Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 228: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

"Rin!"

Under the night sky, Uchiha Obito's single eye widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene in front of him, flickering with lightning.

"Rin!"

Hatake Kakashi's pupils were filled with shock and disbelief as he realized that his Chidori had pierced through Rin Nohara's chest.

"Cough... Kakashi, the tailed beast inside me would bring disaster to the village..."

Rin Nohara, with a gentle smile, coughed up blood as she spoke. Even in her final moments, she was resolute in her desire to protect the village.

As both Kakashi and Obito stood frozen in disbelief, the tomoe in their Sharingan began to spin rapidly, transforming into Mangekyō Sharingan.

In the distance, the elite Mist Shinobi, upon seeing their mission fail, revealed sinister smiles.

"The mission failed? How unfortunate. But this Konoha shinobi was nothing more than bait. The real Three-Tails Jinchūriki should already be inside the Land of Fire."

"Heh, as expected of the Third Mizukage's caution. A plan with both overt and covert elements nearly fooled the Konoha shinobi."

The Mist ninja sneered maliciously. Unlike in the original timeline, Uchiha Madara had added a safeguard to his plan to ensure the wheels of the shinobi world turned as he intended.

The chakra sealed within Rin Nohara was only a portion of the Three-Tails' power; the real Three-Tails had already been sent with other shinobi toward Konoha.

In the distance, Hatake Kakashi collapsed unconscious as his Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō, while Uchiha Obito, consumed by rage, let out a frenzied roar and entered a berserk state.

"Heh heh, Lord Madara, the plan is proceeding smoothly..."

From the shadows, White Zetsu chuckled hoarsely as Uchiha Madara's figure slowly emerged behind him. However, Madara appeared frail and exhausted.

Yet, as he looked at the berserk Obito awakening his Mangekyō in the distance, Madara sneered disdainfully and said with contempt:

"Someone like Uchiha Obito is only fit to be a pawn."

"Screaming and roaring?" White Zetsu tilted his head in confusion, unable to comprehend human emotions.

Madara, standing behind him, glanced indifferently at Obito's newly awakened Mangekyō, showing no trace of being impressed.

"That Obito has such limited potential."

With a single glance, Madara saw through Obito's nature. His capacity was too small. At that moment, Madara's mind drifted to two other pairs of Mangekyō he had encountered, and by comparison, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"Losing one woman and immediately hating the entire world, even abandoning the clan and village that raised him. Every shinobi in this world has lost family or comrades. Someone like him, who appears to love deeply, is the most selfish."

Madara's raspy voice echoed. Having encountered countless shinobi, he could naturally see through Obito's essence.

When some people lose loved ones, they grow stronger in their resolve to protect the village. Others choose revenge, while some carry on their loved one's will and live on.

But people like Obito, who hate the entire world and fall into darkness, are ultimately driven by selfishness.

"Lord Madara, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have successfully drawn Konoha's attention. The Three-Tails is moving smoothly toward Konoha..."

As White Zetsu grinned mischievously, Madara's expression remained indifferent, and he slowly disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind a single sentence. It seemed as if such a significant event in the shinobi world was utterly trivial to him.

"Bring Obito back. He will become an important pawn in the plan... With the Uchiha of Konoha, led by two pairs of Mangekyō, the wheels of the shinobi world have already begun to turn."

In Madara's eyes, even the Three-Tails rampaging in Konoha was less important than the pawn Obito. Not to mention, he was far more intrigued by the other two pairs of Mangekyō.

...

On a battlefield ravaged by Susano'o.

"What... What kind of power is this?!"

"The aftershocks of this battle reshaped the entire forest!"

One by one, Konoha shinobi arrived and stared in shock at the scene before them. Many of them were elite jōnin, yet the terrain itself had been completely reshaped, something even their combined efforts couldn't achieve.

"Lord Shirou, are you alright?"

Two medical-nin approached Uchiha Shirou and Uchiha Mikoto with serious expressions, carefully tending to their injuries while replenishing their chakra.

"I'm fine. The Mist had a mysterious powerhouse. If not for these eyes..."

Exhausted, Shirou sat on a boulder, allowing the medical-nin to heal him. This was the same battlefield where they had fought Madara earlier in the day.

"Shirou-sensei!"

Uchiha Shisui and Might Guy arrived on the scene, astonished by the devastation.

"Shirou-sensei's power is overwhelming!"

"This is what true youth looks like!"

By now, the two had risen to the rank of chūnin after being tempered by the war and had naturally joined this elite reserve team. Among them were also Konan, Mabui, Yugito, Samui, and Shiranui Genma.

