91-95

*Chapter 91: Danzo’s Aggrieved*

He couldn't express his grievances!

For the first time, Danzo truly understood the meaning of this phrase.

He never expected that, in the end, everything would be blamed on him.

There’s no way he could take the blame for all of this!

Clenching his teeth, he said, "Hiruzen, believe it or not, I had nothing to do with A’s situation."

The Third Hokage coldly responded, "So, the chaos in the Hidden Cloud Village has nothing to do with you?"

Danzo was speechless.

The Third's voice was icy: "So, after I secured the Wood-Style user, you never again set your sights on Wood-Style? You didn't take any action?"

Danzo remained silent.

The Third's voice, now frigid enough to freeze one’s soul, continued: "So, the Root's mission was only to deal with Uchiha Itsuki and nothing else, right?"

Danzo kept quiet.

At that moment, he wanted to cry but had no tears.

How did it come to this?

Yes, I did some things!

But!

When it comes to Wood-Style, I truly know nothing about it!

You can't accuse me of that!

"You still won’t tell the truth?"

The Third shouted angrily, "The chaos in Hidden Cloud is over. Do you think they’ll let Konoha off? If you don’t speak the truth now, even I won’t be able to protect you."

"Danzo, you don't want to end up like Hizashi of the Hyuga Clan, do you?"

Danzo hesitated and finally said, "I only ordered Root to stir up trouble in Hidden Cloud. I wanted them to hate the Uchiha even more. After eliminating Uchiha Itsuki, it would’ve been great if we could involve the Uchiha Clan. That’s all."

"That’s all...?"

If I believe you, I’d be the biggest fool on Earth!

The Third Hokage stared at Danzo coldly and said slowly, "Since you refuse to talk, I won’t ask anymore."

After that, he turned and walked away.

Danzo watched his retreating figure, wanting to speak but holding back.

He wanted to explain, but some things were simply unspeakable.

Damn it!

Who the hell is behind all of this?

That bastard mixed everything together, making it nearly impossible for Danzo to deny any of it.

Unless he revealed everything.

But if he did!

The Third would be the first to kill him!

The most important thing was...

Even if he told the truth, no one would believe him!

Damn!

Damn it!

Damn it all!

What the hell!

I’m suffering so much!

"Danzo!"

The Third’s voice suddenly drifted over, like the wind.

"How is Orochimaru doing?"

Danzo instinctively replied, "According to the plan... cough cough!"

A sudden fit of coughing interrupted him before he could finish.

The Third Hokage gave Danzo a cold, deep look before turning to leave.

This time, his steps did not falter at all.

"Damn it!"

Danzo cursed angrily.

Hiruzen.

You’re still the same Hiruzen!

Hypocritical and devious.

...

After returning to the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage began to organize the recent events. Danzo refused to speak, but the Hokage knew he had to prepare. The recent appearance of Uchiha Itsuki caught him off guard.

First of all, a Wood Release user was spotted in the Hidden Cloud Village. Not only did Itsuki mention this, but Konoha's operatives in the village confirmed traces of Wood Release.

Second, Root and the Anbu created chaos in the Hidden Cloud, even engaging in direct conflict. Both units suffered heavy losses, especially Root. Counting the dozen Root members that Itsuki took down, more than half of the unit might be gone.

Finally, Orochimaru... What role did he play in all of this? As he sifted through the documents, the Third Hokage was astonished to find that Uchiha Itsuki had stayed completely uninvolved. Despite all the plans meant to target him, Itsuki remained unscathed. Both the Third Hokage and Danzo suffered great losses, and it was certain there would be more trouble to come.

“Danzo, you really are useless!” The Hokage lifted his head again, his gaze icy.

"Hokage-sama!" An elite jonin hurriedly entered the office.

"What is it?" The Hokage’s expression softened.

“Uchiha Yashiro has returned to the village.”

“Is that so?” the Third sighed. “I heard news recently that this mission resulted in heavy losses for both the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.”

“Yes!” the jonin replied in a grave tone. “Of those on the mission, only Uchiha Yashiro and Uchiha Inaho returned. Yashiro is lightly injured, but Inaho is critically wounded and has already been sent to Konoha Hospital. It’s said that the chances of saving him are slim.”

“Send the best medical ninja; Inaho must not die,” the Hokage immediately ordered.

“Understood!”

The jonin quickly left. The Third Hokage relaxed a bit and murmured, “At least there’s some good news.” He had doubts about the Uchiha and Hyuga’s losses, but now, with Inaho’s critical condition, he felt a bit of relief.

