In just a few short days, the situation across the shinobi world shifted once again.
Amegakure, in alliance with Orochimaru, launched a successful assault on Konoha, achieving a decisive victory. Nearly the entire village of Konoha was uprooted and taken away. Only Jiraiya, along with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, remained, barely holding on.
At first glance, it might seem as though these five clans still constituted a formidable force. However, two critical factors needed to be considered.
First, these clans had already suffered significant losses during previous conflicts and upheavals.
Second, the majority of a village's population is always made up of ordinary ninjas and civilians. A vast majority of these—nine out of ten—had followed Deidara and the others to Amegakure.
As a result, Konoha was reduced to a ghost town, its population so sparse that it now resembled a small shinobi village.
Why not take the remaining clans as well?
Deidara, for one, feared the Sage of Six Paths and dared not touch Naruto or Sasuke. Secondly, the remaining clans were staunch loyalists. Forcing them to join Amegakure would only disrupt the harmony and atmosphere of the village.
In the end, their presence or absence made little difference.
Thus, Jiraiya naturally became the Sixth Hokage. However, during his inauguration ceremony, there was no trace of joy on his face.
The Akatsuki was too powerful. Even the former Konoha had been unable to defeat them. Now, with Konoha in its current state, there was no chance of victory.
No, he had to seek help from Mount Myōboku. And Naruto—if he truly was the Child of Prophecy—then no matter how dire the situation, he could surely create a miracle.
Yet, as he recalled Nagato's words to him that day, Jiraiya couldn't help but waver. Was the Akatsuki truly evil? Should he continue to follow the path laid out by the Great Toad Sage?
Jiraiya hesitated momentarily, but years of conviction couldn't be so easily shattered. He quickly buried his doubts deep within his heart.
However, while he focused on Naruto, he overlooked someone else—Uchiha Sasuke.
Seeing Konoha in decline, Sasuke had no intention of staying. He couldn't gain power here, and without power, he couldn't exact revenge on that man.
Thus, he decided to go somewhere he could obtain power. After some thought, his only option was Orochimaru.
During the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru had clearly shown interest in him. Moreover, Sasuke didn't know many other powerful figures, making Orochimaru his sole choice.
The Akatsuki did have many powerful members, but given their alignment with that man, Sasuke believed going to them would be a one-way trip.
And so, during Jiraiya's Hokage inauguration ceremony, Sasuke quietly slipped out of the village. Konoha, now lacking patrols and defenses, didn't even notice his defection until the next day, when Naruto and Sakura couldn't find him.
"I will bring Sasuke back!" Naruto shouted loudly.
Jiraiya held him down, his face showing unmistakable exhaustion. "Idiot! What you need to do now is make yourself stronger."
"Tomorrow, I will take you to Mount Myōboku, where the two sages will personally guide your training."
"But what about Sasuke?" Naruto persisted, unwilling to give up.
"If you don't have strength, how can you bring Sasuke back?" Jiraiya countered.
"Fine," Naruto replied, his face filled with frustration as he reluctantly agreed to Jiraiya's proposal.
…
Otogakure
Sasuke was still on his way, but that didn't mean Otogakure wasn't lively.
Deidara, Sasori, Itachi, Kisame, Kakuzu, and Hidan—six Akatsuki members—had gathered there. They weren't there to cause trouble for Orochimaru but to collect their payment.
Orochimaru licked his lips coldly. This time, he had suffered a significant loss. The Akatsuki had already wanted to attack Konoha, but his impatience had led him to join forces with them, and now he had to pay a hefty price.
Kakuzu and Hidan were easier to deal with. The old miser only wanted money, and Hidan's share could simply be handed over to Kakuzu as well.
But the other members demanded different forms of compensation. For example, Itachi didn't want money.
Fortunately, among the spoils of war, Orochimaru had discovered some highly valuable items that could be used to offset part of the payment.
"Alright."
Seeing Itachi's condition gradually stabilize, Orochimaru stepped aside.
Through Shimura Danzo, Orochimaru had obtained a perfected version of Hashirama's cells. With his expertise, he quickly mastered the method of creating replicas.
After a successful experiment on Kimimaro, Itachi became the second recipient of the cells.
As Itachi put his clothes back on, covering the human face on his chest, he felt an overwhelming surge of energy coursing through his body. The previous weakness was gone, and his vision had become exceptionally clear.
The Hashirama cells had perfectly resolved both his chakra illness and the issues with his ocular power.
The enhancement the cells provided to the Sharingan was terrifying. Just look at Obito—he didn't even have an Eternal Mangekyō, yet with these perfected cells, he could use Kamui as if it were child's play, never worrying about eye strain.
Now, Itachi would enjoy the same benefits. Soon, Nagato and even Kakashi would undergo the same procedure. With the ability to use ocular jutsu without limitation, the Akatsuki's power was poised for another significant boost.
"Itachi-san, how do you feel?" Kisame was the first to approach, asking with a grin.
"Very good," Itachi replied, his tone unusually spirited.
"Now there's no need for sibling conflict. Just give your foolish little brother the Hashirama cells, and his ocular power will also become unlimited. You won't need to merge your Mangekyō with his to create an Eternal Mangekyō," Deidara remarked.
Itachi cast a cold glance at Deidara. "My foolish little brother is merely a tool to test my resolve—a spare pair of eyes for me. Nothing more."
"Fine, then. Next time I see your foolish little brother, I'll make sure to teach him a good lesson."
"No! Better yet, I'll just kill him outright. You don't need his Mangekyō anymore anyway," Deidara added, feigning ignorance.
Hiruko's voice chimed in. "Let me turn him into a human puppet, Itachi. I'll gift him to you—you'll love it."
"No, let me sacrifice him to the Jashin," Hidan interjected.
"Shut up, Hidan."
"I'd like to collect his heart. Even if the kid's weak, as Itachi's brother, his heart might still be of interest," Kakuzu said.
"I'm curious to try his chakra," Kisame added.
Itachi: "…"
Damn it. Why was I so edgy back then, coming up with such a ridiculous plan?
Orochimaru, watching from the side, smirked as he licked his lips. "Why not give Sasuke's body to me? You don't need it anymore, do you, Itachi?"
Tsukuyomi!
The Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life, but this time, no tears of blood flowed. Orochimaru was instantly caught in the genjutsu and collapsed to the ground.
He lay there, exhausted, having just endured unimaginable torment in the Tsukuyomi realm. The fact that his mind didn't immediately shatter was a miracle in itself.
Uchiha Itachi! You bastard! You can't take a joke? Everyone else was joking—why take it out on me?
(With this, the second volume ends. The final volume is about to begin.)
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~ The story isn't over...🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters? 🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world? ✍ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?✨patreon.com/GoldenLong