Chapter 9: The Uchiha Konoha Once Recognised
[Kai: Uchiha Sasuke.]
Three simple words appeared across the heavens.
Yet the entire shinobi world fell silent.
From the Five Great Nations to the smallest hidden villages, countless living beings and souls in the Pure Land stared at the name surrounded by brilliant golden radiance.
It was different from every other name that had appeared within the Worldwide Chat.
Hashirama Senju's name possessed no such radiance.
Madara Uchiha's name possessed no such radiance.
Even the names of the Sage of Six Paths and his sons had never appeared in this manner.
The golden light did not merely distinguish Kai as another participant.
It proclaimed his supremacy.
Inside the Empire of Hope, Uchiha Ryu lowered his head.
Around him, countless citizens bowed simultaneously.
Their emperor had finally spoken.
In the deepest chamber beneath the Naka Shrine, Sasuke stared at the message through tear-filled Sharingan eyes.
His lips trembled.
Kai had heard him.
The mysterious emperor who had ruled the Empire of Hope for more than eight hundred years had personally acknowledged his plea.
Sasuke waited desperately for another message.
None came.
Kai had spoken his name.
Nothing more.
For several breaths, Sasuke did not understand.
Had Kai accepted him?
Had he refused?
Was he merely amused by the desperation of a child?
Sasuke's bloodied fingers curled against the ancient stone floor.
Before he could speak again, Danzō's name appeared.
[Danzō Shimura: Kai, this matter does not concern you.]
The golden name remained motionless.
There was no response.
Danzō narrowed his visible eye.
He had expected the mysterious emperor to answer him.
Instead, Kai ignored his words as though they had never appeared.
[Danzō Shimura: Uchiha Sasuke is a shinobi of Konohagakure.]
[Danzō Shimura: He is bound to this village by law and duty.]
[Danzō Shimura: No foreign ruler possesses the authority to interfere with Konoha's internal affairs.]
Kai still did not respond.
The silence was not hesitant.
It was not fearful.
It carried an indifference more humiliating than any insult.
Kai had acknowledged Sasuke, a boy trapped beneath Konoha.
Yet he would not acknowledge one of Konoha's elders.
Danzō's expression hardened.
Around him, Root shinobi remained kneeling, awaiting his orders.
"Continue searching the shrine," he commanded. "Break through every barrier if necessary."
One masked shinobi hesitated.
"The Hokage ordered that the boy remain unharmed."
"I did not order you to harm him."
Danzō's voice became cold.
"Bring Sasuke to me alive. His eyes must remain intact."
The Root operative bowed.
"Yes, Lord Danzō."
At the Naka Shrine, several Root members moved deeper into the underground meeting chamber.
They examined the stone tablet, the walls and every ancient Uchiha seal they could locate.
Anbu squads surrounded the shrine from outside.
Kakashi arrived moments later, landing upon its damaged roof.
"Report."
An Anbu captain appeared beside him.
"We found evidence that Sasuke entered the shrine, but his trail ends beneath the meeting chamber. Sensory techniques cannot locate him."
"What about the Byakugan?"
"The seals beneath the shrine distort chakra perception. The Hyūga can see portions of several underground chambers, but something deeper remains concealed."
Kakashi's visible eye sharpened.
"Has Root entered?"
The Anbu captain remained silent for a moment.
"Yes."
Kakashi disappeared from the roof.
Within the central viewing area, Hiruzen watched the messages with a tightening expression.
He did not know how Kai would react to Sasuke's plea.
He did not know where the Empire of Hope was located.
He did not know what kind of military strength an eight-hundred-year-old civilization possessed.
Worst of all, he did not know why Danzō continued provoking its emperor.
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: Emperor Kai, Sasuke is presently overwhelmed by grief and anger.]
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: I ask that you allow Konoha to resolve this matter peacefully.]
No answer came.
Hiruzen stared at the empty space beneath his message.
Kai did not acknowledge him either.
[Hiruzen Sarutobi: I give my word as Hokage that Sasuke will not be harmed.]
Silence.
Within the Pure Land, Tobirama's expression remained severe.
[Senju Tobirama: A village cannot function if its shinobi may abandon their responsibilities whenever emotion overwhelms them.]
