The Ninja World.
Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
The sudden chaos caught everyone off guard. The villagers, who had not seen war for a long time, were filled with fear. The memories of past battles and death still haunted them, and panic was written all over their faces.
Why?
Why was peace, which was so hard to achieve, being destroyed again?
Had nothing really changed in the end?
No… this time, it was different.
Unlike the Nine-Tails attack or the Stone Statue Incident, this seemed to be caused by people.
As the villagers snapped out of their shock, they finally realized something was off.
Luckily, the Uchiha Police Force had been prepared. They quickly took control of the situation, securing the area and organizing defenses. Some protected the civilians, while others headed straight to the battlefield. Everyone knew their role and carried it out without hesitation.
The chaos was being contained, and the invaders were being restricted.
The coordination was flawless.
Fugaku, who had planned ahead, was giving Danzo and Obito a lesson they wouldn't forget.
Of course, even though the scale of the conflict was under control, sealing these Reanimated bodies would still take effort. The fight was unavoidable.
And to seal these resurrected enemies, whose minds had been erased, they first had to be defeated. Then, during the brief moment before they regenerated, sealing techniques could be used.
The plan had already been passed down to all teams, and the battle officially began.
But—
"Where the hell is the Third Raikage's Hell Stab?! Use it already! What's the point of just turning on the Lightning Armor and getting beat up?!"
"Do you even know what you're doing?! Why aren't the Ginkaku and Kinkaku Brothers using their Nine-Tails chakra?!"
"What the hell are you aiming at with the Second Tsuchikage's Dust Release?!"
Standing from a high point, Obito cursed loudly.
Meanwhile, inside a base near the Fire Temple, Danzo, who was controlling the Edo Tensei bodies, was drenched in sweat.
To be fair, there were too many powerful people revived this time.
Previously, when Danzo had only used them for small skirmishes, it was manageable. But now, he had no idea how to fully unleash their skills. And even when he did, he often ended up hurting his own side.
Sometimes, you just had to admit—talent mattered.
Even if you had a max-level character, the results would be completely different depending on who was controlling it.
Right now, Danzo felt like a Warcraft player struggling with multitasking—he simply couldn't handle the high-speed switching between different bodies and their abilities.
"He really only knows how to do this."
Outside the village, Uchiha Kagami sighed as he activated his Susano'o.
He looked at Shisui, who also had his Susano'o out.
Then, with a frustrated expression, Kagami swung his giant chakra blade at the air and slammed it into the ground twice.
"Danzo still hasn't changed. He always acts without thinking things through.
But in a way, that's good for the village.
Alright, get ready to seal me."
Being brought back to life, only to be controlled and used to attack the village, left Kagami feeling utterly frustrated.
That said, it wasn't entirely Danzo's fault.
At first, he had only wanted to cause some minor trouble. But after learning about Uchiha Hikari's existence, he had no choice but to go all in.
Under normal circumstances, he might have been able to handle controlling multiple powerful fighters at once.
But this time, the people he was controlling were simply too strong.
It was no surprise he was struggling.
And since his Edo Tensei wasn't the perfected version, he couldn't fully erase their consciousness and leave only their fighting instincts.
When he had used weaker, low-level undead to attack Asuma before, things were much easier.
But now that the battle had escalated, his brain simply couldn't keep up.
"So… is Uchiha really in charge of the village now?"
Kagami slammed the ground twice more before glancing at the Hokage Rock in the distance.
The proportions looked completely off.
Earlier, he had been able to hear the conversation between the First Hokage and Danzo, but he couldn't speak.
Now that Danzo's control was weakening, he could finally ask his question.
"The Fifth Hokage is doing a great job.
The village is stronger than ever—definitely better than when the Third Hokage was in charge."
Shisui calmly pointed his Mangekyou Sharingan at his ancestor.
He was indeed a descendant of Uchiha Kagami, but not a direct one—more like a granduncle level of relation. When he was little, Kagami had taught him about the Will of Fire, but over time, thanks to the efforts of the Fifth Hokage, that idea had evolved.
Now, the Will of Fire was closer to what Asuma once described—Uchiha had become a flame burning for Konohagakure, and everyone else was the fuel that kept it alive. Only by standing together could the fire shine brighter and illuminate the entire ninja world.
Compared to the past, where sacrifice was emphasized, the focus had now shifted to unity. This change also helped the villagers understand the hearts of the Uchiha.
