THE EVIL OF UCHIHA BYAKUYA

One day later, in the vast desert outside Sunagakure…

Two figures moved swiftly across the scorching sands — one cloaked in mystery, the other trailing behind with cold precision.

The first was Byakuya, an enigmatic shinobi shrouded in unknown motives. The second, keeping a cautious distance, was Sasori of the Red Sand, a master puppeteer and former prodigy of Sunagakure.

Despite their shared goal, Sasori remained on high alert. Though they now traveled together, his crimson eyes never left Byakuya's back. Sasori had long harbored the intent to assassinate the Third Kazekage, but he had told no one — not even his old comrades in the Puppet Brigade. The plan was his alone. Precise. Secretive.

Yet this stranger, Byakuya, appeared from nowhere, already knowing Sasori's hidden ambition, and even proposed a "cooperation." Everything about it reeked of suspicion.

When they first met, Sasori's instinct had been to kill him.

But that proved impossible.

Even after deploying his most advanced puppets — including Hiruko and several high-grade human puppets — he was unable to inflict even the slightest wound on Byakuya. The man was not only strong but possessed a strange space-time ninjutsu that even Sasori couldn't analyze. Reluctantly, Sasori had agreed to a temporary alliance.

Still, he didn't trust him.

As the pair neared a rocky ridge, the massive walls of Sunagakure finally appeared in the distance.

"We're here," Sasori said coolly. "But if we want to take out the Third Kazekage, we'll need to lure him out first. Attacking the village head-on is suicide."

Byakuya didn't stop walking. "Lure him out? No need."

He turned, eyes gleaming beneath a porcelain-white mask. "Let's attack directly."

Sasori narrowed his eyes. "Are you mad?"

"Sunagakure is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. You think we can just walk in and fight the Kazekage in the open? Even I wouldn't attempt that. Getting surrounded by elite Jonin and the Puppet Brigade would be suicide."

Byakuya scoffed. "If you're scared, stay here. I didn't come for subtlety. I came for chaos. I want the entire village to see their Kazekage fall. That'll give me the result I want."

He pulled his mask over his face and began marching toward the village's main gate.

Sasori stood still for a moment, the desert wind whipping through his cloak. "...Is he that confident in his strength, or just suicidal?" After a pause, he let out a soft "Hmph," then vanished beneath the sands, using one of his hidden puppet tunnels to trail behind.

As Byakuya approached the gates, two Sunagakure sentries moved to block him.

"Halt! Identify yourself!" one barked. "State your business in Sunagakure!"

Byakuya's voice was calm, almost amused. "I've come to kill your Kazekage."

"…What?" The two shinobi stared in disbelief. "Are you insane?!"

"You'll be dead before you get the chance to find out."

"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

With a single hand sign, Byakuya unleashed a roaring dragon of flame that surged forward with terrifying speed. The two guards barely had time to scream before they were incinerated, the dragon crashing into the village gate with a thunderous boom.

The explosion sent a plume of smoke and sand into the air. The massive gates of Sunagakure cracked and splintered, partially collapsing.

Alarms blared. Shinobi poured out from the village walls.

"Enemy attack!"

"Multiple intruders at the gate!"

"Defend the Kazekage! Move, now!"

From the rear, Sasori watched the chaos unfold with a mix of annoyance and intrigue.

Byakuya stood alone before the smoking gate, unbothered by the dozens of shinobi rapidly converging on him.

"Perfect," he murmured. "Let's stir the pot a little more."

"Wind Style: Vacuum Blade Dance!"

Suddenly, a chorus of agonized screams echoed across the wind-blown sands of the Hidden Sand Village.

[You have absorbed the fear and pain of the Sand Shinobi. Gained 500 negative energy. Ninjutsu +5]

[You have absorbed the fear and pain of the Sand Shinobi. Gained 600 negative energy. Taijutsu +6]

[You have absorbed the fear and pain of the Sand Shinobi. Gained 700 negative energy. Taijutsu +7]

[...]

As expected, battle was the most efficient source of negative energy.

Byakuya stood among the fallen, dozens of Sand shinobi strewn across the ground around him. Their bodies were burned, crushed, or frozen by his jutsu—many didn't even have time to scream before collapsing.

Having effortlessly wiped out yet another squad of defenders, Byakuya casually dusted himself off and resumed his march toward the heart of Sunagakure.

By now, the entire village was in an uproar.

Sand-nin darted between adobe buildings, alarms blaring as evacuation orders were shouted.

"Hurry up! A powerful intruder is attacking!"

"Get the civilians to safety!"

"All combat-ready shinobi, come with me! Prepare for engagement!"

The turmoil didn't take long to reach the Kazekage Tower.

The Third Kazekage—renowned as the strongest in the history of Sunagakure, feared for his mastery of the Iron Sand—stood before a map of the village, frowning.

"What's the situation?" he asked coldly.

A panting jōnin knelt before him.

"Lord Kazekage! A hostile force has invaded the village!"

"What kind of force?" the Kazekage narrowed his eyes. "How many?"

The jōnin hesitated, then answered, "Just one person, sir."

"What?" The Kazekage's brow twitched.

"One intruder. But... extremely powerful. Several teams have been eliminated. We haven't identified them yet."

The Third Kazekage was stunned. "One person dares to invade Sunagakure? Take me there. I'll deal with them myself."

Without another word, he swept out of the tower, a contingent of elite shinobi forming up behind him.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield near the village center, the ground around Byakuya was littered with corpses. Each slain shinobi had contributed a flood of negative emotions to fuel his growth.

Behind him, Sasori of the Red Sand was methodically choosing intact bodies and sealing them into scrolls. His eyes gleamed with interest, not in the destruction, but in the potential—raw material for his art.

While binding another corpse, Sasori glanced at Byakuya.

"You're from Konohagakure... aren't you?" he said in a flat tone. "You've come all this way just to assassinate the Third Kazekage. Aren't you afraid this'll spark a war?"

Byakuya chuckled. "Who knows?"

His vague response held neither fear nor caution.

Sasori didn't push the issue. He wasn't interested in Byakuya's motives—only the outcome.

"So long as I get the Third Kazekage's body..." Sasori muttered.

To him, it wasn't about politics or war. It was about eternal art.

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