The battle raged on.
Swish. Ichigo effortlessly dodged Kenpachi's attack and, with a backhand slash, left another wound on his opponent's chest. The current Ichigo was actually pressing Kenpachi.
"Interesting kid. He's constantly improving in the middle of a fight, he's already figured out my attack patterns, and he can even refine his own techniques. This guy's a genius, a natural-born prodigy of combat," Kenpachi thought, his excitement mounting. He ripped off his eyepatch.
A pillar of Reiatsu erupted, soaring into the sky and distorting the very air in the vicinity.
"That's quite a bit of Reiatsu. This guy's not bad. He's making me want to fight," Naruto's eyes glinted as he smiled.
Hum. Naruto could feel the Zanpakuto at his waist vibrating with excitement, its color constantly shifting.
"My Zanpakuto is changing?" Naruto was lost in thought. Ever since he had arrived in the Shinigami World, his Zanpakuto had begun to act strangely. No... it wasn't a strange change. It was more like its true Shikai was in the process of awakening. Naruto had a premonition: if he witnessed more Shikai and fought more powerful opponents, his own true Shikai would be completely unlocked!
Boom. Ichigo and Kenpachi, now both at full power, clashed again, evenly matched. The frenzied Kenpachi allowed slashes to land on his body, only to return them with even more ferocious attacks.
"Ichigo's progress is terrifyingly fast, huh?" Naruto mused. Suddenly, his expression turned serious. He looked towards a distant building, a hint of joy in his eyes. "That's the power of Kyoka Suigetsu." As Yachiru watched in confusion, Naruto stood up and began walking in the direction of the familiar power.
"Aren't you going to watch anymore?" Yachiru's cheerful voice called out.
"No need. Ichigo has already won. See you later," Naruto said with a wave.
Watching Naruto's departing figure, Yachiru pouted. "What's with him? Kenny hasn't lost yet! And he said he was going to see the Captain-Commander with us, but he just left on his own."
Using Kyoka Suigetsu as cover, Naruto easily slipped past all the Shinigami on the road and soon arrived at the location where he had sensed Aizen's power.
"Captain Aizen is dead? Impossible! I don't believe it!" He heard a voice of disbelief from inside the building. The scene was strangely familiar, and a slight smile touched Naruto's lips. It seemed Mr. Aizen was using the same methods as him.
The Reiatsu in the area fluctuated. Naruto sensed something and looked to his left. The air shimmered, and Aizen's figure appeared. His brown bangs hung over his face, which was as warm as the sun, his demeanor gentle and refined.
"It's been a long time, Naruto." Looking at Naruto, Aizen flashed a flawless smile.
"It's been a long time, Mr. Aizen."
In the Shinigami World.
The Akatsuki's plans continued to proceed in an orderly fashion.
Sasuke had settled down in a small village not far from the Land of Fire and had even taken on two apprentices. They were both homeless. The village had been ravaged by bandits, and there were almost no able-bodied adults left. The simple villagers saw the blindfolded Sasuke as a blind man and took good care of him. Thanks to his handsome features, many women had made advances, but unfortunately, Sasuke couldn't see them.
Sasuke's daily routine in the village consisted of fishing and occasionally teaching his two apprentices his philosophy.
"Justice. What is justice?"
"Not harming the innocent and standing up for others in times of crisis is justice."
"Using your own strength to make the world a better place."
"A world without darkness, without conspiracies."
"Following your own heart to achieve all of this."
"That is justice."
The two apprentices were just learning to read, and for them, these concepts were a bit too complex. But they knew one thing: their master was a very strong person! On their journey, they had encountered some ninja, but none of them could even get close.
What they found curious, however, was that their strange master would often sit quietly by the lake, a melancholic air about him, as if he were missing someone, or perhaps feeling a bit of self-reproach. Occasionally, they would hear him muttering to himself: "Naruto, so this is the level you've reached? Right now, I can't even protect anyone. But I won't give up. If your dream is truly what I fear it is, then I will stop you, even if I die."
Or: "I've already cut ties with the past. Whether the Uchiha clan is revived or not has nothing to do with me. Itachi, live on. You are the last of the Uchiha now."
Who was Naruto? What was an Uchiha? The two children couldn't figure it out. But they knew that their master was a very complicated person.
In Konoha.
During this time, the village had undergone a dramatic transformation.
