Chapter 234: Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi's Reunion

Buzz—

When Susanoo's final slash was unleashed, Itachi Uchiha's Susanoo completely collapsed.

He fell to the ground, drenched in blood, and at the same time, Sasuke's Susanoo also collapsed at that moment.

Forcing Susanoo to this extent is painful even for him, even though Yuzhi had awakened his Indra power, it is the same.

Fortunately, because of the activation of that Indra power, although Sasuke's Susanoo collapsed, his condition remained okay.

His eyes were severely swollen, his vision became somewhat blurry, and an aching pain lingered throughout his body.

Nevertheless, he could still stand upright, not collapsing, and gazed at the completely limp Itachi Uchiha in the distance!

At this moment, Itachi Uchiha's breath was like a wisp, his bodily functions had almost entirely collapsed under Sasuke's final slash.

He hasn't completely breathed his last yet, which only shows his luck, but his situation is now certain.

His time is destined to be short!

"Is it over?"

Sasuke murmured, looking at Itachi Uchiha lying on the ground, and a feeling of relief surged within him.

He would not feel any 'emptiness after avenging a great hatred', nor entertain thoughts like 'when will endless revenge end' or 'what is the meaning of slaughter'.

Eliminating this guy was Sasuke's wish, and now he has finally achieved it!

"It's over."

Itachi Uchiha lay in a pool of blood, his eyes having returned to their normal black, and now he could no longer even maintain his Sharingan.

Sasuke's attack power was overwhelming; that onslaught nearly exhausted all his chakra, leaving him unable to move at this moment.

Watching Sasuke approach slowly, Itachi Uchiha felt bewildered, contemplating a single question.

"Did I err?"

The notion of being wrong rarely appears in Itachi Uchiha's mind; even knowing Danzo had issues, he still did not feel his following Danzo was wrong.

He always trusted his own judgment, believing he could rectify everything and restore everything in his own way.

But at this moment, his heart was so confused and hollow that he could not grasp what had become of the world.

Especially Sasuke's words pierced him deeply, causing him to involuntarily begin doubting himself.

Recalling Sasuke's words and all that had been ignored, he suddenly realized he had indeed missed many things.

The Uchiha Haori he despised most seemed to have always lived in the lower Uchiha residential districts, and the lowest tier of the clan indeed seemed to have many more smiles.

The clan was no longer the stern place it once was; laughter and joy seemed to echo constantly.

"And without the Hokage's support, could he not have reached this point?"

In his heart, he had always regarded Uchiha Haori as a ruthless schemer who would do anything for power.

But now Sasuke's words seemed to strike a chord, making him realize a question he had never considered.

"Could it be that everything was tacitly approved by the Hokage?"

Thinking of this, Itachi Uchiha tightened his fist slightly; if that were true, what meaning remained in all he had done?

At that moment, his heart truly collapsed, and right then, Sasuke calmly stepped before him.

Staring at Sasuke's fierce gaze and feeling the palpable killing intent, he opened his mouth, then weakly closed his eyes.

His heart had completely collapsed, and his convictions shattered at that instant.

For the first time, he realized how utterly foolish and incurably hopeless he was. —

"It seems it's over."

Within the dimensional space, Shui Men watched the scene, pondered briefly, then gave a slight shake of his head.

"Although my words may be untimely, Itachi Uchiha is Leaf Village's greatest traitor and the one who hurt Sasuke the most; still, this feels somewhat tragic."

"Perhaps, but I fear Sasuke won't agree with Senior Shui Men's words."

Yuzhi heard Shui Men's words and gently shook his head.

"Sasuke is someone I raised single-handedly; his greatest inner desire, besides proving himself, is to hunt down Itachi Uchiha.

Sasuke is an extremely sentimental person; his heart is full of love, whether for the village, the clan, friends, or relatives, his love is simple and steadfast.

Itachi Uchiha was the one who hurt him deepest; as a brother he attempted to attack the clan, and as a Leaf ninja he attempted to attack the village—such judgments are unacceptable to Sasuke.

Perhaps it is indeed cruel, but it is his choice."

Yuzhi wasn't speaking nonsense; he truly understood Sasuke, and these were almost entirely Sasuke's heartfelt feelings, and hunting Itachi Uchiha was indeed Sasuke's own request.

All those years, his effort, besides not wanting to embarrass Yuzhi and wanting to prove himself, was also preparation for hunting Itachi Uchiha.

He cannot accept that his brother is a traitor; he refuses to accept that someone who betrayed the clan and the village continues to harm everything he loves!

