As if by fate, Naruto and Sasuke clashed above the ruins of Konoha.
Both possessed strength that seemed to transcend the level of 'Kage'. A single casual blow could split the earth. No one could intervene in their battle.
After a few minutes of intense fighting, Naruto felt confused: "Sasuke, have you also learned Sage Mode?"
He could clearly sense that Sasuke's attacks carried not just the eruption of Chakra, but also the fluctuations of Natural Energy.
Yet Sasuke's situation was completely different from his own Sage Mode.
"Something like that," Sasuke said calmly. "Master said that when a Taonias trains their Tattoo to an extremely deep level, they become a Sage."
"Taonias? Tattoo?" Naruto was utterly confused, having never heard these terms.
Sasuke didn't explain, instead assuming a striking pose: "Naruto, I'll end this battle now with the move Master taught me: Rozan Shoryuha!"
He swung his right fist with force, and a lifelike silver dragon soared into the sky.
Where the dragon passed, the ground was plowed into a deep trench, rubble and earth pushed aside as if by an invisible giant force.
The stormy airflow formed a visible tornado, scattering everything around.
"What?" Naruto's pupils contracted sharply. He felt as if he were locked by a primordial behemoth, the space around him frozen by the fist's intent.
Nowhere to hide, nowhere to evade.
"Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan!"
He poured all his Senjutsu Chakra into his hand, forming an unprecedentedly massive Rasengan, and pushed it forward to meet the roaring silver dragon.
Boom!
The silver dragon and the Rasengan, two terrifying energies, collided fiercely above the ruins.
A blinding light instantly swallowed everything. The deafening roar made those watching from a distance cover their ears. Those with weaker strength were even shaken, their life force in turmoil.
The energy storm wildly raged, cancelled, and annihilated...
Finally, though the silver dragon's light had diminished considerably, it tenaciously tore through the massive Rasengan, its residual force slamming into Naruto.
"Gah!" Naruto cried out in pain, sent flying hundreds of meters, crashing heavily to the ground.
"Naruto!" Sakura, Kakashi, and others cried out.
Sasuke slowly withdrew his fist and asked calmly: "Naruto, do you want to continue?"
"Of course! It's not over yet!" Naruto called within himself, "Kurama, lend me your power!"
The next moment, crimson Chakra like magma erupted from Naruto's body, forming a Chakra Cloak burning with crimson flames.
The demon fox's vertical pupils replaced his blue eyes, sharp teeth bared, and a terrifying aura instantly swept the field.
"The power of a Tailed Beast..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
Just as Naruto was about to launch a more violent attack, empowered by Kurama's Chakra,
Sasuke's eyes suddenly changed.
His scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly, eventually forming the pattern of the Mangekyo.
"Get back!"
The Ocular Power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, combined with the mental intimidation of the Genro Mao Ken, ignored Naruto's Chakra defense, directly blasted into the depths of his consciousness, forcibly pushing Kurama's power back.
Naruto's body shook violently, his Chakra Cloak dissipated, and he collapsed unconscious.
"How is that possible?" Those who witnessed this found it unbelievable. Kurama's power had been driven back by just words from Sasuke.
Sasuke ignored their reactions, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "Now, your choice is... submission or destruction?"
…
Two weeks later, with Ninja working tirelessly and the aid of various Ninjutsu, the prototype of a new village now stood on Konoha's ruins.
The streets were straight and wide, the newly built houses orderly.
As night fell, the new Konoha was shrouded in silence.
A figure, like a ghost blending into the night, silently infiltrated Konoha's barrier.
He wore a long black robe with red clouds, an orange spiral mask covering his face, leaving only one scarlet Sharingan eye, gleaming coldly under the moonlight.
This was Uchiha Obito, his target clear: Nagato's body in Konoha's cemetery.
He knew exactly what had happened two weeks ago.
Sasuke had returned forcefully, killed Nagato and Konan, then used absolute force to compel Konoha's submission, proclaiming himself Hokage.
On his way to the cemetery, he passed the newly erected village notice board.
Under the moonlight, the fresh wood and ink were clearly visible.
