171-175

*Chapter 171: Suicide Squad!*

"Are you messing with me?"

Two-Tails roared furiously at Itsuki.

What did he just say? Stand up? Next, is he going to ask me to take a couple of steps?

Does your family's cat walk on two legs?

Is there such a cat?

Two-Tails was so angry that her nostrils flared with fire.

Even if I’m not exactly a normal cat, you can't just mess with me like this!

Itsuki, however, looked at her with disdain and said, "You can't even walk upright?"

"Uchiha Itsuki, you’ve gone too far!"

Two-Tails yelled in frustration, "Come on, go find me a cat that walks on two legs! If you can't, I'm done with you today."

"Follow me!"

Itsuki grabbed Two-Tails and led her into a nearby room.

After fiddling around for a bit, Itsuki clapped his hands and made a hand sign.

A puff of white smoke rose.

"What do you want, kid?"

A voice came from within the smoke. An old lady with black cat ears stepped out.

She had an intimidating presence and a somewhat stern face. She looked at Itsuki indifferently.

Oh, and she was smoking.

But then—

When she saw Two-Tails, her eyes widened, and she immediately threw her pipe away.

"Uchiha, you rascal!"

Boom!

The white smoke rose again, and the old lady vanished.

"Granny Cat, wait!"

Itsuki quickly called out.

"Wait for your grandpa!"

The Granny Cat’s curses echoed in the air.

What a rascal!

Two-Tails?! That’s a Tailed Beast!

Seriously, who uses a Tailed Beast as a greeter?

That would scare anyone!

Two-Tails looked at Itsuki suspiciously and asked, "Was that a cat?"

"Of course!"

Itsuki confidently said, "She's the Uchiha family’s weapons dealer. Didn't you see her ears?"

"It didn't really feel like a cat... except for the ears!"

Two-Tails remained doubtful, her heterochromatic eyes full of suspicion.

"What? Not convinced? Is that all a Tailed Beast can handle?"

"You..."

Two-Tails growled angrily, "Fine, tell me what you want."

"Hmph, now we’re getting somewhere!"

Itsuki snorted and said, "First, you need to learn how to pee standing up... uh, I mean, walk on two legs!"

Two-Tails, holding a Tailed Beast Bomb in her mouth, glared coldly at Itsuki.

"Straight punch!"

"Sweeping kick!"

"Whip kick!"

"Uppercut!"

After demonstrating a set of moves, Itsuki looked at Two-Tails and asked, "Got it?"

Two-Tails remained silent.

"You... want me, a Tailed Beast, to learn this?"

"Once you learn it, you'll be able to beat Nine-Tails!"

"Really?"

Two-Tails perked up a bit, opening her large mouth to swallow the Tailed Beast Bomb.

Of course, as she didn’t activate the Bomb, the chakra within it slowly dissipated.

"Of course!"

Itsuki nodded emphatically, giving a thumbs-up with a bright smile. "I never lie to a Tailed Beast."

Sure, she could probably hit Nine-Tails.

But whether she could beat him? That’s another story.

Most likely, Nine-Tails would just teach her a painful lesson.

When Sage of Six Paths split the Ten-Tails’ chakra back in the day, it wasn't exactly evenly distributed.

The method was more like...

One-Tails gets one portion of chakra!

Nine-Tails gets another portion!

Two-Tails gets one portion!

Nine-Tails gets another portion!

Three-Tails gets one portion!

Nine-Tails gets another portion!

...

And at the end, there were two portions left, so he gave them to Eight-Tails, just to keep things balanced.

So, out of all the Tailed Beasts, only Nine-Tails had almost reached Sage-level power.

Eight-Tails was just one of the stronger Hokage-level creatures.

As Two-Tails was practicing her punches, Itachi walked over.

"Is this really going to work, Itsuki?"

He looked at the big blue cat practicing strange moves, trying not to laugh.

"Do you believe it?"

"Now that you put it that way, I don't."

"Good, because who in their right mind would believe a cat could fight with fists and feet? Sarutobi’s monkey probably has a better chance."

Itsuki waved dismissively, "Anyway, have you gathered everyone?"

"They’re all here, but Itsuki, what are you planning?"

"Follow me!"

Itsuki waved his hand grandly.

This time, Itsuki had summoned all the Jonin in Fire Shadow Village.

There were quite a few.

The Uchiha Clan alone had fifteen members present.

