Naruto: Sasuke's return

[Chapter Size: 1400 Words.]

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The black fireball burned both the flying blade and the power mark of the pupil on it. Sasuke's lightning enveloped his shin, amplifying the power of his instant movement technique as he closed the distance at an astonishing speed!

"What!?"

Shin saw it with his eyes, but his body couldn't react quickly enough, Sasuke's knee struck him hard in the chest!

"Boom!!"

"Ughhh!!!"

He screamed as he crashed into the mountain wall in a panic!

"Damn, how is this possible? He's just a kid!!!"

Uchiha Shin extended his hand, marking the entire rock. With sheer brute force, he shattered it and then controlled the debris, sending it flying toward Sasuke!

"Swoosh!"

Sasuke wasn't in a hurry. He drew the Kusanagi sword and swung it violently, slicing the incoming rocks into pieces!

Even after being cut apart, the marked stones retained their homing ability. With a sinister grin, Uchiha Shin pulled his hand back, and the fragmented rocks reversed their course.

Sasuke was highly aware of the sounds behind him. Forming a hand seal with his right hand, he sheathed his sword and struck his left palm backward.

Wind Style: Ferocious Wind Palm!

"Bang!"

A powerful gust of wind scattered the stones!

Sasuke quickly shifted his hand seals.

Earth Release: Rock Collapse!

"Boom!"

The rock Shin had been clinging to broke away from the mountain, causing him to lose balance and fall!

Switching seals with his left hand, Sasuke wielded his sword with his right. Water bubbled and surged along the blade before he slashed downward!

Water Style: Water Dragon Slash!

"Whoosh!"

A sharp, flat water dragon emerged from the arc of his swing!

Motivated by sheer survival instinct, Shin twisted his body mid-air, barely dodging what would have been a fatal cut!

"Crash!!"

The water dragon slashed into the mountain wall, and as it exploded, a waterfall cascaded down from the resulting fissure!

After the Fourth Great Ninja War ended, Sasuke and Naruto were well aware of their lack of foundational skills. As a result, they spent a significant amount of time refining their ninja abilities.

His proficiency was no longer limited to fire and lightning jutsu, he had mastered all six primary elemental releases: Yin, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, and Fire!

"Huff... huff..."

Shin landed on the ground in disarray, panting in shock as he watched Sasuke approach. His eyes darted toward the clones surrounding him!

"Whoosh!"

Twelve clones of Shin, each wielding massive shurikens, gathered in front of him. Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

Kabuto questioned, "Shin, what is the meaning of this?"

Shin stood up and shamelessly declared, "They're my children, so of course, they are a part of me, right?"

"..." Sasuke's eyes remained as calm as ever, he was already familiar with Shin's fighting style.

"Whoosh!"

The twelve Shin clones charged fearlessly.

Sasuke merely formed a series of hand seals.

Genjutsu: The Art of Darkness!

"Fwoosh!"

For Shin's clones, the world instantly turned pitch black, they were left confused and disoriented!

Sasuke struck from within the darkness.

"Ugh... ah...!"

Screams mixed with the sound of shurikens clattering to the ground. In just a moment, all twelve clones collapsed, completely losing their ability to fight.

Although Shin did not fall under the illusion of the Dark Line, he had witnessed Sasuke's ruthless efficiency firsthand.

"No, no. I will never accept this!!!"

He grabbed the scroll while retreating, continuously releasing blades, desperately trying to attack with his ocular powers once more!

Sasuke remained still. After forming a hand seal, his left arm, covered by the White Curse Mark, extended forward.

Wood Release: Grand Forest Technique!

A massive tree with thick, sturdy roots sprouted from his palm and wrapped around Shin's body!

Kabuto was stunned. "That's...!!"

Orochimaru smirked. "Oh? So you've already mastered Wood Release..."

Uchiha Shin struggled to break free, but the tree's overwhelming resistance and binding strength were beyond anything he could have imagined!

"Uchiha Sasuke… who... are you!!!"

Sasuke pulled the tree toward himself, shifting its weight in the opposite direction!

"Boom!!"