"Sorry, perhaps I took it for granted."

Hearing Yuzhi's words, Shui Men pondered briefly, then smiled and continued.

"Hokage, you once said, 'Do not counsel others to be good without first knowing their suffering'; people always judge good and evil based on their own consciousness, and I never expected to do the same."

"That is perfectly normal; after all, people try to persuade others according to their own ideas and logic."

Yuzhi also smiled and nodded, but before he could finish speaking, Kushina pursed her lips and interrupted the two.

"Honestly, you two Hokage aren't discussing how to make everyone live better, yet you start talking philosophy here?"

"That's really inappropriate; Leaf Village's actual jurisdiction is so vast now, think about the real matters and stop this nonsense."

"Yes, yes, yes, Senior Kushina's admonition is correct."

Yuzhi and Shui Men exchanged a glance, both stifling a laugh, and Yuzhi smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, we now have more things to consider, not just a Leaf Village issue; Senior Shui Men, are you ready for the challenge?"

"Come on, you're the Hokage, aren't you?"

Shui Men found the remark both laughable and pitiful, but soon he nodded seriously.

"Regardless, let us encourage each other together."

As they spoke, the battle below had basically ended; with Itachi Uchiha dealt with by Sasuke, Deidara could only retreat.

In the aerial tangle, Gaara really had no way to deal with him, and those resisting ninjas had also already been dealt with by Naruto.

Most importantly, Sasuke basically obtained Itachi Uchiha's eyes; one could say everything is progressing in the best direction.

「Then, we should also start some further actions now. 」

——

「Everyone, Itachi Uchiha has already fallen in battle. 」

In the Land of Rain, inside that cold, dark basement, Nagato looked at the phantoms around him, listened to Deidara's words as he spoke the news, and his brow involuntarily furrowed slightly.

To be honest, he wasn't surprised by Itachi Uchiha's death; this guy had offended that narrow-minded Fifth Hokage, and it's already a miracle that he's lived until now.

However, as the nominal leader, he still needed to maintain the internal stability of the Akatsuki Organization.

「Who gave the order? 」

Nagato asked, knowing full well, since the intelligence was sent out by him, and he still had a clear idea of what was going on.

「His younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha. 」

Deidara spoke somewhat resentfully; he still felt some apprehension toward Gaara, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto.

The combined combat ability of these three brats is genuinely strong; even he finds it somewhat difficult to deal with.

「Moreover, continuing like this is absolutely unacceptable; Leaf Village seems to be using us as a whetstone, and those brats' growth speed is anything but ordinary! 」

Aren't you yourself a brat? And you only just noticed?

Listening to Deidara's words, Nagato fell somewhat silent; Leaf Village's actions are utterly without any taboo or concealment.

They have always been using the Akatsuki Organization, and indeed the whole anti‑ninja‑world resistance, as a whetstone, continually exploiting it.

However, Deidara's words also made Nagato frown; indeed, the growth speed of those brats is beyond imagination!

Others might still be within normal bounds, but the growth rate of Sasuke and Naruto's team is truly exaggerated.

Itachi Uchiha might hold back, but this brat Sasuke Uchiha was personally taught by the Fifth Hokage Yuzhi!

Just how strong this Fifth Hokage is, they've come to realize over the years; even if Madara Uchiha personally steps in, that exaggerated level of strength is truly shocking.

Nagato even couldn't help but start to wonder: if we keep going like this, does the Akatsuki Organization still have any meaning or necessity?

After all, if they can't apply any pressure to Leaf Village, the situation won't be good.

「However, the Fifth Hokage might demand that we continue, after all he wants everyone to stay in a state of war. 」

Nagato was thinking, but the silent Madara who had been sitting there without speaking suddenly moved.

「This is indeed a problem. 」

Madara's voice was calm yet powerful; after pondering for a moment, he continued speaking.

「However, you don't need to worry so much; even if you die, I can bring you all back. 」

「Tch, Edo Tensei, right? 」

Deidara heard this, pursed his lips and shook his head; he didn't dare show any displeasure toward Madara Uchiha.

Because this guy is the only person in the current ninja world who can fight Yuzhi, Deidara still holds him in great respect.

「I'll pass; if I die, don't use any Edo Tensei to save me—I pursue the art of the moment, which is explosive art. 」

「I don't want to drag a rotting corpse around; that's not my art! 」

「So, you just have a short‑lived look about you. 」

Sasori tilted his head, also scorning Deidara's so‑called art.