The Uchiha had never asked for much—they only wanted a fair environment, nothing more. That's why, after Fugaku took charge, he prioritized fairness, gaining recognition from many.
"Konohagakure isn't the same anymore. During the Third Hokage's time, people were either dying on missions or on their way to die, all while having to watch their backs against their own allies. Life was tough."
Shisui was kind and naive, but he wasn't foolish. After witnessing the actions of the Third Hokage and Danzo, he knew these people couldn't be trusted. The village wasn't as peaceful as it seemed—there were dark secrets he hadn't been exposed to yet.
"Hiruzen… he probably had his reasons."
Uchiha Kagami's expression was complicated. He wanted to defend his old friend but couldn't find the right words. He had once believed that Hiruzen and Danzo together would make Konohagakure better, but in reality, it had the opposite effect.
"Alright, Kagami-ojisan, this doesn't matter anymore. Right now, let's focus on dealing with the enemy over there."
Shisui rubbed his tired eyes and smiled as he pointed toward the reanimated corpses in the distance. Although the situation was mostly under control, with sealing teams and Uchiha elites holding their ground, the truth was that the people Danzo had resurrected were all strong.
Shisui didn't want to waste his chakra and stamina fighting his own granduncle.
If Danzo got used to fighting multiple battles at once, and he and Kagami ended up clashing with their Susano'o, a lot of people could get caught in the crossfire.
"I'd love to help, but I'm being controlled… huh?"
Just as Kagami was about to explain, he suddenly realized he had regained his freedom. On top of that, he felt an instinctive urge to obey Shisui's words.
"It's my eye technique. I never got the chance to use it before, but the timing is perfect now."
Using his Kotoamatsukami to free Uchiha Kagami and turn him against the enemy was the best move.
Spending his eye power to protect the village didn't bother him. Besides, thanks to the eye drops given by the clan leader, he could slowly restore his vision. The cooldown time was long, but what was the point of having this power if he didn't use it to protect the village?
"Not bad. That little brat from before has grown up."
Joining Shisui's side, Uchiha Kagami smiled in satisfaction. It seemed that even without the older generation, the village was still in good hands. Knowing this, he could finally rest easy after today.
Amid the vast battlefield, Shisui and Kagami's reunion was just a small part of the bigger picture.
The initial chaos had settled down, and with the coordination between the Uchiha Police Force and the other clans, it was only a matter of time before the conflict was resolved.
Unlike Obito's fury and Danzo's nervous sweating, another figure stood on a high platform, watching the battlefield with a pleased expression—Senju Hashirama.
Just as he had always believed, he only trusted what he saw with his own eyes. No matter how convincing Danzo's words sounded, they were just one-sided claims. As the First Hokage of Konohagakure, he had his own judgment.
He hadn't immediately crushed the reanimated corpses with his Deity Gates because he wanted to take this opportunity to observe how today's Konohagakure would handle a sudden crisis.
Hashirama was confident that even if the village struggled to fight off the attacks, he could still step in and take control of the situation.
But it was clear now—this Konohagakure reassured him.
Everyone worked together seamlessly. The civilians were evacuated efficiently, and those fighting at the front held their ground without hesitation. Their determination to protect the village was unwavering.
This Konohagakure… he was very satisfied with it.
At the same time, he became more curious about the one who had started all of this—the Fifth Hokage.
"This generation's Uchiha is quite capable."
His eyes lingered on the massive Hokage Rock, a thoughtful smile on his face.
If Madara could see his descendants now, he would probably feel proud, wouldn't he?
…Well, maybe not.
He had almost forgotten—Madara had been abandoned by his own clan.
"Well then, since my help isn't needed here… Fifth Hokage, let me see what your true purpose was in lifting the seal on the Uchiha's ultimate weapon."
Hashirama spread out his chakra senses, his expression turning serious as he looked into the distance.
He had always been confident in his overwhelming chakra reserves.
But now, he had to admit—something out there was beyond his understanding.
From a chakra perspective, that thing in the distance was like a newborn sun, radiating an overwhelming brilliance that completely surpassed him.
What was it?
A person?
Or something else entirely?
How could its chakra be so terrifying?
And those golden eyes behind it, glowing like the sun itself…
Could it be that Uchiha Fugaku had already activated the Uchiha clan's ultimate weapon? Did he successfully use the Eight Thousand Spears and transfer all the sealed chakra into one person?
