Several Years Later.
"Big brother—!"
A handsome black-haired boy slid open the door, only to see a little girl, about five years old, running toward him.
The girl was delicate, like a porcelain doll. A green glass hairpin pinned her slightly long black hair, and her large round eyes sparkled with a lively gleam, as if they could speak.
At the sight of her, the boy's stern expression melted away like thawing snow, revealing a warm smile—the kind most girls dreamed of seeing, but rarely ever did.
He scooped the little girl into his arms, walking with her down the corridor while gently asking,"Liuli, have you been a good girl today?"
"Liuli was very good! I watered the flowers today," she answered in her soft, childish voice.
"Very good."
The boy—Uchiha Sasuke—patted her head, then set her down carefully. With a small flourish, he pulled out a parcel wrapped in oiled paper.
"This is your reward. Do you like it?"
"Liuli loves it the most!"
She happily accepted the tri-colored dango, immediately unwrapping a skewer and taking an eager bite.
Hearing the siblings' laughter, a young woman and a graceful lady approached.
The young woman was slightly older than Sasuke, her beauty pure and cold as snow. Her long black hair was tied back neatly. The other was a beautiful matron—though a mother of three, her figure was still slender, and her mature elegance only added to her charm.
They were Yuki no Natsu and Uchiha Mikoto.
"Dinner is soon. Just one skewer, no more," Mikoto gently warned.
"Oh…"
Liuli's wide eyes dimmed with disappointment. She began nibbling in tiny bites instead of devouring it, as if trying to stretch out the taste of one skewer into many.
Mikoto could only shake her head helplessly, though she did not change her mind. Sweets before dinner would surely ruin her appetite.
The sound of the front door sliding open drew their attention. Uchiha Fugaku appeared in the entryway.
"Lord Fugaku.""Father.""Daddy."
Each greeted him in turn. Fugaku nodded, changed into his indoor slippers, and joined them.
After dinner, Fugaku summoned Sasuke to his study.
"How has your training progressed?"
"With Kakashi-sensei's guidance, I feel I've made great progress," Sasuke answered.
Though he lacked hatred as a driving force, under the personal instruction of Fugaku—a shinobi beyond the Kage level—his growth far surpassed what it would have been otherwise.
He had graduated from the Academy only recently, yet he already wielded the strength of a jonin.
"Good." Fugaku nodded.
In this timeline, Naruto was still traveling with Jiraiya. Without Minato's orphaned son to guide, Kakashi had originally refused to lead a genin squad. But with Fugaku's persuasion, he agreed.
Knowing Kakashi's Kage-level skill, Fugaku had placed Sasuke under his command without hesitation. He had even arranged for Karin Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno to join the team—pushing his own unfulfilled dream onto his son.
"What I couldn't accomplish… I'll let my son achieve."
"You've already reached jonin-level strength. It's time I pass down a certain technique."
"A technique?" Sasuke's eyes lit with anticipation.
"The Fourth Hokage's signature S-rank jutsu—the Flying Thunder God."
"The Flying Thunder God?" Sasuke was stunned.
He had, of course, heard of the jutsu that made the Fourth Hokage—Naruto's father—legendary. But he also knew it required an extraordinary natural affinity for space-time ninjutsu.
Since Minato, no one in Konoha had been able to master it.
"Can I really… learn it?" he asked hesitantly.
"Of course. If I didn't believe you had the potential, I wouldn't pass it on. You possess a rare spatial talent—one of the few truly suited to this jutsu," Fugaku said firmly.
"Really?" Sasuke's youthful face couldn't hide his excitement. The idea that he could inherit the technique of the Yellow Flash filled him with pride.
"Yes. But remember, the Flying Thunder God is an S-rank technique. Even with talent, it will not be easy. You must be prepared for that."
"I understand." Sasuke nodded vigorously. No matter how difficult, as long as there was a chance, he would persevere.
"This is the scroll," Fugaku said, handing him the sealed parchment marked with the words Flying Thunder God. "There are backups, but you must guard this carefully. If it were lost, the consequences would be severe."
Sasuke accepted it with care, tucking it into his ninja pouch.
In the dark underground chamber, the massive Gedo Statue loomed, its ten fingers raised. Eight spectral projections stood upon its digits—Nagato, Konan, Hidan, Shennong, Zetsu, Hiruko, Deidara, and the spiral-masked "Tobi."
Orochimaru was absent, having already abandoned Akatsuki. Without Itachi joining as in the original timeline, his betrayal had come not through conflict but simply because his true motives never aligned. Once he realized he could never seize the Rinnegan, he left.
New to the group were Hiruko, Deidara, Hidan, and the masked Tobi.
Deidara, the rogue from Iwagakure, followed the same path as in the original story, obsessed with showcasing his "art of explosions."Hidan, the immortal zealot of Jashinism, joined for the thrill of sacrificing powerful prey.Tobi—Uchiha Obito in disguise—played the fool, as always.Hiruko, unlike in the original history, had joined out of his lust for kekkei genkai.
But Akatsuki's strength had waned. With the loss of Kakuzu, Sasori, and Kisame—all Kage-level—the group had no choice but to recruit aggressively, altering fate's course.
Nagato's cold voice cut through the chamber:"The Gobi has revived after the death of its host. From this moment, the Tailed Beast Capture Plan begins."
"At last!" barked Hidan, his scythe gleaming on his back, eyes burning with fanatical glee. For him, nothing compared to offering powerful jinchūriki as sacrifices to Jashin.
"I care nothing for this plan," another voice rasped—a bandage-wrapped figure, Hiruko. "All I desire… are the Mangekyō Sharingan. Will the organization truly help me obtain one?"
"Of course," Nagato assured him. "Konoha will resist us. When we encounter an Uchiha with Mangekyō, we will ensure they are captured alive—for you."
If Hiruko devoured such a kekkei genkai, his strength would rise, furthering Akatsuki's goals.
"Hah! Soon the world will witness my art. Explosions—true, eternal beauty!" Deidara declared, eyes gleaming with mania.
"Deidara-senpai, your art will definitely shock the Five Great Nations!" the spiral-masked "Tobi" chimed in enthusiastically, playing his part.
"Hah! You've got good taste, Tobi. If you weren't already paired up, I'd take you as my partner and watch your back!" Deidara laughed.
Konan and Nagato exchanged glances, their expressions twitching slightly. To think anyone would dare try to recruit "Madara Uchiha" as a subordinate—there could hardly be anything more absurd.