Chapter 115: Unconventional! Morkel's Strength! Ah Fei! Kisame and Suigetsu Are Shocked!

Due to fear, exhaustion, and other factors, Sasuke could no longer resist.

All he could do was watch as Uchiha Itachi's trembling hand slowly reached toward his face.

Finally, Itachi's bloodstained fingers gently tapped Sasuke's forehead—his index and middle fingers pressing against his little brother one final time.

The gloomy sky began to pour.

Rain fell in cold, heavy drops onto Sasuke's pale face.

"Forgive me... Sasuke."

"14...!"

With those last words, Itachi collapsed, lifeless, in front of Sasuke.

The rain intensified.

Each drop seemed to erase the traces of Uchiha Itachi from the world.

Still gasping, Sasuke slumped forward, unable to process what had just happened.

As everything calmed, Morkel stepped beside Sasuke.

He stood silently for a moment, staring at the body of Uchiha Itachi.

Morkel could have brought him back—he had the power to do so.

Itachi had known this.

Back in the inner sanctum, Itachi had made his wishes clear to Morkel.

He did not want to be resurrected.

Sasuke may not have understood everything, but he wasn't an idiot.

Itachi could have killed him but chose not to. He died at the moment of victory, by his own hand.

Sasuke looked up. The three tomoe in his Sharingan rotated violently before forming a strange hexagram—the Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened.

"You knew, didn't you?" Sasuke asked, his voice low.

The sound of the falling rain muffled his words, but Morkel heard him clearly. Still, he chose not to answer.

Instead, Morkel reached into his scroll and removed two medical sealing bottles.

Infusing his hands with medical chakra, he bent down and gently moved toward Itachi's eyes.

Sasuke frowned. "Answer me!"

Morkel replied, "I'll explain later. For now, I must respect Itachi's wishes and remove his eyes."

"You know this wasn't the only thing he asked of me."

"I need to act before someone else does."

With practiced skill, Morkel removed Itachi's eyes in a flash and sealed them into the medical bottles. A pair of eyes, coveted by the entire shinobi world.

Standing up, he turned to Sasuke. "Let's go."

At that moment, the space nearby distorted unnaturally.

A figure appeared, wearing a swirling yellow mask and the signature black cloak of the Akatsuki.

He looked over the scene and spoke in a teasing tone. "Oh dear, looks like I'm a bit late."

This was none other than Tobi—also known as Ah Fei.

But Morkel knew his other name. The former head of the Uchiha clan. The man who stood as a legend alongside Senju Hashirama—

Uchiha Madara.

During their earlier conversation, Itachi had confided much to Morkel.

For instance, Itachi had only followed orders during the massacre of the Uchiha clan. He was not the mastermind.

After the Nine-Tails attack, the village had grown increasingly wary of the Uchiha. Everyone knew the Sharingan could control the tailed beasts.

Alienated and cornered, the Uchiha planned a rebellion.

But Itachi, having seen the horrors of the Third Great Ninja War, chose a different path. He accepted Danzo's secret mission to eliminate the Uchiha and stop the rebellion, just to protect Sasuke.

He intentionally sowed hatred in Sasuke's heart, ensuring his little brother would strive to surpass him.

And finally, when Sasuke succeeded, his Mangekyō Sharingan would awaken under the shock of loss.

Itachi even planned to gift Sasuke his eyes to help him obtain the Eternal Mangekyō.

Originally, this transplantation was meant to be performed by Madara, who had helped Itachi with the clan's eradication.

But Itachi didn't trust Madara. Too many uncertainties.

After meeting Morkel, he changed his plan.

Morkel was far more reliable.

This was why Morkel had acted swiftly to retrieve Itachi's eyes.

So many factors led to the Uchiha clan's downfall.

But at its root, it stemmed from the rift between the Uchiha and Konoha—one that began when the village was founded.

Morkel sighed.

The Uchiha were once equal to the Senju.

Why didn't they just leave the village when things became unbearable?

But... that was a childish thought.

Back in the present, the masked Madara stood before Morkel, glancing down at Itachi's body.

"He didn't trust me in the end," Madara said with a self-mocking laugh.

Morkel didn't respond to the comment. Instead, he asked, "I've always had a question about you."

"Oh? Do tell." Madara sounded amused.

Morkel nodded. "I have a strong sense for chakra. Itachi said you were Uchiha Madara—and I believe him, but not entirely."

"If you're the legendary Uchiha Madara, why do you use someone else's Sharingan?"

It was a subtle truth Morkel had learned after asking Kakashi about his own Sharingan.

The chakra signature in the masked man's eyes didn't match his own.

It was Obito's Sharingan.

The masked man flinched, clearly caught off guard.

He laughed awkwardly. "Your perception is quite sharp."

But he offered no further explanation.

Instead, he disappeared in a blur, using his eye technique.

Once he was gone, Morkel cleaned up the scene and took Itachi's body with him.

Whether the masked man was truly Madara or Obito, Morkel had already made his judgment.

---

In a nearby city, Naruto and Suigetsu were engaged in battle with Kisame.

Both were surprised to see Naruto's immense power in action.

The Wind Style: Rasenshuriken had nearly landed a direct hit on Kisame.

Dodging just in time, Kisame wiped the sweat from his brow. "As expected of Morkel's ally. You're no pushover."

"I didn't expect you to be so capable."

Suigetsu clapped Naruto on the back.

Naruto scratched his head shyly. "Hehe, I've been training with Morkel for a while now."

Karin suddenly turned toward the woods, her eyes sharp. "I sense Morkel and Sasuke's chakra!"

Kisame's expression changed. "Just the two of them?"

Before she could reply, rustling came from the trees.

Morkel emerged, dragging a battered Sasuke behind him.

Suigetsu blinked. "Sasuke's in terrible shape. Did Itachi win?"

Morkel shook his head. "Itachi is dead."

Kisame nodded, unsurprised, though a bit solemn. "So, the one with the double-digit body count has left us."

Morkel nodded, his voice calm. "He's gone."

"You can go too," he said to Kisame.

Out of respect for Itachi, Morkel wouldn't fight Kisame for the bounty.

Understanding the situation, Kisame simply nodded, picked up Samehada, and walked away.

Once Kisame was gone, Morkel said, "I need a quiet place for the eye transplant surgery."

Using Wood Style, he built a small house in the forest.

He prepared the tools, set up the table, and began.

Sasuke had refused to accept Itachi's eyes.

So Morkel knocked him out.

Minutes later, the operation was complete.

Naruto stared in shock. "It's done already?"

Morkel shrugged. "The Sharingan is easier to work with than you'd think."

Sasuke woke shortly after, eyes bandaged.

The first thing he did was call out, "Morkel! Where are you?"

Morkel sighed. "I'm right here."

"Now that I have Itachi's eyes... tell me everything."

Morkel hesitated.

Itachi had asked him not to tell Sasuke the truth.

But some things could not be hidden forever.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"It may change how you see Itachi forever."

Sasuke didn't hesitate. "I want to know."

So Morkel told him everything Itachi had said.

When he finished, Sasuke sat silently on the bed, frozen in thought.

Morkel left him to process.

Just as he stepped outside, Naruto appeared with a message.

"It's from the village! A bunch of bloodline-limit ninjas have gone missing near the border of the Land of Earth."

Morkel frowned. "That's suspicious, but we're not headed there now."

Then, another message arrived—this time carried by a communication eagle.

Morkel read it and sighed.

"The Tsuchigumo Clan is in trouble."

Naruto perked up. "Tsuchigumo? Are they spider people?"

Morkel: "No, that's just their name."

"The letter says they possess a technique that can destroy an entire village instantly."

Naruto scratched his head. "That's considered rare? You wiped out Rain Village with a single lightning strike..."

Karin rolled her eyes. "Morkel's power is unique. But their technique is powerful even in the hands of ordinary shinobi."

Morkel nodded. "Exactly."

"Years ago, the Tsuchigumo Clan agreed to label their secret technique forbidden in exchange for Konoha's protection. Now they've sent a distress signal."

Naruto was ready. "Let's go!"

Morkel looked at Sasuke's room. "He needs time. We'll go without him."

Karin looked hopeful. "What about me?"

Morkel hesitated.

Everyone could see she had feelings for him.

"Stay safe here."

Karin lowered her head, dejected.

But then she lifted it again. "I can be useful! You can absorb chakra from me to recover! I can sense enemies!"

Before she could say more, she realized Morkel and Naruto were gone.

She turned to Suigetsu. "Does Morkel hate me?"

He shrugged. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No!" Karin shouted. "He's worried about my safety!"

"He cares about me!"

Suigetsu stared blankly. "I'm speechless."

---

At Sonoshiroyama Fortress, home to the Tsuchigumo Clan...

The secret technique had been passed down to the new heir, Hotaru.

Her protector, Tonbei, stood by her side, wary after recent attacks.

Though saved by a mysterious bubble-wielding shinobi last time, Tonbei feared the enemy would return.

He had sent word to Konoha for help.

Hotaru was anxious. "Will the attackers come back?"

Tonbei nodded grimly. "They didn't suffer enough last time. They'll return."

"We need to get you back to the village."

Hotaru hesitated. "Will the village even welcome me?"

"Don't think like that," Tonbei said.

"You're training hard, right? How's your Water Style coming along?"

Hotaru's face lit up. "I've learned a lot! I'll be even stronger soon!"

Outside the fortress, under the moonlight, a blue-robed man with long hair sat alone, blowing bubbles.

His expression was solemn—burdened.

Hotaru appeared behind him. "Master Bubble!"

The man turned, exasperated. "I told you—I don't take students."

"But you taught me Water Style! You're my master now!"

He sighed. It wasn't intentional. He'd shown her a few tricks, nothing more.

But she'd learned just by watching.

"Still... I can't stay."

He looked at the moon above.

He was being hunted.

And he couldn't put Hotaru in danger.

---