Kusagakure, the ruins of Hozuki Castle.
Returning to a familiar place always evokes feelings of nostalgia.
Gazing at the towering fortress before him, Uchiha Yuto sighed silently in his heart, recalling the days he spent by his father's side.
At that time, all he thought about was how to prove himself.
She wondered when she could become better than her father.
My father is the God of Shinobi, so of course I have to see him as a goal I must surpass.
But when he learned of his father's death, Yuto suddenly realized that what he had been pursuing was never about surpassing others, but rather a word of approval from his father.
"Take good care of your mother and sister."
He believed that his father had acknowledged his strength and recognized him as a man named Uchiha.
As he grew older, he settled down, started a family, and had a lovely daughter.
It was only then that I realized that my father had never looked down on me at all.
The forced training and the frequent teasing and pranks were essentially an acknowledgment of his talent and hard work.
After having his own daughter, Yuto finally understood something, even if he would rather never have understood this truth.
"What's wrong?" Kurama Jun asked with concern.
The future Yuto is destined to inherit his teacher's will and become the Third Hokage.
At first, Kurama Jun was willing to compete with him; neither of them would easily admit that they were inferior in skill.
When exactly did it begin...?
Oh, it must have been the moment when Yuto decisively defeated Tobirama Senju that Kurama Jun finally realized that what he should be doing was not competing with others, but helping his friends become the greatest Hokage.
Even though the hope was slim, he was willing to try. Chun, who was originally unfamiliar with government affairs, began to become familiar with them under his father's guidance.
In short, Kurama Jun has already secretly made up his mind to become Yuto's right-hand man.
Others might not notice, but he could easily tell that something was wrong with his friends.
"It's nothing." Yuto shook his head. Actually, he didn't understand why he had been feeling uneasy lately.
Perhaps he was just too tired... or so he thought.
The mission is to investigate the mystery of Hozuki Castle.
Years ago, the battle between my father and that monster completely turned the entire prison into ruins, even blowing up the Chest of Elysium.
Now that the town has been rebuilt, someone has unexpectedly attempted to repair the box.
Even knowing it cannot fulfill their wishes, it still cannot stop ambitious people from trying.
Many people consider being able to control such a powerful monster to be a very good option.
Yayoi expressed her understanding, saying that Kusagakure an insignificant little village, and that one had to take risks to gain power.
The problem is that she was worried about interference from the Ninja Sect, which is why she sent the "Special Grade Combat Force" Uchiha Yuto to deal with it.
Faced with his powerful Dojutsu, regardless of whether the Ninja Sect intervened or not, he was more than capable of easily resolving the problems that plagued Hozuki Castle.
What? Konoha has no right to interfere in Kusagakure's internal affairs?
With the charge of colluding with the Ninja Sect established, Konoha Ninja have the right to investigate and collect evidence anywhere.
As the sole victor of the First Shinobi World War, Konoha had long been the undisputed ruler of the Shinobi World.
So what if they're the Ninja Sect? After years of "public opinion manipulation," they've long become the target of everyone's hatred.
This is certainly true, at least within the Land of Fire.
Opinions from other places, I'm sorry, simply cannot reach the higher-ups in Konoha.
As for not heeding advice...
That's easy. Just ask the 20,000 permanent troops stationed in Konoha and see if they agree with your "stubbornness".
In short, where there is might, there is no justice.
"Remember, it's best to keep a low profile." This was Yayoi's advice to him before he left.
Since he's still the boss, Yuto naturally accepts the position humbly.
If you misbehave, your mom might gently scold you, but Aunt Yayoi would really give you a good beating.
Despite Yuto's growing potential to become Konoha's strongest shinobi, he will always be the little brat who needs to be taken care of in front of Yayoi.
It can be considered a happy kind of trouble.
"According to intelligence reports, the reconstructed Box of Bliss should be hidden in the Secret Laboratory of the fortress," Kurama Jun reminded him from the side.
He even prepared several plans to deal with any unforeseen circumstances that might arise in Hozuki Castle.
Just as he was about to take a hostage a person who knew the truth, he suddenly felt an astonishing heat coming from beside him.
Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique!
Yuto spat out a ball of scorching magma, the temperature of which far surpassed that of most Fire Release Ninjutsu.
Following the notes left by his father, and after years of training, Yuto finally mastered the Lava Release.
The destructive power of magma is terrifying; with it, there's basically no need to continue researching lethal Ninjutsu.
Kurama Jun just didn't understand why they would throw a lava ball.
Uchiha Yuto's explanation was perfect. "Since we're going to fight anyway, we might as well strike first."
"... That makes perfect sense."
The seemingly sturdy fortress was as fragile as paper in the face of the Lava Release.
A locked room?
When the outer layer of disguise collapses completely, there is no longer any secrecy.
Clang! Seeing the Chest of Elysium lying in front of him, riddled with cracks, Yuto's gaze darkened, and he slowly drew his Kusanagi Sword from his waist.
"It actually exists... those Kusagakure guys are really something..."