Shin's body was flung into the massive tree, suspended in midair before crashing heavily to the ground, blood spurting from his mouth!

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

After being thrown down repeatedly, Uchiha Shin's entire body seemed to be falling apart. His Flame Cloud Cloak was in tatters, yet his eyes kept darting toward the mountaintop.

"Hah… hah..."

He was prepared, the miniature man with the cloth-wrapped blade was already in position. With a sinister chuckle, a dark vortex swirled from his lone eye, preparing to teleport Uchiha Shin away!

But how could this escape Sasuke's perception?

In his right hand, a purple sphere of chakra ignited, transforming into a miniature Susanoo, which he hurled toward the mountaintop above!

Mini Susanoo!

"Whoosh!!!"

The Mini Susanoo reached its target in an instant. Before the space-time transfer could be completed, its miniature blade slashed downward!

The strike was precisely measured, while the mini-man was obliterated, the eye remained intact.

Uchiha Shin was utterly broken. "How… did you gain such overwhelming power?!"

"Swoosh!"

Sasuke retracted the tree with his extended left arm.

"You once said that peace would halt human evolution. In broad terms, that statement isn't entirely wrong. But your belief lacks real experience, making it shallow. Only those who have truly lived through war understand the true value of peace..."

Reflecting on his past battle with Shin, Sasuke recalled the moment when the children, who had been influenced by Shin's ideology, turned their weapons against him.

Sasuke advised, "Shin, stop calling yourself an Uchiha and quit pretending to be an admirer of Itachi. Be yourself before your own children turn their weapons against you..."

Leaving these words of encouragement, Sasuke turned and walked away.

Beneath the cold moonlight, Shin lay on the ground, Sasuke's farewell words echoing in his mind.

His 'children' had awakened and gathered around him, their innocent eyes mirroring his former self.

"Be myself...?"

…

On the Way Back.

Orochimaru smiled. "I never expected Sasuke-kun to do something like that..."

Sasuke let out a quiet chuckle. "I just want to bring back those who aren't completely lost, just as 'he' once did for me. But I know... this is probably my limit."

Once their boat docked again, the three arrived at the former Base.

Orochimaru retrieved the remains of the mini-man, handed them to Kabuto, and spoke solemnly:

"Kabuto, this Mangekyō Sharingan will be implanted in your right eye. Additionally, we'll graft this sample of Hashirama's cells. Afterward, we'll head to 'Blue Island'."

Kabuto hesitated. "Wouldn't it be better if Lord Orochimaru used this eye himself?"

Orochimaru replied confidently: "Once the Reaper Death Seal is undone, I'll be able to use the Second and Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique within the body of the Shinigami. This eye serves little purpose for me, it's better suited for you. Before long, your presence will be felt across the entire ninja world, and mastery over space-time techniques will be invaluable to you."

Kabuto frowned slightly. "But... I'm not sure I can control this power, especially the Hashirama cells."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Trust me, you can. Don't doubt your potential. Have you already forgotten what you saw in Sasuke's eyes? To achieve our goals, the strength of all three of us is indispensable."

Kabuto sighed, feeling a mix of uncertainty and determination. "To be honest, I still have no real grasp of how strong I was in my previous life..."

Orochimaru smirked. "That's perfect. Let's use this as a test. What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke smirked. "I have no objections. But let me say one thing first, Kabuto, you might not be able to remain the director of the orphanage. This time, you'll be doing something much greater, perhaps even creating a world where orphans no longer exist."

Seeing where this was going, Kabuto sighed. "You two really are something else. Well, if I die, at least bury me in front of Konoha's Orphanage. Let me become just a small blade of grass, watching over the place the director once cared for."

Orochimaru shrugged. "Don't worry, I'll just reincarnate you and make sure you keep working for me..."

Kabuto gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Looks like I'm doomed to a life of hard labor..."

Despite his words, a warmth spread through Kabuto's heart. For the first time in a long while, he felt truly needed, an integral part of something greater.

At that moment, he reaffirmed his determination: to become Sasuke-kun's strongest supporter in this life, alongside the respected Lord Orochimaru!

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