"Once, I believed you should at least prioritize Konoha's interests above all else, but…"
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, reflected on what he had learned from his counterpart in another world. They had somehow traveled into a parallel timeline of the Nine-Tails' Rampage. In this world, he had witnessed Danzō Shimura negotiating with the masked man to suppress the Uchiha clan, preventing them from joining the front lines.
At first glance, Danzō's reasoning seemed righteous, fearing the Uchiha might seize control of the Nine-Tails and use it to dominate the village.
However, having personally experienced Pain's attack on Konoha during his own time travel journey, how could Minato not see that Danzō Shimura had maliciously killed the messenger toad of Mount Myōboku? He had stopped Root ninjas from protecting Konoha, all to further his own ambitions.
Danzō had even schemed to remove the Fifth Hokage from office, attempting to seize the position for himself!
"You'll stop at nothing to become Hokage!" Minato glared at him.
"Only by treating every comrade in Konoha like family—an extension of yourself—and defending them with everything you have, can one truly become Hokage. A man like you will never truly be Hokage."
Minato's words struck Danzō Shimura like a knife. In fury, Danzō roared, "You, who faked your death, have no right to judge me!"
Before he could finish, Danzō had already formed hand seals and unleashed a ninjutsu at Minato: "Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
"Leave him to me, Fourth Hokage," a sudden voice interrupted.
It was Itachi Uchiha.
Having witnessed Shisui Uchiha pour all his hopes into a mission, only to be betrayed by Danzō's manipulation of his Sharingan, Itachi of Akatsuki stood stoic. His expression revealed no emotion, but those who knew him could sense the fury boiling within.
Minato nodded in acknowledgment to Itachi.
Sasuke, though reluctant, couldn't deny how resolute Itachi looked. Each time Itachi displayed such cold determination, it left a lasting psychological scar on him.
For example, when he confronted those clan members who falsely accused him of killing Shisui, and inserted a kunai into the fan-shaped weapon of the Uchiha clan.
Or that moonlit night, when Itachi unflinchingly slaughtered his own family.
Scanning the area, he spotted the wounded Shisui and immediately leaped toward him.
Naruto, Obito, Sakura, and Rin followed closely behind.
"We're Medical-nin," Sakura and Rin said, extending their hands to treat Shisui Uchiha with the Mystical Palm Technique.
"Thank you."
Upon hearing Sasuke's voice, Shisui Uchiha let down his guard.
"Ah, you're that genius Shisui?" Obito asked, observing the young Uchiha.
Obito should have been a few years older than Shisui, as they had grown up in the same era. Shisui was the grandson of Kagami Uchiha, a renowned prodigy within the clan. Obito, an orphan, had never stood a chance of comparing to him.
Hearing Obito's question, Shisui carefully examined the black-haired boy before him, whose goggles rested atop his Konoha forehead protector.
"Obito…Uchiha?!!"
As the Fourth Hokage-sama walked over with them, Shisui thought that if even the Fourth was still alive, then Obito's survival wouldn't be so unbelievable.
But if Obito was still alive, shouldn't he be the same age as Kakashi in ANBU?
At that moment, young Kakashi stood next to young Obito. "We come from a parallel world. In your world, Minato-sensei really did die during the Nine-Tails incident. I'm Kakashi. This idiot here is Obito Uchiha. And this is Rin, and Minato... from the time of the Kannabi Bridge."
Shisui's mind raced as he quickly absorbed and processed young Kakashi's words.
He completely hid the surprise in his eyes and then turned to the boy who appeared to be at least eleven or twelve years old, asking, "And you?"
Sasuke's throat was dry and hoarse. "The future."
Shisui Uchiha seemed to see right through him. "It appears to be a rather unfavorable future."
"..." Sasuke remained silent.
Over to the side, Itachi Uchiha was locked in battle with Danzō Shimura.
In their world, Danzō had been stripped of his Sharingan and the arm containing Hashirama's cells by two Hokage, leading to his strict confinement. Itachi, who had just regained his identity, had not yet had a chance to vent his fury toward Danzō. Thus, witnessing Shisui wounded in this world, Itachi released all the anger he had harbored for Danzō in his own timeline.
Because Danzō still had one of Shisui's eyes, Itachi refrained from using lethal techniques like Amaterasu. He also avoided techniques like Tsukuyomi, which could end the battle in an instant.
Instead, he deliberately used Fire Release and shuriken to pressure Danzō Shimura, forcing him to break the seal on his right arm.
At that time, the Uchiha clan had not yet been annihilated. Therefore, in this world, Danzō Shimura's arm had not yet been embedded with eleven three-tomoe Sharingan eyes.
But when that arm—bearing the face of Hashirama Senju—was revealed, the sight of four Sharingan eyes made Shisui Uchiha, who had once trusted Konoha and its leadership without question, pale with shock!
"Sharingan?!" Shisui exclaimed. "To use Hashirama-sama's power to suppress the Uchiha's Sharingan?!" His voice was filled with disbelief, and the sorrow for his clan's suffering echoed in his words.
Sasuke clenched his fists, watching Danzō Shimura fight Itachi Uchiha.
"Only four, huh."
Shisui didn't understand what Sasuke meant by "only," but before he could ask, Sasuke continued.
"After the Uchiha clan was wiped out, he had eleven Sharingan implanted in his arm! And the right eye—it seems to have been replaced with your Mangekyō Sharingan!"
The left eye that remained intact in Shisui's face widened abruptly, its pupil trembling violently within its socket!
The Uchiha clan was wiped out?!
Given their ages, it was clear that Itachi and Sasuke before him came from the future. What exactly had these two brothers experienced in that future?!!
The pain in Sasuke's eyes.
The despair in Itachi's eyes.
How much had the boy Shisui had once regarded as his younger brother endured to grow into the young man standing before him?!
Itachi, who had long since lost hope in Danzō Shimura, shared the same belief as the Fourth Hokage—that Danzō would never bring stability to Konoha. Instead, he would ally with external enemies, create new threats, and bring disaster to the village, paving the way for enemies like Pain to rise against it...
Such leaders and elders in Konoha were better off not existing!
With both Minato Namikaze standing side by side, no Root Division ninja dared approach to harm Shisui or Sasuke.
One was the man whose presence during the Third Shinobi World War commanded respect from the Kage of other villages. The other was the legitimate Fourth Hokage. The oppressive aura radiating from their combined presence kept the Root ninja frozen in place, preventing them from coming to Danzō Shimura's aid against Itachi Uchiha!
When Danzō Shimura's agonized scream rang out—his already-blinded right eye ripped from its socket by Itachi's brutal nerve extraction—one of the Root agents kneeled in submission before the Fourth Hokage, performing a half-kneel in respect.
Itachi had refrained from using lethal moves, saving the Sharingan's power to avoid wasting its energy on resurrection.
Thus, when the second Sharingan was taken, the crimson eye still reflected the terror and hatred of someone freshly plucked from the living Uchiha's socket.
Danzō Shimura gestured to the Root agents behind him to assist him.
No one responded.
Turning around, he saw that all the Root agents had defected to the Fourth Hokage's side.
Just as Minato Namikaze had said...
"…~No one will ever truly accept you. You can never become a real Hokage."
Children forcibly taken from noble families, snatched from orphanages, or recruited by coercion and promises from the Hokage's ANBU or other units.
They were merely subjugated by threats and bribery.
"Damn it!!"
Danzō roared. With a feint, he attempted to press Shisui Uchiha's eye against his own right eye socket.
With the First Hokage-sama's cells in him, fusing the eye's nerves required no medical procedure!
Seeing this, Itachi Uchiha's usually expressionless face finally flickered with anger. He held nothing back!
"Susanoo!!"
Sasuke: "!!!"
Shisui: "!!"
Naruto, Sakura, Obito, and others: "!!!"
Susanoo...?!
…
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