Konoha.
"Susanoo!?" Uchiha Fugaku gasped sharply as his eyes fell on the massive, magma-like crimson Susanoo looming before him.
His stern face involuntarily revealed a trace of horror.
"The aura of magma… this is Keizumi's Susanoo! Armored Susanoo? Which stage is this?"
"Has Keizumi's Mangekyō Sharingan already grown to such a level? Is he trying to chase after the Uchiha Madara of old?"
At that moment, a far graver thought struck the horrified Fugaku.
"Then whose Susanoo was the one just now that got cleaved in half?!"
In Fugaku's memory, within the Uchiha clan over the past ten years, only a handful had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
One was himself, one was Shisui, and one was Keizumi.
That other Susanoo certainly wasn't his own. Shisui was already long dead, and Keizumi's was this towering Susanoo before him.
"…Itachi!!!"
Fugaku's heart lurched. He abruptly halted mid-stride as he was rushing forward. His face stiffened, dazed and bewildered.
Was that really Itachi?
If it truly was, then with Itachi's Susanoo split in two by Keizumi's… what state was his son in now? Or rather… could he even still be alive?
A tight knot seized Fugaku's chest.
…
"That is…" On the other side, Hiruzen, rushing with the Anbu toward the scene, also stopped abruptly. His murky eyes carried deep shock.
"Dad, if I'm not mistaken, that's the Mangekyō Sharingan's secret technique, isn't it?"
The sudden voice made Hiruzen turn his head.
Not far away stood Jiraiya! The one who had spoken was none other than Shima, perched upon Jiraiya's shoulder.
Shima continued, "I believe it's called Susanoo, isn't it? I once saw a ninja named Uchiha Madara use it."
Jiraiya's grave tone followed. "If it really is the Mangekyō Sharingan's secret art, then it must be Keizumi's doing. That colossal form—its armor, the massive ninjatō in its hand—both seethe with flowing magma. His ocular power has fused perfectly with his kekkei genkai."
Jiraiya then turned, his gaze shifting toward Hiruzen and the assembled Anbu.
His voice rose. "Old man, I thought Keizumi had set his sights on you. Turns out I was overthinking it."
Hiruzen: "…"
He fell silent for a moment, his eyes lingering on the towering, mountain-like Susanoo. He couldn't help but draw in a deep breath.
If Keizumi were truly to unleash such a power against him—the Third Hokage—in single combat… Hiruzen realized he had almost no means to counter it. This colossal being was already far beyond the scope of ordinary shinobi.
Perhaps only his own younger self could have stood against him.
Now, as an old man, he indeed had no confidence that he could contend with this Uchiha Keizumi.
Which meant that all his forbearance toward Keizumi, even suppressing twice the hatred of losing his own son…
It was the right choice.
Otherwise, if Keizumi, wielding such power, were to cause havoc in Konohagakure, the destruction would be no less than that of the Nine-Tails. It would become a second Nine-Tails Disaster—perhaps even more terrifying, for the village now was far weaker than it had been back then.
…
Now.
The entire village of Konoha had their stunned gazes fixed on the Susanoo, which loomed like a deity descended upon the earth.
A few recalled similar descriptions from ancient records.
But the vast majority, shinobi included, had no idea what it was.
"What kind of monster is that? Could it be another Nine-Tails Disaster?"
A middle-aged chūnin's face was drawn tight with unease.
The memories of that dreadful night of the Nine-Tails attack had already returned to him.
Beside him, another man swallowed nervously. "Don't scare me! If it really was something like the Nine-Tails Disaster, the village would sound the alarm, right? There's been no alarm yet—so it should be fine… shouldn't it?"
"Either way, I'm getting my family to the shelters, just in case something really happens tonight!"
"Is that really a jutsu a shinobi can use? What kind of ninjutsu is this? The Akimichi clan's Expansion Jutsu?"
"Tch! Even Expansion Jutsu wouldn't make something this massive!"
…
"Inoichi, this must be… a secret technique of the Uchiha clan, right?"
Nara Shikaku turned to Yamanaka Inoichi.
Inoichi gave a slight nod. "I believe it's called Susanoo."
Akimichi Chōza spoke up: "It's called Susanoo. The Akimichi clan's records mention this ocular technique. Our ancestors once witnessed Uchiha shinobi using it. But… I remember those records saying Susanoo was never this enormous."
Chōza exhaled in awe. "Power like this could decide the outcome of a large-scale war. And yet such strength rests in the hands of only one man."
As he spoke, Chōza turned to Inoichi. "Inoichi, it seems you really did lead us to make the right choice. Keizumi, with such power displayed, already has the qualifications to run for the seat of the next Hokage."
"If we add the strength of our three clans to his side, should Keizumi wish to become the Fifth Hokage, it wouldn't be difficult at all. The only obstacle left is whether the Third is willing to let go of power."
Inoichi shook his head. "Keizumi is not the kind of man who would become Hokage. Not that he lacks the qualifications—if he were to take the mantle, he would undoubtedly lead Konoha to brilliance, perhaps even restore it to the military might of the First Hokage's era."