Otherwise, there was no way to explain what was happening!
The First Hokage considered himself well-informed. Even a fully manifested Susano'o from Uchiha Madara wouldn't surprise him. But this…
With a few quick movements, Senju Hashirama appeared at the main entrance of the Uchiha clan's territory.
He never had the habit of taking side entrances. As the God of Shinobi, he believed that walking through the main gate was a sign of respect. But as soon as he stepped inside, he witnessed something rather interesting.
In the courtyard—
Two figures, one older and one younger, seemed to be facing off.
When they noticed him, their reactions were completely different.
The older one, a boy who looked about ten or so, was surprised at first but then quickly accepted it as expected.
The younger one, however, just glanced at him calmly before looking away, as if he wasn't even worth noticing.
That's just how a true show-off behaves.
Even if it was the First Hokage standing there, he wouldn't hesitate to question him. He'd ask how he viewed the Uchiha clan, what he thought about the village and the so-called Will of Fire, and he'd even say outright—"If I don't like your answer, I'll destroy your village."
But that's what made a show-off so captivating.
It didn't matter if he got beaten up afterward—what mattered was whether he looked cool while doing it!
And honestly, Sasuke's question to the First Hokage in the original story wasn't wrong at all.
The village wiped out an entire clan for its sake—so why should anyone believe in it?
Everyone joined Konohagakure to protect their clan and keep it going, but instead, the village itself became the reason their clan was wiped out.
How could anyone not question that?
—
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The two figures didn't stop their face-off just because the First Hokage arrived.
In fact, after confirming that Hashirama was just an observer, Uchiha Itachi only wanted to finish this fight with his brother as quickly as possible so he could go and seal the Uchiha clan's ultimate weapon.
Sasuke, on the other hand, wanted his brother to face reality.
So instead of pausing, their battle officially began the moment Hashirama appeared.
Their blurred figures clashed, scattering fallen leaves on the ground.
Hashirama, who had originally planned to ask for directions, now stood still, watching the fight in shock.
Just now—what was that speed?
And… did he see that right?
Why did that kid have one Byakugan and one Sharingan, both activated at the same time?
And what about that stance?
Since when did the Hyuga clan's Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms involve punching?
The intensity of the fight made Hashirama stop in his tracks, deciding to watch and see how it played out.
—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With his Sharingan and Byakugan both activated, Sasuke's fists became nothing but afterimages as he aimed strike after strike at his brother's lower body.
A slight smile of approval appeared on Itachi's face.
Even though it hadn't been long since their last spar, Sasuke had improved so much.
Sure, as an Uchiha, Sasuke was using a Hyuga clan technique, but seeing his brother grow stronger still made Itachi happy.
But soon—
That approving smile disappeared.
It turned into a serious expression, and sweat began to form on his forehead.
Unlike the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, which focused on hitting chakra points, the Exploding Fist Style aimed for full-contact strikes.
Each punch was faster than the last.
Each punch was stronger than the last.
The final punch had to unleash all the chakra built up from the previous blows—otherwise, the technique wasn't fully executed.
Sasuke had the confidence to use this move at his age because his Byakugan and Sharingan worked together perfectly.
His body control and ability to pinpoint weaknesses were on another level.
—
At first, Itachi could still block and dodge easily.
But as the attacks kept coming, he realized he had to push his Sharingan to the limit just to track Sasuke's movements.
Dodging became harder and harder.
Blocking? Out of the question.
After just a few punches, Itachi's arms were already damaged from trying to guard.
If he kept blocking, he might end up losing a limb.
And honestly, lasting this long already proved Itachi's strength.
Anyone else would've been completely overwhelmed after the first hit, unable to escape the chain of attacks.
But Itachi was a genius.
Using his Sharingan, he managed to turn the situation around—at least slightly.
But only slightly.
Because once Sasuke's speed fully kicked in—
With the Byakugan boosting his coordination and enhancing his physical abilities—
Even if Itachi could see the attacks coming, his body simply couldn't keep up anymore.
He had no choice but to take the hits head-on!
—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From calmly blocking—
To desperately dodging—
To taking blow after blow—
It took only a few seconds.
By the time Sasuke finished the Sixty-Four Strikes, he held his breath, refusing to exhale too quickly.
Instead, he pressed his hands downward, calming his racing heart and suppressing his raging chakra.
