In a dim but tidy room, Nadeshiko Haku and Fu awoke from their unconsciousness almost simultaneously.
After a brief moment of confusion, their memories came flooding back—the terror of the Three-Tails, Shuoyue's bloodied figure, the unfamiliar, searing seal on their abdomens, and the dizziness of being forcibly taken away.
They warily examined their surroundings and found themselves in a room unlike anything they had ever seen, one brimming with advanced technology. The door slid open without a sound, and Uchiha Sakuya appeared in the doorway. The bandages had been removed from his face, revealing handsome features that remained cold and impassive. His deep purple eyes held no trace of emotion.
"You're awake." His voice was flat, as if stating a simple fact.
"Shuoyue! What is going on?! What did you do to me?!" Haku struggled to sit up, but her chakra was in disarray. A violent power stirred beneath the seal, leaving her utterly weak.
Fu could feel the Seven-Tails stirring restlessly inside her, too. She stared at Shuoyue in terror. "Y-You sealed the Three-Tails inside Haku? What are you trying to do?!"
Shuoyue didn't avert his gaze. He told them plainly and coldly how things stood. "This is my base. You're safe for now, but you can't leave." "Haku, the Three-Tails, Isobu, is sealed inside you. Fu, you're still the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki." "I need your strength. I need the Tailed Beasts' power. But I don't intend to destroy the Jinchūriki."
He paused, then continued, "Orochimaru is researching a safe way to separate Tailed Beasts. Until then, you'll stay here, learn to control their power, and put it to use for me."
"Put it to use for you? You've got to be kidding!" Fu shouted, worked up. "What makes you think we'd help you?!"
Haku bit her lip, her icy blue eyes filled with anger and disappointment. "Shuoyue, are you really going to keep going down this path? By doing things like this..."
Shuoyue cut her off, his tone utterly unyielding. "This isn't a request. I'm telling you how it is. You have no choice. Either learn to control your power and survive—perhaps one day you'll have a chance at freedom—or be consumed by the Tailed Beast's power, or... be dealt with by me."
His words were so cold they held not a trace of humanity, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him. Then, without giving either of them a chance to argue or question him, he turned and left the room, leaving only the heavy thud of the closing door and an endless sense of despair and fury behind.
The base's main hall.
Watching Shuoyue approach, Obito said calmly, "Fear and coercion can't earn you true loyalty. They only plant the seeds of betrayal. Hatred drives you, but it won't drive everyone."
Shuoyue fell silent for a moment, then looked at Obito. "Then what do you suggest?"
"Give them something they need more than fear." Obito's voice came through his mask. "Something like... a sense of belonging, especially for those who have nothing."
The words seemed to stir something long forgotten deep within Shuoyue. He thought of the wandering, unsettled childhood he and Lian had endured.
Several days later, with intelligence from Obito and the overwhelming force of Shuoyue, they began to move in secret.
Their targets weren't any of the hidden villages, but facilities scattered across the world and concealed in the shadows—places posing as orphanages while conducting illegal human experiments or brutal training. They were full of children forgotten by the world and subjected to endless suffering.
Shuoyue's operations were swift and ruthless. Like a judgment from on high, he razed one dark den after another, wiping out every "caretaker" who wore a human face. Then he stood before the terrified, numb children, whose eyes nevertheless held a faint glimmer of hope.
"Do you want to live?" His voice was still cold, but he gave them a choice. "Do you want power, so you'll never be bullied again and can control your own fate?"
"Come with me."
He said little else, offering them only the most direct hope of survival and the chance to grow stronger.
Large numbers of orphans were rescued and brought back to the base. After testing, the children with an aptitude for chakra were selected.
As he watched their eyes gradually brighten, even as they held on to a wolf-like will to survive, an idea took shape in Shuoyue's mind.
He gathered the children together, stood on a raised platform, and announced, "From this day on, you're no longer orphans with no one to rely on." "You are 'Sasuga'!" "You are the branches that will support the new world! The spears that will pierce the old order!" "Here, you will gain strength and be reborn! Use your own hands to seize everything you deserve!"
The Sasuga organization was born.
Its core members—the first leaders and strongest among them—were called the "Ten Branches":
1. The "Mirror" Branch — Uchiha Sakuya: Leader, wielder of the "Eighty Gods Mirror" eye, and the organization's ultimate force and decision-making core.
2. The "Akatsuki" Branch — Uchiha Obito: Retained his "Akatsuki" codename; a mysterious guide and provider of space-time support, strategic direction, and logistical assistance.
3. The "Snake" Branch — Orochimaru: Retained his "Snake" codename; responsible for scientific research, technological development, analysis of forbidden techniques, and medical support, especially the Tailed Beast separation project.
4. The "Scale" Branch — Nadeshiko Haku: The Three-Tails was sealed inside her. She was responsible for combat operations and some tactical command. Though conflicted, she was gradually moved by the orphans.
5. The "Feather" Branch — Fu: A Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, responsible for high-speed reconnaissance and aerial support. Shuoyue's efforts to rescue the orphans had complicated her feelings about him, so she remained with the organization for the time being.
6. The "Flame" Branch — Zhuo: A boy around sixteen, rescued from an orphanage that subjected children to brutal human experiments. An unstable Explosion Release chakra crystal had been implanted in his body illegally, making him prone to exploding when agitated, but also granting him terrifying destructive power. Shuoyue and Orochimaru had helped stabilize his condition and make the power controllable. Taciturn, he was furious at the world that had tormented him and responsible for demolitions and area destruction.
7. The "Steel" Branch — Tie Xin: A girl around seventeen, rescued from an orphanage in a black-market arena. She possessed a rare Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, unrelated to Sunagakure's lineage, and could manipulate certain metals. As tough as steel, she was the first among the orphans to show leadership and a protective instinct. She was responsible for defense, controlling equipment, and leading squads.
8. The "Ghost" Branch — Shen: A boy around fifteen, rescued from a facility conducting genjutsu experiments. His mental powers were unusually strong, and his eyes naturally had a disorienting quality. He excelled at creating complex, mirage-like illusions and could even affect a Tailed Beast's emotions for a short time. He was responsible for intelligence gathering, genjutsu support, and battlefield concealment.
9. The "Beast" Branch — Zhua: A child around fourteen, rescued from a base conducting experiments to fuse people with summoning beasts. He could communicate with animals, partially transform his body into that of a beast, and possessed a powerful sense of smell, sharp hearing, and great agility. His fighting style was wild. He was responsible for tracking, reconnaissance, and surprise attacks.
10. The "Corpse" Branch — Gu: A surviving boy around sixteen, found amid the ruins of a failed Shikotsumyaku research project. Though he wasn't from the Kaguya Clan, the experiments had given him limited control over his own bone growth, allowing him to form bone blades or armor at the cost of constant pain. Gloomy and undaunted by injury, he was responsible for close-quarters combat and specialized assaults.
With that, the Sasuga organization had its initial structure and core strength. A massive force composed of avengers, scientists, Jinchūriki, and rising talents who had crawled out of hardship began quietly operating in the shadows of the world. Their sights were set on the Tailed Beasts and the corrupt order of the Shinobi World. A tremendous storm was gathering, and the future looked bright...
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