271-275

*Chapter 271: The Battle Begins (Part 1)*

As soon as the Fourth Raikage gave the order, the Allied Shinobi Forces set off and engaged Madara Uchiha's White Zetsu army in a decisive battle in the northern part of the Land of Frost.

The large-scale battle ended in a single day, with the Allied Forces achieving a resounding victory. The White Zetsu army was left scattered and broken.

The remaining White Zetsu forces, using advanced transformation jutsu, blended in with the Allied Forces, causing confusion for a few days.

However, after Naruto returned from his training on Turtle Island, he quickly eliminated the remaining White Zetsu with the help of the Nine-Tails’ ability to sense malice. The Allied Forces secured a decisive victory.

Of course, this outcome was within Madara Uchiha’s expectations.

To be precise, Madara had deployed White Zetsu army not to defeat the Five Great Shinobi Nations but to lure out Naruto and Killer Bee.

Now, his objective was accomplished.

After Naruto, in cooperation with Gaara's Fourth Division, sealed several past Kage who were resurrected through Edo Tensei—like the Third Raikage, the Second Tsuchikage, and the Fourth Kazekage—Madara Uchiha appeared.

Unlike his initial entrance in the original storyline, Madara now stood before the Allied Forces in a fully resurrected body.

Though he was alone, the immense surge of chakra radiating from him left the Fourth Division’s shinobi stunned and fearful.

Madara’s power was undeniable.

Meanwhile, back at the Allied headquarters, the Barrier Team detected the massive chakra wave and immediately reported it to the Fourth Raikage.

“Lord Fourth Raikage, a massive chakra presence has been detected in the Fourth Division. According to intel, it’s... Madara Uchiha!”

“He’s finally appeared?”

Hearing the report, the Fourth Raikage immediately turned to Hattori by his side. “I’ll go with you. Together, we’ll take down Madara Uchiha!”

“Haha, there’s no need!”

Hattori laughed and waved off the Raikage’s suggestion.

“Madara Uchiha is no match for me alone. No need for Supreme Commander to step in. Just wait for the good news!”

“You…”

Fourth Raikage started to say something, but Hattori disappeared in a flash of golden light before he could get a word out.

Seeing this, the Fourth Raikage was taken aback, then muttered to himself with a complex expression.

“Flying Thunder God Technique… I didn’t expect there was someone else who could use it besides him…”

Unaware of the Raikage's musings, Hattori, after using the Flying Thunder God, appeared right behind Gaara.

Hattori’s arrival immediately caught the attention of many, especially the shinobi from the Hidden Sand Village.

They were momentarily stunned, then erupted in cheers.

“It’s the Kazekage!”

“Lord Kazekage is here! This is great!”

“We’re sure to win now!”

The Hidden Sand shinobi's cheers lifted the spirits of the Fourth Division, who had been nearly crushed by Madara’s overwhelming aura.

Although many didn’t know Hattori personally, seeing the Hidden Sand's excitement boosted their morale.

Perhaps… the Kazekage might be able to hold off Madara?

No one expected Hattori to defeat Madara outright; his reputation was just too intimidating.

For the Allied Forces, all they needed was for Hattori to hold off Madara until reinforcements arrived.

Hattori, unaware of their thoughts, simply smiled and patted Gaara on the shoulder.

“You and Naruto rest for a bit. Leave the rest to me!”

With that, he stepped forward, watched by the thousands of shinobi in the Fourth Division, slowly advancing toward Madara.

Seeing this, Madara smiled and started walking toward him as well.

At first, both walked slowly, but after a few steps, they picked up speed, eventually charging at each other in a sprint!

Seeing Hattori approaching, Madara's face lit up with excitement.

“So, you want to dance too?”

“Dance with dog!” Hattori cursed, hurling a kunai straight at Madara.

For Madara, with his Sharingan, dodging the kunai was effortless; a slight tilt of his head, and it flew past his cheek.

As a smug grin crept onto Madara’s face, he suddenly realized that Hattori, who had been in front of him, had vanished!

At the same moment, a sharp black rod pierced through Madara's arm from behind, gripped tightly in Hattori’s other hand.

“Flying Thunder God and Yin-Yang Release… Impressive.”

Madara’s tone held no anger, only a hint of admiration.

Snorting in response, Hattori replied, “Hmph, I was aiming for your heart. You’re not bad for dodging, Madara!”

Madara chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Killing you would be a waste. I’ll give you one last chance to join me!”

