Night Before the Battle

The serious topic came to an end.

Hui and Chuanhe returned home, but their senses detected three people standing at their doorstep.

Chuanhe sighed, "Shisui is quite efficient; he got it done so quickly."

"Hui, go brew a pot of tea for me. Six cups will be enough."

Hui was a bit puzzled. Six? Even counting them, there were only five people. Still, he nodded obediently.

Chuanhe opened the door with a welcoming smile: "Clan Leader Fugaku, it's not easy to get you to visit my place."

"Come, come. Elder Setsuna, you're a frequent guest as well. Come in and have some tea."

"Shisui, you'll just have to hold your cup and watch for now. Once this matter is settled, I'll use Spirit Sealing Reincarnation to get you a new body. Looking at that dirt-clod form is quite unsettling."

Fugaku and Setsuna exchanged a glance, hesitated for a moment, then entered and sat down.

Six cups of warm tea sat on the table, with the five of them gathered around it.

Chuanhe took a sip of tea first and said slowly, "Who wants to speak first? Staying at a stalemate like this won't solve anything."

Just moments ago, they had heard Shisui's account, so they already understood the gist of everything.

Shisui had stated that the person who killed him was most likely sent by Danzo, as he had been hunted down by Danzo in his final moments.

Fugaku hesitated at first. Although Shisui had his Mangekyou as proof, confirming he was indeed the real person, Fugaku had heard from his elders that the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu was developed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, specifically to target the Uchiha.

There was still a tiny possibility that Shisui was being controlled, though Fugaku immediately pushed that doubt out of his mind.

As a wielder of the Mangekyou, Fugaku knew very well the power of those eyes.

"Chuanhe, I want to hear your explanation directly. Are you a spy or not? Is the Flame Explosion Technique a remote-controlled bomb from Kumogakure?"

Chuanhe's hand froze mid-sip. He was caught between laughter and tears that they were still worrying about this.

"Fugaku, if I were truly a spy, destroying Konoha wouldn't be this much trouble. Everything I've developed since coming to the Uchiha clan has been of destructive power that breaks all limits."

Chuanhe set down his cup.

He formed hand seals.

Summoning Technique.

Two glass bottles appeared in Chuanhe's hands.

"Come, both of you give me a drop of blood, and I'll take you to see why I say that."

Fugaku and Setsuna looked at each other again before pricking their index fingers and squeezing out a drop of blood.

Setsuna did it because he had seen Chuanhe in action and completely rejected the idea of him being a spy. Could a ninja from Kumogakure possess such mastery over Fire Release? Impossible!

As for Fugaku, he actually already believed Chuanhe, but he still harbored some lingering questions.

After dispelling the summoning, Chuanhe summoned the Magic Cube and removed the center piece from the bottom.

The group vanished from the scene.

On the far side of a distant planet.

The five stood atop a towering mountain. In a pit nearby lay a fleshy sphere that looked very familiar to Hui.

However, the group's focus was not on that at all.

Because below the mountain...

Was a bottomless, boundless super-crater. One could faintly see a glass-like texture, a physical phenomenon caused by extreme heat.

This was clearly the aftermath of an explosion.

Aside from Chuanhe, the pupils of the other four constricted in unison.

This is...? The Flame Explosion Technique?!

This scale... it's impossible... even a Tailed Beast couldn't achieve this range!

In truth, if a Tailed Beast actually mastered this technique, it could indeed achieve this through self-detonation.

Hui was also deeply shocked. Even if all the ninjas in Konoha were tied together to release it, this size would still be far out of reach.

As if sensing their confusion, Chuanhe said, "Rest assured, this is far beyond what a simple Flame Explosion Technique could achieve."

"This was left behind from testing my ultimate weapon. It's a good thing I didn't choose to stay and observe, or you wouldn't be seeing me right now."

A thought crossed Hui's mind: could this be that mass-destruction weapon?

In reality, this wasn't a nuclear bomb, but Chuanhe referred to all such things as ultimate weapons.