Obito's heart stirred. He temporarily stopped, his scarlet Sharingan scanning the contents.
[New Konoha Construction and Reform Outline (First Edition)]
Article 1: Ninja Education Reform
Increase and expand the Ninja Academy to ensure all children of appropriate age have the opportunity to enroll.
Establish a clear assessment and promotion pathway from the Ninja Academy to Chunin and Jonin, ensuring ability matches position.
"Hmph." The corner of Obito's mouth beneath the mask twisted.
"Superficial. In the old Konoha, on the surface, didn't all children have the chance to go to school? But of those who actually entered the Academy and later rose through the ranks, over ninety percent were still from the major clans."
"The vast majority of commoner-born Genin and Chunin spend their entire lives performing low-level missions, acting as cannon fodder."
Article 2: Compulsory Education and Ideological Development
The Ninja Academy will implement six years of compulsory education. All students must complete it and may not graduate early for any reason.
Increase and strengthen cultural classes, history classes, and moral education classes. Students failing these courses will not graduate and must repeat the grade.
Aim to nurture qualified Ninja who value both strength and ideology, avoiding the emergence of dangerous individuals who are powerful yet extreme, detached from the people, and potentially harmful to society.
Reading this, Obito couldn't help but scoff.
"Powerful yet extreme, detached from the people, harmful to society... Hah, isn't that describing Itachi?"
"Hahaha, how pathetic, Uchiha Itachi. For the sake of this so-called village, you slaughtered your entire clan, bore all the blame, infiltrated the Akatsuki."
"And now, even your brother, the one you risked your life to protect, cannot understand you."
"It seems no one in this world can truly understand my ideals either."
A twisted sense of satisfaction and a deeper loneliness spread through Obito's heart.
Article 3: Taxation System Reform
Reduce the tax burden on commoners and ordinary Ninja families.
Increase tax rates for major clans, merchant associations, and high-income Ninja within the village.
Tax revenue will be more heavily used for public infrastructure, commoner welfare, Ninja compensation, and educational reform.
"Hah..." Obito sneered repeatedly, completely losing interest in reading further.
"Naive! Childish! Even if you, Uchiha Sasuke, have the strength to overwhelm everything and uphold this seemingly fair conviction now..."
"How long can you maintain it? Ten years? Twenty?"
"After you die, will your descendants be able to resist the temptation of becoming the privileged class? How could they possibly raise taxes on themselves?"
"Human nature is always selfish. Any system, in the face of absolute human nature and time, is vulnerable."
Full of mockery, Obito didn't linger. His figure again melted into the darkness, silently heading towards the cemetery.
The newly planned Konoha Cemetery was on a quiet hillside at the village's edge.
Moonlight like water spilled on the neatly arranged new gravestones, solemn and cool.
Obito quickly found his target, a new grave without a name.
According to intel, Nagato and Konan's bodies were hastily buried here.
Obito didn't overthink it. He condensed a wooden spike from his Wood Release, preparing to break open the grave.
However, just as his spike was about to touch the soil.
"Disturbing the dead's rest so late at night..." An icy voice sounded behind him. "Isn't that rather discourteous?"
Obito's hair stood on end. His Sharingan spun wildly.
Without thinking, he instantly activated Kamui, his body phasing.
But he was a moment too slow.
A fist, wreathed in silvery-gray light, struck him squarely in the back before his body could fully phase.
An extremely dull thud, accompanied by the faint sound of bones shattering.
"Pah!" Obito spat out a mouthful of blood, his face beneath the mask contorted with agony.
He felt like he had been hit by a high-speed mountain, flying forward and crashing through several gravestones before barely steadying himself in the dust.
He knelt on one knee, coughing violently, blood dripping from the edge of his mask.
Under the moonlight, Sasuke slowly emerged from the shadows.
He wore the Hokage's ceremonial robe, his expression indifferent as he looked at the disheveled Obito: "Your intelligence is truly surprising."
"I deliberately leaked information, saying that the leader of the enemy who attacked Konoha, causing countless casualties, was buried in Konoha's Hero Cemetery."
"Such an obvious trap, such an illogical arrangement... and you still fell for it so easily?"