The Birth of "Sasuga"

In a dim yet tidy room, Nadeshiko Haku and Fu awakened from their unconsciousness almost simultaneously.

After a brief moment of disorientation, memories flooded back like a tide—the terror of the Three-Tails, the blood-stained figure of Sakuya, the scorching and unfamiliar seal on their abdomens, and the dizziness of being forcibly abducted.

They scanned their surroundings warily, discovering they were in a room filled with a sense of technology they had never seen before. The door slid open silently, and the figure of Uchiha Sakuya appeared in the doorway. The bandages on his face had been removed, revealing a cold yet handsome countenance, his deep purple eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"You're awake." His voice was flat, as if stating a simple fact.

"Sakuya! What is the meaning of this?! What did you do to me?!" Haku struggled to sit up, only to feel her internal chakra in chaos; a violent power was stirring beneath the seal, leaving her entire body weak.

Fu also felt the restlessness of the Seven-Tails within her. She looked at Sakuya in horror: "You... you sealed the Three-Tails into Haku? What exactly are you trying to do?!"

Sakuya did not avoid their gazes, informing them of the reality directly and coldly: "This is my base. You are safe for the moment, but you cannot leave." "Haku, you now have the Three-Tails Isobu sealed within you. Fu, you remain the jinchuriki of the Seven-Tails." "I need your power, the power of the Tailed Beasts. But my goal is not to destroy the jinchuriki."

He paused, then continued: "Orochimaru is currently researching a method to safely extract the Tailed Beasts. Until then, you must stay here, learn to control the power of the beasts, and be used by me."

"Used by you? Are you joking!" Fu shouted excitedly, "What makes you think we would help you?!"

Haku also bit her lip, her ice-blue eyes filled with anger and disappointment: "Sakuya, are you really going to walk this path to the end? Using these methods..."

Sakuya interrupted her, his tone unwavering: "This is not a request; it is a notification. You have no choice. Either learn to control the power and survive, and perhaps there will be a possibility of freedom in the future. Or, be consumed by the power of the Tailed Beasts, or... be disposed of by me."

His words were cold and devoid of human warmth, as if he were speaking of something unrelated to himself. Having finished, he gave them no further opportunity to argue or question, turning to leave the room and leaving behind only the heavy sound of the closing door and endless despair and rage.

Base lobby.

Obito watched Sakuya approach and said indifferently: "Using fear and coercion cannot truly earn loyalty; it only sows the seeds of betrayal. Hatred drives you, but it cannot drive everyone."

Sakuya was silent for a moment, looking at Obito: "Then what is your suggestion?"

"Give them something more than just fear." Obito's voice came through his mask, "For example... a sense of belonging, especially for those who have nothing."

This sentence seemed to touch something long forgotten deep within Sakuya's heart. He thought of his own wandering childhood with Lian.

Several days later, with the support of Obito's intelligence and Sakuya's absolute force, they acted quietly.

The targets were not any ninja village, but facilities scattered across the world, hidden in the shadows, operating under the guise of orphanages while conducting illegal human experiments or cruel training. These places were filled with children forgotten by the world, suffering from torture.

Sakuya's actions were swift and decisive, even cruel. He descended like a judgment, destroying one dark den after another, clearing out all those "managers" wearing human skin. Then, he stood before those terrified, numb, yet hopeful children.

"Do you want to live?" His voice remained cold, but he gave them a choice, "Do you want to gain power, stop being bullied, and control your own destiny?"

"Follow me."

He did not use many words, simply offering the most direct hope for survival and the possibility of becoming stronger.

A large number of orphans were rescued and brought back to the base. After testing, those children with talent for chakra were screened out.

Watching these children, whose eyes were gradually changing from numbness to brilliance, yet still carrying a wolf-like desire to survive, a thought took shape in Sakuya's mind.

He gathered these children together, stood on a high platform, and announced: "From today on, you are no longer orphans without support." "You are the 'Ten Branches'!" "You are the branches that support a new world! You are the spears that pierce the old order!" "Here, you will gain power and a new life! Use your hands to seize everything you deserve!"

The "Ten Branches" organization was thus established.

The core of the organization, the initial leaders and the strongest, were known as the "Ten Branches":

1. Branch of "Mirror" - Uchiha Sakuya: Leader, possessor of the "Eighty Gods Mirror" eyes, the absolute force and core of decision-making.

2. Branch of "Dawn" - Uchiha Obito: Codename inherited from "Akatsuki," the mysterious guide and space-time support, providing strategic guidance and logistics.

3. Branch of "Snake" - Orochimaru: Codename inherited from "Snake," responsible for scientific research, technological development, forbidden jutsu analysis, and logistical medical support (especially the Tailed Beast extraction project).

4. Branch of "Scale" - Nadeshiko Haku: Host of the Three-Tails, responsible for combat assaults and partial tactical command, struggling internally but gradually moved by the orphans.

5. Branch of "Feather" - Fu: Seven-Tails jinchuriki, responsible for high-speed reconnaissance and aerial support, her view of Sakuya changing complexly due to his rescue of the orphans; she remains in the organization for now.

6. Branch of "Flame" - Zhuo: A boy rescued from a cruel human experimentation orphanage, about 16 years old. An unstable Explosion Release chakra crystal was illegally implanted in his body; he is prone to explosions when agitated, but this also grants him terrifying destructive power. Sakuya and Orochimaru helped him stabilize his condition and directed this power into something controllable. He is taciturn and full of anger toward the world that once tortured him, responsible for demolition and area-of-effect destruction.

7. Branch of "Steel" - Tie Xin: A girl rescued from a black-market gladiator orphanage, about 17 years old. She possesses a rare Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai (not the orthodox Sunagakure style) and can manipulate specific metals. Her personality is as tough as steel, and she was the first among the orphans to show leadership and a protective instinct, responsible for defense, equipment manipulation, and squad command.

8. Branch of "Ghost" - Shen: A boy rescued from a facility conducting genjutsu experiments, about 15 years old. His mental power is exceptionally strong, and his eyes naturally possess qualities that induce dizziness; he is adept at creating complex illusions like mirages and can even briefly influence the emotions of Tailed Beasts. Responsible for intelligence gathering, genjutsu support, and battlefield concealment.

9. Branch of "Claw" - Zhua: A child rescued from a base conducting summoning beast fusion experiments, about 14 years old. He can communicate with beasts, possesses partial beast-like physical traits, and has extremely keen senses of smell, hearing, and agility, with a wild fighting style. Responsible for tracking, reconnaissance, and surprise attacks.

10. Branch of "Skeleton" - Lian: A surviving boy found in the ruins of a failed Shikotsumyaku experiment, about 16 years old. Although not of the Kaguya clan, the experiments allow him to control his own bone growth to a limited extent, forming bone blades or bone armor, at the cost of constant pain. He has a gloomy personality and does not fear pain, responsible for close-quarters combat and special assaults.

With this, the "Ten Branches" organization possessed its initial framework and core strength. A behemoth composed of avengers, scientists, jinchuriki, and newcomers who crawled out of suffering, hidden in the shadows of the world, began to operate quietly. Their target was aimed directly at the Tailed Beasts and the current corrupt ninja order. A massive storm was already on the horizon...