The Ninja World.
Ruins of the Fire Temple.
The young boy, with a slightly melancholic expression, was digging into the earth, planning to bury his respected brother Asuma here, so that he could rest in peace.
He hadn't planned on bringing Asuma back to Konohagakure. Doing so would attract the attention of Uchiha Light's father, and it would also raise suspicions among the Uchiha clan.
The intelligence Asuma brought back was crucial. At the very least, Itachi now felt that his previous guesses had all turned out to be true.
From learning about Uchiha Hikari's existence, to the fact that Asuma had been chased after investigating the place of the seal, everything pointed to his assumption. His father, Uchiha Fugaku, was planning to release Uchiha Light to fulfill the Uchiha clan's terrifying ambitions.
But at this moment, he couldn't act rashly. As one of the rare geniuses of the Uchiha clan, Itachi, who had already activated the Mangekyou Sharingan, firmly believed in the righteousness within his heart. He needed to carefully consider how to prevent his clan and father from making a mistake, stop their actions, and, ideally, nip the disaster in the bud.
"If things really reach a point of no return..."
A strange light flashed in his eyes. Uchiha Itachi had already thought of the worst outcome, but at the same time, he also had to think about how to handle the situation with his father. After it was over, who should the next Hokage be?
After all, the entire Uchiha clan was now deeply intertwined with Konohagakure. If a rebellion occurred, it could destabilize the village.
So, for the sake of the village's stability, should the entire Uchiha clan be...
His line of thought was not wrong. After all, the Uchiha clan was like an unstable bomb. It was possible that someone knew about Uchiha Light's plan and was hiding. To ensure safety, eliminating everyone could be seen as a reasonable approach.
At this moment, it felt like a new door opened in Itachi's mind. Since the clan members were beyond saving, he would end everything with his own hands!
Throwing Asuma's body into the pit, Itachi's gaze towards Asuma grew especially determined.
"Don't worry, Asuma. No matter what price I have to pay, I will protect the village!"
But what he didn't know was that if Asuma were still alive, he would certainly come up and slap him awake and would have a new understanding of Uchiha Itachi's obsession.
There has never been a perfect person in this world, and the Uchiha clan is no exception.
Known as the "Clan of Love," the Uchiha often awaken their Sharingan when under mental stress. The greater the emotional disturbance, the stronger their eyes become.
The second Hokage once said that the emotional instability of this clan is like a bomb, unsettling people. In essence, the stronger the Sharingan, the more bizarre their thinking becomes and the harder it is to understand.
Including Uchiha Madara, who believed that the Infinite Tsukuyomi was the only path to peace, and Uchiha Obito, who refused to acknowledge the real world, and now, even Uchiha Itachi, who believed that Uchiha was evil and only its destruction could bring stability.
In essence, once they activated the Mangekyou, they were only a hair's breadth away from being mentally unstable, teetering on the edge of an odd mental state. Uchiha Itachi's obsession with sacrificing himself for the greater good was also influenced by this mental power.
For people like them, only after truly dying once, or being knocked down and forced to accept reality, could they wake up.
In the original story, when Madara lay on the ground, did it look like he had come to terms with things?
If Obito hadn't been suppressed by Naruto and Sasuke working together, and wasn't brainwashed by Naruto with the power of Ashura, would he have calmly accepted everything?
So, this clan is somewhat mentally unstable, but there's a certain kind of beauty and charm to their mental issues, as if something essential is missing in their brains. The key is knowing how to guide and use that.
In this regard, Hyuga Hitoshi is the absolute master. He has long since perfected the art of manipulating Uchiha Fugaku.
However, Fugaku's education of his son was clearly a failure.
When Uchiha Itachi buried Asuma and stood up, looking at the masked man who was staring at him from a distance, he had ultimately chosen the wrong path.
The light rain fell, washing away Asuma's blood from the ground, while also cleansing Uchiha Itachi's heart.
Obito stared at Uchiha Itachi. Now he truly believed what Danzo had said: This Uchiha kid was the key to getting revenge on the Uchiha clan.