[Senju Tobirama: Uchiha Sasuke was raised by Konoha and trained using its resources.]
[Senju Tobirama: Whatever crimes occurred must be judged properly. They do not grant the boy the authority to threaten the village and defect.]
Kai did not reply.
Tobirama frowned.
He had addressed the emperor directly enough for the meaning to be obvious, yet Kai treated his words as though they were no more important than drifting dust.
Hashirama attempted a different approach.
[Senju Hashirama: Kai, I do not know you or your empire.]
[Senju Hashirama: But Sasuke is a wounded child. Please do not use his anger to begin a conflict.]
There was still no response.
Within the Pure Land, Madara folded his arms and laughed.
[Uchiha Madara: Enough, Hashirama.]
[Uchiha Madara: Can you not understand what is happening?]
[Uchiha Madara: He does not consider any of you worthy of an answer.]
Tobirama's eyes narrowed.
[Senju Tobirama: And you find that amusing?]
[Uchiha Madara: Extremely.]
[Uchiha Madara: Konoha's leaders believed the entire world would wait whenever they chose to speak.]
[Uchiha Madara: Now, an emperor has acknowledged a furious child while ignoring the Hokage and his predecessors.]
[Uchiha Madara: How could I not enjoy this?]
Across the world, countless people reached the same conclusion.
Kai was not remaining silent because he lacked an answer.
He simply did not care.
The souls of former Hokage, the leader of the strongest hidden village and one of Konoha's most powerful elders had all addressed him.
Kai acknowledged none of them.
Yet Sasuke's name had appeared in golden light.
Inside the hidden vault, Sasuke slowly raised his head.
Kai had still given him no answer.
But the emperor had ignored everyone attempting to speak on Sasuke's behalf or claim authority over him.
Sasuke gathered his courage.
[Uchiha Sasuke: Emperor Kai…]
His fingers paused.
Calling Kai "Lord" no longer felt sufficient.
Ryu had made it clear that only Kai held authority within the Empire of Hope.
If Sasuke wished to become a citizen of that empire, he would recognise its ruler properly.
[Uchiha Sasuke: I do not ask you to fight my enemies for me.]
[Uchiha Sasuke: I will take my revenge with my own hands.]
[Uchiha Sasuke: I only ask for a place where Konoha cannot command me, imprison me or take my eyes.]
[Uchiha Sasuke: Please allow me to live among the Uchiha in your empire.]
Kai did not answer.
But for the first time, the golden radiance surrounding his name pulsed.
Uchiha Ryu saw it.
A small smile appeared upon his face.
Danzō failed to understand its meaning.
He saw only Kai's continued silence and interpreted it as hesitation.
Perhaps this supposedly ancient emperor had finally understood the consequences of challenging Konoha.
The Empire of Hope might be old.
It might possess several powerful Uchiha.
But Konoha was no ordinary settlement.
It was the strongest of the Five Great Hidden Villages.
It had produced Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Legendary Sannin, Minato Namikaze and countless famous shinobi.
Even after the Uchiha Massacre and the Nine-Tails' attack, Konoha still possessed immense military strength.
Danzō placed both hands upon his cane.
Then he sent another message.
[Danzō Shimura: Your silence proves that you understand the difference between an ancient hidden city and the military power of Konohagakure.]
Hiruzen turned toward him.
"Danzō, stop."
Danzō ignored him.
[Danzō Shimura: If you attempt to remove Sasuke from the village, Konoha will consider it a hostile act.]
[Danzō Shimura: Your empire will bear responsibility for the consequences.]
The world waited.
Seconds passed.
Kai remained silent.
Danzō's confidence grew.
[Danzō Shimura: Do not mistake Konoha's desire for peace as weakness.]
[Danzō Shimura: We are the strongest of the Five Great Villages.]
[Danzō Shimura: Even your empire will regret threatening the Will of Fire.]
Hiruzen's face darkened.
"Danzō!"
This time, the golden name moved.
The radiance filling the Worldwide Chat intensified.
Countless conversations ended instantly.
Everyone understood that Kai was about to speak again.
But he did not address Danzō by name.
He did not call him an elder.
He did not acknowledge his authority.
Only a short message appeared.
[Kai: You truly overestimate your Konoha.]
Danzō froze.
The words carried no anger.
Kai sounded amused.
As though he had watched an insect climb upon a stone and proclaim itself the ruler of the world.
Before Danzō could respond, another message appeared.
[Kai: Since you possess the courage to threaten me, I shall send an Uchiha whom your village once recognised.]
Shock spread across Konoha.
An Uchiha recognised by the village?
Who?
The Uchiha clan had been almost entirely destroyed.
Sasuke was trapped beneath the Naka Shrine.
Itachi was a missing-nin.
Obito Uchiha had supposedly died during the Third Shinobi War.
Madara Uchiha was dead, and his soul stood within the Pure Land.
Fugaku and the massacred Uchiha were dead as well.
Who remained?
Hiruzen stared at Kai's words.
An ominous feeling entered his heart.
[Kai: I shall send him alone.]
The message made thousands of shinobi blink.
Alone?
Kai intended to send a single Uchiha against Konoha?
Several people began laughing.
In Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage crossed his arms.
"One Uchiha?"
Darui stared at the heavenly screen.
"Either that emperor is insane…or he knows something we don't."
The Raikage snorted.
"No single shinobi can casually enter Konoha after announcing his arrival. Not while the Third Hokage and every clan are prepared."
Ōnoki floated above his seat in Iwagakure.
His old eyes narrowed.
"Do not decide too quickly."
Kurotsuchi looked toward him.
"You believe one Uchiha can defeat Konoha?"
"No."
Ōnoki's expression became grave.
"But a ruler who has survived for more than eight hundred years should understand the strength of the Five Great Villages. If Kai still chooses to send only one man, then that man is either a disposable sacrifice…"
He stared at the golden words.
"…or a monster."
In Sunagakure, Rasa watched without expression.
"One shinobi cannot conquer Konoha."
Baki nodded.
"Even the Nine-Tails failed to destroy the village completely."
Rasa's eyes sharpened.
"That is why we must watch carefully."
Within the Pure Land, Madara studied Kai's wording.
An Uchiha whom Konoha once recognised.
Kai had not said the man was currently loyal to Konoha.
He had said the village had once recognised him.
There were not many Uchiha capable of entering Konoha alone after warning the entire village.
Even Madara could not immediately identify whom Kai intended to send.
[Kai: Gather every shinobi you possess.]
The mockery began disappearing.
[Kai: Use every scheme, formation and forbidden technique available to you.]
The air around Danzō seemed to grow colder.
[Kai: Do everything within your power to stop him.]
Pure arrogance filled every word.
Kai did not merely believe his chosen Uchiha could enter Konoha.
He was inviting Konoha to use its complete military power against him.
The Hyūga.
The Nara.
The Akimichi.
The Yamanaka.
The Aburame.
The Inuzuka.
The Anbu.
Root.
Every jōnin.
Every available shinobi.
The Third Hokage himself.
Kai was giving them time to prepare.
Then the emperor's final message appeared.
[Kai: Let me see what your so-called strongest village can accomplish.]
Silence consumed the Five Great Nations.
Danzō's hand tightened around his cane.
His knuckles whitened.
Kai had not argued with him.
He had not attempted to justify his interference.
He had simply accepted the threat with amusement and sent one man to answer it.
[Danzō Shimura: You will regret this arrogance.]
Kai gave no further reply.
He had already lost interest.
----------
Hiruzen stood.
The aged softness vanished from his face.
For the first time since the appearance of the God List, the presence of the Professor filled the viewing area.
"Place Konoha under maximum alert."
The surrounding Anbu disappeared.
"Seal every gate. Activate the sensory barrier. Evacuate civilians into emergency shelters."
Shikaku stepped forward.
"Lord Third, we do not know where the enemy will appear."
"Assume he can appear anywhere."
Hiruzen's eyes moved toward the clan heads.
"Gather every available jōnin and special jōnin. Chūnin are to form defensive units around the evacuation routes and shelters."
Hiashi Hyūga activated his Byakugan.
"Every available member of the Hyūga will monitor the village perimeter."
"Good."
Hiruzen turned toward Inoichi Yamanaka.
"Connect the clan heads, Anbu captains and jōnin commanders through your communication network."
Inoichi nodded.
"Immediately."
