151-155

*Chapter 151: Civil Strife (1)*

*Fire Shadow Village!*

*Wood Shadow!*

In just a few short days, mentioning this name again, no one dares to underestimate it.

Because of its power!

The Shadow of this village, Uchiha Itsuki, truly possesses the strength of a top-tier ninja in the world.

They also have the Two-Tails, a tailed beast.

In the war against Konoha and Cloud Village, they first defeated Cloud Village and then scared off Konoha.

From this point on, two of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were defeated by Fire Shadow Village.

Fire Shadow Village has officially risen to be on par with the Five Great Shinobi Villages, becoming the sixth great village in the ninja world.

The title "Wood Shadow" has also been recognized by the ninja world.

As for Itsuki, he remained calm and said, "If anyone doesn't recognize it, I'll personally take the cat and pay them a visit."

"The hairballs my cat spits up have great practical value—guaranteed to be something everyone loves."

A blatant threat. Will you submit or not?

Because they have the strength!

But!

In contrast, the other shinobi villages looked grim.

Sand Village and Stone Village only snorted coldly at Fire Shadow Village and stopped paying attention.

At least, for now, there isn’t much conflict between them, and it's not worth starting a war.

But Cloud Village and Konoha were different.

One had their tailed beast taken.

The other had their territory divided.

Can they tolerate this?

It wasn’t just one tailed beast that was taken, but two.

Cloud Village only had two tailed beasts in total, both of which were captured by Itsuki.

How can that stand?

Konoha, despite having a large enough territory, couldn't accept suddenly losing a piece of it.

If they accept this, who’s to say someone won’t come and take another piece next time?

You have to understand that clans like Uchiha and Nara, which have been around for a long time, all have their own traditional territories.

If you cut off a piece today and someone else cuts off a piece tomorrow, how much can Konoha lose before it’s gone?

Even the daimyo wouldn’t accept it.

A new armed force suddenly appearing within his jurisdiction—could he be happy about that?

---

*Cloud Village!*

"Ya-ya-ya-ya!"

With an angry roar, Raikage slammed his fist down.

*Boom!*

The table in front of him was smashed to pieces once again.

"Damn Uchiha! Damn Konoha!"

He roared furiously.

This latest defeat had completely made him lose control.

He could never have imagined that things would turn out like this.

Just a mere Uchiha, just a mere Fire Shadow Village!

He sent out three thousand elite troops, even sending his brother into battle.

He didn’t deny that Uchiha was strong, but was Cloud Village that much weaker?

He knew how powerful his brother was—being Raikage, he knew all too well.

And what happened?

Out of three thousand Cloud Village ninjas, only about five hundred came back, and none were injured.

Because the injured ones all died.

His brother, Killer Bee, the perfect jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails, was captured alive.

"Mabui!"

Raikage's voice was cold. "Summon everyone we can mobilize, every available person. I want to flatten Fire Shadow Village! I want them all dead!"

"Raikage-sama!"

Mabui spoke solemnly, "Konoha withdrew their troops this time without suffering any real losses. I suspect Fire Shadow Village and Konoha have been in contact all along."

"If we attack Fire Shadow Village now, there’s a high chance Konoha will strike from behind."

She opened the map of the ninja world and made a few marks.

Directly opposing Raikage's decision to send troops would provoke a fierce reaction—Mabui, having served as his secretary for so many years, knew this too well.

So, she tried to dissuade him indirectly.

It worked.

Raikage squinted dangerously, staring at the map. "Are you saying Konoha and Fire Shadow Village teamed up to set a trap for us?"

The map showed that if Cloud Village attacked Fire Shadow Village and Konoha intervened, the two villages could surround Cloud Village, and even with their strength, Cloud would suffer heavy losses.

"This is my suspicion, but I can’t rule out the possibility!"

Mabui’s voice was calm.

"Keep going!" Raikage ordered coldly. "Mabui, lay out all your suspicions."

"Yes!"

Mabui spoke in a low voice, "First, we’re positioned further from Fire Shadow Village than Konoha, but they attacked Cloud Village first, which doesn’t make sense."

"They should know Konoha better."

"If Cloud Village was weaker, that’d be one thing, but we even sent out Killer Bee, and compared to Konoha’s four thousand ninjas, we’re definitely stronger."

"Second, though Konoha did suffer some losses in this battle, it was within acceptable limits."

"Finally, Konoha and Cloud have been engaging in small-scale skirmishes, both openly and covertly, for quite some time. Just when it seemed they were about to clash fully, this happens."

