The moment Naruto appeared, the killing intent radiating from Itachi Uchiha surged violently. His gaze was fixed dead on Naruto, while memories of the past with Sasuke flashed incessantly through his mind.
The Sasuke of the past had been so adorable, worshipping him with every fiber of his being.
According to his plan, Sasuke would have grown up smoothly. Although the process would have been painful, in the end, he would have possessed Itachi's eyes, awakened a new Mangekyo Sharingan, and perhaps even broken through the limits of the Sharingan itself.
Sasuke was supposed to become the glory of the Uchiha, the clan's number one ninja.
But he didn't know when it started—Sasuke had changed, and variables had appeared in his plan.
Sasuke no longer took pride in the Uchiha; he had even discarded the Uchiha name.
No matter how many times Itachi replayed the events in his mind, he couldn't understand why Sasuke had undergone such a drastic change.
His heart simply couldn't accept the reality: he was actually the primary culprit behind Sasuke's transformation.
To admit that was too difficult.
It was difficult enough to overturn all his past efforts.
It would mean that everything he had done was an exercise in futility.
Itachi's pride would not allow him to admit his failure, so in the end, he could only pin all the blame on Naruto.
It must have been Naruto who showed Sasuke the power of a Zanpakuto, giving birth to admiration in his heart.
Furthermore, Naruto must have made Sasuke realize the limitations of his eyes, leading him to finally decide to abandon the Uchiha and throw himself into the embrace of Reiatsu.
Little did he know, Sasuke had given up a forest for a single tree.
Itachi's chest was filled with a rage that was instantly ignited by Naruto.
"Naruto Uzumaki!!" he gritted out through clenched teeth.
If not for Naruto, the current Sasuke would surely already possess the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and be fighting for Konoha.
If not for Naruto, the current Sasuke would surely have grown into a supreme powerhouse according to his plan!!
Now, it was all too late.
Looking at the furious Itachi, the corners of Naruto's mouth curled into a mocking arc. "I was wondering who it was; it turns out it's Sasuke's brother. Are you accustomed to using Sasuke's eyes? Do you want to be the Seireitei's dog? If I'm in a good mood, I might consider resurrecting your parents."
"I must remind you, Naruto-kun, his parents have already made their second trip to the Pure Land. My personal suggestion is to stop tormenting them," Orochimaru said gloomily, emerging from the shifting sand with a pale face and a sinister smile.
"Did Sasuke Uchiha's brother kill his parents again? That's quite a bold vision. I think he's very suitable for the Seireitei." Naruto tilted his head. He hadn't thought of Itachi's name for a long time, so he conversed with Orochimaru with a playful air.
"What I mean is, Fugaku and Mikoto have decent strength. If they become Shinigami, they will both be respectable Kage-level combatants. But Itachi seems addicted to killing his parents. I'm afraid he'll kill Fugaku and Mikoto again, and then we'd lose two Kage-level assets," Orochimaru explained with a straight face.
"Addicted to killing... Sasuke's brother really is terrifying."
Listening to their exchange, the four Kage wore bizarre expressions, while Itachi was so angry his face turned red. His Mangekyo Sharingan spun madly.
Tsukuyomi!
However, Naruto remained as calm as the wind and light clouds. Instead, it was Itachi who let out a muffled groan. Blood streamed from his eyes as he staggered back several steps, looking at Naruto with a gaze that now held a trace of fear.
The instant he used Tsukuyomi, his spirit felt as if it had been mercilessly snapped by a giant hand. The Tsukuyomi dimension shattered completely before it could even open.
The tsunami-like mental impact inflicted heavy trauma upon him instantly.
How can Naruto Uzumaki be this strong?!
Itachi was horrified.
The Naruto he saw this time was several times stronger than in the past.
It had been less than a year—why was his progress so massive?
If Naruto was allowed to continue growing, who in the future could possibly compare to him?
And Sasuke... he actually deluded himself into thinking he could catch up to Naruto? Possessing the Sharingan was so unbearable, but after losing it, he would be left even further in the dust!