「Even after Edo Tensei, you can still unleash your explosive art, and no one can stop you. 」

「Moreover, can Itachi Uchiha be Edo Tensei‑ed? This guy, although also a short‑lived one, still has some strength. 」

「Impossible, no trace left, so Edo Tensei can't be done. 」

Madara glanced at Deidara, seeing this brat seemingly caught in a dilemma, he shook his head and couldn't be bothered to deal with it.

As for Itachi Uchiha, he actually could be Edo Tensei‑ed, but for such a traitor he also couldn't be bothered to summon him, lest he be an eyesore.

That would not only displease him, but also displease Yuzhi; why make everyone unhappy?

「Really, what a sad piece of news; he really is a short‑lived one. 」

Kakuzu listened to Madara's words, he also shrugged, then gave Deidara a playful look.

「Brat, it looks like you'll be acting alone. 」

「Tch, without him it'll only be better for me. 」

Deidara scoffed, shook his head, then looked toward Nagato and Madara Uchiha.

「Even if we can use Edo Tensei, do we really have to keep fighting like this? This isn't anything good! 」

「Don't worry, I already have a plan. 」

Madara remained unfazed, he spoke calmly.

「Moreover, I'm also plotting something; being constantly pressed like this is no good for any of us. 」

「Therefore we need to take the initiative, we need to let them know our strength, let them know what true war is! 」

「Only then can everything stabilize, and we too can have more pursuits. 」

Madara's words weren't exactly passionate, but they were full of strength, and they also made Kakuzu, Kisame, and Deidara's eyes light up.

They are the genuine 【oddballs】 within the Akatsuki Organization, and also genuinely those who want to keep fighting Leaf Village.

「What plans do you have? 」

After a while, Kakuzu finally asked in a low voice; he still felt some wariness toward Madara Uchiha, but for now they also counted as 'our own'.

「Don't rush. 」

However, Madara shook his head, he calmly looked at Kakuzu and said.

「After a while, you'll find out. 」

Fine, let's all disperse and go back to what we should be doing; whether you stir up trouble or wait quietly, it makes no difference.

Because I will make you all see everything you've been longing to see!

Madara's words stopped here, but indeed his words were like a heartening tonic.

Although we don't know exactly what Madara's plan is, everyone knows Madara is the true core figure of this Akatsuki Organization.

Since he says so, he must already have enough preparation, after all he is the only one who can deal with Uchiha Haori.

"Since you all say that, then we'll just wait calmly for news."

Kakuzu spoke first, and the silent nod from Pipa Jicang beside him; he is also considered an elder of the Akatsuki Organization.

"Fine, since you have a plan, we'll just follow yours."

Deidara, though full of curiosity, ultimately only nodded; as each of them finished speaking, the vague chakra began to flow.

Moments later, their figures gradually vanished from the spot, leaving only the shadows of Nagato and Madara in the basement.

"Are you ready?"

Nagato asked with puzzlement; they have always had a plan, a grand scheme capable of mobilizing everyone.

And this plan would stir turmoil in the ninja world, so Nagato has always been cautious yet slightly eager about it.

"My plan has always been ready; it's just that now it's matured."

Madara smiled indifferently, his shadow standing up, eyes fixed on the Nagato before him.

"As for you, after all, a person without value can be discarded at any time."

——

"Everyone, take a look; the good news just keeps coming."

Leaf Village, inside the Hokage's office.

Yuzhi looked down at the crowd, smiling as he spoke, but the others, holding reports, wore somewhat strange expressions.

What kind of good news is this?

"Fifth Hokage, isn't this a bit too extreme?"

After a while, the Third Hokage finally asked with a hint of helplessness.

"The three great ninja villages have only been pacified for a while, yet everyone's nerves remain on edge, since those rebellious insurgents are still waiting for a chance."

"Compared to the previous wars, the pressure on everyone has already eased; now to rashly launch a war of this scale— is that really good?"

Three years have passed, and the Third Hokage looks a bit older, yet his mental state is unusually good.

After all, he has watched Leaf Village's territory expand rapidly; as someone who truly loves Leaf, this development naturally pleases him.

Moreover, over these years he realized a problem: the Hokage Yuzhi would heed their opinions, but didn't like being asked to give advice.

This outcome, though it reduced the Elders' influence, undeniably made Leaf thrive more under Yuzhi's leadership.

Realizing his own inadequacy and that he had run into such a capable Hokage, the Third Hokage had long ago begun to loosen his burden.

As a result of this "handing over," his mindset subtly changed, and with a harmonious home, his mental state could hardly be anything but good.

However, looking at the report in his hands today, he felt somewhat uneasy.