Both clans lost eleven jonin—well, Inaho is still alive. Additionally, forty elite clan members were killed. Such losses would surely deal a heavy blow to both clans. The Third Hokage felt satisfied. After the issues with Danzo, this was the best comfort he could get.

But unfortunately, his good mood lasted only a few minutes.

Another Anbu rushed in, saying, “Hokage-sama, the Anbu squad on a mission outside the village has suffered precise attacks with heavy casualties. Here's the list.” The Anbu handed over a document.

The Third Hokage was stunned. Glancing at it, he immediately felt dizzy. The long list of names almost made him shout, “Medicine! Medicine…”

“How did this happen?” The Hokage glared at the Anbu member and roared, “How could the Anbu be hit so accurately?”

The Anbu replied, “I don’t understand either. We don’t know how the Anbu’s movements were leaked.”

That comment immediately triggered the Third’s realization. The Anbu’s secrecy is beyond question. Only two people in Konoha knew about their movements: the Hokage and the Anbu captain.

No! There’s one more person who might know. The Third Hokage’s eyes reddened. If he had Uchiha blood, he might have awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan right then.

“Danzo…” Shimura Danzo, another black mark to his name.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Itsuki did not go directly to Kurenai’s house. He first visited the crematorium.

“Sigh, still so quiet,” Itsuki muttered as he watched people bustling around on the other side of the street, then glanced at his own shop with a helpless sigh.

He looked at the person standing at the entrance and said, “Yo, the foolish son of a rich family. Looks like you’re doing well.”

“Hmph!” Shisui snorted and said coolly, “Itsuki, follow me.”

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

“Oh, trying to show off in front of me?” Itsuki smirked as he followed with his own Body Flicker.

Several hidden figures immediately trailed after them.

Shisui challenging Itsuki? This was going to be amazing! A battle between brothers, and with Shisui’s strength, surely Itsuki would reveal some of his true abilities.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 92: What? You Wanna Bite Me?*

Uchiha Clan Territory!

The Inner Lake!

Just as Shisui regained his balance on the water, a massive Great Fireball Jutsu flew straight toward him.

"Itsuki!!!"

Shisui was both shocked and furious, forced to make a decision that went against his ancestors.

He dove headfirst into the lake, becoming an excellent diver.

As an Uchiha, he merged seamlessly with the water.

There was no other choice!

Itsuki's Great Fireball Jutsu had a diameter of over a hundred meters. Dodging it wasn't easy.

What kind of ninja, unprepared, can avoid such a huge fireball?

Other than the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God technique, even Shisui's Body Flicker Technique couldn't do it.

Shisui had barely regained his footing, so what could he do?

He had no choice but to dive into the water.

Avoiding the fireball by diving into the water? That's not something to be proud of.

In battles among Uchiha, aside from Itsuki, very few people enter the water.

After all…

Fighting on the Inner Lake for the Uchiha is mostly for training.

When Itsuki enters the water, it's to unleash even stronger Water Style jutsu.

He once declared that he was the strongest Uchiha Water Style user.

No one could argue with that.

Still, many people were puzzled.

As an Uchiha, is being the strongest Water Style user really something to be proud of?

What? Do you want to become the Mizukage or something?

Are you aiming for the stars?

Did you forget what your clan's crest looks like?

Splash!

When the flames finally faded, Shisui climbed out of the water, gritting his teeth and glaring at Itsuki. "Damn it, are you trying to kill me?"

If he hadn't reacted quickly, he might have been toast by now.

"It's your own fault for underestimating me."

Itsuki smirked. "In Uchiha duels, it's normal to prepare an ambush at the Inner Lake. You were strutting around like you were better than everyone else!"

"How could I, with my short temper, tolerate that?"

Swoosh!

Shisui's form vanished, and when he reappeared, he was right behind Itsuki.

"You're right. So, as Shisui of the Body Flicker, attacking you with the Body Flicker technique should be totally normal too, right?"

Thump!

A fist landed on Itsuki's head.

Itsuki clutched his head and crouched down.

Tears welled up uncontrollably in his eyes.

It wasn’t that he lacked composure—it just really hurt!

Moreover…

That attack was incredibly fast.

He didn’t even sense it coming.

"That hurt, didn’t it?"

Itsuki grinned. "Don't forget, I’m Tsunade’s disciple."

"My teacher once told me, to be a competent medical ninja, you not only have to know how to heal people, but also how to kill them. I believe a good medical ninja should also know how to give a painless death and make people feel unbearable pain."

"I just struck one of your ‘pain points.’ Look, aren't you crying now?"

"Feels sharp, doesn’t it?"

"Aren't I awesome?"

"Am I not amazing?"

Itsuki cheerfully pulled out a camera. "Come on, Shisui, look this way. Smile!"

"Tch, that’s even worse than crying."

Clap!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

Shisui clasped his hands together and formed the seal!

The Great Fireball he unleashed, though not as exaggerated as Itsuki’s, still reached over ten meters wide.

Swoosh!

Itsuki’s figure disappeared from the lake's surface.

Thump!

Another fist struck down.

Shisui clutched his head again and squatted on the ground.

"Did you ignore what I just said?"

Itsuki frowned at Shisui.

"You really don’t learn, do you, my dear brother?"

Shisui, teary-eyed, stared at Itsuki.

…Besides talking about those ‘pain points,’ did you say anything else?

You didn’t say a thing—so what should I have remembered?

Sigh.

---

A tree looked at Shisui and smiled.

"Judging by your expression, you’re not happy, are you?"

"In that case…"

Bang!

"Ugh!"

Another thump landed on Shisui's head.

His Sharingan, now swirling with three tomoe, was filled with bloodshot veins.

It almost looked like a different type of Mangekyō Sharingan.

Pain!

It hurt so much.

Every strike felt like it hit his soul.

The pain was so intense that his entire body convulsed.

Tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes.

Was this a battle?

No!

This was pure torture.

Under the overwhelming pain, Shisui’s attacks seemed to become stronger.

He unleashed various fire-style ninjutsu, clearly more powerful than usual.

At the same time, he kept using his Body Flicker Technique to move.

But no matter how fast he was, Itsuki was faster.

Itsuki's eyes seemed to predict his every move.

He effortlessly appeared beside Shisui, or in front, or behind him.

With ease and grace, he dodged Shisui’s attacks.

Then, another thump on Shisui’s head.

Thus, a strange scene unfolded.

The two brothers fought.

One wore a bizarre smile, constantly attacking.

The other, with a stubborn expression and tears in his eyes, fought back fiercely.

Even though it wasn’t doing him any good.

But Shisui’s attitude was clear:

He was silently screaming, "I refuse to give in! If you’re tough, kill me!"

In the shadows, a group of people watched in silence.

"I gotta say..." one voice hesitated, "Is this a fight? It seems pretty one-sided."

"Which eye are you using to see this as only 'a little' one-sided?"

A sarcastic voice retorted.

The group looked at the two brothers fighting, their eyelids twitching.

Itsuki vs. Shisui.

Was the gap between them really this wide?

They had expected a fierce clash, but who would’ve thought it’d turn into one-sided play?

"Wait!"

A voice suddenly shouted, "Something’s not right here."

"Itsuki is strong, no doubt, and Shisui isn’t weak either. The gap between them shouldn’t be this big."

The others stayed silent, listening carefully.

"Maybe…"

"Perhaps Itsuki Uchiha has gotten even stronger."

A cold voice spoke up, "He’s only been gone a few days, not years. Even if he improved, how much stronger could he have gotten?"

The earlier speaker argued back, "Then how do you explain what we’re seeing right now?"

"Just because you can’t explain it doesn’t mean you should make things up."

The second voice was cold, "I’m more inclined to believe Itsuki had been hiding his true strength all along."

"Oh, hiding his strength, huh?"

The first speaker mocked, "And then he just reveals such a crucial secret in a sparring match with Shisui? Wow, that’s genius!"

The second voice went quiet, unable to refute.

Revealing such an important secret in a mere spar?

Only an idiot would do that.

"Well..."

Another voice chimed in, "Am I the only one thinking this? It feels like Itsuki isn’t using the Body Flicker Technique…"

"Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

As soon as the words were spoken, someone immediately protested.

"That technique was developed by the Second Hokage, and only the Fourth Hokage ever mastered it. There’s no way Itsuki Uchiha could’ve learned it."

"Besides, he doesn’t even have access to it."

The protester’s words were firm, almost hysterical.

He didn’t even want to consider the possibility.

Itsuki Uchiha was already incredibly strong.

If he also mastered that technique...

No one else would stand a chance.

Might as well find a nice spot, dig a hole, and bury themselves.

Or, they could give Itsuki some business by visiting his cremation shop and having themselves burned.

Then, with a final shout:

"Next time, don’t let me run into you in the afterlife!"

So yeah, there was no way it was that technique.

Absolutely not.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 93: Flying Thunder God!

Looking at the hysterical person, the others wisely remained silent.