Raikage fell silent, clenching his teeth after a long pause. "Killer Bee…"

Mabui let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She knew she had persuaded Raikage.

The only thing he couldn’t let go of was Killer Bee.

"Raikage-sama, it’s said that Killer Bee hasn’t been captured by Fire Shadow Village."

Mabui quickly added, "It seems Uchiha Itsuki teleported him away using the Flying Thunder God technique."

"Find him!"

Raikage gritted his teeth. "Find out where Killer Bee is as soon as possible, then mount a full rescue."

"Understood!"

"And…"

Raikage thought for a moment. "Gather all our ninjas at the border of Konoha. If Konoha doesn’t give me an explanation, I’ll take them out first!"

"Yes!"

Mabui breathed another sigh of relief.

Compared to Fire Shadow Village, Konoha, though stronger, always presented itself as the kind, benevolent old man to the outside world.

Fighting them didn’t carry the same burden.

What they didn’t know was that Konoha itself had fallen into chaos.

---

*"Tap, tap, tap!"*

Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Nara Shikaku sat at a table, quietly sipping tea.

Several members of the Anbu walked in, speaking in low voices. "Nara Shikaku, the Hokage wants to see you. Come with us."

"Alright."

Shikaku calmly replied, standing up and following the Anbu out.

"Shikaku!"

Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi exchanged worried glances, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating.

Shikaku waved them off. "Watch the house. I’ll be back soon."

The two of them exchanged looks, and after years of fighting side by side, they instantly understood what Shikaku meant. They nodded slightly. "Understood."

Shikaku followed the Anbu, his expression calm as he entered the Hokage’s office.

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi was smoking.

Danzo Shimura had also been called back and sat to the side, his face gloomy.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had also returned to Konoha, but they refused to step foot inside the Hokage’s office.

Their clans no longer existed.

After working so hard for so many years and just when they were about to reap the benefits, their entire clans had gone off to reincarnate.

How could they accept that?

Regardless of whether Hiruzen or Danzo were involved, they no longer wanted to see either of them.

"Shikaku."

The Third Hokage looked up, his aged face calm, eyes deep. "Why did you gather the Ino-Shika-Cho trio? What is your intent?"

Shikaku responded calmly, "Hokage-sama, I don’t understand what you mean. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio has always been a unit, even before the First Hokage founded Konoha."

"Heh."

The Third Hokage chuckled coldly. "You know exactly what I mean. Your three clans may be united, but you’ve always lived separately. Now you’ve moved in together. Why? Who are you guarding against?"

His words dropped like a stone.

A chilling killing intent filled the office.

(End of the Chapter)

Chapter 152: Civil War (Part 2)

Shikaku didn’t know how he left the Hokage's office.

His steps were heavy, and his gaze was vacant.

The suspicion in his heart had been confirmed, yet he felt no joy.

Not a bit!

Even at his age, he suddenly felt like crying.

Konoha... Konoha!

Suddenly, he thought of someone.

Uchiha Itsuki!

He had met Uchiha Itsuki during the Great Ninja War, and they had even collaborated at one point.

At the time, Itsuki had seemed flippant, doing everything in a laid-back manner, yet he could always say things that made others think deeply.

Shikaku had assumed it was just coincidence!

Back then, Itsuki had only been eleven years old.

How could someone barely over ten years old see the essence of things so clearly and speak directly to the core of the matter?

Although, he had to admit, the boy was incredibly talented.

His skills in ninjutsu were unheard of.

It wasn’t until Itsuki's recent major move—splitting off and declaring independence—that Shikaku finally understood.

Itsuki had been right all along!

He had sensed Konoha's darkness from the very beginning, so he had started planning early, preparing to leave Konoha and search for his own pure land.

Shikaku felt utterly foolish!

His eyes reddened slightly.

“Sigh, what’s wrong, Shikaku? A grown man like you, and you’re crying?”

A gentle sigh echoed.

"Huh?"

That familiar voice left Shikaku completely stunned.

He stiffly raised his head and saw a familiar face, looking at him with affection.

How was this possible?!

Shikaku stared, dazed.

The figure sighed again, “Shikaku, after all these years, you haven’t changed one bit. Here, wipe your nose.”

He handed Shikaku a piece of tissue.

Shikaku silently stared at the person in front of him, and suddenly...

Whoosh!

The figure instantly moved, avoiding the shadow at his feet.

Landing on a nearby wall, he looked at Shikaku unhappily and said, "Shikaku, what are you doing? Have you forgotten? I’m your... father! Your real one."

"Get lost!"

Shikaku growled, gritting his teeth, “My father’s been dead for years! Uchiha Itsuki, you’ve got some nerve showing up in Konoha at a time like this! Today will be the day you die.”

Bang!

A puff of smoke appeared.

Itsuki undid his transformation jutsu, smiling. “I knew the Ninja World's smartest strategist wouldn’t be fooled for long. You looked like a man who had just lost his wife, but you reacted so quickly. I thought for sure you'd kneel, hug my leg, and shout, ‘Dad, don’t leave me! I’ve missed you so much.’”

To hell with you.

You’re the one whose wife died!

You’re the one who’d kneel and call someone “dad”!

Summoning his dead father from the grave? Only Uchiha Itsuki would do something like that.

Can you just act normal for once?!

Shikaku’s face darkened. “How did you... Flying Thunder God!”

It clicked for him!

Uchiha Itsuki knew the Flying Thunder God technique. As long as he left a mark in Konoha, he could return whenever he wanted.

While Konoha had a barrier, all it did was drain a bit more chakra, which was nothing to Itsuki.

Damn forbidden jutsu!

Shikaku scowled. The forbidden jutsu scrolls should all be destroyed.

Look at how much trouble they’ve brought to Konoha!

If only he’d known the original story, he'd probably be cursing up a storm by now.

"My son, what’s wrong?"

"Shut up, Uchiha Itsuki!" Shikaku snapped coldly. "Why did you come back to Konoha?"

Glancing around, he realized they were in a secluded alley.

He had intended to go home, but somehow, this clearly wasn’t the way.

His eyes fixed on Itsuki.

Obviously, this was Itsuki's doing.

"Don’t be surprised!" Itsuki smiled faintly. "Just a little genjutsu trick."

"Hmph!" Shikaku retorted sarcastically, "A little genjutsu trick? Not even Kurenai Yūhi could pull off something like this."

Konoha was in full lockdown right now, with jonin patrolling constantly.

For Itsuki to cast such a genjutsu on Shikaku without being noticed... Shikaku didn’t even know what to say.

No wonder Itsuki caused Konoha so much trouble!

“Kurenai Yūhi? She’s no match for me,” Itsuki scoffed. “If she didn’t have such a talented daughter, I wouldn’t even bother...”

"What do you want?" Shikaku cut him off.

"Are you scared?"

Itsuki smirked. "I suppose it makes sense. My identity is too sensitive now. Anyone who associates with me is marked for death."

"And you... You’ve just come from the Hokage's office, so you must be terrified right now."

Shikaku coldly stared at him without responding.

"Shikaku, aren’t you tired?"

Itsuki asked suddenly, "You’ve got the sharpest mind, a powerful clan behind you, and you’re no slouch yourself. You’ve long been the jonin commander of Konoha, a true figure of authority. But no matter what, you’ll never become Hokage."

Shikaku scoffed. "Did you come all this way just to say that? Let me tell you, I have no interest in becoming Hokage."

"That’s a lie," Itsuki sneered. "Forget it, I won’t argue. Let me ask you something else: Who do you think will become the Fifth Hokage?"

"Danzo? Tsunade? Jiraiya? Kakashi?"

"It’s none of my business," Shikaku replied coldly. "The selection of the Hokage is the Third’s responsibility."

"Not even the jonin commander cares?"

Itsuki laughed heartily, seeing Shikaku’s impatience.

Suddenly, Itsuki said, “How about coming to Fire Hidden Village?”

"If that's all you came to say, you can leave now," Shikaku replied icily.

"I suggest you reconsider."

Shikaku narrowed his eyes. "And if I don’t? What then?"

"If you agree, I’ll make sure you’re taken to Fire Hidden Village. If you don’t, I’ll make sure Hiruzen Sarutobi gets rid of you all."

Itsuki shrugged. "That’s why I’m advising you to agree. I, Uchiha Itsuki, am just doing the right thing."

Shikaku: "..."

You bastard...

"Think it over!"

With that, Itsuki used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared.

Shikaku sighed and silently walked out of the alley.

As soon as he emerged, several gazes turned toward him, eyes filled with suspicion.

Shikaku paid them no mind.

He knew those were Anbu, watching him.

Compared to Itsuki’s methods, the seventy-year-old Hiruzen Sarutobi's tactics seemed clumsy.

Itsuki’s every threat was real, instilling fear.

Hiruzen’s methods, however, only evoked disgust.

Back at home, three people were waiting.

Choza Akimichi, Torifu Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka.

"Have you been waiting long?"

Shikaku sat down and began recounting what had just happened.

...

Danzo was furious.

Things had spiraled completely out of control.

Originally, he had hoped to cause heavy losses to the Uchiha on the battlefield.

After that, he planned to wipe out the remaining Uchiha.

Then...

He would have the Sarutobi, Shimura, and other clans rise to prominence in the Ninja World.

But now?

That damn Uchiha Itsuki! It was just as he had said; I should have killed him long ago.

Hiruzen, do you regret it?

Seething with anger, Danzo returned home.

"Welcome back!"

A gentle voice greeted him.

Uchiha Itsuki, wearing an apron and holding a plate of food, walked out of the kitchen with a warm smile.

“You must be tired. Go wash your hands. I made your favorite meal.”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 153: The Prank Master!*

Danzo was momentarily stunned when he saw the apron-clad Itsuki, but quickly recovered...

"BOOM!!!"

A massive explosion erupted.

Danzo's house... was blown up.

"Danzo!" Itsuki, having escaped the explosion, pointed at him with trembling fingers and gritted his teeth. "The dinner I spent so much time preparing, you, you, you dog! Wasting food like that is disgraceful, don’t you get it?"

This old dog is ruthless!

Itsuki never expected that Danzo had planted numerous explosive tags all over his own house.

With just a single hand sign, the place was set to explode instantly.

If Itsuki hadn’t been a skilled Flying Thunder God ninja, he would’ve been caught for sure.

Danzo, wearing a dark expression, coldly said, "Uchiha Itsuki, you’ve got some nerve showing your face in Konoha at a time like this. Today will be your last!"

"I’ve heard that before." Itsuki sneered.

"Hmph!"

Without further words, Danzo reached for the seal on his arm.

"BAM!"

Itsuki appeared in front of him in an instant, brushing past Danzo.

With a dull thud, Danzo’s head exploded.

"Huh?"

Itsuki frowned.

Something felt off.

Sure enough!

The next moment, Danzo's body vanished.

"What the…?"

Itsuki was suspicious.

He hadn’t even given Danzo a chance to release the seal on his arm!

Itsuki, having read the original story, was certain that Danzo's arm was full of Sharingan eyes.

Don’t say that just because the Uchiha clan wasn’t wiped out, Danzo couldn't have that many Sharingan.

Get real!

The Uchiha clan had been around for a long time.

They’d fought in wars for many years.

Since the five great ninja villages came into existence, three major wars had been fought, and countless smaller conflicts never stopped.

The Uchiha were not like the Hyuga, where the main family never saw combat, and the branch family had their eyes sealed upon death.

Over the years, too many Uchiha had died in battle.

Especially during the Third Great Ninja War.

The Uchiha were the main force, and practically the entire clan fought against Kirigakure, leading to unimaginable sacrifice.

With sacrifice comes Sharingan.

All of the Uchiha clan's stored Sharingan had already fallen into Itsuki’s hands.

It was quite the collection!

He even had a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, though those were in the possession of Shana.

He also had plenty of Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

Danzo having 8 or 10 Sharingan on hand wasn’t that far-fetched.

You think I’m joking?

Do you really think the Hidden Roots would be that foolish?

So!

Itsuki, unlike in the original plot, wasn’t going to waste time talking. Given the chance, he aimed to take Danzo down.

But!

He hadn’t expected that Danzo had already activated the Uchiha forbidden technique: Izanagi!

Buzz!

A new Danzo appeared before Itsuki, completely unharmed.

His hands were already forming seals.

Yes!

Both of his hands!

The seal on his arm had been released!

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Bang!

Itsuki moved just a step to the side, effortlessly dodging Danzo's attack.

With the Sharingan, he precisely tracked the trajectory of the attack, avoiding it with minimal movement.

"It’s over!"

Itsuki sighed.

This was Konoha, after all!

And during a time of war!

A large number of Konoha ninja were on their way.

Unless Itsuki was willing to reveal the full power of his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he had no choice but to retreat.

Should he expose it?

If he did, he could destroy Konoha right now!

Itsuki hesitated.

Tobi was still lurking in the shadows, and there was no telling how many backup plans Madara Uchiha had in place.

Konoha definitely had White Zetsu spies!

If Itsuki revealed himself now, once Madara was revived, the first person he’d likely come for was Itsuki.

And facing Madara at his peak, Itsuki wasn’t confident in victory.

Even though they were both maniacal laughers, there were levels to it.

Madara’s laugh was louder, wilder, and more hysterical.

"Forget it!"

