For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter! 16 Power stones left!!
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As the youngest warrior on the battlefield, Itachi Uchiha's arrival was just a tiny ripple in a vast ocean. The moon was half-obscured by drifting clouds, and its uncovered light shone down on a narrow stream where a small boy with black hair and black eyes was running.
Following the course of the stream, Itachi stepped over the corpses lying in pools of blood on either side, heading toward the distant sounds of fighting and the clash of metal.
Behind him, ripples spread out across the blood-stained water.
His black eyes, as dark as the night, were fixed on the scene ahead, where the number of bodies never seemed to diminish.
As the sounds of battle grew louder, the boy jumped from the stream and climbed the steep rocks ahead. When he reached the top of the cliff, the battlefield came into view, and the sounds of slaughter and clashing weapons hit him with full force.
This was the battlefield of the Uchiha clan and the Mist ninja!
The lake, once full of water, had evaporated from the fire, leaving deep craters in its place. The land, cracked and scarred like a desert scorched by the sun, was strewn with kunai, shuriken, and countless corpses soaked in blood.
The final screams of despair from the dying were drowned out by the explosions of paper bombs, which were then swallowed by the roar of the ongoing battle. The clash of shuriken and kunai, the sickening sound of blades cutting into flesh, the crunch of bones breaking as swords severed heads, and the thud of fists smashing through ribcages to puncture hearts…
All the sounds of battle blended with the scene before Itachi, a violent montage that flooded into his young, dark eyes. In that moment, the world seemed to be reduced to just two colors—red and black.
The true nature of war, the face of war, imprinted itself into Itachi's eyes and carved itself deep into his mind. Although Itachi had always been mature for his age, this was his first time witnessing the horrors of war firsthand.
"So, this is… the ninja world war."
He stood on the cliff, staring in a daze. As the sun began to rise over the horizon, this battle—a mere skirmish in the larger conflict—came to an end. Both sides left behind a sea of bodies and countless lives lost.
The victorious Uchiha clan, with their surviving members, began moving on to the next battlefield. As the early rays of sunlight touched the battleground, all that remained were the dead.
Itachi jumped down from the cliff, using a kunai to slow his descent as he slid down the rock wall. Landing safely, he walked toward the most devastated part of the battlefield.
Broken arrows were stuck in the ground, shattered swords lay strewn about, and fragments of shuriken and kunai were clutched in the hands of severed limbs. These were the remnants of the battle.
Itachi stepped over the discarded weapons and the corpses lying in pools of blood, walking toward the center of the battlefield, where he paused to take in the scene around him. Up close, the sheer brutality of it all hit him even harder.
"Ugh…"
A weak moan sounded from behind him. Itachi quickly turned and saw a young Mist ninja, still barely alive, his eyes half-open and unfocused.
Itachi ran over and knelt beside the ninja, assessing his condition. The young man's short hair was charred from fire, and half his face was horribly burned. His lips were dry and cracked from dehydration, and his one unburned eye was filled with confusion.
Without hesitation, Itachi took out a bamboo flask of water, opened it, and carefully poured the precious liquid into the mouth of this enemy ninja.
The cool water slipped past the Mist ninja's cracked lips and into his mouth. In that moment, the water was more precious than anything. Slowly, the ninja's vision sharpened, and he could clearly see the boy's face—and the ninja tool pouch strapped to his waist.
Rage and murderous intent flickered in the ninja's single eye. Without thinking about the boy's act of kindness, his basic instincts drove him to use the last of his strength to raise a kunai, aiming it at Itachi's side.
Thud.
But Itachi was faster. His own kunai pierced the ninja's heart before the enemy's blade could reach him. The Mist ninja's weapon fell limply from his hand, stopping halfway in its trajectory.
"…"
Staring at the lifeless body of the Mist ninja, Itachi silently let go of his kunai and stood up slowly.
Even when offering help, he had been met with hostility simply because of their opposing sides. Was this due to differing ideologies or something deeper?
Behind him, familiar footsteps approached. Without turning around, Itachi kept his head lowered, gazing at the body at his feet. In a voice full of doubt and disappointment, he asked, "Father, why did he want to kill me? I didn't do anything."
I had no ill intentions, and I was even trying to help him.
Fugaku Uchiha stood with his arms crossed, looking down at his son's back. His face was expressionless, and his eyes were as still and emotionless as dead water.
"Because this is war."
"War?" Itachi's eyes trembled slightly.
Fugaku slowly raised his head, taking in the carnage around them. "It's not a fight between individuals. It's a struggle between nations. That's why there's this senseless killing between strangers."
"Is that so…" Itachi murmured quietly.
"This is the world of the ninja. Remember, Itachi—never forget what you've seen today." Fugaku's eyes stayed fixed on the corpse-littered battlefield.
Itachi lifted his head slowly, looking once more at the scene before him. His small hands clenched tightly—not in fear, but in deep sorrow. From this moment on, the young boy began to develop a profound distaste for conflict and war. A yearning for peace quietly took root in his heart, even as doubts lingered in his mind.
Though young, Itachi already possessed abilities beyond those of a typical genin. However, in this great war, his talents had little impact. Fugaku had brought him to the battlefield in the hope of speeding up his growth, having recognized the talent Itachi possessed.
"Grow up quickly… Itachi."
As Fugaku inhaled the thick, metallic scent of blood carried on the wind, his gaze on the battlefield revealed a hidden desire.
Perhaps it was a longing for peace—but one that could only be maintained through strength.
The Cloud ninja forces had split into several groups and had already invaded the Land of Fire.
Even though the news of Iwa and Suna seeking peace had reached the Third Raikage, he didn't want to waste this opportunity. He led his army in a full-scale invasion of the Land of Fire.
With the Raikage's "strongest shield" and "strongest spear," he was destined to become Konoha's worst nightmare, cutting through everything in his path.
By the time Ye Zi arrived at the border of the Land of Lightning, the battlefront had already shifted. Lacking updated intelligence, he captured a Cloud ninja and interrogated him about the war's progress.
"Konoha has been defeated… Orochimaru was wounded?" After snapping the Cloud ninja's neck, Ye Zi captured a few more to confirm the same information, then set off toward the Land of Fire.
According to White Zetsu's intel, the Third Raikage was indeed worthy of being called a monster. Like Ye Zi, he was a lightning-style user, but the Raikage's physical power was terrifying. Combined with his lightning techniques, he could charge through enemy lines, completely unstoppable.
Although Ye Zi also used lightning-style, his advantage lay in his dynamic vision. But judging by White Zetsu's information, even his "Thunder Dragon Armor" wouldn't make him a match for the Raikage.
As Ye Zi sped along, he pondered. He didn't intend to fight the Raikage in this war, but sooner or later, he would face the major ninja villages in his quest to collect the tailed beasts. Finding a way to eliminate someone like the Third Raikage would be incredibly difficult.
If he could use this war to take out the Raikage, it would be an ideal outcome.
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Currently on Chapter 248 - The Passage of Time