In fact.

Among the people present, apart from the three Uchiha, including Uchiha Fugaku, the others also didn’t want to believe their suspicions were true.

If this was true, it would be a huge disaster.

A disaster big enough to change the entire balance of the ninja world.

“Hehe!”

A night-owl-like voice sounded.

Uchiha Setsuna.

He laughed wickedly, “At this point, there are still people who don’t want to admit it. Tsk tsk, do you need a tree to suddenly appear beside you and cut off your heads for you to believe?”

Silence!

There was complete silence around.

At this moment.

Apart from the two Uchiha clan advisors, there were also members of other ninja clans present.

Including the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

Including the Hyuga clan.

Including the Inuzuka and Aburame clans.

Various smaller ninja clans.

Even members of the ANBU and Root were present.

Why were these clan representatives gathered at the Uchiha’s?

It was all because of the problem with the Hidden Cloud.

The ANBU and Root members had encountered problems in the Hidden Cloud.

They clashed directly with the Hidden Cloud and were all wiped out, but not before killing hundreds of Hidden Cloud ninjas.

Would the Hidden Cloud let this slide?

No way!

That village of bandits was notoriously aggressive.

The final outcome of this incident would likely be a war between the two villages.

Therefore, many ninja clans, under the Third Hokage's suggestion, came to the Uchiha clan.

One reason was that Uchiha Itsuki had also participated in the mission to the Hidden Cloud, and the Third Hokage wanted to shift some of the blame onto him.

At the very least, Uchiha couldn't stay completely uninvolved.

The Third Hokage couldn’t let Danzo take all the blame by himself—it would be too much for him.

Not only would it crush him, it would flatten him completely.

The other reason was that Konoha now needed the Uchiha’s strength.

Whenever war breaks out, the Uchiha are always Konoha’s sharpest weapon.

Even the Third Hokage had never denied this.

In the original story, the reason the Uchiha clan was wiped out was because the war had already ended, right?

The troublemakers and unstable individuals all had to be removed.

However!

During the Uchiha’s mission against the Hidden Sand, they lost four Jonin and more than twenty elite ninjas.

Of the two survivors, one was still in critical condition.

The Third Hokage also worried that the Uchiha might not cooperate this time and might flat-out refuse.

The old Uchiha would never have done that.

But the current Uchiha? Who knows.

Therefore.

All the ninja clans gathered at the Uchiha’s to persuade them.

At the same time.

They applied pressure.

As for the Hyuga clan...

What about them?

No one cared!

Would the Uchiha willingly be oppressed?

Originally, the Uchiha’s dove faction and hawk faction were in balance, with Fugaku leaning toward the doves.

But who knew that this only led to the Hokage faction pushing their limits again and again.

So, he began leaning toward the hawk faction.

This caused the Uchiha to become more aggressive.

Thus.

When Shisui wanted to spar with Itsuki, the Uchiha leadership immediately agreed.

Come!

Let these people witness the power of the new generation of Uchiha.

As a result.

It led to this mess.

Not just the other ninja clans, even the Uchiha present were stunned.

Watching Itsuki completely dominate Shisui, it didn’t seem like a Body Flicker Technique.

No!

This definitely wasn’t the Body Flicker Technique.

“Boom!”

With another dull thud, Shisui crouched down, hands covering his head.

"Not fighting anymore! No way, I'm done," he muttered, "You're just bullying me now."

Itsuki figure appeared in front of Shisui, smiling brightly, patting him gently on the head.

"Shisui, be good. Don't cry."

Shisui looked at the culprit with teary eyes. If only he could defeat him, he’d teach him a lesson.

Clap clap clap!

The figure clapped his hands and said, "Everyone, what do you think? Wasn't the battle between the Uchiha brothers exciting? Aren't you left with endless thoughts?"

"Endless thoughts, indeed!" one by one, people stepped out from the shadows, revealing various ninjutsu they had been using.

Seeing so many people, Itsuki blinked in surprise, "Why are there so many of you? What are you all gathering at the Uchiha clan for?"

Then, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait... Did the clan leader die?"

"Oh no!" He let out a sharp cry, "Mikoto, you have to stay strong! I'll—"

Before he could finish, Fugaku, who had just appeared, glared at him coldly.

From today onwards, he swore to make sure Uchiha Itsuki wouldn't get away with this. If no opportunity presented itself, he would create one.

Itsuki awkwardly scratched his head, mumbling, "Not my fault, you were the last one to come out."

Fugaku’s face darkened further, "As the clan leader, isn’t it natural that I’m the last to appear?"

