Shinigami in the Ninja World (Re-upload)

Sasuke froze at Itachi's words.

'Another Uchiha?'

But according to Konoha's official stance, aside from himself and Itachi, every other member of the Uchiha clan had been ruthlessly slaughtered.

He was supposed to be the only surviving Uchiha orphan.

So, who was the other one?

Could this person be on the same level as Itachi? Did they also possess the 'Mangekyō Sharingan'?

"That person is…" Itachi paused for effect.

"Madara Uchiha."

The name that fell from Itachi's lips sent shockwaves through Sasuke's mind.

'Unbelievable.'

'And absurd.'

Of course, Sasuke had heard of Madara Uchiha. Who in the Uchiha clan—or even in the entire ninja world—hadn't?

Madara, along with the First Hokage, had founded Konoha Village. He was said to possess power on par with the First Hokage himself.

But that was over sixty years ago.

If Madara were still alive today, he'd be over a hundred years old. Even if he somehow defied the natural lifespan, what strength could someone that old still have? Could he really have orchestrated the annihilation of the Uchiha clan?

The idea seemed absurd.

'Yet…'

Legends often defied logic.

Still, if he had been the Uchiha clan's leader, why would he want to destroy his own clan?

If he were as powerful as the stories claimed, wouldn't he have done so long ago?

'Why wait until now?'

"That's impossible," Sasuke muttered, instinctively shaking his head in denial.

Itachi seized Sasuke's moment of distraction.

He opened his mouth.

A subtle chakra fluctuation rippled.

Sasuke's eyes followed the movement, drawn to it.

It was a crow.

The bird fluttered out of Itachi's throat, its wings beating.

At first glance, it seemed ordinary—after all, Itachi's summoning animal was also a crow. But something about this one was different.

Its eyes weren't black.

They were crimson red, bearing a complex and peculiar pattern.

'A Mangekyō Sharingan.'

But it wasn't Itachi's Mangekyō.

This one had a distinctive design: four curved blades overlapping in the center.

'Another person's Mangekyō Sharingan.'

"Forgive me, Sasuke," Itachi's voice emerged softly. "I never wanted to use this method."

"When this technique ends…"

"I'll tell you the whole truth."

The crow's Mangekyō Sharingan rotated, its pattern spinning as it locked onto Sasuke's eyes.

"Kotoamatsukami."

The technique activated, delving into Sasuke's psyche.

Sasuke's body trembled.

Within him, two distinct energies coexisted.

One belonged to the ninja, derived from his physical body: chakra.

The other belonged to the Shinigami, sourced from his soul: spiritual energy.

At this moment, his spiritual energy continued to function normally.

But his chakra…

His chakra felt foreign, as though something invasive had taken root within it.

Then Itachi spoke, his tone calm and firm.

"From now on, you, Sasuke Uchiha, will be completely loyal to Konoha Village."

Sasuke's confusion deepened.

Why had Itachi suddenly said that?

The invasive chakra particles inside his body grew lively, surging through him like an uncontrollable torrent.

They dispersed, spreading informational fragments throughout every corner of his body—embedding themselves into his very being.

The message was singular and absolute:

"Complete loyalty to Konoha."

The chakra that Sasuke should have controlled was now attempting to control him instead.

It forcefully sought to imprint Itachi's will onto him.

As the chakra settled into his body, it shifted its focus to his soul, attempting to corrupt it.

But Sasuke was prepared.

His spiritual energy enveloped his soul, shielding it from invasion.

Even so, he couldn't entirely suppress his unease.

'What am I supposed to do?'

Fortunately, Itachi seemed unaware that the technique had failed—or perhaps he was simply overconfident in its efficacy.

To any ordinary ninja, Kotoamatsukami was irresistible.

It was absolute.

But Sasuke was unique. His soul harbored a different kind of power—one capable of resisting the intrusion.

"My time is short," Itachi said, coughing twice.

"But with Shisui's eye, I've corrected your misguided thoughts."

"Now, I can tell you everything."

Blood trickled from his lips as he turned toward an approaching presence.