Itsuki removed his apron, smiling at Danzo. "Danzo, you’d better be careful. I know the Flying Thunder God technique. One day, I’ll take your life."

"The Apron Mom bids farewell!"

Whoosh!

Itsuki vanished.

"That bastard!"

Danzo gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

One ninja after another appeared.

"Danzo-sama, here…"

"Uchiha Itsuki!"

Danzo’s voice was ice-cold. "Uchiha Itsuki used Flying Thunder God and appeared in Konoha. Spread the word, and investigate!"

"Yes!"

The ninjas scattered, leaving Danzo’s base behind.

"Damn it!"

Danzo cursed again.

This time, it was out of fear!

He couldn’t help but be afraid!

So close!

He was so close to dying.

Fortunately, the moment he saw Itsuki, he triggered the explosion and simultaneously started the seals for Izanagi.

It cost him his right eye.

That damned Uchiha Itsuki! He wasn’t pulling his punches!

If Danzo had hesitated even for a moment, he would have been done for.

"Sarutobi, this is all your fault!"

Danzo gritted his teeth. "If you’d taken out Uchiha Itsuki sooner, would we be dealing with this now? When will you stop being so indecisive?"

"Danzo-sama!"

An Anbu appeared, kneeling before him. "The Hokage has requested your presence."

"Hmph!"

Danzo snorted and followed the Anbu.

He wasn’t just going to see Sarutobi Hiruzen; he was going to stay with him.

After all, his house had been blown up, and where else could he go but Sarutobi’s place?

It’s not like he was going to sleep in the dungeon.

What, was he crazy?

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already returned home, waiting for Danzo.

He didn’t dare wander around.

He was worried Itsuki might pop out of nowhere and take him down.

When Danzo arrived...

The two legendary beasts of Konoha had a brief conversation before Danzo settled in for the night.

Sarutobi’s house was big enough, after all.

His wife, Biwako, had long passed, so Danzo had plenty of freedom.

The Konoha ninja, meanwhile, were combing the area for any trace of Uchiha Itsuki.

They searched throughout the night, but found nothing.

"Did he leave?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked uncertain.

He couldn’t believe that Uchiha Itsuki would leave so easily.

But...

The sensory ninjas had checked multiple times.

"Increase the patrols! Have the sensory team work extra hard!"

Sarutobi ordered. "And increase Konoha’s barrier to full power!"

"Yes!"

The Anbu disappeared.

Sigh 

Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a deep sigh.

Why hadn’t he realized before just how troublesome the Flying Thunder God technique could be?

And how on earth had Uchiha Itsuki learned it?

Sarutobi shook his head and headed to the bath.

Danzo wasn’t sleeping either.

He was fuming inside.

Why only target him?

At least if Itsuki had hit more people, Danzo might feel a bit better.

And he didn’t believe Itsuki had left so easily.

Who knew where he might be hiding? Maybe... he was still in Sarutobi’s house.

Danzo’s eyes flew open wide.

Sarutobi’s house?!

No way!

That place hadn’t been thoroughly searched!

Danzo quickly sat up, sharpening his senses, ready to find Sarutobi.

Suddenly!

Bang!

"Ooow... argh…"

A loud thud and a blood-curdling scream echoed.

Half of Konoha must have heard it.

Then came a hysterical roar: "Uchiha Itsuki! I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you! Aaaaaah!!!"

"Sarutobi!"

Danzo rushed over.

What he saw made him instinctively tighten his legs.

Sarutobi Hiruzen lay naked on the floor, clutching his groin, his face twisted in agony.

It was like he’d been through a three-day, three-night storm.

In that moment, Danzo was reminded of the fear Itsuki had once instilled in him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 154: Explosion, Madness!

"Hi... Hiruzen..."

Danzo's voice trembled.

He recalled that moment from before.

"I... I'm still..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was equally shaky.

He was in pain.

"Are... are you okay?"

"What do you think?"

The two fell into silence.

Only overwhelming anger and killing intent filled the air.

At the same time, their bodies trembled, as if resonating with each other.

They shook in rhythm.

The medical ninja arrived.

Calmly, he began examining Sarutobi Hiruzen.

But...

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, the medic couldn't help but glance at Danzo.

You two are such good friends.

One in front, the other behind, one on the left, one on the right.

Danzo, always sharp, asked with a blank expression, "What are you looking at me for?"

"Nothing!"

The medic quickly responded, "Hokage-sama, can I speak to you privately?"

"No need. Just say it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Danzo, who was standing there with his head lowered, showing no intention of leaving. He sighed and gave in.

He understood Danzo's feelings all too well at that moment.