Because he discovered that Yuzhi was surprisingly enthusiastic about preparing a massive attack on the enemy, even intending to have them get ready, making it easy for his side to counter?

What logic is that? Even if it's to train the troops to face those extraterrestrials, there's no need to be so ruthless to one's own people, right?

"I think it's fine."

What the Third Hokage didn't anticipate was that before Yuzhi could speak, the Hashirama beside him suddenly opened his mouth.

"Current battles are too lax; that's not good for us. The intensity of combat must be raised."

"And not always relying on the Fifth Hokage, as well as me, Fui, and the Fourth Hokage to act; everyone needs training, that's the point."

"I also think it's fine."

Fui glanced at his older brother and immediately gave a straightforward nod.

"These three years of war, though massive and seemingly brutal, still don't match the intensity of our own era."

"At this level, how can we hope to deal with those extraterrestrials?"

"Teacher."

The Third Hokage saw his two teachers unexpectedly on Yuzhi's side, and he felt rather uneasy, causing him to look over at Ziraiye, Tsunade, and Minato.

This meeting's attendees are Leaf's top combatants and most influential figures.

The "Historical Hokage" needs no introduction; besides him are Minato, the Legendary Sannin, Hikari, Shisui, etc., and the clan leaders are also present.

To put it bluntly, the people in this office almost encompass all of Leaf's high command; if a Tailed Beast Ball arrived now, Leaf could probably disintegrate without issue.

Of course, a Tailed Beast Ball arriving is one thing, but whether it can annihilate everyone present is indeed a question.

The Third Hokage knows those clan leaders wouldn't comment on such matters, because they are truly self‑aware.

Everyday other issues they can discuss together, but when it comes to Leaf's strategic matters they generally keep silent.

They will only cooperate fully with policies, ensuring the Leaf high command's policies proceed smoothly.

Relying on them is useless; as for Hikari and Shisui.

One is someone else's younger brother, the other someone else's wife—what can we expect?

"Fifth Hokage, I also think this might be a bit reckless."

Ziraiye, seeing his teacher's gaze, immediately turned to Tsunade and Minato, only to find both were looking at him.

That instantly made him uneasy; silently cursing their lack of loyalty, he forced himself to speak.

"The teacher is right; Leaf's territory is now so vast, our ninja numbers are insufficient, and besides that, I think our immediate priority is integration."

"That is, allowing people from other regions to better integrate with us; only by improving their lives can we gain more support."

"Senior Ziraiye, would those extraterrestrials, if they came, also give us this time?"

Yuzhi didn't get angry; he quietly listened as Ziraiye finished speaking, then smiled and asked.

This.

Ziraiye touched his head, hesitated a moment before speaking.

"So, now we have to fight for time?"

"Then Senior Ziraiye's idea is greatly mistaken."

Yuzhi shook his head, lightly tapped the table and said.

"How can we know when they will arrive, and will those rebel ninjas really give us such free time to act?"

Obviously, that's impossible; no one would give their enemy any time or opportunity to ease themselves.

Therefore we must make adjustments, such as how to conduct more rational troop rotations and better develop the wartime economy.

How to defend each region, and at the same time test how we can carry out more efficient propaganda and mobilization.

Everyone, I naturally know that the most important thing for us now is to stabilize our current gains and make those we have just integrated fully accept us.

But the enemy won't give us time; we need to seize all of this ourselves, right?

Yuzhi's words were spoken calmly, but his rhetorical logic was expressed very clearly.

Thinking carefully, everyone present understands that the enemy will not give you any time to buffer, nor any chance to do what you want.

To endure in such an environment and accomplish everything you wish, you must adapt to a mode of simultaneous war and development.

Although this is truly troublesome and does drain energy, thinking carefully, it is indeed the most pragmatic and effective solution.

"I support Lord Hokage's proposal."

Nara Riku looked at everyone present, who were somewhat silent, thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Our current situation is far from optimistic; although we have achieved a staged victory, everything is still far from over."

"Therefore we must adapt to the current environment and seize the initiative ourselves; that is our best choice."

After Leaf Village flattened almost all the villages, Yuzhi and his group no longer concealed anything from these Leaf Village elites.

On one hand, no one knows what the future holds, so we must always be ready.

On the other hand, we naturally don't want these clan ninjas to become complacent one by one.

After all, everyone has fought a lifetime; now almost all enemies have been wiped out, leaving only a few scattered troops that are insignificant.

Even among them are super‑strong ones like Madara Uchiha, as well as those who originally followed the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha, seizing the chance to establish the village's early shadows.

