Susanoo

"Auntie! Watch out." Izumi Uchiha woke up from her shock, the purple-black stain of snake venom still lingering on her left cheek.

Orochimaru was too powerful; every time Izumi Uchiha recalled his murderous gaze, she could still feel a fear that reached the level of her soul.

Karin looked somewhat exhausted: "You're awake? A ninja's constitution is indeed much stronger than an ordinary person's. If you can, could you please help keep watch outside? There are only defenseless civilians here, and everyone is terrified."

The Uchiha Clan had suffered a devastating blow; the first wave of massive, super-powered ninjutsu from Tobi and Orochimaru had destroyed more than half of the Uchiha residential area.

Tobi had ruthlessly used Wood Release to finish off all the elite ninjas of the Uchiha Clan.

Later on, the destructive power of their ninjutsu grew even greater; any civilian touched by it was either killed or severely wounded.

Only in the area where Karin was located were there still over thirty people alive.

Izumi Uchiha saw a simple-minded boy standing motionless on the perimeter, staring into the distance, his left arm holding a shuriken appearing stiff.

He must be having a hard time!

Izumi Uchiha stood up, feeling the pressure in her heart ease slightly upon seeing that Aunt Mikoto was still alive, then walked to the boy's side and tapped him gently: "You should rest; let me handle the watch."

The boy did not move.

Izumi thought the boy hadn't heard her, so she walked in front of him, preparing to remind him loudly.

The boy's fingers were wrapped in bandages, which were stained a blood-red. He stood there, staring into the distance—or perhaps toward the direction of his home—tears streaming down his face, drop by drop.

"If I hadn't gone out, I could have left with Mom, Dad, and my little sister."

"We even promised to go on a picnic, to go swimming, and to tell the Fourth Hokage that we would become Hokage one day too."

"But I couldn't even lift a single large log, and I watched as you were all blown into the air by the hurricane."

"Why did you have to kill us, the innocent?"

The simple-minded boy asked Izumi Uchiha in a low voice: "Do ninjas not have a shred of compassion?"

Izumi Uchiha was not good at answering and tried to comfort the boy: "Please accept my condolences."

Karin suddenly shouted: "You blockhead, I don't need you to keep watch anymore, why are you still standing there? A little girl here threw up, hurry over and clean it up. Can tears change the past?"

The simple-minded boy immediately wiped away his tears and ran over to clean up the mess.

Karin held the little girl and guided her, the child looking timid: "Call him big brother."

The little girl had a layer of skin scraped off her forehead; because of the sensitive location, it was still red and swollen after just being disinfected.

"Big brother." The little girl was very well-behaved: "Why are you crying?"

She was too young to understand life and death, nor did she understand the meaning of becoming an orphan.

Karin could not bear to see the simple-minded boy fall into an abyss; perhaps this little girl could become the pillar of his future life.

This was the method Karin had thought of.

"Lady Karin, Yo Uchiha is willing to follow you for the rest of his life." The boy was from a branch family of the Uchiha Clan; had this incident not occurred, he might have become a carpenter like his father, and his sister might have become a seamstress like his mother.

Karin smiled: "Yo Uchiha, you have your own path to walk. I don't need you to follow me, because I have already decided to follow the hero in my heart and keep fighting on."

Yo Uchiha asked: "May I know his name?"

"Of course!" Karin began to treat the next wounded person: "His name is Uzumaki Naruto."

Uzumaki Naruto sprinted at full speed, the blue chakra evaporating the sweat on his skin. At this moment, he was like a massive steam train, crashing directly into the water prison.

Boom!

Two human-shaped tailed beasts collided, the shockwave from the impact creating ripples that eventually erupted on the surface of the water prison, turning into a waterfall falling from the sky.

Because Shisui was restricted by the water prison, his Body Flicker Technique was difficult to execute. Coupled with the fact that Kisame's speed in the water was like that of a real shark—too fast and too precise—he was beaten until he was covered in wounds before long.

"Big Brother Shisui, can you still hold on?" Naruto carried Shisui, tore open the water prison, and landed on the ground.

Shisui caught his breath, his right arm hanging limp: "It's dislocated, and a few bones should be broken. The opponent's chakra is truly terrifying."

System Prompt!

Chakra remaining: 8%.

Naruto had to close the Gate of Pain first, temporarily maintaining only the Gate of Life to ensure he still had the ability to fight.

His chakra was being consumed too quickly, and Naruto had not yet grown to the point where his chakra reached its peak; otherwise, he could have fought for much longer.

"There is an evil chakra on the left." Shisui had lost his eyes, but his chakra perception had become increasingly sensitive.

Naruto whispered: "Orochimaru is here, and he's standing on a giant snake. Is that snake his summoning beast?"

Shisui knew more about the Sannin than Naruto did: "Orochimaru was once a student of the Third Hokage. After many ninja wars, his mind became too twisted and paranoid. He was dissatisfied with the Third Hokage's arrangements, so he defected from Konoha. I've heard that over these years, Orochimaru has learned all kinds of ninjutsu and has been conducting some unknown, mysterious experiments or researching forbidden techniques."

"He's that strong? Can you beat him, Big Brother Shisui?" Naruto asked, looking a bit scared.

Shisui smiled awkwardly: "Of course I can beat him—in my dreams."

Kisame returned to his human form. The water prison had been broken and spread out across the ground, turning the area into a small lake.

"Orochimaru, why did you come over here?" Kisame rubbed his neck: "I can handle this; don't get in my way."

Manda lowered his head: "Orochimaru, can I eat that guy?"

Orochimaru placed his hands on his chest: "You can, but he might taste terrible. Children usually taste much better."

Sasuke stepped across the water, drifting to Naruto's left, and froze for a moment.

Karin was not wrong; Naruto's presence was no weaker than anyone else's. Just how did he obtain such power?

"Is that Sasuke?" Shisui twitched his nose.

Naruto glared at Sasuke: "Sasuke-chan, don't you know how to say hello when you see your big brother?"

"Big Brother Shisui, Big Brother Naruto." Sasuke revealed his Three Tomoe Sharingan to Naruto, implying that he was not lacking either.

Orochimaru was in front, and Kisame was behind.

Shisui did not know how to respond: "Sasuke has awakened the Sharingan, right? Is Naruto's chakra running low?"

"Big Brother Shisui, things will work out when the time comes." Naruto said optimistically: "We've stalled for so long; if the Yellow Flash of Konoha hasn't rushed back by now, I propose he retire and spend his old age at home."

Naruto added another sentence: "The Uchiha Clan suffered such a catastrophe, and he bears responsibility for it."

Sasuke was somewhat startled, for Naruto was not fighting blindly; he knew how to plan for the aftermath.

A red light soared into the sky, and a humanoid skeleton appeared in the distance like a mountain. Within the humanoid skeleton, Uchiha Itachi's eyes were bleeding, yet they were more spirited than ever.