"What about my dignity?" he thought.

But after Itsuki’s dramatic outburst, his dignity had disappeared.

The surrounding crowd was now eyeing him with strange looks.

Itachi sighed, "Itsuki, you've gotten stronger again. That Body Flicker Technique you used was incredible."

"Body Flicker?" Itsuki raised an eyebrow. "Who told you I used the Body Flicker?"

Itachi's brow furrowed slightly, "Itsuki..."

"That was Flying Thunder God, do you understand!?" Itsuki said with a smile. "I've been training this jutsu for years since I got it, and finally, I've mastered it."

There it was, his admission.

The crowd fell silent once more.

Zongyi's voice was strained as he asked, "Itsuki, was that really the Flying Thunder God?"

"If you want to rename it, go ask the Second Hokage. I don't mind, but you'll have to ask him yourself. I have a generational gap when it comes to communicating with him," Itsuki said, nonchalant.

Zongyi twitched, "I have a generational gap too..."

"Uchiha Itsuki!!!"

A loud roar echoed as a masked man stepped forward, pointing at Itsuki, shouting, "The Flying Thunder God is a forbidden jutsu. Who allowed you to learn it?"

Itsuki looked him up and down, "You're from Root?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, that explains it!" Itsuki clapped his hands. "It was Lord Danzo who approved it."

"What?!"

The Root ninja froze for a second, then angrily shouted, "That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"How would you know?" Itsuki rolled his eyes. "Does Danzo need to report to you when he does something? You think you're more important than him? Are you, what, the Almighty Danzo?"

"No, I—"

The Root member was furious. What could he say? That Danzo would never let an Uchiha learn a forbidden jutsu? Or that Danzo didn’t have the authority to approve such a thing? He couldn’t say that.

He looked towards the Anbu nearby, hoping for some support.

It's your turn!

The Anbu sighed internally. To be honest, he really didn't want to deal with Uchiha Itsuki.

Arguing with him was pointless. He was unbeatable in a debate, and even if you somehow won, he'd just beat you up! Who could stand that?

The Anbu spoke slowly, "Itsuki, Lord Danzo doesn’t have the authority to let you learn a forbidden jutsu."

"Then go take it up with Danzo!" Itsuki shrugged, looking at the Anbu, "You're from the Anbu, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh, that makes sense!" Itsuki clapped his hands again. "When Danzo gave me permission to learn the Flying Thunder God, the Third Hokage also approved it."

"That's impossible!"

"And why not?" Itsuki rolled his eyes again. "Does the Third Hokage need to report to you too?"

The Anbu fell silent.

The Root ninja, losing patience, jumped out again, pointing at Itsuki, "Stop twisting the facts—"

But before he could finish, Itsuki used the Flying Thunder God technique, instantly appearing in front of him and delivering a swift kick.

The Root ninja flew through the air.

"I should’ve just started with this! Why bother arguing?" Itsuki muttered, "And who said Root members don’t have emotions? Didn't he scream just like anyone else?"

The men nearby were drenched in cold sweat. Getting kicked in that spot and sent flying—any man would scream.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 94: I Disagree

"Uchiha Itsuki, how dare you lay a hand on the Root's people?"

"Do you want to betray the village?"

These words screamed wildly in the heart of the Anbu ninja.

On the outside, though, he maintained a calm expression, not making a sound.

"Shh!"

"Don’t say anything."

"Otherwise, you'll definitely get beaten."

"Who wants to be a fool and get beaten?"

"Certainly not me!"

"As for Root getting beaten up, what does that have to do with Anbu?"

"Besides, their leader lost his as well, so it's only normal for his subordinates to lose a couple too, right?"

"It-suki!"

Fugaku couldn’t help but step forward and reprimand, "Don’t just attack people randomly."

"Who attacked randomly?" Itsuki retorted, dissatisfied. "I was clearly very serious when I beat him."

"We need to respect others!"

"Fugaku, have you been the clan leader for so long that you’re out of touch now?"

Looking at the Root ninja lying on the ground, clutching his groin, body convulsing, Fugaku felt even more of a headache.

"Is now really the time for you to be this unserious?"

"Itsuki, about your Flying Thunder God..."

He wasn’t the only one who wanted to ask.

Everyone present was curious.

Looking at their constipated expressions, it seemed like Itsuki had better give an explanation to clear things up.

"Danzo taught me," Itsuki insisted.

Even if you kill Danzo, it was still him who taught me.

"How could that be possible?"

No one believed that Danzo would teach Itsuki the Flying Thunder God.

