C287

The power of the Konoha Guard has expanded significantly, but so has its size.

Although the Uchiha clan remains the core of the Guard, their proportion has dropped to just 40%.

Even so, Fugaku now commands far more personnel than before—sixty ninja brigades with thousands of members.

Yet, despite the numbers, not even such a vast force could prevent Uchiha Obito from infiltrating.

He used his space-time ocular technique to bypass their defenses. 

Unless there's a specific barrier technique targeting this ability—even the ones designed to counter the Flying Thunder God—space-time ninjutsu remains unstoppable.

Deep within the Guard's most secure dungeon, members of the Ino–Shika–Chō and Sarutobi clans are imprisoned.

Suddenly, the air distorted, and Uchiha Obito emerged from the Kamui space.

The eyes of those in the dungeon flickered with recognition, but Obito ignored them. He glanced around briefly before heading to the innermost cell.

There, near the deepest part of the prison, he saw the ones he was looking for: Sarutobi Hiruzen and his son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

Shinnosuke was shackled with dozens of heavy chains and had his chakra sealed.

As for Hiruzen, he had lost his left leg and right arm—likely casualties of battle. The seals on his body were nearly as severe as those on his son.

Obito shook his head.

"Third Hokage. What a pitiful sight. The once-great ninja… reduced to this."

"Who are you?"

Hiruzen asked as Obito stopped in front of the cell door. He could tell the man had come for him, but he couldn't determine his allegiance.

To reach the innermost part of the Guard's prison, one either needed the Hokage's permission or a powerful, specialized ninjutsu.

If Nawaki still harbored any sentimental feelings, Hiruzen wouldn't have lost a limb, let alone two.

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is who entrusted me."

Obito replied calmly. He lowered his voice. In this deepest cell, only Sarutobi Shinnosuke was nearby—no one else could hear them.

"You once taught a talented Uchiha boy. He begged me—offered himself—just to save you."

It's… Itachi.

Hiruzen immediately understood. Shame pricked at him.

He had mentored Uchiha Itachi as a political maneuver, hoping to cultivate a loyalist faction within the clan. But it hadn't worked—he had lost too quickly.

"But I'm not planning to save you," Obito said flatly. "The price is too high. A mere three-tomoe Sharingan isn't worth it."

He stepped through the bars using his phasing ability, approaching Hiruzen.

"When I entered, I saw your younger son. That means Uchiha Itachi is your only hope.

But three tomoe won't change anything. If you—his so-called 'benefactor'—are willing to help, then perhaps he might have a chance to avenge you."

The Sharingan beneath Obito's mask spun, casting Hiruzen into a genjutsu.

Within the illusion, Obito began to reveal something—something only Hiruzen could hear.

This was Uchiha Itachi's only path to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

And the key to unlocking it… was Sarutobi Hiruzen himself.

"The choice is yours, Third Hokage," Obito said. "You'll live—for now—thanks to a sentimental disciple.

But your two sons? The rest of the Sarutobi clan?

There are many out there who wouldn't mind seeing more 'accidents' happen to your family."

With a final, cryptic tone, Obito handed over two poison pills—one for Hiruzen, one for Shinnosuke.

Only a single word from the elder Sarutobi would determine whether his son lived or died.

However, if the two of them were to commit suicide, there would be significant benefits: Uchiha Itachi's three-tomoe Sharingan could evolve into the Mangekyō, and the lives of Sarutobi Asuma and the remaining Sarutobi clan members could be spared.

After saying this, Uchiha Obito turned and began walking away. But just as he was about to exit that section of the prison, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke in a low voice:

"I understand. Let Itachi come see me."

If not for Uchiha Itachi, Hiruzen would never consider this. But if his death could save Sarutobi Asuma and the rest of his clan, it was a price he was willing to pay.

Hearing Hiruzen's words, Obito smiled silently. Then, without another word, he vanished from the prison using his Kamui space-time technique.

"He doesn't want to leave. As for why... you'll have to ask yourself."

A few days later, Obito approached Uchiha Itachi once more. He relayed Hiruzen's decision and added,

"You're the son of Uchiha Fugaku. It shouldn't be a problem for you to access the depths of the Guard's prison to visit Sarutobi Hiruzen.

If you can persuade him, I can help you get him out."

"The deepest part of the Guard's prison... I understand."