“Join you? In your dreams!”

Hattori cursed again, creating another black rod to stab Madara.

This time, however, he missed.

Before the rod could reach Madara, he countered with a sidekick, sending Hattori flying, then pulled out the rod from his arm and threw it back at Hattori.

With a sharp whistling sound, the black rod hurtled toward Hattori’s heart, only to be deflected mid-air by his Shinra Tensei.

After deflecting the attack, Hattori looked back at Madara and noticed his arm wound was already fully healed.

Seeing this, Hattori clicked his tongue.

“Tsk… Impressive regeneration. I can’t stand opponents like you. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just stayed down?”

“That’s what I should say!”

Madara growled and interlocked his fingers.

“Now it’s my turn. Behold my new power—Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!”

With a fierce shout, enormous tree roots erupted from the ground like sea dragons, surging through the desert toward Hattori.

Not one to sit still, Hattori activated his Susanoo in response.

“Roar!”

Hattori’s Susanoo, resembling a war god shrouded in black flames, let out a mighty roar and struck at Madara’s forest with a single blade.

“Boom!”

With a deafening explosion, the sea of trees was split in two, leaving a deep chasm in the ground.

Madara wasn’t so easily deterred; if he hadn’t dodged, Hattori’s blade would have landed squarely on his head.

Even Madara didn’t dare underestimate the power of Susanoo’s attacks.

In just a few minutes, Hattori and Madara clashed, each trading a flurry of moves in a preliminary exchange.

On the surface, it appeared Hattori held the upper hand, but both knew this was merely a warm-up.

Now, having gauged each other’s abilities, they were ready to get serious.

Understanding this, Hattori called back to Naruto and Gaara.

“Gaara, leave this to me. Get everyone out of here. Naruto, go find Kabuto and deal with him—stop these reanimated corpses from roaming the battlefield!”

“Got it!”

Naruto and Gaara quickly complied, retreating with their forces.

Once they were gone, Hattori turned back to Madara.

“It’s just us now, Madara. Show me your full power!”

“As you wish.”

With a smirk, Madara bit his finger and performed a summoning jutsu.

“Summoning Jutsu: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!”

End of Chapter

*Chapter 272: The Great Battle Begins (Part 2)*

*[Name: Gedo Statue (Ten-Tails Form)]*

*[Level: 99]*

*[HP: 240,000/240,000]*

*[MP: 240,000/240,000]*

*[Special Abilities: Tailed Beast Bomb, Evolution]*

*[Combat Power Rating: SS]*

...

Looking at the colossal creature summoned by Madara Uchiha before him, Hattori knew he was serious this time.

"Alright then, this is a good chance. I'll take care of all of you at once!"

With this thought, Hattori, in his Susanoo form, began forming seals, preparing to unleash Rinnegan’s most powerful technique.

*"Heavenly Attraction of All Creation: Guiding Destruction!"*

The technique's principle was to use Susanoo to form seals and maximize the Rinnegan's gravitational power to draw a meteor from space and send it crashing down to Earth, resulting in catastrophic destruction.

In the original story, Madara Uchiha used this move to summon two massive meteors that nearly covered the entire sky, turning everything within kilometers into ruins and almost obliterating the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Now, by using this technique, Hattori was giving Madara a taste of his own medicine!

As he executed it, the summoned meteor quickly broke through the atmosphere, approaching the ground at a rapid pace.

The enormous meteor blocked out the sunlight, casting the entire sky into darkness.

Seeing this, Madara's expression changed.

"Damn it, not that technique!"

In the original storyline, when he used this move, he was in his Edo Tensei form, so he could revive even if he was reduced to ashes.

But now that he's fully resurrected, death would be permanent.

At this moment, he could feel the threat of death!

Hattori’s meteor, summoned with Heavenly Attraction of All Creation: Guiding Destruction, gained tremendous momentum upon entering the atmosphere, creating an enormous impact force as it hurtled toward the ground.

The impact would be unstoppable, even for Hattori, its creator, and Madara wouldn't be able to withstand it either.

The worst part? The meteor was falling fast—within twenty seconds, it would strike him directly.

Twenty seconds wasn’t nearly enough time to escape the range of Heavenly Attraction of All Creation: Guiding Destruction impact.

In other words, he was done for.

"You traitor of the Uchiha clan!"

Madara cursed through gritted teeth, his gaze at Hattori full of murderous intent.

"I regret not killing you from the start; I won’t make that mistake again!"

"Hmm, you have a point."

Hearing Madara’s words, Hattori nodded in agreement.

"I agree, but perhaps you should focus on surviving the current crisis first. I'll take my leave!"

With that, he vanished in a flash of golden light before Madara’s eyes.

*Flying Thunder God Technique!*

Watching this, Madara’s face twisted in anger, and he roared.

"Ahhhhh…!"

As his scream echoed, the colossal meteor struck, smashing him and the Ten-Tails into the ground, erupting with an earth-shaking explosion!

*Boom…*

The ground trembled violently, and even the Allied Shinobi Forces’ command center, miles away, felt the shockwave.

At the same time, the sight of the massive meteor falling burned itself into everyone’s minds.

"What is that? A meteor?"

"Thank goodness it didn’t fall here, or we’d be done for!"

"Yeah, but it seems to have hit the Fourth Division's location—are they alright?"

"Let’s hope they’re okay..."

While many ninjas murmured among themselves, Hattori, who had just teleported back to the command center, reassured everyone with a grin.

"Relax, everyone. Before the meteor fell, I had Gaara evacuate his troops, so Madara Uchiha was the only one hit by it!"

"What?"

Everyone was taken aback, looking at him in disbelief.

"That meteor… did you summon it, Kazekage?"

"No, I’m not that powerful," Hattori shook his head.

As people’s expressions returned to normal, he continued.

"The meteors exist in outer space—I simply summoned one to drop it right on Madara’s head!"

Everyone gasped in shock, especially Ao from the Barrier Division, who had a look of relief as he thought about it.

Thank goodness Hattori hadn’t used that technique when he attacked the Hidden Mist Village before; otherwise, a kilometer-wide meteor would have completely destroyed the village with no hope of rebuilding.

"With that kind of power, and he only killed the Third Mizukage? He really was holding back!"

As Ao thought this, his view of Hattori shifted.

He made a firm decision to return after the war and warn Mei Terumi to never provoke Hattori!

He didn’t want to be wiped out in his sleep by a giant meteor someday.

Ao wasn’t the only one with this thought; Fourth Raikage of the Allied Shinobi Forces was similarly affected.

At that moment, he realized that all his years spent collecting bloodline and building up Hidden Cloud's military strength seemed pointless in the face of Hattori’s overwhelming power.

He began to hesitate, wondering what the future held for Hidden Cloud Village.

Hattori wasn’t oblivious; seeing everyone’s varied expressions and the fear they couldn’t hide, he knew exactly what they were thinking.

"Did I scare them?"

With a slight smile, he waved his hand toward them.

"Don’t worry, everyone. I’m a pacifist. I have no desire to unify the ninja world, and I won’t use this power against any of you!"

…

Hearing this, everyone relaxed a little, their expressions reflecting some relief. They believed him, partly because he had no need to wait this long if he intended to conquer all the villages.

Moreover, Leaders of various villages knew a bit about Hattori’s title, the "Degenerate Kage."

They had reason to believe that Hattori was more interested in wealth and beautiful women than in power.

"Maybe we could use that to build a better relationship with him."

With that in mind, Mabui, the Fourth Raikage's assistant, bowed slightly toward Hattori and spoke.

"Kazekage, your technique is truly formidable. Madara Uchiha has likely been defeated by you. Would you mind discussing the details of the battle with me somewhere more private?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Hattori's eyes sparkled as he immediately understood her intention—she was planning to charm him!

And he was more than happy to fall for it.

He nodded quickly and responded with a solemn expression.

"Since it’s a request from the Allied Forces' secretary, I won’t refuse. Let's go somewhere quiet to talk. I’ll share everything with you, and you won’t be disappointed!"

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 273: The Great Battle Begins (Part 2)

Mabui was very beautiful, easily one of the top beauties in Cloud Village. Although her complexion was slightly darker, which didn't completely align with Hattori's aesthetic preferences, he decided to endure this grievance for the sake of future friendship between Cloud Village and Sand Village.

After all, a blanket covers everyone the same!

After a night of heartfelt conversations with Mabui, Hattori only allowed this beauty from Cloud Village to "return fully loaded" the next morning.

As for Hattori himself, he walked into the Ninja Allied Forces' headquarters with somewhat unsteady legs, greeting the Fourth Raikage and others inside.

"Good morning, everyone. How is the battle progressing?"

"Very smoothly!"

Upon hearing Hattori's question, Nara Shikaku, the strategist and chief of staff of the Ninja Allied Forces, immediately smiled at him.

"Thanks to Lord Kazekage holding off Uchiha Madara, the pressure on our other fronts has been greatly reduced. Additionally, the sealing team has performed excellently; most of the dead resurrected by Edo Tensei have also found peace!"

Nara Shikaku's news was undoubtedly good, but upon hearing it, Hattori furrowed his brows.

"Uchiha Madara isn't dead? How did he escape after such a massive meteor struck... Ah, I get it!"

Seemingly remembering something, Hattori suddenly looked enlightened.

"It's Izanagi!"

Izanagi is a forbidden ocular technique of the Uchiha clan. By permanently blinding one Sharingan eye, it achieves the effect of "resetting death." During the Fourth Great Ninja War at the Valley of the End, Uchiha Madara used this technique to escape from Senju Hashirama's grasp, even acquiring Hashirama's cells to activate the Rinnegan.

This time, he clearly used the same trick again.

"This guy probably, like Danzo, has a Sharingan hidden somewhere specifically to save his life!"

Thinking of this, Hattori immediately frowned.

"Truly troublesome. If that doesn't work, next time I'll just use the Reaper Death Seal. I'll seal his soul directly; he won't be able to reset after that!"

After making his decision, he turned to Nara Shikaku and asked:

"Uncle Shikaku, can we locate Uchiha Madara's position now? I want to eliminate him as soon as possible to prevent any complications!"

"Uh..."

Hearing Hattori express his desire to eliminate Uchiha Madara quickly, a hint of surprise flashed in Nara Shikaku's eyes.

After all, even Senju Hashirama, once known as the "God of the Ninja World," wouldn't speak like that.

In the Valley of the End in the Land of Fire, a massive statue of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara performing a sealing gesture still stands. This indicates that their strengths were closely matched; although Hashirama defeated Madara, it wasn't an easy victory.

Many speculate that Hashirama's early death was largely due to his battle with Uchiha Madara!

Now, Hattori wants to eliminate Uchiha Madara quickly, speaking as if he doesn't take Madara seriously, which greatly surprises Nara Shikaku.

However, his intuition tells him that Hattori indeed has the capability. The massive meteor visible from the Allied Headquarters is the best proof!

"Perhaps he really can completely eliminate Uchiha Madara, just like the First Hokage did!"

Thinking of this, Nara Shikaku immediately bowed his head to Hattori.

"Lord Kazekage, we currently have no information on Uchiha Madara's whereabouts. However, as soon as he appears, we will notify you immediately. Please rest assured!"

"Alright, that's good!"

Hattori nodded, then continued to ask:

"By the way, have you found Yakushi Kabuto? I sent Naruto to look for him yesterday. Any news?"

"We have found him, but..."

At this point, Nara Shikaku hesitated before saying to Hattori, "But someone is already handling him now!"

"Someone is handling him? Who?" Hattori blinked, "Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke?"

"Uh..."

Upon hearing Hattori's words, Nara Shikaku was momentarily stunned before letting out a wry smile.

"Truly impressive, in your presence, I feel like all intelligence departments are rendered ineffective!"

"Hehe, not at all. I was just guessing!"

Hattori humbly shrugged and lightly scratched his chin with his index finger.

"If it's those two brothers, then the battle will end very soon. After that, we just need to wait for Uchiha Madara to make his move. It should be quick!"

With that thought, he squinted slightly, silently pondering:

"I just wonder if he'll gather all the Tailed Beasts like in the original story. If he does, it's a bit better. If not... that's really troublesome!"

According to the Naruto lore, it's not necessary to gather all nine Tailed Beasts; Demonic Statue of the Outer Path can also be resurrected as the Ten-Tails. Someone with the Rinnegan can seal the resurrected Demonic Statue of the Outer Path Ten-Tails into their body, becoming the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails, capable of performing Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Although, given Uchiha Madara's obsessive and proud nature, he generally wouldn't do this. However, after multiple suppressions by Hattori, it's uncertain.

Putting himself in Madara's shoes, Hattori thought about how he would act if he were faced with someone as formidable and tenacious as himself.

The answer was obvious.

He would first become the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails, gain overwhelming power, eliminate all opposition, gather all the Tailed Beasts, and fully implement the "Eye of the Moon" plan!

Another method would be to disregard any Tailed Beasts not yet found, using a "discounted" Infinite Tsukuyomi to draw everyone into the illusion.

