"War is the root of all evil!"
"It brings nothing but sorrow and desolation!"
"Not long ago, some of us were still enemies!"
Shisui's voice echoed across the battlefield, calm yet piercing.
"Because our positions differ, one man's enemy becomes another man's hero. Why do we keep fighting each other? Is it hatred?"
"When hatred intertwines with self-interest, it gives birth to the tragedies of the past!"
He paused, then spoke with conviction.
"Let this battle be the last!"
"Think of your families. Think of the lives you now live."
"Pick up your weapons—and fight forward!"
The moment his words fell, the fighting spirit of the Allied Shinobi surged like a tidal wave.
Many of those present were reminded of their present lives—lives that had only become possible because the world had finally begun to stabilize.
As Naruto's Seven-Colored Merchant Guild spread across the ninja world, reaching into every major industry, countless shinobi families had benefited. Trade routes were linked, resources shared, and interests intertwined.
In its own way, it had eased the long-standing estrangement between nations.
Among the Allied Forces stood a young shinobi with a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.
At some point, he had begun to rely on smoking more and more—though he couldn't remember exactly when it started.
Perhaps it was after his child was born.
War dragged on endlessly, and death always felt close. He never knew if tomorrow would be his last day on the battlefield. The exhaustion of it all weighed heavily on his heart.
Maybe that was why he used cigarettes to numb himself.
He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and crushed it beneath his foot.
Lifting his head, he looked toward Shisui, determination burning in his eyes.
My name is Chiba Gen.
An ordinary shinobi of the Hidden Mist Village.
No—Hidden Mist now existed in name only.
In his eyes, the light of a new era flickered.
May there be no more war.
May we finally live in peace.
"Move out!"
Shisui's roar shook the battlefield.
Morale soared instantly.
Elsewhere on a distant hill…
Several figures stood gathered together.
"I never thought I'd get the chance to walk this world again."
The speaker wore armor from the Warring States Period. His presence carried the weight of a bygone era.
"This isn't true resurrection," another replied calmly, "but I still wish to witness how the later generations fight."
The second man was clad in blue battle armor, his aura sharp and domineering.
He was from the Yotsuki Clan of the Warring States Period—the father of Ay, the First Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village.
Within the Yotsuki Clan, only the strongest could inherit the name Ay.
"Are we really going to fight the younger generation?" another voice asked with a frown.
He belonged to the Uzumaki Clan, his temperament far gentler than that of the Yotsuki Clan.
He had no desire to obey the Masked Man.
"We won't fight them to the death," the Yotsuki ancestor replied coldly.
"But if they can't even pass my test, then it only proves that this generation is mediocre."
A fierce grin spread across his face.
"I want to see who the current Ay is."
The others couldn't help but twitch at the corner of their mouths.
The Yotsuki Clan had always been nearly as warlike as the Kaguya Clan—just slightly more rational.
Nearby, another figure remained silent.
An elder of the Uchiha Clan.
Arrogance radiated from him, and he disdained unnecessary conversation.
Yet deep in his heart, anticipation stirred.
He had heard that the modern Uchiha Clan was completely different from the one he knew.
What he didn't know—was that the clan had already been nearly annihilated.
Had he known, he might not have remained so calm.
These five were powerful shinobi—the advance force dispatched by Obito.
They consisted of:
The ancestor of the Yotsuki Clan
An Uzumaki Clan elder
The leader of a small but ancient ninja family
An Uchiha Clan elder
And an unknown powerhouse from the Land of Earth
"I've detected a massive chakra presence," the small clan leader said suddenly.
"Twenty kilometers from here—and closing fast."
He specialized in sensory ninjutsu. Though his combat strength was the lowest among them, he was far from weak.
Moments later, the Uchiha elder narrowed his eyes.
"I sense it too."
Their lineup could only be described as extravagant.
Just five individuals—
Yet their combined presence already surpassed that of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Their strength was far beyond anything the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist could be compared to.
Kakashi and the others sensed it at the same time—someone was blocking the path ahead.
"This isn't the final battlefield…" someone muttered.
"But that chakra pressure—it's overwhelming."
This unit of the Shinobi Allied Forces was led by Kakashi. He immediately raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt.
After the sensory-type shinobi finished their investigation, Kakashi frowned.
"Only one chakra signature at first… but it's extremely dangerous," he said quietly.
"This isn't a simple opponent."
Kakashi never underestimated an enemy because of numbers. On the contrary, the fewer enemies there were, the more cautious he became.
Against absolute strength, numbers often meant very little.
Before long, five figures stepped out from different directions, cutting off every possible route of retreat.
"So," one of them said with a casual chuckle, "it seems you're surrounded."
The speaker was the ancestor of the Yotsuki Clan, his tone light and mocking, as if the shinobi before him were barely worth noticing.
This time, Kakashi had only brought an advance detachment. The main forces were still converging along three routes, and they had encountered these five before reaching their designated position.
A moment of silence passed.
Then, the Uchiha among the five—who had remained quiet until now—finally spoke.
"Young man," he said, his eyes narrowing, "are you from my Uchiha Clan?"
"I can sense the aura of the Sharingan on you."
Just as Kakashi opened his mouth to respond, Shiranui Genma, standing beside him, spoke up first.
"You don't even know him?" Genma said, visibly surprised.
Kakashi's eye twitched slightly.
"That reaction is way too exaggerated," he thought, rolling his eyes inwardly.
"He's the famous Uchiha Kakashi," Genma continued cheerfully.
"The man known as the Copy Ninja—Uchiha Kakashi, who copied thousands of ninjutsu!"
A few shinobi behind them, familiar with Kakashi's background, couldn't help but chuckle.
The Uchiha elder, however, smiled faintly.
Some of the doubt in his heart faded.
To have copied so many techniques, Kakashi's mastery of the Sharingan had to be exceptional. And judging by his age, he was still relatively young.
A rare talent, the elder thought.
A promising junior of the Uchiha Clan?
Kakashi's face darkened instantly.
Some people did secretly call him "Uchiha Kakashi," but no one had ever dared say it out loud—especially not in front of him.
He shot Genma a sideways glance.
Genma felt a chill run down his spine.
The meaning in Kakashi's eye was crystal clear: We're sparring later.
Kakashi stepped forward, his tone calm but firm.
"Senior," he said, "I am not an Uchiha."
"This Sharingan was entrusted to me by a friend."
For a brief instant, killing intent flashed in the Uchiha elder's eyes—
Then vanished completely.
"So that's how it is…" the elder said slowly.
"To entrust one's Sharingan to another…"
"Your bond must have been extraordinarily deep."
He nodded once.
"Junior—treat it well."
The Uchiha elder had, for a fleeting moment, considered killing Kakashi.
But he dismissed the thought.
He knew the pride of the Uchiha Clan.
To entrust their most precious bloodline to an outsider meant absolute trust.
More importantly—
This man had not disgraced the Sharingan.
(End of Chapter)
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