Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 198: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

(Double Chapter)

The octagonal altar had candles lit at every corner.

"Shirou, I'm ready!"

Under the restraint of the adamantine chains, a barrier appeared all around, and Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, looked dazed and confused.

"How could this happen...?"

Naruto Uzumaki muttered hoarsely, still unable to comprehend why the gap between the two worlds was so vast.

At this moment, he was suspended in midair by adamantine chains, while Kushina Uzumaki, without hesitation, said in a deep voice:

"Shirou, I've prepared everything. Our Uzumaki clan has specifically studied the sealing jutsu for extracting tailed beasts."

The two exchanged a glance and smiled. Kushina began to form hand seals.

The sealing barrier formed by the adamantine chains, which even the Third Hokage in the original storyline had no solution for, had a defense so formidable it was unimaginable.

Inside the barrier, Naruto let out cries of pain.

Kushina unleashed the Uzumaki clan's unique sealing technique. Her powerful chakra materialized into a solid blue dragon, which then swallowed Naruto whole.

With an intense suction force, Naruto's eyes rolled back in pain as red Nine-Tails chakra was slowly extracted from his mouth, ears, eyes, and abdomen.

["Dammit!"]

Inside the sealed space, the Nine-Tails roared in terror, feeling its chakra being forcibly extracted. It howled angrily, but in the next moment, a massive Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in the dim sewer-like surroundings.

["That damned Uchiha..."]

The Nine-Tails' voice weakened as its resistance faded. In the dark, its pupils reflected the same Mangekyō Sharingan pattern.

With the Nine-Tails unable to resist, the rate of chakra extraction from the outside world noticeably increased.

In the sealed space holding the tailed beast, the Nine-Tails of this world sat bound within a cage, watching its counterpart from the other world in a pitiful state. This left it sighing helplessly.

Even though they shared the same origin, fusion wasn't something that could be achieved easily. Otherwise, the tailed beasts would have devoured and destroyed one another long ago.

Shirou knew very well that only by reaching the Sage of Six Paths level and mastering the ultimate Yin-Yang Release could one fuse the tailed beasts' original power, just as the Sage of Six Paths had once divided the Nine-Tails.

Outside, seeing Kushina extracting the Nine-Tails' chakra, Shirou smiled and gently brushed Kushina's red hair.

"Now, it's my turn."

With his Mangekyō Sharingan shimmering, Shirou slowly approached the suspended Naruto, placing his right palm gently on Naruto's shoulder.

Forbidden Jutsu: Chimera Jutsu

A diamond-shaped mark appeared in his palm, releasing a terrifying suction force that began greedily absorbing Naruto's power.

"My hypothesis shouldn't be wrong!"

Feeling the power he had just absorbed, Shirou's expression turned ecstatic.

The Uzumaki clan's bloodline, the mysterious chakra of Asura's reincarnation, and the Nine-Tails—Naruto, the child of destiny, was essentially a treasure trove.

Inside the barrier, Uchiha Shirou and Kushina Uzumaki continued extracting and devouring Naruto's power. Meanwhile, deep within the underground passageway of the Ryūmyaku in Roran...

In the underground passage sealing the Ryūmyaku, Mukade roared in fury.

"That damned brat, how is this possible...?"

With a resentful scream, Mukade could only watch helplessly as he fell into the Ryūmyaku.

"Sara!"

Naruto clone's excited shout echoed as the Queen of Roran, Sara, now subdued by Naruto's Talk-no-Jutsu, nodded resolutely.

"Sara, they fell for it. I used my physical body to lure them, while my shadow clone hid. While they're busy stealing the Nine-Tails, we'll take the chance to seal the Ryūmyaku, thwarting their ambitions..."

"Naruto, for the sake of peace in the ninja world, I must seal the Ryūmyaku. It's the responsibility passed down through generations of Roran queens, and it's a power only we possess..."

At that moment, Sara didn't consider the future of her nation or what she would face if Naruto and the others returned to their world. She didn't think about how she would deal with the inevitable retaliation.

It must be said that in this world, brainless decisions paired with Talk-no-Jutsu seemed to be the ultimate truth.

"How touching."

Suddenly, Shirou's teasing voice echoed, startling Naruto.

At some point, Shirou had appeared on a distant stone staircase, watching the scene before him with amusement. He couldn't help but clap:

"What a moving speech. But have you thought about your future? Or, Naruto, have you and Minato ever considered hers?"