It was Kisame Hoshigaki.

Earlier, their battle had distanced them, but now that their techniques had dissipated, Itachi could sense Kisame's proximity.

Yet this wasn't the time for Kisame to intervene.

Itachi took a deep breath, channeling the last remnants of his chakra into his eyes.

"Amaterasu!"

Black flames erupted, encircling the brothers in a towering inferno.

Kisame stopped in his tracks, gazing at the dark fire with a frown.

This wasn't good.

Itachi's condition seemed precarious.

It looked like he might lose an excellent partner today.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Itachi said softly.

Raising his hand, he pressed his index and middle fingers together and reached forward.

It was a gesture Sasuke knew well—one Itachi often used when they were children.

It was a symbol of affection, of brotherly love.

But Sasuke dodged it, stepping back swiftly.

Itachi's eyes dimmed, as though he had expected this.

The technique had altered Sasuke's loyalty to Konoha, but it hadn't changed his feelings toward Itachi.

Sasuke still despised him.

Still loathed him.

Yet Sasuke didn't strike back.

He wanted the truth.

As long as Itachi believed his technique had succeeded, he would reveal everything.

"I had no choice, Sasuke," Itachi began, his voice steady but pained. "The Uchiha clan was planning a coup to overthrow the village."

"To protect peace—to protect Konoha—I had to act."

"For the village?" Sasuke's tone was measured, suppressing his emotions.

Itachi nodded.

"Peace requires sacrifice."

"And the one who aided me in eliminating the Uchiha was indeed Madara Uchiha."

"Or rather, someone claiming to be Madara."

"Be wary of him, Sasuke. Once I'm gone, he'll come for you. Don't believe his words."

Itachi didn't say much more.

With Kotoamatsukami binding Sasuke to Konoha, he believed there was nothing more to warn him about.

Raising his hand, he reached toward his own eyes.

"And these eyes… you should take them."

"The Mangekyō Sharingan is powerful, but it comes with a steep price. You've likely already noticed it—the more you use it, the more your vision deteriorates. Permanently."

"To counteract this flaw, there's only one solution…"

Before he could finish, Sasuke grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Don't act like this," Sasuke said coldly, kicking Itachi's hand away. "You're a loser. A failure. Whatever you have, I'll take it as I see fit."

"Stop pretending to be some righteous older brother. It's revolting."

He ground his foot down, twisting it mercilessly.

Itachi grunted, biting down hard to stifle any cry of pain.

"So, aside from you and Madara Uchiha, was anyone else involved in this?" Sasuke asked softly.

Itachi remained silent.

"I went to see the corpses of the Uchiha clan," Sasuke continued, changing his approach. "Their eyes had all been removed. Was that your doing, or Madara's?"

Itachi froze, lifting his head slightly. The question left him in prolonged silence.

But his reaction already answered it.

"So, Konoha was involved after all," Sasuke murmured.

In Itachi's mind, Sasuke was still under the influence of Kotoamatsukami, utterly loyal to Konoha no matter the circumstances.

He exhaled deeply. "The Uchiha were planning a coup. For the sake of peace and the safety of many, the village had to take countermeasures. It was necessary."

"And the eyes…" He hesitated before continuing. "Better they remain in Konoha's hands than fall into someone else's."

Sasuke pressed his foot down harder, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Why was the Uchiha clan planning a coup?"

"That goes back a long way," Itachi replied softly. "After Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju founded Konoha, Madara betrayed the village, fighting the First Hokage at the Valley of the End."

"Since then, the Uchiha clan, with their Sharingan, rose to become the most prominent ninja clan in Konoha."

"But precisely because of this, arrogance grew within the clan. They became increasingly alienated from the rest of the village."

"The Uchiha could not forget the insults and disdain they suffered, focusing on those instead of the village's benefits."

"And eventually… they plotted rebellion."

"I see," Sasuke said quietly.

"The Uchiha were antagonistic toward Konoha…" Itachi sighed.

But before he could finish, Sasuke interrupted coldly, his expression indifferent.

"How disgusting."

Itachi froze.