It wasn’t that there were only fifteen members left, but that only fifteen were currently available.

Itsuki still had over a thousand people out there bullying the nobles.

Aside from the Uchiha, members of the Hyuga Clan and others were present too, including Kurenai. All the Jonin were gathered.

"Everyone, use the Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Itsuki shouted.

At the same time, a group of Chunin carried over several large boxes.

When opened, they revealed that they were filled with explosive tags.

Everyone remained calm.

When it came to explosive tags, they all considered themselves seasoned veterans.

They pondered for a moment and asked, "Lord Hokage, are you planning to..."

"Exactly!"

Itsuki grinned slyly. "We’ll use Shadow Clones, strap on the explosive tags, and charge into the Leaf Village’s forces to blow them up. What do you think?"

Everyone was speechless.

But they had to admit, it was a solid plan.

Kunai with explosive tags could easily be deflected by the enemy.

But Shadow Clones? Those were a whole different story—they’re a combat technique.

"Let’s go!"

Boom!

Hundreds of Shadow Clones appeared in front of the group.

"Lord Hokage, after using Shadow Clone Jutsu, a ninja's chakra is split in half. Jonin won’t have much power left," Itachi said seriously. "If the Leaf Village attacks us right after this, what will we do?"

Itsuki shot back, "In the last battle, how much did the Jonin actually contribute?"

Itachi fell silent.

The last battle?

As long as someone had chakra, they could keep detonating explosive tags, making it impossible for the Leaf ninjas to get close.

Jonin?

In the last round, they didn’t have much of a role at all.

Realizing this, Itachi suddenly felt uneasy.

Why did it seem like the importance of Jonin was diminishing?

"Everyone!"

Itsuki stood on a platform and shouted, "For the new village, charge!"

Covered in explosive tags, he led the charge.

The target: the Leaf Village army!

Behind him, the Jonin followed, faces filled with resignation.

Sure enough, with Itsuki, you’d experience anything.

Suicide mission?

Unbelievable!

They too were covered in explosive tags as they charged out of Fire Shadow Village toward the Leaf Village army.

But then, halfway through their charge, they were ambushed.

Countless Leaf ninjas appeared, launching coordinated attacks and wiping out Fire Shadow Village’s Jonin one by one.

"We’ve been ambushed!"

The ninjas of Fire Shadow Village felt a chill in their hearts.

"Don’t stop!" Itsuki shouted again.

"I'm coming!"

The Fire Shadow Village ninjas resumed their charge.

"Perfect!"

Danzo sneered as he watched the Fire Shadow Village Jonin march to their deaths.

Once these Jonin and their Shadow Clones were eliminated, the enemy’s strength would be greatly diminished. This would be the perfect time to attack Fire Shadow Village.

But then—

A loud explosion rocked the battlefield.

A massive force struck Danzo, sending him flying, causing him to crash face-first into the ground.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 172: The Tailed Beast Knows Martial Arts, and No Scoundrel Can Stop It! (1)*

Danzo was completely bewildered.

Clearly, the battle was in front of him, yet why was he feeling the impact from behind?

It’s not like he was unprepared!

He had sensory ninjas right by his side, always aware of the surroundings.

As the commander, he was heavily guarded.

But still!

The force of the explosion was immense, and not only him— even the ninjas protecting him were sent flying together!

Their movements were perfectly synchronized!

It was like they all did a faceplant!

Wait, no!

According to Danzo, it should be more like a tiger pounce!

The moment the explosion hit, they all tried to land gracefully.

Unfortunately!

This explosion was way too powerful— it nearly broke Danzo’s old back.

At that moment, his expression became utterly abstract.

Luckily, with experience, he instinctively protected his nether regions during the dive, ensuring he wouldn’t hit that spot again.

He did NOT want to be crowing in pain again!

After getting hit in the face, he snapped out of it, struggling to get up, feeling dazed.

He turned his head slowly.

What met his eyes was a mushroom cloud!

A massive mushroom cloud!

“Uchiha Itsuki!”

Danzo let out a chilling scream.

No need to second-guess— it was him!

It had to be him!

It’s absolutely him— Uchiha Itsuki!

Who else could it be?

That guy! How many explosive tags did he use this time?

Looking at the scale, there had to be at least a few hundred thousand of them!

Does your family get explosive tags for free or something?

