Two days later, the merchant ship arrived at the port of the Land of Water. Uchiha Fugaku disembarked and quickly vanished into the crowd.
Tsunade and Shizune also left the ship shortly after and disappeared just as swiftly.
Although they found Uchiha Fugaku's disguise as a wandering ninja a bit odd, it had nothing to do with them, so they paid it no further mind.
Just as Fugaku had speculated, their objective on this journey was to locate Orochimaru, who had already infiltrated the Land of Water, and seek information regarding the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.
After traveling non-stop, Uchiha Fugaku arrived at a small town near Kirigakure.
He entered the town and stopped in front of a certain house.
Knock-knock, knock-knock-knock, knock-knock-knock.
He knocked on the door in a specific rhythm. Not long after, a plainly dressed young woman opened the door and asked cautiously:
"Hello, who are you looking for?"
"I'm from the Land of Fire, here to visit a friend," Fugaku replied.
The girl glanced around warily before stepping aside.
"Please, come in."
Once inside, Fugaku canceled his Transformation Jutsu, revealing his true appearance.
Aside from the young woman, a middle-aged man was also inside the house.
When the man saw Fugaku's true face, he too dispelled his disguise, respectfully addressing him:
"Clan Head."
This man, of average height and lean build with thick eyebrows, was Uchiha Min—an elite jonin sent by Fugaku to operate in the Land of Water.
The girl, with long black hair tied back and a refined appearance, was Uchiha Min's daughter, Uchiha Iori.
To avoid suspicion and minimize risks, the two had disguised themselves as a father-daughter pair running a small business.
"You've worked hard," Fugaku said with a nod.
"You're too kind, Clan Head," Uchiha Min quickly responded.
Meanwhile, Iori discreetly observed Fugaku.
As someone born into the Uchiha clan, she had only a vague impression of their clan leader—known outwardly as rather weak and submissive. But accompanying her father on this mission had granted her new insight.
She had only just learned that Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan over a decade ago, making him the first Uchiha since Madara to do so.
Yet because of the clan's oppressed status in Konoha, he had silently endured, hiding his strength.
"What's the current situation?" Fugaku asked.
"The latest intel says that due to ongoing suppression by the Mizukage, the Kaguya clan is harboring rebellious intent. They've been secretly stockpiling weapons and seem to be planning an uprising soon," Uchiha Min reported.
"Looks like I arrived just in time," Fugaku said with a faint smile.
The Kaguya clan's rebellion was doomed to fail that much was certain.
Even Uchiha Min had uncovered their arms dealings. There was no way the Mizukage, who was under Uchiha Obito's control, wouldn't know.
Most likely, the controlled Mizukage was simply waiting for the Kaguya clan to make their move so he could wipe them out entirely.
Just like the Third Hokage's plan for the Uchiha clan: provoke them into rebellion, then use that as an excuse for annihilation.
"What about the Yuki clan?" Fugaku asked.
"Like the Kaguya, they've also been facing Mizukage suppression, but there's no sign of open rebellion yet. They act far more covertly it's possible they're secretly plotting something," Min replied after a moment of thought.
The Kaguya were known for their Shikotsumyaku and brutal taijutsu—they were warriors, not schemers. At best, they lacked strategic thinking; at worst, they were simple-minded.
The Yuki clan, by contrast, was far more calculating and secretive. Very little information about them leaked out.
"Possibly plotting something…" Fugaku murmured, thoughtful. After a moment, he looked at Min and Iori.
"You've done well on this mission. The clan will reward you generously. Your task is complete return to the village immediately."
Hearing that the mission was over, both Min and Iori let out a quiet sigh of relief.
This assignment had lasted more than half a year and was extremely dangerous deep infiltration into the Land of Water to gather intel. Now that it was over, they could finally go home.
After calming down, Min hesitated slightly.
"Clan Head, perhaps let Iori return first. I'll stay behind to assist you."
"No need. I'll handle the rest alone. You both need to leave immediately," Fugaku replied with a shake of his head.
He estimated that the upcoming operation—to seize a Kekkei Genkai ninja's corpse—would likely cause a significant commotion.
If Min and Iori remained, they could easily be caught in the crossfire. So, he ordered their withdrawal.
"Yes, sir," Min responded. He and Iori began packing up and meticulously erased any evidence that might expose their identities.
Soon, the two left the house in disguise using the Transformation Jutsu and made their way toward the coastal port on the border.
Fugaku remained behind.
Reassuming his persona as a wandering ninja, he used the now-empty house as his temporary base of operations.
Elsewhere in the town, a woman lived alone.
She was strikingly beautiful, but her skin was unnaturally pale, as if drained of all blood. It looked more like a painted mask than real human flesh.
"She's here?"
Suddenly, the woman's eyes turned golden and slit-pupiled—like a snake's.
This person had long ago signed a summoning contract with the Ryūchi Cave and could call forth its serpents.
After arriving in the area, he had quietly summoned many small snakes and scattered them about to gather intelligence.
Just now, one of those snakes had picked up a familiar chakra signature Tsunade's.
This unexpected development caught him off guard.
"It's been years… I suppose I should go say hello."
A fleeting trace of nostalgia appeared on his face, but it quickly turned cold.
"I just hope she isn't here to ruin my plans. If she is… even if she was once a comrade…"
His gaze darkened, emanating an eerie chill like a venomous serpent.
He had already succeeded in mastering the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique. Now free from the shackles of mortality, he had all the time in the world to pursue his research.
The only downside was that this forbidden jutsu required him to switch bodies every few years.
Thus, he became obsessed with finding children with exceptional talent or Kekkei Genkai perfect vessels for his soul.
And this time, his trip to the Land of Water was precisely for that purpose: to find a new vessel.