Fugaku had calmed down by now: "Chuanhe, who exactly are you? This thing is enough to make us believe you aren't a spy, but you are even more dangerous now."

Chuanhe smiled faintly: "The answer isn't that complicated, Fugaku. These are truly things I developed myself."

Setsuna couldn't hold back: "Impossible. Even if Uchiha Madara were alive again, he couldn't achieve this level of destruction."

Chuanhe chuckled silently upon hearing Setsuna's words.

"Setsuna, you may have some misconceptions about Uchiha Madara. He is capable of doing it! And it was far simpler for him than it is for me."

"Uchiha Madara could achieve it on the spot all by himself. I, however, have to manufacture it in advance and rely on equipment for assistance."

Fugaku and Setsuna were horrified: "What?"

Setsuna was extremely agitated, his face flushed with excitement as he asked: "Impossible! If Uchiha Madara were truly that powerful, how did he die at the hands of the First Hokage?"

Chuanhe's expression remained calm as he gazed into the distance: "At that time, he wasn't as powerful as I described, and he didn't die after his battle with the First Hokage!"

This time, Shisui and Hui, who were standing to the side, couldn't help themselves and cried out in unison: "What?!"

Chuanhe said: "Calm down, calm down. Let me explain it simply, as this is also related to the Uchiha affair."

The group slowly composed themselves.

"This concerns that stone tablet beneath the shrine of your Uchiha clan."

Hearing this, Fugaku almost lost his composure again, but he held back; compared to the destructive potential of what was before him, that was a minor matter.

"That stone tablet was altered. Originally..."

"What?!"

Chuanhe felt a bit helpless. These revelations were indeed shocking, but with them jumping at every word, how was he supposed to continue?

Chuanhe's gaze made the group feel uneasy, so Shisui stepped in to smooth things over.

"Let me continue. That stone tablet was originally just the teachings of the Sage of Six Paths to his descendants; it did not contain the method for eternal peace that was later added."

This time, even Hui could barely contain himself, but after a moment of thought, he understood that this was merely a fabrication.

The three men beside him were not confused by this; what they were wondering about was... the Sage of Six Paths?

So this was the true origin of the Uchiha!

"Before his battle with the First Hokage, Uchiha Madara's Mangekyou was already an Eternal Mangekyou. He saw more of the tablet's contents."

"It recorded the method for awakening the Rinnegan: the combination of Senju power and Uchiha power."

The group held their tongues, choosing to continue listening.

"In truth, the origins of both the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan trace back to the Sage of Six Paths. You were originally one family."

"During the battle, Uchiha Madara obtained a piece of Senju Hashirama's flesh, used [Izanagi] to survive, and awakened the Rinnegan in his twilight years."

"The person who came on the night of the Nine-Tails incident claiming to be Uchiha Madara is actually the successor Madara chose: Obito Uchiha."

"Obito is also one of the masterminds behind this. Alright, do you have any other questions?"

The three exchanged glances. Questions? They had far too many.

Hui was lost in thought regarding the matter of Obito, as the man he knew was vastly different from this description.

Shisui sensed a familiar abnormality and spoke up: "Senior Chuanhe, these revelations are indeed terrifying. How did you come to know all of this?"

Chuanhe's expression was somewhat helpless: "The masked man from last time made me sense that something was wrong. I used [Impure World Reincarnation] to piece together these facts."

This was a lie. Although Chuanhe had indeed gone through the motions, he could not reveal the true source of his intelligence, because time...

Time is a very peculiar thing in this world. In short, if you want to keep a secret, you must not act in the first place.

Fugaku said in a low voice: "So, you mean Itachi was deceived?"

Having heard these few sentences, this was the only answer Fugaku could derive, and it was the only thing he cared about at the moment.

Chuanhe nodded: "That is correct."

"All of this began with a misunderstanding regarding me, and I will take responsibility for it and resolve this matter completely."

"I will try my best not to harm anyone, but the current high-ranking officials of Konoha and Obito Uchiha must receive the punishment they deserve."

