As one of Danzō's subordinates, Hiruko had always remained in the shadows, quietly conducting research alongside Orochimaru.
A low-profile and largely unremarkable shinobi like him had never attracted Fugaku's attention, much less made him aware of any connection between Hiruko and Hayashi.
After all, White Zetsu was not omnipotent.
While White Zetsu could infiltrate many places silently and without detection, its abilities were far from flawless. At the very least, Sage Techniques could expose its presence. Once Sage Chakra was infused into an area, any hidden spores would immediately be revealed.
More importantly, Konoha also had Kushina.
During this period, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki had been working hard to awaken Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. Once achieved, her sensory abilities would become even more terrifying, making it nearly impossible for White Zetsu to infiltrate Konoha unnoticed.
And even if infiltration were possible, White Zetsu simply had too many responsibilities.
The shinobi world was vast, and there were countless places that required surveillance. It could not monitor everyone and naturally had to prioritize targets it considered important.
Hiruko was not one of them.
Who would waste resources monitoring a mere researcher serving under Danzō? If it had been Orochimaru, Fugaku might have paid attention. Hiruko, however, was insignificant in comparison.
As a result, he had been completely overlooked.
In truth, the original timeline had seen a similar situation with Kabuto. Before his rise to power and his collection of countless shinobi corpses, he had remained beneath Obito's notice. Of course, Black Zetsu had also deliberately concealed many of Kabuto's actions.
After all, it had personally guided Kabuto to Madara's body. Why would it allow Obito to discover him prematurely?
The situation now was much the same.
No matter how one looked at it, Fugaku had never considered Hiruko worth monitoring.
Yet now, Hiruko had appeared directly before him and had stolen the Mangekyō Sharingan before he could obtain it himself, completely ruining his plans.
Humiliated and enraged, Fugaku immediately resolved to kill him.
Hiruko's retreat speed was not particularly fast, but he was moving toward a remote region.
Sasori and Kakuzu were still near the border of the Land of Rice Fields. He had no intention of being trapped in a three-sided encirclement. Even after completing the Chimera Technique, surviving such a situation would be difficult.
Before long, guided by White Zetsu, Fugaku intercepted him.
Neither side wasted time with words.
The battle erupted the instant they met.
Hiruko was not the type to engage in conversation, and Fugaku had no interest in speaking with someone he considered insignificant.
Without hesitation, Hiruko pulled a bone from his shoulder. The bone rapidly extended and hardened into a sharp sword as he charged forward.
Fugaku frowned.
Years ago, he had controlled the Fourth Mizukage and spent considerable time within Kirigakure. In some respects, he understood the Hidden Mist Village even better than Konoha.
That technique belonged to the Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku.
Still, the realization did not concern him for long.
Hiruko was a researcher comparable to Orochimaru. If he could assist Danzō with Wood Release experimentation, then researching other kekkei genkai was hardly surprising.
The tomoe within Fugaku's eyes connected into intricate patterns.
"Chikara Shin."
The earth instantly surged upward, forming a massive wave that crashed toward Hiruko.
"Shikotsumyaku: Bone Wall."
White bones erupted from the ground, creating a sturdy barrier that blocked the attack.
"Camellia Dance!"
Hiruko shot forward again.
The two crossed paths in an instant.
Fugaku's kunai gleamed with cold light as it collided with the Bone Sword. Chakra exploded between them, and cracks rapidly spread across the ground beneath their feet.
A crimson glow flashed within Fugaku's eyes.
A gravity field formed beside him, attempting to crush Hiruko on the spot.
Several ice mirrors materialized instantly.
Hiruko's body slipped into one of them and vanished. After flashing through multiple mirrors, he emerged from the farthest one.
"Ice Release..."
Fugaku's expression darkened.
Possessing Shikotsumyaku alone would have been impressive enough.
But now there was Ice Release as well.
And not just Ice Release.
Even Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals should not have allowed movement at such absurd speed.
Watching Hiruko's elusive movements, another possibility surfaced in his mind.
Swift Release.
A storm of disbelief surged through Fugaku's heart.
Three kekkei genkai.
What kind of monster was this?
Most shinobi were fortunate to possess a single kekkei genkai.
Someone with two was considered a once-in-a-generation genius. Among the current generation, Mei Terumī was one of the few known examples.
But three?
That was virtually unheard of.
Then, when Wood Release emerged from Hiruko's hands, Fugaku became completely numb.
At that point, even if Hiruko revealed additional bloodline abilities, he would no longer be surprised.
As the battle continued, however, Fugaku began to realize something troubling.
He might actually lose.
The weather was cold, and heavy snow blanketed the area, creating ideal conditions for Ice Release.
Meanwhile, Hiruko possessed five kekkei genkai, each among the most formidable in the shinobi world.
Admittedly, none of them had reached their full potential. His Wood Release, for example, was only comparable to Yamato's level.
Yet that was more than enough.
Individually, they might not be overwhelming.
Combined, they were a nightmare.
After all, Fugaku was not facing Madara.
Hiruko's combat coordination was exceptionally refined.
He used Ice Release to create Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, condensing the surrounding moisture and snow into ice mirrors that surrounded his opponent. He could move freely between them and attack from any direction.
Combined with Swift Release, his speed far surpassed that of an ordinary Body Flicker Technique.
Even when gravity fields appeared, he could instantly relocate.
Most importantly, he maintained a distance of exactly fifteen meters.
Not fourteen.
Not sixteen.
Exactly fifteen.
It was obvious that Hiruko already knew the effective range of Fugaku's gravity manipulation.
Keeping that distance, he continuously harassed Fugaku with long-range ninjutsu.
Fugaku could not catch him.
Instead, he found himself gradually being pushed back.
An awkward situation had formed.
The urge to retreat appeared in Fugaku's mind.
This battle served no purpose.
Yet allowing Hiruko to leave with the Mangekyō Sharingan was equally unacceptable.
"In that case..."
A massive surge of chakra erupted from Fugaku's body, blasting apart part of the reforming ice mirror formation.
Then he rose into the air and withdrew from the battlefield.
Looking down at Hiruko, he spoke calmly.
"Hiruko, you are a capable shinobi.
However, Danzō Shimura was a member of the organization. Since you killed him, you will take his place in the Akatsuki and carry out its missions."
Hiruko retracted his bone blade.
After a brief moment of consideration, he nodded.
"Agreed."
The immediate acceptance caught Fugaku off guard.
Still, he chose not to dwell on it.
He tossed over a ring.
"This was Danzō's ring. It is also the organization's communication token. Someone will come to meet you soon."
Hiruko caught it and immediately slipped it onto his finger.
Without another word, Fugaku turned and flew into the sky.
At worst, Hiruko was simply another Danzō.
He could let him work for the Akatsuki, gathering Tailed Beasts, and reclaim the Sharingan later when the opportunity presented itself.
Wasn't that exactly how Danzō had ended up dead?
"No rush."
Fugaku silently reassured himself.
"Hiruko is far stronger than Danzō. Collecting the Tailed Beasts should be much easier."
The more he thought about it, the better he felt.
In the end, this exchange wasn't a loss at all.
As for who truly lost...
That was undoubtedly the deceased Danzō.