The Hyuga Shall Stand Above, In The Heavens!

Night fell.

Konohagakure.

The Uchiha clan's territory.

The wise Itachi had just put Sasuke to sleep, and with a worried look on his face, he walked into the courtyard, gazing up at the sky.

Some people, despite not having the power to change things at will, still like to worry about matters that aren't their responsibility.

In this regard, Itachi was definitely a standout.

Today was not exactly peaceful for Itachi.

Earlier, he had come with the envoy group to Konohagakure, only to have Hitoshi publicly embarrass him. He had exchanged thoughts on the matter with his older brother Asuma.

During their conversation, they also analyzed how this event could affect the peace between the three countries.

But this time, Asuma didn't stand firmly by his side, and they didn't see eye to eye.

The reason?

After feeling full and content, Itachi, ever the patriot, insisted that Hitoshi's actions were extremely dangerous. Even though this matter started with Raikage's provocation, Hitoshi had gone too far. Itachi believed that Hyuga Hitoshi had the strength to give a small punishment as a warning, but he didn't want to do that. Instead, he went too far and crippled Raikage, which was a reckless move and irresponsible toward the village.

If it weren't for Raikage and Tsuchikage's tolerance, and the Daimyo not pressing charges after making a mess, the peace talks would have been ruined entirely by Patriarch Hitoshi.

So, Itachi thought Patriarch Hitoshi shouldn't have acted that way.

But Asuma seemed to have become somewhat narrow-minded, his thinking seemingly clouded by muscle. 

Although they shared similar opinions, Asuma also believed that Patriarch Hitoshi's actions, while dangerous, did earn Konohagakure some respect. The envoy wouldn't dare act so arrogantly because of it. Asuma's point was that things should be analyzed from different perspectives. It was like building muscle—if you just use brute strength without refining your technique, you'll wear out. Repeating the same motion isn't enough, or your body will stiffen.

Finally, Asuma bluntly said that the reason this situation occurred was because his father ignored the opposition and sought peace on his own, which led Konohagakure to become the losing side. His father must bear the main responsibility for that.

And if you trace everything back to the root, it all started because of his father's poor leadership during the Third Shinobi World War, which set off a chain of events, leaving Konohagakure in its current state.

Harsh words, but not entirely wrong.

If Konohagakure had been less passive in the Third Shinobi World War, its losses wouldn't have been as severe. The village would have been much stronger by now, not fearing the shameless back-and-forth between Kumogakure and Iwagakure.

And that wasn't even the worst of it.

After the war, his father could have just stepped down, but instead, he targeted the failed Hokage candidates, exposing Orochimaru's human experiments that had been kept secret for years, forcing him to flee. This caused Jiraiya to leave as well, directly losing two Kage-level fighters.

Not to mention Tsunade, who was already deeply unhappy with his father.

As Asuma saw it, if the Three Ninjas had been in Konohagakure, would the Nine-Tails incident have caused such heavy losses? And would the Fourth Hokage's wife have been left to fend for herself?

Smart Asuma scoffed at this, even thinking his father mishandled the Orochimaru issue.

Every village has its share of controversial research, and the Wood Release experiment was something even the Second Hokage had worked on. While it was officially banned later, it was likely still continuing in secret.

Asuma believed there was only one reason why his father had stepped in: Orochimaru, once his disciple, had become a subordinate of Danzo.

He didn't want Wood Release to become Danzo's power!

Even the reason for Orochimaru's defection seems quite abstract. Does he really think that Orochimaru would perform experiments by abducting babies around Konohagakure, and that it would attract the Hokage's attention?

It's laughable when you think about it.

"That's an amazing theory."

The smart Itachi gave a bitter smile, sighed, and stared at the moon in the sky.

He never imagined that Asuma would be the one with the deepest hidden conspiracy theories, even more abstract than his father, Uchiha Fugaku's, idea about the Nine-Tails Incident.

But you know, if you think about it, there are many things that don't really hold up to scrutiny.

"If we had a stronger Hokage, we wouldn't have lost the Third Great Ninja War. The village wouldn't have become weak. The three Sannin would still be in the village, and White Fang would probably still be alive. The Nine-Tails Incident might never have happened, and the Fourth Hokage would still be in charge. Kumogakure Village wouldn't have dared to start a war, and we wouldn't have ended up as a defeated nation. If we weren't a defeated nation, we could have shown off without worry. So why is it that when Patriarch Hitoshi simply fought back, people started talking behind his back?"

"Everything, it's my father's fault!"

This was Asuma's conclusion at the end of the meeting. His words left the wise Itachi in shock. How could the Third Hokage carry such a huge burden, taking on a blame this big from Danzo?

No, maybe it's not about his qualifications, but about the greatness of the strongest Hokage, who could do anything in the village!

Itachi realized that he had underestimated that presence.

"Something's wrong."

His thoughts suddenly stopped.

Uchiha Itachi abruptly stood up and looked at the moon, only to feel a chilling sensation the next moment!

He finally realized what had felt off these past few days.

At some point, the moon had been getting bigger and bigger.

