"We are deeply sorry for this incident."
As the Hokage's confidant and the Jonin Commander, Nara Shikaku stood by the bedside of Lord Lop Nur. Looking at the man wrapped almost entirely in bandages, Shikaku offered an uncharacteristically awkward apology.
Lop Nur, lying stiffly on the bed, struggled to take a sip of tea. "The destruction of the caravan... how will it be resolved?"
"The Leaf will take full responsibility..."
Lop Nur gave a soft, chilling laugh. He signaled to an attendant to hand a thick dossier to Shikaku. "This is the itemized list of losses. Please ensure the Hokage sees it."
Shikaku flipped through the pages. Lop Nur had listed every investment project, rare material, and luxury item lost in the blast.
The total sum was staggering. Shikaku felt a cold sweat break out—it was nearly equivalent to the Leaf's entire annual tax revenue. The village simply did not have the liquid assets to pay this debt.
Sensing Shikaku's hesitation, Lop Nur shook his head. "I understand your financial difficulties. However, this loss is also a loss for the Land of Wind. The Sand entrusted this mission to you, only for this to happen..."
The Roran Chamber of Commerce had the official backing of the Sand. If this massive property loss wasn't handled correctly, it could easily become the pretext for a diplomatic provocation—or worse, a war.
Meanwhile, the culprit, Uchiha Kaede, had returned to the village and sequestered himself within the Uchiha compound. The clan's stance was cold: they blamed Kakashi for leading the caravan into a combat zone.
They argued the responsibility lay with the Jonin Commander's office, not the Uchiha.
"Then let us settle the debt through other means," Lop Nur suggested, proposing that the Leaf hand over certain village industries and real estate.
Shikaku, ever cautious, didn't refuse outright but immediately sent the proposal back to the Hokage for a final ruling.
Chaos in the Waterfall
While the Leaf was tied up in negotiations, a catastrophe struck the Hidden Waterfall Village.
The Seven-Tails, Chomei, had somehow returned to the village and begun a mindless rampage. Though its destructive power didn't rival the Nine-Tails, the Waterfall's defenses were far weaker than the Great Villages. Death tolls mounted rapidly.
Shibuki, the village leader, watched the destruction with agony.
"Sir, this must be Suien's doing," an aide shouted. "He and his faction have vanished. They planned this!"
"The Leaf and Cloud both failed to capture the beast... how did Suien get his hands on it?"
Shibuki didn't have time for answers. The toxic scale powder was killing his people. The sealing team attempted a suppression jutsu, but Chomei—currently under the influence of a Mangekyo Sharingan—was more vicious than ever. It wiped out the sealing team in a single breath.
"We can't stop it!"
Knowing he was walking into a trap, Shibuki took out the Hero's Water. As the village leader, he had no choice but to use the forbidden treasure to save his home.
Mirror Images
As Shibuki prepared for a tragic final stand, a man in a red-cloud cloak and a silver mask—the "Lop Nur" persona—encountered an unexpected figure: the mysterious masked man who had appeared during the Nine-Tails' night, Uchiha Obito (acting as "Tobi").
The two stood opposite each other, wearing similar cloaks and masks, both possessing the power of the Uchiha bloodline. The atmosphere turned frigid.
"I didn't expect that after a few years, you would have mastered the Mangekyo so perfectly, Uchiha Kaede," Obito said, his voice carrying a hint of condescension, like an elder praising a talented descendant.
"So it really is you... The man who calls himself Madara."
Kaede (Lop Nur) tilted his mask slightly, his crimson Mangekyo spinning. "Do you honestly think I believe you are Uchiha Madara?"
"The real Madara would never hide in the shadows like us, plotting in the dark."
As the words fell, an explosion of flame erupted from beneath Kaede's feet. He became a blur of high-speed crimson, his Flash Fire vortex detonating as he lunged at Obito.
"You still cannot see through the darkness of this world," Obito replied calmly. He utilized Kamui to phase through the attack, his mastery of space-time ninjutsu far beyond what it was years ago.
The two traded blows in a blur of afterimages. Obito lunged forward to place a sealing formula, only for Kaede to erupt into a giant, burning sun. The intense heat of Sunny Day forced Obito back.
After a brief exchange, both men realized a protracted fight was pointless. The "script" for the Hidden Waterfall had already reached its finale.
The New Jinchuriki
In the village, Shibuki had used the Hero's Water to successfully suppress Chomei, but he was physically spent. Suien seized the moment, plunging a blade into his brother's heart.
Before the horrified eyes of the village's remaining Jonin, Suien "defeated" the exhausted Seven-Tails and initiated a sealing formula.
Suien became the new Jinchuriki of the Seven-Tails.
"By backing Suien over Shibuki, you've proven you aren't working for the Leaf," Obito noted.
The Leaf's puppet had fallen, and while Obito wasn't sure of Kaede's true allegiance, he was certain Kaede was a mole planted deep within the Uchiha and the Leaf by an outside force.
Kaede ignored the deduction. "I'll ask you again: who are you really?"
"And I will tell you again: I am Uchiha Madara!"
With the Waterfall's fate sealed, Obito saw no reason to stay. He spiraled into the void of Kamui and vanished.
Kaede looked toward the village center, his eyes cold. Next... it's time for the Hero's Water.
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