Uchiha! Crisis Arrives

The surroundings fell silent at once.

Sasuke's heart raced, his body tensed, and he was at a complete loss.

When the impossible happens by chance, no one is ever mentally prepared for it.

As for Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, the two girls who had been keeping a close eye on Sasuke, seeing that his first kiss was actually with Naruto was like a lit fuse; they both exploded into the sky.

Naruto immediately pulled away from Sasuke, thinking: The Ninja Academy is going to have another ridiculous rumor spreading far and wide after this.

"Sasuke, a man should be decisive; don't let an accident weigh on your mind." Naruto offered a slightly awkward word of comfort before bolting from the classroom, unable to stay a second longer.

Sasuke hung his head and returned to his seat, heavy with thoughts.

Ino brandished her fist: "Sakura, we have to teach Naruto a lesson; we can't let him get close to Sasuke-kun anymore."

Sakura said: "We need to look after Sasuke first. The blow he just took must have been huge, otherwise he wouldn't be sitting there with his head down without saying a word."

Both girls were internally screaming: Why wasn't I the one who got Sasuke's first kiss?

Naruto left the Ninja Academy, intending to find Lee to train together.

They were all just children, and their squabbles and laughter would soon pass.

However, the Ninja Academy curriculum was already something he could afford to neglect. If Naruto wanted to become stronger, he had to rely on grueling training to break through his physical limits and fully open the Eight Gates as soon as possible. As for ninjutsu, he needed to choose the right path and master some powerful long-range techniques, which would be beneficial for future combat.

During his missions, Naruto had seen a corner of the Ninja World. Powerful ninjutsu gave ninjas the chance to break the rules, and the cycle of hatred caused by slaughter had always existed.

If he could become stronger, Naruto was willing to contribute to peace in the Ninja World.

On the outskirts of the Land of Fire, deep within a dense forest and beneath the earth, lay one of Orochimaru's research bases.

Orochimaru had been resurrected and had taken on a new, youthful body. His appearance was delicate, with long hair draped over his shoulders, but the only thing that remained unchanged was that pair of golden, slit pupils: "The Sharingan, the Uchiha—their power is truly fascinating. That is why I chose to cooperate with you. If I can obtain a large number of Sharingan, I will surely be able to uncover all the secrets regarding the Uchiha and the Sharingan."

Orochimaru's expression was somewhat manic. After his defeat at the hands of Uchiha Itachi, his goal of eternal life had taken a backseat; what he wanted most right now was the body of an Uchiha Clan genius.

Opposite Orochimaru stood the masked Uchiha Obito. He was following the orders of Madara Uchiha to ensure that those Uchiha clansmen who had not supported Madara Uchiha would vanish from Konoha forever.

"Orochimaru, your research is very useful. The abilities of Hashirama Senju will soon reappear in the Ninja World. Within Konoha, Danzo will cooperate with us to deliver the final blow to the Uchiha Clan. I hope Orochimaru doesn't have any other ideas." Uchiha Obito could tell that Orochimaru would not obey anyone's commands.

Orochimaru's ambition was immense. Having witnessed so many deaths, he knew that life was incredibly fragile. He believed that the human body contained power that could not be fully utilized in a single lifetime, so he wanted to achieve immortality to learn all ninjutsu and master the truths of the world.

As for Uchiha Obito, he only wanted to create a perfect world where he could live happily with Rin.

"Uchiha Itachi—his body must be left to me." Orochimaru looked forward to the clan-extermination battle.

A Kamui vortex appeared, and Uchiha Obito vanished from the spot.

Konoha.

Because the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was meeting with the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, both Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi were required to go and provide protection. Village affairs were temporarily left to the Konoha Council of Elders.

Root.

Danzo looked at the loyal subordinates he had cultivated for years and issued his order: "Action tonight."

"Yes, Lord Danzo." They obeyed only Danzo's commands, regardless of whether his actions were right or wrong; they had long been completely controlled by him.

Danzo touched his right hand, which had been aching faintly. Tonight would mark a brand-new night for Konoha. He would prove to everyone in the village that Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi lacked the ability to bring strength to Konoha; only he, Danzo, was the savior of Konoha.

On a long embankment, Sasuke angrily kicked a black, rolling stone on the ground: "I lost to Neji again. Where exactly am I falling short? Naruto said that if I could awaken the Sharingan, maybe I could see Neji's movements clearly. But how does one awaken the Sharingan?"

The stone rolled away and stopped beside a girl wearing a purple outer garment with long, beautiful black hair.

"Sasuke, school's out?"

"Sister Izumi, hello."

Izumi Uchiha was a classmate of Uchiha Itachi. When the Nine-Tails went on a rampage, she had witnessed her father's death and awakened the Sharingan in her grief, though she still hadn't learned how to use it.

"Why is Sasuke looking so gloomy?" Izumi Uchiha asked.

Sasuke took Izumi Uchiha's hand: "Sister Izumi, are you looking for my brother? I bet he's at home helping Mother clean up. My brother will grow up to be a great man."

Izumi Uchiha's lively eyes hid her affection for Uchiha Itachi: "Is that so? I'm looking forward to it too!"

"Sister Izumi, when will I be able to awaken the Sharingan?" Sasuke blinked and said, lacking confidence.

Izumi Uchiha touched Sasuke's face: "What are you worried about? Itachi said that our awakening of the Sharingan might not be a good thing; rather, it is because we encounter incredibly painful events that stimulate our bloodline, which is how we gain this power. Sasuke, never let the pursuit of power constrain you. There are many more wonderful things in life waiting for you to encounter."

Sasuke didn't quite understand: "We're almost there. My brother is home, just as I thought."

The two looked down from the embankment. Itachi was carrying a bucket of water, preparing to mop the floor.

"Brother!" Sasuke instantly cheered up, forgetting the anger from being schooled by Neji.

Itachi said gently to Izumi Uchiha: "Why did you come over?"

Izumi Uchiha whispered: "My squad was disbanded, so I came back, and I wanted to see how you were doing!"

Sasuke snatched the mop from Itachi's hand and started playing with it in the bucket.

Itachi greeted her: "Then come inside and have some tea. My mother hasn't seen you in a long time, I'm sure she'll have plenty to talk to you about."

Izumi Uchiha was a little nervous: "I wouldn't be intruding, would I?"

Izumi, who had fallen for Itachi, was still cautious.

"How could you be?" Itachi said.

Before long, Mikoto and Izumi were chatting happily, mostly discussing Itachi's affairs at school, while Sasuke sat to the side, listening intently.

Itachi continued mopping the floor.

"I'm home!" Fugaku Uchiha returned to the house and, upon seeing Izumi, recalled that the girl was a former classmate of Itachi's, so he gave Itachi a look urging him to take action.

Suddenly.

A rectangular barrier of transparent purple flames ignited all around them.