"Shikaku, take command of the defensive formations."
The Nara clan head's face became grave.
"What are our priorities?"
"Protect the civilians. Contain the intruder. Do not initiate a lethal attack unless he attacks first."
Danzō struck his cane against the ground.
"That weakness will invite destruction."
Hiruzen looked at him coldly.
"Kai ordered this Uchiha to retrieve Sasuke. We do not yet know whether he intends to attack anyone else."
"He threatened to level the village."
"Kai said that only if we attempted to prevent him."
"Then you intend to surrender the last Sharingan to a foreign empire?"
Hiruzen's expression hardened.
"I intend to prevent you from turning a political disaster into a war against an unknown eight-hundred-year-old civilization."
Danzō's visible eye narrowed.
"Sasuke is a Konoha shinobi."
"And your declaration that his body and Sharingan belong to the village has already damaged Konoha before the entire world."
"The village must retain its military assets."
"He is a child, Danzō."
"He is an Uchiha."
The two old men stared at one another.
Then Hiruzen spoke with unmistakable authority.
"Root will operate under my command during this emergency."
Danzō said nothing.
However, concealed Root operatives had already received different instructions.
Locate Sasuke.
Take him from the vault.
Move him into a hidden Root facility before Kai's Uchiha reached the village.
If necessary, remove his eyes.
Sasuke could not be allowed to enter a foreign empire carrying a fully matured Sharingan.
--------
The village transformed within minutes.
Warning sirens echoed across Konoha.
The Chūnin Exams were still underway, which meant foreign shinobi from numerous villages were currently inside Konoha.
Sand and Sound shinobi watched the mobilisation carefully.
Foreign genin were ordered to remain with their instructors.
Village representatives were placed under observation.
Civilians who had been staring at the heavenly screen were directed toward underground shelters.
Shops closed.
Academy instructors gathered children.
Chūnin formed barricades across major streets.
Shinobi raced over rooftops in every direction.
The great clans mobilised.
Hyūga shinobi took positions upon the outer wall and high structures, their Byakugan scanning the surrounding forests.
Aburame insects spread into the sky in immense black clouds.
Inuzuka trackers moved beyond the gates with their ninken.
The Nara clan established shadow formations near the village's most important paths.
Akimichi shinobi prepared to block enormous summons or chakra constructs.
Yamanaka members entered communication centres.
At the Hokage Monument, squads of Anbu stood ready.
Kakashi, Guy, Asuma and Kurenai gathered near the central defensive line.
Guy stared toward the distant horizon.
"An Uchiha capable of challenging the entire village alone…"
His usual enthusiasm had disappeared.
Kakashi's exposed eye remained fixed upon the Naka Shrine.
"Kai did not say his Uchiha would challenge the village."
Asuma glanced toward him.
"He ordered the man to level Konoha if we resisted."
"Exactly."
Kakashi's voice became quiet.
"He came for Sasuke. Whether this becomes a rescue or an attack depends upon what Konoha does next."
Kurenai looked toward the civilians entering shelters.
"Do you believe Danzō will allow Sasuke to leave?"
Kakashi did not answer.
They all knew the truth.
Not willingly.
Naruto pushed against the chūnin attempting to lead him toward a shelter.
"Let me go! I need to find Sasuke!"
"You are a genin. Follow evacuation orders."
"I'm not hiding while someone comes to destroy the village!"
Sakura stood nearby, her face pale.
She stared toward the Uchiha district.
"Sasuke is still there."
Naruto stopped struggling.
Sakura's fingers tightened.
"If Kai's shinobi comes for him…and Konoha tries to stop him…"
Neither finished the thought.
They were Team Seven.
Yet Konoha now prepared to fight someone coming to rescue their teammate from the village itself.
----------
In the Pure Land, Fugaku stared at Konoha's mobilisation.
Fear filled his eyes.
Kai had accepted Sasuke's plea.
He had not said it directly, but his actions made the answer unmistakable.
An Uchiha was coming to retrieve his son.
Mikoto clasped her hands together.
"Who is he sending?"
Fugaku searched through every Uchiha he had known.
"There are only a few who could possess enough strength to enter Konoha alone."
"It cannot be Madara," Itachi said quietly.
Madara turned toward him from elsewhere in the Pure Land.