Though Shirou maintained a relaxed smile, his tone suddenly sharpened into a harsh interrogation, shocking Naruto, who instinctively shielded Sara.

"Damn it! Even though you look a lot like Sasuke—like a larger version of Sasuke—I, Naruto Uzumaki, won't let you take another step closer!"

Naruto shouted hot-bloodedly, delivering yet another impassioned speech. This made Sara, standing behind him, feel a sense of safety and reliability.

However, Shirou's lips curled into a mocking smile at this sight.

"How shamelessly self-righteous. Once the Ryūmyaku is sealed, you'll return to your world, leaving her behind here!"

As he spoke, Shirou slowly descended the stone stairs. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan began to swirl, evolving into the Mangekyō Sharingan. Pointing at Sara, he chuckled sarcastically:

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. But you'll face a powerless Rōra, left with nothing to protect your country.

And those who claim they'll protect you? They'll be in another world, forgetting you in no time. These so-called hot-blooded heroes are nothing more than selfish, self-righteous fools..."

Shirou's sharp words left Sara, who was hiding behind Naruto, pale-faced with fear.

"You bastard! I won't let your ambitions succeed, not in this world...!"

Naruto roared impulsively, completely ignoring Shirou's words. Charging forward recklessly, he raised a Rasengan.

With a deafening explosion, the clash of two Rasengan lit up their faces with a brilliant blue chakra glow.

"You bastard! I won't let you get away with this!"

Faced with Naruto's brash personality, Shirou's patience was wearing thin, his brow furrowing with irritation.

"Has no one ever told you how annoying you are!?"

The three tomoe in Shirou's Sharingan spun rapidly, transforming into the Mangekyō.

With a loud bang, Naruto's shadow clone was sent flying, but Nine-Tails chakra began leaking from his body.

Seeing this, Shirou suddenly understood.

"So that's it. The Nine-Tails chakra protected your shadow clone and allowed it to last this long. No wonder."

From a distance, Naruto scrambled to his feet, his beast-like eyes glaring at Shirou with a smug grin. He had the protection of the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak, whereas his opponent did not.

"Hey, you oversized Sasuke! Your eyes may be strong, but you're just a shadow clone. One hit, and you'll fail!"

"Is that where your confidence comes from?"

Seeing Naruto's arrogant grin, the Shirou's clone smirked disdainfully.

"You'd better not talk so arrogantly. It makes you look weak. Perhaps I might even give you a surprise in the end."

"You annoying bastard!"

In the next moment, Naruto shouted, and a massive Rasengan appeared in his palm once again. He roared angrily:

"Stop acting so high and mighty! I, Naruto Uzumaki, will defeat you!"

Looking at the endlessly chattering Naruto, Shirou couldn't help but feel annoyed and said, "I've already lost my patience with you, you annoying brat!"

"My understanding of the Rasengan far surpasses yours. Also, don't you want to know the whereabouts of your companions?"

Hearing Shirou's threatening words, Naruto became even angrier. With the roar of two Giant Rasengans echoing, a sudden bang came from behind him.

"You fell for it!"

Naruto shouted excitedly. On the distant stone steps, two fragments of stone unexpectedly transformed into Naruto's shadow clones.

At this moment, Shirou suddenly realized—this is such a familiar trick.

As two Narutos appeared, the terrifying, piercing hum of the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken reverberated. An S-rank Rasenshuriken was already hurtling toward him.

Surrounded from the front and back, the Giant Rasengan in front held him in place, making it impossible to dodge. Meanwhile, the sneak attack from behind gave him almost no chance to evade.

If he dodged the attack from behind, he'd have to endure the shockwave of the Giant Rasengan in front. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem—but in Naruto's eyes, this was just a shadow clone.

"Just one hit! Your shadow clone will be destroyed!"

Naruto shouted passionately. This tactic had been devised in collaboration with Minato, using himself as bait.

"So that's your plan... Too bad..."

Shirou's expression didn't waver in the slightest. Instead, he calmly raised his left hand, revealing his own Rasenshuriken.

"If Kushina could master this jutsu, why are you so certain that I can't?"

As the piercing hum of the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken filled the air, Naruto's expression grew angrier.

"Damn it! So what if you can use it? Just one hit is all I need!"

Meanwhile, standing atop the Dragon Vein, Sara began to use her unique abilities as the Queen of Roran to completely seal the Dragon Vein.

