In just a short period, the entire shinobi world had shifted once again.
Amegakure, in alliance with Orochimaru, had launched a devastating attack on Konohagakure and emerged victorious. Nearly the entire village had been taken away, leaving behind only Jiraiya, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, and the remnants of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, struggling to survive.
At first glance, it seemed like there were still five notable clans left, giving an impression of strength. But two critical factors had to be considered:
First, these clans had already suffered heavy losses through multiple conflicts.
Second, the majority of a village's population was always composed of ordinary shinobi and civilians. Nearly ninety percent of them had followed Deidara and his group to Amegakure.
As a result, Konohagakure had become eerily empty, resembling a ghost town, barely any different from a small shinobi village.
Why hadn't they taken the remaining survivors?
Deidara had two reasons. First, he feared the Sage of Six Paths and dared not provoke Naruto and Sasuke. Second, these were the most stubborn loyalists—forcing them into Amegakure would only disrupt the village's harmony and atmosphere.
They were insignificant either way.
Naturally, Jiraiya became the Sixth Hokage. However, during his inauguration, there wasn't even a trace of joy on his face.
Akatsuki was too strong. Even Konoha at its peak couldn't defeat them—let alone now.
No, he had to seek help from Mount Myōboku. And Naruto—if he truly was the Child of Prophecy, then no matter how dire the situation, he would find a way to create a miracle.
But as he recalled Nagato's words from that day, he hesitated. Was Akatsuki truly evil? Should he continue following the path laid out by the Great Toad Sage?
Jiraiya wavered slightly, but his lifelong beliefs couldn't be so easily shaken. He quickly buried his doubts deep in his heart.
Yet, in focusing so much on Naruto, he overlooked another person—Uchiha Sasuke.
Seeing Konoha in decline, Sasuke had no reason to stay. There was no power to be gained here, and without power, he could not exact vengeance on that man.
Thus, he decided to seek strength elsewhere. After careful consideration, he realized his only choice was Orochimaru.
During the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru had clearly shown interest in him. And among the powerful figures Sasuke knew, Orochimaru was the only viable option.
Akatsuki had many strong members, but since they were aligned with that man, going to them would be a death sentence.
And so, on the day of Jiraiya's Hokage inauguration, Sasuke quietly slipped out of the village. With Konoha's defenses in shambles, no one was patrolling. It wasn't until the next day, when Naruto and Sakura couldn't find Sasuke, that his absence was discovered.
...
"I have to bring Sasuke back!" Naruto shouted.
Jiraiya grabbed him firmly, his face weary beyond concealment.
"Idiot! The most important thing right now is for you to become stronger."
"Tomorrow, I'm taking you to Mount Myōboku. The two great sages will personally guide your training."
"But what about Sasuke?" Naruto was still unwilling to let go.
"If you don't have the strength, how will you bring him back?" Jiraiya countered.
"…Fine." Naruto, though frustrated, reluctantly agreed.
...
Otogakure.
Sasuke was still on his way, but that didn't mean Otogakure was quiet.
Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Kisame, Kakuzu, and Hidan—six Akatsuki members—had gathered here. But they weren't here to cause trouble for Orochimaru.
They were here to collect their payment.
Orochimaru licked his lips with a sinister expression. This had turned into a massive loss for him. Akatsuki had planned to destroy Konoha anyway, but because he couldn't resist joining in, he now had to pay a hefty sum.
Kakuzu and Hidan were the easiest to deal with—Kakuzu only wanted money, and he agreed to take Hidan's share as well.
But the others required different forms of compensation. For instance, Itachi had no interest in money.
Fortunately, among the spoils of war, Orochimaru had found some rather valuable items—enough to cover part of the payment.
"All done." Orochimaru stepped aside, observing Itachi's body as it stabilized.
Thanks to Danzo, Orochimaru had obtained a perfect version of Hashirama's cells. With his expertise, he quickly mastered the replication process.
After successfully testing it on Kimimaro, Itachi became the second recipient.
As he pulled his shirt back on, covering the grotesque face embedded in his chest, Itachi felt an overwhelming surge of power. His body no longer suffered from weakness, his vision had sharpened, and his illness was completely cured.
Hashirama's cells had perfectly resolved both his genetic disease and his Sharingan's strain.
The enhancements Hashirama's cells provided to the Sharingan were terrifying. Look at Obito—he never obtained the Eternal Mangekyō, yet thanks to the perfect Hashirama cells, he could spam Kamui without any concern for eye fatigue.
And now, Itachi was the same. Soon, Nagato would undergo the procedure, and even Kakashi would receive the enhancement. Once their ocular abilities could be used without limits, Akatsuki's strength would surge once more.
"How do you feel, Itachi-san?" Kisame was the first to approach.
"Not bad," Itachi replied, his tone unusually energized.
"Well, now there's no need for brotherly slaughter anymore," Deidara remarked. "If your foolish little brother gets the Hashirama cell treatment, his Mangekyō will also be limitless—no need to fuse it for the Eternal Mangekyō."
Itachi shot Deidara a cold glance. "That foolish little brother of mine is merely a tool to test my strength—a spare pair of eyes. Nothing more."
"Oh, in that case, the next time I see your foolish little brother, I'll make sure to give him a proper beating."
"No, I should just kill him outright. You don't need his eyes anymore anyway." Deidara feigned innocence.
Sasori's voice followed. "Perhaps I should turn him into a human puppet, Itachi. I'll gift him to you—you'd love it."
"No, I'd rather offer him as a sacrifice to Jashin." Hidan interjected.
"Shut up, Hidan."
"I'll take his heart," Kakuzu added. "He may be weak, but as Itachi's brother, I'm curious about his heart."
"I'd like to taste his chakra." Kisame grinned.
Itachi: "…"
Damn it, why was I so edgy back then? What kind of nonsense plan was this?!
Orochimaru, watching from the side, smirked and licked his lips.
"Why not just give Sasuke's body to me, Itachi? You don't need it anymore."
Tsukuyomi!
The Mangekyō flared, this time without a single drop of bloodshed. In an instant, Orochimaru collapsed, gasping on the ground.
He had just endured an unimaginable nightmare within the Tsukuyomi realm. The fact that he hadn't suffered complete mental collapse was already impressive.
Uchiha Itachi, you bastard! Orochimaru seethed internally. Can't take a joke? If you're that angry, go after them! Why pick on me?!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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