He may be blind, but he wasn’t stupid!

Itsuki explained, "Danzo said he just wanted an Uchiha to learn Flying Thunder God!"

"And by the way, he laughed smugly at that time."

Everyone: "..."

If he puts it that way, it does kind of make sense.

Having an Uchiha learn a forbidden technique, especially Uchiha Itsuki at that—that was clearly a setup to get rid of him!

Many people had a darkened expression.

The Uchiha, in particular, had killing intent in their eyes.

This was too much!

However!

Danzo probably didn’t expect Itsuki to actually learn the Flying Thunder God.

This top-tier technique, developed by the Second Hokage and mastered only by the Fourth Hokage, was incredibly powerful.

Without Flying Thunder God, it’s unlikely that the Fourth Hokage would have become Hokage in the first place.

And indeed!

No one else had managed to learn it besides the Fourth Hokage!

It all made sense now!

Otherwise.

It would’ve been hard to explain how Itsuki had learned Flying Thunder God.

All forbidden techniques were sealed and kept personally by the Hokage.

Uchiha Itsuki would have no opportunity to obtain it.

In fact, no Uchiha would ever get access to a forbidden technique—not even a chance!

"Alright, let’s leave this to the Third Hokage to handle," an Anbu member stepped forward. "Since Itsuki is here, let’s continue our earlier discussion about the Third Hokage's proposal..."

"I disagree!" Itsuki suddenly declared.

The Anbu was speechless, saying, "Itsuki, I haven’t even said anything yet!"

This opposition was too sudden!

At least listen to what it's about!

"I disagree with everything!"

Itsuki gave a sidelong glance at the Anbu and sneered, "If it's a proposal from the Third, I disagree with it all, unless you give me a satisfactory explanation for the incident with the Hidden Cloud. You went too far."

The Anbu was left speechless.

Clearly, we suffered the most losses, so why are you acting so aggrieved?

Everyone else fell silent too.

Well, what do you know!

Impressive, indeed!

It ended before it even began.

One had to admit... well done!

Itsuki continued, "I followed orders from the Third, but the Anbu left me behind to complete the mission alone. If I weren't strong enough, I'd probably be dead by now."

"The Uchiha clan followed orders and went to the Hidden Sand, with over twenty excellent ninjas. In the end, only one and a half returned."

"And now, what are you trying to do again?"

Itsuki sneered and said, "What? Are you guys planning to go against the Uchiha?"

The Anbu's faces changed immediately. "Itsuki, you can't just say things like that."

Fugaku said in a low voice, "I agree with part of what Itsuki said."

As for which part he agreed with, you'd have to guess.

"Anbu ninjas, the Uchiha have never been afraid to die. We are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the village, but in Itsuki's case, we need an explanation!"

"Hmph!"

A Hyuga member couldn't help but snort coldly.

The Hyuga clan had also sacrificed six jōnin and over twenty family elites, which made Hiashi's heart ache.

Yet the Hokage hadn't said a word!

Do they really look down on the Hyuga that much?

What left him speechless was that nobody else seemed to consider the Hyuga's feelings.

They were the ancient Hyuga!

The second largest clan in Konoha!

They had dignity, too.

They were going too far!

The Hyuga ninjas cursed bitterly in their hearts.

The Anbu captain, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, felt a headache coming on.

He knew this time the Uchiha wouldn't be easy to deal with.

Damn it, Danzo, what exactly did you do?

According to Shinnosuke, they should just throw Danzo out.

But his father was unwilling.

After so many years of bearing the blame, he'd gotten used to it. If they threw Danzo away, where would they find another scapegoat?

Besides!

Not just anyone could bear the kind of blame Sarutobi Hiruzen carried!

After thinking for a long time, Shinnosuke finally said slowly, "The matter with Sunagakure was a normal mission. Sacrifices were made, and we're saddened by it. We'll provide more compensation."

"As for Kumogakure..."

Shinnosuke said solemnly, "We will give you an explanation."

As for what kind of explanation... Dad, you can worry about that.

Itsuki's eyes sparkled. "How about I give you a suggestion?"

The Anbu gave an awkward smile and turned to leave.

They were determined not to be tormented anymore.

"Don't leave! Hey, don't forget, besides being a ninja, I'm also a boss!"

Itsuki jumped up and down in place.

Shinnosuke never looked back the entire time.

The others looked at Itsuki, their expressions shifting.

Flying Thunder God!

Uchiha Itsuki actually learned the Flying Thunder God!

This time, the already unstable Konoha was going to be stirred up even more.