War served as a catalyst for strength, and these young shinobi were growing and transforming rapidly amidst the flames of battle. This was why their generation would later become the backbone of their villages.

However, at that moment, a blood-soaked figure stumbled into view.

"Shirou-sensei, something terrible has happened!"

"Kakashi! Are you alright?"

"Kakashi..."

The blood-soaked figure was none other than Hatake Kakashi, who hurriedly approached Shirou.

"Kakashi, what happened to you?"

"Shirou-sensei, I received intel that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have already infiltrated the Land of Fire... But more importantly, they were merely a diversion to cover for another team. The other Mist team includes the Three-Tails Jinchūriki..."

Despite his grief, Kakashi managed to relay the crucial intelligence he had gathered. When he regained consciousness, all he saw were corpses and pools of blood. He had lost his dearest comrade. In the original timeline, both Kakashi and Obito were left utterly devastated by Rin's death.

However, one chose to shoulder Rin's will and continue protecting the village, throwing himself into missions recklessly, while the other, Uchiha Obito, chose to hate the entire world.

This contrast revealed Obito's true nature.

"What?!"

Upon learning that the Three-Tails Jinchūriki had already entered the Land of Fire, the Konoha shinobi's expressions changed drastically.

Shirou was equally shocked when he heard this. That old fox Madara had played another trick! But in an instant, he understood that Madara's goal was to sow chaos in the shinobi world while weakening its collective strength.

"Immediately relay this information to the frontlines. Inform Fugaku and the Hyūga... The Mist must be vulnerable now. Launch an offensive!"

"The rest of you, follow me to reinforce Konoha!"

With a commanding shout from Uchiha Shirou, countless Konoha shinobi responded with determined cries. Their village was in danger, and none of them hesitated.

Without delay, Uchiha Shirou led over a hundred elite shinobi, changing direction to rush back toward the Land of Fire for reinforcements.

Shirou was both shocked and filled with a complex set of emotions. Without a doubt, this was a final gift from Madara.

Secretly pushing the ninja world forward, trying to help him ascend to the Hokage position he had never reached before—perhaps it was just to make up for a regret buried deep in his heart.

But for him, although the two had never had a proper conversation, at this moment, there was a faint sense of finding a kindred spirit.

...

Within the Land of Fire.

In the dense forest, the air was damp, and a thick mist hung over everything, echoing with sounds of misery.

"Damn it, this forest is too humid, and the entire place is shrouded in mist. Our Wind Release ninjas can't disperse it at all!"

"Ah! Help me!"

"Damn Mist Ninjas, I'll fight you to the death!"

If it were an ordinary Hidden Mist Technique, there were many ways a ninja could dispel it. But under this natural, dense mist, even the strongest ninja seemed powerless before the forces of nature.

At this moment, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was filled with anger, but he managed to suppress it, maintaining his composure as he kept giving orders.

"Everyone, stay alert! Byakugan users, report their positions—"

"Lord Shinnosuke, the Hyūga Chūnin has been killed—"

"Lord Shinnosuke!" At that moment, a Konoha ninja with a grim expression looked at their commander.

"The enemies we're facing are too strong. Lord Shinnosuke, please give the order to retreat!"

"We can't retreat!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's face turned ashen as he spoke grimly.

"We have over fifty ninjas. How could we fail to deal with just seven enemies? Tell everyone to hold on until dawn. When the sun rises, that will be our time to counterattack... It's only half an hour until sunrise."

The forest echoed with explosions and sadistic, bloodthirsty laughter. It wasn't until the sun finally rose the next day, its rays piercing through the misty forest, that a gust of wind swept through the area.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

As the sunlight broke through the mist, Sarutobi Shinnosuke seized the opportunity and unleashed a large-scale Wind Release technique, blowing away the fog that covered the forest.

However, as the mist cleared and the scene came into view, many Konoha ninjas revealed expressions of fear and horror.

"It's... it's our people. Damn it..."

Amidst the horrified voices, they saw the bodies of Konoha ninjas strung up in the forest. Though they were barely clinging to life, their bodies twisted unnaturally in a grotesque way.

"It's the Mist Ninja's Long Blade: Sewing Needle—Kuriarare Kushimaru!"

Witnessing the cruel treatment of their comrades, Sarutobi Shinnosuke roared in anger, chakra-enhanced weapons shimmering with Wind Release energy appearing in his hands.

Flying Swallow!

