While Asuka was delighted with his newly awakened ability, the situation across the Ninja World was undergoing dramatic changes.
First, in the Hidden Mist Village, after the Third Mizukage heard Ao's report, even the usually silent leader could not help but lavish praise on the operation.
He had never expected that the fake Iwagakure team led by Asuka would actually succeed in provoking a war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, and even bring back a Byakugan for the village.
Such a significant contribution meant that even though the Third Mizukage disliked bloodline limit clans, he had to admit that Asuka had done an outstanding job this time.
The success of the mission not only greatly reduced the pressure Hidden Mist was facing in the war, but it also secured a Byakugan—something the other Four Great Ninja Villages had long coveted.
For a brief moment, the Third Mizukage even considered an unexpected thought:
If Asuka were to become Mizukage someday, perhaps he might lead the village to even greater glory.
But the thought quickly disappeared.
The Third Mizukage shook his head.
Throughout his life, he had firmly adhered to the principle of suppressing bloodline clans and powerful ninja families.
Even though he admired Asuka's talent, he could not abandon that belief.
Otherwise, it would mean betraying the ideals he had upheld his entire life.
Sometimes, he even felt regret.
Why had such a talented ninja been born into a bloodline clan?
If Asuka had been born a commoner, the Third Mizukage would have nurtured him with everything the village had.
After carefully analyzing the current situation in the Ninja World, the Third Mizukage ultimately issued an order:
Increase troop deployments.
Now that Konoha was being attacked from two fronts, the pressure it faced was immense.
If the Hidden Mist failed to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a piece of the Land of Fire, it would be a wasted chance.
---
Meanwhile, the situation in Iwagakure was far less pleasant.
Because their war with Konoha had begun earlier than planned, Iwagakure had failed to secure the initiative.
On top of that, Konoha had quickly reinforced its border defenses.
Even more troublesome, an unusually large number of Hyūga Clan ninja had been deployed.
On average, nearly every two teams included one Hyūga ninja.
Their Byakugan made Iwagakure's infiltration and ambush tactics extremely difficult.
To make matters worse, these Hyūga ninja seemed unusually enthusiastic when hunting down Iwagakure ninja.
This left Ōnoki deeply confused.
After ordering a full investigation, Iwagakure's intelligence network gradually gathered the truth.
When the report finally reached him—
"Bang!"
Ōnoki slammed his hand on the desk in fury.
Since becoming the Third Tsuchikage, he had rarely lost his temper like this.
"Damn it! Which village pulled this stunt?!"
If there had been a barrel of explosives nearby, the Tsuchikage's Office might have been blown apart already.
His anger was understandable.
A carefully planned strategy to ambush Konoha had been ruined by a group of mysterious ninja who appeared out of nowhere.
Not only had Iwagakure lost the initiative, but the war pressure on them had also increased, while the results achieved so far were far below expectations.
Worst of all—
The culprits had obtained a Byakugan, something Ōnoki himself had long coveted.
That only made his anger burn hotter.
"Crack…"
In his rage, he moved too abruptly.
His old back immediately protested.
"Ouch… my back!"
Clutching his lower back, Ōnoki slowly sank back into his chair.
The sudden pain helped calm him down a little.
He began thinking carefully.
"Sunagakure? No… that's unlikely. They're already overwhelmed and shouldn't have the spare resources."
"Kumogakure? Those hot-headed fools might do something like this… but they're currently fighting both Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
"Then… could it be Hidden Mist?"
"Since when did those cowardly turtles become so bold?"
It had to be said—
After ruling Iwagakure for so many years, Ōnoki's instincts were sharp.
With only a brief analysis, he had already come dangerously close to the truth.
---
Meanwhile, Konoha, the center of the storm, was also facing extreme pressure.
Inside the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane were gathered together.
This meeting represented the highest leadership council of Konoha.
Hiruzen slowly took a deep puff from his pipe, releasing a thick cloud of smoke.
"What do you all think about the current situation in the Ninja World?"
The hawkish Danzo spoke immediately.
"What's there to discuss? If soldiers come, we meet them with soldiers. If floods come, we block them with earth."
Koharu frowned slightly before speaking.
"Konoha has always been the most watched village in the Ninja World."
"We possess the most fertile land and the richest resources."
"To the other villages, we are like prey surrounded by sharks. The moment Konoha shows weakness, they'll smell blood and tear us apart."
Homura nodded.
"Koharu is right. We've all lived through war—we know how cruel it is."
"The Hidden Mist Village suddenly starting a war already felt suspicious."
"And now Iwagakure has also declared war."
"I have a bad feeling. The war Konoha faces may not end here."
Danzo snorted coldly.
"It seems you still don't know the real reason behind the war on the Iwagakure front."
Koharu immediately leaned forward.
"Danzo, now isn't the time for riddles. Tell us what you know."
Danzo replied calmly.
"Of course I know."
"My Root obtained this intelligence at great cost."
"The war was instigated by the Third Mizukage of Hidden Mist."
"He secretly sent Kaguya Asuka to the border of the Land of Fire, disguising his team as Iwagakure ninja."
"In other words…"
"The Byakugan stolen from the Hyūga Clan is currently in the Hidden Mist Village."
The room fell silent.
It had to be said that Danzo's Root intelligence network was extremely formidable.
Even within Hidden Mist, very few people knew the full details of the mission.
Yet Danzo had still managed to uncover it.
This meant the spies he had planted inside Hidden Mist likely held very high positions.
Koharu and Homura were both shocked.
They had never expected the Hidden Mist Village—long underestimated by Konoha—to make such a bold move.
Only Hiruzen remained calm, quietly smoking his pipe.
Clearly, Danzo had already informed him beforehand.
Homura was the first to speak again.
"So it's Kaguya Asuka once more."
"His name has been appearing constantly in frontline battle reports lately."
"He's becoming a serious threat to Konoha."
Before anyone else could respond, Hiruzen tapped the table with his pipe.
"Let's put Asuka aside for now."
"The Iwagakure front urgently needs a commander who can stabilize the situation."
"Orochimaru and Minato are currently tied down on the Hidden Mist battlefield."
"Tsunade still suffers from hemophobia and cannot go to the front lines."
"The only powerful and reliable option left is Jiraiya."
"I've already sent someone to call him back."
"With Jiraiya in command, the situation should stabilize."
The other three nodded.
No matter what disagreements they had with Jiraiya personally, they all acknowledged his strength and experience.
With him leading the front line, the situation against Iwagakure should remain under control.
The meeting then shifted toward discussing detailed war strategies.
---
For now, however, the chaos of the Ninja World did not concern Asuka.
After repeatedly practicing with his Clone Human ability, he had finally mastered it.
Now he could maintain the clone for extended periods without it dissipating.
More importantly—
The clone and the original body could communicate in real time regardless of distance.
After fully mastering the ability, Asuka made his decision.
His main body would begin moving into the shadows.
And from this point forward—
The real Asuka would begin operating behind the scenes.