Natsuhiko probably would never have imagined, even in his dreams, that the series of actions he took back then had actually woven an "ANBU Hokage dream" for someone.
He also would never have imagined that he had somehow gained a little admirer, and that this admirer valued him so much.
So much so that, because of the conflict and clash with Tsunade, his eyes underwent a change under extreme emotion.
Under the stimulation of such extreme emotion, the three tomoe in Shisui's eyes spun faster and faster, and the chakra released from his body also grew stronger.
In an instant, a suffocating, frightening chakra filled with the nature of destruction covered the entire room.
When Tsunade saw this scene before her, she froze for a moment. She truly had not expected that that damned guy Natsuhiko would actually send an Uchiha to find her.
The hatred between the Senju and Uchiha clans had lasted for a thousand years. Even after Konoha was founded, such resentment still existed.
Although Tsunade had to admit that under Natsuhiko's rule, the Uchiha seemed to have changed.
But no matter how they changed, some things still remained, and Tsunade had never liked the Uchiha.
Sending an Uchiha to find her, what was that supposed to mean? In her eyes, this was no longer as simple as contempt or dissatisfaction.
However, just as she was about to vent this dissatisfaction, she suddenly noticed that the situation seemed to have changed.
The brat before her was emotionally unstable, and the tomoe in his eyes were spinning at an unusually fast speed.
Along with that wild chakra spreading out, Tsunade's expression immediately changed.
As Senju Hashirama's granddaughter, how could she not know about the existence of the Mangekyō?
"This kid actually has the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
The awakening of the Mangekyō was a secret among secrets. Tsunade knew of the Mangekyō, but she did not know how this kind of eye was obtained.
However, she did know that she absolutely could not be careless at all, because an Uchiha who possessed these eyes was definitely an existence beyond common sense.
"Buzz!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Tsunade erupted with her full chakra and threw a punch straight at Shisui Uchiha.
Even though she did not understand why an Uchiha wielding the Mangekyō Sharingan would obey Senju Natsuhiko so completely,
she knew that if she did nothing, she might really be forced back with a kunai at her throat.
Of course, she also understood that making a move would likely bring her serious trouble—but it was also the clearest way to express her stance.
She wanted to see exactly how that Senju Natsuhiko intended to deal with her.
At this moment, Shisui had already fallen into a very mysterious state. He felt that the world before his eyes had completely changed.
The instant Tsunade threw her punch, it was as if he saw countless lines.
These lines seemed to guide him and tell him how he should move to avoid this attack, while also achieving the effect of a counterattack.
Not only that, he also discovered that in this instant, his eyes seemed to feed back a great amount of information to him.
It was information he had never dared to even imagine, and through this information, he knew that he seemed to possess the power to make Tsunade, one of the Sannin before him, submit without resistance.
"What a wondrous power. Is this the true power of the Sharingan?"
Shisui murmured to himself, and at the moment Tsunade's fist was about to strike his body, the three tomoe in his eyes stopped spinning.
At this moment, the three tomoe connected together, and a triangular mark that somewhat resembled a shuriken appeared in his eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, he guided the power contained in his eyes. In an instant, green chakra covered his body.
This chakra surrounded him tightly like armor, and under his guidance, it quickly formed the shape of ribs.
"Bang!"
With a muffled sound suddenly ringing out inside the tavern, the ground began to tremble slightly.
The tables beside them suddenly shattered and fell to the ground at this moment, while the wooden doors and walls around them also broke into pieces.
The ANBU ninja, who had not reacted at all, were pushed back several steps by the sudden burst of power.
As for Uchiha Itachi, because he was young and his strength could not be considered strong, he directly fell to the ground.
Even Shisui was forced back several steps at this moment.
His chest felt tight, blood had already spilled from the corner of his mouth, and cracks had appeared in the chakra protecting him.
It could only be said that Tsunade was worthy of being Tsunade. Even though she had only suddenly used force to attack, that terrifying monstrous strength was not something a normal person could withstand.
Fortunately, her attack had been sudden, and there had been no process of gathering power beforehand. It was also fortunate that she still had some misgivings and had not intended to take Shisui's life.
