"Lady Tsunade, something is coming!"
Hiashi Hyuga shouted, snapping his head up. His fierce gaze pierced the sky ahead.
Two figures hovered in mid-air in an unnatural posture, appearing within the range of his Byakugan and racing toward them.
As he saw their forms clearly, Hiashi's face instantly turned grim.
He recognized the two approaching figures.
Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki!
However, they were in a wretched state. Half of Naruto's skin was ulcerated, half his face was disfigured, and he had lost an arm. The stump showed signs of black carbonization.
His eyes were closed; he had clearly fallen unconscious.
Sasuke looked much better. No visible injuries were on his body, but his face was deathly pale, and his limbs hung limp and weak.
Strangely, while Sasuke showed clear signs of post-battle exhaustion, his face betrayed no weariness.
Even more peculiar to Hiashi was their current posture; they looked as if they were being carried on someone's invisible shoulders.
Recalling Tsunade's warning that the enemies were invisible, Hiashi's nerves tightened instantly.
"Stay on guard!"
"The enemy is bringing Naruto and Sasuke here!"
A commotion broke out among the crowd behind him as tension filled the air.
Beside him, his daughter, Hinata Hyuga, also spotted the approaching figures immediately.
As her Byakugan fell upon Naruto's battered body, Hinata's face drained of color, turning pale as a sheet.
The bulging veins from her active Byakugan made her delicate face look slightly fierce, now tinged with urgency and worry.
"That's... Naruto!"
"How did he end up like this?"
Naruto's broken form was all Hinata could see. She was about to rush forward, but before she could take two steps, Hiashi grabbed her wrist, stopping her reckless move.
"Hinata, the enemy is approaching. We don't know if they're friend or foe yet!"
"It's too dangerous to rush in blindly. Don't be impulsive!"
Seeing his daughter's agitation and her clear concern for Naruto, Hiashi, as a father, knew exactly how she felt.
He had noticed it before; Hinata's focus on Naruto was almost never hidden.
But regardless of Naruto's safety, he could not let Hinata walk into danger.
Held back by her father, Hinata struggled forward, but she couldn't break free.
As the father and daughter disputed, Naruto and Sasuke's figures came within range of the naked eye.
Hinata stopped struggling and looked up at the sky with worry.
Hiashi released his daughter's wrist, his nerves on high alert. His Byakugan tracked every movement of Naruto and Sasuke as he fell into a combat stance.
"Lady Tsunade, the enemy is before us!"
Even without Hiashi's reminder, Tsunade and the others had seen the two figures floating above.
Naruto and Sasuke plummeted toward the ground. Just before impact, their momentum suddenly slowed, and they landed gently on the earth in front of the Five Kage.
"Sasuke, what happened to Naruto? Why is he so badly injured?"
"Where are the Sage of the Six Paths and Uchiha Obito?"
"What is the situation? Who won?"
"Medical corps, get over here! We have casualties!"
The moment Naruto and Sasuke landed, the Five Kage didn't rush forward. Instead, they retreated slightly, their subordinates forming a semi-circle around them.
Hiashi stared at the two intently. After a pause, he said, "Sasuke's chakra is stable; there's no sign of genjutsu. Naruto's life isn't in immediate danger."
Hearing Hiashi's report, Tsunade subconsciously sighed in relief. Looking at Sasuke, who seemed conscious, she asked urgently, "Sasuke, what happened to Naruto? What's the status of the battlefield?"
Feeling his strength slowly returning and his chakra becoming active again, Sasuke stood up from the ground.
His Rinnegan swept past his father, who had delivered him, and looked at the wary Tsunade and the others.
The Five Kage and their guards, sensory ninjas from various villages, the Hyuga clan, and the Uchiha clan... everyone was here.
Wait, the Uchiha clan?
Sasuke's purple eye narrowed slightly.
Standing near the Five Kage were several figures as cold as frost. These people had their Sharingan active and wore traditional Uchiha clothing, the clan's fan crest embroidered on their collars and sleeves. They were undoubtedly Uchiha!
The Uchiha clan was long dead, with him as the sole survivor. These people were clearly the souls of Uchiha who had sided with the Shinigami.
Sasuke's handsome face instantly darkened.
Even the Five Kage were nothing but dead weight in this war. Their lives were held in the palm of the enemy's hand; they were completely useless!
Noticing the change in Sasuke's expression, Fugaku followed his gaze to the clansmen. His face remained calm, his deep voice carrying a hint of amusement.
