"You already knew everything, huh!" Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh, his expression complex.
"Itachi died by my hand, and later I learned about his past from others..." Sasuke suddenly shot his head up and glared directly at The Third. "But I still want to hear everything about Itachi from your own mouth!"
Hiruzen sighed and said, "He was an extraordinary child. At seven years old, he could already think like a Hokage, transcending narrow clan chauvinism with his mindset. And not only was his mind brilliant—his abilities matched his intellect. He always completed the village's missions flawlessly!"
"That's why I entrusted him with the task of preventing the Uchiha rebellion. He didn't disappoint me. He eliminated his own clansmen to stop the rebellion, single-handedly nipping a potential war in the bud. And by infiltrating the Akatsuki as a spy, his only request was for me to protect you within the village!"
"So it really was like that... Haha..." Sasuke gave a nervous laugh. "That bastard was always like this..."
Seiki suddenly sighed, "This world's seriously messed up!"
The Third slightly frowned. "Lord Seiki, you—"
Seiki spoke solemnly, "Konoha has existed for so many years, and the only clan rebellion was the Uchiha's. Does that mean they have greater ambitions than other clans? That they're born as ungrateful jackals?"
Tobirama calmly replied, "Only a portion of jackals is enough. Those rebels who follow Madara's ideology will lead the entire Uchiha clan into ruin!"
"No, it was you, the Second, who actually led the Uchiha into ruin," Orochimaru chuckled. "Thanks to your policies, the Uchiha clan was assigned to the police force, and the leadership used the excuse of monitoring criminals to colocate the Police Force and the prison, openly pushing them into the corners of the village. With treatment like this, of course it fueled the growth of those rebellious thoughts!"
Hashirama frowned at Tobirama. "Didn't I tell you? Trust is the cornerstone of the village!"
Tobirama narrowed his eyes. "The Uchiha aren't worth trusting!"
Seiki sighed again. "Just like the Uchiha in my world, they were actually forced into rebellion!"
The Third curiously asked, "Lord Seiki, how did you handle it then?"
Seiki replied, "On the day they planned to start the rebellion, I went to their gathering place alone, beat them all up, and then announced I'd improve their conditions. Something like that, basically."
Everyone stared in shock—they had expected Seiki to pull off some clever plan to defuse the crisis.
Never did they imagine it would be this straightforward and brutal!
The Third's eyes widened. "You beat up the entire Uchiha clan by yourself?"
Seiki nodded. "If news of the rebellion had spread, it would've stripped the Uchiha of their standing in the village. Therefore, suppressing them had to be done by myself alone!"
The Third awkwardly chuckled, "No way, no way!"
Sasuke was deeply moved—Lord Seiki actually went in alone to ensure the Uchiha wouldn't face discrimination!
Compared to Lord Seiki, the Konoha elders and his own brother were utter trash!
Seiki continued, "The reason I believe this world is sick goes beyond the forced transformation of people into rebels. It's also because of the absurd actions of Itachi Uchiha!"
The Third asked in confusion, "Was Itachi's approach problematic?"
Seiki replied, "Even if he was trying to stop a rebellion, he should've just taken out the main fighters. What ability could children and elderly people possibly have to start a rebellion? Rather than stopping a rebellion, he was just indulging in a one-sided fantasy of protecting Sasuke!"
"Yeah, yeah! Why did the children and elderly have to be killed too?" Naruto frowned, his liking for Itachi instantly plummeting to rock bottom.
Suigyuu shivered slightly, thinking to himself, "These two really are ruthless. Even Zabuza looks mild in comparison!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth. He had no idea how to face that man anymore!
Was Itachi really trying to stop a rebellion?
Or was he using the prevention of rebellion as an excuse to eliminate threats ahead of time, ensuring his own absolute safety?
Seiki sighed, "Even though all this is absurd, no one has ever raised an objection. Perhaps this mistaken and chaotic ideology is the true source of this world's suffering!"
Hiruzen and Minato looked thoughtful, while Tobirama frowned deeply. Hashirama clapped his hands excitedly, "Even someone as kind as Madara was rejected simply because of his dark demeanor, eventually leading him down the path of destruction. It's definitely because everyone's mindset was flawed!"
Seiki became serious, "Maybe changing people's mindsets is my real mission in this timeline!"
...
On the tip of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, located in Rain Country's underground base.
Obito looked up at the statue's seven open eyes and calmly asked, "With the Eight-Tails' octopus tentacles and the Nine-Tails' chakra from the Gold and Silver Brothers, the Ten-Tails should be able to awaken at least partially, right?"
Black Zetsu stood beside him, asking, "Are you planning to use the Ten-Tails from the get-go?"
Obito said calmly, "Perhaps transforming directly into a jinchuriki would also be a decent option!"
"Now?" Black Zetsu asked in surprise. "You've just transplanted the Rinnegan and haven't had time to adapt to its power yet. Merging with the Ten-Tails so quickly might mean you won't be able to suppress its consciousness!"
Obito replied solemnly, "Kakashi exposed my identity. That man saw through my heart. Even worse, the White Zetsu I used to monitor Sasuke was discovered and used as a sacrifice for Impure World Reincarnation. These incidents give me a bad feeling. It's always better to be prepared in advance!"
Black Zetsu nodded, "Indeed, we need to be careful and vigilant! By the way, Kabuto is now preparing to revive Madara. Shall we go check out his demonstration?"
"Madara, huh..." Obito narrowed his eyes. "Since I caused him to lose his eyes, I should at least apologize to him in person!"
Outside, a row of coffins was arranged.
Kabuto sat cross-legged on the ground, his snake-like tail twitching, eyes gleaming with excitement, "How exciting! One by one, powerful ninja are being revived through my hands. Once I control them, it's as if I control the entire world!"
Then he sighed slightly, "Unfortunately, Orochimaru is sealed. Otherwise, a reincarnated Orochimaru would have been the best choice!"
With the Hand Seal completed, the coffin lids fell open.
One by one, powerful figures stepped out from the coffins!
"Huh? Didn't I already die?" Kakuzu looked down at his hands.
"Is this… the Impure World Reincarnation?" Itachi's voice was low and grim.
"Impure World Reincarnation?" Sasori asked calmly, "Compared to a puppet, which one is more eternal?"
"Eternal or not, I'm definitely in better shape than before!" Deidara quipped, then turned to Nagato, his white hair standing out. "Hey, what's your deal, bro? Isn't this supposed to be a posthumous gathering of Akatsuki members?"
Nagato glanced at him. "I am your leader."
Deidara suddenly jumped in shock. "You mean Pain — did someone drain you to death? You look so weak! I've heard rumors about guys getting kidnapped as breeding stock for powerful Kekkei. I never thought our leader would end up like that!"
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>