By then, extracting anything from those trapped in the illusion wouldn't be easy, would it?

"No way, I absolutely must prevent that from happening. I need to find Sasuke first!"

In the original storyline, it was Sasuke's Susanoo that blocked the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, saving Team 7 and ultimately defeating Kaguya Otsutsuki.

Hattori wasn't sure if his Susanoo could block the Infinite Tsukuyomi's light. To ensure absolute safety, he decided to find Sasuke.

"In case Uchiha Madara activates the Infinite Tsukuyomi early, I can use Sasuke to block the light!"

With that in mind, he immediately inquired about Yakushi Kabuto's location from Nara Shikaku, then summoned a Giant Winged Dragonfly using the fastest speed.

Half an hour later, he found Yakushi Kabuto's nest.

However, inside, apart from Yakushi Kabuto, who was trapped in an illusion and couldn't escape, there was only a Leaf Village ninja lying in a pile of dirt, long dead.

"This is an already lifted Edo Tensei. It seems Uchiha Itachi succeeded, but unfortunately, I was still a step too late!"

Thinking of this, Hattori wasn't disheartened. Instead, he grinned.

"Hehe, luckily I was prepared. As long as I call him out, Sasuke will naturally return!"

Saying this, he swiftly drew a highly complex summoning seal on the ground.

Next, he threw in White Zetsu, whom he had captured during the Five Kage Summit negotiations, into the center of the seal array, then took out a small handful of hair to perform the technique.

"Summoning Jutsu—Edo Tensei!"

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 274: The Resurrection of Itachi*

As Hattori activated his Impure World Reincarnation skill, the surrounding soil seemed to come alive, crawling over the body of White Zetsu in the sealing circle. White Zetsu began to feel immense pain, his face contorting as he struggled and howled in agony.

"Ugh...aaahhh!"

But his resistance was in vain; soon, the earth covered his entire body and transformed him into another person.

A handsome man with two tear-like lines on his face—Uchiha Itachi!

Hattori had foreseen Itachi’s death, so when he was in Konoha earlier, he had saved a lock of Itachi's hair, just for this moment! As soon as the Impure World Reincarnation was completed, he immediately lifted his Hundredfold Yin Seal and performed the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.

"Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!"

With a low murmur, the MP Hattori had saved for nine days—a massive pool of energy—began to drain as quickly as floodwaters.

This MP wasn’t vanishing without a trace; instead, it transformed into countless glowing particles surrounding the area.

These particles, filled with life energy, swiftly merged into Itachi’s reincarnated body.

When every glowing orb had merged into Itachi, his reanimated, earthen body transformed into a fully fleshed human form.

Uchiha Itachi had been successfully resurrected!

Yet, something strange puzzled Hattori—although Itachi was alive, his stats were unusual:

*[Name: Uchiha Itachi]*

*[Level: 65]*

*[HP: 702/702]*

*[MP: 850/850]*

*[Specialty: Fire Style]*

*[Combat Rating: B]*

Hattori: "╭(°A°`)╮"

Level 65 with a B-rank combat power? Are you kidding me?

Just as Hattori began to doubt whether he had brought back a "fake Itachi," the real Itachi furrowed his brows and slowly spoke.

"Impure World Reincarnation? No... this doesn't feel like Impure World Reincarnation. It actually feels like I’m... alive again. What a strange sensation..."

Hattori: "(ω`)"

Strange? You’re the strange one!

Seeing Itachi frowning with his eyes closed, Hattori couldn’t resist flicking him on the forehead with two fingers.

"You foolish Itachi! I revived you—aren't you going to bow down, knock your head on the ground three times, and call me godfather?"

"Hm?"

Hearing Hattori's words, Itachi furrowed his brow again but still didn't open his eyes. Instead, he asked with a hint of curiosity, "Are you... Hattori?"

"Thunk!"

Just as he finished speaking, Hattori flicked his head again, and as Itachi looked stunned, he corrected him, "What did you just call me?"

"Uh... Hattori-senpai?"

"That's more like it!"

Hearing Itachi’s change in address, Hattori nodded in satisfaction, then pulled out a comb and carefully parted his hair down the middle.

After checking his work, Hattori nodded in approval, "Now, that’s just right!"

He took out a mirror and handed it to Itachi.

"Quit acting cool with your eyes closed—take a look at this hairstyle I gave you. Doesn't it look great?"

