"We've received intel from Tsuchikage Ōnoki," said Uchiha Itachi, pulling out a scroll marked with Iwagakure's seal. "Apparently, someone's gathered a group of rogue ninjas planning to ambush us."
Despite the simplicity of the mission, Itachi knew that the real authority behind this operation was none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen. After all, this journey outside the village wasn't just any mission—it was personal. A mission for vengeance. Konoha's pride could not be tarnished. Not again.
"It doesn't matter," Hiruzen replied, tightening the grip on his staff. "Even in my old age, I am still the Third Hokage. I can slaughter every last one of those fools."
His words carried the weight of decades of leadership. The hesitation and political restraint that once marked his rule had burned away, leaving behind only the hardened will of a shinobi who had endured countless wars. He may have once doubted, once faltered—but no more.
Konoha stood as the strongest among the five great villages. No other dared challenge its authority now. And with that security came freedom—freedom for Sarutobi Hiruzen to act without restraint.
Before long, their squad encountered the first ambush. Hidden within the dense forest, nearly a hundred rogue ninjas revealed themselves as Hiruzen approached, launching a barrage of shuriken.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
A tall barrier of solid rock rose before Hiruzen, effortlessly deflecting the projectiles.
"Charge! That old man's nothing now!"
"Yeah, kill him and we'll get 50 million ryo!"
It was laughable—fools lured by gold, blinded by their ignorance. They had no understanding of what "Kage-level" truly meant. To them, all shinobi were cut from the same cloth, bound to the limits of Chunin-level techniques. They didn't know the monsters who lived in the upper echelon of the ninja world.
They would learn today.
The first attacker closed in—too slow. Hiruzen's weathered hand shot out like a viper, seizing the man by the throat and snapping his neck with a sickening crack.
The forest fell silent.
For Sarutobi Hiruzen, it was no different than crushing an insect. Ten… a hundred… ten thousand of these weaklings—it wouldn't matter.
"Fire Style: Great Flame Technique!"
A massive torrent of fire surged forward, engulfing the ambushers in a wall of heat and death. Screams filled the air as bodies scattered, charred and broken. Several more Fire Style jutsu followed, combining with Earth Style techniques to wipe out the remnants. Those who didn't die instantly cried out in desperation, crawling and stumbling—only to be cut down mercilessly.
Hiruzen didn't hesitate. There would be no mercy today. The battlefield was soon littered with corpses, and the stench of scorched flesh hung heavy in the air.
To him, it wasn't even strenuous.
Itachi remained silent throughout the massacre. He knew this was Hiruzen's vengeance. A chance to let his fury speak. The Uchiha forces with him didn't lift a finger either. These weren't worthy opponents.
The real task lay ahead—clearing out the gold exchange offices responsible for Asuma's death.
Their journey took them across the Land of Earth, then into the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water. One by one, the underground bounties and exchange offices fell. Every hideout burned. Every rogue agent silenced.
By the end of the campaign, every gold exchange in the Five Great Nations had been obliterated.
Though on the surface it appeared to be the personal revenge of a grieving father, in truth, Konoha was making a statement—dismantling the shadowy underbelly of the ninja world. A declaration of dominance.
Those who funded the bounties? Short-sighted fools who miscalculated.
"Has the target been located?" Hiruzen asked, standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking River Country.
"They're said to be hiding near Kawakuni," a scout replied. "We're ready to move in."
A beat passed, then Hiruzen spoke again, more quietly. "Tell me, Itachi… were my methods too cruel?"
Itachi didn't hesitate. "No, Sandaime. You're protecting our village. Protecting our people. Asuma's death won't be in vain."
Meanwhile, in River Country, the infamous immortal duo had no idea death was stalking them.
"Hey! I told you the springs at the west inn were hotter!" Hidan bickered, flicking water at his partner.
Kakuzu grunted. "That one smelled like mold. We're staying here."
Unbeknownst to them, Konoha's elite had already surrounded the area.
"There's movement," Kakuzu muttered, green eyes narrowing.
Hidan groaned. "Seriously? I haven't even finished my soak! You're way too paranoid—"
"Look up, you moron."
Atop the surrounding walls, a circle of shinobi stood in silent formation, their Sharingan glowing red in the night. Itachi stood among them. Their presence sent a chill through the air.
This was no casual visit.
Kakuzu's face hardened. He could tell immediately—they weren't here to negotiate.
From the front, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, unflinching.
"You're Kakuzu and Hidan," he said coldly. "The murderers of the Fire Temple… and my son, Asuma Sarutobi."
Hidan cackled. "Oh, that guy? Yeah, he squealed like a pig—wait, who the hell are you?"
"I am Sarutobi Hiruzen. The Third Hokage of Konohagakure."
Hidan's grin vanished. His skin turned pale. Even he, a deranged immortal, knew that name. Konoha's former leader—one of the most powerful shinobi in the world.
Hiruzen calmly reached into his robe. "Summoning Jutsu—Enma!"
With a puff of smoke, the Monkey King appeared at his side, transforming into the adamantine staff with a stern glare.
"Hiruzen. It's been a long time."
"Not long enough. These two killed my son. I won't rest until their blood repays that debt."
"Then let's finish this together, old friend."
"No more speeches," Hiruzen said, his eyes cold. "Let's begin."
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Tens of thousands of shuriken filled the sky, each splitting into dozens more as they hurtled toward their targets. It was a storm of steel and death.
Kakuzu barely managed to activate his Earth Grudge Fear in time, his hardened skin absorbing the impact—but even he stumbled back from the sheer intensity of the assault.
-------------------
Poor Hidan wasn't nearly as fortunate as Kakuzu. While Kakuzu had raw strength, skill, and experience, Hidan's combat power relied almost entirely on his unique immortality. Outside of that, his abilities were, at best, mediocre.