[Uchiha Madara: Do not include me in your guessing.]
[Uchiha Madara: I serve no emperor.]
[Senju Tobirama: Whoever he sends will be captured.]
Madara laughed.
[Uchiha Madara: Your confidence remains impressive for a dead man who understands nothing about the enemy.]
[Senju Tobirama: Konoha has faced stronger threats than a single Uchiha.]
[Uchiha Madara: Has it?]
[Uchiha Madara: Kai knows the history of your village.]
[Uchiha Madara: He has seen the strength revealed by this God List.]
[Uchiha Madara: Yet he still invites your entire village to face one subordinate.]
[Uchiha Madara: Either he is a fool…or you are.]
Tobirama's expression darkened.
Hashirama watched silently.
Unlike his brother, he did not dismiss Kai's warning.
The Empire of Hope had survived for eight hundred years without the Five Great Nations discovering it.
Uchiha Ryu was powerful enough to treat the Kage with indifference.
Its citizens included people who should have been dead.
They knew almost nothing about that civilization.
Hashirama looked toward the place where Sasuke was hidden.
He only hoped the boy survived what was coming.
---------
In the deepest Uchiha vault, stone dust fell from the ceiling.
Boom!
The chamber trembled.
Root had begun attacking the outer seals.
Sasuke rose to his feet.
His body was exhausted from awakening the three-tomoe Sharingan, but hatred forced strength into his limbs.
Another impact travelled through the underground complex.
Boom!
Ancient sealing characters flared across the walls.
The barriers held.
For now.
Sasuke drew several shuriken and wrapped wire around his fingers.
If Root entered, he would fight.
He understood the difference in their strength.
He knew he could not defeat squads of experienced assassins.
But he would not surrender.
He would destroy his own eyes before allowing Danzō to take them.
A voice came from beyond the hidden door.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
The voice was distorted by a mask.
"By order of the Hokage, you are to surrender peacefully."
Sasuke's Sharingan spun.
"Liar."
Silence followed.
Then the voice returned.
"Your resistance will only worsen your punishment."
"You do not serve the Hokage."
Sasuke stared at the sealed entrance.
"You serve Danzō."
The Root commander did not deny it.
"Break the barrier."
Explosive tags detonated.
The entire chamber shook violently.
Cracks spread through the outer defensive seal.
Sasuke lowered his stance.
His eyes remained fixed upon the door.
Then—
Ding!
The sound did not come from outside the chamber.
It came from the heavens.
It passed through every barrier, every building and every living soul.
The Root shinobi stopped.
Across Konoha, every moving figure raised their head.
The God List had changed.
The countdown toward the seventeenth placement disappeared.
Golden characters formed across the sky.
[A major disturbance directly connected to the God List is presently occurring.]
Confusion spread throughout the world.
The five-minute interval had not ended.
Uchiha Naori's seventeenth-place ranking had not begun.
A second notice appeared.
[The disturbance possesses the potential to alter the existing balance of the shinobi world.]
The expressions of the Kage changed.
[The God List will temporarily transmit the disturbance to all living beings and souls.]
[Live transmission commencing.]
The heavens went dark.
The Worldwide Chat vanished.
The golden notices faded.
Then an image appeared.
At first, there was only darkness.
Slowly, countless white-golden flames ignited.
They floated in the air like stars.
An enormous hall emerged from the shadows.
The sight immediately silenced every person who had mocked the Empire of Hope.
The hall was too vast to belong to any known palace.
Pillars wider than Konoha's gates rose toward a ceiling that could not be seen.
Ancient symbols glowed along walls made from dark stone and unknown golden metal.
Great statues stood between the pillars.
Some appeared human.
Others possessed wings, horns or features belonging to creatures no shinobi recognised.
At the far end of the hall, hundreds of steps ascended toward a colossal throne.
The throne was carved from black stone streaked with golden light.
A solitary figure sat upon it.
Kai.
For the first time, the shinobi world saw the emperor who had ruled the Empire of Hope for more than eight hundred years.
His body was covered in robes of white, black and gold.
One arm rested casually against the throne.
He wore no visible armour.
He carried no weapon.
Yet the hall, the throne and everything within the image seemed to exist only to emphasise his presence.