First, the Fifth Hokage announced that another survivor of the Uchiha clan had been found: Uchiha Yuu. For the villagers, this was definitely good news. The Uchiha were a prestigious clan on par with the Hyuga, a testament to their potential. The current Konoha was in desperate need of talented young people.
At the same time, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, also announced that all newborns and villagers under the age of 10 would undergo a physical examination to test for Kekkei Genkai and their eligibility for the "Genius Project."
The so-called Genius Project had been launched a month ago. Anyone who met the requirements could join, regardless of their status. Participants would receive a wealth of resources and opportunities to improve their physical abilities and awaken a Kekkei Genkai. In the eyes of the villagers, this was a golden opportunity.
But only those in the know understood that the Genius Project was just a cover for human experimentation. That's right. Konoha had decided to restart the long-sealed practice of human experimentation. Because they were running out of time.
However, without Orochimaru, Konoha was finding the research incredibly difficult. They could barely comprehend the Second Hokage's past research. And so, Tsunade had an idea.
"There's a forbidden ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals," Tsunade said, her face full of hesitation.
"Tsunade, you know that's a jutsu that desecrates the dead," Jiraiya's expression changed.
"I know. I know better than anyone how cruel that jutsu is, but Great-Uncle and Great-Grandfather won't blame me," Tsunade said, gritting her teeth. "Sasuke has left the village. Although Itachi is beyond Kage-level, it's still not enough compared to Naruto's forces. And besides the Seireitei, there's also the Akatsuki. The situation in the entire shinobi world is precarious. A great war could break out at any moment, and Konoha can't stay out of it."
"I don't want to see the village destroyed again," Tsunade said, her face etched with pain. The Second and First Hokage were her grand-uncles. She naturally wanted them to rest in peace. But as things stood, she couldn't protect the village they had built.
"The decision is yours," Jiraiya sighed, his eyes full of sympathy. He knew that Tsunade, who had become Hokage in a time of crisis and was left to clean up this mess, was shouldering too much.
If Naruto's identity as the Fourth's son hadn't been hidden, he would have grown up loved by the villagers and wouldn't have defected. If Naruto hadn't defected, perhaps Sasuke would have stayed in Konoha, and the village would be a vibrant, thriving place right now.
Unfortunately, what was done was done. There was no turning back time. It was Konoha that had pushed Naruto away, and it was Konoha that had disillusioned Kakashi, Sasuke, and the Fourth Hokage.
The streets of Konoha were bustling with people. The hatred for Naruto was ingrained in their bones. They would all warn their children and grandchildren: "Uzumaki Naruto is an ungrateful villain. Konoha raised him, but he insanely destroyed the village."
"You must train hard, become a ninja, and defeat Uzumaki Naruto."
Konoha's hatred for Naruto was etched into its very soul. The villagers, who had grown accustomed to peace, now had a fire lit within them. All the ninja of Konoha increased their training regimens. Even many of the clans voluntarily shared their secret jutsu, allowing any ninja to study them. Although the clans were selfish, they also understood that if they didn't quickly increase Konoha's combat strength, a second destruction would be upon them.
United, the abilities of the Konoha ninja began to improve rapidly. The former Konoha 12 were now all at the level of Jonin. Just as Naruto had wanted to see, the sleeping lion of Konoha had awakened and was about to unleash its passion.
In the Uchiha compound.
The vast estate was deserted. After Itachi's return, all of the Uchiha's assets had been returned to him. It wasn't that Konoha was afraid of him, but they were afraid of alienating him and having him defect as well. The current Konoha leadership was in a very precarious position.
Itachi sat by the pond in the courtyard, quietly watching the fish swim, his eyes distant. Sasuke had abandoned the Uchiha name, so now he was truly the last of the Uchiha. Returning to Konoha, he felt only a sense of melancholy, not much joy. His love for the village was unquestionable. But for that love, he had shouldered too many sins.
He wished he had died from the backlash of his Sharingan. But unfortunately, he had been saved. Sometimes he thought that this was what Sasuke had meant, for him to spend his life atoning.
When he had learned of Sasuke's defection, his world had collapsed, and he had been on the verge of a breakdown. Everything he had done was so that Sasuke could have a pair of eternal eyes. But things had not gone according to plan. His beloved little brother had even gouged out those eyes right in front of him. The bloody, cruel scene was vivid in his memory, tormenting him in his dreams at night.