With the sharp precision of his Wind Release, Sarutobi Shinnosuke severed the steel wires binding his comrades. However, just as the Konoha ninjas rushed forward to rescue their allies, one of their comrades rasped out in a weak voice:

"Don't come any closer..."

Suddenly, the sound of Explosive Tags igniting echoed in the air. Sarutobi Shinnosuke, realizing what was happening, shouted in anger and alarm: "Everyone, be careful! They all have Explosive Tags on them—"

But before he could finish, a series of deafening explosions ripped through the forest.

"Ahahaha!"

As the explosions subsided, the deranged laughter of Kuriarare Kushimaru, wielding the Long Blade: Sewing Needle, echoed through the forest.

Under the brutal policies of the Bloody Mist, while the Mist Village produced many elite ninjas, it also created countless psychopaths and sadists.

Kuriarare Kushimaru was one such individual. His psychotic, sadistic laughter filled the air, as he delighted in torturing and slaughtering his enemies.

"Wait! The Explosive Tags... there's more enemies!"

Suddenly realizing something was off about the explosions, Sarutobi Shinnosuke shouted a warning. At that moment, a figure burst out of the forest, wielding the Explosive Blade: Splash, slashing wildly.

Each close-range clash caused the Explosive Blade's tags to detonate, the sound even more thunderous.

"It's the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"

Seeing the enemies in the forest, Sarutobi Shinnosuke's expression turned grim.

"Our reinforcements will arrive soon!"

This was within the Land of Fire. Reinforcements were something Konoha never lacked, especially against Mist ninjas operating deep within enemy territory.

Moreover, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was the son of the Third Hokage. To be pushed to this extent by the Mist Ninjas was an utter humiliation.

"Hahaha, Konoha ninjas, your reinforcements won't make it in time."

As a deep, booming voice echoed, the sound of rumbling thunder reverberated through the forest. However, the moment Sarutobi Shinnosuke heard it, his face changed. Furious, he shouted:

"It's a large-scale Water Release! Everyone, defend yourselves!"

That wasn't the sound of thunder—it was the roar of violent waves sweeping through the forest.

In an instant, countless Konoha ninjas began using whatever techniques they could to defend themselves.

As many Konoha ninjas jumped to higher ground in an attempt to escape, they couldn't help but show expressions of terror when they finally saw the massive Water Release coming toward them.

"This level of Water Release... it's reshaping the entire terrain!"

"Haha, it's Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the son of the Third Hokage! What a big catch—your head alone was worth 35 million before the war even began!"

Excited laughter erupted from Fuguki Suikazan, who wielded the Great Blade: Samehada. This was a huge prize for him.

"Kekeke, now that bounty has doubled. As one of Konoha's Four Reserve Force Commanders, your head is now worth 70 million!"

This meant that Sarutobi Shinnosuke's bounty was twice that of Asuma Sarutobi in the original series. To put it in perspective, even the bounty for the Six-Tails Jinchūriki Utakata was only 50 million. This showed just how high this price was.

For an average Jonin, such a bounty would be unheard of. But as the son of the Third Hokage and one of Konoha's Four Reserve Force Commanders, these unique factors made his bounty skyrocket.

This was typical in the ninja world. Even a child with no chakra could fetch a high price if their parent was a Hokage. At the very least, their bounty would start in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

"My Decapitating Blade has a chip in it and is starving for blood."

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Amidst the sadistic laughter of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, they weren't just satisfying their twisted minds—they were also employing psychological warfare.

"Everyone, be careful! The Seven Ninja Swordsmen are extremely powerful. We must work together to fight them!"

Although Sarutobi Shinnosuke shouted commands calmly, internally, he felt a growing sense of urgency.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—facing them one at a time, they could use counter-strategies to take them down. But facing all seven at once?

Even if they devised strategies to counter their abilities, the Mist Swordsmen could simply swap opponents, easily nullifying their tactics.

What's more, the combined strength of all seven was something even a Kage would be wary of.

Fuguki Suikazan, wielding the Great Blade: Samehada, possessed a terrifyingly massive chakra reserve, rivaling that of Kage-level ninjas. The blade's ability to absorb chakra only made him more dangerous.

Jūzō Biwa, master of the Decapitating Blade, was perhaps the most skilled swordsman among the seven. In the original series, he was even capable of cleaving through a Tailed Beast Bomb with his blade.

Raiga Kurosuki, wielding the Thunder Swords: Kiba, was a terrifying force with his mastery of Lightning Release. Although his power waned in later arcs, at this moment, he was at the peak of his strength.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke could feel the weight of their combined power pressing down on him. The odds of survival were slim.