Although it was only slightly bigger than yesterday, it wasn't obvious at first. If someone didn't pay close attention, they might not have noticed.

"The moon is getting closer to the Earth!"

Itachi suddenly broke into a cold sweat, as if his instincts as the Uchiha had kicked in. He instantly realized that this was a crisis for the entire ninja world!

This isn't right!

Something is wrong. I need to report this to Father and investigate further!

Just as Uchiha Itachi was about to take action, he suddenly heard a faint noise.

Whoosh~

An attack!

At the same time, outside the Uchiha Patriarch's house, which should have been well-guarded, a figure shot through, heading straight for Sasuke's room!

In that moment, Uchiha Itachi's head rang with a buzz.

They're going after my brother?!

Dodging the incoming shuriken, the seven-year-old Uchiha Itachi instantly appeared in the path of the enemy, his gaze fierce as he stared at them.

Iwagakure Village ninja!

The enemy was even wearing Iwagakure Village's forehead protector!

This person didn't even bother hiding their identity!

Itachi's expression grew serious. Having just graduated from the ninja academy, he was still a Genin, and he had no chance of going up against the enemy in a direct fight.

The Iwagakure ninja clearly didn't know that the man standing before him was someone who could calmly take out his own parents, so he was a little overconfident. He casually launched a heavy punch toward Itachi's chest.

Leaving aside his character, just in terms of talent, Uchiha Itachi was definitely one of the most outstanding members of the entire Uchiha clan. So, when the Iwagakure ninja struck, Itachi had already begun preparing. The punch missed him, and with a quick leap, he landed back in front of the enemy, blocking him again like a persistent adhesive.

His tactic was simple: just stall until Father arrives.

It seems that Itachi could try, even though it's difficult. 

His reaction speed clearly surprised the enemy, but the Iwagakure Village ninja were not flustered. They didn't even try to force their way through the situation, and instead, a hint of mockery appeared on their faces. 

In the next moment, the sound of a wall breaking suddenly rang out! 

Turning his head quickly, Itachi finally understood why the enemy remained so calm! 

There wasn't just one enemy! 

When the wall shattered, three fierce-looking men reached out to grab Sasuke, who was blinking in confusion. Itachi's head exploded with a loud ringing sound, and the forbidden power within him made him fall into a state of intense anger. 

Two streams of blood tears appeared a year earlier than in the original timeline, and Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan activated ahead of schedule! 

Though he would later take the wrong path, overestimating himself and underestimating Sasuke, and would realize how useless his thoughts were, his obsession with his brother could not be changed, and it was unquestionable. 

The Three Tomoe appeared, and it seemed like his instincts kicked in. His ghostly figure swiftly dove between the legs of one of the Iwagakure Village ninjas surrounding Sasuke. With a flash of Kunai, the man screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground! 

The enemy beside him hesitated briefly before reacting, still throwing a simple and heavy punch. 

Sharingan—copy! 

Itachi copied the same move and, while punching, didn't forget to cast Genjutsu on the last enemy near Sasuke. 

Boom! 

Thanks to the years of training with Asuma, Itachi withstood the blow, even though he was coughing up blood and his eyes were bleeding non-stop. 

The loud noise traveled far, and Itachi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was sure that reinforcements from the Uchiha clan would arrive soon. 

The Iwagakure Village ninjas on the field, however, also knew what was going on. 

So, as Itachi watched in caution and confusion, the Iwagakure ninja who had been disarmed got up, enduring the pain, and dragged his Genjutsu-affected companion to stand beside Itachi's opponent. Then, as expected, another Iwagakure ninja arrived, and they all exchanged glances. 

Pfft! 

Pfft! 

Pfft! 

The sound of Kunai sinking into flesh echoed, and Itachi stood in shock as the laughing figures collapsed in front of him. 

They killed themselves! 

They committed suicide right in front of him! 

Why would they do that? 

Though it made sense that ninja, after failing to capture the second son of the Uchiha clan, would choose to die in order to protect their honor, shouldn't their identity be hidden? Just a moment ago, they had formed a four-on-one advantage, and they could have easily captured Sasuke as a hostage to complete their mission. 

But instead, they killed themselves. 

The aura of these men screamed "I'm an Iwagakure ninja" from every part of their bodies. Was there really a need for this? Couldn't they have stayed alive and waited for higher-ups and the Tsuchikage to argue? 

This mission was just ridiculous! 

Frowning, Itachi's Three Tomoe spun slightly. 

Suddenly, his expression changed as he remembered the significance of the Iwagakure messenger team's deaths in Uchiha territory! 

Swoosh swoosh~ 

A few more figures appeared in the yard. 

The first was Fugaku, who had just returned from patrol with his guard. 

He had been really busy today! 

Not only did he have to deal with all sorts of inexplicable disputes in the village, but he was also told by the Hokage that, due to the peace talks, he needed to maintain the safety of the village, send more people to patrol, and later attend the peace talk celebration. 

But patrols? To Fugaku, this was a perfect chance to show off, and he clearly wasn't planning to miss it. 

