'I thought I was being sealed...'
Danzo collapsed onto the ground, scrambling to his feet in a disheveled state as he looked at the group that had suddenly appeared before him.
But when he saw their faces—especially the crimson glow of the Mangekyo Sharingan—horror washed over his withered features.
"You..."
"Shisui!"
Scanning the crowd behind Shisui, Danzo recognized them instantly.
Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Setsuna... every single one of them had their Sharingan active, their intimidating gazes landing squarely on him.
Those crimson eyes, brimming with an ominous aura, left no doubt about their identities.
"The Uchiha clan! How?"
"You're all dead! You should have been in hell long ago!"
Danzo's heart raced, but the shock slowly faded, replaced by his usual grim composure.
"I see. This is Uchiha Sasuke's genjutsu."
"To use such a meaningless trick in battle... how naive."
"You think making me face the Uchiha will work? Ridiculous."
Realizing this, Danzo immediately began forming hand signs to break the illusion.
However, after several attempts, he realized he couldn't manipulate the chakra in his body.
No, it wasn't that he couldn't manipulate it.
It was that he couldn't sense any chakra at all.
He felt empty, as if his chakra had simply vanished into thin air.
Even after a major battle, it was impossible to be completely drained.
"What's going on? That brat's genjutsu shouldn't be this powerful!"
While Danzo stood there in shock, Shisui spoke calmly.
"Haven't you noticed yet, Danzo?"
"You're already dead. Right now, you are nothing more than a mere wandering soul."
Danzo looked at him with utter disbelief.
But when he looked down, he realized his body had become translucent at some unknown point.
Lifting his arm, he could see right through it to the objects behind him.
"This is impossible!"
"That boy's genjutsu is nowhere near this strong!"
Danzo hurriedly groped at his own body, only then noticing that his special prosthetic arm was gone.
His state of denial looked pathetic and comical to the gathered Uchiha.
"Hah, you old dog. Still refusing to admit you're dead?"
"Haha! To think a Konoha consultant would look like this after death."
"Dying at Sasuke's hands was exactly what you deserved. Now, it's our turn for revenge."
"Danzo, look closely."
Shisui reached out and pointed toward the bridge.
Danzo followed Shisui's finger and turned his head. Uchiha Sasuke and his two companions were on the bridge.
The center of the bridge was missing, as if a chunk had been scooped out, leaving remarkably smooth edges.
At the other end, a massive tree had sprouted from the stone ground, blocking the path.
The scene triggered a rush of memories, and the events leading up to his death became clear.
"That tree was formed when my arm went out of control... and that hole in the bridge was from my seal..."
"I... I'm dead?"
With the evidence before his eyes, his memories fully returned. Danzo finally woke up to reality.
He turned back to the Uchiha crowd, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Uchiha clan... what is the meaning of this?"
"You've been dead for years. Why are your souls still in the ninja world instead of hell? Are you here for revenge?"
"That is exactly why we are here!"
Setsuna roared, stepping forward and delivering a heavy punch directly to Danzo's face.
Blood sprayed, teeth flew, and bones shattered as his face caved in.
"You old dog, I've wanted to do this since I was alive."
Danzo was floored by the punch. Enduring the pain, he looked at his attacker through blurred vision, eventually recognizing him.
It was Uchiha Setsuna.
However, the Setsuna before him looked much younger than he remembered—not an old man, but a man in his prime.
Setsuna raised his fist for another strike, but Shisui stopped him.
"Elder Setsuna, please stop."
"If you keep hitting him, Danzo's soul will dissipate."
"The clansmen waiting in the Soul Society are expecting him."
Shisui's words calmed Setsuna down. The flush of excitement on his face faded as he regained his usual cool.
"Shisui, you're right. You're absolutely right."
"The clan has waited so long for this old dog's execution. We can't let him off that easily."
Setsuna grabbed Danzo by the hair and hauled him up like a dead dog.
"Shisui, take his soul."
Shisui nodded, pulling a small orb from his robes and channeling a bit of spiritual pressure into it.
The orb suddenly generated a powerful suction, drawing Danzo's soul inside and sealing it away.
Fugaku sighed quietly.
Danzo's fate was sealed... and presumably, the same would happen to Itachi.