Fugaku said in a deep voice: "Chuanhe-kun, could you hand Obito Uchiha over to me to be punished by the clan?"

Chuanhe smiled slightly, though his eyes remained cold: "Naturally, that is no problem. Once Clan Leader Fugaku is finished with him, just hand him over to me; even a corpse will suffice."

Chuanhe had not forgotten that this fellow had made a move against his son. In his hands, Obito's remaining days would surely be very "enjoyable."

Fugaku's heart sank. Was it that probing attempt from four months ago?

Itachi had sent a letter later telling them not to investigate further, as it was just a probe from their allies.

Moreover, they had indeed learned a few things, such as the [Heavenly Transfer Technique], which made them believe it even more firmly.

So that was it. Was all of this Obito's conspiracy?

Setsuna stepped forward, bypassing Fugaku: "Chuanhe-kun, ignore Fugaku. I, this old man, agree to this."

Fugaku did not object.

Shisui, standing to the side, wanted to speak but held his tongue.

Chuanhe's expression softened: "If the misunderstanding is cleared up, let us return to meet our ally."

The group returned to the living room where they had started. Chuanhe sat down and took a sip of warm tea.

The others were somewhat vigilant, and Shisui even adopted a combat stance.

"Senior Chuanhe, you never mentioned that Orochimaru was our companion!" Shisui's voice sounded rather tense.

This legendary Sannin exerted no small amount of pressure upon him.

A pale-skinned man with black hair who looked somewhat like a snake stood there quietly; his expression seemed rather peculiar, appearing happy on the surface yet giving off a chilling, hair-raising sensation.

"Hehe, Chuanhe-kun, it seems I've gathered some very interesting news today. Is this Hui beside you? Tsk tsk, the little one from back then has already grown so big."

Upon hearing this, Hui felt his entire body go numb, a wave of revulsion rising from his feet to his head.

"If you have something to say, just say it. Next time, use your Vanishing Facial Copy Technique to get a makeover before you come over; it's not good to scare the children."

"Chuanhe-kun is still the same as ever. Then I'll keep it brief: today, I seem to have heard that Shisui was killed under the orders of the teacher, not by Danzo as you all previously believed."

Chuanhe furrowed his brows. It was abnormal, very abnormal. Even if this news were true, given the complex relationship between Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi, why would he reveal this conclusion to him?

"Orochimaru, I believe your information, but why would you tell me this?"

Orochimaru sat down, and the others nearby slowly lowered their guard.

Orochimaru's expression was somewhat complex as he said to Chuanhe, "Chuanhe-kun, with your abilities, you would have learned this news sooner or later."

"So, I will confirm once more: the Third Hokage's fate is to be left to me, correct?"

Chuanhe was silent for a moment before looking at Shisui. "Orochimaru, ask Shisui that question. I cannot make that decision for him."

Having just heard this news, Shisui had fallen into a state of chaos. "The Third... Sarutobi... impossible, he... he..."

Fugaku, sitting beside him, gently patted Shisui's shoulder; regardless of anything else, Shisui was still just a teenager at this time.

None of them spoke, and the room grew so quiet that only the sound of tea being sipped could be heard.

After a long while, Shisui finally seemed to calm down. With his Mangekyou Sharingan activated, he looked at Orochimaru and asked, "The Third... if his fate is left to Senior Orochimaru, what will happen to him?"

Orochimaru shook his head and said calmly, "It will simply be a straightforward death at my hands."

At this moment, a different question suddenly occurred to Shisui, and he whipped his head around to look at Chuanhe.

"Obito... what will he... experience?"

Chuanhe thought of a famous quote that was perfectly suited for the current situation.

"To me, death means not having to endure excessive suffering, which is, in itself, a mercy."

Hui, having watched the entire process, felt a bitter taste in his heart.

Although he was not very close to Senior Shisui, from the descriptions of the clansmen, he could tell that he was a big brother who loved his kin and loved the village.

Hui watched as the trembling of Senior Shisui's body gradually slowed, and his expression slowly calmed.

"Then let it be so. Senior Orochimaru, I leave it to you."