192 Post Kirigakure Battle

Shikaku put down the Den-Den Mushi and looked around at the stunned faces of everyone in the room.

All present were loyal supporters of Simu, but even they hadn't anticipated just how fierce the Fourth Hokage truly was.

With Minato by his side, Simu not only rescued his disciple but also single-handedly defeated the elite Jōnin under the Fourth Mizukage and wiped out countless members of Kirigakure, including the famed Seven Ninja Swordsmen. These were no ordinary ninja.

Though the Land of Water was relatively isolated, Kirigakure's warriors were well-known in the other great nations. 

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had earned their reputation with the blood of countless enemies. 

The Fourth Mizukage, a former rebel, was also known as a genius. Add to that the fact that Kirigakure possessed two tailed beasts, and it was clear that they were a formidable force. 

Yet, Simu had brought them to their knees.

The meeting room remained silent for a long moment as everyone processed the news. Eventually, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness... Hokage-sama is safe..." many murmured, instinctively using honorifics out of respect.

Even Uchiha Bakugou felt a surge of confidence. Supporting Simu had been one of the best decisions he had ever made. This victory would secure the Uchiha clan's political dominance for decades.

The Hyuga clan also felt a sense of relief. Had Simu fallen, and Sarutobi Hiruzen regained power, they feared their branch house might once again face a life in the shadows.

Shikaku gently rubbed his temple, watching as the Konoha Police Froce slowly retreated from around the Hokage building.

"It's a pity," he muttered. "If the news had come later, I might have been able to catch a few more fish."

It seemed Sarutobi Hiruzen's spies might have been planted within Kirigakure's ranks. If that had been the case, Shikaku could have used this moment to strike and eliminate Hiruzen's remaining forces.

Meanwhile, Simu's family members let out a collective sigh of relief. 

The plan to use Konoha's remnants had collapsed, leaving no room for further resistance.

Over on the other side, Kakashi rushed toward the border of the Land of Water. 

But when he arrived, he found that the border troops didn't attack as expected. Instead, they wore a mix of strange expressions of anger, sadness, resentment, and fear clearly visible on their faces.

Confused, Kakashi prepared to break through with Raikiri to rescue Rin. But then something unexpected happened. 

As lightning flickered around his hand, a Mist Shinobi stepped forward and shouted in frustration.

"Ninjas of Konoha, don't push your luck! Our village has already surrendered! What more do you want from us?" 

The anger in his voice was laced with a touch of grievance.

This battle nearly wiped out most of Kirigakure's Jōnin and claimed the life of the Mizukage. The entire strength of Mist Shinobi had been reduced by more than half. 

Yet, despite this devastating loss, they still had to surrender to Konoha and bow to them. It was truly humiliating.

Kakashi was stunned by the situation. After all, it was Kirigakure that attacked Konoha first, yet now they were the ones in this defeated position?

But... Kirigakure surrendered to Konoha? What was going on here?

After thinking for a moment, Kakashi quickly realized there was only one person in Konoha capable of such a feat—his teacher, Hanyu Simu.

"Teacher, he..." Kakashi instinctively began to say, but then stopped himself.

"Where is the Fourth Hokage?"

The mention of the Fourth Hokage made the Mist ninjas visibly tense. 

But they still held their ground, knowing any hostile move could trigger a full-scale war between the two countries. 

They were all too familiar with the terrifying figure of Simu, whose image haunted their thoughts like a nightmare.

Though filled with hatred for Simu, they couldn't deny the immense power he has, something that could not be found in Kirigakure. 

So, one of the Mist ninjas reluctantly responded, "In Kirigakure." 

He even pointed out a direction for Kakashi.

Kakashi gave a slight nod. "Thanks." 

With that, he used the Body Flicker Technique and rushed toward Kirigakure.

Meanwhile, Simu was speaking with Elder Genji. 

"This is the Sharingan that controlled the Fourth Mizukage," Simu said, showing the Sharingan in his hand to the elder. He then explained the full story behind it.

Elder Genji, his white eyebrows shadowing his eyes, bowed respectfully. 

