Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [279]

In another world.

"This is the Dragon Vein?!"

Dressed in white, with the Kusanagi sword tucked at his waist, Uchiha Sasuke stood expressionless amidst the ruins. Yet, his three-tomoe Sharingan glimmered in his eyes, reflecting a complex emotion.

Having just killed Orochimaru and formed Team Hebi to embark on his path of revenge, Sasuke unexpectedly encountered Naruto's team.

At the very moment, he locked eyes with Sakura, an unfamiliar vision of a different Mangekyō Sharingan surged into his mind, accompanied by a cryptic message: "Do you want to know the truth behind the Uchiha clan's massacre?"

This shook him to the core.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here? Hey, don't tell me you believe any of this!"

Suigetsu, sharp-tongued as ever. Beside him stood Karin, the red-haired newcomer to the team, and Jūgo, who remained silent as always.

"Shut up, Suigetsu!"

"What did you say, you tomboy?!"

As Suigetsu and Karin bickered incessantly, Jūgo trailed behind Sasuke, quietly following his steps.

"Another dimension… another Uchiha clan… how is that even possible?"

Sasuke let out a self-deprecating laugh. While his words were filled with skepticism, his actions betrayed him. Slowly, he moved toward the ruins of the Dragon Vein.

"Hey, hey! Wait up, Sasuke!"

Seeing Sasuke move further ahead, Suigetsu shouted after him. The newly formed Team Hebi followed Sasuke as he stepped into the cavern.

Beneath the vast desert, the ruins of the once-glorious Rōran Kingdom lay buried under golden sands.

At this point, Uchiha Sasuke, having undergone three years of training under Orochimaru, was no longer the same.

Especially after killing Orochimaru, his confidence had reached new heights. His sole objective now was to end the source of his pain—Uchiha Itachi.

If not for the unsettling vision brought on by the mysterious Mangekyō, he would already be on the path to finding Itachi and exacting his revenge.

"A sealing technique, huh? I may not be skilled at unsealing, but destroying it is easy enough."

With an air of arrogance, Sasuke unsheathed the Kusanagi sword. In an instant, the seal was shattered, unleashing a surge of violet energy from the Dragon Vein.

"Hey! Sasuke, stop messing around!" Suigetsu yelled while Karin and Jūgo tensed, ready for anything.

In the blink of an eye, the immense energy from the Dragon Vein enveloped them, and the entire team—along with Sasuke—disappeared in its radiant light.

...

Meanwhile, at the Hokage Office in Konoha…

The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, sat at her desk. Suddenly, as though sensing something, her expression shifted. An ANBU operative appeared before her, bowing respectfully.

"Fifth Hokage-sama, the barrier team has reported that a sealing technique in the Rōran region of the Land of Wind has been broken."

Hearing this, Tsunade's eyes widened momentarily. Her brown eyes then softened into a complex expression before she did something unexpected—she waved her hand dismissively.

"Understood. You may leave."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Wait."

As the ANBU turned to leave, Tsunade's voice stopped him. Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a low voice:

"Erase this information. The ANBU knows nothing, and neither does the barrier team. Do you understand?"

Although surprised, the ANBU nodded. A broken seal in the Land of Wind seemed inconsequential, so he replied respectfully:

"Yes, Fifth Hokage-sama."

As the ANBU left, Tsunade sat alone in her office, her expression filled with melancholy. Gazing out the window toward Konoha, she murmured to herself:

"In another world… Nawaki is still alive. The Senju Clan still exists. I want to see it so badly… What is that other world like?"

Her voice trembled. The memory of the Mangekyō illusion triggered during the Yamato team's return and report, came flooding back. Within that illusion, she had seen another version of herself, a different world, and Uchiha Shirou…

She didn't care about the stranger claiming to be her lover. All she wanted was to see her brother and her clan—not in this lonely world where they no longer existed.

"This Hokage role… it's not joyful at all. No family, just endless work. I just want… I'm so alone…"

As the sunset bathed the office in golden light, a single tear of loneliness rolled down Tsunade's cheek. She stared out the window toward the Rōran ruins in the Land of Wind.

...

Main World

In the Land of Wind, at the Rōran ruins…

What was once a thriving and dreamlike city before the Third Shinobi War had long since been reduced to ruins, buried beneath the sands.

The former Rōran Queen, Sara, now returned to her homeland, her face filled with hatred.

"Lord Shirou!"