...

"Buzz!"

When Itsuki opened his eyes, he found himself standing on the finger of a giant statue.

The Akatsuki!

The Ten-Tails' shell!

"Tsk, tsk, fresh as always!"

Itsuki chuckled lightly, "You've gathered everyone. What's up? Something big happening? Is Pain dead?"

At this moment.

In the cold and eerie hall, there was only the giant Ten-Tails' shell.

Standing on each of its fingers were ten figures.

All ten members of the Akatsuki were here?

Itachi was clearly still in the village as the deputy clan head, plotting to take down his father.

Even if Itsuki had taken his position, why was everyone here at this point in time?

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Pain turned his icy gaze towards Itsuki.

"Stop!"

Itsuki raised a finger at him and said, "Don't look at me like that, it makes me dizzy."

"Your eyes... they're not decent!"

"Pfft!"

Konan couldn't help but chuckle.

Even though it was just a projection, everyone could feel Pain's darkened expression.

"Heh heh!"

A deep laugh echoed as Sasori stared at Itsuki, his voice raspy. "Uchiha?"

He looked Itsuki up and down, his eyes glinting with desire.

Itsuki turned his head to look at him, surprised. "A puppet? The Akatsuki really has all kinds of stuff. This big toy is rare outside of Sunagakure."

Sasori's voice suddenly rose, "A big toy? What did you say?!"

For Sasori, who saw his puppets as everything, killing intent surged from his body.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 95: Akatsuki Showdown

"Alright! No infighting!"

Pain shouted in a low voice, looking around the group. "The reason I've gathered you all here today is simple: to get to know each other, and because Akatsuki's plan is about to commence!"

"Get to know each other?"

Orochimaru chuckled softly, "How do we do that? Just meet and greet?"

"Of course not!"

Pain replied coldly, "One-on-one sparring. No holding back. In the Akatsuki, we don't need weaklings!"

"That sounds good!"

Itsuki scanned the group, taking mental note of these well-known rogue ninjas.

Pain: Zero!

Konan stood behind him, without her ring at this moment. It was clear that Pain didn’t intend for her to fight on the front lines.

For now, the Akatsuki had enough manpower.

Not like later, when almost everyone was dead.

Sealing one tailed beast left Kisame exhausted and panting.

Kisame: White!

Zetsu: Black!

Jūzō Biwa: South!

Orochimaru: Sky!

Sasori: Jade!

Deidara: Blue!

Kakuzu: North!

Hidan: Three!

And then...

Itsuki Uchiha: Vermilion!

Total: Ten members!

"A full house!"

Itsuki rubbed his eyes, "I'm so moved."

In the original story, Jūzō Biwa was Itachi Uchiha's partner, and when they fought the Three-Tails jinchūriki, he charged head-on at the Tailed Beast Bomb, making a mess of everything.

And then...

He was taken out directly.

As of now, they had not yet faced the Three-Tails jinchūriki.

Therefore, when Kisame arrived, he took Konan's 'South' ring.

Orochimaru had not betrayed them either.

And no one else had died.

The ten original Akatsuki members, who had never gathered in full in the story, were now all present.

"This kind of unprecedented event is too exciting," Itsuki clenched his fist, tears welling up as he looked at everyone.

Akatsuki: "..."

Although not many people in the Akatsuki were normal, please don’t be so exceptional even among the abnormal ones.

Especially Kisame, who felt particularly moved.

Or perhaps, seeing Itsuki in this state gave him a strange feeling.

"Hey, hey, this guy is way too weird, right?"

Hidan tilted his head, looking at Itsuki, "I have a feeling the Jashin is displeased with you. I need to find time to sacrifice you to him."

"Shut up!"

Kakuzu snapped coldly at him, "Or I'll kill you!"

Sasori stared coldly at Itsuki, "I want to make you into a puppet, part of my collection."

Orochimaru chuckled wickedly, "Hehe, interesting!"

Deidara: "Explosion is the most beautiful form of art. Uchiha, blowing you up should be interesting."

Sasori immediately turned to glare at Deidara, "Eternity is true art."

"Brother Sasori, I won't tolerate that!"

Zetsu muttered to himself, though it was actually a dialogue between his black and white halves.

Itsuki clenched his fists, tears streaming down his face.

Jūzō Biwa was quietly taken aback.

He had always considered himself not normal, but now he finally knew what chaos truly was.

Goodness!

As an S-rank rogue ninja, even he felt his scalp tingle.

This place, it’s way too deep!

"Enough. The sparring in three days will be more than enough for you all to vent your frustrations."

