86-90

*Chapter 86: The Cold Lord Orochimaru*

News continuously flowed into the Hokage’s office.

...

Chaos erupted in the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

The Two-Tailed Beast was lost!

Uchiha Itsuki is about to return to the village.

...

The Village Hidden in the Mist remains in lockdown, with no one entering or leaving.

Kakashi and others continue to monitor the situation.

...

The Village Hidden in the Sand dispatched troops to the Village Hidden in the Stones, leading to clashes between the two.

The Sand also dispatched troops to Konoha, leading to conflicts with both the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, with losses on both sides.

...

Apart from the conflict with the Sand, the Village Hidden in the Stones has shown no other activity, but there’s a trend of significant troop gathering. This has led Konoha to begin deploying forces to defend against the Stones.

...

After handling the last bit of business, the Third Hokage and the others were shocked to discover that the village Uchiha Itsuki went to, the Hidden Cloud, turned out to be the worst ninja village to deal with.

Even the Tailed Beast was lost!

This is a huge issue—there’s no way the Hidden Cloud will let this go quietly.

Moreover...

Where did the Tailed Beast go?

Could it have fallen into the hands of the Uchiha?

At this thought, the Third Hokage and others looked horrified.

Sitting on pins and needles!

Feeling like there’s a thorn in their side!

Walking on thin ice!

A lump in their throats!

The Uchiha were already tough to deal with. If they got their hands on a Tailed Beast, they could turn the world upside down!

Especially if that beast fell into the hands of Uchiha Itsuki, he’d be like a wild wolf unleashed.

They were all over sixty years old—they couldn’t handle that kind of stress.

The Third Hokage didn’t want the first thing he does when he opens his eyes every day to be: “Medicine, medicine…”

Homura Mitokado questioned, “Chaos in the Hidden Cloud? Because of Uchiha Itsuki? Even the Two-Tails was lost? How could he have that kind of power?”

Uchiha Itsuki was just one person!

Even the Anbu wouldn’t take orders from him.

What happened in the Hidden Cloud couldn’t possibly be the work of just one person.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Danzo’s eyes glinted with malice as he coldly said, “Uchiha Itsuki must have been prepared in advance. As expected of a sinister Uchiha. Hiruzen, stop hesitating. Take him down!”

“That’s not right!” Koharu Utatane voiced her disagreement, saying, “When we assigned the mission, Uchiha Itsuki was very reluctant to go to the Hidden Cloud. If it wasn’t for our pressure… it doesn’t add up, it doesn’t make sense!”

“No, it’s quite normal,” Danzo replied coldly. “UchihaItsuki must have been prepared beforehand in the Hidden Cloud. Perhaps our pressure disrupted his plans.”

If Itsuki heard Danzo’s words, he would definitely give him a playful pat and praise him, “You’re such a clever little fox!”

“What about the Anbu, then?” Homura couldn’t help but ask. “Surely the Anbu and Root couldn’t be connected to Uchiha Itsuki too?”

“It’s definitely connected to Uchiha Itsuki!”

Danzo’s tone was firm and decisive.

“No, no!” Koharu shook her head repeatedly and said sternly, “If Uchiha Itsuki were connected to the Hidden Cloud, it would make sense that they would target the Anbu and Root, but the Hidden Cloud was severely damaged, and the Two-Tails was lost. That’s contradictory.”

Homura added, “Uchiha Itsuki rarely goes on missions. How could he have set up operations in the Hidden Cloud? The chaos in the Hidden Cloud couldn’t have been caused overnight.”

The Third Hokage silently nodded, showing his agreement.

Three against one!

Danzo clenched his teeth in silence.

These two idiots usually just cheerlead, and now they dare to offer their own opinions?

They need to be put in their place!

Danzo loudly said, “Maybe this is an entire Uchiha conspiracy!”

The Third Hokage, exasperated, said, “Danzo, I already have a headache. Could you stop for a moment, please?”

“Hiruzen, what do you mean by that?” Danzo snapped angrily. “Do you think I’m deliberately targeting the Uchiha? Everything I do is for Konoha!”

“Alright, I know. You’ve worked hard.”

The Third Hokage casually picked up the intelligence report and replied absentmindedly to Danzo.

For Konoha?

You almost got me killed for Konoha.

You really are something!

If it weren’t for the fact that there’s no one else to use, I would’ve taken you out long ago.

Praise the great Third Hokage!

The Third Hokage’s attitude only fueled Danzo’s anger even more.

The argument in the Hokage’s office raged on, but it didn’t affect Uchiha Itsuki return.

He was certain that the Hidden Cloud wouldn’t make a move against Konoha anytime soon.

The mission was complete, so it was time to return to the village.

He missed Kurenai.\

 Once again, a moment of regret for Sister Mikoto.

  However, halfway through, Itsuki suddenly stopped walking.