On the other side, the guards of Hozuki Castle, having heard the commotion, were swarming towards the location in dense numbers.
Seeing this, Kurama Jun sighed and stepped forward, using his knife as a paintbrush and his ki as a canvas, to create a poignant oil painting filled with the atmosphere of carnage.
When it comes to dominating weaker opponents, even two Yuto combined can't match his efficiency.
With the slightest movement, any enemy who steps within a kilometer of him will fall into Genjutsu from which they can never escape.
In his presence, the so-called human wave tactics were utterly meaningless.
"Phew, that's good too." Kurama Jun thought to himself, " With the Hozuki Castle riot, the mission level will rise sharply, which will greatly help Yuto gain fame."
Sensing the soul trapped in the Genjutsu, the man's eyes turned cold, and he muttered in a low voice, "As for the enemies, kill half of them as a warning to others."
As he spoke, the butcher's knife came crashing down, and within a kilometer radius, more than seventy guards instantly lost their lives.
The Kurama Clan's Genjutsu can turn the illusory into reality.
When others are affected by Genjutsu, their mental strength is damaged first, but in his case, it means he loses his life directly.
"I don't think there's any need to rebuild Hozuki Castle." With a stylish flourish, he flicked his arm, and a black beam of light shot straight into the sky.
Here, Yuto, who had completely melted the box into a pile of molten iron, turned around and saw his friend's murderous face.
Looking at the sky gradually darkening with clouds, he knew that powerful thunderstorms would soon rage across the area.
At that point, let alone Hozuki Castle, whether this small island will even exist will be a question.
This is another application of the Kurama Genjutsu, using oneself as a medium to draw nature into the Genjutsu he creates.
The principle is somewhat similar to that of the Kirin, but the technique is many times more sophisticated.
Even Uchiha Chō couldn't help but praise it, saying that Kurama Jun's Genjutsu was a true rule-based ability.
"Let's go." Kurama Jun, who had just been about to persuade them, now had a murderous look on his face, and the ruthlessness of his methods left Yuto speechless.
On the contrary, he actually felt sympathy for the Hozuki Castle guards who had miraculously survived.
Perhaps only those who have just fallen to Genjutsu can be considered lucky.
Sure enough, the terrifying thunderstorm arrived shortly afterward.
In just half a day, the Island was completely erased from the map, and Hozuki Castle, along with it, became part of the history of the Shinobi World.
Upon learning the news, Kusagakure, unsurprisingly, chose to remain silent.
Even the Ninja Sect behind them made no move, as if they were afraid of the now unrivaled Konoha.
It seems that the Shinobi World has already become the domain of Konoha.
"It looks like he'll be making his move soon." Inside the Hokage Building, Yayoi held a water glass, her gaze remaining calm and unwavering, as if nothing could stir her emotions.
"Pretentious," commented Uchiha Chō.
However, she also largely agreed with what the woman said.
The Ninja Sect has been hopping around long enough; it's time to get rid of these fleas.
Kyosuke's return signifies that the plan to unify the Ninja Sect Clan is about to begin.
In the Daimyo's Mansion, more than three thousand management personnel have already been in place.
Once they conquer the country, they can immediately take over all the occupied territories.
The Shinobi World must unite to fight against the threat from beyond the stars.
The risks of the coalition forces are too great; it's far less secure than having the Konoha Village control the situation.
Isn't the Ninja Sect known for its love of shouting slogans?
Alright, let's name this operation "Dawn".
Not only in war, but also in the economy, public opinion, and people's livelihood, the Land of Fire will engage in a contest with its enemies in all aspects.
The goal must be to completely crush the resistance forces; we must not allow it to drag into a blind tug-of-war, as that would only harm the overall interests of the Shinobi World.
In the future, Konoha will represent the Shinobi World.
If the village's interests are harmed, it is a huge loss for the entire Shinobi World; there's absolutely nothing wrong with saying that.
The next day, the Yuto team embarked on their journey home.
The reason he was taking so long was because he needed to buy a gift for his daughter.
It must be a toy with special features from the Land of Grass, otherwise the chubby boy will throw a tantrum.
Recalling the terrifying Sound Release attack, even Yuto felt a throbbing pain in his head.
Clutching his adorable teddy bear, he pondered his daughter's preferences as he slowly made his way to the meeting point.
Bang!
The sounds of fighting in the distance quickly caught his attention.
"Oh no!" Yuto's expression tightened, and he instantly increased his speed.
The sound came from the direction where he had met up with his friends.
Kurama Jun was incredibly powerful; he could instantly kill 99% of the enemies he faced.
If you can't kill the enemy quickly, it means your teammates might be in danger.
But Yuto couldn't arrive no matter what he did, from the moment he heard the fighting until he rushed to the scene.
In less than ten seconds, how could my friend be so decisively defeated?!
Staring at the masked man in black before him, Yuto's eyes were icy, his sword pointing straight at him. "Who are you?"
"I am your father," the man in black replied.