From the time Uchiha defected from the Leaf Village until now, the number of explosive tags they’ve used couldn’t be produced by the Leaf Village in five years.

Do these guys just pull explosive tags out of nowhere?

“Danzo, you’ve gotten smarter! You figured it out so quickly— impressive! Yes, it’s me!”

“Famous all over!”

“Tall and mighty!”

“Handsome and dashing!”

“Uchiha Itsuki, that’s me!”

Itsuki swaggered out, striking a pose.

“You, you… was that attack up front just a feint?” Danzo shouted in anger.

Smarter? Ha!

Aside from you, no one else has ever gotten the better of me!

In that sense, Danzo felt a little proud.

Whether he admitted it or not, Uchiha Itsuki had founded an entire ninja village and had caused other ninja villages major losses. His status in the ninja world was almost universally acknowledged now.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost something precious to him.

“Well, I wouldn’t say it exactly like that.”

Itsuki grinned. “I’d say both sides were main attacks. If I could bomb both sides, that would’ve been ideal. Blowing up just one side? Still a win for me.”

“You, you…”

“What about ‘you’?!” Itsuki taunted with a sway of his body, grinning wickedly. “You were so focused on the front, you didn’t expect me to sneak around and— boom— blow up your rear, did you?”

Danzo stayed silent.

He honestly didn’t know what to say.

“Charge!” Itsuki didn’t bother wasting more words with him.

With a wave of his hand, he led his troops forward.

The explosive tag earlier? That was his shadow clone, which had sneaked into the Leaf forces and detonated itself in a fiery blaze.

Six hundred and sixty thousand explosive tags!

It took out at least a thousand Leaf ninjas!

It could have been more, but the Leaf knew about Fire Shadow Village’s stockpile of explosive tags.

Otherwise, all 5,000 of them would’ve been wiped out in one go.

Still!

A thousand died!

And over a thousand were wounded!

The rest? Completely terrified.

“Boom!”

A massive boulder, which had been blocking Fire Shadow Village’s gate, exploded.

Their original gate had been destroyed by a Tailed Beast Bomb.

They’d used a giant boulder to block the entrance!

For ninjas, it didn’t really matter if there was a gate or not—they could just jump over it.

But!

In Fire Shadow Village, it was different.

They stood on the walls and threw explosive tags, making the gate quite necessary.

Now, the boulder blocking the gate was removed by Fire Shadow Village.

“Kill!”

Shisui charged at the front.

His eyes had already evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

In critical moments, Shisui would never fail.

He was now the acting Kage of Fire Shadow Village, standing in for his older brother, the current Kage!

He knew his role and his responsibilities.

At this moment, Shisui understood that he absolutely couldn’t mess up.

He was even prepared to use Susanoo.

“Meow!”

A sharp cat cry echoed.

Matatabi, the Two-Tails, appeared on the battlefield.

A Tailed Beast!

This wasn’t just the straw that broke the camel’s back!

This was pure gold!

Despite the situation, Danzo didn’t panic. He shouted, “Stick to the plan!”

“Yes!”

A group of ninjas appeared.

To Itsuki’s surprise, they also had explosive tags!

They rained down explosive tags on Fire Shadow Village’s ninjas.

“Boom!”

After a round of bombing, the Fire Shadow Village charge was halted.

“Tailed Beast Bomb!”

Seeing this, Matatabi opened her mouth and fired a Tailed Beast Bomb.

“Clang!”

Several chains appeared, intercepting the bomb.

“Meow!”

Matatabi growled and charged.

“Again!”

Danzo shouted.

More chains appeared, entangling Matatabi.

“Everyone else, stop the Fire Shadow Village forces!”

Danzo roared, “This is it— the final battle!”

Leaf ninjas, driven by ferocity, charged forward, clashing with the Fire Shadow ninjas.

You throw explosive tags?

So do I!

Close combat?

Who’s scared?!

They still had 5,000 ninjas, though more than half had already been lost. The remaining forces, facing the 1,000 or so Fire Shadow ninjas, were still enough to fight to the death.

Both sides engaged, neither willing to retreat.

Clang, clang!

Only the chains wrapped tighter!

Matatabi struggled, but the chains only tightened.

“Idiot!”

Itsuki sighed, glancing at Shisui with hesitation.

Should he use the Mangekyō?

Damn, every time he used it, the damage increased.

If he fought at full strength, his Mangekyō would probably be ruined after three to five uses.