  He looked at a large tree nearby and smiled, "Sensei, long time no see."

  A figure slowly emerged from within the tree.

  Like a snake, the movement seemed eerie.

  This person looked up and down at Uchiha Itsuki, revealing a satisfied smile, then stretched out a long tongue, licked it, and in a slightly hoarse voice said, "Itsuki-kun, it has indeed been a while. Last time you went to Amegakure, I thought you'd come to see me."

  The person had long black hair.

  Golden vertical pupils, with purple eyeshadow extending to the nose wings.

  Pale skin, wearing blue-green, magatama-shaped earrings.

  At a glance, they exuded an aura of deceit and danger.

  One of the legendary Sannin!

  The cold lord, Orochimaru!

  This was also one of the most popular villains in the original series.

  Itsuki smiled slightly and said, "I did want to see you, Sensei, but I was worried about interrupting your experiments."

  Orochimaru chuckled lightly, staring at Uchiha Itsuki.

  This was his most perfect creation to date.

  From a young age, Itsuki had shown extraordinary talent.

  As he grew, in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, he had reached a level that made Orochimaru wary.

  When Orochimaru left the village, he considered taking Itsuki with him, but Itsuki refused.

  The two had a conflict.

  The final result, of course, was Orochimaru leaving alone, while Uchiha Itsuki continued to live in the village as the apprentice of the rogue ninja, Orochimaru.

  Itsuki didn't mind this at all.

  So what if he was the apprentice of a rogue ninja?

  The Uchiha were already hated by many, so adding the identity of a rogue ninja's apprentice was just icing on the cake.

  As for Danzo, who tried to attack him because of this, Itsuki retaliated fiercely, even causing Danzo to lose one of his balls.

  "Itsuki-kun, why did you join Akatsuki?"

  "Because Akatsuki has a lot of interesting ideas!" Itsuki said with a smile. "You think so too, don't you, Sensei?"

  "Akatsuki has interesting ideas? Heh, hahaha!"

  Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh out loud.

  He had no interest in Akatsuki's ideas at all, and even found them ridiculous.

  What fascinated him was the Rinnegan.

  He believed Itsuki had his own reasons too.

  Itsuki silently watched Orochimaru laugh maniacally.

  His hoarse laughter echoed in the air, making the already dark forest feel even more eerie.

  It was as if a never-ending black cloud was descending.

  "Hisssss!"

  A snake poked its head out, coiling around Orochimaru. Half of its body remained hidden within Orochimaru's clothing, as if the two were one.

  Its cold eyes fixed on Itsuki, as if marking him as its prey.

  Itsuki faced it calmly.

  No one knew when the wind had stopped.

  Between them, even the falling leaves seemed to freeze in mid-air, creating a unique space.

  The tension between the two grew heavier and heavier.

  (End of Chapter)

*Chapter 87: Comrades and Enemies*

Orochimaru revealed a wicked smile, "Itsuki-kun, you don’t want to see me?"

"Not exactly!"

Itsuki shrugged and said, "It’s just that I thought with such interesting things happening among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, wouldn’t sensei want to take the opportunity to do something? Or are you really just focused on your experiments, completely ignoring the outside world?"

"Hmm..."

Orochimaru tilted his head, staring at Itsuki, and chuckled, "Itsuki-kun, the villages are on high alert, that’s your doing, isn’t it? What are you really planning?"

Unlike the Third Hokage, he didn’t see Itsuki as just a powerful Jonin.

As his teacher, Orochimaru had more contact with him.

He understood deeply that the young man before him had a way of thinking that no one could completely see through.

He had been laying down plans in the village long ago.

The Third Hokage once said that Uchiha Itachi, at the age of seven, could think with the mind of a Hokage.

Orochimaru believed that this statement was actually more fitting for Itsuki.

Uchiha Itsuki, it’s like he hovers above, overlooking the entire ninja world.

"I am an Uchiha, so naturally I want to change the fate of the Uchiha. Only when the village is bustling will certain people leave the Uchiha alone. Our Uchiha clan is truly cursed!"

Itsuki laughed, "If sensei could weaken the Third Hokage's power a little, I’d be eternally grateful."

Orochimaru, noncommittal, asked, "And what do I get in return?"

"I’m your favorite student, after all!"

Itsuki grinned, "Would sensei really need compensation for helping his student? Sensei, you’ve changed. I barely recognize you anymore."

Orochimaru smiled at Itsuki but said nothing.

"Alright, alright! This should satisfy you."

Itsuki shrugged and tossed a scroll over.

A snake appeared, bit the scroll, and brought it to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru opened it, and after just one glance, couldn’t help but burst into wild laughter.

"Haha, hahahaha!"

"Itsuki-kun, you’re as interesting as ever."

"I understand now. I’ll use the bodies from the Anbu and Root as thanks!"

Amidst his nearly maniacal laughter, Orochimaru slowly merged into a tree.

"Tsk tsk, as expected of my teacher—so dangerous."

Itsuki wiped non-existent sweat from his brow, muttering, "Oh man, I almost peed myself in fear."

"Run!"

"I need to get out of here."

"What if sensei comes back and kills me?"

Whoosh!

The Body Flicker Technique was activated.

Itsuki vanished from the spot.

After he disappeared, the space twisted, and a man wearing a mask with one eye appeared.

He stared silently at Itsuki's retreating figure, as still as a statue.

Meanwhile, in Konoha...

The village had entered a wartime state.

This was the result of the military defense plans being leaked.

Although the defenses had been updated, tensions between the villages had escalated.

The Fourth Great Ninja War could break out at any moment.

All that was needed was a spark.

The Third Hokage was exhausted; he hadn’t slept in two days.

To make things worse, Danzo was still rambling in front of him, indirectly urging him to take action against the Uchiha.

The Third Hokage was so angry he nearly kicked Danzo out of the room.

The Uchiha?

Only someone insane would mess with the Uchiha right now!

Even children knew that the Uchiha were weapons on the battlefield. What, did Danzo lack common sense?

"Lord Hokage!"

An Anbu member entered the Hokage’s office, kneeling on one knee.

"Speak!"

"Uchiha Itsuki is approaching the village gate."

"Is that so?"

The Third Hokage put down the documents in his hands, sighed, and with a complicated expression, said faintly, "Send someone to greet him. After all, he’s a hero of Konoha."

"Yes!"

The Anbu nodded and left.

"Hero?"

The Third Hokage muttered to himself, and a figure involuntarily came to his mind.

A man with silver-white hair.

If only... he hadn’t died...

...

Boom!

"Scorch Release: Over-Boil Murder!"

"Aaaahhh!!!"

With a miserable scream, a Sunagakure shinobi was reduced to blackened charcoal.

"Why, why?"

The remaining shinobi from Sunagakure sat on the ground in fear, staring at Pakura in terror.

He screamed, "You’re Pakura of the Scorch Release, a hero of Sunagakure! You didn’t die? Why are you attacking us? Have you become... a rogue ninja?"

Pakura stared at him coldly, with two orange fireballs swirling around her body.

"Hero? Hmph!"

Her eyes were filled with fury.

She once believed that she was the hero of the Sand Village.

How pathetic!

Yet, she was handed over to the Mist Village, made into a sacrifice.

This wasn’t something Rasa could decide on his own.

The other elders agreed, or at least silently consented.

Including those two elder advisors!

Thinking about how she had bled for the Sand Village, sacrificing her entire life, only to be rewarded with this fate, Pakura's killing intent flared uncontrollably, as if it would shatter her sanity.

“Scorch Release!”

“Boom!”

“Ahhh!!!”

“The thirty-fourth! Among them, five Jonin!”

Pakura took out a map and marked an “X” on it.

She looked up in the direction of the Sand Village, murmuring, "My revenge has only just begun. I used to protect you, now I will destroy you."

She strode away.

She was curious.

How had Itsuki managed to get the Sand Village’s route maps and deliver them to her in real-time?

But no matter.

With the route maps, everything was easy.

These Sand ninjas were now nothing more than lambs waiting to be slaughtered by Pakura.

With her strength, who in the entire Sand Village could stand against her?

A cold smile appeared on her stunning face. "Sand Village, repent. I will kill until you’re chilled to the bone, kill until you’re too scared to leave your village. This is for Itsuki."

Itsuki had told her, the more chaos she caused, the smoother his plan would go.

So, what was there to hesitate about?

Kill!!!

Outposts, scouting teams, and special task forces were destroyed one by one. When the news reached the Sand Village, the higher-ups were enraged.

They sent out even more special task forces to complete the missions.

That was all!

They didn’t dare escalate it!

Because they recognized the killer’s technique all too well.

Scorch Release!

How could this be?

That woman—had she not died?

The higher-ups of the Sand Village couldn’t hide their shock and anger.

"Those Mist Village fools, they let her escape?"

"It must have been a third-party interference. At the time, the Mist Village did successfully ambush Pakura, but someone stormed in, wiped out the ambush, and took her away!"

"Those Mist idiots, they couldn’t kill Pakura themselves, and now they’re accusing us of meddling, even threatening war, hmph!"

"Enough! What’s the point of talking about this now? That was years ago. What we need to discuss is, if it really is her, what do we do?"

"Send her."

"Her? This…"

"The Sand Village’s situation is unstable. A war in the ninja world could break out at any moment. She is the most suitable choice."

"Fine, let her go. Let’s hope she can convince Pakura."

"And if she can’t?"

The higher-ups fell silent.

When they were allies, they didn’t feel it, but as enemies, they finally realized the terror of Scorch Release.

...

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 88: When Happiness Knocks*

"I am just a little, little bird... crunch, crunch!"

"I want to fly and fly, but I can't fly high... crunch, crunch!"

"I search and search, I seek and seek... crunch, crunch!"

"For a warm embrace... crunch, crunch!"

"Is that too much to ask... crunch, crunch!"

On the road to Konoha.

Uchiha Itsuki walked with a swagger that exuded arrogance. In one hand, he carried a large stick, and in the other, a giant carrot. As he walked, he sang loudly, occasionally taking a bite of the carrot.

He howled as he went, frightening the birds into flight.

At this moment.

At the entrance to Konoha Village, a crowd had gathered.

There were high-ranking civilians from Konoha.

There were clan leaders of the ninja families.

Even the Third Hokage was present.

Among them!

Uchiha Fugaku’s face darkened.

This morning.

He had suddenly received an order to come to the village entrance and welcome the return of a Konoha hero.

At the time, he was surprised.

What kind of hero required him to personally greet them?

He was the head of the Uchiha clan, the captain of Konoha’s Police Force!

He was firmly part of Konoha’s upper echelon!

The last time he had been called to greet someone was for Minato Namikaze, the hero of Konoha, widely rumored to be the next Hokage.

Naturally, everyone had to show respect.

But now, who in Konoha could rise to that level?

Fugaku immediately suspected a conspiracy.

When he heard that the person they were welcoming was Uchiha Itsuki, his face turned even darker.

His stern eyes became fiercer.

He could already sense the strange looks being cast his way.

In one sentence: Uchiha Itsuki—what had he done to deserve this grand welcome?

They were setting him up for failure!

That was the only thought in Fugaku’s mind.

They were roasting Itsuki over a fire!

However!

After thinking it over, Fugaku chuckled to himself.

This kind of tactic might work against others, but against Uchiha Itsuki? Heh.

When Itsuki was in a good mood, you could praise him all you wanted. But when he wasn’t, you could keep praising him, and he’d just jump down and crush you under his seat.

Fugaku relaxed, smiling as he stood to the side.

He believed in Itsuki. That rascal would definitely not disappoint.

He was looking forward to the show.

He couldn’t miss the expressions on the faces of the Third Hokage and Danzo.

Oh, he was feeling a little excited.

Fugaku’s demeanor, however, puzzled the others.

"He's here!"

Someone suddenly shouted.

The clan leaders, the representatives of the civilian jonin, Hyuga Hiashi of the Hyuga clan, and Uchiha Fugaku all turned to look down the road.

There, a figure was swaggering along.

From that walk alone, many could sense the overwhelming arrogance.

Hearing the loud, off-key singing, even more people stiffened.

It was confirmed.

This voice was terrible!

"Huh?"

When Itsuki noticed the large crowd gathered at the village entrance, he was momentarily stunned. Almost instinctively, he waved his hand.

"Hey, everyone!"

"Thanks for your hard work!"

Everyone was stunned.

They had all come to welcome him, yet Itsuki was so nonchalant?

What a strong mentality!

Fugaku shouted, "Itsuki, we’re here under the leadership of the Hokage to welcome you."

"Really?"

Itsuki laughed heartily, quickly taking a few steps forward. He looked at everyone with a grin and said, "Wow, you’re all so enthusiastic. I just did a small thing, and you... Well, next time I do something big, are you all going to bow to me?"

You sure aren't shy.

If we did bow to you, could you even handle it?

Many of the ninjas twitched at the corners of their eyes.

Fugaku cleared his throat and said, "What big thing could you possibly do?"

"Have I not done enough great things?" Itsuki burst into hearty laughter, giving a thumbs up and saying, "For example, Danzo's..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a chill in his heart, quickly stepping forward with a smile to interrupt, "Itsuki, you did an excellent job on this mission. You successfully protected the Leaf Village, and as Hokage, I thank you."

He didn’t elaborate too much.

If the Cloud Village army had invaded, they might have had to make different choices.

But Itsuki waved his hand repeatedly and said, "Hokage, you flatter me. That mission? It was nothing to me! It was as easy as writing the number ‘one’. After all, I'm that outstanding. My only concern is that men might get too jealous of me, and women might admire me too much. Even though I’m one heart better than Danzo, there's just too much admiration, and I can’t handle it."

He suddenly turned to look at Fugaku. "Clan Leader, how’s Sister Mikoto doing?"

"What the hell!"

Fugaku’s three-tomoe Sharingan instantly formed.

I’ll kill you!

This bastard keeps mentioning my wife—what are you trying to pull?

"Ahem, ahem!"

Even the Third Hokage couldn’t help but cough a few times.

"But!" Itsuki frowned, suspicious. "Hokage, this mission shouldn’t count as mine, right?"

The Third was startled and quickly replied, "Why wouldn’t it count as yours..."

Itsuki cut him off, saying, "Hokage, I’m totally in the dark about this mission. The Anbu you assigned to assist me—where did they go? You didn’t give them another task, did you?"

"What?"

The Third was taken aback, his expression slipping a little. "The Anbu, weren’t they assisting you on the mission?"

"Exactly!"

Itsuki said, displeased, "You ordered the Anbu to assist me, but just as we arrived near Cloud Village, they suddenly left and abandoned me! At the time, I thought you were trying to have me killed."

"How, how could that be?"

The Third was stunned, his face losing composure. "The Anbu, acting alone?"

"Yes!" Itsuki said. "The mission was to monitor Cloud Village and prevent them from attacking the Leaf, so I stayed outside Cloud Village, keeping a close eye on them."

He deliberately showed a fierce look.

"But what did the Anbu do? Hokage, can you tell me?"

Itsuki turned that dangerous gaze towards the Third.

His dissatisfaction was blatant, without the slightest attempt to hide it.

Instantly, the gazes of everyone around them became strange.

They had been called here by the Third.

The Third had said Uchiha Itsuki had performed a great service, and they needed to show their support.

They more or less understood the deeper meaning behind it.

It was just another round of the Uchiha versus the Third Hokage.

But now!

Itsuki’s version of events was completely different.

He said he had done nothing, merely watching outside Cloud Village. On the contrary, the Anbu assigned to assist him went off on their own after arriving.

From the start, Itsuki had rejected the Third Hokage’s story, even subtly questioning him.

Who was right and who was wrong?

Did it even matter?

No, it didn’t!

Many of the ninjas showed faint smiles.

Hokage faction vs. Uchiha!

Hopefully, they’d start a fight.

The Third Hokage's smile looked a little forced. "Itsuki, don’t joke around. The Anbu wouldn’t disobey my orders..."

"Right, Third, you’re absolutely correct!" Itsuki immediately said. "The Anbu wouldn’t disobey your orders, nor would they listen to me. So, can you tell me exactly what orders you gave them? Do you realize how much trouble it caused me when they suddenly left during the mission?"

"I hope you can give me, a humble Leaf Village ninja, a reasonable explanation."

The Third Hokage’s face darkened.

It wasn’t going as planned!

He had originally thought that by gathering so many people to welcome Itsuki back, Uchiha Itsuki’s mindset would change.

He’d use this chance to solidify the idea that Itsuki had made a big move in Cloud Village.

Then afterward, all of Cloud Village's anger would fall on Itsuki alone.

Perhaps, Uchiha Itsuki would become the next Hyuga Hizashi.

But unexpectedly, Itsuki had claimed credit, then turned around and started questioning the Anbu and the Hokage’s orders.

He was so brazen, so forceful.

For a moment, the Third Hokage didn’t know how to respond.

Was he supposed to tell Itsuki that he was talking nonsense, and that the Anbu had been cooperating with him all along?

To engage in a war of words with Itsuki?

Damn, who knows what this rogue might bring up next!

One side had to hold back.

The other side had no boundaries.

The difference became immediately apparent.

The Third Hokage's mouth filled with bitterness.

Sometimes, he really wanted to have a real fight with Uchiha Itsuki!

But he couldn’t.

The Third Hokage forced a smile and said, "Itsuki, I’ll investigate this matter immediately. You must be tired—go rest for now."

"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then, Hokage." Itsuki smiled meaningfully and added, "You really should look into it, because on my way back, I took down two Cloud Village ninjas. From them, I got two words."

"What words?"

The Third felt a bad premonition rising within him.

"Wood Release."

"What?"

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 89: Danzo, You Old Bastard!*

“What did you just say, Itsuki?”

The Third Hokage's expression froze.

All the nearby Konoha ninjas fell silent.

Their faces, originally mocking, stiffened in shock.

Mokuton (Wood Style)?

Where in the world did Mokuton suddenly come from?

Is the First Hokage back from the dead?

They wanted to laugh, but the Third Hokage’s face made it impossible. The hairs on their bodies stood on end.

Holy crap!

Did you guys secretly create something again?

This thought ran through the minds of the Konoha ninjas, led by Shikaku Nara.

Damn it! You old geezers—can’t you give it a rest?

The veins on Shikaku's forehead bulged with frustration.

It’s only been a few years since the Orochimaru incident, and you still haven’t learned your lesson, have you?

Do you really want us to make a big scene again?

Do you really think just blaming everything on Orochimaru will make us believe you had no involvement?

Damn it, with Orochimaru’s status back then, there’s no way he could have conducted secret experiments for years in Konoha without a single word leaking out.

Orochimaru’s experiments involved both civilians and ninjas, even those from clans with secret techniques.

How many ninja clans were enraged by the disappearance of their own members and launched investigations?