Wearing a Konoha forehead protector, Sara had abandoned her identity as Rōran's queen. Now, all she wanted was to seek revenge on the Naruto of another world.

Reality had been far crueler than any ideal.

Naruto's disappearance, the peace she had believed in, had been shattered by the invasion of Sunagakure. Without the power to protect her people, her kingdom fell, and her citizens fled in panic.

She had witnessed it all with her own eyes. Staring blankly, Sara survived by awakening a dormant power within her. This transformation had changed her profoundly.

"It seems you've finally understood the truth of this world."

Standing beside her, Shirou gazed at her with a mix of pity and reflection. In just a few short years, the dreamlike Rōran Kingdom had been consumed by the endless sands.

The citizens who had once reclaimed their homeland… did they regret it? Or had they simply moved on to other nations?

"Lord Shirou, Sara now understands everything. Peace can only be built upon power."

With fiery red hair and a determined expression, Sara bowed her head respectfully. Awakened from the fairy tale of her past, she had come to accept reality.

Shirou sighed. When he had absorbed the latent power of the Rōran Queen's bloodline, he hadn't expected Sara to survive and accidentally awaken her remaining potential.

In less than a decade, she had grown into the strength of an elite jonin, wielding immense chakra, controlling the puppets left behind by Mukade, and even possessing space-time abilities.

"Lord Shirou, the Dragon Vein's power has stabilized."

Konan, Mabui, Yugito Nii, and Samui—Shirou's Hakage guards—reported respectfully. Gazing at the now-calm Dragon Vein, Shirou smiled and nodded.

"Sara, your mission is complete. You may now return to Konoha. I promise you this: once true peace reigns over the Shinobi world, Rōran will rise again."

Hearing this, tears streamed down Sara's face. Only those who had lost everything could truly understand such emotions.

"Thank you, Lord Shirou! From now on, Sara will be your most loyal servant!"

Though she was a queen—a fallen one—Sara's heartfelt gratitude brought a faint smile to Shirou's face.

Perhaps this was what it felt like to conquer.

"Mabui, if anything goes wrong, immediately use Heavenly Transfer Jutsu to send Lord Shirou back to Konoha."

Konan instructed firmly, and Mabui, who specialized in space-time techniques, nodded calmly.

"Yes."

Shirou did not object to this. Instead, he remained composed.

It was the duty of his hokage guards to ensure his safety. In Konoha, they served as his assistants; outside, they prioritized his protection.

...

Back at the ruins of Rōran, the desert winds howled, carrying the sands into the air.

As the light pillar of the Dragon Vein dissipated, Uchiha Sasuke's three-tomoe Sharingan glimmered in shock. Looking at the surrounding ruins, which showed no signs of change, he immediately revealed a trace of annoyance and self-mockery.

"So, as expected, there's no such thing as another world."

Although he hadn't held out much hope from the beginning, discovering it was all a lie still caused a wave of irritation to rise in Sasuke's heart.

Deception!

Deception toward his expectations for his family! Sasuke hated being deceived more than anything else.

"Sasuke, really? Time travel? You believed that?"

Hozuki Suigetsu burst out laughing mockingly, but Karin immediately yelled, "Shut up!"

With a furious punch, she smashed Suigetsu's head into water, the splatter scattering in every direction. Suddenly, Karin's expression changed dramatically.

"Sasuke, be careful! Someone's coming!"

At Karin's panicked shout, footsteps suddenly echoed from above the remnants of the Dragon Vein's cavern.

"Tch, what's this? Just a bunch of kids."

At that moment, as stones fell from the ruins above, a figure appeared from the shadows.

With short, neatly cut golden hair, Samui stood with one hand on her hip, her chest puffed out confidently as she looked down at the figures below.

From below the ruins of the Dragon Vein, Uchiha Sasuke raised his head and narrowed his eyes, locking onto the figure above.

Short golden hair, a proud posture, a short sword strapped at her waist, and a Konoha forehead protector on her head. This sight caused Sasuke to let out a cold smile.

"A Konoha ninja, huh?"

Already irritated from being played for a fool and convinced that the Dragon Vein was nothing but a ruse, Sasuke's anger boiled over upon seeing a Konoha ninja.

However, when Karin saw the impressive figure of the woman's chest, she adjusted her glasses and widened her eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me! How can they be that big? They must be fake!"

Karin seemed to be yelling in frustration, yet as she adjusted her glasses, she muttered under her breath, "Be careful, there are more of them!"