"Those clansmen are maintaining a barrier on the outer edge of the battlefield, enveloping the area to protect these weak shinobi."
"Sasuke, they aren't like you. You received the gift of the Sage of the Six Paths and reached a higher level, allowing you to resist our Spiritual Pressure."
From the very start of the battle, Fugaku had made an assumption.
Whether it was the Sage of the Six Paths, Sasuke, Naruto, or even Obito—the five strongest in the ninja world—the overwhelming pressure of the Shinigami's Spiritual Pressure posed no threat to them.
Perhaps their chakra had reached a higher realm, completing a transformation, or perhaps they had enough chakra to wrap their souls completely, forming a simple protective shield.
Since the Spiritual Pressure was useless, they could only be harmed through physical combat.
Fugaku glanced at the Five Kage and the others, a look of contempt crossing his face.
"These ninjas are just ordinary people. Even the Five Kage are no more than slightly stronger ants."
"Without the protection of the barrier, these ants would have had their souls shattered the moment the battle broke out."
Seeing Sasuke's grim face, Fugaku walked over and patted his shoulder lightly.
"Rest easy. As I said before, our goal is only the Pure Land. We couldn't care less whether the inhabitants of the ninja world live or die."
"Father..."
Seeing the relaxed look beneath Fugaku's stern exterior, Sasuke pursed his lips and then looked toward the Five Kage.
Seeing that Sasuke hadn't responded for a long time, the Five Kage were growing anxious and impatient.
Tsunade took a step forward and asked, "Sasuke, what is the situation?"
"The battle is over. The Sage of the Six Paths and his brother are dead. Obito has been killed. Now, only Naruto and I are left in the ninja world. As for the result, the ninja world lost."
Sasuke pointed to the towering tree behind him. Even at such a distance, the Divine Tree's height of several hundred meters was clearly visible to the naked eye.
"After Obito died, the Ten-Tails manifested as the Divine Tree. That's it."
His gaze swept over the crowd, a trace of disdain flickering in his eyes. He didn't show much emotion, his voice as cold as usual.
"But you can rest assured. The Shinigami's target is only the Pure Land. He has no interest in the ninja world or you ninjas. He won't do anything more."
"Is that true?"
Tsunade's face darkened at Sasuke's words.
She believed the outcome of the battle he described, but she wasn't entirely sure of his personal stance.
Sasuke had been a rogue ninja. Despite their experience fighting together, Naruto was now unconscious and severely injured, while Sasuke looked energized, not like someone who had just survived a massive battle.
Something was definitely fishy.
The others beside Tsunade, whether they were the Kage or ninjas from the various villages, also looked extremely grim.
They had already anticipated this outcome, but hearing it confirmed by Sasuke left them feeling a profound sense of loss.
"Tsunade, believe it or not, as you wish."
Facing the current Hokage and a senior from Orochimaru's generation, Sasuke didn't use an honorific. He addressed her by name, his contempt evident.
He looked down at the unconscious Naruto, the disdain in his eyes fading.
In the current ninja world, excluding these outsiders like the Shinigami, the only one he acknowledged was Naruto.
"Medical corps, get over here and wake Naruto up."
"We still need to cut down that Divine Tree, and we can't do it without Naruto's power."
Tsunade naturally noticed the change in how he addressed her. She merely frowned and didn't say anything, her gaze falling on the unconscious Naruto.
Whether they could trust the current Sasuke was still an unknown.
While Tsunade hesitated, a pink figure rushed out from her side and reached Sasuke.
Seeing this, Tsunade panicked. "Sakura, be careful! We can't confirm Sasuke's allegiance yet!"
The person who had rushed out was Sakura.
"Lady Tsunade, someone has to take the first step. Besides, I can't just leave Naruto here while he's severely injured."
Sakura turned her head and nodded to Tsunade. Her solemn expression and firm gaze showed she had made up her mind.
As Sakura ran over, Hinata also rushed forward from behind Hiashi to reach Naruto and Sasuke.
Kneeling beside Naruto, her face full of pain and concern, she kept her Byakugan active as she checked his injuries.
Sasuke ignored Hinata and looked at Sakura in front of him. His gaze swept over the Strength of a Hundred seal on her forehead, and a smile played on his lips, carrying a faint hint of mockery.
"Sakura, even someone as useless as you managed to become Tsunade's disciple and an excellent medical ninja. You've certainly improved."
"Sasuke..."
Seeing that Sasuke was uninjured, Sakura had initially felt a surge of joy at seeing him again.
