"Sage Art: Great Dragon Dance!"
Gensou wasted no more words. He clapped his hands, and under the infusion of sage chakra, ferocious fire dragons formed in the air, circling around him, making him look noble and solemn.
"Retreat!"
Seeing this, Jiraiya's pupils shrank sharply, and he decisively ordered a retreat.
The Konoha ninja, already sensing the dire situation, hurriedly retreated.
Sakura looked up at the now not-so-distant Naka Shrine, clenched her teeth, and felt very unwilling.
However, with Kakashi and Yamato each placing a hand on her shoulders, she had no choice but to retreat with the main force.
Roar~~
The deafening roar of a dragon echoed through the sky.
With Gensou's command—
The Great Dragon Dance.
One after another, majestic fire dragons descended from the sky, bringing with them an overwhelming, world-destroying momentum, rushing towards the Konoha forces.
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
At this moment, Jiraiya was ready. Using a large amount of sage chakra, he spewed out an unprecedented amount of oil from his mouth. Simultaneously, Fukasaku and Shima used all their strength to cast wind release and fire release techniques.
The combination of these three techniques produced a blazing inferno with temperatures exceeding thousands of degrees, capable of devouring all tangible matter, clashing head-on with the incoming fire dragons without yielding.
Boom~~~~
At the moment the two sage arts collided, massive flames shot skyward, forming a colossal crimson curtain that completely covered the sky, turning daylight into a deep red hue.
Next, the air twisted, the ground melted, and all tangible objects rapidly disintegrated.
The Konoha ninja behind Jiraiya felt as if they were in the legendary Flaming Mountain, with the moisture in their bodies rapidly evaporating.
Before they could do anything—
Boom!!!
Like a giant balloon being punctured.
Under the mighty roar of the dragon, the sage art known as Goemon didn't last long before it was entirely devoured by the Great Dragon Dance.
Seeing the fire dragons still surging forward unabated—
Jiraiya retreated swiftly, and Shima, on his shoulder, exclaimed repeatedly:
"This youngster! How in the world did he train to become so powerful!!"
Looking at the approaching fire dragons that seemed almost corporeal, Jiraiya's eyelid twitched as he joked wryly, "Shima-sama, that person just now isn't exactly a youngster. If we count correctly, he's probably around seventy or eighty now."
Having lived for over eight hundred years, Shima disagreed, "Not even a hundred yet—of course, he's still a youngster."
"The young are truly formidable! Truly formidable!" Fukasaku echoed from the other shoulder, his tone more earnest than before.
Jiraiya had no time to continue talking.
The residual power of the Great Dragon Dance was still wreaking havoc, and seeing that it was about to crash into the Konoha forces, he immediately stopped and used another jutsu to block it.
Not only him, but all the Konoha ninja were also casting defensive jutsu.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Wood Release: Wood-Style Barrier!"
"...."
One after another, defensive jutsus stood in front of everyone, struggling to hold off Gensou's sage art.
In the ranks, Shikamaru watched all of this with a complex expression, his heart filled with shock:
"Is this the power of one of the Three Great Heroes of the Warring States?"
In that moment, he understood why the highly intelligent and resourceful Nara clan was never prominent during the Warring States era, always sticking with the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, keeping a low profile.
Because no matter how brilliant your strategy or how cunning your plan, it could never compare to the overwhelming power of a direct punch.
With an IQ over 200, Shikamaru felt a little defeated.
Nearby, Sakura, Kakashi, and those who had close ties with Sasuke felt a deep sense of powerlessness as they watched the scene unfold.
With Gensou standing like an insurmountable mountain, they had no hope of bringing back Sasuke, who was beyond that mountain.
"Naruto, if you were here, no matter what, you would never give up, right? But... I can't see any hope at all!"
Looking at the unprecedented sea of fire that seemed to connect heaven and earth, Sakura clenched her fists. She had thought she had made considerable progress.
But now, the gap was just too vast!
It was vast enough to make her despair!
Although Kisame, temporarily on Gensou's side, did not feel despair, and was even grateful for the Great Dragon Dance, which forced Guy and the others who had been pressuring him to retreat, the shock on his face was no less intense.
He glanced at the still-rampaging fire dragons, then at Gensou, whose breathing was as steady as ever, and a chill suddenly ran through him.