Pain threw out those words and disappeared on the Ten-Tails shell's finger.

As the wielder of the Rinnegan, he had the power to back it up, and he was confident that he could control these maniacs.

Except for Uchiha Itsuki.

This guy was... a bit creepy!

The others saw this and began leaving.

Three days wasn't much time, and they spread out to different locations, with some needing to travel through the night.

Itsuki severed the ring's connection, lost in thought.

Indeed, there had been internal sparring within the Akatsuki. After all, they were a bunch of lunatics—without showing some strength, how could they understand each other?

Not to mention Kakuzu, who even killed his own comrades.

His previous partner had already been taken out.

So...

Itsuki's partner had to be Hidan, who was unkillable.

Itsuki had a clone there, and sustaining a battle wouldn’t be an issue.

However, after this fight, it was uncertain how much power that clone would still have.

Moreover...

His relationship with Konan was steadily progressing.

The two had even gone for a walk together yesterday.

This was merely for show, as if they were gradually getting closer.

In reality, a single Kotoamatsukami had already captured Konan's heart.

Too abrupt of a change would definitely attract attention.

Could Kotoamatsukami, a dojutsu, be nullified by the Rinnegan? Who could say for sure?

"The Akatsuki's plan has begun, so I need to speed up my own plans. At the same time, Hiruzen, I'll give you something else to worry about. Why are you always keeping tabs on me? It's not like you have a daughter-in-law named Mikoto."

Itsuki closed his eyes and formed a hand seal.

Crack!

Outside of Konoha...

A group of people were chatting casually.

Suddenly!

Someone raised his head and said, "Everyone, the leader has given the order. We need to begin our mission."

"Heh, I've been waiting for this!"

Everyone was startled, then one of them burst into laughter.

"Yeah, I've been itching for a big fight!"

"What are we waiting for, then?"

The group closed their eyes, and when they opened them again, different dojutsu were visible.

Sharingan!

And... Byakugan!

...

Outside of Sunagakure.

Pakura looked at the place where she had grown up from a distance, her eyes full of coldness.

"Lady Pakura!"

A shinobi approached her from behind, kneeling on one knee, and said solemnly, "The leader has given an order."

With that...

He handed her a scroll.

"An order from him?"

Pakura's face softened for a moment as she took the scroll and glanced at it. Even she couldn't help but be surprised.

"Impressive! He sure is bold."

She sighed, then looked at the shinobi in front of her and said, "Lead the way!"

"Yes!"

The shinobi responded and suddenly looked up, forming a hand seal: "Byakugan!"

"Please, follow me!"

It turned out he was also a Byakugan user.

Pakura followed him.

"Truly surprising—Itsuki has a Hyūga shinobi with the Byakugan under his command. I remember Konoha tightly controls the Byakugan."

To the extent that the Byakugan was considered above the Sharingan.

Actually, it wasn’t that surprising.

In a one-on-one situation, the Sharingan was superior to the Byakugan.

However, in war, the Byakugan was a strategic-level advantage.

It was like having a series of radars.

The Hyūga shinobi remained calm and said, "We are all just dead men."

"Dead men?"

"Yes!" The Hyūga shinobi smiled and said, "Just like this time, when the Third Hokage's order caused conflict with Sunagakure, all the Hyūga shinobi were declared dead."

"And your Byakugan...?"

"The Caged Bird, right?" The Hyūga shinobi smiled faintly. "Destroying the Byakugan breaks the Caged Bird Seal."

Pakura looked at those Byakugan eyes in surprise.

"Lord Itsuki has been collecting Byakugan from the Hyūga main family."

"Additionally!"

"Just like the Uchiha clan preserves some of their Sharingan, the Hyūga main family also keeps Byakugan from those who die of old age or in battle."

"I see!"

Pakura thought for a moment and understood.

"First, make it seem like you're in a state of false death, activate the Caged Bird, destroy the Byakugan, and then transplant preserved Byakugan from the main family into you."

"Correct!"

"I've never heard of a missing Byakugan from the Hyūga clan."

"They don't dare to say!"

The Hyūga shinobi sneered. "The Hyūga clan would never publicly admit that they lost a Byakugan. Wouldn't you agree?"

"That's true."

Pakura chuckled.

The Hyūga clan's system of dividing the main and branch families clearly demonstrated their greatest fear: losing the Byakugan.

When they lost a Byakugan, their first instinct was likely to suppress the news at all costs, making sure no one else found out.

Even if they knew it was just self-deception.

(End of this chapter)