You couldn't drive him away even if you tried.

"We... we need surgery to remove it..."

"Remove it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo shouted in unison.

"Yes!"

The medic swallowed hard and muttered softly, "One of them is crushed. We have to remove it, or the other one might get infected."

Danzo's eyes couldn’t hide a flash of joy.

He had heard these words once before, years ago.

Back then, he had gone mad!

Who would've thought, Hiruzen, you'd face this too!

Wait, no!

This is my comrade; I should be sad!

Danzo tried hard to suppress the smile tugging at his lips, instead forcing a grim, ghostly expression that was more sinister than a smile.

Hiruzen collapsed on the ground, mumbling, "Uchiha Itsuki, Uchiha Itsuki... Ugh! Why are your hands shaking?"

The medic hesitated, glancing at Danzo and stammered, "I'm scared."

Hiruzen: "..."

The surgery began quickly.

As the medic put it, there's no chance for recovery. Not even Lady Tsunade could fix it, and you could bring back Lord Hashirama, and it still wouldn’t matter.

This was no simple limb injury. That thing exploded. There's no repairing it.

While the surgery went on, Danzo moved closer to Hiruzen.

"Hiruzen, how could you be so careless!?"

Hiruzen looked at him and replied, "You think I didn’t suspect Uchiha Itsuki might plant something in my home? The problem is, he wasn’t there."

"Not there? Then how did this..."

"Explosive tag!"

Dammit, it was another explosive tag, hidden in his underwear.

But...

This time, compared to Danzo's situation, the explosive tag had clearly been upgraded.

Hiruzen had no idea it was there. And it only exploded after he had worn it for a while.

He still didn’t understand how it even worked.

The night passed quickly.

Konoha called an emergency meeting.

All the larger ninja clans' heads were present.

The Jonin representing the civilian population were also there.

Danzo arrived.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado came too.

Even though their clans were gone, life went on for them.

They could throw tantrums here and there, but not when Sarutobi Hiruzen was injured.

Things could get real.

Despite Hiruzen's best efforts to keep things under wraps, by morning, the news had spread like wildfire, thanks to some helpful individuals.

Danzo had played a part in it as well.

Back then, enraged, he'd chased Itsuki with a blade, making it a public spectacle.

So why should Sarutobi Hiruzen’s situation go unnoticed?

Everyone had to know—they were the same!

In the large conference room, though the surface seemed calm, the Jonin and clan heads exchanged knowing glances.

Many of them had laughter hiding deep in their eyes.

Finally!

The time came.

Sarutobi Hiruzen strode into the meeting room with a swagger like never before.

He sat down on the main seat with imposing authority.

Then, his body froze suddenly: "Cluck, cluck, cluck..."

Huh?

Did I just make a chicken sound?

Danzo turned to stare at the Third Hokage, his expression complicated.

…I understand your pain.

…Shut up!

"The meeting begins!" Hiruzen's voice was low and solemn. "There are several matters we need to discuss."

The main issue was the Hidden Fire Village.

In the battle, they had taken out 3,000 Cloud Village ninjas and captured the Jinchuriki, making the other villages wary.

If Konoha hadn’t retreated quickly, they might have lost a lot more.

Though, some were disappointed that the 4,000 enemy ninjas didn’t inflict more damage.

In the end!

Sarutobi Hiruzen, having lost one of his "precious jewels," gave the order with absolute determination to launch an offensive against the Hidden Fire Village.

They must be destroyed!

For... revenge!

The Jonin listened silently, offering no comments.

Afterward, Hiruzen focused on Uchiha Itsuki and his Flying Thunder God technique.

The meeting dragged on slowly but steadily.

After a few hours, Hiruzen could no longer hold out and shifted slightly in his seat.

"Ugh!"

His body froze again.

It rubbed against something!

Why does it feel like it's hurting more than before?

Danzo turned and glanced at him: I understand. I understand everything.

…Get out of here!

Meanwhile, Itsuki had already returned to the Hidden Fire Village.

Whether a second major war would break out, he didn’t know.

If there was one, he’d fight.

If not, life would go on.

What the Hidden Fire Village needed now was time.

Given enough time, Itsuki was confident he could develop the village beyond the Five Great Nations.

As for the Flying Thunder God, it wasn’t invincible.

Otherwise, Minato Namikaze could have single-handedly wiped out all five villages back in the day.

But now!

Uchiha Itsuki was far stronger than Minato ever was.

[Mission: Defeat Konoha!]

[Mission Complete!]

[Mission: Defeat the Cloud Village!]