With Kakuzu fully engaged by the experienced Sarutobi Hiruzen, Hidan was left to fend for himself. Armed only with his triple-bladed scythe, he tried to deflect the incoming flurry of shurikens conjured by Hiruzen's Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique. But it wasn't enough—his body was quickly riddled with blades, turning him into a human pincushion.
"Damn it! That hurts! Old man, just wait until I get my hands on you!" Hidan roared, completely unfazed by the blades sticking out of his body.
Hiruzen frowned, but not at the provocation—it barely registered to him. He'd long since grown immune to childish taunts. What did trouble him was that, despite looking like a hedgehog, Hidan remained completely unfazed, even cheerful.
Something's off here, Hiruzen thought. For Asuma and Chiriku to fall like that, these two had to be far from ordinary.
"You didn't dodge. You didn't block with ninjutsu. Are you trying to trick me, or are you really that reckless?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, quickly analyzing their fighting styles.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!"
He inhaled deeply, his chest swelling before spewing forth a massive torrent of fire, engulfing both Kakuzu and Hidan in the blaze.
"Fire Style: Cranium Blaze!" Kakuzu responded immediately, no longer willing to sit back and observe. His flames collided with Hiruzen's head-on.
When the inferno faded, both Kakuzu and Hidan stood unscathed. Clearly, Kakuzu's control over Fire Release was not to be underestimated.
This, oddly enough, comforted Hiruzen. If the enemy had been too weak, it would have screamed "trap." Strength, at least, was something he could predict.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet! Fire Style: Flame Bullet! Combined Technique—Earth Dragon Flame Stream!"
With swift hand signs, Hiruzen launched another advanced compound jutsu. A stone dragon erupted from the earth, belching flaming projectiles toward his enemies.
Kakuzu responded in kind. With a snap, the stitches holding his cloak together unraveled, and several masked entities crawled out of his back.
"Fire Style: Searing Migraine! Wind Style: Crushing Gust! Combined Technique—Scorching Typhoon!"
Two masked beasts—one from each of Kakuzu's arms—unleashed Fire and Wind Releases, fusing into a titanic explosion that clashed with Hiruzen's Earth Dragon Flame Stream.
The resulting blast instantly evaporated the nearby hot spring, gouging a deep crater into the courtyard.
Once again, Kakuzu's complex ninjutsu met Hiruzen's head-on—and tied.
The gathered Uchiha spectators watched in awe. These weren't ordinary shinobi techniques. Even among the Uchiha, few could rival the precision and versatility of either man's Fire Release.
Especially Hiruzen, the man known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." His jutsu were vast, well-practiced, and each executed with perfect control.
Kakuzu sneered. "You live up to your title, old man. When I fought Hashirama Senju, your generation hadn't even been born."
It was a typical Kakuzu boast—but it held weight. Despite the theatrics, it reminded everyone present that this man had survived a battle with the God of Shinobi.
Still, the crowd wasn't entirely convinced.
Then, Uchiha Itachi, quiet as ever, broke his silence.
"Kakuzu, was it? Weren't you the one who threw a shuriken from 800 miles away and then ran?"
His deadpan delivery was sharper than any kunai. In a single line, Itachi reduced Kakuzu's legend to a punchline.
Kakuzu's eye twitched. He knew Hashirama hadn't fought seriously during their encounter—but being dismissed as a coward still stung.
"You little brat… you've got guts."
But what truly irked him was that he'd failed to detect Konoha's ambush in time, forcing him to rely on old stories to intimidate them.
"There's no need to posture," Itachi said coolly. "You're in the Uchiha clan's records. Our ancestor, Uchiha Xiuyu, noted you survived thanks to the Takigakure forbidden jutsu—Earth Grudge Fear."
"Right?" Itachi's eyes locked onto him. "Your secret's not so secret anymore."
Kakuzu scoffed. "Tch. You gonna wave the First Hokage's name like a flag now?"
"Enough talk, Kakuzu! Let's just kill them already!" Hidan shouted, still frustrated from being turned into a pincushion.
Unfortunately for him, he was still mostly useless at range. With no long-range ninjutsu, all Hidan could do was tank hits and shout.
"Sandaime," Itachi said calmly, "shall I lend a hand? We're in the Land of Rivers. No telling if they have backup nearby."
Hiruzen nodded. "Do it. This is about justice for my son—not glory."
With the Hokage's approval, Itachi stepped forward. A blur of hand signs, and the Uchiha Shuriken Technique was unleashed. Dozens of shuriken whirled through the air, reopening fresh wounds in Hidan's already perforated body.
Itachi closed in for melee. Despite Hidan's reputation, he was thoroughly outmatched. Speed, strength, technique—Itachi dominated in every area.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I'll kill you!" Hidan howled, swinging his massive scythe wildly.
Itachi evaded effortlessly. Getting Hidan's blood was easier said than done.
Then—slash—Itachi severed one of Hidan's arms with surgical precision.
Hidan didn't even flinch.
"Kakuzu! Hurry up and stitch me up again!"
Kakuzu, still sparring with Hiruzen, took a moment to send one of his Earth Grudge tentacles toward Hidan, sewing the arm back on mid-battle.
The crowd of Uchiha gasped in amazement.
The ninja world was full of strange abilities, but few matched the bizarre combination of immortality and resurrection this duo possessed.
Itachi, though already briefed, kept his mind open. He continued testing Hidan patiently, studying every move.
This was what set him apart from most Uchiha. He didn't let pride blind him—he thought things through.
In the original timeline, that habit had driven him to a tragic stalemate.
But in this world, the course of destiny was changing.
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