The reason behind all of this was Danzo's desire to test the strength of the Edo Tensei technique, and to see how adding special ingredients could affect control over the summoned beings.
As for why Asuma was chosen, and why Uchiha Itachi had to witness it, that was easy to understand.
When Uchiha Itachi had first stepped forward to accuse his father, Danzo saw potential in him. Just like the Second Hokage had said, he was the ultimate weapon to deal with the Uchiha clan.
So, Danzo and Obito's original plan was simply to create more tension between Itachi and the Uchiha clan, making him and Fugaku even more estranged. The best-case scenario was that Itachi would get so angry that he might even kill someone. At that point, whether they brought Itachi into their fold, or used the rift between father and son to stir up trouble in Konoha, it would be advantageous for both of them.
But now, things were taking a slight turn. The script was changing. Originally, the plan was to kill Asuma and leave clues that would lead Itachi to suspect that the Uchiha clan was behind it. However, before Obito and Danzo could even start accusing anyone, the young man had already figured it out himself. He immediately pointed the finger at his own clan.
This was an unexpected development that neither Obito nor Danzo had anticipated. It was a real surprise. So, when Uchiha Itachi was digging his own hole, they quickly changed their plans. They decided to ditch the small-scale tricks and go for something much bigger.
Obito suggested that since everything was for the sake of testing Edo Tensei's strength, they should go all in. To show his sincerity, he handed over some cells from Senju Hashirama to Danzo and told him to take care of it.
Danzo was shocked, but he acknowledged that he had this power too—and that it was his ultimate trump card. At that moment, both partners exchanged glances, realizing that each of them had been hiding something up their sleeves.
Still, they agreed on the plan. They would use the ultimate trump card, and together with several other powerful deceased beings, they would cause chaos.
"It's rare in this day and age to find a descendant of Uchiha who can awaken the Mangekyō. You're impressive."
Obito spoke first, imitating Madara's voice, but Itachi, cautious as ever, merely watched him warily.
"My name is Uchiha Madara."
An awkward self-introduction, but Obito didn't mind at all.
"If you're interested in getting revenge on those traitorous clan members, feel free to contact me anytime."
The first meeting shouldn't be rushed.
Obito's words made sense. As an outsider, he had witnessed a Uchiha awakening the Mangekyō and harboring hatred for the Uchiha clan. If Itachi had some reason to strike against his own people, he would surely want help.
This was pretty close to the original story, though. In the original, the first time Itachi met Obito was when he was eight years old during a mission. It was during that time that the young Itachi awakened his Sharingan. In the original, Itachi also invited Obito to join his plan to destroy the clan.
Right now, Obito was playing the role of an old clan leader betrayed by his own people, seeking revenge.
"You're looking for the wrong person."
After a brief silence, Itachi finally spoke, and once he did, he immediately felt how dangerous the man in front of him was, so he turned and ran.
At that moment, still unsure, he wasn't planning to rely on outsiders to solve the issue.
He still held onto a bit of hope, thinking that maybe Uchiha Hikari hadn't been unsealed and that the clan's evil plan had failed, in which case everything would end up fine.
But Itachi's hope disappeared completely when he returned to the clan grounds and ran into two clan members who were urinating by a corner.
"Hey, bro, did you hear? Uchiha Hikari-senpai was rescued by the clan leader!"
"Seriously? The ultimate weapon of Uchiha from the Warring States period?"
"Shh~! Quiet down, don't call him the ultimate weapon, that's so disrespectful! I heard the clan leader treats Hikari-senpai with great respect. To show his importance, the clan leader has put aside his Hokage duties for a while and has been personally overseeing everything in the clan to make sure nothing goes wrong."
"What's he preparing? Could it be for the Eight Thousand Spears seal? I mean, with Hikari-senpai's Eight Thousand Spears Doujutsu, even if you gather the entire village's chakra and focus it on one person, his power might rival the First Hokage's, right?"
"That's too small scale. I think at least half of Hitoshi-sama's power would be needed."
"So you think half of Hitoshi-sama could defeat Senju Hashirama?"
"Why not? No matter how strong Senju Hashirama is, can he summon the moon?"