As Karin discreetly warned the group, more figures slowly emerged above.

Samui was joined by Mabui, Yugito Nii, and Konan, the four acting as a squad of elite bodyguards.

At the forefront, Konan gazed coldly at the figures below and spoke in a calm, frosty tone:

"The power of the Dragon Vein has already been used once. Based on calculations, the flow of time differs between the two dimensions, so it will take several years before it can be utilized again. For now, take these four down."

Whoosh!

The four figures leaped from above into the ruins, immediately standing opposite Sasuke's Hebi Squad—comprised of Uchiha Sasuke, Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin.

"Three tomoe! He's one of Lord Shirou's clansmen!"

As Konan's team silently assessed their opponents, Sasuke, feeling utterly betrayed, let out a cold laugh.

"Jugo, Suigetsu, Karin—don't hold back!"

At this point, Sasuke was still brimming with youthful arrogance. After defeating Orochimaru, he considered himself one of the strongest in the world.

However, Karin broke out in a cold sweat, her pupils shrinking in fear.

"Be careful! That woman with the brownish hair braided into pigtails… She has an unbelievably massive chakra reserve, far greater than Sasuke's!"

As a sensory-type ninja, Karin instantly detected the terrifying aura. This overwhelming chakra made her tremble with fear.

But Sasuke simply sneered. "A ninja's strength isn't determined by their chakra reserves."

"Sasuke, don't underestimate them! Someone with such massive chakra reserves wouldn't be unknown, yet there's no information about her!"

Despite Karin's desperate warning, Sasuke, in his arrogance, dismissed her concerns.

"Each of you takes one. Don't kill them—I still need to extract information about Itachi from these Konoha ninjas."

"Heh, perfect. My Executioner's Blade has been craving blood," Suigetsu said with a sinister grin, clearly eager for action.

Unbeknownst to them, their overconfidence drew amused smiles from the opposing group.

"Tch, they're arrogant, aren't they?"

Samui smirked confidently, drawing her blade as she stared down the four from Sasuke's team.

"I'll handle this."

"Samui, don't get careless," Konan warned.

When Sasuke saw only one woman step forward, he frowned. Meanwhile, Karin glared at Samui with irritation, her eyes fixed enviously on Samui's ample figure.

"Hahaha, let the Konoha ninja experience the might of my Executioner's Blade first," Suigetsu laughed as he charged forward.

As Karin and the others kept their guard up against the remaining opponents, a loud boom echoed through the ruins.

What happened next left Karin utterly shocked.

"Big talk, but your skills leave much to be desired."

As the dust cleared, Suigetsu's Executioner's Blade was blocked by Samui's sword. She smirked coldly.

In the next moment, lightning began crackling along Samui's blade, prompting Suigetsu to shout in alarm:

"Damn it! Lightning Style—my worst enemy!"

"Suigetsu, watch out!" Karin yelled from behind as Jugo rushed in to pull Suigetsu back, while Sasuke charged forward with his Kusanagi blade.

Lightning Style: Chidori Stream!

Electricity surged violently as Jugo managed to pull Suigetsu away just in time. Sasuke's Kusanagi sword clashed with Samui's lightning-infused blade in a brilliant display of sparks.

Karin, witnessing the scene, gasped in disbelief. "Impossible! How does she know Sasuke's Chidori Stream?!"

The battlefield was chaotic, with lightning and fire clashing in rapid succession. Sasuke's surprise quickly turned into excitement.

"Chidori! The Dragon Vein wasn't lying!"

While Sasuke was prone to arrogance after gaining power, his analytical mind was sharp. Seeing Samui use Chidori techniques made him quickly realize the truth.

The intel from Sakura's memories about the Dragon Vein's connection to another world suddenly became clear in his mind. It described another dimension where the Uchiha clan thrived and techniques like Chidori, Chidori Stream, and even Rasengan had originated.

"Could it be… we've crossed into another dimension?"

Karin, equally stunned, began to reassess the situation, desperately searching her memory for any information about this Konoha woman. As Orochimaru's subordinate, she knew all the notable Konoha shinobi and someone capable of holding their own against Sasuke couldn't possibly be unknown.

But as she watched the fierce battle unfold, coupled with the Chidori techniques and the Dragon Vein legend, she began to doubt her previous assumptions.

Could it all be true?

PS: Read atleast 110 advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode