A faint smile tugged at Sasuke's lips as he said, "I don't wanna just cut loose the bonds I feel inside. Besides, it's having all of you around that really shows off my talent. Without you guys, even if I gained incredible power, it'd still be meaningless."
While the three of them sat there catching their breath and recovering from injuries, the entire Uchiha clan had already arrived at the battlefield. Hinata, Ino, and the others quickly followed, arriving shortly after. Seeing the destruction—like mountains had collapsed and the earth had split apart—the group fell into uneasy silence.
"Sasuke, what kind of enemy did you face? Why was the battle so intense?" Fugaku Uchiha swept his gaze across the ruined surroundings, clearly shaken by the sight.
"Sasuke, are you hurt?" Mikoto Uchiha asked with deep concern, her hands already moving to check him over.
"Uh… Mom, I'm fine! You don't need to worry so much!" Sasuke blushed as he stopped Mikoto from pulling off his clothes. With so many people around, didn't he still have some dignity to protect?
"The enemy was Orochimaru. He just fled a short while ago," Sakura briefly explained what had happened when they encountered him. The visible injuries on her arms and neck made Ino and others instinctively inhale sharply.
"Sakura, are you okay?" Ino grabbed Sakura's right hand and pulled up the sleeve of her tight-fitting combat uniform, revealing a gruesome scar that immediately caused Ino's pupils to contract.
"Don't worry. It's just from pushing myself too hard—my body had a bit of trouble handling it. And only from my neck down to my right arm. Everywhere else is fine. Once the energy in my body fades a little, Naruto can just transfer me a bit of his life force and I'll heal instantly, right, Naruto?"
Sakura gave a casual smile and shot Naruto a meaningful look.
"Ah… Y-yeah, I guess so," Naruto mumbled, rubbing his nose. His eyes darted away nervously, and his voice came out shaky.
"Could you at least try to make that lie believable?" Ino said first, clearly dissatisfied with both of them trying to cover things up. Then, turning toward Naruto, she added suspiciously, "Naruto, why do you seem so weak all of a sudden? And how did you get that wound on your chest?"
Only then did everyone notice the bloodstain spreading across the front of Naruto's shirt. A deep blade wound was clearly visible through the tear in his clothing. Nearby, a long sword lay discarded on the ground.
"This sword… is Orochimaru's Sword of Kusanagi," Fugaku Uchiha observed quietly, then widened his eyes in shock. What exactly had these three done to make Orochimaru abandon even his prized weapon?
"We were too careless during the fight. Orochimaru ambushed us from behind with the Sword of Kusanagi. Originally, I should've been the one hit, but at the last moment, Naruto shoved me aside and took the blow himself—the sword pierced straight through his heart."
Sakura clenched her fists in anger and frustration, declaring fiercely, "Just wait until we see Orochimaru again—I'll drag him up and beat him to a pulp. Then tie him up and parade him naked through the streets!"
One sword… through the heart?
"Naruto, with such severe injuries, do you think he'll be okay? Should I just grab a medical ninja to come check on him?!"
Everyone was taken aback, and Mikoto Uchiha shot to her feet, ready to dash to Konoha Hospital to fetch a medic.
"I'm fine, Auntie Mikoto. Even though the heart injury is healing a bit slowly, there's no danger to my life!"
Naruto quickly stopped Mikoto Uchiha. His face twitched slightly while speaking — clearly because the wound in his chest hadn't fully healed yet.
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Nine: Sasuke Awakens the Mangekyō [Middle]
"We should leave here first, otherwise the Anbu from Konoha will probably come looking for us soon!"
Shisui said cautiously. After such a huge commotion, if the Anbu didn't respond at all, they might as well be disbanded by the Third Hokage already.
"Let's head toward the Central Tower first, then find a place to rest and regroup!"
After pulling Starlit Night off the tree, Sakura helped Naruto up and swept her hand, summoning a giant cloud. Everyone climbed onto the cloud and finally left the scene.
Soon after Sakura's group departed, a group of Anbu dressed in dark uniforms arrived. Seeing the battlefield that looked like the end of the world, they were all greatly shocked.
"Who exactly fought here? Even an S-rank kinjutsu wouldn't be able to cause this much destruction to the environment!"
One of the Anbu inspected the battlefield, his voice betraying an unmistakable sense of shock. As far as the eye could see, the area for hundreds of meters around had been utterly devastated. Scars from lightning attacks and lava were clearly visible, and combined with traces of raging winds, the entire battlefield had transformed into a post-apocalyptic landscape.
"Captain, look over there!"
One Anbu suddenly shouted, pointing at a large tree that had been partially destroyed. Beneath this tree, which was now only half its original size, lay a thin layer of leathery substance.
"This is… Orochimaru? That can't be right!"
The Anbu squad leader walked over, picked up the shed skin, and couldn't help but inhale sharply when he saw the face on it. They knew exactly who the Konoha Sannin were. The Anbu database even had detailed records of each of their signature techniques. It was obvious that this shed skin came from a battle with Orochimaru, who had been severely injured and used his Cellular Regeneration Ejection technique to escape. Whoever had forced Orochimaru into a situation where he had to use that technique must have been incredibly powerful.
"Return immediately and report to the Third Hokage. Orochimaru has likely infiltrated Konoha!"
Standing up, the Anbu squad leader spoke with heavy seriousness in his voice. Konoha was indeed entering a period of great turmoil. Not only had Orochimaru returned, but most importantly, whoever had forced Orochimaru into a life-threatening situation — they couldn't help but wonder whether this unknown opponent would turn out to be friend or foe?
After the Anbu left, another group of shinobi, similarly dressed, came over to inspect the area, then quietly withdrew.
In the Hokage's office, the Third listened to the Anbu report with an increasingly serious expression. He was already old, his strength greatly diminished. Orochimaru, his former student, had always been a prodigy, and after all these years, who knew how powerful he had become? If he had now infiltrated Konoha, it definitely meant trouble was coming.
<><><><><><><><>
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
<><><><><><><><>