"Uh..."

Hearing Hattori’s comment, Itachi gave a small, awkward smile and shook his head.

"Senpai, I’m not trying to act cool. I really can’t see... my eyes are gone."

"Huh?"

Hattori was stunned for a moment, then quickly checked Itachi’s eyelids and saw the empty sockets inside.

"Oh... so they really are gone. Where did they... oh, right, you gave your eyes to Sasuke!"

Hattori finally understood why Itachi’s combat power was only B-rank.

"This guy’s abilities rely heavily on the Sharingan. Without it, a B-rank makes sense."

Realizing this, Hattori clicked his tongue and shrugged.

"Not much I can do about that. I didn't think your eyes would be missing after you were revived—weren't they usable in the Impure World Reincarnation?"

"Yes!"

Itachi, now responding like an obedient "model student," nodded immediately and even flashed a smile.

"Honestly, I didn’t expect to be revived either. Since you brought me back, Senpai, I assume there’s something you want me to do?"

"Yeah, kind of."

Hattori nodded and patted Itachi’s shoulder.

"You don’t need to do anything specific. Just stay alive so your little brother Sasuke doesn’t stir up trouble again. After all, you Uchiha are all so stubborn."

"Haha..." Itachi chuckled, unable to resist laughing at Hattori's remark. "Senpai may not admit it, but aren’t you also a part of the Uchiha clan?"

"Tch... would you believe me if I said I was from the Otsutsuki clan?"

"Uh..."

Seeing Itachi’s puzzled face, Hattori shrugged again.

"Not on the same wavelength. You can't even get a joke! Anyway, let’s discuss your eyes. I don’t have a spare Sharingan, so how about I find you a random pair?"

"Sure!"

Itachi nodded without hesitation.

"As long as I can see Sasuke again, it doesn’t have to be a Sharingan. He doesn’t need my protection anymore anyway."

"Tch... such brotherly love. Hold on a sec!"

Hattori glanced around and spotted Kabuto standing nearby, dazed. Kabuto, having fallen victim to Itachi’s Izanami, was now entirely trapped in genjutsu and wouldn’t wake up until he fully accepted his fate.

"Well, this makes things easier!"

Hattori grinned, walked up to Kabuto, and took his eyes, then performed a quick transplant on Itachi.

Thanks to Cellular Extraction Jutsu, the operation was over swiftly, though Itachi would need a few days to fully recover and see properly.

Hattori wrapped Itachi's eyes with bandages, carefully advising him.

"Don’t remove these for a week. Stay away from heat and bright lights, drink lots of water, get plenty of rest, and avoid water... and women. Keep everything dry!"

"Uh..." Itachi was puzzled again. "I get avoiding water, but why women?"

"Because women are made of water!"

"...."

Could that really be true?

Though still confused, Itachi nodded earnestly after hearing Hattori's words.

"I understand. Thank you, Senpai!"

"Heh, no need to be so polite!"

Hattori wrapped his arm around Itachi’s shoulder with a broad smile.

"Itachi, you spent quite a while with Akatsuki. Do you know where Kakuzu hid his money? Tell me, and we can split it fifty-fifty!"

"Uh..."

Itachi was visibly surprised by Hattori’s question, but just as he was about to answer, a voice filled with disbelief came from behind him.

"Brother... is that you?"

(Chapter ends)

*Chapter 275: Disciplining Sasuke Again*

Just as Hattori expected, as soon as he revived Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke quickly showed up. These two brothers seemed to have an almost magnetic pull toward each other—whenever one appeared within a certain range, the other would somehow find him without fail.

"Sigh, what a clingy little brat!"

Hattori sighed as Sasuke suddenly appeared. He then gave Itachi a pat on the shoulder.

"Tell me about Kakuzu’s assets later. For now, take care of your dear little brother. I’ll be waiting outside."

With that, he turned and walked out, not bothering to pause by Sasuke as he passed. Sasuke, too focused on Itachi, didn’t spare Hattori a glance and went straight to his brother.

"Brother… what… how is this possible?"

"It’s just as you see," Itachi smiled faintly. "I’ve been revived."

Sasuke: ╭(°A°`)╮

...

While the two brothers chatted in the cave, Hattori waited outside, scanning the area within several kilometers to check for any sign of Madara Uchiha. Unsurprisingly, he found nothing.