However, just as the massive Rasenshurikens were about to collide, Shirou suddenly revealed a mischievous smile. The Rasengan in his hand dissipated.

Naruto stared in shock as Shirou's eyes remained calm.

"Naruto, I warned you not to meddle in our world. Now it's time for your punishment!"

With a deafening roar, the terrifying explosion of the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken engulfed everything, ravaging the surroundings. Yet amid the terrifying blue light, Shirou's smile gradually faded, while Naruto's pupils dilated in shock.

"No!"

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. Within the blazing light of the Rasenshuriken, Shirou's body was visibly being destroyed by the wind chakra. Yet, in a bizarre turn, his skin and appearance began to change.

"SAI!!!"

Naruto screamed in fury. As the terrifying power of the Rasenshuriken dissipated, what was revealed inside was Sai's mangled corpse, riddled with wounds.

The once-talented young man skilled in Super Beast Imitating Drawing was now lifeless, his eyes empty. His body, having endured Naruto's S-rank Rasenshuriken, was destroyed, leaving not a single intact cell.

"Naruto, this is your punishment for interfering in our world."

Shirou's voice echoed once more. Three of Naruto's shadow clones turned back, glaring furiously at Shirou, who stood on the distant stone steps.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

But Shirou remained calm, standing motionless on the steps as if he hadn't moved from the beginning.

"Kill me? Then who will you use your jutsu to kill next? Captain Yamato? Your comrade Sakura? Or perhaps Sasuke?"

As Shirou's mysterious, godlike voice echoed, Naruto was horrified to see images of Captain Yamato, Sakura, and even Sasuke appear before him.

"What's going on?! Is this genjutsu?"

Captain Yamato, Sakura, and Sasuke stood vividly before him. Their scent, chakra, and appearances seemed entirely real.

Naruto was stunned by the sight. Angry as he was, he wanted to rush forward and attack his enemy—but he didn't dare act rashly.

The earlier incident, where Sai had suddenly appeared in the form of a human figure, had already left him terrified.

Was this genjutsu, or...?

"My Mangekyo Sharingan ability is called Kyouka Suigetsu."

Standing atop the high stone steps like a deity, Shirou spoke calmly. The Mangekyo Sharingan in his eyes spun like a swastika, exuding an overwhelming, godlike presence.

"It can manipulate the enemy by distorting their perception through the refraction of mist and water, causing them to attack each other..."

Ninjas are tools of deception. Shirou spoke of his ocular power with a calm demeanor. Who could have guessed it was all a lie?

As his supreme voice echoed around him, Naruto shouted in rage. At this moment, he finally noticed the flow of the Dragon Vein's energy around him, like flowing water.

No wonder Shirou had been avoiding direct eye contact—Naruto had walked straight into his genjutsu.

"Damn it!"

Naruto roared furiously. This Mangekyo Sharingan ability was even more terrifying than Itachi's Tsukuyomi.

"Do you know? Your companion Sai was so desperate to protect you that he rushed toward you. But you, blinded by rage, killed him with your Rasenshuriken..."

The mocking tone in Shirou's voice was a constant reminder that Naruto had killed his comrade. It pushed Naruto to the brink of collapse.

"Naruto!"

As the Dragon Vein's Eye slowly closed completely, Sara shouted anxiously. She could feel the power of the Dragon Vein dissipating from the Land of Roran.

At the same time, with the Dragon Vein sealed and Mukade defeated, Naruto and the others, who didn't belong to this timeline, began to glow with a faint white light.

"It seems the time has come."

Suddenly, a gentle voice echoed. Sara, who had just sealed the Dragon Vein's Eye, was instantly filled with fear.

Behind her, Shirou appeared, but he didn't attack. Instead, he shook his head regretfully.

"Though it's a pity, this is enough."

Sara, trembling with fear from the shadowy figure behind her, mustered the courage to turn around, her teeth chattering. "As the Queen of Roran, I won't let you use the Dragon Vein for your ambitions! You will fail!"

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Despite being terrified, Sara shouted with all her courage.

But as she prepared to face her death, Shirou simply chuckled dismissively.

"Do you think you succeeded?"

Hearing his confident and composed voice, Sara froze in disbelief. Shirou smirked, his smile sending chills down her spine.

"You succeeded because I allowed you to succeed. But given your foolish actions, I won't kill you.