Itachi closed his eyes slightly. He knew that even displaying a hint of talent had caught his father's attention. Now he just needed to find a reason to accompany his father into the prison—to persuade the former Third Hokage.

Currently, the Uchiha clan's greatest hope was Uchiha Shisui. Fugaku's highest expectation for Itachi was to one day take over as captain of the Guard. With Shisui as Hokage, they could support each other, and the Uchiha might reclaim their former glory.

"Contact me after you return from the prison," Obito said.

"I've placed a new means of communication on you. It's more discreet than the previous one. You'd better move quickly—Hokage won't be away from Konoha for long."

With that, Obito disappeared into the Kamui dimension.

Nawaki had left for the Daimyo's residence just the day before. He, Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Shisui, and others were attending a conference regarding recent developments involving the Land of Fire and the Sand Shinobi Village.

Tsunade, however, had not been pleased when she saw Nawaki. She felt her younger brother hadn't shown her proper respect.

Instead, Kain clapped Nawaki on the shoulder and reassured him,

"Don't worry about her, Nawaki. You did the right thing—I support you."

"I understand, brother-in-law."

Nawaki nodded, then added with a slightly awkward expression,

"But... my sister took Yoko out just now, so maybe don't stay too quiet..."

"Really? I'm just used to whispering—it's not because of Tsunade."

Kain then turned to one of the nearby officials and asked,

"When are the Sand Shinobi expected to arrive?"

"As per the agreement, they should arrive in about ten minutes, my lord."

"Then let's head to the castle tower. Nawaki, Hiashi, Shisui—come with me."

Kain led them to the tower.

Currently, the entire Daimyo's residence was secured with layered barriers and protective spells.

Although there were many tall buildings nearby, none of them offered a view into the compound.

Without an internal guide, not even an underground intrusion would be possible.

The delegation from the Sand Shinobi Village had come to discuss terms for joining the Land of Fire.

Two years of deep economic penetration and the suppression of the Land of Wind had left Sunagakure (the Sand Shinobi Village) with little choice. 

The Land of Tea had also been occupied by the Kain Chamber of Commerce and Kain Shipping, effectively sealing off the Land of Wind's external trade routes through the Land of Fire.

The daimyo of the Land of Wind was furious and urged Sunagakure to go to war immediately. But neither the Third Kazekage nor the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, were fools. 

Especially Rasa and other senior officials of Sunagakure, who had already witnessed the military might of the Land of Fire, felt a deep sense of unease.

Their confidence had been shattered.

They were facing forces comparable to an enraged tailed beast—a perfectly controlled, infinitely reproducible biological weapon of war.

Add to that the vast number of fire dragons. Sunagakure's leaders—such as the Third Kazekage, Rasa, Chiyo, and Ebizō—could vividly imagine skies filled with fire dragons blotting out the sun, soaring over their village in terrifying formation.

And with a perfect Nine-Tails Jinchūriki like Uzumaki Kushina, as well as two Wood Style users with bloodlines rivaling the First Hokage, Konoha and the Land of Fire had become an overwhelming force. So overwhelming, in fact, that Sunagakure no longer had the will or the means to resist.

The Land of Fire made their position clear: they had the power to annihilate Sunagakure—but for the sake of peace, they chose diplomacy instead.

Despite two years of relative development and the cultivation of many new Genin and Chūnin, Sunagakure's forces were still no match. On the battlefield, these ninja would be nothing more than snacks for the fire dragons. As for their weapons of war, they were still in their early stages—barely five years old—and couldn't even control tailed beast powers yet.

The Land of Fire's approach was an open conspiracy: from the start, they made clear their intent to unify, first offering sweets, then showing their power. Now, Sunagakure had to choose—either die resisting, or accept the sweet fruit of surrender.

Sunagakure's leaders didn't even need to consult their people. If war broke out, they wouldn't be able to unite the village around a single course of action.

This time, Sunagakure had come to negotiate the terms of the merger. However, Rasa arrived late—because a rebellion had broken out in the village. A faction led by the Red Sand Scorpion (Sasori) launched an attack on the Third Kazekage.

These rebels vehemently opposed the merger with Konoha and took up arms against their own village. Sasori himself attacked the Third Kazekage.

Although reinforcements arrived in time to prevent the Kazekage's assassination, Sasori's poison still left the Third Kazekage paralyzed.

In the end, Sasori's defiance was futile. The merger of Sunagakure into the Land of Fire had become an unstoppable trend. To resist it was to seek destruction.