Meanwhile, Itachi stood there trembling, his body still shaking as if the punches were still landing.
He looked at his younger brother in disbelief.
Then—
Blood burst from his mouth.
His strength gave out, and he fell to his knees, panting as if he had just survived the brink of death.
But even then—
His eyes stayed locked on Sasuke, filled with shock and confusion.
At that moment, Itachi felt like he was seeing his little brother for the first time.
This Sasuke—
This Sasuke—
Was the same person who had begged him to train with shuriken?
Was he serious?
No… Or rather, how did things end up like this?
He just got beaten up by his younger brother. He should feel proud of Sasuke's growth, but the sense of defeat weighing on him left Itachi's mind completely blank.
"Nii-san."
Sasuke, his chakra and breathing now back under control, took a deep breath and reached out to his brother, who was covered in wounds and coughing up blood.
"Come train shuriken with me."
This was the third time he had said this tonight. It was also the last chance he was giving his brother.
The first two times, Itachi had brushed him off, saying he was still too young to understand. But now? Sasuke had just proved with his own strength that he had the right to step into his brother's world. He wanted Itachi's acknowledgment. He wanted to hear the truth, not be left in the dark while his brother carried everything alone.
"You've grown up, Sasuke… *cough* *cough*!"
Covered in blood, his bones nearly shattered, Itachi struggled to stand. He admitted he had underestimated his little brother—he had also underestimated the Hyuga clan's powerful taijutsu.
Right… If they could strike someone's tenketsu 64 times, then they could probably stab someone with a kunai 64 times… Or land 64 punches… It wasn't all that different.
But Sasuke had also underestimated his will and determination.
"I have to go. I'm sorry, Sasuke."
Feeling the damage to his battered body, Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan gleamed with a strange light.
Sasuke was strong. For his age, he was probably the strongest of Konoha's new generation. Itachi no longer had to worry about his future.
But in the end, this was a battle between Sharingan users.
A crimson chakra erupted from Itachi, spreading out from half of his spine. Slowly, a massive skeletal structure formed, completely surrounding him.
After all, he was Uchiha Itachi. With emotions running this high, it made sense that he instinctively awakened Susano'o.
"The third power."
"If genjutsu doesn't work on you, how will you handle Susano'o's third power?"
Itachi wiped the blood from his lips. His words were harsh, but in the back of his mind, he was thinking—based on Sasuke's strength just now, he should at least be able to use *Rotation*, right?
He should be able to withstand this move.
Although…
Calling this the "third power" was kind of a joke. It wasn't even as strong as Madara's pinky toe.
Standing off to the side, Hashirama swallowed nervously. He wanted to make fun of this younger Uchiha, but at the same time, he started to worry about the kid in front of him.
Even if it was a weaker version, the third power was still the third power. And something like this… wasn't really meant to be fought with fists—
"Holy shit!"
Hashirama let out a startled cry just as Sasuke, completely fed up with his brother's stubbornness, dodged Itachi's Yasaka Magatama in a flash and then threw a fierce punch straight at the red Susano'o.
"Exploding Flame—Divine Sky Strike!"
BOOM!
His burning fist released a surge of fiery chakra, concentrating all of his strength into a single point. The instant it detonated, Susano'o shattered like fragile paper.
Itachi was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed to the ground.
The mark on Sasuke's forehead glowed as the power of the Sun God Seal surged through him. Hashirama, watching from the side, found this energy strangely familiar—like staring into the blazing sun itself.
*Eight Thousand Spears?*
Hashirama wasn't sure. But he knew the secret lay at the heart of the Uchiha clan's territory.
As the dust settled, a blood-soaked figure came into view.
Itachi was at his limit, barely clinging to life. But even as he lay on the ground, he dragged himself forward, his gaze fixed on the door behind Sasuke—his eyes still holding onto a final glimmer of light.
His goal remained the same. Nothing had changed.
Sasuke still couldn't bring himself to kill his brother. At the end of the day, he was just a seven-year-old child. Itachi had taken care of him since he was little. He could throw a punch to stop Itachi from making a mistake, but he just couldn't deliver a killing blow.
"If you take another step forward, I won't consider you my brother anymore!"
Sasuke gave his final warning, but Itachi only paused for a brief moment before continuing forward.
This time, Sasuke was completely heartbroken. As a child, he couldn't hold back his tears. He covered his face and ran out the door.
And with that, the intense battle between brothers came to an end.
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