Only now, after tiring of showing off and wanting to go home and sleep, did he leave the task to Uchiha Satoshi. He intended to return early, grab a bite, and continue pretending. 

But little did he know, he had fallen into a trap. 

"What's going on?"

Fugaku stepped into the room, frowning. He saw the body lying nearby, his eldest son's Three Tomoe Sharingan, and Sasuke being held by his older brother.

To be honest, Fugaku was a bit stunned.

The good news was that his eldest son had unlocked the Three Tomoe at just seven years old—this kid was definitely a genius among geniuses.

The bad news? After unlocking his eyes, it seemed like he had done something quite incredible.

Sigh.

When his father arrived, Itachi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He habitually took a deep breath and said:

"Honorable founder of Konohagakure, great Uchiha Patriarch, the man with the eyes of the Sharingan..."

Smack!

A sharp slap interrupted his son's speech, and Fugaku's face darkened slightly.

"Get to the point."

You're just my father!

Itachi, who had just activated his Three Tomoe, covered his face, feeling wronged. 

"Iwagakure Village tried to abduct Sasuke. I stalled them while waiting for you to return, but after the mission failed, they... they committed suicide in front of me."

Suicide?!

Fugaku froze, his face shifting between calm and anger. He had thought his son was being a bit hypocritical—his Hitoshi brother retaliated when provoked, but he had always said that wasn't for the village's benefit. Yet, when someone went after his brother, he went straight for a kill.

But it didn't seem like that was the case here.

If those people had actually laid a hand on Sasuke, then maybe Sasuke would've become a killer himself. Fugaku didn't believe for a second that Hitoshi had left Sasuke with no means of survival.

But damn!

He had been set up!

Even though he had been the Patriarch for many years and his thinking wasn't always the sharpest, he was quick to adjust. 

In fact, he had already thought of more than Itachi. 

This situation in front of him, with only one possible solution, rested with his eldest son.

If Itachi had acted quickly enough to destroy the bodies, perhaps they could still keep this under wraps.

But now...

Fugaku's face turned dark. 

"Someone, get rid of the body..."

No, it was too late!

"Amaterasu!"

Blood tears flowed from his Mangekyou Sharingan, and the black flames of Amaterasu instantly wrapped around the corpses.

But Fugaku had overestimated his confidence in Amaterasu. This technique, which had only burned White Zetsu in the original story, clearly took time to destroy bodies. Even using more chakra wouldn't help speed things up.

So when the sound of footsteps quickly approached, Tsuchikage entered with a friendly smile, accompanied by his subordinates, just in time to witness this unsettling scene of human barbecue.

The atmosphere fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Uchiha Satoshi, who had led Tsuchikage here, was also stunned.

"Why didn't you stop them?"

After years of experience, Fugaku and Uchiha Satoshi communicated through eye contact.

"I couldn't stop them. They had a legitimate reason. They said Daimyo was holding a celebration tonight for the peace talks, and the Raikage, Tsuchikage, and our Konohagakure representatives had to attend. Tsuchikage came personally because of past conflicts on the battlefield. He felt that sending his subordinates wouldn't show enough sincerity, so he came himself."

And then...

There was no more explanation.

"This is a misunderstanding."

Fugaku twitched the corner of his mouth. He knew about the celebration tonight, but wasn't the feast supposed to start later?

Was it already early?

A wave of pressure hit him, and a bead of sweat appeared on Fugaku's forehead as he looked at the grim-faced Oonoki.

"The misunderstanding you're talking about... is that you're roasting my people from Iwagakure Village in front of me? Do you think if I hadn't shown up, this would have turned into an Iwagakure human barbecue festival?"

I don't eat people! Especially not tools, who knows if they're sick! But that's not the point.

Oonoki clearly wasn't here for friendly intentions, and Fugaku knew that both he and the Uchiha clan had been set up! From the tone of the other party, it was clear that today wouldn't end well.

What should I do?

Fugaku felt a chill in his heart.

At the same time...

Outside Konohagakure.

At the edge of the Hyuga clan's land.

The same kind of scene seemed to be unfolding.

But the difference was...

Boom!

Hyuga Hitoshi punched an unwary Kumogakure Village elite into the ground. Surrounded by flames, Hyuga Hitoshi looked like the sun itself.

Boom!

He angrily stomped on another enemy's corpse, then gazed coldly at the Raikage, who was quickly approaching in a wheelchair, along with his subordinates and Mabui, who stood beside them.

"As you can see, this Patriarch is desecrating the body. The ones who died were your Kumogakure Village people."

The man shook his fist and tilted his head, staring at the Iwagakure Village's Ushiuma.

"This Patriarch can guarantee that with those punches, their souls were torn into pieces. They'll never reach the Pure Land."

Even Raikage, with his strong heart, couldn't help but swallow nervously.

He suddenly regretted agreeing to Oonoki's plan of striking first.

But, there's no turning back once the arrow is shot; it was too late to regret now!

The atmosphere was a bit heavy, with everyone thinking their own thoughts.

But only Mabui's inner monologue stood out.

Such a violent man!

I like him!

Why isn't he hitting me?!

Hit me!

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