

  I'm sure you've realized something by now. The Mangekyō Sharingan has appeared before, and the vilge isn't entirely ignorant of its secrets."

  Hearing Tsunade's reminder, Shirou raised an eyebrow and smiled teasingly:

  "The Mangekyō Sharingan is indeed powerful, but with continued use, it leads to worsening vision and eventual blindness. However, the Uchiha's nature, combined with my previous decration about wanting to reform the Hokage system, makes this an irresistible bait."

  The Uchiha's arrogance after obtaining power, coupled with Konoha dangling the opportunity to rise to fame, was a calcuted move to create a path for building prestige.

  "So, this is our little secret, isn't it?"

  Tsunade rarely smiled pyfully. After all, aside from the four of them, no one else knew that by combining the Mangekyō Sharingan with Senju wood-style cells, blindness could be prevented.

  "Well, I'm off."

  With a casual wave, Tsunade smiled and motioned for him to leave. Suddenly, he appeared before her, and the moist sensation of their kiss left her eyes momentarily dazed as she greedily savored the sweetness.

  As their lips parted and he disappeared, Tsunade couldn't help but smile and shake her head, licking the corner of her mouth.

  "What a charming yet immature boy."

  Who could refuse a boy they had nurtured themselves?

  In her heart, Uchiha Shirou was like her groom-in-training, a young husband she had raised. This sense of nurturing even gave her a peculiar thrill.

  "But those eyes... they are beautiful."

  Turning her gaze, Tsunade stared into a gss tube's reflection, noticing the blood-red hue gradually emerging in her pupils. Two tomoe were slowly spinning, leaving her mesmerized.

  "I even evolved to the two-tomoe Sharingan."

  At the time, when she had resolved to fight to the death against the Third Raikage, not only had Shirou awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but she had also evolved to the two-tomoe Sharingan.

  "However, with the Senju power within me, it's clear that as long as I can control my emotions, I won't..."

  Murmuring to herself, Tsunade began a new round of research on herself in her boratory.

  ...

  Hokage Office.

  Since returning to the vilge the previous night, Hiruzen Sarutobi had immediately convened a high-level meeting for a major discussion.

  Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Koharu Utatane all wore heavy expressions.

  "Hiruzen, the Third Raikage has joined forces with Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure for a Four Kage Summit. A united front of the four great ninja vilges seems unavoidable..."

  Hiruzen Sarutobi looked grim as he puffed on his pipe. To the three elders, he still appeared calm, but there was an indescribable change in his demeanor that they couldn't quite put their finger on.

  Only Hiruzen himself could feel the torment in his heart. The failure of the recent operation to destabilize Kumogakure had directly led to the current dire situation.

  He had even returned under the cover of night, and now, reflecting on the once-admiring gazes that had turned to doubt, he was consumed by inner turmoil.

  "The war has already begun. And because of our recent failure, the four great ninja vilges will unite once more. Last night, I disclosed the preliminary strategic pn to Tsunade and the major cns..."

  The raspy voice of Hiruzen Sarutobi echoed through the office as he pointed to the ninja world map before him.

  "What we must do now is figure out how to resist and win this war. Against any one of the vilges—or even two—we can hold our own. But against all four simultaneously...

  Our military forces will be at a disadvantage on every border. Therefore, I've decided to accelerate the training at the ninja academy and establish a wartime reserve unit."

  As Hiruzen spoke, Mitokado Homura nodded solemnly.

  "Hiruzen, this is an excellent strategy. If our forces are stretched thin on every front, forming this elite reserve unit would allow us to deploy reinforcements wherever the fighting is most intense. They could even unch surprise attacks if an opportunity arises."

  Koharu Utatane furrowed her brow but then nodded in agreement. "Hiruzen, this is a solid pn. What about the selection of personnel?"

  "Hiruzen! Let me take charge of this!"

  Shimura Danzō's voice rang out, and the other three turned to look at him, already guessing his intentions.

  It was clear that Danzō saw this as another opportunity to position himself closer to becoming Hokage.

  Faced with the gazes of Koharu and Homura, Danzō showed no shame and instead met their eyes directly, speaking in a firm tone:

  "Who else but me could lead this reserve unit? Tsunade, or Uchiha Shirou who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

  Danzō wasn't wrong. This reserve unit was intended to be an elite force, bound to achieve significant accomplishments in the war. Naturally, he was eager to seize the opportunity.

  However, while Hiruzen Sarutobi had suffered one of the greatest setbacks of his life, he was far from defeated. There was no way he would proceed without a pn.

  PS : Kyōka Suigetsu is Sōsuke Aizen's Shikai.