When Rasa finally arrived, he explained the delay to Kain and Nawaki. After a brief rest, negotiations for the merger officially began.

They discussed the unification of household registrations, replacement of village uniforms and forehead protectors, security inspections, and the phased rotation of stationed garrisons. Rasa had no objections.

Kain's proposed plan exceeded expectations—it was fair, balanced, and free from any signs of bias or discrimination.

Further discussions covered the rights and welfare of Sunagakure's ninja, including resettlement plans for certain individuals and a proposal to have underage ninjas help with revitalizing agriculture in the arid regions.

As for the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Wind—while Rasa was in the Land of Fire for negotiations—the daimyo and the nobles were no different from fish laid out on a chopping board.

The most powerful military organizations in the Land of Wind had already defected to other nations. The fact that the ninja and samurai guarding the Daimyo's Mansion managed to endure even a single round of attacks from the Land of Fire was considered nothing short of a miracle in the ninja world.

After nearly three hours of discussion and the signing of a merger agreement with as many as 83 articles, Rasa felt the trip was worthwhile. He retained his position as Kazekage, was granted the title of General of the Land of Fire, and successfully secured the rights and welfare of his villagers and ninja.

The only matter that troubled Rasa was the extraction of the One-Tail from his son. However, Kain promised that Gaara would survive and even become stronger than before. With that assurance, Rasa agreed.

In Rasa's view, such tailed beast-level power should indeed be in the hands of those in authority. Placing himself in Kain's shoes, he understood perfectly—he wouldn't trust others to control such a force either.

When news of the One-Tail's transfer to the Daimyo Prefecture reached Orochimaru, he quickly approached Kain and requested a portion of the One-Tail's chakra. Kain agreed readily but asked Orochimaru to modify his pet—a nine-headed dragon—in return.

Now, in addition to the One-Tail, and the chakra he had long collected from Nohara Rin and Uzumaki Kushina, Kain possessed two complete tailed beasts: the Five-Tails and the Six-Tails. Uchiha Obito's value to him was rapidly dwindling—almost down to nothing.

"Itachi, I can't leave here. Thank you for taking the risk. It's a shame I won't get to see you become Hokage."

Inside the prison, after saying these words, Sarutobi Hiruzen bit down on the poison Uchiha Obito had provided. He fell unconscious shortly afterward—the poison so potent it could destroy brain function and erase memory entirely.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke, too, swallowed poison without hesitation and bled out not long after his father.

"Lord Shinnosuke… Lord Third..."

Uchiha Itachi stood still, deeply troubled, his head lowered slightly as the tomoe in his Sharingan spun wildly. These two men had guided and supported him since childhood. Even when his own father was too busy, they had taken the time to mentor and care for him.

And now… they were dead by suicide in a prison cell.

They were not supposed to die like this—not someone who had served as the Third Hokage.

The more Itachi thought of his days training under Hiruzen, the more his emotions surged. The three tomoe in his eyes spun faster, fusing into the shape of a three-bladed pinwheel.

"Is this the eye the masked man spoke of? The Mangekyō Sharingan?"

His newly evolved eyes, now tinged with a faint trace of blood due to the intense chakra and pupil force, made Itachi feel more powerful than ever. If only he had possessed this power earlier… perhaps the Third Hokage wouldn't have had to die.

But it was too late now.

After wiping away the blood at the corners of his eyes, Itachi composed himself and walked out of the prison, lost in thought.

"What?! They're dead?!"

Uchiha Fugaku's shock was immediate after hearing Itachi's report. He quickly ordered a team to investigate. When their deaths were confirmed, his expression darkened, and he immediately dispatched a messenger to report the incident to the Hokage.

"Itachi, what happened? Why would those two prisoners commit suicide?"

They weren't criminals!!

Itachi screamed in his heart, but his voice remained calm. "I don't know, Father."

"Let's go home. I shouldn't have let you handle this in the first place. Remember—if Anbu questions you, say nothing unnecessary. Push everything onto me."

Fugaku snorted. He could tell Itachi wasn't being honest, but the priority now was to handle the situation discreetly. He'd question his son properly later that night.

Recently, his son's behavior had grown more distant, and the chakra he gave off had turned strangely cold.

"I understand," Itachi replied emotionlessly, then turned and left.

When he got home, he ignored both Sasuke and Mikoto's concerned questions and went straight into his room without a word.

…

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