Otherwise, with this punch, not only would she have directly broken through Shisui's defense, she might even have punched straight through his chest.
"What terrifying strength…"
Shisui felt the tightness in his chest, then turned his gaze toward Tsunade.
Tsunade's expression was somewhat serious. After that punch, she also understood just how strong Shisui's defense was.
Moreover, she could also tell what technique Shisui was using. If she was not mistaken, this thing was probably the legendary Susanoo.
He had awakened the Mangekyō at such a young age and had even mastered such a terrifying technique.
Most importantly, this brat leaned so strongly toward Konoha, and toward that Senju Natsuhiko.
With what she had done, she probably truly could not avoid this fight.
"Lady Tsunade, you have gone too far."
Shisui looked at Tsunade before him with a dark expression. He gently raised his hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then the chakra throughout his body erupted even more terrifyingly.
The green chakra on his body also grew more and more intense at this moment, and the originally shattered ribs became whole again.
And along with that vast chakra pouring in, the green chakra around him gradually began to form a human shape.
First, the torso became complete, then a huge skull quickly took shape.
But all of this was still not over. The Mangekyō in his eyes also began to slowly spin, and a streak of blood flowed down from the corner of his eye.
However, he did not care. The giant covering his body began to grow larger and larger, and those bones also began to be filled with chakra.
In just a few breaths, this skeleton giant had completely gained a human form.
The green giant let out a roar, as if declaring its own power.
And this roar also made the tavern begin to shake. An invisible wave of energy slammed toward Tsunade, forcing her to take a defensive stance.
"Lady Tsunade already made the first move. It's clear she doesn't see us as fellow Konoha ninjas, but rather as enemies."
Shisui's voice seemed somewhat cold at this moment. Under the cover of this giant, he looked especially frightening.
"Therefore, I won't be polite either. Hokage-sama said to bring Lady Tsunade back, so I will see it done. From this moment on, you are no longer a Konoha ninja. You are our enemy. I will go all out—even if it means bringing back only your head!"
...
"It seems this world is not completely useless. Although it has been occupied by a group of lower beings, their imagination is still quite good."
Inside a hot spring inn in the Land of Hot Water, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki was soaking comfortably in the hot spring. This kind of experience was truly rare for him.
As an Ōtsutsuki, he needed to think of every way to improve his own strength. Otherwise, if his strength could not keep up, he might become a "guardian."
He knew how tragic the fate of a guardian was, because every time the God Tree was summoned, a guardian had to pay with their life.
Even though the Ōtsutsuki were not afraid of death, who would be willing to truly die and then wait through a long resurrection?
Especially since resurrection for the Ōtsutsuki was also extremely troublesome. They needed to find a suitable body, then leave Kārma behind to cultivate that body.
Only when that body possessed the power of the Ōtsutsuki and became capable of withstanding their power could they revive.
Otherwise, an ordinary body would not be able to endure their power. Even using chakra slightly, or letting it burst out, might cause the body to collapse.
It also would not have enough strength or lifespan, and could very likely fall apart under the erosion of time.
This kind of situation was truly not something any Ōtsutsuki was willing to endure. Those guardians were naturally unwilling as well, but unfortunately, they had no choice.
If they could choose, they themselves probably would not be willing to do such a thing.
In truth, it was not that the Ōtsutsuki could not try using Kārma to cultivate people who possessed Ōtsutsuki bodies.
A blank Kārma that only contained power was not something they had never created, but the Ōtsutsuki clan was also extremely conservative.
They were worried that once this thing was made, if the person engraved with Kārma was not controlled properly.
Then it would cause an irreversible result. Imagine someone who possessed Ōtsutsuki power, yet did not belong to them.
That would simply be an existence like a heretic. If they wanted to attack the Ōtsutsuki, they would truly possess the power to do so.
In order to avoid accidents, something like a white Kārma was basically forbidden, and the class of guardians had continued until now.
If nothing unexpected happened, after Ōtsutsuki Urashiki finished this mission and returned to the clan, he would also have to find his own guardian.
Although he was a newly born Ōtsutsuki, both his talent and strength had been recognized.
Because of that, he was qualified to become one who was protected. From then on, someone would have to give their life so that he could obtain the God Tree's fruit.
"I just do not know which unlucky person it will be in the future."
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki stretched heavily. To be honest, he did not care who it would be.
The Ōtsutsuki clan was cold by nature. Although he appeared gentle and refined in front of other Ōtsutsuki.
In reality, he was the same as the others, because to the Ōtsutsuki, emotions were luxuries, or perhaps useless things.
Only by possessing powerful strength could one exist forever and stand at the peak of the world.
Power was their only pursuit. Everything else was useless.
"But in the future, when I summon the God Tree in other worlds, I can enjoy the special features of that world. That can also be considered a favor granted to that world."
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki stretched slightly, then stood up with a satisfied expression.
"I really am a generous person, after all. I let them have the chance to come into contact with me while they are still alive."
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki's words could be called extreme, but to him, this was the most normal mindset of the Ōtsutsuki.
Aside from the Ōtsutsuki, all other living beings were ants.
"Hm?"
But at this moment, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki suddenly froze. Then a smile appeared on his face.
"What strong Yin Release. I truly did not expect the people of this world to be able to use such power."
The power of Yin Release had always been regarded as a great power. The only thing that could compare to Yin Release was Yang Release.
Of course, above these two powers, there was also Yin-Yang Release and natural energy.
Even the Ōtsutsuki had to be extremely careful with these two powers, because these were already powers capable of harming them.
However, although they would pay attention to this kind of power, they would not care too much.
Because if the person who controlled the power could not hit them, then everything was meaningless.
As Ōtsutsuki, they not only needed extremely powerful ability in techniques, but also extremely powerful taijutsu ability.
"But since there is someone with this kind of power, it is indeed worth paying some attention to. In any case, it is not that far away."
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki casually put on his clothes, then sensed the distance between both sides and made a decision.
In any case, he was not in a hurry to search for that hidden Ōtsutsuki right now.
After all, once an Ōtsutsuki hid themselves, trying to find them again would truly not be an easy thing.
At least, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki did not think he could find that person by blindly searching this world.
However, he was also not worried that the person would not come out. After all, the power of the Ten-Tails was scattered everywhere, and he had even sensed the Ten-Tails' empty shell.
Because of that, he was not afraid that this person would not show himself. With his power, he would not worry about whether anyone in this world could resist him.
The reason he had not acted yet was simply because he had not had enough fun.
Thinking of this, the chakra inside Ōtsutsuki Urashiki stirred slightly, and immediately after, a black hole appeared before him.
Using space was truly not difficult for him.
Heaven had given the Ōtsutsuki clan natural advantages. They could obtain all kinds of abilities through various methods.
Whether by improving their strength and fusing chakra to obtain kekkei mōra.
Or by planting the God Tree and finally eating its fruit.
They could gain special powers from these methods, thereby raising the upper limit of their own strength.
Moreover, even if they did nothing, they would still be granted special powers after birth.
Stepping slowly out of the black hole, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki arrived in another town in the next moment.
However, it didn't take long before his expression subtly shifted. Earlier, he had only sensed someone using Yin Release, but only after arriving here did he realize something was wrong.
This Yin Release carried the power of the God Tree's fruit. Within it, there was an unmistakably clear trace of that divine chakra.
Looking at the green giant not far away, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki suddenly revealed a smile once more.
But this time, his smile was strangely playful—and almost unsettling.
"Now this has become much more interesting…"
...
The battle between Shisui Uchiha and Tsunade was about to erupt, and neither of them showed any intention of holding back.
To Shisui Uchiha, even though Tsunade was one of the Sannin and a senior of Konoha,
years of service in the ANBU—and the influence of Senju Natsuhiko's ideology—had gradually eroded any remaining sense of reverence he once held. In his eyes, Tsunade was little more than someone who had barely participated in the Third Great Ninja War.
Afterward, when Konoha suffered the Nine-Tails' rampage and Kumogakure launched its invasion, she was nowhere to be found.
Jiraiya was somewhat better in comparison, but even he had not appeared during the Nine-Tails incident or the Kumogakure crisis.
In contrast, Orochimaru had been involved in a defection incident.
However, Shisui Uchiha also knew the inside story behind it. He had previously gone with Kakashi Hatake to make contact with Orochimaru, so he understood the situation to some extent.
He knew that although Orochimaru's defection had its own reasons, much of it had been arranged as a way to take the blame.
And after defecting, Orochimaru had still made quite a few covert contributions to Konoha. In comparison, could Jiraiya and Tsunade really match that?
Moreover, just moments ago, Tsunade had been the first to attack him. If not for the significant improvement in his visual prowess protecting him, that single strike would likely have put him in serious danger.
With that in mind, it was even more impossible for him to hold any goodwill toward Tsunade.
That was why he had said that even bringing back Tsunade's head would be acceptable.
As for Tsunade, she appeared somewhat passive on the surface, but inside she was burning with anger.
She knew she was in the wrong—after all, she had been the first to make a move.
In truth, she also understood that attacking ANBU operatives was something she should not have done.
But as one of the Sannin, she had never placed much importance on the ANBU to begin with.
Although they did not have many specific positions when they were in Konoha, they were still completely counted among Konoha's higher-ups.
Now that Shisui spoke to her like this, it truly made her extremely angry.
Even though she admitted that she had done wrong, this guy had directly defined her as "not a Konoha ninja" and even wanted her life. No matter who it was, no one could accept that.
However, she was still fairly rational. She had already made one mistake, and she would not make a second one.
She had not thought of taking the lives of these ANBU ninja, because she knew that once she did, she would probably truly be hunted down by that Senju Natsuhiko.
From the way that Senju Natsuhiko completely ignored the fact that she was one of the Sannin, and also completely disregarded that she was likewise a member of the Senju clan.
This guy was definitely capable of doing such a thing. He might even truly want to kill her.
If I return, I might affect him. And I am the Third Hokage's disciple. Is he planning to clean out the Third Hokage's faction?
Tsunade still had some brains, after all. Even though her position as the Fifth Hokage in the future had been a result of compromise.
If she had no brains, it would have been impossible for her to sit in that position so steadily.
Unfortunately, she had not returned to Konoha for too long, and she had not paid enough attention to Konoha.
Because of that, what she understood was truly not much. At the very least, she did not know that Natsuhiko's settling of accounts with the Third Hokage had already ended.
At the very least, she did not know that those two advisors and their families had long since been dead and buried.
"Bang!"
Along with a huge rumbling sound, the tavern they had been in before completely turned into fragments.
The massive wave of air destroyed the surrounding houses, while the ANBU ninja who had come with Shisui were quickly evacuating the nearby crowd.
Once a battle of this level broke out, there was truly little anyone could do to intervene.
In particular, the current scene had already exceeded most of their expectations.
This was especially true for Uchiha Itachi. It was the first time he had witnessed Shisui Uchiha fighting another opponent.
Although he had always known Shisui was strong—after all, how could an ANBU squad captain be weak?
The exact extent of that strength, however, was something Itachi had never truly understood.
He had sparred with Shisui for a long time, and Shisui had also taught him many things, so he believed he had a fairly clear grasp of his abilities.
But seeing the scene before him now, he realized just how limited that understanding truly was.
As for Shisui, he paid no attention to the others' reactions. His only thought was to end the battle as quickly as possible.
Tsunade's strength was simply too overwhelming. Every strike that landed on the Susanoo made it tremble violently.
Although it was not enough to bring the Susanoo down, the terrifying force transmitted through it still made him extremely uncomfortable.
When strength reached a certain terrifying level, even a weaker person holding a shield would still struggle to defend against it.
After all, the shockwaves could pass through the defense and directly strike the body directly.
Most importantly, Shisui Uchiha was now beginning to feel discomfort in his eyes.
Although he did not fully understand why his eyes could not be used for extended periods, he clearly sensed that they were rapidly approaching their limit.
A strong premonition rose within him—if this continued, his eyes might very well go blind.
Looks like I'll have to use a special method. I hope it works.
Shisui Uchiha silently thought this as Tsunade's fist came crashing down once again. Without hesitation, he controlled the Susanoo and met her attack head-on with a counterpunch.
At that instant, cracks spread across the ground beneath their feet, the earth itself unable to withstand the sheer force of their clash.
However, after that exchange, Shisui quickly withdrew his Susanoo and flashed directly in front of Tsunade.
He felt a slight regret now. Earlier, in order not to affect the battle, he had wiped his eyes, but at this point he no longer cared about such details.
Without hesitation, he drew a kunai and drove it fiercely toward Tsunade.
Tsunade had not expected him to abandon his defense and rush straight in so recklessly.
Faced with such a seemingly foolish move, she naturally did not hold back. But in the next instant, her entire body stiffened.
Her movements froze, and a faint tremor ran through her frame.
Before her eyes, Shisui's kunai did not strike toward her body—it pierced straight into his own palm.
Bright red blood splashed across her face.
In that instant, Tsunade's momentum collapsed completely, as though all fighting spirit had been drained from her.
Shisui Uchiha did not let the opportunity slip away. He stepped forward instantly, his Mangekyō locked onto her slightly vacant eyes.
The next moment, a strange chakra erupted from his gaze.
Tsunade's vision grew increasingly hazy and unfocused. Her body began trembling more violently, until finally she let out a sharp scream.
With that piercing, pained cry, Tsunade's consciousness snapped, and she collapsed unconscious.
...
"So, you defeated her using her hemophobia?"
Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha, Natsuhiko looked at Shisui with a strange expression. He truly had not expected that so many things would happen after he told Shisui to bring Tsunade back.
First, Tsunade mocked the Hokage, then angered his little admirer.
After that, his little admirer fought with Tsunade and used the information about her hemophobia to smoothly knock her down.
Did this count as Tsunade suffering an unexpected defeat?
Natsuhiko thought it over, but he could not come up with a clear answer. However, he also had a bit of a headache now.
He had not expected Tsunade's temper to be so explosive. He had only brought Tsunade back in order to deal with Senju Hashirama.
But Natsuhiko had no intention of telling others about Senju Hashirama, so Shisui also did not know what kind of attitude he should use.
Likewise, when facing Tsunade, he did not give a better reason, and this led to a conflict between the two of them.
Thinking of this, Natsuhiko could not help shaking his head.
Since she had been brought back, then this could be considered Shisui completing the mission.
However, that woman Tsunade had also gone too far. She actually dared to attack members of the ANBU. She had been one of the Sannin for so long that she did not even know who had the final say in Konoha now.
Attacking the ANBU was, in a certain sense, attacking the Hokage. In the past, the Sannin could look down on the ANBU because they themselves were the Hokage's direct line.
If one really compared rank and status, the ANBU was far beneath them. But now, the ANBU was still Natsuhiko's ANBU, and everything was already different.
Likewise, the Sannin were no longer the Sannin from before. Let them try gathering three Sannin again and see.
To put it bluntly, one word from Natsuhiko could make the so-called Sannin lose every bit of status.
And the title of Sannin had been given by Hanzō, whose grave might not even have grass left on it now.
An enemy village ninja, or rather, now from a vassal country, and someone who had even cooperated with Danzo before, only to be killed by Nagato afterward.
A title given by such a person was valuable if Natsuhiko acknowledged it, and worthless if Natsuhiko did not.
These matters were completely decided by his single thought. His current authority did not allow others to challenge it.
So Tsunade should stay in the ANBU prison for now, clear her head properly, and figure out who truly had the final say in Konoha.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. I am very sorry for making the mission turn out like this."
Shisui did not know what Natsuhiko was thinking. He lowered his head and spoke with complete sincerity.
"This is my mistake. Please punish me, Hokage-sama."
"Enough. Do not use that act in front of me."
Natsuhiko came back to himself, then could not help rolling his eyes before continuing.
"You did very well. You protected the Hokage's reputation and completed the mission at the same time. I cannot find anything worth criticizing.
"Congratulations. As your first mission as squad captain, you completed it perfectly.
"I look forward to seeing you continue like this in the future, and become a division commander, or even the ANBU Commander."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Shisui forcefully held back the urge to kneel on one knee and nodded hard.
But very soon, he seemed hesitant. Then his gaze became firm.
"Hokage-sama, there is one more matter I need to report in person."
"Oh?"
Natsuhiko looked at Shisui in surprise, then picked up the document in his hand and asked.
"You did not write it in the report?"
"I am sorry, Hokage-sama. I did not write this matter in. Although it will not take long before Hokage-sama learns of it anyway."
Shisui gently closed his eyes before continuing.
"When I was confronting Tsunade, her attitude caused my emotions to become somewhat too intense, which led to something unexpected.
"I accidentally discovered that my eyes had changed, and because of that, I also obtained great power."
Shisui did not hide anything at all and explained his situation, while Natsuhiko looked at Shisui with question marks practically filling his head.
Based on Shisui's description, Natsuhiko naturally knew what had happened.
He truly never imagined that this kid Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō not because his teammate died, nor because he personally killed the person he loved most.
Instead, it was because Tsunade scolded him and also criticized the position of Hokage, which stimulated him into awakening the Mangekyō?
What the hell was this?
Natsuhiko had actually long understood that the Uchiha clan did not necessarily need to experience tragedy in order to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Those cruel events merely provided stronger stimulation, pushing their emotions into an extreme, unstable state.
And when it came to reaching that state, what could be faster than personally killing someone they deeply cared about?
Each Uchiha had a different breaking point. Without being pushed into the most extreme circumstances, they might never even discover where that limit lay.
Because of this, Indra Ōtsutsuki had used it, and Uchiha Madara had likely done the same. More than that, Madara had not only experienced it himself, but had also used it to push others—such as Obito Uchiha—into similar states.
The facts proved that this method was indeed effective.
In the original story, Uchiha Itachi also passively went through this method. After all, Shisui died right in front of him.
Now that Shisui had caused such a situation for Natsuhiko, it truly made Natsuhiko somewhat unsure whether to laugh or cry.
But no matter what, this was good news. And based on Shisui's explanation, Natsuhiko found that this kid's eye techniques had undergone a huge change.
It seemed that the terrifying Kotoamatsukami from the original story had completely disappeared, but this seemed to have a great deal to do with his growth environment and state of mind.
The current Uchiha had been integrated by Natsuhiko, and no longer looked as if they would fall apart at any moment like before.
Since that was the case, Shisui naturally no longer had those worries, so it was normal that eyes similar to Kotoamatsukami did not appear.
According to him, one of his current abilities was to release flames, black flames that could not be extinguished.
The other was an ability that allowed him to use Susanoo relatively easily without worrying too much about damaging his eyes.
Natsuhiko knew the first of these two abilities. If nothing unexpected happened, it should be Amaterasu.
As for the second, he truly had never heard of it. However, based on the situation at that time, facing a violent woman like Tsunade, Shisui's strength really might not have been enough to deal with her.
Because of that, had he wanted to gain powerful strength and obtained these two abilities as a result?
After thinking it over, Natsuhiko felt that this explanation made the most sense. Otherwise, many things would truly be hard to explain clearly.
"I will give you a week of rest. Go home and talk to your elder about this matter, or talk to your clan head."
Natsuhiko thought for a moment before speaking.
"These eyes of yours are called the Mangekyō Sharingan. They are a very terrifying pair of eyes. It would be better for you to discuss the secrets inside them with the people of your clan."
"This…"
Hearing this, Shisui hesitated for a moment. Taking a vacation just after becoming squad captain did not seem too good.
But in the end, he still nodded, then spoke with great seriousness.
"I understand, Hokage-sama. Then I will take my leave first."
Natsuhiko nodded and did not say anything more. However, after Shisui left, his gaze could not help turning toward the window.
"Shisui actually brought a tail back with him. I would like to see just who exactly you are!"
--------
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