There were three possible reasons for this:

1. Madara was dead.

2. Madara had fled.

3. Madara was using a barrier to block detection, plotting something sinister.

The first possibility could be ruled out, and the second seemed unlikely. Hattori felt the third was most probable.

"Madara wouldn’t go through the trouble of launching the Fourth Shinobi War just to give up that easily."

With that thought, Hattori frowned, considering how Madara would try to pull off the “Eye of the Moon” plan if he were in his place.

The Infinite Tsukuyomi required three conditions: the Rinnegan, the Ten Tails, and a full moon. The Ten Tails was key.

If the Ten Tails had the chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts, anyone with the Rinnegan could seal it within themselves and become its host, gaining a Rinne Sharingan on their forehead. With that, they could reflect the eye’s power off the moon and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

But if the Ten Tails didn’t have all nine Tailed Beasts’ chakra, the only way to achieve the Infinite Tsukuyomi would be for the Ten Tails to evolve into the God Tree. The flower on the God Tree would bear a Rinne Sharingan, which could also be used to reflect the eye’s power off the moon.

In Hattori’s opinion, Madara would likely struggle to gather all nine Tailed Beasts’ chakra, so he’d probably have to go the God Tree route.

However, the evolution of the God Tree would cause a significant disturbance and take a long time. If disrupted, it could ruin everything. Hattori was confident that, with his presence, Madara wouldn’t dare risk it.

"So, it seems Madara has to take me out first if he wants to continue his Eye of the Moon plan. Which means… I don’t really have anything to worry about, do I? Ha!"

Hattori chuckled, brushing off any worry about facing Madara. After all, he was level 102—if he couldn’t handle a level-80 opponent like Madara, that would be unbelievable! If all else failed, he could use the Reaper Death Seal and be done with it.

Feeling much lighter, Hattori started singing his favorite song:

"Being invincible… is so lonely. Being invincible… is so empty. Alone at the peak, the cold wind blows endlessly. My loneliness… who can understand?"

"Cut it out!"

A voice suddenly interrupted his singing, bringing Hattori back to reality. Turning, he saw Sasuke, supporting Itachi, walking out of the cave. Sasuke’s expression was one of scorn, and Hattori narrowed his eyes.

"Sasuke-chan, have you forgotten what I told you before, hmm?"

"Hmph!"

At Hattori’s words, Sasuke snorted, a flash of anger crossing his face.

"Hattori, you posed as my brother and beat me up back then—I haven’t even started to settle that score with you yet. I’m letting it slide because you revived my brother. But I’d advise you to wise up and revive my parents, or else I won’t be so forgiving!"

"Ha, quite the bold words!"

Hattori laughed at Sasuke’s arrogance, walked up to him, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Listen, kid, here’s a piece of advice. If you’re going to act tough, pick the right people, or you’ll end up humiliated, got it?"

Shing!

As soon as Hattori finished speaking, Sasuke drew his Kusanagi Sword and held it to Hattori’s neck.

"Is this what you mean? Hmph, you think I’m still the same person I used to be? This is your last warning—don’t—"

Whoosh!

Before Sasuke could finish, Hattori vanished in a flash of golden light. Realizing something was wrong, Sasuke tried to react, but it was too late!

"Yin-Yang Release: Black Rod Thousand Years of Pain!"

With a loud shout from Hattori, Sasuke suddenly felt a sharp pain in his backside, causing him to drop to his knees, howling.

"Arrgghhhh!"

Even more shocking, he found himself unable to use his chakra, or even his Sharingan abilities.

"Damn it… what did you… do to me?" he gritted out, barely managing through the pain.

Whoosh!

Hattori created another black rod and jabbed it into Sasuke’s left side, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Hiss…"

Seeing Sasuke’s face drenched in sweat, Hattori grinned, placing a foot on Sasuke’s back and pressing him to the ground.

"You need to learn some manners, kid. When you ask someone for something, you should say ‘please,’ got it?"

"Damn you, you…"

Whoosh!

Hattori interrupted by jabbing another black rod into Sasuke’s right side, making him gasp once more.

"Hiss…"

As tears sprang to Sasuke’s eyes, Hattori chuckled and said, "Disobedient kids need a little discipline. Now, have you learned your lesson?"

He waved another black rod in front of Sasuke, who finally lowered his head in surrender.

Seeing this, Hattori nodded in satisfaction and patted his head.

"Remember this, Sasuke chan. You can act tough in front of others, but don’t try it with me. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you regret it. Got it?"

"…"

(End of Chapter)