Chapter 69: Hyuga Gakuya (Talk no Jutsu Mode)

A few days later, at the Valley of the End near the borders of the Land of Fire, Hyuga Gakuya stood atop the statue of Uchiha Madara, silently waiting for the two boys to arrive.

This was once the battleground of Madara and Hashirama Senju—the two colossal statues standing face-to-face served as a monument to that legendary clash.

Gakuya watched quietly as two figures approached from the distance. In the lead was Uchiha Sasuke, fleeing, while behind him, Uzumaki Naruto gave relentless chase.

And so, history was repeating itself. A bitter rift between once-close friends, the kind only forged through deep bonds. Bathed in moonlight, the two fought like a quarreling married couple.

They started with a furious exchange of taijutsu. As the fight escalated, Naruto unleashed the power of the Nine-Tails' cloak, while Sasuke activated the first stage of his cursed seal.

But it was clear—Naruto had the edge in both strength and speed. Sasuke's Sharingan was struggling to keep up.

Midway through the battle, Sasuke's Sharingan evolved into the three-tomoe form, and with it came a surge in his cursed seal's power. Dark scales crawled across his body, and a pair of demonic wings covered in scales sprouted from his back.

In response, Naruto drew on even more of the Nine-Tails' chakra and added the adamantine sealing chains of the Uzumaki clan into the mix.

Finally, with both boys shouting each other's names, Sasuke's Chidori and Naruto's Rasengan collided. In the end, Sasuke came out barely on top. Naruto collapsed, unconscious.

Sasuke crouched beside him, staring at Naruto's face. Yet even then, he couldn't bring himself to land a killing blow.

As he forced himself to his feet, a dark figure appeared in the distance, walking slowly toward him. Under the pale moonlight, Sasuke could just barely make out the man's face.

"Did Orochimaru send you to pick me up?" Sasuke asked.

"Who I am doesn't matter," the figure said, his voice full of quiet allure. "What matters is this—do you crave power? Do you want to kill Uchiha Itachi?"

Gakuya's words echoed with temptation. "In this world of shinobi, no one is better suited than me to grant you that power."

Sasuke's lips curled into a smirk. "You're right. I don't care who it is—as long as they can make me stronger."

"You didn't like the power I gave you before? Was the Sage Mark not enough?" Gakuya's voice suddenly shifted—becoming the familiar tone of Chiba Mokushū.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You're... Chiba Mokushū?!"

"I am—and I'm not. That was merely one of my many masks." Gakuya's tone turned calm and smooth. "So? Have you made up your mind? Will you come with me?"

"I will." Sasuke didn't hesitate. He'd seen Gakuya's strength with his own eyes—even one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, wasn't a match for him. Compared to Orochimaru, this was a far better option.

Gakuya summoned a giant puppet hawk and leapt onto its back. He glanced back and gestured for Sasuke to follow.

"Come on."

Sasuke spared one last look at Naruto lying on the ground, then jumped up without a second thought.

As they flew through the night sky, Sasuke turned to the man beside him.

"Who are you, really?"

Now that they were closer, Sasuke could make out his face more clearly.

Gakuya answered softly, "Hyuga... Gakuya."

He didn't bother hiding his identity. After all, in his grand plan, he intended to redeem himself eventually. Revealing the truth now didn't matter.

Sasuke's eyes widened again. His entire worldview was teetering on the edge of collapse.

This man—the one who had annihilated a branch of the Hyuga clan—was Hyuga Gakuya?

The same man who'd helped launch the Konoha Crush Plan, who had become one of the Leaf's staunchest allies?

Was this still the same world?

The person responsible for pushing the ninja world toward war, a member of a once-noble clan that had turned its blade on Konoha, was now considered one of its most trusted allies?

And now, this same man was here to take Sasuke—the last Uchiha—away from the village.

Not just Konoha—the entire ninja world had been fooled by this man.

Sasuke's thoughts spiraled deeper. Gakuya had approached Naruto under the name Chiba Mokushū—was he planning to recruit Naruto too?

Had he failed only because Naruto was still too entrenched in Konoha's ideology?

But then... what was his ultimate goal? Destroy Konoha? Conquer the shinobi world? Or...

"You're probably wondering why I've come for you," Gakuya said, standing on the back of the hawk, robes fluttering in the wind as he gazed up at the moon. "Orochimaru wanted your body for resurrection. But what do I want from you? That's the question, isn't it?"

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. Can he... read my mind?

But he forced himself to stay composed. "You're right."

Gakuya looked over his shoulder, catching the flicker of confusion in Sasuke's eyes.

"Do you remember what I told you before? Death isn't the end. Reviving the dead isn't impossible."

Sasuke's eyes lit up. He blurted out, "You mean... that resurrection jutsu?!"

The thought of bringing his parents back to life had never left his mind.

"Exactly," Gakuya said. "We've already completed the technique. But for now, it requires a life in exchange for a life."

His words struck like a thunderclap.

"In my plan," he continued, "I'll one day obtain power beyond even the Sage of Six Paths. But when that time comes, our enemies will no longer be individuals—they'll be the entire shinobi world. That's why I need your strength."

Sasuke hesitated. The scale of it all was overwhelming. Revenge had been his entire world... and now someone was telling him his real enemy was everyone?

"Can I really... become that strong?"

Gakuya gave a faint smile. "Have you heard of Uchiha Madara?"

"You mean the ancestor who rivaled Hashirama Senju? The one with the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan?"

"Exactly," Gakuya said. "He possessed an eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—one that never faded."

"Eternal?" Sasuke frowned, unfamiliar with the term.

Even he, a Uchiha, had never heard of such a thing. How did Gakuya know?

"The Mangekyō drains the user's vision every time it's used—eventually leading to total blindness," Gakuya explained, activating his own Mangekyō. The crimson pattern spun within his eye.

Sasuke's shock deepened. How did a Hyuga possess a Mangekyō Sharingan?!

"But Madara's eyes never dimmed. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Because he took his brother Izuna's eyes and merged them with his own. That's how he created the Eternal Mangekyō. That's how he was able to match Hashirama Senju."

In that moment, everything clicked for Sasuke. He finally understood why Itachi had spared him.

His fists clenched tight. "So... Uchiha Itachi kept me alive so he could take my eyes... to obtain the Eternal Mangekyō?"

Gakuya leaned in, voice smooth and full of persuasion.

"That's right. But think about it—this is an opportunity for you, too. If you grow strong enough, you could reverse the roles. Kill him, take his eyes, and awaken the Eternal Mangekyō yourself."

"I get it now," Sasuke said, standing tall against the wind. "Please teach me. I'll kill Itachi with my own hands. I'll help you with your plan. I'll bring my parents back."

Gakuya smiled. "Three years. That's all I need. In three years, I'll make you stronger than Uchiha Itachi."

It was a bold claim—but Gakuya didn't care. In the end, he knew Itachi would hold back. All he had to do was play the part—part Orochimaru, part Tobi.

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