"Uh, you've got a point. But the clan leader probably doesn't plan to use the Eight Thousand Spears, right? After all, Konohagakure doesn't really have any enemies."
"That's true, maybe the clan leader is just preparing a welcome ceremony for Hikari-senpai. Maybe they'll even have him participate in the beauty pageant! Haha, I heard Hikari-senpai is also a beautiful girl."
"Yeah, I really envy Hitoshi-sama."
"Me too."
After finishing their conversation, the two clan members left.
But unlike the earlier situation where Itachi was intentionally made aware of the effects of the Eight Thousand Spears Doujutsu, this time, these two clan members were just casually chatting.
Uchiha Hikari, the weapon of the Uchiha clan from the Warring States period, had been welcomed back into the clan. This wasn't a big secret, and any clan member of a certain level knew about it.
However, they hadn't made it public, and the reason was simple—last time, a radical clan member who tried to use the Eight Thousand Spears to unify the ninja world mysteriously committed suicide during a mission. This made the clan members realize the clan leader Fugaku's intentions, so when discussing this, they often joked about the Uchiha Hikari "straight black hair beauty pageant" plan.
They could also tell that Uchiha Hikari was simply the clan leader's new candidate for Hitoshi-sama's black-haired beauty pageant.
But...
"How naïve."
Itachi stepped out from the shadows, his face showing an unnatural look of anxiety.
He regretted rejecting Uchiha Madara's offer so decisively.
What? Let Uchiha's ultimate weapon enter a beauty contest?!
Don't be naïve!
From the conversation between the two clan members, Itachi could clearly pinpoint the key information: his father, Uchiha Fugaku, was preparing something that was even more important than the Hokage's duties!
What could make such a power-hungry father abandon the Hokage position?
The Eight Thousand Spears seal!
And then...
With a light leap, Itachi landed on a rooftop, his Three Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly in his eyes, recording the defenses around the clan grounds and the hidden clan guards.
"Just as I thought!"
The defenses grew stronger the closer he got to the back yard. This tightening of security was clearly to guard against an unexpected situation. So, whether it was to protect Uchiha Hikari or to prepare for the Eight Thousand Spears seal, it was clear enough.
The evil plan was about to begin, and the village would soon be thrown into chaos by the power of the Eight Thousand Spears, shaking the entire ninja world.
A bead of sweat formed on Uchiha Itachi's forehead. It was as if something inside him had been triggered—he could already see the blood-soaked future ahead.
No, I have to stop my father's plan!
I need allies, lots of them!
As long as I can fight my way to my father, I can put an end to this disaster.
Saviors always have this strange confidence. Even when they know they're no match for the enemy, they still believe they can win. They call this courage, a belief that keeps them going—just like when the Five Kage stood together against Uchiha Madara, relying on nothing but sheer willpower.
But in reality, that so-called faith crumbles in the face of absolute power. If the Sage of the Six Paths hadn't intervened, Naruto and Sasuke would have been dead long ago.
Yet right now, Uchiha Itachi fully believed in this power. He looked at the heavy defenses ahead, thought about his own strength, then clenched his teeth and rushed toward the Fire Temple.
He had made up his mind—he was going to find that man who called himself Uchiha Madara!
——
"Ancestor, could you not stare at me like that? It's really not necessary."
Of course, Uchiha Itachi didn't know that while he was plotting to stop his father's evil plan, his father was staring at a young Uchiha girl with a look of utter disdain—like she was trash.
"Don't call me 'ancestor,' that's disgusting! Pervert! Tui!"
Uchiha Hikari took a cautious step back, eyeing Fugaku like he was some filthy old man reeking of bad intentions.
And for good reason.
Just moments ago, this so-called Uchiha clan leader had told her he wanted to arrange a marriage for her. Right in front of her, he had gone on and on about how amazing the man was, praising him as if he were some godlike figure.
If things went the way Hikari expected, the next words out of this creepy old man's mouth would probably be, "That man is me."
She had met perverts before, but never one this shameless.
Despite being a beauty from the Warring States period, Hikari was quite conservative—nothing like Uchiha Izumi or Nohara Rin. She even felt disgusted by the idea of marrying within the clan.
That, of course, wasn't good.
So Fugaku quickly tried to explain. "It's not really a marriage proposal, just a simple meal and conversation."
"As the head of the Uchiha clan, I know the clan wronged you during the Warring States era. But the Uchiha back then and the Uchiha now are completely different. Look at me—just from my miserable state, you can tell how pathetic the clan has become."
That was true.
There wasn't a shred of strength or pride in this man—he looked nothing like the Uchiha of old. Instead of a fierce warrior, he seemed more like a beaten dog.
Hikari nodded slightly, agreeing with his words.
"Just like your name suggests, don't you want to live under the sun like a normal person? I swear, even if you two don't become close, even if you're just casual acquaintances, no one in the ninja world will ever trouble you again. Everyone will treat you with respect, and the peaceful life you want will be yours."
Fugaku spoke gently, painting a beautiful picture of the future for Hikari.
But she only looked at him and sneered coldly.
What a joke.
Back in the Warring States period, she had been treated as nothing more than a weapon. Being unsealed and regaining her freedom was a good thing, but she had been trained to suppress her emotions for so long that she knew better than to believe in easy rewards.
Nothing comes for free.
She was sure this old man wasn't lying. Those promises of a peaceful life were probably real.
But there had to be a price.
And it would probably involve an even more disgusting man than this one.
Her expression darkened. A sense of unease washed over her.
Her Mangekyou Sharingan flared to life.
The Eight Thousand Spears might not be imprinted within her anymore, but besides that, her eyes had also been implanted with Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi!
"No need, really, no need."
Fugaku rubbed his temples in frustration. No wonder this girl was known as the ultimate weapon among the Uchiha—it was really hard to deal with her.
"Fine, I'll be honest with you."
In the end, Fugaku couldn't handle the pressure and gave a brief report on the Uchiha clan's situation and the state of the ninja world to this naturally dangerous Uchiha girl.
"Basically, I did consider using you. But right now, things are simple. Your Eight Thousand Spears will definitely be a target for those with ulterior motives. If I keep you here, people will get suspicious. So, I plan to send you to Hitoshi. That way, all the problems will be solved."
"Of course, to be fair, the Uchiha clan doesn't necessarily need another long-haired beauty. I just think you're special, and Hitoshi will probably find you interesting."
Fugaku had completely given up on sugarcoating things.
"So, you're just treating me as a gift to please some pervert?"
Her Mangekyou spun slightly as Uchiha Hikari's voice filled with anger and danger. What did this disgusting man think she was?
"Of course not. There's a fundamental difference."
Fugaku waved his hand calmly.
"Hitoshi never forces anyone. Everything is voluntary. And at this point, I don't even need to go out of my way to please him. I already gave him three of my own wives, and that's more than enough."
You sound way too proud of that!
What the hell is this?
Is it me who doesn't understand the world, or has the world always been this twisted?
Uchiha Hikari felt like her entire worldview was collapsing. She even thought that maybe this world would be better off destroyed!
"Forget it, forget it."
Realizing he was just making things worse, Fugaku stopped trying. He casually turned on a civilian-grade "Dark Eye" projector, which had already started spreading among the public, and played "The Hero of the Land of Snow," a film directed and starred in by Princess Koyuki Kazahana.
"This movie tells the story of a princess from the Land of Snow who was forced into exile, met a hero who saved her, and eventually reclaimed her throne. It was made at her request, and Hitoshi personally handled some of the editing. The story is based on real events, and some of the scenes were directly captured by Hitoshi himself."
"Watch it, and you'll understand what kind of person Hitoshi is."
After a brief pause, Fugaku shrugged.
"Consider it my payment for helping you remove your seal. Tomorrow, I'll invite Hitoshi over for dinner. Whether anything comes of it is up to you."
Of course, there were no movies during the Warring States period, let alone this kind of immersive projection technology.
Uchiha Hikari, having never seen such a thing before, was already completely absorbed in it, completely ignoring whatever Fugaku had just said.
---
---------------------------------------
You can read 10 chapters ahead on patre on
patr eon.com/JYouyi