If he used it sparingly, he could barely manage eight to ten times.

Shisui noticed Itsuki’s gaze and smiled slightly, nodding in agreement.

When Itsuki was around, they followed his lead.

As soon as Itsuki gave the order, they’d follow without hesitation.

“Alright!”

Itsuki quickly made his decision.

He signaled Shisui to use the Mangekyō briefly to take out two Leaf sealing ninjas, then immediately deactivate Susanoo.

Itachi’s Amaterasu wasn’t an option yet; his body needed more time to recover.

But!

Just as Itsuki made up his mind, something unexpected happened.

Matatabi, who had been struggling intensely, suddenly stopped.

She stared at the Leaf ninjas and gave a mischievous grin.

Then, to everyone’s shock, she reached out a paw, grabbed the chains, and yanked hard.

She swung the chains in a perfect arc from left to right.

“Wow!”

One of the chain-wielding ninjas, caught off guard, was flung away by Matatabi.

When bound by chains, the ninja could only move a little.

But with Matatabi’s massive size, even a casual swipe of her paw covered dozens of meters.

---

*Chapter 173: The Tailed Beast Knows Martial Arts, Rogues Can’t Stop It! (2)*

This scene was completely unexpected!

A Tailed Beast!

That's right, a Tailed Beast!

These creatures, besides going berserk, can actually use tactics?

Not only were the Konoha ninja shocked, even Itsuki was stunned.

Normally, when a tailed beast is bound by chains, their entire body is restricted.

Trying to move a claw? Dream on!

The Two-Tails was no exception.

If it's restrained, how is it still moving? What exactly is being restrained?

But!

This time, things were different!

Why?

Clearly, from the beginning, she must have found a way to protect that particular claw.

So, when she needed it, she was able to lightly extend her small claw and give the sealing ninja a huge surprise.

Sending him straight to the heavens!

As they watched the ninja get flung skyward by the beast's immense strength and disappear from sight, Danzo was left dumbfounded.

A tailed beast knows this stuff?

Suddenly, he turned and glared furiously at Itsuki, shouting angrily.

"It was you!"

"Itsuki, you’re ruthless!"

"You even taught the tailed beast dirty tricks!"

Damn it.

This Uchiha never does anything decent, does he?

The more Danzo thought about it, the angrier he got, his voice shrill as he screamed, "Uchiha Itsuki, even the tailed beasts are corrupted under your influence! You truly are an evil Uchiha."

Itsuki's eyes turned green with fury. "Screw you! Damn it, Danzo, you scumbag! Is this even something a human would say?"

Damn it.

What do you mean by 'even the tailed beasts learned bad things from me'?

Itsuki was genuinely pissed off.

He could already imagine the looks people around him would give him.

What made it even worse was that the one saying this was Danzo, the shadowy leader of Konoha!

Everyone knew Konoha was infamous in the ninja world for its underhand tactics.

Why did the Sand Village team up with Orochimaru to launch the Konoha Crush Plan?

Apart from Orochimaru impersonating the Fourth Kazekage, it was mainly because the soft power plays of Konoha had pushed them too far.

And Danzo? He was the epitome of darkness in the ninja world.

It was common knowledge!

This guy, dark inside and out, from a notorious village, dared to say Itsuki had corrupted the tailed beast?

Unbelievable!

Itsuki couldn't stand it anymore, roaring, "Danzo, prepare to die!"

He pulled out a scroll and slapped it open.

Instantly, countless explosive tags wrapped around Itsuki in layer upon layer, and then he charged straight at Danzo.

"Let’s go together, I’ll treat you to tea down below!"

"Damn it!"

Danzo didn't think twice before turning and running.

Only a lunatic would choose to die with you!

Plus, you're just a clone! Why would he die with a clone?

He wasn’t stupid!

Seeing this, the other Konoha ninjas immediately launched attacks.

Kunai and various ninjutsu flew at Itsuki from all directions.

Itsuki’s Sharingan glowed, easily seeing through every attack. With minimal movements, he dodged them all, then charged at the ninja attackers.

"You dare attack me? Let’s see if I don’t take you all down with me!"

"Damn it!"

Those ninjas panicked.

No words needed—run!

Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded on the battlefield.

One man was chasing down a group of people!

Even those who weren’t being pursued instinctively kept their distance when those chased approached.

They stayed far, far away.

All of the attacks were seen through by Itsuki's Sharingan, and since it was just a clone, he wasn’t using any ninjutsu—just running after them!

The key issue was, no one dared let Itsuki get close.

How many explosive tags was this guy carrying?

If he got within 100 meters, they could all be done for.

He ran!

They fled!

The entire battlefield was in chaos.

...

"This, this…"

Shisui was speechless.

"Don’t be surprised," Itachi said with a bitter smile. "Big brother Itsuki is different from us."

They had fought for so long, but who had ever shown such power?

One man chasing down hundreds!

In truth, if Shisui and Itachi split into clones, they could achieve the same.

But!

They needed to stay in peak condition, constantly ready to use the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Using shadow clones consumed too much chakra.

It would cut their strength in half, at the very least.

Itsuki, however, had no such concerns.

This clone of his would eventually be used up anyway, so why not go all out?

While Itsuki was chasing down a group of Konoha ninjas, on the other side, the Two-Tails wasn’t idle either.

After flinging another ninja away, the Two-Tails felt the pressure on her body lessen.

There had been eight chains binding her, and with one chain gone, she could move more freely.

And!

The Two-Tails flexed her now-freed claw and eyed the remaining chains with a mischievous grin.

Damn!

The ninjas sealing her broke out in a cold sweat.

What could they be thinking right now?

Don’t come any closer!

Don’t target my chain, go after someone else!

The Two-Tails, like drawing lots, picked a chain.

One ninja felt despair, while the others sighed in relief.

"Fly!"

With a mighty pull, the Two-Tails flung the chain, and though the ninja resisted with all his might...

The gap in power was too large.

The strongest physically in the ninja world is probably the Raikage.

Let him arm wrestle a tailed beast, and see how it goes!

Guaranteed, he’d be knocked out in seconds… You’re treating me like I’m not human?

Another Konoha ninja was sent flying, leaving one less person to control the chains binding the Two-Tails.

"Hold on tight!"

The other ninjas couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, putting in their full effort to seal the Two-Tails.

Meanwhile, the sealing squad leader yelled, "The moment a tailed beast grabs your chain, let it go immediately! Don’t make needless sacrifices."

"Understood!"

"Understood? What do you understand? Here we go again!"

The Two-Tails suddenly extended another claw.

She could use both claws?

Who would’ve thought?

In no time, the Two-Tails had grabbed another ninja’s chain, and another was sent flying.

In their shock, the Two-Tails flung the first ninja she caught into the air.

The sealing squad leader panicked, shouting, "Danzo-sama, do we keep going like this?"

Danzo looked around, gritted his teeth, and shouted, "Retreat!"

There was no way to win!

If they kept fighting, they’d suffer total annihilation.

If 5,000 ninjas were to suffer massive losses, even he couldn’t bear the responsibility.

Damn Uchiha!

Damn Uchiha Itsuki!

Danzo was on the verge of tears.

Was this really how things were going to end?

They had planned everything, even factoring in the other side’s Susanoo.

Otherwise, how would they have dared to attack?

But!

Something was wrong with this tailed beast!

She had hidden her claws, launching surprise attacks that left them in complete disarray.

Is this really a tailed beast?

So cunning!

Itsuki was also surprised.

From the Two-Tails’ movements, he noticed some of the martial arts techniques he taught her yesterday.

Some of the moves involved briefly hiding the arm and then launching a sudden attack.

It was eerily similar to how the Two-Tails had just tossed those ninjas.

The fact that the Two-Tails had managed to incorporate some martial arts techniques into her strategy was mind-blowing.

Is this really a tailed beast?

If all tailed beasts were this crafty, how could the Five Great Ninja Villages ever hope to seal them?

If Hashirama had given them to the villages, they wouldn’t have been able to hold onto them.

(End of the chapter)

*Chapter 174: Shock and Rage*

"Tailed Beast Bomb!"

"Clang!"

Another row of chains appeared, blocking the Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Damn it!"

Two-Tails was furious.

On the battlefield, tailed beasts never worried about facing too many enemies. They had some attacks with immense destructive power… like the Tailed Beast Bomb!

No matter how many people were present, it didn't matter when facing a Tailed Beast Bomb.

But!

Facing Konoha, every attack from Two-Tails was effectively countered.

The enemy was restraining her!

Or rather, they were deliberately targeting her.

This infuriated her!

She wanted to perform well and make Itsuki take a good look when he came back.