'Disgusting?'

Was Sasuke referring to the Uchiha clan, himself, or Konoha?

"You, and Konoha—utterly disgusting," Sasuke said softly. "Antagonistic? Really?"

"Even in your biased narrative, what exactly does the Uchiha owe Konoha?"

"How do you even have the gall to say that?"

Itachi stared at Sasuke in disbelief.

It wasn't the content of Sasuke's words that shook him—it was his tone.

Despite his supposed loyalty to Konoha, Sasuke's hostility had only intensified after hearing everything.

"You… you're not under Kotoamatsukami's influence!" Itachi exclaimed.

Sasuke looked down at him disdainfully. "You really thought that eye could control me?"

"Itachi Uchiha…"

"You are beyond disgusting. Even now, do you feel no guilt whatsoever?"

"Still expecting your brother to forgive the man who murdered our entire clan?"

The blood loss, lack of oxygen, and unexpected turn of events left even Itachi's sharp mind reeling.

'Shisui's eye… failed.'

Itachi reflexively blurted out, "The Uchiha were planning a rebellion—"

Sasuke cut him off with a sharp kick to his injured hand.

"Is that so?"

"That's still no excuse for what you did."

"Itachi, your last name is Uchiha."

"If Konoha turned against us, that's something I could accept. But what you did is utterly unforgivable."

Itachi's voice lowered, trembling slightly. "Sasuke, as someone strong, you need to have a broader perspective."

"Your vision shouldn't be confined to just one clan."

"The village is—"

Sasuke interrupted harshly, his voice dripping with derision. "So you chose not to be part of the Uchiha but to become Konoha's lapdog instead."

Itachi, struggling to keep himself upright, coughed before countering weakly, "I'm not a lapdog—"

"Not a lapdog?" Sasuke sneered. "You slaughtered the Uchiha for Konoha. And what did you get in return?"

"Branded as an S-rank rogue ninja?"

"The hatred of your only living family?"

"Oh, excuse me—worse than a dog. At least a dog has a home. You're just a stray, without even a place to call your own."

Itachi, still defiant, muttered, "At least… the village has peace…"

Sasuke's voice turned icy.

"The village?"

"Is the village so important?"

Itachi froze.

Was it not?

"A village may be bigger than a single clan, but does that justify ignoring the smaller group's rights and feelings?"

"Was sacrificing your parents' lives for peace really worth it?" Sasuke paused, his tone turning harsh. "Is a peace built on forced sacrifices truly peace?"

"It's nothing but the silence of the oppressed, achieved through violence and suppression."

"Peace," Sasuke scoffed, glaring at Itachi.

"Such hollow, naive ideals."

"You have no right to talk about perspective or magnanimity."

"You see others but blind yourself to your own sins. You willingly sacrifice those close to you for the benefit of strangers. Is that your idea of magnanimity?"

Sasuke raised his blade, pressing it against Itachi's neck.

"So, any last words?"

"Any more excuses to make?"

Itachi turned his head, silent. His crimson eyes betrayed no emotion, but Sasuke understood.

He chuckled darkly.

Itachi might not believe he was wrong, but Sasuke had achieved his goal.

His words had shattered the foundation of Itachi's beliefs, nullifying the very ideals Itachi had clung to throughout his life.

He had stripped Itachi of the justification for betraying the Uchiha.

Sasuke raised his blade high.

The strike was swift and merciless—

Sasuke didn't want to hear apologies. They meant nothing. Apologizing for the past was an insult to the present.

A head rolled to the ground.

Sasuke bent down, picking it up. Carefully, he extracted the eyes and placed them in a glass vial.

The Mangekyō Sharingan from his brother would elevate his power further.

As he held the vial close, his heart felt heavy.

Glancing at the surrounding black flames of Amaterasu, he extinguished them with a single glance. The scorched earth was left pale and ashen.

The lone spectator had vanished.

It seemed they had realized Itachi's fate and wisely fled while the brothers were locked in conflict.

Sasuke gave the spot a cold glance before turning away.

…

Half an hour later—

With a loud "crack," a hand burst from within a tree trunk, peeling back bark to reveal a shark-faced man.

Kisame Hoshigaki stepped out, his expression grim.

"Did Sasuke Uchiha notice us?"

Though he was alone, he used the plural "us."

A voice emerged from another tree.

"He didn't notice me, but he probably noticed you."

From the bark of another tree, half a figure emerged—a man with black and white halves, crowned by a plant-like structure.

"Sharp, isn't he?" Kisame narrowed his eyes. "I was hidden inside Samehada."

"But he didn't attack us… unexpected."

The plant-like man tilted his head thoughtfully. "His goal wasn't us."

"What was it, then?" Kisame adjusted his robe. "Itachi was one of us, a member of the Akatsuki."

"The goal," the plant-like figure said softly, "was Konoha."

...

The Village of Konoha.

Nestled deep within the Land of Fire, adjacent to its capital city.

As the nation's only military stronghold, it still bore scars from the recent "Konoha Crush Plan," leaving its surroundings in ruins.

At the ninja academy training grounds.

Naruto beamed with excitement. He had discovered that, in some ways, recent events weren't entirely bad. If nothing else, they had brought him closer to Sakura. They spent a lot of time together now, often training side by side.

After all—

Among their classmates, only the two of them had to repeat a year.

They didn't know the new students well and found it hard to integrate.

Sakura, however, seemed to be in a daze most of the time.

"Don't worry, Sakura! I'll bring Sasuke back!" Naruto proclaimed, thumping his chest. Though his tone was exaggerated, his determination was genuine. He had been training seriously.

Sakura sighed.

She appreciated Naruto's efforts—she truly did.

But…

Effort alone wasn't enough for something like this.

No matter how hard a dropout tried, how could they hope to surpass a genius like Sasuke Uchiha, whose talent far exceeded Naruto's?

What could she do?

If only Sasuke would return to Konoha…

Meanwhile,

Outside Konoha, Sasuke—the subject of Sakura's wistful thoughts—stood in the forest.

His gaze lingered on the village's battered gates.

From Itachi's words, Sasuke had already pieced together the truth: Konoha had been complicit in the Uchiha massacre. The Sharingan taken from his clan had undoubtedly been seized by Konoha's people.

But the lingering question was: 'who?'

'The Third Hokage?'

It was possible.

But even if it were him, the man was already dead.

This wasn't the work of one person alone.

While not everyone in Konoha was guilty, the village certainly wasn't innocent either.

Sasuke took a deep breath.

His understanding of Konoha was still too shallow. He didn't even know the full structure of the village beyond its Hokage, Jonin, and Chunin.

Guesswork wouldn't cut it.

A more direct approach was necessary.

Besides, with his current strength…

Even Konoha wouldn't be much of a challenge.

He stretched out his hand, pointing at the newly repaired village gates.

A chant escaped his lips.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring.

Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm.

The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!

Hadō #63. Raikōhō (雷吼炮, Thunder Roar Sear)."

Lightning surged in his palm, condensing into a crackling sphere of electricity that shot toward the village.

The combination of immense spiritual energy and chakra caused the barrier surrounding Konoha to shatter instantly. The lightning bolt surged unimpeded toward the gates.

"Enemy attack!"

"A powerful jutsu—likely more than one assailant!"

"Notify the Jonin squads!"

The Konoha ninja stationed on duty reacted swiftly. Upon seeing the incoming thunderball, they immediately leapt forward, weaving hand seals to raise a mud wall.

But—

It was futile.

A fully chanted Hadō ranked at #63, combined with captain-level spiritual pressure, was equivalent to Sasuke's full-strength attack.

The Earth Release techniques of a few Chunin disintegrated upon contact.

Those too slow to evade were consumed along with their jutsu—and the gates of Konoha.

The alarm bells blared.

A dire warning.

Summoning techniques, messenger ninja, and all manner of signal jutsu spread the alert throughout the village.

By the memorial stone, Kakashi looked up at the sound, his gaze narrowing as he rushed toward the commotion.

Other Jonin quickly followed suit, converging on the site.