[Mission Complete!]

[Flying Thunder God: Level 6 (6%)]

This was the confidence that led Itsuki to face Konoha alone.

"It's almost time!"

Itsuki looked toward Konoha and muttered, "If I go again, I might end up in a trap. For now, let's have Konan give them another surprise."

"Hopefully, this surprise will be for me too, Konan."

…

Tap, tap, tap...

Slow footsteps echoed.

Konan walked steadily forward.

"Konoha is just ahead."

"Too bad my Paper Clone doesn’t have much chakra left. I’ll have to attack soon."

Konan muttered to herself, but her pace didn’t slow.

"Who’s there?"

Konoha’s sentries spotted her immediately, shouting in warning.

Konan seemed not to hear them, as paper cranes began to appear around her.

After circling her twice, the paper cranes suddenly flew toward the sentries.

"Watch out!"

The guards shouted and hurled their shuriken.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Explosions echoed constantly.

Whenever a shuriken hit a paper crane, it would instantly detonate.

"A black cloak with red clouds stitched on it, and a pale purple paper flower on the right side of her head."

"She’s the paper jutsu woman Lord Shikaku mentioned! Notify..."

The ninja’s words trailed off.

Their eyes went blank.

They watched as Konan herself transformed into countless paper cranes, soaring through the air.

But!

There were too many cranes.

The sky was full of them!

"Oh my god!"

A Konoha ninja muttered, "This can’t be real. This absolutely can’t be real."

They had heard the rumors—that all of her cranes were explosive tags.

But how many were there?

The sky was black with them, blocking out the sun.

Who could stop them?

In the next moment, as if receiving an order, the cranes swarmed toward Konoha.

They moved like a cloud, darkening the sky.

(End of this chapter)

*Chapter 155: The Rebirth of Konoha!*

Have you ever seen a fist as big as a cooking pot?

Have you?

Then have you ever seen dark clouds hanging over a city?

Millions of paper cranes flying from the sky—that’s what dark clouds over a city look like!

A single little paper crane wouldn’t attract any attention.

Even if it’s made with explosive tags.

A few dozen of them? No big deal—a ninja could just throw a few kunai or even smash them down with rocks.

What about a few hundred?

That would require several ninjas working together to handle them.

A few thousand?

Tens of thousands?

Hundreds of thousands, or even millions?

That would form a black cloud!

Blotting out the sky and the sun!

No need for alarms. No one needs to be warned because everyone’s already noticed.

Danzo and the Third Hokage, along with the Jōnin, walked out of the meeting room and stared blankly at the sight before them.

“Damn it!”

After a long silence, someone shouted these words.

Like a signal, everyone sprang into action without needing orders.

“Fire Style…”

“Water Style…”

“Lightning Style…”

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

“Elders and children, evacuate now!”

“All ninjas, mobilize—everyone, get ready for battle!”

“Give it your all—no one holds back! Don’t keep anything in reserve!”

A chorus of frantic shouts echoed through the village.

At this moment, everyone was in a frenzy.

Even without anyone directing them, without orders, they were giving it their all. Each person was doing everything they could.

They tried every method they could think of, but their eyes were still filled with despair.

Because their enemy was millions of explosive tags!

The Third Hokage didn’t move.

He stood there, staring in a daze.

Explosive tags!

Again with the explosive tags!

All the recent disasters had something to do with explosive tags.

Danzo and he had barely escaped from being blown to pieces by explosive tags, and soon they’d become a laughingstock in the ninja world.

The reason the Uchiha were able to leave Konoha safely was because of the threat of explosive tags.

On the battlefield, the Uchiha’s use of explosive tags had played a crucial role.

It was said that when they fought against Kumogakure, they just kept bombing their way through with explosive tags.

The Konoha ninja army had also been hit by a wave of explosive tag attacks.

And now, those explosive tags were coming straight for the village.

The Third Hokage didn’t have time to wonder where the Uchiha had gotten so many explosive tags.

At this moment, in his world, everything was silent.

He watched with wide eyes as the Konoha ninjas screamed, moved, attacked, and evacuated…

The paper cranes fell from the sky!

Under his gaze, the paper cranes descended on Konoha.

Boom, boom, boom!!!  

The entire village was engulfed in explosions.

Countless people screamed, begged for mercy, prayed, pleaded for help…

This was the end of the world!

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there, dazed.

Was this still his Konoha?

It… was, right?

...

No one knew how long had passed, but the explosions eventually stopped.

The Konoha ninjas, with blank expressions, stared at the ruins of their village as if their souls had left their bodies.

The entire village of Konoha had been engulfed by millions of explosive tags.

Konan had surrounded the whole village this time, carrying out an indiscriminate bombardment.

Whether it was effective or not, she didn’t care.

The only goal was to bomb it!

Millions of explosive tags—no big deal!

If it worked, great—a nice surprise.

If it didn’t, at least it served as a warning.

Either way, Konan didn’t feel she’d lost anything.

If it weren’t for the massive chakra consumption from using her paper clones, Konan would’ve kept going. She would’ve enjoyed toying with the Konoha ninjas until they broke.

“Lord Hokage!”

Shikaku Nara, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, came before the stunned Third Hokage and said, “Please, you must stay calm. Konoha needs you to lead us.”

The Third Hokage, still dazed, muttered, “The barrier… why wasn’t the barrier activated?”

The barrier wouldn’t have stopped all the explosive tags, but it would’ve blocked some.

It shouldn’t have been this devastating!

“Because of me, of course!”

A voice, full of amusement, rang out: “I killed the person responsible for the barrier, so it was shut down. Aren’t I amazing?”

“Uchiha Itsuki!”

Shikaku’s face twisted in rage, and he glared at Itsuki through gritted teeth.

“What’s with the shouting? I’m not deaf.”

Itsuki waved his hand dismissively and said, “Hey, Monkey, how do you like it? Isn’t my gift awesome?”

“Uchiha Itsuki!”

Sarutobi Hiruzen glared at Itsuki, speaking each word with chilling clarity, “Konoha will never rest until you are dead.”

The surrounding ninjas stared at Itsuki with eyes full of hatred.

Even though they couldn’t yet confirm the exact number of casualties, they were certain many had died. And the damage to the buildings was immense.

“Never rest?”

Itsuki repeated the words, looking around at the hateful gazes, and suddenly burst into laughter.

“Are you angry?”

“Do you hate me?”

“Do you want to tear me apart?”

Itsuki looked at the increasing number of Konoha ninjas gathering around him, laughing louder.

Suddenly, he formed a hand seal and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Whoosh!  

A person appeared beside him.

Seeing this person, the ninjas around Itsuki froze in shock, their steps faltering.

Uzumaki Naruto!

Naruto, not even ten years old!

But!

Growing up in the ninja world had made him mature beyond his years.

Naruto glanced around and finally fixed his gaze on Itsuki.

His eyes were filled with anger and hatred.

To young Naruto, Konoha was his home.

Even though his life in this home hadn’t been great, that didn’t stop him from loving it.

“Uchiha Itsuki, what are you trying to do?”

The Third Hokage screamed, his voice shrill and sharp.

The Nine-Tails!

Konoha was already in ruins—nothing must happen to the Nine-Tails now.

Otherwise, Konoha would truly be finished.

Itsuki ignored him. He looked around, smiled, and said, “The Uchiha clan has a long and proud history. Within our clan, there have been many exceptional individuals. We’re recognized as the strongest clan in the ninja world.”

“Also!”

“The Uchiha clan and the Senju clan were the core of Konoha’s creation. You could say that without the Uchiha, there would be no Konoha today.”

“Since Konoha was founded decades ago, the Uchiha have fought countless battles for it, making endless sacrifices and earning countless victories.”

“The Uchiha have sacrificed more for Konoha than any other clan!”

“Am I wrong?”

“Does anyone disagree with me?”

Itsuki looked around.

No one spoke.

In front of so many people, they couldn’t lie.

They had their pride to think of!

Danzo and the Third Hokage wanted to say something, but Itsuki shut them up with one sentence.

“Don’t give me any nonsense. I just want to know—did I say anything wrong?”

“Answer me—yes or no!”

They said nothing.

Itsuki looked down at little Naruto, meeting his angry eyes, and smiled.

“Your best friend, Uchiha Sasuke, is a member of this clan. He used to be a proud Konoha ninja.”

The butterfly effect was in motion, but it only slightly altered the course of the ninja world.

In places beyond the butterfly’s reach, the original storyline remained intact.

For example, the friendship between Sasuke and Naruto.

These two had only been indirectly influenced by Itsuki, with no major changes.

So they still became best friends!

They went to the ninja academy together, helped each other, and competed with one another.

Not long ago, after hearing that the Uchiha clan had betrayed the village and that Uchiha Sasuke had left, Naruto swore he would bring Sasuke back.

He was the inheritor of the Will of Fire!

How could someone like Sasuke become a rogue ninja?!

Naruto would never accept that!

(End of Chapter)

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