Instead, I'll let you witness how Roran, in the absence of those so-called ambitious villains, will vanish completely. The more proud you are now, the more you'll hate yourself in the future..."

With a tone of disdain, at this moment, Kushina's figure appeared behind him. As the white light faded, it signified that the person from another dimension had already returned.

"Shirou, I only extracted the chakra of four tails," Kushina said regretfully. If it weren't for Shirou's plan, she would have completely stripped the opposing Nine-Tails.

Hearing this, Shirou gently tapped Kushina's forehead and said with a doting smile:

"Greedy Kushina, this is only for the sake of a better future. The seeds have been planted; we just need to wait for them to sprout. Right now, we haven't even completed our ambitions in our world..."

They weren't strong enough to conquer another world yet, so during this time of accumulation, they would let the seeds grow slowly.

Besides, Kushina hadn't even fully mastered her own Nine-Tails yet. If she took on half more, it would only harm herself. For now, they had to wait patiently.

As the two conversed casually, they completely ignored Sara standing nearby. This left her in a state of confusion, especially with the way the proud, red-haired woman looked at her — filled with pity.

"Where's the blonde brat who protected you? The one who gave you power, where is he?"

Kushina's mocking tone brought Sara back to reality. As the others had left, she seemed to finally realize something.

The person protecting her was gone, leaving her behind. So what did her future hold?

This scene made Shirou shake his head disdainfully. "Everyone must take responsibility for their actions, especially when they naively trust someone who sees themselves as the protagonist."

Uzumaki Naruto, the so-called hot-blooded child of destiny — but in reality?

He promised Konan and Nagato to take care of Amegakure, yet by the time of Boruto, the scars of battle in that place remained, long forgotten by the great Hokage.

Neji had barely died, and Naruto was already yelling and crying not to mock Obito.

This so-called child of destiny was nothing but a joke. The ninja world hadn't changed at all — it was just another cycle, returning to the starting point in the end.

"Shirou, the Dragon Vein has been sealed. Only the queens of Roran across generations possess its power!"

At Kushina's words, Shirou nodded calmly and raised his palm toward Sara, revealing the triangular imprint in his hand.

"Roran, because of your blind trust in others, is about to vanish into the dust of history. I'll take this power as punishment. Foolish Queen of Roran, carry this disgraceful title, curse and resent me...

Then live on, ugly and wretched, avoiding everything just to survive. Perhaps one day, when you have enough strength, you can take revenge in another world..."

With a voice full of temptation, Shirou revealed a satisfied smile, continuing until he had completely absorbed the unique power within Sara.

The Dragon Vein was essentially a power of space-time. If he could perfectly absorb this power, would it compensate for his lack of talent in space-time ninjutsu?

"How is this possible...? How could I feel hatred..."

Sara walked out of the sealed Dragon Vein area in a daze. There was no one left in sight. When she returned to her country, despite the destruction caused by the battle, Roran still stood.

Under the rising sun, the light reflected on Sara's cheeks. As she looked at her nation in the distance, the confusion in her eyes gradually gave way to a smile.

"No! I'm not wrong. I stopped the disaster, brought peace to my country, and inherited my mother's will..."

With a determined voice, Sara excitedly walked toward her nation. However, a seal had been placed on her mind, preventing her from revealing anything about what happened there.

But the appearance of large numbers of puppets in Roran was no longer a secret in the ninja world. At this moment, a team of elite Sand ninjas was also rushing toward the area.

"Hurry! By Elder Chiyo's orders, investigate whether the puppets in Roran are real!"

...

Meanwhile, in another ninja world.

At the ruins of Roran, a blinding light shot into the sky. Amidst the yellow sand, the voices of Uzumaki Naruto, Yamato, Sakura, and others echoed.

"Sai!"

When everyone opened their eyes, they saw Sai's lifeless body. His eyes, full of unwillingness, were already covered in a layer of dust. Everyone's expressions turned grim.

"Hurry, Sakura, heal Naruto!"

By the time they returned, all of Naruto's shadow clones had disappeared, and his true body was in a miserable state. Both his hands and legs were twisted unnaturally.

"Naruto!"

Sakura rushed forward, tears streaming down her face as she tremblingly began treating Naruto's injuries.

At this moment, Naruto weakly opened his eyes halfway. Seeing his teammates, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Everyone... finally made it back..."

Due to his severe injuries, Naruto hadn't realized that while his chakra remained intact, half of his life force and hidden special energy had been drained.