If it weren’t for the cover-ups by the Third and others, do you think the powerful clans in Konoha wouldn’t have figured it out?

And now, you’re at it again!

Shikaku exchanged glances with several ninjas.

They may hate the Uchiha, but they hate people who harm their own ninjas even more.

Danzo’s actions have truly struck at the heart of the village’s clans.

As for whether or not the Third Hokage was involved, it doesn’t matter. As Hokage, he promoted Danzo, so whether or not he participated doesn’t change the fact that he shares the blame.

Every mistake and every crime, he owns a part of it!

Itsuki shrugged and said, “I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I heard from that Cloud ninja that there might have been a Mokuton user involved in the chaos this time. I was surprised. Didn’t Mokuton disappear from Konoha? Unless it’s the First Hokage himself… Oh no, my shop!”

He started rubbing his hands excitedly.

If he could stoke the flames using the First Hokage, that would be huge.

Business would definitely boom in the future!

After all, Hashirama himself was made of wood—a natural fuel source!

The Third Hokage's breathing grew heavy.

Disappear?

Disappear, my ass!

Orochimaru—no, Konoha’s research on Mokuton never stopped.

After all, it’s the First Hokage’s great power, capable of ending the Warring States period!

Without the power of Mokuton, Hashirama Senju would’ve been long dragged off and beaten down by Madara Uchiha.

Orochimaru succeeded in creating only one experiment and handed him over to Danzo. The name: Tenzo.

Codename: “A.”

Even though Tenzo’s Mokuton was nothing compared to the First Hokage, it was still a reawakening of the technique.

This was a huge breakthrough!

Later, the Third Hokage took Tenzo away from Danzo’s control and kept a close eye on him.

Now that he thought about it, damn! It’s been days since he last checked on Tenzo.

Did something happen with Mokuton?

My Tenzo!

The Third Hokage panicked.

Wait!

If Mokuton really appeared in the Cloud Village, then maybe what Uchiha Itsuki said about the ANBU was true as well?

Did the ANBU really abandon Itsuki and carry on with the mission alone?

Did they disobey the Hokage's orders?

Although ANBU only takes orders from the Hokage, Danzo…

That bastard!

The Third Hokage could no longer sit still. He dismissed everyone present and hurried off.

Itsuki shrugged again and said, “Everyone, thank you for the warm welcome. I really feel the love of the Konoha family. I… have no words to express my gratitude!”

“How about this!”

After thinking for a moment, Itsuki continued, “I’ve opened a shop. You can check it out later. I promise, everyone here gets a 50% discount.”

“Hiss!”

A lot of people gasped.

The temperature in the air seemed to rise.

His shop… with a discount?

Forget a 50% discount, even if he broke their bones, they'd still crawl to get there.

But…

Uchiha Itsuki isn’t someone to mess with, and none of them wanted to provoke him.

The Third Hokage’s situation was proof of that just now.

The trap had been set, but Uchiha Itsuki flipped the table right from the start.

Shikaku Nara had calculated the Third Hokage’s options just moments ago.

The Third had only two choices.

One: Admit that the ANBU had another mission and give Itsuki an explanation.

Two: Confront Itsuki head-on and insist that everything was Itsuki’s fault.

But!

If he chose the second option, who knows what Uchiha Itsuki would do?

This guy dared to publicly slap Danzo and take out over ten of his Root members. Do you really want to test his limits?

The Third Hokage had his concerns.

Itsuki had none.

So, when Uchiha Itsuki flipped the table, the Third Hokage had no choice but to back down.

But, Itsuki gave him an out.

Mokuton!

With Mokuton involved, the Third Hokage had no choice but to handle the situation immediately. He didn’t need to stay and make a decision.

Or maybe it wasn’t an out at all—maybe there really was a Mokuton user who had gone to the Cloud Village!

And the ANBU!

Shikaku Nara suddenly realized something.

Danzo, you son of a…!

Is this your doing again?

At that moment, Shikaku Nara, the strongest strategist in the ninja world and Konoha’s chief tactician, had the exact same thought as the Third Hokage.

Danzo: "..."

Watching the hurriedly departing crowd, Fugaku's face darkened as he glared fiercely at Itsuki.

This bastard. If he could, he would’ve finished him off.

Too bad!

He couldn't beat him!

Itsuki helplessly rubbed his head and said, "Clan leader, calm down a bit. If you get too angry and die, then what about Sister Mikoto..."

You son of a...

Fugaku clenched his fist, rock solid, with his three-tomoe Sharingan faintly glowing red.

Deep breaths, deep breaths, and more deep breaths!

Gritting his teeth, Fugaku said, "Tell me about your mission this time."

"Just like I said!"

Itsuki shrugged and said, "The Hokage ordered me to lead the Anbu to keep an eye on the Hidden Cloud, making sure they don't cause trouble for the Leaf Village. But when we got to the outskirts of Hidden Cloud Village, the Anbu left and acted on their own."

"I had no choice but to sit alone outside the village, silently watching them."

"Who knew that at that moment, chaos suddenly broke out in the Hidden Cloud. I personally saw the Hidden Cloud shinobi getting into a fight with the Anbu and Root members, and then, Wood Release appeared inside the village."

"Anbu? Root?"

Fugaku furrowed his brow.

"Why would they get into a conflict with the Hidden Cloud?"

"How would I know! Man, you should've seen the scene. It was scary as hell."

Itsuki said helplessly, "There were only a few dozen Anbu and Root members, but they were surrounded by hundreds of Hidden Cloud shinobi. I was just one guy. Going in would’ve been suicide, so I had no choice but to quietly watch them get hacked to death."

"Heh!"

Fugaku let out a cold laugh.

He didn’t believe a single word Itsuki said.

This Hidden Cloud chaos... Who would dare say it had nothing to do with Itsuki? If they did, he’d slap them silly.

Exactly!

He had that much faith in Itsuki!

Lowering his voice, Fugaku asked, "Is there any chance this incident will be exposed? Give me the truth so I can be prepared."

Itsuki looked suspiciously at Fugaku and said, "What's going on in that brain of yours?"

Fugaku glared at Itsuki with hostility. "What do you mean?"

"Sigh, Fugaku, oh Fugaku!"

Itsuki sighed and said, "When I went to the Hidden Cloud this time, do you think the Third Hokage and the others were plotting against me?"

"If they had the chance to turn you into minced meat, they wouldn’t pass it up. Their greatest wish would be to personally wield the knife."

"Exactly. If they dared to plot against me, do you think I wouldn’t strike back?"

Itsuki spread his hands and said, "So what if it gets exposed? At most, I’d give the other side a public smackdown."

"You’ve got to have more faith in me!"

"Would I screw you over?"

"I, Uchiha Itsuki, am more than worthy of you entrusting your wife and children to!"

(End of chapter)

Chapter 90: Dispute

Fugaku was silent.

Suddenly, he asked, "Who should we give these two idiots to—Danzo or Hiruzen?"

"Well, well, Fugaku, you've grown," Itsuki remarked in surprise as he looked at Fugaku. "You're actually starting to think things through."

"Hmph!" Fugaku snorted coldly. "I'm being serious. This concerns the safety of our entire clan!"

The conflict involved the Hidden Cloud Village.

More than ten of the Anbu directly under the Hokage had been killed.

Danzo’s Root division? No need to guess, they definitely suffered losses too.

Fugaku couldn’t be certain how things would play out from here.

Would the Third Hokage, Danzo, or even the Hidden Cloud let this slide?

"Itsuki, remember what I once told you."

"What?"

"If you're not ruthless, you won't stand firm!"

"When dealing with the Third Hokage and Danzo, if you’re not tough, they will be. You must be prepared to give everything up, to be ready to kill them—or at the very least, to die taking them down with you. That’s the only way to come out victorious."

"Just like this time!"

Itsuki pointed to himself, then to the gates of Konoha. "If I hadn’t flipped the table, that monkey Sarutobi Hiruzen would’ve dumped everything on me—the credit, the responsibility, and definitely all the blame. You saw that coming, didn’t you?"

"That’s why I made the Third Hokage give me an explanation."

"I gave Sarutobi Hiruzen two options: either explain himself to me, or we fight to the death."

"See? The Third Hokage backed down!"

Fugaku fell silent, then sighed. "I’m the clan leader."

He wasn’t like Itsuki.

Itsuki only had his brother Shisui, and he was strong enough to protect himself.

So whatever Itsuki did didn’t really matter. Put simply, even if he died, he'd make sure to take a chunk out of the enemy.

But as the clan leader, could Fugaku afford to do the same?

"I’m not afraid to die, but I have to think about the whole clan."

Hearing this, Itsuki gave Fugaku a strange look.

What the hell!

I can’t argue with that!

Now you remember you’re the clan leader.

But in the original story, why did you do something so shocking? Was it a distortion of human nature or a collapse of morality?

Now you want to be responsible for the clan? In the original story, you dragged the entire clan down with you!

"Don’t think about dying, Fugaku!" Itsuki said, staring deeply at him. "You know, you’re forcing me to make a mistake."

"What do you mean?" Fugaku was puzzled. "How does me thinking about death force you to make a mistake?"

Itsuki cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, if you die, then… Mikoto..."

"BOOM!!!"

"Katon: Great Fireball Technique!"

A fireball over ten meters wide came rushing forward, completely engulfing Itsuki.

The sheer force of it seemed like it was about to blast Itsuki into ashes.

"Poof!"

From within the fireball, a piece of wood appeared.

Fugaku turned his head coldly, looking at the newly appeared Itsuki behind him.