To widen those Sharingan eyes of his and witness her power!

But who would have thought?

"Meow!"

Two-Tails roared angrily, growing more enraged, and charged fiercely towards the Konoha ninja forces.

"Two-Tails!"

Shisui shouted in surprise, reluctantly following her charge.

The other ninjas saw this and quickly pursued.

But!

The Konoha ninjas who stayed behind to cover the retreat had no intention of surviving.

They fought desperately, trading their lives if necessary to pin the Fire Hidden Village's ninjas in place.

All to protect their retreating comrades.

Even when Two-Tails charged with force, they fought so fiercely that they forced her back.

Suicidal elite ninjas could be just as threatening as tailed beasts.

For example, one of them, covered in explosive tags, rushed straight into Two-Tails' mouth, causing her to let out a painful howl when he detonated.

The entire battlefield had become a meat grinder.

Life was lost every second.

Finally!

The war ended!

Shisui looked at the devastated land, a trace of sadness in his eyes.

Yet he hid it well as the Fire Hidden Village ninjas approached.

He couldn't let himself feel this kind of negative emotion.

It was contagious!

"Lord Acting Mokage!"

A ninja knelt on one knee.

"How did it go?"

"Konoha sent a total of five thousand ninjas, about two and a half thousand died in this battle, while the remaining two and a half thousand retreated, most of them wounded."

"The Hyuga clan reported no sight of Danzo."

"That sly and shameless dark side of the ninja world!"

Shisui snorted coldly.

"What about us?"

"We had a thousand ninjas, two hundred died, and over four hundred were injured. This is a major victory!"

The reporting ninja's face was filled with excitement, and his words carried undisguised joy.

Even though their opponents were their former comrades—Konoha ninjas!

A major victory?

Shisui murmured, then immediately commanded, "Treat the wounded, collect the bodies, and return them to their families. Also, remain vigilant in case of any surprises!"

"Yes!"

The ninja left to pass on the orders.

Itachi walked over, gazing at Shisui, and said, "Shisui, this must feel awful, right?"

"Of course, so many people died, and they were once our comrades. I knew quite a few of them!"

Shisui murmured, "They had families, they were young, and they didn't want to die either."

"It's a pity for them!"

Itachi looked at Shisui but said nothing.

Shisui forced a smile and said, "Don't worry, Itachi. Even though I'm deeply saddened, I won't forget who I am. I'm the First Mokage's brother, the Acting Mokage, and I won't disgrace the Uchiha name."

Itachi silently nodded, gazing at the battlefield, his expression distant.

The first time he went to battle, he was four years old!

Fugaku believed that as the clan leader, Itachi was his successor.

In that environment, the sooner you went to the battlefield, the better.

So, at four years old, Itachi was taken to the battlefield for training.

That experience left a deep psychological scar.

"Itachi! Are you listening?"

Itachi snapped back to reality, looking at Shisui. "Sorry, I was a bit distracted."

Shisui calmly said, "It's fine. Please notify all the high-ranking members for a meeting."

"Yes!"

Itachi curiously asked, "The topic of the meeting..."

"I want to counterattack Konoha!"

Shisui said coldly, "Why should we always take the blows without fighting back? Twice now—are we going to wait for the third time?"

"Argh!!!"

...

"Damn it!"

Earth Walk City!

Itsuki's shadow clone was ultimately destroyed.

But.

It wasn't by his own doing.

Instead, it was taken out by someone.

The battlefield was chaotic.

Even with the Sharingan capable of seeing through everything, it was impossible to guard against attacks from every corner.

No way to defend against it!

Itsuki was hit by such an attack, and his shadow clone dispersed.

Though the explosive tag detonated, it didn't kill many people.

This was another difference between a Mangekyo clone and a shadow clone.

Shadow clones disappear once they're injured.

But a Mangekyo clone is like a living being; it gets injured and can die!

But!

The most surprising thing to Itsuki was Two-Tails.

This tailed beast played a very significant role in the battle.

Even seemed to have picked up some martial arts basics.

"Well, this is really..."

Itsuki shook his head.

He just wanted to mess with Two-Tails.

The thought of a cat learning martial arts, with all the “huffing and puffing,” was amusing to him.

But it seemed she actually gained something from it.

Life is unpredictable!

Itsuki felt a little helpless.

"Lord Mokage!"

Hayate Gekkō approached, saying, "All the nobles have been gathered."

"Send out the declaration, announce the new law, and order them to comply!"

Itsuki said lazily, "I won't show up. They don't deserve it. Hayate, go in my place. Oh, and if there's anyone you don't like, just take them out. No need to inform me."

The nobles were unbelievably arrogant.

They believed they were born superior.

They saw commoners as ants, plundering and killing them for fun.

They even dared to order around the Hokage!

Yet they were the most incompetent group.

So, why not let them be the ants, the tools for a change?

Let them experience it!

Itsuki wasn't a saint. Though he knew the commoners of the Shinobi World lived miserable lives, he didn't intend to change that or ignite a revolution.

Too exhausting!

Besides, the commoners and even the ninjas themselves had no desire for change, so why should he interfere?

Doing a thankless job!

Therefore!

Itsuki incorporated three cities into Fire Hidden Village and issued a new law that didn't overly favor the commoners—just prohibited unjust killing of commoners.

A simple order like that had the commoners crying tears of joy.

That was good enough.

If he led a rebellion against the nobles, who knows, he might get betrayed.

These commoners—so reliable!

As expected!

After Hayate Gekkō replaced Itsuki in announcing the declarations and laws, the nobles started murmuring, then opposing, and the dissent grew louder and louder.

Itsuki had crossed their line.

Hayate didn't hesitate to take action. After killing a few of them, the rest quieted down.

But judging by their shifting gazes, Hayate understood.

These people were definitely thinking of escaping or plotting against Fire Hidden Village to drive them out of Earth Walk City.

Hayate Gekkō smirked.

A bunch of overfed fools—why did they always think they were the only smart ones?

Couldn't they see that Itsuki was toying with them?

As he gazed over the crowd, Hayate silently thought, "After a few rounds of purges, how many of them will be left here?"

Push, push, push—go ahead and push him over!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 175: Threat? Nonexistent!

When Itsuki publicly announced that three cities, including Dizou City, would be placed under Shinobi Village's management, the entire Shinobi World fell silent.

Everyone was left with a big question mark!

What on earth are you doing?

Itsuki completely broke the norm.

Shinobi Villages manage shinobi.

Nobles manage civilians.

This time, it stirred up a hornet's nest.

The shinobi were silent, somewhat bewildered.

Can shinobi even do these kinds of things?

The nobles, led by the daimyos, hated Itsuki intensely.

If the shinobi begin to manage civilians and cities, then what becomes of the nobles?

This undermines their foundation!

To put it bluntly, if you steal their livelihood, what are they supposed to live on?

It's no wonder they couldn't understand.

Even the shinobi of the Hidden Fire Village couldn't comprehend it.

"I just think the Shinobi World needs a change."

This was Itsuki's answer.

He didn't return to the Hidden Fire Village, choosing instead to reside in Dizou City.

The three cities he occupied formed a triangular pattern, with Dizou City at the top.

He stood at the forefront of that position!

He wanted to see who would dare to come looking for trouble.

He might be a bit concerned about Madara's hidden plans, but that didn't mean he'd let anyone bully him.

In fact, being reckless was very much Uchiha Itsuki's style!

When he left Konoha with the Uchiha clan, he was prepared to expose some of his power and crush that damned Konoha.

Who would've thought!

Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to let him leave.

He only ordered Nara Shikaku to pursue them.

But Nara Shikaku and Sarutobi Hiruzen were only pretending to be allies. Shikaku led the pursuers in circles, and the two sides never met.

Thus, Itsuki had no chance to unleash his fury!

He originally intended to wipe out Shikaku and his men.

"How strong am I!"

Itsuki clenched his fist.

An explosive power flowed through his body.

Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan!

Sage Mode!

Flying Thunder God!

In terms of ninjutsu, he was beyond an ordinary Kage-level shinobi!

… Madara!

"Just make your move!"

Itsuki stood at the highest point in Dizou City, looking down at the land below. He sneered, saying, "Senju Hashirama and Madara founded Konoha, establishing the one-village, one-country system."

"If they could do it, why can't I, Uchiha Itsuki?"

Very soon!

Protest letters from various shinobi villages came pouring in like snowflakes.

Itsuki didn't even bother to look at them, tossing them aside.

These guys, their threats meant nothing to him.

If it were the shinobi villages, he might take them more seriously.

To put it bluntly, could all the nobles in the Shinobi World combined withstand a single punch from Itsuki?

