The Uchiha had erupted into chaos—
and all of Konoha trembled.
After all—
The "madness" of the Uchiha was etched deeply into the memory of every clan.
Even though Uchiha Kai's rise had softened their image somewhat, once real fighting broke out, the old fears returned instinctively.
Two colossal Susanoo…
For the elder generation, the terror of that technique was carved into their very bones.
For the younger ones, though they had never witnessed it before, the sheer titan-like scale was enough to shake their souls.
Only the Inuzuka, Aburame, and a handful of others who had already joined the Uchiha alliance remained calm.
They had been warned the night before.
And so, while the rest of the village panicked, they stood aside—watching, without the slightest urge to intervene.
South of the village, near the Police Force grounds.
Here, on the outskirts of Konoha, lay the Inuzuka compound.
"Susanoo…"
"To see it again, even now, is still astonishing."
"The Uchiha… truly a clan of giants."
Inuzuka Ichiro's voice was low, his gaze fixed toward the two massive figures clashing at the edge of the Forest of Death.
He sat in a three-story tea room at the heart of his clan's compound, hosting none other than the Aburame clan head.
Even from this distance, the sight left him sighing in awe.
For ordinary shinobi, facing such a technique meant almost no hope of resistance.
It was simply too overwhelming.
The Senju.
The Uchiha.
The great clans wielded powers that defied all reason.
Aburame Shibi smiled faintly.
"Perhaps that's not such a bad thing.
Since we cannot integrate into the Hokage's inner circle, and the Uchiha are constantly suppressed by the village leadership… now is the perfect time to seek allies.
By joining early, we gain more in return.
And compared to the village elders, I find the Uchiha far more trustworthy.
Men like them, proud and untamed, do not stoop to deceiving others.
And now, within their ranks, stands Kai.
The chance of failure is slim.
It's worth our gamble."
That was why Shibi had come—to reassure the Inuzuka.
And he meant every word.
He dared not underestimate Inuzuka Ichiro.
The Inuzuka might seem minor compared to other clans, their presence in Konoha faint, almost ignorable.
But therein lay their strength.
They had survived unscathed, neither allied too closely with the Hokage, nor crushed by them.
That alone spoke volumes.
Not like the Aburame—
exploited by Danzo until even their heirs were dragged into ROOT for indoctrination.
Ichiro, by contrast, was a man almost no one in the Jounin corps even recognized.
Yet under his quiet leadership, the Inuzuka endured.
Not flourishing, perhaps.
But surviving steadily, while stronger clans crumbled.
It was no small feat.
"Yes," Ichiro nodded.
"Rest assured, Clan Head Aburame. The Inuzuka will not go back on our word.
We have joined the Uchiha alliance, and we will not betray it.
But truthfully… Inuzuka's path has been hard."
"The Hokage's faction hoards too much of the village's wealth.
Even if we were not directly targeted, survival has been difficult.
Whether raising shinobi or our hounds—everything demands resources."
"Perhaps you don't know this…
but we've even borrowed heavily from the Sarutobi clan. Usury, really."
"And even so, it only barely sustains the training of our meager twenty-odd shinobi."
His face was weary, resigned.
If he'd had any choice at all, would he have bent the knee to the Uchiha?
No.
But survival left no room for pride.
Outwardly, the Inuzuka seemed stable.
Inside—they were crumbling.
Barely twenty ninja in the entire clan.
Most of them are mere Genin or Chunin.
Only two Jounin remained—Ichiro himself, and Inuzuka Tsume.
Was it because their bloodline was weak? That their children lacked potential?
No.
It was simply resources.
Or rather, the lack of them.
Even children capable of molding chakra—if they weren't exceptional, they weren't allowed into the Academy.
The reason was simple:
The Academy only taught chakra control and the three basic techniques.
Things the clan could just as easily teach.
But the real issue was training resources.
Without them, sending a child to the Academy was pointless.
They'd graduate only to be sent to the frontlines as cannon fodder.
Perhaps not even live long enough to graduate.
The Inuzuka knew Konoha's ways all too well.
So—
unless a child was gifted enough for the elite Class A, they were better off staying civilians for life.
At least then… they wouldn't be thrown to die on the battlefield.
"No matter how you see it…"
Aburame Shibi sighed.
"…Uchiha's rise is indeed a blessing for clans like ours."
Ichiro nodded, and the two exchanged a faint smile, resuming their quiet tea.
The chaos outside?
Not their concern.
Elsewhere, at the Namikaze household.
The commotion drew everyone into the courtyard.
"What is that…?" Rin gasped.
Her eyes locked on the towering figures in the distance.
Even she, who had seen much, was shaken.
Kakashi frowned deeply.
Only Obito murmured under his breath:
"Susanoo…"
"You know of it?" Minato asked.
Today, by chance, he was home.
Even he didn't recognize the monstrous figures.
Kushina joined them, staring at the spectacle.
"Obito, since you know, explain it to us."
Obito looked a little awkward.
But after a pause, he spoke softly:
"I don't know much.
But when my Mangekyo awakened, some knowledge came with it.
Those giants are a technique tied to the Uchiha bloodline.
It's called… Susanoo.
A perfect blend of offense and defense, almost impossible to break.
It has four stages.
What we see now—those two Susanoo—are only the first stage.
But… Why?
In today's Uchiha, wasn't Kai the only Mangekyo wielder?
Who's the other one?"
His eyes narrowed.
"No… I need to go back. I have to see for myself."
And with that, Obito turned to leave.
Yes—
He was Minato's student.
But with Rin still alive, his fate had not twisted into darkness.
The bond of the clan still tugged at him.
And now, seeing Susanoo unleashed—he couldn't just stay away.
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