But the problem is, Leaf Village will only get stronger!

Besides the "Shadow of History," there is Yuzhi, a powerful being that combines Madara Uchiha and ZhuZhang, even surpassing both of them.

No matter how you look at it, those others are just clumsy amateurs, only barking uselessly.

In this mood, who knows if these people will become complacent and then start a "play music then dance" wave.

Our ancestors long ago said, "A great nation that loves war will perish; a peaceful world that forgets war is in danger," as well as sayings like "think of danger in times of peace" and "prepare before the rain."

As a liberal arts student, Yuzhi envies the hands‑on ability of engineering majors, but he is proud that he remembers the ancestors' sayings well.

Yuzhi's current achievements may not reach "Fighting Six Generations," but at least can be roughly counted as "Shaking long strategies to dominate the world, swallowing three nations and destroying the ninja village, whose prestige shakes the four seas."

So, his way of thinking now also needs to change a bit.

These ninja clans, after learning of the existence of those aliens and observing the Otsutsuki‑style corpses, instantly understood what kind of environment they were in.

Complacent?

We can't even dare to be complacent; even though we really don't want to get involved, some things still need to be done properly—

"You guy, you're getting more and more brazen."

Meanwhile, while Yuzhi was in the Hokage's office, holding a "verbal sparring" meeting with his subordinates.

Inside the Moon, Yuzhi and Hikari, together with a curious Sasuke, Naruto, and the calm Ningci, appeared there.

Obviously, the one in the Hokage's office was another wooden clone of Yuzhi, while his true body has already come here!

"Please, how can you call this brazen? It's just a reasonable use of my abilities."

Yuzhi smiled indifferently, looking at the massive Moon base; with one hand he held Hikari, and with the other he patted the still curious Sasuke, then laughed.

"Moreover, this kid's eyes have already reached their limit; if we don't do something, our child may go blind."

"I have a way to keep him from going blind."

Hikari couldn't help rolling his eyes at the words, while Sasuke blushed a bit and honestly lowered his head beside him.

Even though he's sixteen, his old man Yuzhi doesn't even look a few years older than him.

But even so, when Yuzhi pressed his head, he still obediently lowered his head, just like when he was a child.

"Hokage uncle, are we on the Moon?"

Compared to Sasuke's honesty, Naruto was much more exuberant; he excitedly looked at everything and then shouted loudly.

"I've long heard dad say that the inside of the Moon is actually a beautiful place, but dad never brought me up here; is this the inside of the Moon?"

"That's right, this is the inside of the Moon."

Yuzhi nodded, looking at the excited Naruto, the quiet Sasuke and Ningci, and a smile appeared on his face.

At this stage, he has already gathered the materials for Sasuke, and Ningci's growth over the past three years is evident.

Having trained with Akai for many years, his body has been greatly honed, and with the help and refinement of fire release, it has developed excellently.

Therefore Yuzhi decided to carry out some experiments he had long contemplated, whether it's Sasuke's eye replacement or Ningci's Byakugan research; these are things he has been thinking about.

As for Naruto, although his power system differs completely from Yuzhi's, he has also thoroughly studied ZhuZhang's techniques.

This time, bringing him along is to see what effect ZhuZhang's model would have on him.

"After all, they're both incarnations of Asura; although I have suppressed his Asura consciousness, as long as the fire release power remains, there might be a miraculous effect!"

Yuzhi thought silently, and Naruto, having received a positive reply, instantly became excited.

"Yay! So this is it; I heard the scenery here is great and very magical, I've wanted to come for a long time!"

Naruto shouted excitedly, which made Sasuke beside him somewhat displeased.

Too impolite, Naruto, watch that you're beside the Hokage!

All right, Sasuke, and Ningci, you also don't need to be formal; you are my disciple.

Yuzhi rubbed Sasuke's head again, then he released his hand and smiled at the three.

Go ahead, getting familiar with the environment isn't bad, but a friendly reminder.

Having said that, Yuzhi paused slightly, then laughed as he spoke.

You might run into some bad guys here, so you need to be mentally prepared.

Tch, what bad guys.

Naruto gave a careless smile, raising his fist as he spoke.

If there are bad guys, we'll just deal with them, after all I...

I was wondering who it was, turns out it's you few brats.

However, Naruto's words weren't finished yet when a low voice sounded beside him, and immediately a figure clad in red armor walked slowly from not far away.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Ningci were stunned by the voice, but as soon as they looked over, their bodies instantly froze.

The person walking toward them turned out to be Madara Uchiha!