Two months after the Water Country hunts, Sasuke stood alone in his private training chamber.
Something was happening to his eyes.
He stared at his reflection in a pool of water, watching as his Eternal Mangekyo flickered. The fifty-five node pattern momentarily shifted—ripples spreading across the red iris like stones dropped in still water.
Rinnegan ripples. Faint. Temporary. But unmistakable.
It's beginning, Sasuke thought with cold satisfaction. The natural evolution. Uchiha plus Senju genetics finally triggering the transformation.
The ripples faded after a few seconds, his Eternal Mangekyo pattern returning to normal. But he'd seen it. Felt it. The change was underway.
"How long?" he murmured to himself. "Madara took decades. But he was working with stolen Hashirama cells implanted late in life. I've had them integrated since my teenage years. My body has fully adapted. The evolution should be faster."
He activated his Byakugan, examining his own chakra network. The Senju DNA had merged completely with his Uchiha genetics—no longer foreign tissue, but part of his fundamental biology. The combination was creating something new.
Six Paths chakra. Faint traces of it appearing in his system.
Months, not years, he estimated. Maybe six months until full Rinnegan awakening. Maybe less if I can accelerate it.
A knock interrupted his analysis.
"Enter."
Kisame stepped inside, Samehada wrapped on his back. "Pain's called a meeting. All Akatsuki members. Says it's urgent."
"Regarding?"
"The Five Nations. They've officially formed the Allied Shinobi Forces. A coalition specifically to counter us." Kisame grinned. "Congratulations. We're now a threat significant enough to unite enemies who've been fighting each other for decades."
"How inefficient of them." Sasuke deactivated his dojutsu. "Uniting against Akatsuki just makes them easier targets. All their forces in one place."
"That's... not how most people think about overwhelming opposition."
"Most people think small." Sasuke stood, adjusting his cloak. "Let's hear what Pain has to say."
Akatsuki Base—Central Chamber.
The remaining members gathered—Pain's holographic projection at the center, Konan beside him in physical form. Kisame and Sasuke. Deidara. Kakuzu and Hidan. Zetsu emerging from the walls.
"The situation has escalated," Pain announced without preamble. His Rinnegan eyes swept across them. "The Five Great Nations have set aside their differences. They're mobilizing tens of thousands of shinobi. Their target is us."
"Let them come," Hidan laughed. "I'll sacrifice them all to Jashin—"
"They won't come here directly," Pain interrupted. "They're smarter than that. They're hunting our individual members. Eliminating us piece by piece before attempting to find our base."
"So we're being hunted now?" Deidara looked excited. "About time things got interesting, yeah!"
"This isn't a game," Konan said sharply. "They have S-rank hunter-nin teams. Jonin commanders. Even Kage-level combatants joining the hunt. Any of us alone could be overwhelmed."
"Any of you alone," Sasuke corrected calmly.
Every eye turned to him.
"Explain," Pain said.
"I'm not concerned about being hunted. Let them try." Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo activated briefly. "I have abilities none of you possess. Flying Thunder God for instant escape. Byakugan to see them coming from kilometers away. Dragon Sage Mode that puts me beyond most Kage in raw combat power. They can send entire armies. I'll just teleport away or control any tailed beast jinchuriki they bring."
"Arrogant," Kakuzu muttered.
"Realistic," Sasuke countered. "I killed Itachi. I defeated the Three-Tails in seconds. I've collected fifty-five Sharingan and eleven Byakugan. What exactly are the Five Nations going to do to me?"
"They could coordinate," Konan pointed out. "Surround you. Cut off escape routes. Overwhelm you with numbers—"
"Then I teleport through their encirclement using Flying Thunder God. Or I use Tsukuyomi to trap their commanders in genjutsu while I eliminate the rest. Or I simply activate Susanoo and let them exhaust themselves against perfect defense." Sasuke's voice was utterly confident. "You're all still thinking like normal shinobi. I'm not normal anymore."
"He's got a point, yeah," Deidara admitted grudgingly. "Sasuke's become something weird. Even by our standards."
Pain studied Sasuke intently. "You're saying you could face a hunter-nin team alone and win?"
"I'm saying I could face multiple teams and win. Easily." No hesitation. "The only people in the Five Nations who might challenge me are the Kage themselves. And even then, only some of them."
"The Raikage is extremely fast—"
"I'm faster with Flying Thunder God."
"The Tsuchikage has Dust Release that erases matter—"
"I have Susanoo that can block it and Ame-no-Sakahoko that can pierce his defenses."
"The Mizukage has multiple kekkei genkai—"
"I have fifty-five Sharingan and eleven Byakugan integrated into my eyes. Her bloodlines are interesting but not threatening."
Sasuke's rebuttals came instantly, without thought. Because he knew. He'd seen their abilities in his future knowledge. He'd already planned counters.
Pain was silent for a moment. "Your confidence borders on delusion."
"Test it then." Sasuke's challenge was clear. "Send me on a solo mission against one of these hunter-nin teams. See if I fail."
"Actually..." Pain's expression shifted to calculation. "That's not a bad idea. We need intelligence on their capabilities. Their coordination. Their tactics. A solo operative with your abilities could gather that information while eliminating the team."
"Exactly." Sasuke smiled coldly. "Give me a target. I'll return with their heads and detailed intelligence on their methods."
"There's a hunter team operating in the Land of Iron," Konan said, pulling out a report. "Four jonin-level combatants led by a former ANBU commander. They've already eliminated two minor missing-nin who were... associated with our interests."
"Perfect." Sasuke stood. "I leave immediately. Expect results within forty-eight hours."
"Wait—" Pain raised a hand. "This is a reconnaissance mission, not an elimination mission. Gather intelligence first. Combat second."
"I'll do both simultaneously." Sasuke turned to leave. "They won't even know I'm observing them until it's too late."
"Sasuke." Pain's voice was hard. "Do not underestimate them. Overconfidence has killed stronger shinobi than you."
"No it hasn't." Sasuke's draconic pupils gleamed as he looked back. "There aren't any shinobi stronger than me. Not anymore."
He walked out before anyone could respond.
Later—Team Taka's quarters.
"The Land of Iron?" Karin looked concerned. "That's samurai territory. Neutral ground. If you cause an incident there—"
"I'll cause an incident anywhere I want." Sasuke was packing supplies efficiently. "The samurai are irrelevant. These hunter-nin are my target. Everything else is just scenery."
"You're hunting the hunters," Suigetsu said with a grin. "I like it. Poetic."
"It's practical." Sasuke sealed several marked kunai into a scroll—Flying Thunder God anchors for emergency escape. "I observe their tactics. Learn their coordination methods. Then eliminate them and report back. Simple operation."
"You're going alone?" Jugo asked.
"Obviously. You three would just slow me down or create additional targets." Sasuke's tone wasn't cruel, just factual. "This requires speed, stealth, and overwhelming power applied precisely. My specialties."
"When do you leave?" Karin asked quietly.
"Now." Sasuke stood, fully equipped. "I'll be back in two days. Three at most if something interesting develops."
"And if you encounter something you can't handle?" Jugo pressed.
Sasuke activated his Eternal Mangekyo. The fifty-five node pattern blazed with stable power. "I won't. But if somehow I did, I have Flying Thunder God for instant retreat. I'm not reckless, Jugo. I'm simply accurate about my capabilities."
He formed a hand seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
A single clone appeared. "You'll maintain communication with Team Taka. Update them every twelve hours. If I don't check in, assume something extremely unexpected happened and alert Akatsuki."
The clone nodded and settled into a corner.
"See you in two days." Sasuke's body flickered with Dragon Sage Mode briefly—testing the activation. "Try not to cause problems while I'm gone."
He vanished using high-speed movement, leaving Team Taka in silence.
"He's gotten scarier," Suigetsu said after a moment.
"He was always scary," Karin corrected. "He just stopped pretending otherwise."
"Do you think he's right?" Jugo asked. "That he's really beyond the Five Nations? That they can't stop him?"
Karin's sensing abilities flared briefly, tracking Sasuke's distant chakra signature as he moved toward the Land of Iron at impossible speeds.
"Yes," she whispered. "I think he's right. And that's what terrifies me."
Land of Iron—Forty Hours Later.
Sasuke crouched in a tree overlooking the hunter-nin team's camp.
He'd been observing them for six hours. His Byakugan had tracked them from twenty kilometers away. He'd approached using Flying Thunder God to teleport between marked positions, completely bypassing their perimeter security.
Now he watched. Learning.
Four jonin. One commander—former Konoha ANBU, specializing in assassination. One sensor-type from Cloud. One medical-nin from Mist. One weapons specialist from Stone.
"Multi-village coordination," Sasuke noted mentally. "Interesting. They're trying to combine different village specialties into unified tactics."
He observed their training exercises. Their communication methods. Their combat patterns.
The sensor would detect threats. The commander would coordinate responses. The medical-nin would support. The weapons specialist would create openings.
Effective against normal targets, Sasuke analyzed. But they're assuming their opponents fight conventionally.
He'd seen enough.
Time to test them.
Sasuke dropped from the tree, landing in their camp's center.
All four hunter-nin reacted instantly—weapons drawn, formation established, the sensor's eyes glowing as they tracked his chakra.
"Sasuke Uchiha," the commander said, his voice steady despite obvious tension. "Target acquired. Rank: SS-class threat. Abilities: Sharingan, unknown additional powers. Approach with extreme—"
"Caution, yes, I heard the briefing." Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo activated. "Tell me—did your intelligence mention what happens when you face someone with fifty-five Sharingan?"
"Fifty-five?" The sensor looked confused. "That's not—"
"Tsukuyomi."
All four of them simultaneously.
Sasuke had evolved his technique—using his collected Sharingan to create multiple simultaneous genjutsu. Each hunter-nin found themselves in personal hell-worlds, experiencing subjective days of torture while only seconds passed in reality.
"Team coordination requires conscious teammates," Sasuke explained to their frozen bodies. "But you're all trapped in separate genjutsu. Can't coordinate when you can't even perceive reality."
He walked between them casually, examining their equipment. Their communication scrolls. Their intelligence reports on Akatsuki.
"Interesting. They know about Pain's six bodies. They suspect Obito's identity. They've identified most of our bases." He photographed everything with his Sharingan's perfect memory. "Useful intelligence."
The Tsukuyomi lasted thirty seconds subjective time—hours for the victims.
When he released them, all four collapsed. Conscious but traumatized. Their minds reeling from the experience.
"W-what..." the commander gasped. "How did you..."
"Fifty-five Sharingan working in concert. Your training prepared you for one genjutsu user. Not for someone with dozens of ocular powers integrated into a single pattern." Sasuke's voice was educational, almost professorial. "You never stood a chance."
"The... others will..." the sensor tried to speak.
"Other hunter teams? They'll fare the same. You're all using conventional tactics against someone who's transcended conventional limitations." Sasuke formed a hand seal. "Now, I need you to deliver a message."
"What... message?"
"Tell the Five Nations that hunting Akatsuki members is inadvisable. Especially me." His Eternal Mangekyo blazed. "Tell them that Sasuke Uchiha has evolved beyond their threat assessment. That their hunter-nin teams are inadequate. That if they continue this path, I'll start hunting them back."
"You're... letting us live?" The commander sounded shocked.
"You're more useful alive. Spread fear. Discourage others from accepting hunter missions." Sasuke's smile was cold. "Dead bodies create martyrs. Traumatized survivors create deterrents."
He activated Flying Thunder God, disappearing without a trace.
The four hunter-nin remained in their camp, shaking, their confidence shattered.
They'd encountered a monster.
And lived only because the monster allowed it.
Thirty-Six Hours Later—Akatsuki Base.
Sasuke delivered his report to Pain with clinical precision.
"Hunter team located and engaged. All four members incapacitated without killing them. Intelligence gathered on Allied Shinobi Forces' coordination methods, base locations, and knowledge of our organization." He presented copied documents. "They know more than expected but still operate under false assumptions about our capabilities."
"You let them live?" Pain looked surprised.
"Strategically optimal. Their trauma will spread through hunter ranks. Fear is a better deterrent than body counts." Sasuke's tone was matter-of-fact. "Also, I implanted subtle genjutsu suggestions in their subconscious. They'll inadvertently leak false information about my abilities to their superiors. Misdirection for future encounters."
Pain studied him for a long moment. "You've become... frighteningly effective."
"I've become what's necessary." Sasuke's eyes—normal black at the moment—showed no emotion. "The Five Nations are a threat, yes. But a manageable one. As long as Akatsuki doesn't do anything stupid, we can continue operating."
"And if they escalate?"
"Then I escalate in return." Simple. Direct. "I have capabilities they can't counter. Flying Thunder God means I can strike anywhere and disappear. Byakugan means they can't ambush me. Dragon Sage Mode means I can overpower most of their forces. And my Sharingan collection..." He smiled coldly. "They have no idea what I've become."
"You mentioned your eyes are changing," Pain said. "The Rinnegan ripples you're experiencing. How long until full awakening?"
"Months. Maybe less." Sasuke's voice carried anticipation. "When it completes, I'll have Six Paths power. At that point, the Five Nations won't be a threat at all. They'll be... irrelevant."
"Don't underestimate them," Konan warned. "Even with Rinnegan, you're one person. They have armies—"
"Armies are collections of individuals. Individuals are weak." Sasuke's tone was utterly dismissive. "Quality over quantity. One person with sufficient power can erase thousands. The Sage of Six Paths proved that. Madara proved it. And I'll prove it again."
Pain exchanged a glance with Konan. A silent communication.
"You're dismissed," Pain finally said. "Rest. Recover. We'll have more assignments soon."
Sasuke left without ceremony.
As he walked through the corridors, he felt it again—that flicker in his eyes. Ripples spreading across his vision for just a moment before fading.
Soon, he thought. Very soon now.
Rinnegan awakening.
Then Tenseigan acquisition.
Then true godhood.
The Dojutsu Hunter's ultimate collection was approaching.
And nothing—not armies, not alliances, not the combined might of five nations—would stop him from reaching it.
He'd become something beyond human.
Something beyond shinobi.
Something that looked at the world and saw only resources to collect.
Only eyes to steal.
Only power to absorb.
Until there was nothing left but the collector and his prizes.
Nothing left but a monster in human skin, wearing stolen divinity.
And he was perfectly comfortable with what he'd become.
Perfectly comfortable being the thing that hunted hunters.
The thing that made nations tremble.
The Dojutsu Hunter.
Approaching godhood.
One stolen eye at a time.