His face could not be seen.
A pure white-golden radiance covered it completely.
The light was neither a mask nor a technique anyone could understand.
Hyūga shinobi activated their Byakugan.
They saw nothing.
Sharingan users focused their eyes.
They saw nothing.
Sensory shinobi attempted to feel the chakra carried within the transmission.
Many collapsed to their knees.
The God List did not reveal Kai's face.
It presented him as something above mortal perception.
A divine being seated upon a throne while the world watched from far below.
Hiruzen's breathing became slow and heavy.
Even through the God List, Kai's existence oppressed his instincts.
Danzō said nothing.
In the Pure Land, Tobirama stared at the figure, searching for any weakness.
Hashirama's face became solemn.
Madara's amusement disappeared.
Beneath the throne, far below Kai, another figure stood within the darkness.
The man wore a long cloak.
His head was lowered.
No part of his face could be seen.
He waited in complete silence.
Kai did not look toward the heavenly transmission.
He did not address Konoha.
He did not acknowledge the Kage or the countless people watching him.
His attention rested only upon the shadowed figure.
"Go."
One word passed through the God List.
The voice was calm.
It was neither loud nor forceful.
Yet throughout the shinobi world, countless people felt their hearts stop.
The figure lowered himself onto one knee.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
Kai's glowing face turned slightly.
"Bring me the boy."
In the hidden vault, Sasuke stared at the emperor.
His shuriken slipped from his fingers.
Kai continued.
"No matter his condition."
The shadowed Uchiha bowed his head.
Kai's voice carried a trace of amusement.
"If they attempt to prevent you…"
Konoha's shinobi tightened their grips upon their weapons.
"…level the village."
Silence lasted for one heartbeat.
Then laughter erupted across several nations.
"One man?"
"He truly ordered one shinobi to destroy Konoha!"
"Has that emperor never seen the strength of a great village?"
"Konoha has thousands of shinobi!"
Some Konoha civilians cheered from within the shelters.
Their fear transformed into mockery.
One man could not destroy their village.
Not when every clan and every elite shinobi was prepared.
Even several chūnin relaxed.
But no Kage laughed.
None of them could ignore the throne hall.
None could ignore the oppressive presence of Kai.
None could ignore how calmly the shadowed figure had accepted the command.
The man remained on one knee.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
There was no hesitation in his answer.
No doubt.
He had been ordered to enter the strongest of the Five Great Villages alone, retrieve Sasuke and level Konoha if opposed.
He responded as though Kai had given him an ordinary task.
The laughter slowly weakened.
Kai raised one hand.
No hand seals were formed.
He used no visible chakra.
He merely extended his fingers toward the air.
A pulse emerged from his body.
It was not ordinary chakra.
It carried no element and no colour that could be properly described.
The pulse passed through the throne hall.
Space trembled.
Then it tore apart.
A black line appeared in the air.
The line expanded.
Silver fractures spread from its edges like cracks across glass.
The darkness inside did not resemble a tunnel.
It resembled an absence.
A hole cut through reality itself.
At precisely the same moment, twenty kilometres from Konoha, the sky rippled.
Every Hyūga monitoring the village perimeter saw it.
"There!"
Hiashi turned toward the western forest.
"Twenty kilometres west of the village!"
The air above the trees twisted.
Birds fled.
Animals collapsed.
A black line appeared in the sky.
Then space opened.
A second enormous hole formed beyond Konoha.
The two openings were connected despite the unimaginable distance separating the Empire of Hope from the Land of Fire.
Within the Pure Land, Tobirama rose abruptly.
"That is not the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Minato stared at the portal.
"There is no formula."
Tobirama's eyes moved rapidly, studying every detail.
"No marked location. No prepared seal. No summoning contract."
[Senju Tobirama: Impossible.]
[Namikaze Minato: He tore open a direct passage through space.]
[Senju Tobirama: The destination is too precise.]
[Namikaze Minato: He created the second opening exactly twenty kilometres outside Konoha without appearing there or placing a mark.]
Ōnoki's face became pale.
"How far away is the Empire of Hope?"
No one knew.
It might be hidden on another continent.
It might exist within another dimension.
Yet Kai had connected his throne hall to the Land of Fire with a casual movement of his hand.
In Konoha, Hiruzen immediately issued an order.
"All forces move toward the western perimeter!"
Inoichi transmitted the command through the village's communication network.
Shinobi changed direction.
The western wall filled with jōnin, clan elites and Anbu.
The village gates remained sealed.
Danzō and dozens of Root operatives gathered within the forest behind the main defensive line.
Hiashi and the Hyūga watched the portal through their Byakugan.
"We cannot see through it."
Hiruzen arrived upon the western wall.
"Can you identify the figure inside the throne hall?"
"No. The darkness surrounding him blocks even the Byakugan."
Kakashi appeared nearby.
His forehead protector had already been raised.
The transplanted Sharingan stared toward the portal.
He saw nothing beyond its black surface.
Inside the throne hall, Kai looked down at the waiting Uchiha.
"Enter."
The figure rose.
His movements were unhurried.
He turned toward the spatial opening and walked into it.
One step carried him beyond the borders of the Empire of Hope.
The second brought him into the Land of Fire.
The shadowed figure emerged twenty kilometres from Konoha.
He stood upon empty air.
His cloak moved in the wind.
Behind him, the black portal contracted.
The opening within the throne hall closed simultaneously.
Space repaired itself.
Within seconds, no fracture remained.
Kai had transported a living person across an unknown distance without seals, preparation or any visible limit.
The God List's transmission shifted.
The throne hall disappeared.
Kai vanished from the screen.
The entire world now watched the solitary figure suspended above the forest.
His face remained concealed beneath darkness.
The man looked toward Konoha.
Even from twenty kilometres away, he could see its walls.
He could see the shinobi gathering.
He could see the Hyūga observing him.
He could see the Root operatives hidden behind the main forces.
And, more importantly, he could sense the faint Uchiha chakra buried beneath layers of ancient seals.
The boy was alive.
The figure raised his head.
A pair of crimson lights ignited within the darkness.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
The patterns spun.
Chakra erupted.
It did not spread like the chakra of an ordinary shinobi.
It exploded outward like an ancient beast awakening after centuries of sleep.
The sky changed colour.
Green light consumed the forest.
A shock wave travelled across the land.
Trees bent until their trunks cracked.
Clouds divided above him.
The western wall of Konoha trembled.
Several weaker shinobi lost their footing.
Civilians inside shelters felt the ground shake.
Every sensor in the village screamed.
"The chakra—!"
"It's enormous!"
"Impossible!"
"How can one person possess this much?!"
Hiruzen stared toward the growing green light.
His face slowly lost its colour.
Inside the chakra, bones formed.
An immense rib cage surrounded the Uchiha.
A spine extended upward.
A skull emerged.
Two colossal arms formed above the forest.
The skeletal construct was already larger than most summons.
But it did not stop.
Dense layers of chakra covered the bones.
Muscles formed.
Armour plates appeared over its chest, shoulders and head.
The giant continued rising.
Higher.
Higher.
Its legs formed beneath it, crushing the treetops without ever touching the earth.
Armoured feet stabilised in the air.
Additional arms emerged.
Great weapons took shape within its hands.
Then two immense wings unfolded from its back.
The wind produced by that single movement tore trees from the ground.
Konoha's western wall shook again.
Shinobi raised their arms to protect their faces from the approaching pressure.
The green giant straightened.
A Perfect Susanoo stood twenty kilometres from Konoha.
Its armoured body towered over mountains.
Its wings stretched across the sky.
Its colossal arms rested at its sides, each capable of holding weapons large enough to divide entire battlefields.
The chakra it released transformed the atmosphere itself.
The laughter across the shinobi world vanished.
No one mocked Kai's command now.
They understood.
Kai had not sent an ordinary Uchiha to challenge Konoha.
He had sent a disaster wearing human form.
In Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage rose from his seat.
"That Susanoo…"
Darui swallowed.
"It is complete."
Ōnoki floated higher, his old face rigid.
"A Perfect Susanoo."
Rasa's golden sand instinctively gathered around him.
Mei Terumī stared without blinking.
"A single swing from that thing could cut through a village."
Within the Akatsuki, Itachi's Sharingan widened.
He recognised the colour.
The shape had changed.
The power had grown beyond anything he remembered.
But he could never forget that green chakra.
His lips parted.
"No…"
Kisame glanced toward him.
"You know him?"
Itachi did not answer.
His entire body had become rigid.
Within the Pure Land, Fugaku stepped forward.
Mikoto stared at the screen.
"That chakra…"
Fugaku's Mangekyō spun.
He had seen the early form of this Susanoo before.
He had watched its owner rise through the ranks of the Uchiha.
He had once believed the young man would become one of the clan's greatest protectors.
Then Danzō stole one of his eyes.
And the boy threw himself from a cliff.
Fugaku whispered a name.
The God List did not transmit his voice.
Madara stared at the green Perfect Susanoo with fierce interest from the Pure Land.
He had died long before this young Uchiha was born.
He did not recognise the man.
But he understood the meaning of what he saw.
This was not merely an advanced Susanoo.
Its chakra was stable.
Complete.
Overwhelming.
The man controlling it had mastered the Mangekyō far beyond the level expected of someone from Konoha's recent generations.
[Uchiha Madara: Interesting.]
[Uchiha Madara: So this is the Uchiha Kai chose to send alone.]
Tobirama's expression finally became grave.
Hashirama said nothing.
In Konoha, Danzō's visible eye widened.
For the first time since Kai's declaration, genuine fear entered his face.
He knew that colour.
He knew that Mangekyō chakra.
He remembered a young Uchiha kneeling before him.
He remembered stealing the boy's right eye.
He remembered believing the remaining eye had been lost forever after the boy's death.
His bandaged arm began trembling beneath his robes.
"No…"
Hiruzen heard him.
The Third Hokage slowly turned.
"You recognise him?"
Danzō did not answer.
Kakashi's Sharingan remained fixed upon the crystal embedded within the Perfect Susanoo's forehead.
The darkness concealing the figure began to disappear.
Green light illuminated his cloak.
His body became visible.
He was young.
Far younger than the power of the Perfect Susanoo suggested.
Dark hair framed his face.
A Konoha forehead protector rested against his head.
The village symbol had not been scratched.
He wore it openly.
As if to remind Konoha that the village had once accepted him.
As if to remind Danzō of exactly whom he had betrayed.
The figure stood within the crystal upon the Susanoo's forehead.
Both of his eyes were open.
Not one.
Both.
Two crimson Mangekyō Sharingan stared toward Konoha.
Their patterns rotated slowly.
Itachi stopped breathing.
Hiruzen's eyes widened.
Kakashi froze.
Fugaku stared.
Mikoto covered her mouth. Danzō stepped backwards. The final shadow withdrew from the young man's face.
The God List revealed him to the entire world.
And standing within the forehead of the towering green Perfect Susanoo was a man Konoha had mourned as one of its most gifted fallen heroes. A man Itachi had called his closest friend. A man Danzō had betrayed, robbed and driven to his death. The Uchiha whom Konoha had once recognised— Had returned.
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Author's Note
Thank you everyone for reading and supporting my stories! ❤️
A quick Patreon update:
🥉 Tier 1— 5 Chapters Ahead
🥈 Tier 2 — 10 Chapters Ahead
🥇 Tier 3— 20 Chapters Ahead
👑 Tier 4 ---Legendary Supporter — 30 Chapters Ahead
The Legendary tier has now been available for about a month, and thank you so much to everyone supporting me through it!
🔥 Naruto: The God List Exposed My City
Some older readers may recognize this story. This is an old fanfiction of mine that I had stopped writing, but I have finally restarted it and will be taking it seriously again.
Patreon: Up to Chapter 39 available now!
Current Patreon Chapters
📖 Reborn as Jon Snow with God System — Up to Chapter 188
🏰 GOT Kingdom Building System — Up to Chapter 122
🍥 Naruto: The God List Exposed My City — Up to Chapter 39
And more is coming!
🎬 I've also released a Reborn as Jon Snow with God System Auidobook upto chapters 31–60 video with improved visuals on my YouTube channel: Epicpensaga.
Patreon: patreon.com/EpicpensagabyMR_Fanfic
Thank you for all the support!
🍥 Naruto: The God List Exposed My City — Up to Chapter 9 -- on here on webnovel, please go and read, and from now on there will be continuous update for this fiction.
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