The unique reincarnation chakra of Asura, combined with the Uzumaki clan's bloodline, had been halved.

Inside his sealed space, in the dark sewer where the Nine-Tails was confined, the beast roared furiously as it returned to its world.

["Damn Uchiha! I won't forgive you!"]

Though the Nine-Tails growled, fear was evident in its blood-red beastly eyes. Its form had noticeably shrunk again.

Four tails' worth of chakra wasn't merely half — each tail's power increased exponentially.

As the Dragon Vein's seal closed, the connection between the two worlds was severed once more.

"Even though Sai sacrificed himself, at least the people from that world didn't come over. We must seal the Dragon Vein immediately to prevent them from crossing over!"

Yamato, calm and composed, knew this wasn't the time for grief. He had more pressing matters to address.

"Sakura, take Naruto and Sai's body further back. I'm going to completely seal our world's space-time portal!"

Yamato barked his orders and took out a scroll. As a Wood-Style user trained by both Root and the ANBU, he was specifically equipped to counter the Nine-Tails.

Thus, he was also highly skilled in sealing techniques.

However, Yamato failed to notice the fleeting red glow in his eyes, nor the tears streaming down Sakura's face as she treated Naruto.

While healing him, a crimson Mangekyo Sharingan in her mind was silently hypnotizing and guiding her...

If Sasuke knew there were still Uchiha in another world, would he abandon his revenge? Would he return to Konoha?

"If Naruto hadn't been so impulsive and reckless, insisting on interfering with another world, none of this would have happened... Sai wouldn't have died..."

For some reason, this thought suddenly arose in Sakura's mind. In her dazed state, she didn't realize the darkness in her heart was growing.

At the same time, as she looked at Naruto, she began to see countless flaws in his impulsive nature.

...

As Uchiha Shirou and Uzumaki Kushina made their way back from the Land of Wind, shocking news once again swept through the ninja world.

While Konoha's spies in Root and ANBU were still struggling to gather information, the four major ninja villages simultaneously declared that the Four Kage Summit had concluded.

At the same time, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure formed a defensive alliance and officially declared war on Konoha!

The Third Ninja War had officially begun!

The ninja hero of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, ambitious as ever, had devised a plan to destroy the four great ninja villages. Sunagakure's Third Kazekage had been assassinated, and Kumogakure had nearly destroyed their schemes.

Iwagakure and Kirigakure both accused Konoha of plotting against them, claiming to have narrowly avoided major losses.

...

In Konoha's Hokage Office:

"Damn it! There hasn't been a shred of information. Now Kirigakure's ninjas have appeared at the Land of Whirlpools. We must stop them here!

If the Land of Whirlpools falls, the Mist ninjas will be able to directly invade the Land of Fire!"

Mitokado Homura spoke grimly, realizing that things had reached the worst possible outcome.

The leader of Root, Shimura Danzo, who was in charge of gathering intelligence on enemy nations, looked grim and said coldly:

"Based on the intelligence returned by Root's spies, the Third Raikage utilized a remotely initiated Four Kage Summit. While we were urgently trying to gather information, we instead exposed many of our agents. This time, the Four Great Ninja Villages have truly outmaneuvered us!"

At first, the Four Kage Summit seemed like a grand spectacle, and Konoha believed that if they could extract some information about the underhanded dealings of the Four Great Ninja Villages, they could sow discord or even incite internal conflict.

Who would have thought that the Four Great Ninja Villages had joined forces to deceive Konoha? The seemingly grand Four Kage Summit turned out to be a trap. In their eagerness to gather intelligence, Konoha's spies were exposed.

As a result, the Four Great Ninja Villages eliminated many of Konoha's senior spies while completing the summit.

"The forces of Kumogakure have retreated to the Land of the Moon. Even if war breaks out, it will only be within the borders of a smaller nation. Iwagakure's Onoki is a sly old fox, and the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain will become battlefields..."

At this moment, the two advisors to the Hokage began voicing their opinions. Koharu Utatane looked particularly distressed.

"The total number of ninjas in the village barely exceeds thirty thousand. In the face of a united front formed by the Four Great Ninja Villages, we are at a severe disadvantage in terms of manpower!"

With one piece of bad news after another, even the typically arrogant Shimura Danzo now recognized the gravity of the situation, his expression heavy.