"But his ambitions lie elsewhere. The position of the Fifth Hokage would only chain him down. His gaze is not limited to Konoha. What he holds in his eyes is the entire shinobi world."
Chōza scratched his head apologetically. "So in the end, my vision was too small."
"Don't worry."
Inoichi continued, "With Keizumi's character, if the Third were to step down and a Fifth Hokage must be chosen, Keizumi will surely intervene. He will no doubt push for someone who upholds Absolute Justice to take the role."
"In this way, Absolute Justice and the Will of Fire could finally merge into one. And when that time comes, Absolute Justice will ride on Konoha's power to spread swiftly across the Land of Fire."
"Absolute Justice can even extend its tendrils outward, reaching into other shinobi nations, other villages, and ultimately the entire shinobi world."
"This—this is the scope of Keizumi's vision."
Nara Shikaku, hands tucked into his pockets, let out a sigh. "For someone to harbor such 'ambition,' only Keizumi is someone we can trust. If it were anyone else, we'd be worrying whether they intended to seize the chance to rule the shinobi world and set themselves above all others."
…
Within the Uchiha compound, Mikoto's delicate face carried a trace of worry.
Though she had argued with Fugaku at the dinner table earlier, he was still her husband—and now that her husband had gone rushing toward such a dangerous battlefield, she could not help but be concerned.
"Mother, what is that?!" Sasuke's childish voice trembled with shock and confusion.
"Susanoo."
Uchiha Mikoto drew in a deep breath and said, "That is an ocular technique recorded in our clan's texts. Within the Uchiha, very few can ever wield it."
"Because…"
She paused, then continued: "Legend has it that the prerequisite to awaken Susanoo is the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Mangekyō Sharingan…" Sasuke froze, then blurted, "Then that Susanoo, is it something Keizumi-sensei created with his Mangekyō Sharingan?!"
Mikoto shook her head. "I don't know."
But what she was certain of was this: tonight, something major was bound to happen.
Or rather, it already had—perhaps it had even ended.
…
Elsewhere—Izumi, who had shielded the unconscious Mitarashi Anko from the battle's aftershocks, now stood dumbfounded, her gaze locked on the fading Susanoo.
She heard Tachibana Jirō's voice beside her: "This is the first time I've ever seen Keizumi-sama use this technique. He mentioned it to me before, but I'd never once seen him unleash it."
Tachibana Jirō glanced at the shock plain on Izumi's young face.
He lifted his paw and lightly tapped her trouser leg.
Then he said to her, "Don't worry! This was Keizumi-sama's jutsu. Just now, even that brat Uchiha Itachi used Susanoo—but compared to Keizumi-sama's, his was like earth to heaven. They're not even on the same level."
Listening to his words, Izumi stared blankly at the long gash carved into Konoha's street, stretching all the way beyond the village's edge—a single strike from Keizumi-senpai's Susanoo.
The trench split straight through the perimeter wall, leaving an enormous breach.
It had to extend nearly a kilometer outward.
"This is…"
"…the power of Absolute Justice!"
Steadying her heart, the girl quickly asked Tachibana Jirō, "So, Jirō-senpai… what about Uchiha Itachi now?"
"He's already dead."
The words did not come from Tachibana Jirō. At the sound of that cold, familiar voice, Izumi whipped her head around.
There he was—Uchiha Keizumi, utterly unharmed, walking toward them at a calm pace.
In his left hand he carried a scroll; in his right, he pinched a crow. His voice was indifferent as he said, "The ninjatō wielded by my Susanoo is a weapon forged from Lava Release, ocular power, and chakra fused into one. It burns with a heat like molten rock, and its strikes carry an impact as explosive as a volcanic eruption."
"When my Susanoo's blade split open his Susanoo and struck Uchiha Itachi's fragile body, his life was already over. Every cell in his body was vaporized. To die beneath Susanoo's blade… that's a luxurious funeral in itself."
"He got off easy."
Hearing this, Izumi felt a faint stir of conflicting emotions. She was angry at Uchiha Itachi's foolishness, and she had once felt killing intent toward him for willingly sinking into the depths of sin.
But in the end, back when she first returned to the Uchiha clan with her mother, Uchiha Izumi's only friend had been Uchiha Itachi.
"Hah…"
Izumi slowly let out a breath. The haze in her eyes and the turmoil in her heart lasted no more than two seconds before fading away.
Keizumi, for the sake of Absolute Justice and to improve the shinobi world, had been willing to personally execute even kin by blood once they committed crimes.
Thinking of it that way, there was no reason to pity Uchiha Itachi.
He had already been to the battlefield. He must have understood that once a decision was made, the price had to be paid.
For someone both foolish and corrupt, who refused to heed warnings, death was perhaps the best end.
What's more…
In the eyes of many within the Uchiha clan, Itachi's death would likely be cause for celebration. So long as he lived, they would continue to tremble in fear day after day, for the weight of Keizumi's prophecy was simply too great.
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