A bunch of mere mortals!

Even when Kakashi was half-dead, he scared off a large group just by using Shadow Clones.

And they were ronin!

They were far stronger than the nobles.

With Itsuki's current chakra level, using Shadow Clones to create a thousand replicas wouldn't be an issue!

Itsuki thought he had less chakra, but that was only compared to Naruto!

Try comparing him to Kakashi.

Itsuki could arrogantly say, "Mere mortals!"

But unfortunately!

Itsuki waited for three full days, but nothing happened!

The nobles continued to scold, persuade, and insult him.

Other than that, there was no movement.

You bastards, why don't you send your troops already!

I feel like killing someone!

Eventually, Itsuki grew impatient.

On the fourth day, Itsuki led all the shinobi away from Dizou City.

"Did we win?"

The mayor of Dizou City looked excited.

During this period, he was all too aware that nobles from all over had been pressuring Itsuki.

They tried all sorts of ways.

They had brought up the idea of war more than once.

And!

The Five Great Nations were all involved!

It looked like the Five Great Nations were preparing to join forces to destroy the Hidden Fire Village.

Under such pressure, could Uchiha Itsuki still hold out?

The mayor prayed every day for him to leave!

Uchiha Itsuki, just go!

Otherwise!

If the other nobles really sent troops, Dizou City would become a battlefield. No matter if they won or lost, the city would be destroyed.

Without Dizou City, what would the local nobles be worth?

Who would pay attention to them?

As long as Dizou City remained, even after everything they'd done, the daimyo would choose to forgive.

After all, they were all nobles, and things should be settled to a reasonable extent.

The daimyo couldn't really drive another major noble to death!

"They're gone, they're gone!"

The mayor of Dizou City hummed a little tune, walking leisurely.

"Sir!"

A guard came running up hastily, shouting.

"How rude, what do you want?"

The mayor frowned in anger.

He'd been holding in his rage for some time now and wanted to vent it.

The guard showed up just in time!

The mayor glared at him coldly, calculating in his mind how he should deal with the guard.

Quartering?

Skinning?

Burning?

What? This guard is loyal to him?

Heh, loyalty from a lowly commoner is only natural, right?

Is that a reason not to kill him?

The guard seemed to sense something was wrong and quickly said, "Sir, there's news from the Uchiha!"

The mayor immediately shifted his focus, asking eagerly, "News from the Uchiha? Speak!"

"The Uchiha didn't return to the Hidden Fire Village; they went to Fireleaf City!"

Fireleaf City?

The mayor of Dizou City was stunned.

Fireleaf City was to the north of Dizou City, indeed farther away.

What are the Uchiha doing there?

Isn't the Hidden Fire Village to the south?

A bad feeling rose in the mayor's heart.

He muttered, "The capital? Fireleaf City is closer to the Fire Nation's capital. Could it be? No way, absolutely impossible, the Uchiha couldn't be that crazy!"

But the truth was exactly that!

That very day, news spread.

In Fireleaf City, all the nobles were killed.

These were the nobles who once looked down on Dizou City, thinking they'd disgraced the noble name.

Now, they defended it with their lives.

Itsuki massacred them.

Not only the nobles but also all their guards.

It was said that the ground in Fireleaf City was stained red with blood.

Afterward, the Three Light Policy appeared once again.

Itsuki sealed a large sum of money into a scroll in front of many spies, and then led his shinobi toward the Fire Nation's capital.

Along the way, there was a small town, which Itsuki entered with his people.

And again!

He killed the few nobles there and plundered their wealth.

"He's gone mad!"

When he heard the news, the mayor of Dizou City simply said this.

When all the nobles had vowed to deal with him, not only did he not retreat, but he also wiped out another city.

This was a heavy slap to the nobles.

Did they really think he had no temper?

A great war was about to start.

Moreover!

This time, it wouldn't just be one shinobi village taking action.

Maybe several shinobi villages would make their move.

With this thought, the mayor of Dizou City felt a sense of relief. He continued humming a tune and ordered the dancers to perform.

Though all his wealth was gone.

He wasn't worried!

The money would naturally come from those lowly commoners, providing for him again.

It would just take some time.

He was never in a hurry.

Steadiness is a virtue of the nobility!

The potential of the lowly commoners was also enormous—bit by bit, as long as you squeezed them, there would always be more.

(End of Chapter)