As the three of them turned their gaze toward their pillar of support, they saw the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Ever since the failure of the plan to weaken Kumogakure, his expression had grown increasingly dark.

"So what if the Four Great Ninja Villages are united against us? This isn't the first time Konoha has faced them in battle. Besides, the underhanded dealings between the Four Villages mean they can never truly cooperate.

If they were fully united, Kirigakure wouldn't still be bogged down at the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. Kumogakure wouldn't be advancing so slowly in the Land of the Moon. And as for Iwagakure, they may appear aggressive, but in reality?"

Beneath the Hokage's hat, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flashed with resentment. The Four Great Ninja Villages had taken advantage of Konoha's weakness.

"Fight! Order Jiraiya to crush Sunagakure first. Focus our efforts on one front. At the same time, don't slack off on the other battlefields. If we could defeat the Four Great Ninja Villages in the past, we can defeat them again now!"

Hiruzen slammed the table with determination, his face resolute. However, Shimura Danzo noticed a flicker of insecurity hidden deep in his old friend's eyes.

"Accelerate the growth of the newly graduated genin. Instruct the jōnin and chūnin leading them to impart combat experience at all costs."

"Understood!"

"Remind all the major clans that this war concerns Konoha's future..."

Hiruzen's raspy voice issued orders one after another. Yet beneath his determined gaze lay an undeniable fear.

This wasn't fear of war itself but fear of failure.

Ever since his last defeat, he had come to realize that even he could fail.

He feared failing again—failing in battle, failing on the warfront.

Thus, when faced with the Four Great Ninja Villages simultaneously declaring war, the once-proud Third Hokage no longer dared to personally lead Konoha's forces on the frontlines.

Instead, he repeatedly convinced himself:

The village needs me. I must stay in Konoha, oversee the overall strategy, and then turn the tide to lead Konoha to victory again.

Yet, within Konoha, the atmosphere was oppressive under the shadow of war.

...

"Damn it! How did it come to this so suddenly?"

"The Four Great Ninja Villages are attacking us together, and they're claiming it's all for revenge..."

In a tavern, small groups of ninjas couldn't help venting their anger. Only those who had experienced war firsthand understood its brutality.

"Have you heard? They say our Third Hokage abandoned the Second Hokage back then. That's how he came back and became Hokage himself..."

"So what? I've also heard that ever since the Third became Hokage, he's been suppressing the Senju clan, the family of his teacher, and the First and Second Hokage. There's something shady about this..."

"The so-called 'strongest Hokage' couldn't even defeat a single Raikage, and now he's hiding in the village, not even daring to step onto the battlefield..."

As the war broke out, the first to act were the spies and merchants from various nations. While engaging in profiteering, they also spread propaganda.

Konoha was in turmoil.

At the same time, shocking revelations about Konoha's schemes were spreading across the ninja world, pulling the once-revered village off its pedestal.

The other major villages suddenly realized that the "strongest ninja village" wasn't all that superior. They had almost been crushed by Kumogakure, especially their so-called "strongest Hokage."

With such weak capabilities, how dare they formulate plans to collapse the other villages? As one scandal after another emerged, the other ninja villages couldn't suppress their laughter.

The once-glorious Konoha, hailed as the greatest village in the ninja world, now seemed to be on a downward spiral.

And it all seemed to have begun with the death of White Fang!

White Fang's suicide, the Third Hokage being nearly defeated by the Third Raikage despite having two Kage-level allies, Kumogakure's confrontation with Konoha's elite army, and now the Four Great Ninja Villages issuing a joint declaration of justice to attack Konoha.

These events gave everyone hope.

Now, even smaller ninja villages secretly began plotting, emboldened by the cracks in Konoha's image.

...

Senju Clan.

At this moment, Tsunade, clad in armor and ready for battle, stared in shock at the forbidden technique brought to her by Shirou.

"The Ryumyaku? Another world? Twenty years from now, I became the Fifth Hokage? And I even perfected this forbidden technique?"

Even for Tsunade, who had seen much in her life, this was beyond belief.

Ninja Art: Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique

"Sister Tsunade, do you think anyone in the ninja world could trap me in an illusion with my Mangekyo Sharingan? Or is this forbidden technique fake?"

Shirou chuckled and gestured to the forbidden scroll he had obtained. This was something Tsunade had only conceptualized, yet the completed version had already appeared.

War was imminent, and preparations for speeches... ahem... truly marked the path of a hero.

PS: Next Chapter is lemon.