...

At Konoha's village gate.

Dust, corpses, and unconscious ninja lay scattered across the scene, a grim tableau that shocked the Jonin who had hurried to respond.

This was an outcome they hadn't anticipated, especially not so soon after the death of the Hokage. With no new Hokage yet appointed and many of Konoha's forces depleted in the recent battle, the village was vulnerable. It was a moment ripe for opportunists to strike.

But for an attack to come this quickly, this brazenly, and from the front gate?

Who could it be?

Rock Village?

Or perhaps Cloud Village?

Most likely Cloud Village. Only someone from that village would have the audacity for such a bold move.

The ninja surrounded the scene, weapons at the ready.

"Who's there?" demanded Shikaku Nara, acting commander of the Jonin and, for now, the village's highest-ranking authority.

His expression was filled with doubt.

While the aftermath was brutal, with so many injured or dead, the scale of the enemy presence didn't match his initial assumptions.

He had expected a large, well-coordinated strike force or multiple elite ninja.

But…

The smoke and dust concealed the enemy.

Still, Shikaku could tell there appeared to be only 'one person' standing there.

"You should know me," a voice came from within the smoke.

Kakashi Hatake stiffened. That voice was familiar—it was someone he had spoken to not long ago.

It was—

The wind swept the dust away, revealing the figure beneath.

A man in a traditional robe, holding a long blade, his scarlet Sharingan eyes gleaming ominously.

'Sasuke Uchiha.'

"Traitor Sasuke Uchiha!" shouted a Jonin, instantly recognizing him without Kakashi needing to say a word.

The Sharingan was unmistakable.

Especially now, when only two people in the world possessed it.

And in Konoha, there was no doubt who this person was.

"You dare show your face here!"

"Killing and wounding so many—your crimes are unforgivable! You're not leaving here alive today!"

Voices rose in anger, and fingers pointed accusingly.

Shikaku Nara's sharp eyes narrowed.

Something didn't add up.

Not just because Sasuke had returned to Konoha so soon after defecting.

But his boldness—attacking the village's main gate alone...

Why?

Did he think Konoha, weakened as it was, couldn't stop him?

"Sasuke, why are you doing this?" Kakashi bent slightly, his hand hovering over his weapon pouch. Though Sasuke was now an enemy, Kakashi hesitated to strike unless absolutely necessary.

Sasuke raised his blade, flicking it sharply to rid it of the blood that clung to it. Droplets spattered to the ground. His voice was cold:

"Konoha is complicit in the Uchiha massacre."

"Hand over those involved."

A Jonin spat, "Hah! What nonsense! Everyone knows your brother killed your clan. You're blaming Konoha for that? What does this have to do with us?"

Sasuke reached into his robe.

The small gesture caused immediate tension.

Weapons shifted. Hand seals formed, readying defensive jutsu.

But…

What Sasuke pulled out wasn't a weapon or a jutsu scroll.

It was a 'small glass vial.'

"Itachi Uchiha. That traitor to the Uchiha clan. That dog of Konoha…" Sasuke's voice was icy. "He's dead. I killed him myself."

"And before he died, he told me the truth—how Konoha orchestrated the massacre of my clan."

Inside the glass vial were two radiant orbs, glimmering like rubies: 'eyes.'

Not ordinary eyes—but Sharingan.

Not the usual three-tomoe design either. Instead, the pattern was intricate, resembling 'three curved scythes.'

Some were confused, thinking the eyes didn't quite look like Sharingan.

But others—especially Kakashi—recognized them instantly.

They were Itachi's eyes.

Kakashi's face tightened. He had faced those very eyes recently. They had left him unconscious, bedridden for days. He'd only been discharged from the hospital yesterday.

The air grew heavy with tension.

Shikaku Nara said nothing.

Kakashi, the person most familiar with the Sharingan, also remained silent.

The rest of the ninja followed their lead, their initial outrage now replaced with unease.

"You're not going to talk? You're going to protect them?" Sasuke's tone grew colder as he lifted his blade.

"Then I'll assume you're all guilty."