Seeing Itachi heavily injured, the four Kage exchanged glances, all seeing the fear in each other's eyes.
They understood Itachi's strength; it was equal to or higher than theirs. Yet, in front of Naruto, he couldn't withstand a single blow.
It seemed there were no longer any ninja in the current world who could compare to Naruto.
Unless...
They brought back the God of Shinobi from the past...
Tsunade's eyes lit up, but then immediately dimmed.
Current Konoha had not yet fully mastered the forbidden jutsu, Edo Tensei.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so passive in this war.
The four Kage shielded Itachi behind them. They exchanged glances, all resolving themselves to death.
But even if they died, they had to protect Itachi Uchiha.
Because Itachi was currently the only ninja with significant room for growth, and the hope of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Facing the four Kage, who were on high alert below, Naruto spoke indifferently. "No need to be nervous. I will let you leave."
His words confused the four Kage. Before they could process it, they heard Naruto continue.
"The Allied Shinobi Forces' raid on the Seireitei this time can be considered a success; the Seireitei suffered some losses. To be honest, you did well. As a reward, I won't kill you, because you are too weak. You don't even qualify to relieve my boredom yet. Three months. I will give you three months to reorganize and research forbidden jutsu. Three months from now, I will lead the Seireitei to directly attack your ninja villages. Be prepared to face death."
"Sasuke's brother, you are too weak. If this is the upper limit of the Sharingan, then you will never defeat Sasuke in this lifetime, let alone defeat me. As the only remaining Uchiha, you don't want the Uchiha to become nothing more than history, do you? Hurry up and get stronger. Abandon your pathetic dignity and glory, and snatch every opportunity to become stronger like a dog."
"As for Nagato, consider him our spoils of war from the Seireitei's victory." Naruto waved his Zanpakuto slightly.
In the next moment, raging flames dyed the sky crimson. The searing light and intense heat forced everyone to look away.
Boom.
A pillar of fire crashed down, directly enveloping the four Kage and Itachi.
"However, while the death penalty can be avoided, living punishment is inevitable. Since you had the resolve to attack the Seireitei, then endure the pain of having your pride trampled."
"Earth Style: Multiple Mud Wall!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
"Amaterasu!"
Various defensive ninjutsu were deployed, but they were completely unable to stop the pervasive flames.
The four Kage and Itachi didn't even have time to scream.
When the flames dissipated, the skin of all of them had been completely burned and ulcerated.
The flames of Ryūjin Jakka hadn't damaged their internal organs, only completely destroying their outer skin.
Even if their new skin grew back, their entire bodies would be covered in burn scars.
For the women who cared about their appearance, this was undoubtedly a punishment more cruel than death.
"Lady Tsunade." Katsuyu immediately split into clones to heal everyone.
"Katsuyu." Naruto looked at the giant slug. "Are you sure you want to help them?"
"Stop this, Naruto." Katsuyu looked at Naruto, anger in her eyes.
She had a friendship spanning decades with Tsunade and understood Tsunade's character. Conversely, she didn't know Naruto well. Influenced by what she heard and saw from Tsunade, she assumed Naruto was a heinous criminal, so she naturally stood on Tsunade's side.
Katsuyu was different from the other two Sages; she yearned for peace and had a simpler nature. She wasn't as cunning as the Great Toad Sage, nor as cruel as the White Snake Sage.
"It seems that is your answer. Very well, take them and go." Naruto added Katsuyu to his mandatory kill list.
Watching Katsuyu leave with the four Kage and Itachi, Naruto's eyes flickered.
The first step of the plan was complete. As long as the hidden dangers of the Summoning Realm were cleared, the obstacles would be much fewer.
However, what Naruto was wary of was still the Sage of Six Paths hiding in the shadows.
Even when the Allied Shinobi Forces were routed, the Sage of Six Paths still remained hidden in the dark.
Was he truly unable to act, or was he observing and waiting for the right moment?
Naruto hated the unknown; he liked to have everything in the palm of his hand.
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