Thinking about how he had just been talking and laughing in front of Gensou, and even disagreed with him, he realized just how bold he had been.
He couldn't afford to be so bold anymore.
Seeing both Gensou and Konoha occupied—
Kisame took one last look in the direction of Naka Shrine.
No surprise, Itachi should already be dead by now.
There was no reason for him to stay any longer.
After nodding politely towards Gensou, Kisame slung Samehada onto his back and took the opportunity to retreat while Konoha was preoccupied.
Gensou glanced at Kisame's departing figure but paid no mind.
"Let's add one last push."
He turned towards Konoha, and with another burst of sage chakra, the previously dwindling Great Dragon Dance reignited with fierce flames, accelerating towards the Konoha side.
"Damn it!"
Tsunade's voice rang out.
Then, with a loud boom, a giant blue and white slug was summoned.
Gensou did not pay attention to what happened next.
Taking advantage of the Konoha ninja being occupied with his sage arts, he arrived at Naka Shrine.
Standing amidst the ruins where Amaterasu's black flames still burned in several places, Gensou looked around at the many Uchihas who were still laughing in their elation.
He counted the numbers—fifteen, none missing. Some were heavily injured, some lightly, but none were dead.
"Did he hold back after all?"
Gensou looked at Itachi's corpse.
With his strength, it was impossible that he couldn't kill a single Uchiha.
So, did he hesitate at the last moment?
Or was it for Sasuke's future, to avoid doing anything that would anger him?
Gensou shook his head slightly.
He really was a loving brother.
Although, the way he showed that love was something ninety-nine percent of people wouldn't be able to handle.
Soon, after the excitement and joy subsided, the laughter atop the ruins of Naka Shrine faded.
It was replaced by faint sobbing.
Extreme joy and extreme sorrow—nothing surpassed this.
Gensou withdrew his gaze from Sasuke, whose Sharingan remained in its three-tomoe form. He was considering whether to reveal the truth to him, as in the original story, to help awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Suddenly, he sensed a strong chakra fluctuation.
Gensou turned his head:
"Huh?"
(End of Chapter)
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"Huh?"
Gensou was quite surprised.
Sasuke, who was most likely to awaken the Mangekyō, was still in his current state, and Gensou had been preparing to end things.
But unexpectedly, after Itachi's death, Izumi, who had not joined in the general laughter but instead stood silently, occasionally shedding tears, suddenly had her three-tomoe Sharingan spinning abnormally fast.
As Gensou looked on, he sensed a powerful Yin Release energy suddenly emerging from within Izumi, continuously flowing into her Sharingan.
With one last sigh of release from Izumi—
The black three tomoe in her blood-red eyes quickly merged together and then spread out as they spun.
When Gensou looked again, Izumi's Sharingan had transformed from the black three tomoe to a black floral pattern resembling a blooming flower.
Mangekyō Sharingan!
After Itachi's death, under an unprecedented impact of emotions—bewilderment, joy, sadness, relief—Uchiha Izumi had awakened her Mangekyō Sharingan!
And that wasn't the end!
Nearby, Uchiha Jin, whose face was still flushed with excitement, now had tears streaming down, making for a comical sight. He was no longer laughing maniacally.
At this moment, he bowed his head, choking as he softly spoke the names of his father, sister, brother, and many others. A similar energy to Izumi's surged from within him.
"What's happening to me..."
Jin looked up, bewildered by the intense change occurring in his eyes.
Gensou turned to look.
Jin's blood-red pupils underwent a transformation, now forming a pattern of two cross-shaped, handleless blades, their center wrapped in a round shield.
Another Mangekyō Sharingan!
Gensou raised an eyebrow.
He had to admit, Itachi had done something truly significant.
Not only was Sasuke's evolution into the Mangekyō just a matter of time, but now he also gained two additional Mangekyō Sharingan.
Gensou turned his gaze to the other Uchiha ninjas.
Under the stimulus of the death of Itachi, their clan's exterminator, those who previously only had two-tomoe Sharingan had now evolved to three-tomoe.
However, none of them evolved directly to Mangekyō like Obito had.
Not only did they not achieve this, but aside from Izumi and Jin, the other three-tomoe Uchiha, even under the intense emotional impact, only saw their Sharingan spin rapidly but eventually stop, with at most an enhancement in their dōjutsu.
To awaken the Mangekyō, one ultimately needed a certain aptitude beyond emotional stimuli.
If it weren't the case, during the Warring States period, when so many people died, the Uchiha would have all unlocked the Mangekyō long ago.
However—
Gensou looked at Sasuke again, puzzled.
You're the reincarnation of Indra, with talent beyond reason.
Your two teammates have both awakened the Mangekyō, so why are you, who killed your brother with your own hands, still at three-tomoe?
Isn't that embarrassing?
As if hearing Gensou's thoughts, Sasuke snapped out of the Uchiha's state of maniacal laughter.
With the burden of vengeance that had weighed on him for years finally lifted, Sasuke felt a sense of peace. He had a premonition that he was on the verge of a major change, but at the final moment, he faltered.
Something felt missing.
Instinctively, Sasuke turned his head, looking at his clanmates who, like him, had finally achieved their revenge, their expressions varied—some crying, some laughing. A ripple of emotion began to rise in his heart.
Until his gaze landed on Izumi.
Wiping the tears from her face, her Mangekyō Sharingan still active, Izumi noticed Sasuke looking over, and immediately returned his gaze, giving him a bright smile and sincerely thanking him:
"Thank you, Sasuke."
The role Sasuke played in the recent battle was evident to everyone. All these years, the efforts he made for revenge were also seen by everyone.
Unknowingly, the youngest among them had already walked ahead of them, shielding them from the dangers ahead, and at the final moment, killed the enemy by himself.
This "thank you" was absolutely deserved.
Upon hearing this, before Sasuke could respond, Jin, ignoring the changes in his eyes, also nodded heavily at Sasuke:
"I forgot to say it earlier. Thank you, Sasuke!"
"Without you, this revenge might have ended in failure. Sasuke, thank you!" Uchiha Yok, from behind, gave a thumbs up and said.
"Thank you, Sasuke!"
"Thank you..."
One after another, delayed but sincere thanks continued to flow into Sasuke's ears.
Feeling the warmth spread throughout his body, Sasuke couldn't help but smile.
He finally understood what he had been missing.
Now that Itachi was dead, what should he live for?
Should he continue to pursue the truth behind the massacre? As Itachi had once told him, there was another Mangekyō user who might also have been complicit and needed to be dealt with?
No.
He would find the accomplice, but that wasn't his true purpose for living.
His real goal moving forward should be to protect his clan, protect the Uchiha, and protect Jomae Village—never allowing those who had exterminated their clan to return and never letting down the family and friends in front of him who had thanked him!
Boom!
Upon reaching this conclusion, Sasuke felt a violent shock in his heart. A powerful new energy surged into his eyes, and under the rapid spinning of his three-tomoe Sharingan, his vision began to blur.
After a few breaths, everything stopped.
Sasuke raised his eyelids, and a six-pointed black star pattern replaced the three tomoe, appearing in his blood-red pupils.
The third Mangekyō Sharingan was born!
Witnessing the entire process, Gensou felt a twinge of sentiment:
"Excluding Madara, this small group of fifteen Uchihas may be the fewest in number, but with three Mangekyō Sharingan among them, this is perhaps the most powerful the Uchiha clan has been in sixty years."
The Uchiha clan, once almost annihilated, now found themselves in such a position again.
Gensou understood why Hiruzen and Danzō wanted to wipe out the Uchiha clan entirely.
As Tobirama had said, the Uchiha loved more intensely than the Senju, and once that love was gone, they were the most prone to fall into extremism and darkness.
The Uchiha of the past had indeed planned a rebellion.
For someone like Hiruzen and Danzō, who were already elderly and no longer had the drive of their youth, allowing even one Uchiha to survive meant that, one day, they could rise again, filled with hatred, just as Jin and the others had.
So, regardless of whether Itachi acted or not, the moment the Uchiha chose rebellion, their fate was sealed by the deeply fearful Sarutobi and Danzō.
Itachi's actions ultimately brought only one change—Sasuke survived.
"Pointless politics, pointless schemes."
That was Gensou's evaluation.
In the end, it all came down to not having enough strength.
Luckily, that was something he had in abundance.
As for the sudden appearance of three Mangekyō Sharingan within the Uchiha clan, Gensou accepted it gladly.
In his view, even if there were ten more, it wouldn't matter!
(End of Chapter)
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