Sasuke's Defection, Tsunade Succeeds as Fifth Hokage

"Immerse yourself in this genjutsu... Heh heh..."

Moonlight shone upon Shisui.

Then he slowly ascended into the sky and vanished.

Blood stained the Uchiha compound red.

In the burning ruins, a family photo instantly ignited.

The first thing Sasuke did upon regaining consciousness was rush to the clan grounds.

The scene before him was identical to what he had seen within Fugaku's Mangekyo.

Sasuke collapsed to his knees.

Suddenly, the thick smoke in the air began to dissipate.

The entire Konoha was completely enveloped in white smoke.

Under the moonlight, it looked exceptionally eerie.

Everyone numbly walked into the streets and then looked up at the moon.

This peculiar genjutsu directly altered their memories.

Sasuke writhed on the ground, clutching his head in agony.

The face of the man from his memories grew increasingly blurry.

Until he could no longer see it at all.

He reached out to touch the retreating figure before him.

Sasuke used almost all his strength.

The next second, as the figure turned around, Sasuke's eyes snapped open.

Recalling what had happened again, the man Sasuke had seen was actually Itachi!

Including everyone in Konoha.

It was Itachi who now appeared in his mind.

"Itachi!!!"

"Ah!!!"

Sasuke roared at the sky, and the single tomoe in his right eye finally evolved.

Two tomoe.

Suddenly, heavy rain began to fall from the sky.

The rain washed away the blood on the ground, and the flames on the photo were extinguished.

Only Itachi's image remained.

Crows circled in the sky on this rainy day, a mournful aura pervading the entire Uchiha compound.

The next day.

Everyone in Konoha began to discuss what had happened at the Uchiha compound last night.

The person everyone spoke of deeply wounded Sasuke's heart.

With the Uchiha clan's extermination, the old forces of Konoha temporarily regained the initiative.

They then approached Jiraiya, hoping he would succeed Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage.

However, Jiraiya refused.

Because he proposed a better candidate and promised to bring her back to Konoha.

So, Jiraiya took Naruto with him under the guise of training.

At the same time, he accepted Naruto as his disciple.

But unfortunately.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya had the same goal.

They were both searching for that woman.

Princess Tsunade, also one of the Legendary Sannin.

But due to differing ideals, Tsunade refused to take on the position of Fifth Hokage.

At the same moment, Orochimaru found Tsunade, hoping she could heal his hands, which had been sealed by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Tsunade refused again.

Orochimaru finally proposed a generous condition.

He promised Tsunade he could help her revive her younger brother, Nawaki, and her lover, Kato Dan.

Tsunade hesitated.

In the midst of her indecision, Naruto broke through the boundaries with his willpower.

This made Tsunade see the shadow of her deceased younger brother in Naruto.

Ultimately, Tsunade decided to return to Konoha and succeed the Fifth Hokage.

At the same time, the Three Sannin Battle was imminent.

In this battle, Naruto successfully defeated Yakushi Kabuto using the Spiraling Sphere.

Tsunade placed the First Hokage's necklace on Naruto and kissed his forehead.

With this, Konoha finally returned to the right track.

Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage as she had wished.

The village returned to peace once more.

However, due to the destruction of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, Konoha's strength was declining day by day.

The final round of the Chunin Exams arrived.

Orochimaru had sustained severe injuries from his battle with Jiraiya and Tsunade.

He coughed up blood repeatedly in the bathroom.

Yakushi Kabuto, standing outside the door, knew.

The body Orochimaru was currently using had reached its limit.

"Lord Orochimaru, you must transfer bodies immediately. It will be truly dangerous if this continues."

Yakushi Kabuto reminded Orochimaru again.

But Orochimaru waved his hand.

There was only one person he was waiting for.

Sasuke.

But Sasuke was currently in Konoha.

However, upon learning that Itachi had annihilated the Uchiha clan, Orochimaru became convinced.

Sasuke would definitely defect from Konoha.

In the laboratory, Yakushi Kabuto had prepared eight experimental subjects.

Including himself, ready to make any necessary contributions to Orochimaru at any time.

However, one of the experimental subjects was even more perfect than Sasuke.

But Orochimaru did not make a choice.

Because that experimental subject also seemed to be nearing the end of its life.

Kimimaro.

A member of the Kaguya Clan.

Chuan Yu had seen him once during the invasion of the Land of Grass.

After that incident, his clan was annihilated for rebellion.

Only Kimimaro remained, but Kimimaro was suffering from a serious illness that could not be cured.

Otherwise, he would have been Orochimaru's best vessel.

"Cough! Crack! Cough cough!"

Orochimaru coughed up blood again.

All the cells in his body had died.

If he didn't transfer bodies immediately, it would be too late.

With no other choice, Orochimaru followed Yakushi Kabuto's request and found one of the experimental subjects to complete the transfer.

However, this transfer was successful, and he would not be able to use the Reanimation Jutsu again for several years.

Fortunately, Sasuke narrowly escaped.

Otherwise...

In the final round of the Chunin Exams.

The Sound Four appeared.

They assisted Sasuke in defecting from Konoha and hid him within a container.

Naruto, along with Shikamaru and Kiba Inuzuka, tried to stop them and were severely injured.

Meanwhile, as Kimimaro's life was nearing its end, Orochimaru bestowed upon him the power of the Curse of Earth.

Compared to Sasuke's cursed seal, which was called the Curse of Heaven.

Yakushi Kabuto told Kimimaro that it was time to fulfill Lord Orochimaru's final mission.

And so, in the end, Kimimaro, in order to fulfill Orochimaru's dream.

He personally went to Konoha and promised to bring Sasuke back to Orochimaru.

Even when Naruto used Nine-Tails chakra, he was still no match for Kimimaro.

Rock Lee fought Kimimaro and was almost killed, with Gaara finally intervening to save him.

During the battle, Kimimaro's illness flared up, and he died completely.

Sasuke fled to the Valley of the End.

Naruto pursued relentlessly.

It was at this moment that Sasuke personally severed their bond.

Naruto ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill Sasuke.

He merely touched his forehead protector.

Sasuke, however, pierced Naruto's heart directly.

"I touched you..."

Naruto closed his eyes in unwillingness.

Sasuke immediately shed tears.

It was at this precise moment that the Double Tomoe Sharingan evolved to its peak.

Three Tomoe.

"Naruto..."

"I'm sorry..."

"I can't go back..."

He fled Konoha with a heavy heart.

When Kakashi arrived, he knelt before Naruto.

He thought Naruto had died.

But the Nine-Tails' chakra quickly healed Naruto's heart.

Thus, their bond was reconnected.

Beside the bonfire.

Chuan Yu looked at Itachi's face and suddenly asked, "If the Hyuga clan hadn't been wiped out by you back then, would you have stayed in Konoha?"

Itachi froze for a moment.

Then he shook his head: "No."

"Why?!"

Chuan Yu asked in surprise.

"What if I said it was because of you?"

The red glow of the flames reflected on Itachi's face. Looking at Chuan Yu, his face was filled with tenderness.

"Me?"

"It... it was because of me?"

Chuan Yu scratched his head in confusion.

"Just kidding."

"Go catch a wild boar."

"I want to eat your wild boar meat again."

"I suggest you eat it raw!"

"Blech..."

"Look over there!"

At that moment, another wild boar happened to pass by.