Naruto: Uchiha Survivor Forced to Save the Shinobi World-Chapter 369: Gathering

"Has the archive attack been investigated? What are those damn Uchihas up to?"

"Could it be that Uchiha Itachi?"

"Does the village have no way to deal with these lawless Uchihas?"

"Shh, keep it down."

As Uchiha Shinji entered the barbecue restaurant, the murmurs quieted significantly.

The diners in the first-floor hall turned to look at him in unison. Some averted their eyes, others glared with resentment, and a few hid deep wariness in their gazes.

Shinji ignored it all.

At the end of the day, the villagers didn't fear or hate him—they feared and hated a powerful 'Uchiha' who dared to raise a blade against them!

The fact that public sentiment had escalated to this degree clearly pointed to someone orchestrating it behind the scenes.

Shinji didn't need to guess who was pulling the strings.

But he chose not to interfere.

This incident, beyond his own schemes, served another purpose.

Karin's rampage had swiftly dissolved the tensions among the five great shinobi villages, previously sparked by the 'Wood Release' incident.

Facing the Akatsuki's immense threat once again, the five villages were forced to band together, setting aside many disputes.

In a sense, Shinji's order for Karin to unleash a complete 'Susanoo' over Hidden Leaf had reunited the five great shinobi villages.

Of course.

This wasn't something to be shared with outsiders.

Whether it was the villagers' support, understanding, fear, or resentment, Shinji didn't care—he had far more important matters to attend to!

Arriving at the private room on the second floor, he heard the laughter of his classmates before even opening the door.

Shinji stepped inside, "I'm not late, am I?"

Shion grinned cheekily, "If you'd come any later, we'd have eaten all the meat!"

Shinji chuckled, taking a seat between Haku and Karin, who had deliberately left the spot open for him.

Clearly.

This gathering was to celebrate Karin's recovery and return to the academy.

While her return hadn't drawn much attention, for their tight-knit group of classmates—especially out of respect for Shinji—they naturally wanted to gather and celebrate.

Moreover, the recent village gossip targeting the Uchihas had left Sasuke fuming, so the gathering also aimed to help Shinji and Sasuke unwind.

After some lively eating and joking, everyone began to relax.

Shion bantered with Karin, Sakura, and Ino, while Neji and Hinata chatted quietly nearby. On the other side, Naruto, Choji, and Lee competed to see who could eat the most barbecue.

Yakumo, nibbling on her food, subtly kept an eye on Shinji and Sasuke.

Sasuke slid over to Shinji, lowering his voice, "Shinji, be careful lately. Someone in the village is targeting us!"

Shinji paused, then asked, "What have you heard?"

"Some stuff from Kakashi," Sasuke hesitated before continuing, "But don't worry too much. I'll handle it!"

"Alright."

Shinji smiled and nodded.

Though their rivalry at the academy had strained their once-close bond, Shinji could tell Sasuke still cared deeply for him.

Or rather.

In all of Hidden Leaf, Shinji was the only one Sasuke truly considered 'his own.'

A thought struck Shinji, and he asked, "I heard you clashed with Akatsuki's 'B.' How was he? Strong?"

Karin, nearby, perked up her ears discreetly.

Sasuke's expression darkened, "Yeah, very strong! Maybe even stronger than that guy!"

Shinji, of course, knew 'that guy' meant Uchiha Itachi, and he smirked inwardly.

On paper, Karin's abilities seemed to surpass Itachi's.

But a shinobi's true combat strength wasn't just about stats—it included battle experience, tactical genius, and hard-to-train battlefield instincts.

In these areas, Itachi thoroughly outclassed Karin.

If Karin faced Itachi in a one-on-one duel, Shinji believed that despite her superior stats, she'd have no chance and would certainly die!

Yakumo's situation was similar.

Their strength had been forcibly built up by Shinji. In terms of raw combat talent, they couldn't hold a candle to Itachi, or even the still-maturing Sasuke and Naruto, who excelled in this regard.

Hearing Sasuke's assessment, Karin felt a flicker of pride.

Sasuke continued, "Shinji, find a way to awaken your eyes soon! Trying to counter Wood Release with other methods is foolish! 'B' showed us with reality—our Uchiha 'Susanoo' can suppress Wood Release. If we can awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, we can reclaim the top spot at the academy."

Naruto, leaning in, asked curiously, "Sasuke, hasn't Shinji always been the top student at the academy?"

"You... I..."

Sasuke's face flushed red.

Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Yakumo surpassed Shinji, but the reality was that Yakumo was still Shinji's defeated opponent.

Noticing the conversation shift to her, Yakumo stood, "Shinji, I want to challenge you! You pick the time and place!"

Instantly, all the classmates in the room turned to Shinji.

Shinji smiled, "Let's wait until I've awakened my eyes."

His previous spars with Yakumo were to test her mastery of the Koryugan and the post-surgery power of her Wood Release.

Now that he had the data he needed, he had no interest in fighting her again.

After all, even he, without using his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, had few good options against the increasingly experienced Yakumo.

"Deal!"

Yakumo agreed without hesitation.

She knew challenging Shinji now, with her current strength, was a bit like bullying. But she didn't want her academy years defined by always being second to Shinji, so she issued the challenge.

Shinji's agreement to fight after awakening his eyes fulfilled one of her wishes.

As for whether Shinji could awaken his eyes, she had no doubts—he was, in her eyes, an Uchiha genius greater than Sasuke!

After the gathering, Shinji returned to his apartment and began planning Karin's surgery.

The preparation of suppressants and fusion agents was progressing smoothly. Aside from a few rare herbs he needed to source, he had resolved all other issues during this time.

Beyond the surgical preparations, Karin's condition was also a concern.

Having just completed the fusion of her Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, her state wasn't fully stabilized. Rushing the First Hokage cell transplant was inadvisable, so he thought, "I'll observe for one or two more weeks. Once Karin's condition is completely stable, we'll begin the surgery!"