"Hokage-sama, Kirigakure deeply regrets this matter," he said, his posture humble.

Seeing this, the other Mist Shinobi Jōnin clenched their fists in frustration.

Simu quickly helped the elder back up. "I didn't show you this Sharingan to make you apologize, Elder," 

"I simply wanted to explain everything that happened."

Elder Genji nodded in silence, acknowledging Simu's words without speaking further.

Having experienced three ninja world wars, Simu knew that only the winner could shape the truth. 

No matter what he said, others had no choice but to accept it. 

After all, Mist Shinobi had started this conflict, and Konoha's response was understandable even if it was a bit overwhelming.

Simu sighed. "I still prefer a village that resists with all its might. At least then, the pressure is off."

He turned to Elder Genji. "Let's wrap this up for now. Konoha will send a mission to Kirigakure soon, and then you can discuss it further. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

Ignoring the changing expressions of the Mist Shinobi, Simu walked out of the Mizukage building. 

No matter what he said, these ninjas likely wouldn't believe him, so it was better to leave it to someone else.

Just outside, he ran into Kakashi, who was hurrying toward him.

"Teacher, where's Rin?" Kakashi asked, concern clear in his voice. 

He wasn't surprised to find Simu here, but his main focus was Rin's safety.

Obito had disappeared, and Rin was his only partner. Watching Kakashi, who seemed to only care about women, Simu rolled his eyes in frustration.

Hearing Kakashi's voice, Rin appeared just in time.

"Kakashi-kun, I'm here," she said with a smile, though her face still looked a little pale.

"Rin!" Kakashi exclaimed, his excitement overwhelming as he pulled her into an embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Simu, standing nearby, made a face of disgust.

Rin felt Kakashi's warmth, and her color seemed to improve. "Thank you, Kakashi-kun, for coming to save me."

Kakashi pulled away and blushed, looking a bit shy. "I didn't do much... It's all thanks to the teacher."

Rin smiled sweetly. "That's not true. Your presence brought me a lot of comfort."

Kakashi scratched his nose under his mask, a little embarrassed. He turned his head to Simu and said, "About the mission..."

"I said, teacher, Senior Minato, can you two stop sneaking around all the time?" 

Simu and Minato exchanged a glance from a distance, realizing they'd been caught.

Simu shrugged and spoke to them. "We're leaving."

Kakashi paused, confused. "So what's going on here? You beat Mist Shinobi and just left without taking anything? This doesn't seem like you, Sensei."

Simu casually slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced back. "Go find someone."

"Find someone?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.

Simu scowled, clearly frustrated. "Lin is the only one left in your team, right?"

Kakashi blinked, then his eyes lit up. "Sensei, are you saying we should go find Obito?"

Both Kakashi and Rin were surprised. Obito had been missing for months. Although they knew from Simu that he was still alive, they were still worried about him.

Simu nodded and turned to Minato. "Can you feel it?"

"Just barely," Minato replied, sensing the Flying Thunder God mark he had left, then headed toward the border of the Land of Water.

Meanwhile, deep underground in a mountain range on the border of the Land of Fire, Uchiha Madara, with his white hair, scowled after hearing Black Zetsu's report.

"Hanyu Simu..." Madara muttered, furious. His long-planned scheme was now in ruins because of Simu.

He glared at Obito, who was meditating nearby, his frustration growing. If Rin couldn't be used to trigger Obito's awakening, then what use was this boy? 

Worse still, the pieces he had carefully set up over the years were almost all gone.

"What's the next move...?" Madara pondered, his mind racing. Simu had ruined his plans to transform Obito, and things were also going wrong with Nagato.

Taking a deep breath, Madara's scarlet eyes glowed with a sense of danger.

"Go to the Land of Rain and recover Nagato's eyes".

"But..." Black Zetsu hesitated.

Nagato was crucial to their plan, but Uchiha Madara dismissed the objection.

"No buts! We're running out of time, and we need to take more drastic measures!"

"Understood," Black Zetsu replied, knowing there was no room for argument.

He merged with the new White Zetsu and disappeared into the ground, ready to carry out Madara's orders.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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