But hearing those words, her joy vanished. She pursed her lips, a look of loneliness crossing her face.
However, looking at Naruto on the ground, her gaze became resolute.
"Sasuke, say what you want about me, but the priority now is waking Naruto."
Sasuke stepped aside slightly, giving his permission for Sakura to treat him.
Seeing that Sakura hadn't been attacked, the medical corps, who were already prepared, stepped forward to assist her.
Nearby, Fugaku felt a bit of frustration seeing Sasuke's cold attitude toward his comrades.
"Sasuke, this girl is your teammate, and she clearly has feelings for you. You should be nicer to her."
"The continuation of the Uchiha clan rests on your shoulders, after all."
Sakura's feelings for Sasuke were written all over her face. As someone who had been through it, Fugaku could see right through it.
Sasuke turned to his father, his voice softening slightly, the coldness and arrogance fading from his tone.
"Father, this is my business."
"You've already brought Naruto and me back. Why are you still here? Aren't you going to carry out the Shinigami's orders?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the slightly relaxed atmosphere turned tense again.
Sakura's hands faltered for a moment as she treated Naruto, but she immediately resumed, choosing to ignore the conversation.
Tsunade's eyes widened. Following Sasuke's gaze to the empty space beside him, blurry memories began to sharpen.
She had seen this leader of the Uchiha clan before!
'Sasuke's father... isn't that Wicked Eye Fugaku, who died long ago?'
'He's the one who brought Sasuke and Naruto back.'
'He's still here. He hasn't left...'
'And what are the Shinigami's orders?'
The other four Kage also tensed up, looking at the same spot with expressions of extreme caution.
Fugaku ignored the ninjas' reactions. He simply shook his head at Sasuke and dropped a blunt, realistic remark.
"I am your father!"
Fugaku didn't say anything more and turned to leave.
Sasuke had grown up alone ever since the massacre, without his guidance or companionship.
At this point, he didn't have the face to act as a father toward Sasuke.
He was already grateful that Sasuke still acknowledged him as a father.
Fugaku beckoned to the Uchiha clansmen scattered around, calling them to his side, and then walked toward the four Hokage.
Sasuke watched his father's back as he walked over to the four unconscious Hokage.
The Five Kage's gaze followed Sasuke's, and the realization struck them like a bolt of lightning.
'The Shinigami's target is the past Hokage!'
'Uchiha Fugaku is here to take their souls.'
Ignoring the attempts to stop her, Tsunade rushed forward.
"Uchiha Fugaku, what do you plan to do to my grandfather and the others?"
"You were once a member of this village. Show the Hokage's souls some basic respect!"
She had only taken two steps before she was hit by a series of invisible attacks.
Facing an invisible enemy, Tsunade couldn't mount an effective counter. She was knocked down in an instant, her hands pinned behind her as she was forced to the ground.
A line of blood appeared on her neck, trickling down the invisible blade.
She could clearly feel three attackers: one pinning her head, one holding a blade to her throat, and one twisting her arms so she couldn't move!
Seeing Tsunade's state, the other four Kage prepared to move, but they were immediately subjected to the same attacks. Their limbs and mouths were restrained, leaving them unable to resist or give orders.
The surrounding ninjas looked on with anxiety, worried about the Five Kage but paralyzed by the threat of collateral damage.
"Sasuke, you—"
Tsunade's face was turned toward Sasuke. She tried to cry out, but her mouth was held shut by an invisible force. She could only let out a muffled groan from her throat.
Sasuke, however, paid no attention to the Five Kage's predicament, allowing the Uchiha clansmen to subdue them.
His gaze followed Fugaku as he moved toward the four unconscious Hokage.
Fugaku looked at the four Hokage, and after confirming their identities, he gave a quiet command to the clansmen at his side.
"Extract the souls of the four Hokage."
Four clansmen stepped forward, each positioning themselves beside a Hokage to collect their souls.
As the souls were pulled from the reanimated vessels, the debris of the Reanimation Jutsu flaked away, revealing the White Zetsu underneath.
These White Zetsu, used as sacrifices for the Jutsu, had clearly been dead for some time.
Having finished the task, Fugaku didn't intend to linger and prepared to return to report.
Before leaving, he looked at his son once more, his heart full of advice.
"Sasuke, you are the last of the Uchiha now."
"Find yourself a few women and have plenty of children. The future prosperity of the Uchiha clan depends entirely on you."
"Father, you're nagging."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]