No matter what, Itachi was still his son.
The thought of his son facing a similar end made Fugaku's heart ache.
But...
He shook his head, forcing himself to push those troubling thoughts aside.
Taking a few steps forward, Fugaku looked down at the bridge. Sasuke's figure came into view, and the knot in his brow loosened slightly.
But when his gaze fell on the Uzumaki girl Sasuke had run through, and the masked man lingering nearby, his expression darkened again.
"We have Danzo's soul. Next is the Third Hokage, and then that masked man down there."
At Fugaku's heavy voice, Setsuna and Shisui walked over to look down at the bridge.
"We don't need to worry about the masked man for now. Since he's declared war on the Five Great Nations, we can use this opportunity to collect souls."
"As for the Third Hokage... Senior Yashiro has already gone to handle that."
Shisui explained his previous theory.
The Uchiha members nodded in agreement.
Setsuna looked satisfied. "If this plan works, we won't just get the Third. We'll get the souls of the First, Second, and Fourth as well. Killing several birds with one stone."
"Those three Hokage were peak figures of their eras. I'm sure the Lord will be pleased to see them."
"Shisui, you've done well."
Shisui bowed slightly, showing a modest expression.
At the mention of the Fourth Hokage, the image of that man—warm as the sun yet cold as ice—surfaced in Fugaku's mind, making him sigh again.
If the Fourth hadn't died during the Nine-Tails incident, perhaps the Uchiha could have reconciled with the village instead of meeting such a tragic end.
Sigh. Why couldn't it have been the Third who died back then?
Suddenly, Fugaku frowned and turned to Shisui.
"Shisui, your plan is good, but there's a critical point. How do we revive Orochimaru?"
"Do you have a way?"
Everyone turned to Shisui, sharing the same doubt.
"I haven't researched that area, so naturally, I don't know."
Shisui shook his head, pausing before continuing.
"But someone does."
"Who?" Fugaku asked.
Shisui didn't speak, instead looking down at the bridge.
Following his gaze, they saw Sasuke.
Fugaku was confused. "Sasuke?"
"Exactly. Sasuke."
Shisui spoke with certainty.
"He spent three years under Orochimaru. He knew Orochimaru coveted him, so to resist, he must have gained a thorough understanding of the man."
"If anyone can bring Orochimaru back, it's Sasuke."
After thinking it over, the others found themselves agreeing.
A hint of joy appeared on Fugaku's solemn face.
"In that case... we must make contact with Sasuke."
Seeing his expression, Setsuna and the others understood exactly what he was thinking.
"Since that's the case... Fugaku, you be the one to contact Sasuke."
"While you're at it, give him Itachi's eyes to complete the Eternal Mangekyo."
"He's been squandering his sight so recklessly in such a short time. His vision is likely already failing."
"I understand."
Though Fugaku tried to keep his tone neutral, he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.
He composed himself, returning to his serious demeanor, and looked at the masked man.
"And that masked man... someone needs to keep an eye on him."
"Tekka, take a squad and monitor him. Keep track of his every move."
"Understood."
Tekka nodded and immediately led his squad down.
Approaching the masked man without being noticed, he placed a tracking Kido on him and faded into the shadows.
Fugaku nodded slightly and looked at the group.
"We need to monitor the Five Great Nations as well."
"Divide into five squads and keep a constant watch on their movements."
"In the coming war, if any powerful figures die, collect their souls on the spot."
The group answered in unison. Their old shinobi habits kicked in as they quickly organized into squads and assigned targets.
With a series of flickers, they vanished, heading toward the Five Great Villages.
Seeing Setsuna stay behind, Fugaku asked, "Aren't you going, Elder?"
Setsuna waved him off, a spark of excitement on his face.
"I'll skip this one. Sasuke's transformation is about to reach a critical moment."
"After Madara, the world's second pair of Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan is about to appear. How could I miss such an important occasion?"
Fugaku nodded and said no more, turning his attention back down.
Below, after dealing with Danzo, Sasuke was immediately confronted by the Konoha ninja who had rushed to the scene.
First was a pink-haired girl, followed by the boy who had defeated Pain, and two other Konoha ninja accompanying them.
Fugaku's trio looked at the two Konoha ninja wearing Jonin vests.
One wore a green jumpsuit and had a bowl cut, looking quite ridiculous.
Such a unique appearance made the three recognize him instantly.
"It's Gai."
"Yeah, that's definitely Gai."
But the other one caught their full attention.
"Wood Release?"
"Konoha actually has a Wood Release user!"
"But... this Wood Release is too weak. It can't even be compared to the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju."
As men who had lived through that era, seeing the power of Wood Release again was a surprise to Setsuna.
But he soon dismissed it.
"It was the First Hokage who was strong, not the Wood Release technique itself."
"This Wood Release user is hardly worth mentioning."
Back then, the First Hokage had used Wood Release to suppress Uchiha Madara and his Eternal Mangekyo.
While Setsuna was proud of Madara, he held a similar respect for the First Hokage who had defeated him.
Fugaku's gaze shifted to the blonde boy speaking with Sasuke, and his brow furrowed.
"Shisui, you said this boy is the one who defeated Pain? The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki named Naruto Uzumaki?"
"That's him."
Noticing Fugaku's strange reaction, Shisui looked puzzled.
"Is there something wrong with the boy?"
"The name Uzumaki... roughly the same age as Sasuke... blonde hair... and the Nine-Tails..."
Fugaku murmured to himself, a look of realization dawning on his face.
"I think I know this boy's identity."
"Whose son is he?"
"This boy must be the son of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Fugaku nodded, his eyes fixed on Naruto below.
"As you know, Mikoto was close friends with the Fourth Hokage's wife. Before the Nine-Tails incident, Mikoto had just given birth to Sasuke, and Kushina Uzumaki was heavily pregnant. The timing matches."
"Add to that a face that looks just like Kushina's and that blonde hair, he clearly inherited his parents' traits."
"Minato Namikaze likely sealed the Nine-Tails inside his own son during the incident as a final safeguard."
Hearing Fugaku's explanation, Setsuna and Shisui found it more and more plausible, and their view of Naruto Uzumaki shifted.
The Fourth Hokage's character was well-known; he had been quite friendly toward the Uchiha.
Since Naruto was the Fourth's son, they couldn't use underhanded tactics against him.
The three continued to watch the conversation between Sasuke and Naruto.
But as the dialogue progressed, it began to sound increasingly strange to Fugaku, and his scowl deepened.
Statements like 'The only one who can handle your hatred is me,' or 'I'll die with you,' finally ending with 'Because we are friends'...
Everything Naruto said felt awkward to Fugaku.
Talk of dying together sounded more like a lovers' suicide pact than a friendship.
Could it be that the Fourth Hokage's son liked Sasuke?
And looking at Sasuke's expression, he clearly seemed moved by it!
Could it be...
At that thought, Fugaku's face went pale.
No!
Absolutely not!
He might be dead, but he still wanted grandchildren.
Sasuke was the last sprout of the Uchiha; the entire hope of continuing the lineage rested on him. He could not take the backdoor!
Not even being the one on the receiving end!
Fugaku's expression became a kaleidoscope of colors, drawing bewildered looks from Setsuna and Shisui.
Setsuna asked, "Fugaku, what's wrong? Why the face?"
"..."
Fugaku remained silent for a moment before slowly asking, "Don't you two think... something is wrong with Sasuke?"
"Sasuke?"
Shisui looked at Sasuke, recalling the recent battle, and nodded.
"He is a bit off."
"Earlier, to kill Danzo, he was willing to stab right through that Uzumaki girl. Even if it's for revenge, that's incredibly extreme."
"It seems his mind is being consumed by hatred, falling deeper into darkness."
Is that what I meant?
While that was also a major concern, it wasn't what he was talking about.
Fugaku opened his mouth, but found it difficult to say anything.
He simply didn't know how to voice it.
While Fugaku was still agonizing over it, Sasuke and the others moved again.
The space in front of the masked man began to warp; he was clearly planning to take Sasuke away.
Seeing this, Shisui made a snap decision and leaped down.
In a blur of speed, he arrived at the water's surface, delivering a kick that interrupted the masked man's spatial teleportation.
Fugaku and Setsuna followed suit, jumping down after him.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]