You bastard. Eyeing my wife? If I get the chance, I’ll definitely kill you!

"Clan Leader Fugaku, don’t get so worked up," Itsuki sighed. "You know when a woman looks her best?"

"Do you know the saying, 'You want to look beautiful? Wear mourning clothes.'"

"If something happens to you, the blow to me would be… too much to handle!"

"Hmph!" Fugaku snorted again and couldn’t be bothered with him. He turned and walked away.

Blow?

Your expression says you’re hoping for it!

You think I’m as foolish as Itachi?

...

"Bang!"

In the detention room!

Sarutobi Hiruzen had been standing at the door, trying to hold it in, but in the end, he couldn’t. He gave the door a hard kick.

Don’t be fooled by his small frame—there was a lot of force in that kick.

The door, which had been ajar, flew open with a loud bang.

"Pfft!"

Danzo had been drinking water, and the sudden impact startled him so much that he almost jumped.

He spat the water out everywhere!

A torrent of water gushed out of his nose.

His face twisted in discomfort and anger… it was unbearable!

"Kicking down his door? Who dares?

Oh, Hiruzen. Never mind, then."

Danzo angrily said, "Hiruzen, what the hell are you doing?"

"You tell me!" The Third Hokage gritted his teeth and said, "What exactly did you arrange for our people to do in the Hidden Cloud Village?"

"What do you mean, 'What did they do'?" Danzo shouted back. "Obviously, they were sent to deal with Uchiha Itsuki. Don’t pretend you don’t know, you gave the green light for this!"

Damn it.

Did something go wrong again? Are they trying to make me take the fall?

The Third Hokage coldly replied, "And what else?!"

"What else? That's it! Nothing more!"

Danzo's response was firm.

"You're lying!"

The Third Hokage said each word clearly, "Danzo, you know me, and I know you. Now, tell me, what did you really do in the Hidden Cloud?"

Danzo stared coldly at the Third Hokage without saying a word.

Some things simply can't be revealed.

You want to know how bold Danzo is?

Let’s just say, he dares to do anything.

He once tried to assassinate the Hokage.

He set his sights on controlling the Tailed Beasts.

He secretly experimented with the power of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

Danzo is an extremely ambitious man.

Such a man, given the silent approval of the Third Hokage, had been allowed to send people to the Hidden Cloud to deal with Uchiha Itsuki.

With such a golden opportunity, there’s no way he wouldn't take advantage and stir up as much trouble as possible.

His secret moves were so numerous, it could drive someone mad.

Sarutobi Hiruzen realized this and painfully closed his eyes.

He had been careless!

The pressure Uchiha Itsuki was putting on him was immense.

Watching the Uchiha head towards an unpredictable path had him panicking.

"Danzo, do you even know how great our losses are this time?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was filled with rage as he almost roared, "The Anbu lost an entire squad and two Jonin. You know how much the Foundation lost. And as for the Hidden Cloud’s reaction... that remains to be seen."

Danzo couldn’t take it anymore. He shouted back, "You’re blaming all of this on me?!"

I’m used to taking the blame, but this many problems? I can't handle all of that.

"Then you tell me, what exactly did you do?"

Once again, Danzo fell silent.

Taking the blame is still better than being exposed!

If the things he's done ever came to light, forget Sarutobi Hiruzen protecting him; the first person who’d kill him would most likely be the Third Hokage himself!

"So, you're not going to speak?" The Third Hokage's face grew colder as he said, "Then tell me, where is Tenzo?"

"Tenzo?"

Danzo froze for a moment.

He wasn’t faking it.

Frowning, he said, "Hasn’t Yamato been under your care this whole time?"

"That’s bullshit!" The Third Hokage roared, "He’s missing! In the chaos at the Hidden Cloud Village, Wood Release appeared. Are you still going to pretend?"

Danzo's jaw dropped as he said, "Are you saying Wood Release appeared in this chaos at the Hidden Cloud Village?"

"Still playing dumb?"

"What am I pretending for?" Danzo yelled back. "Ever since you took Yamato away from me, I haven’t seen him."

"You think I’ll believe that?"

...Believe it or not, whatever! Danzo cursed angrily in his mind.

The Third Hokage stared directly at Danzo and asked, "So you're saying the chaos in the Hidden Cloud Village had nothing to do with you?"

What the hell!

Danzo was on the verge of tears.

The chaos in the Hidden Cloud was indeed related to him.

He had been stirring up trouble, and naturally, the Hidden Cloud would hit back harder against Itsuki, which might even drag the entire Uchiha clan into it.

At the same time, the Hidden Cloud's strength would inevitably be diminished in the process.

But...

I seriously don’t know anything about Wood Release!

And clearly, there are others involved in the Hidden Cloud chaos, so how is everything suddenly my fault now?!

(End of Chapter)