At first, unwilling to accept reality, he had blamed everything on Naruto. But after this period of calm, he understood. The real culprit was himself. It was his own self-righteousness that had made his brother live in pain. It was his own self-righteousness that had pushed his brother to the opposite side of Konoha.
So, he no longer sought death. He would live on. Just as Sasuke had said. He would live on with his eyes, feeling the pain of guilt every time he used them, and spend the rest of his life in remorse for his brother and the sins of the Uchiha. His life would be one of atonement.
"Dinner's ready," a young woman's head peeked through the door, calling out cheerfully.
"Coming," Itachi said, getting up and walking inside.
On the wooden table were exquisite dishes. The woman was dressed in casual clothes, her features elegant, her smile gentle.
"Minako, you don't have to go to so much trouble every day. Really, you..." Itachi hesitated, but Minako cut him off.
"It's okay. Just being near you is enough for me."
Minako was a woman Itachi had saved on a mission. After he returned to Konoha, she had moved into the Uchiha estate to take care of his daily life. Itachi knew how she felt about him, but did he... really have the right to love now?
Late at night.
Lying in bed, Itachi thought of Sasuke again. He wondered where he was now. He now possessed a power far greater than before; the eyes of the Uchiha were truly terrifyingly strong. If Sasuke knew, would he regret his decision? Itachi subconsciously touched his eyes.
Creak. Suddenly, the door opened, and a figure walked in, quietly approaching his bed. In the moonlight, their eyes met. It was Minako.
"I..." Minako's face turned red, but then she gathered her courage and said, "Itachi-san, I'm willing to give you everything."
As Itachi stared in shock, Minako pulled back the covers and slipped into his bed. He felt her warm touch as she took his hand, her expression serious. "Itachi-san, I know you want to revive the Uchiha clan. This is... the only way."
For Itachi, it was a very... productive night.
Within the Hyuga clan.
After the tragedy that had befallen Konoha, none of the clans could remain uninvolved. Naruto's power was undeniable, and the current Konoha was no match for him. To protect the village, they needed more Kage-level shinobi. The Hyuga were on par with the Uchiha, but they had very few Kage-level members. The genius, Hinata, had lost her eyes, and her status in the clan had plummeted. The clan head could only place his hopes on Hanabi.
In the courtyard of the Hyuga estate, Hinata sat quietly on a rock, her eyes vacant, her Byakugan dull and lifeless. It had been six months since she had lost her sight, and she missed the old days terribly. To be able to see the color of the sun, to see everyone's faces. Unlike now, where her world was only darkness.
The growing indifference of her clansmen was hidden behind smiles and respect, but the sensitive Hinata could still feel it. She felt no resentment. For a ninja, death was a common occurrence. At least she had escaped with her life. That was the only way Hinata could comfort herself.
Click. She heard the faint sound of footsteps at the distant gate. It was Hanabi. Since losing her sight, Hinata's other senses had become much sharper. She could hear sounds from far away and could even identify people by their footsteps.
"Sister! There you are! I've been looking all over for you," Hanabi said, running to her side, her face full of worry. After Hinata had lost her sight, she was always accompanied by a guard. This time, she had slipped away alone. Hanabi was very worried about her, afraid she might do something foolish.
"Hanabi, are your lessons over for today?" Hinata asked with a gentle smile.
"I'm done. What are you doing here, sister?" Hanabi asked.
"I..." Hinata looked off into the distance, in the direction of the Seireitei. But her vision was still dark. A smile touched her lips. "I'm experiencing the gift he gave me." She gently touched her eyes, her smile turning cold. "I will make him regret letting me live."
"Suzaku fought Uchiha Sasuke to a standstill. His current status is unknown." For Nagato, this was not good news. Itachi's strength was top-tier in the Akatsuki. This meant that the Tailed Beast capture plan had just gotten more difficult.
"Leader~~~" At that moment, the ever-energetic Tobi suddenly appeared in the hideout. "It seems Uchiha Sasuke has defected from Konoha."
He reported everything he had seen, exaggerating Sasuke's strength. His intention was to make Nagato more wary of the Seireitei and delay their plans.
But he never expected that Pain would start walking out of the cave.
He was going to the Seireitei!
_______
patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls