At this moment.
Terumi Mei did not speak her thoughts aloud. Instead, she turned her head and looked toward Ao.
"Ao, head out first. Keep a close watch on Iwagakure's movements. Report anything immediately."
Terumi Mei's face was grave as she spoke to Ao with earnest seriousness.
Ao was momentarily taken aback, but then he gave a respectful nod without the slightest hesitation, turning and walking toward the door of the Mizukage's office.
Lord Mizukage clearly had something important to discuss with Lord Yuto.
Though Ao still harbored many questions in his heart, there was no need to stubbornly remain.
Besides!
Monitoring Iwagakure and Uchiha Madara's movements was indeed the top priority right now!
With Ao's departure, Terumi Mei collected herself and turned back to face Yuto.
"Lord Yuto, are you saying that Onoki of Iwagakure..."
Terumi Mei's voice carried a hint of complexity and bewilderment. But before she could finish, Yuto, seated on the sofa, spoke first.
"Onoki is either already dead, or he's been placed under Uchiha Madara's control."
"It's not just Madara, either. The former Akatsuki members should all be in Iwagakure right now. No wonder we could never find where they were based — they'd all gone to Iwagakure."
Yuto wore an expression of quiet realization and ease as he spoke in a calm, even tone.
"The Mangekyo Sharingan, huh?"
Terumi Mei fell into a brief silence, murmuring to herself.
This instantly reminded Terumi Mei of the time when the village had been known as the "Village of the Bloody Mist."
That era of cruel tyranny was a nightmare none in Kirigakure ever wished to recall.
This was precisely why Terumi Mei had been the first to send Ao away.
As the Fifth Mizukage who had ended that dark period, Terumi Mei understood better than anyone just how cruel and terrifying those times had been.
And the cause of it all had been the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, placed under the genjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Right now.
In Terumi Mei's mind, the current situation in Iwagakure was chillingly similar to what Kirigakure had once been.
This sent a distinct chill running down her spine.
Yuto glanced at Terumi Mei. He could naturally guess what was going through her mind at this moment.
Regarding this, Yuto felt nothing but annoyance toward Obito — the instigator behind it all — and disappointment in the younger generation's inadequacy.
If the Fourth Mizukage and the other higher-ups hadn't already been nearly wiped out, Yuto would have slapped some sense into them long ago.
A bunch of worthless fools!
Come to think of it.
Using the powerful genjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan to directly control the leadership of a shinobi village — even a Kage.
If undetected in the early stages, one could gradually infiltrate the entire village through this method, until the shinobi village was fully under their control.
Though time-consuming, it had to be said that this approach was extremely effective. Naturally, it was also deeply repulsive.
Now, Yuto was beginning to understand more and more why the Uchiha clan had been wiped out.
Their overwhelming power alone would have been enough. But the genjutsu unleashed by the Mangekyo Sharingan was simply impossible for ordinary shinobi to resist.
A power capable of manipulating people's hearts would only inspire fear and dread.
"It seems that because of my appearance, Uchiha Madara has taken actions completely different from the original story."
Yuto stroked his chin, thinking to himself.
In the original timeline, Uchiha Madara hadn't been this cautious. He had simply pushed forward relentlessly, knowing that with Senju Hashirama — the strongest of them all — already dead, no one could stop him after his resurrection.
But now, things were different. Not only was Yuto an additional factor, but Senju Hashirama had also been resurrected ahead of schedule. And both of them controlled one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
This ironically made Uchiha Madara appear somewhat isolated!
Yuto surmised that Madara's decision to act this way was almost certainly influenced by Black Zetsu's manipulation. Otherwise, with Madara's immense pride, even if he had conceived of such a plan, he might not have actually carried it out.
Meanwhile.
Terumi Mei snapped back to reality. Seeing Yuto looking completely absent-minded, the corner of her eye twitched.
Something this enormous had just happened!
Yet Lord Yuto seemed completely unfazed, without the slightest hint of tension.
"Lord Yuto, with Uchiha Madara making such a bold move — not even bothering to stay hidden anymore — what should we do next?"
Terumi Mei looked at Yuto, her face betraying a sense of helplessness as she asked.
"Just wait."
Yuto's gaze flickered slightly, his tone as flat as ever.
Wait?
Terumi Mei's face showed utter bewilderment. She didn't understand at all.
After that.
The news of Uchiha Madara's alliance with Iwagakure spread across the entire Shinobi World at a blistering pace.
In an instant, the entire shinobi world was shaken to its core.
Everyone was stunned by this revelation. At the same time, they realized that the landscape of the Shinobi World had fundamentally changed in that very moment.
Previously, the Five Great Shinobi Villages had held dominion over the entire shinobi world.
But now, many shinobi had begun referring in whispered tones to Konoha led by Senju Hashirama, Kirigakure led by Yuto and the First Mizukage, and Iwagakure allied with Uchiha Madara.
These three villages were now known as: the Three Great Super Shinobi Villages!
The reason for this title was simple. Behind each of these three villages stood an individual with the power to single-handedly contend with a Tailed Beast — a weapon of mass destruction.
Every single Tailed Beast represented a terrifying force, one that typically required the sacrifice of countless shinobi just to seal away.
That alone demonstrated the stature the Nine Tailed Beasts held in the minds of most shinobi!
The Tailed Beasts had always served as the foundational strength of the great shinobi villages, the ultimate deterrent against all others.
But the emergence of Senju Hashirama, Uchiha Madara, and Yuto overturned all of that. From the moment the three of them appeared, they each possessed the terrifying power to suppress a single Tailed Beast — or even multiple Tailed Beasts — with ease.
Therefore, this term that had begun circulating in secret across the shinobi world was quickly accepted by many.
Below the Three Great Super Shinobi Villages stood the two remaining original Five Great Villages — Kumogakure and Sunagakure.
These two villages, while not on the level of the Three Great Super Villages, still possessed strength and foundation that far surpassed the smaller shinobi villages.
The only thing they lacked was a superpower combatant on the scale of Yuto, Senju Hashirama, or Uchiha Madara.
The shinobi world's power structure had now become:
The Three Great Super Shinobi Villages — Kumogakure and Sunagakure — all other minor villages.
This was the new order!
Thus, the appearance of Yuto and the others shattered the landscape that had existed since the Warring States Period.
And once a system like this is broken, restoring it to its original state is impossible.
For this reason, this era would come to be known by later generations as "The Era of the Three Great Super Shinobi Villages!"
[
Dear Readers,
I am currently posting two chapters every day across two active fictions, along with bonus releases and extra chapters. The workload is steady, and I am putting in the effort to keep the schedule consistent for everyone.
Right now, my financial situation is not great. Patreon support is what keeps this translation work sustainable. If you have been following the stories and want to help, joining a tier makes a direct difference.
Here is what membership offers:
Adventurer — $3 per month
10 chapters in advance for all of my works
Warrior — $7 per month
20 chapters in advance for all of my works
Immortal — $10 per month (Highlighted Tier)
30 chapters in advance for all of my works
Access to character images
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee (Apple/Patreon policy). Subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late (2 to 3 months), which makes it much harder for me to receive money quickly after you subscribe.
If you can support, it would genuinely help me continue the daily releases and early access content. If you cannot, reading and sharing the work is also appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]