Sealing jutsu crept over Yahiko's entire body, and he instantly lost his strength. He stumbled back two steps and fell to the ground.
"Sealing jutsu!?"
Yahiko was shocked. It was natural for the Uchiha clan to be skilled in taijutsu, but what was this about Water Style and... sealing jutsu? Weren't they supposed to specialize in Fire Style?
Kawasaki crouched down, looking at the disheveled Yahiko. "Tsk, tsk. With your level of strength, forget sharing hardships with Nagato; you'd be lucky not to hold him back."
"The Nagato of today could defeat a hundred of you with ease."
Yahiko ruffled his hair in frustration. "Sigh, has the gap in our strength really gotten that wide?"
Kawasaki extended a hand. Yahiko took it and was pulled to his feet.
"Alright, stop worrying about them."
Things had come to this, and Yahiko could only accept reality. "Can they really handle Obito?"
Yahiko was still deeply concerned for his two dear friends. The knowledge that they had struggled for fifteen years after his death left a sour feeling in his heart.
"You don't need to worry about that. I've given them enough trump cards. Their lives won't be in danger."
"Now, since you lost, you're at my mercy," Kawasaki said with a grin.
"Huh? Alright then, what do you want to do, Kawasaki?" Yahiko scratched his head, thinking Kawasaki was just joking.
Kawasaki studied Yahiko's hair. "First, I need to change your hairstyle so you won't be recognized."
"Recognized? By who?" Yahiko was confused.
"You don't need to worry about that. Stand still, and don't move. If you get hurt, it's not my problem," Kawasaki laughed.
He formed a hand sign. "Water Style: Water Cutting Wave!"
Whoosh! So fast! Yahiko was startled, with no time to react.
A high-pressure blade of water instantly shot past his hair, shearing his spiky hairstyle into a buzz cut. Yahiko's pupils dilated. It felt like he'd just had a brush with death.
But it wasn't over. Kawasaki adjusted his angle, and two more water blades trimmed the sides of Yahiko's hair, grazing past his ears.
Kawasaki released his hand sign. "There. Now no one will recognize you. We can clean it up properly when we get back."
Only then did a cold sweat break out on Yahiko's back. Such a high-level Water Style jutsu... just for a haircut?
Yahiko swallowed hard. "Was such an advanced jutsu really necessary for that?"
Kawasaki dusted himself off. "I didn't bring any scissors, and I'm more skilled with this. Or would you prefer I use Fire Style to burn it all off?"
Yahiko imagined Kawasaki aiming a fireball at his head and quickly shook his head. "This is fine, this is fine."
"Alright, your Akatsuki is disbanded now. From now on, you'll be with me."
Yahiko was in a daze. For him, it felt like he had just woken up from a nap, yet the world had changed so much. He didn't know what had become of the Akatsuki, and Konan had told him it was forced to disappear.
"I imagine Konan didn't have enough time to explain everything in detail. The events of these past years are quite complicated. If you're interested, I can tell you the full story before we return to Konoha."
Yahiko turned his head, his gaze fixed on the distance—in the direction where Nagato and Konan were.
"Alright!"
...
The village of Konoha was about to select its Fifth Hokage.
Within the Five Great Shinobi Countries, the Land of Fire and its village, Konoha, the most prosperous of them all, was about to welcome a change in leadership. The news swept through the entire shinobi world like a storm.
Konoha's trade and mission systems were exceptionally well-developed, and shinobi from other lands came and went in a constant stream. Within days, everyone in the shinobi world knew about it. Furthermore, the list of candidates quickly began to circulate.
Even those only vaguely familiar with Konoha were surprised to hear that a member of the Uchiha clan was running. And it was none other than Uchiha Kawasaki, whose influence was currently surging.
The names of the other two candidates were both unexpected and yet, in a way, made perfect sense. It made sense because Orochimaru and Tsunade were both students of the Third Hokage, making them natural candidates for the position. It was unexpected, however, because Orochimaru had once betrayed the village. Tsunade, meanwhile, had been away from the village for many years and was now even working for the Uchiha clan.
Orochimaru's confidence in running stemmed from the high-success-rate cloning technology he had developed. This technology could heal injured elite shinobi, making a tremendous contribution to strengthening Konoha's military power. Konoha's shinobi were full of praise for it, and shinobi from other villages were incredibly envious.
In the turbulent shinobi world, after every major war, a large number of ninja were forced to retire from active duty due to injury, the vast majority of them suffering from lost limbs. If Orochimaru could truly heal these injured shinobi, how much would Konoha's strength leap forward?
Fortunately, Orochimaru's cloning technology was expensive, and not something the average shinobi could afford. As a result, the number of shinobi who could be healed was limited. Otherwise, the other villages would likely be on edge. Even so, the other shinobi villages were still worried about Konoha becoming too powerful in the future. Many villages had already begun to increase their investment in medical research, attempting to develop similar technologies.
...
Among the Hidden Cloud forces that went to the Hidden Mist, all the weaker members had perished. Only the masters remained, so their return journey was much faster. Just as news of Konoha's Fifth Hokage election spread throughout the shinobi world, the Hidden Cloud contingent finally made it ashore and returned to their village.
The war initiated by the Raikage could only be described as "tragic" in its outcome. A full four thousand chunin and genin had lost their lives in the Land of Water. The Hidden Cloud had suffered a devastating blow. In contrast, the Hidden Mist was virtually unscathed.
Fortunately, the Raikage and the two jinchuriki had returned safely. Otherwise, the Hidden Cloud might have faced total collapse. Despite this, the loss of four thousand shinobi sent tremors through the village. If the Raikage hadn't consolidated his position through sheer power, his title might have been at risk.
...
The Raikage was contemplating how to communicate with the Uchiha when news suddenly arrived that Uchiha Kawasaki was running for Fifth Hokage. This came as a great surprise to him, and he hurriedly summoned Dodai to discuss a strategy. A change in Hokage was a major event for Konoha, and it held great significance for all shinobi villages. After all, the Hokage's personality directly influenced foreign policy.
"Lord Raikage, it is a great blessing that you have returned safely."
Before the Raikage had even retreated, Dodai had already learned that a single attack from the Akatsuki had claimed the lives of several thousand Hidden Cloud shinobi. He never imagined that the Hidden Cloud, which had been advancing so smoothly at first, would suffer such a devastating blow in an instant. The village had been prepared for a long-term war, but in the end, they had been forced into a sudden retreat. However, had the Raikage not withdrawn when he did, the subsequent losses might have been even more severe. It was a necessary, albeit difficult, decision.
Faced with such heavy losses, the Raikage had been in a foul mood for days. Upon seeing Dodai, his expression softened slightly. "Dodai, what's this about Uchiha Kawasaki running for Hokage?"
Dodai had anticipated this question and had already gathered intelligence. "Lord Raikage, while you were away providing reinforcements, the Uchiha clan intercepted Ōnoki at the border. But it seems they only tested each other's strength and did not engage in a large-scale conflict. Afterward, our spies in Konoha discovered that the Uchiha had some sort of confrontation with the village, which apparently ended with them striking a deal."
"Konoha appointed Uchiha Kawasaki as a new Honorary Elder. Using his status as an Honorary Elder, Kawasaki won the support of Kakashi and numerous other shinobi clans. The subsequent details are still unclear, but we know that the Third Hokage suddenly decided to hold an election for the Fifth."