Rainfall Village.
The rain fell without pause, a thin, relentless drizzle that soaked everything beneath the gray sky. Clouds pressed low overhead, smothering the land in shadow. Though it was broad daylight, not a single trace of sunlight broke through, and the air itself felt heavy and suffocating.
Da da da!
Footsteps splashed against the muddy road as a group of figures rushed through the downpour. At the front were three people with distinct hair colors, yellow, red, and blue.
They were Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, the leaders of the Akatsuki.
Moments earlier, Akatsuki had received news that a nearby village had been reduced to ruins by the war. Without hesitation, they moved to provide aid.
Stop the war. Bring peace to the world.
Buzz!
Just after their figures vanished down the street, space itself twisted unnaturally where they had passed. A spiraling vortex formed out of thin air, and a man wrapped in White Zetsu's grotesque disguise emerged from within it.
At the same time, another presence surfaced from the ground. His body was split down the middle, half black and half white, with plant-like growths clinging to him like pitcher vines.
They were , who now acted in the shadows under the name Madara Uchiha, and his constant companion, Black and White Zetsu.
"It seems Nagato and the others have gone off again to chase their idea of peace," Black and White Zetsu said, watching the retreating figures. "Their faith really is unshakable."
Obito said nothing. The single eye exposed beneath his mask darkened slightly, revealing clear displeasure.
For over a year, Obito had guided Nagato, the wielder of the Rinnegan, according to Madara's instructions, all to bring the Moon Eye Plan to fruition. Yet the results had been far from satisfying.
Nagato was naive.
No, it was not just Nagato. Everyone in Akatsuki clung to childish ideals, as foolish as believing peace could simply exist if one wished hard enough.
Peace in this world was nothing but a fantasy.
"You should not have interfered and altered Lord Madara's original plan," Black and White Zetsu said coldly. "Deception and manipulation would have been far more effective."
Obito had chosen to reveal the truth directly. Because of that, Yahiko and the others saw him as nothing more than a liar, and progress had stalled.
"It doesn't matter," Obito replied, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.
"When the day comes that their beliefs collapse, they will understand."
Black and White Zetsu turned to him, surprised. "So you already have something in mind?"
"Of course," Obito said calmly. "Otherwise, why do you think I have allowed the Mist Village and the Leaf Village to continue bleeding each other dry?"
A low, distorted chuckle escaped Black and White Zetsu. "Heh. That does sound promising. I am looking forward to it."
Leaf Village.
Hospital.
"Wah! Wah! Wah!"
The powerful cries of a newborn echoed through the corridor, carrying far beyond the closed doors. Outside, the hallway was packed with members of the Uchiha clan.
Today was no ordinary day.
It was the day Fugaku Uchiha's son was born.
For the Uchiha, this was an event worth celebrating.
"He's born!"
"Clan Head, the child has arrived!"
"Listen to that cry, strong and full of life!"
Excited voices overlapped, the atmosphere no different from a festival. Even Fugaku Uchiha himself released a long breath he had been holding back.
Beside him, Itachi Uchiha, usually composed beyond his years, showed a rare flicker of joy in his eyes.
Creak.
The door opened, and a nurse stepped out, carefully holding a swaddled infant.
"Clan Head Uchiha, congratulations. It is a healthy boy."
Fugaku gently took the baby into his arms before asking, "And my wife?"
"The madam is in excellent condition."
"Thank you for your hard work," Fugaku said sincerely.
"Sasuke is born."
Standing among the crowd, Ryūjin Uchiha stared at the child in Fugaku's arms, his emotions impossible to put into words.
As someone who had once been nothing more than a Naruto fan, witnessing Sasuke Uchiha's birth with his own eyes carried a strange weight.
"So this is what it feels like," Ryūjin thought quietly. "I really am watching history unfold."
After comforting the baby for a while, Fugaku entered the delivery room with Itachi to see Mikoto Uchiha. The rest of the clan members gradually dispersed.
Inside the room, Fugaku smiled warmly. "Mikoto, look at him. His eyes and chin look just like yours."
Mikoto smiled through lingering tears and gently brushed Sasuke's cheek. After a moment, she spoke softly. "Fugaku, we should give him a name."
Fugaku considered it briefly. "Sasuke Uchiha."
Mikoto nodded without hesitation. "Sasuke. That's perfect."
She turned her gaze toward Itachi. "Itachi, this is your younger brother. From now on, you must protect him."
Itachi straightened, his expression serious. "I promise, Mother. I will protect him, even if it costs me my life."
Had Ryūjin been present, he would have stopped him right there.
You do not say things like that so casually. That kind of talk never ends well.
Once it was confirmed that both mother and child were safe, the remaining clan members finally returned to their routines. Ryūjin did the same, resuming his patrol duties within the Leaf Village, keeping his usual low profile.
Before long, he found himself near the village archives.
"System, sign in here."
"Ding. Sign-in successful. Reward acquired: one thousand explosive tags."
The familiar notification echoed in his mind.
Ryūjin sighed. "Explosive tags again. I probably have enough stored up to level half the village."
With his current strength, tools like explosive tags were hardly necessary. Unless combined with forbidden techniques such as Mutual Exploding Tags, they were more trouble than they were worth.
Still, he shrugged. "Better than nothing."
The rest of the day passed without incident. After eating, he trained with Might Guy. In the evening, he returned to the Uchiha compound and attended a lavish banquet held in celebration of the clan head's newborn son.
Laughter, food, and sake filled the night.
A few peaceful days later, Ryūjin received a message.
"Ryūjin, report to the Hokage Building. There is a mission for you."
"Understood."
Ryūjin did not hesitate. He set off immediately, already speculating whether the war situation had shifted again. During the Third Great Ninja War, he had been dispatched more than once for battlefield support or logistics.
If the village needed him again, then so be it.
===
If you want to read more, there are up to 80 chapters available on patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph