So, no matter how scared or depressed she felt deep down, she could only endure it all in silence.
Later, when Sarutobi Hiruzen died, she finally let out a breath of relief.
Because she knew she was free.
But that peace didn't last long.
The ninja alliance formed by the three great villages—Hidden Cloud, Hidden Rock, and Hidden Sand—launched a sudden raid on Konoha, inflicting unimaginable trauma.
And once again, she was forced to face the chaos head-on.
Fortunately, this time, she wasn't alone.
He was with her now—a man who had always lingered in her heart for many years, even though they had never truly met until recently.
Uchiha Haru.
Even now, standing before Uchiha Haru, she kept her deepest secrets buried in her heart, never speaking them aloud.
She harbored no resentment for the years of pain and suffering she had endured.
She had come simply because she wanted to see him.
To say that it was just to take a look—she wouldn't say anything else.
Uchiha Haru stared at Uzuki Yūgao silently, his expression unreadable.
He could sense that she had gone through a lot over the years.
But Uzuki Yūgao never spoke of it—she had locked it all away inside.
Uchiha Haru didn't press her, nor did he use his Sharingan to pry into her memories the way he did with enemies.
Because Uzuki Yūgao was someone he considered a friend. Someone he acknowledged and respected.
He wasn't willing to use such invasive methods on a comrade.
So now, as she stood before him and said nothing beyond a few simple words, Haru also chose silence.
In the darkness of the night, the two of them stood side by side.
It was so quiet, they could hear the frogs croaking by the distant pond.
After an unknown length of time, Uzuki Yūgao finally sighed and murmured, "Thank you… thank you."
"Before the war started, I had only one wish in my heart… to see you."
"Thank you for letting me do that. And for staying with me for this long."
"I've seen you now. I've fulfilled my wish. So it's time for me to go."
With those words, Uzuki Yūgao turned and waved to Haru before walking away.
Uchiha Haru watched her back as she slowly disappeared into the moonlight. For some reason, she seemed lonelier than ever.
"Yūgao!"
Haru called out after her. "If you survive the war, and I do too… will you come see me again?"
He could feel the loneliness that weighed on her heart, the silent longing for connection.
He didn't want to see her carry that burden alone any longer.
He was willing to listen. To stand by her.
Even if it was only as a friend.
Hearing his words, Uzuki Yūgao paused, stunned—unsure if she had heard correctly.
After all, in her mind, Uchiha Haru was just like her—terrible at expressing emotions.
But he had actually said those words.
It almost felt like a dream.
Until she saw the tenderness in his eyes, and realized she hadn't imagined it.
She stood there in silence for a long moment before smiling—a real, genuine smile. Something she hadn't done in so long.
The kind of smile that felt like ancient ice cracking under the warmth of a new dawn.
It was fleeting, too quick to truly capture, but unforgettable nonetheless.
She nodded and replied softly, "I will."
As soon as the words left her lips, Uchiha Haru appeared in front of her again.
In his hand was a special kunai engraved with complex sealing formulas.
"Yūgao," he said, "this kunai is marked with my Flying Thunder God Technique. As long as you carry it, no matter where you are, I'll be able to find you."
He extended it to her without hesitation.
Uzuki Yūgao reached out and took the kunai, still warm from his hand. For some reason, her cold face flushed with heat.
"I'll keep it safe," she whispered. "Don't worry."
Then, she turned and left quickly, her steps lighter than before.
Soon, she vanished into the shadows.
And Uchiha Haru, after watching her leave, used the Flying Thunder God Technique once more—and disappeared in a flash.
When he reappeared, he was already inside Kurenai Yūhi's room.
She had been waiting.
By now, Haru should have returned long ago. He was a ninja who mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique—his speed was unmatched.
In a word: fast.
So his delay was strange.
But Kurenai Yūhi didn't complain.
Maybe something had come up. Something important.
So she waited quietly in her room, no matter how anxious she felt.
And finally—he arrived.
"Haru!" she called out.
After seeing Uchiha Haru return, Kurenai Yūhi immediately jogged to his side.
There was a trace of anxiety on her face.
She couldn't understand why Haru had taken so long; she feared something might have gone wrong.
She looked up at him with concern in her eyes. "Haru, what was the result of your discussion?"
"Did something happen?"
Uchiha Haru glanced at the anxious Kurenai in front of him, feeling a twinge of guilt.
Just moments ago, he had been meeting with Uzuki Yūgao, while Kurenai had been waiting quietly for him in the room all this time.
He gently stroked her long, dark hair, a hint of apology in his gesture. "It's nothing. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen."
"Believe me. I can handle everything."
"Yes," Kurenai nodded firmly.
She believed in Haru's words without the slightest doubt.
She believed he could keep his promise.
Then, Kurenai leaned gently against Haru's shoulder.
In that moment, her heart felt still and calm—completely at peace.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side, the masked man and Orochimaru were conducting a secret experiment—perfecting the Impure World Reincarnation Technique.
After agreeing to the masked man's proposal, Orochimaru had immediately begun refining the forbidden jutsu.
This step was critical. It would enable them to launch the invasion of Konoha with the cooperation of three great shinobi villages, and most importantly, to stand against Uchiha Haru.
Without a perfected version of the Impure World Reincarnation, they wouldn't have a chance against him.
"How is it?" the masked man asked Orochimaru coldly. "Is it ready?"
Orochimaru was half-kneeling on the floor. Before him were dozens of long-dead, decomposed corpses, their foul stench thick in the air.
But he showed no revulsion—on the contrary, there was a glint of excitement in his snake-like eyes.
These were not ordinary corpses.
Each one had belonged to a shinobi whose death had left a significant mark on the world.
For instance, the body lying in the far corner—Raiga Kurosuki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist—had been slain by Uchiha Haru himself years ago on a mission.
And that was one of the lesser corpses.
In front of Orochimaru lay two other bodies.
One was Hanzō of the Salamander, the demigod once feared as the unrivaled leader of Amegakure.
The other: the legendary Third Raikage of Kumogakure—said to have possessed Lightning Release so powerful, so terrifying, that few could ever hope to match it.
Yet even these titans were not the pinnacle of Orochimaru's collection.
No—the most dangerous corpses were still two more:
The First Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, Hashirama Senju—hailed as the God of Shinobi.
And the incomparable Uchiha Madara, a name that had once shaken the foundations of the shinobi world.
These were the corpses Orochimaru had prepared for Impure World Reincarnation.
It was almost unthinkable—when this jutsu was perfected, he would be able to summon all of them back at once.
Reanimate them. Control them.
Make them tools.
Orochimaru's body trembled with exhilaration at the thought.
So many of history's strongest shinobi… all at his command.
By that time, even the masked man would be forced to show him respect.
He wouldn't dare overstep—not even slightly.
And if Orochimaru ever had to face the one person who once filled him with fear… he'd finally have the confidence to stand tall.
The masked man's question lingered in the air, but Orochimaru gave no answer. He continued his work, focused and meticulous.
The masked man narrowed his eyes slightly, displeased, but restrained himself.
The Impure World Reincarnation was too important. This jutsu was the cornerstone of their entire plan.
And in the current shinobi world, only Orochimaru possessed the knowledge and ability to perform such large-scale resurrection.
No matter how much dissatisfaction he felt, he couldn't afford to offend Orochimaru.
All he could do was wait.
So he stood there, silently observing as Orochimaru descended deeper into madness, his experiments growing more and more grotesque.
But the failures didn't faze Orochimaru. Each one pushed him further, made him more excited.
With every setback, he learned.
With every mistake, he improved.
Through trial after trial, Orochimaru crept closer to perfecting the Impure World Reincarnation.
The masked man, arms folded, nodded to himself in silence.
Even though he had no admiration for Orochimaru's twisted personality…
He had to admit—Orochimaru was a genius.
Especially in scientific research and ninjutsu theory.
He had never met anyone with such an obsessive devotion to knowledge.
He was glad he had chosen to bring Orochimaru into their plans instead of eliminating him when he had the chance.
Orochimaru's true danger was not his individual strength.
It was this.
This terrifying, obsessive drive to create.
To discover.
To weaponize forbidden knowledge.
Like the current version of Impure World Reincarnation—when perfected, it would be a jutsu that could shift the balance of the entire shinobi world.
And that's what made Orochimaru truly frightening.
This Novel is Completed on Patreon
---------
🎇🎇 Check out new Fanfiction 🎇🎇
🎊 Naruto : Tsunade You're Really Drunk 🎊
------------------
This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 400 Power Stones
3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones
-------------
📢 Support the Novel & Read Ahead!
Love the story and can't wait to see what happens next?
Join my Patreon and get access to 50+ early chapters before anyone else! 🔥
https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Thank you for reading, and I truly appreciate your support! 💖
---------