"Sasuke is dead?"
Shisui jumped to Guts's side, frowning.
Although before Itachi's death, Shisui had told him that if Sasuke ever turned against Konoha, he would oppose him without hesitation...
Now that Sasuke was truly on the brink of death, his emotions were far from calm.
"I'm pretty sure that punch should've torn him apart. But strangely... he's not dead."
Guts spoke, arms crossed, brow twitching.
He found it interesting too.
Sure, he hadn't used his full power, but that punch was definitely enough to kill Sasuke.
At the moment of impact, though, there was a strange sensation, like an airbag had cushioned the blow.
Could it be that...?
Shisui frowned, and even without saying it outright, Guts knew what he meant.
Was Shisui asking if they should just finish the job?
"What the hell is going on here?!"
Naruto's voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
His eyes had horizontal toad-like pupils, orange pigment forming streaks along the corners.
Sage Mode.
"He actually learned Sage Art... this brat."
Guts glanced at Naruto, then looked away and gave the order:
"Seal him up. Anbu will keep 24-hour surveillance. If you idiots let him escape, I'll lock you up too."
"Yes!"
Masked Shisui, Uzuki Yugao, and the other Anbu immediately stepped forward to take Sasuke away.
Sakura and Naruto had just arrived. The moment Naruto saw Sasuke being carried off, he tried to step forward
But Kakashi stopped him just in time.
Everyone in the village had just witnessed Sasuke's assault on Konoha.
If Naruto or Sakura dared to plead for him now, Guts would definitely throw them in the cell too.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Guts handed over the site to the jōnin present.
That's when he got word from Tsunade: Namikaze Minato would be staying at Mount Myōboku to protect Kushina from any Akatsuki attack.
"It seems we can't hide Shisui's identity any longer. Want to go public with the truth about Itachi?"
Tsunade posed the question.
After all, Shisui had just used Susanoo in full view of the village.
Guts thought for a moment, then said, "Just say he was the spy I planted next to Itachi."
Tsunade raised a brow. "You think anyone's gonna buy that?"
Guts smirked. "Whether they do or not, they have no choice. It's not like they can argue."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "This is starting to sound like a dictatorship... Anyway, how's the Five Kage Summit shaping up?"
"Guts!"
A joyful voice rang out as Hanabi sprinted over, jumping up and hugging Guts's neck with excitement.
"You were amazing! One punch and you shattered that jutsu!"
Tsunade nodded in approval. "Hanabi's growth is incredible. I didn't expect you to be this strong... and you're only 11."
"Hehe~"
Hanabi scratched her head, embarrassed, but her gaze went right back to Guts, clearly fishing for a compliment.
"You were amazing."
Guts didn't usually hand out praise, so he settled for something simple and cliché.
Still, Hanabi beamed with pride.
As for Sasuke, he hadn't caused too much destruction. Even with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he was quickly subdued by the village.
If anything, Guts's punch had caused more damage than Sasuke's entire assault.
For now, Sasuke was in Shisui's and the Anbu's custody, and Guts headed back home.
Although Minato spent most of his time in Mount Myōboku now, protecting Kushina was a shared duty between him, Jiraiya, and Naruto.
After all, as the Fifth Hokage, Minato had to personally handle the Five Kage Summit preparations.
Guts wasn't about to deal with all that extra political nonsense.
During this time, Naruto kept trying to visit Sasuke in his cell, hoping to Talk No Jutsu him with that glowing Ashura reincarnation aura.
But Uchiha Sasuke was now officially an S-rank criminal. Not even the Hokage's son was allowed to see him.
So... the Talk No Jutsu was probably gonna flop.
Time passed, and autumn came.
The formation of the Ninja Allied Forces was still underway.
But this wasn't something that could be resolved with a few discussions.
The hatred between the five great villages ran deep.
Second Hokage? Killed by the Gold and Silver Brothers of Kumo.
Second Mizukage and Second Tsuchikage? Killed each other.
Third Raikage and Third Mizukage? Both killed by Guts.
Third Tsuchikage? Got wrecked by Guts too left completely crippled.
And Konoha's hero, White Fang? Slain by the Third Tsuchikage.
Even if Konoha had now joined hands with the three other major villages, forging a true alliance was easier said than done.
Not to mention, the three Great Ninja Wars had left tens of thousands dead siblings, parents, friends all lost to enemy villages.
Not just the Kage, but even the daimyō of the five great nations were now scrambling to set up diplomatic talks.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Guts had no idea what Obito was up to but the guy didn't seem interested in rescuing Sasuke.
Konoha now was like Skypiea under Enel's control in One Piece except instead of lightning, it was Observation Haki covering the entire damn village.
If Obito so much as sneezed near the border, Guts would appear instantly to beat his ass.
According to Shisui, Sasuke's attitude hadn't changed one bit.
If anything, his hatred for Konoha was only growing.
Maybe the only person who could reach him now was Itachi.
Shisui had asked Guts to go talk to him.
Guts refused.
He wasn't about to waste time on a brat with a broken brain. If it was adult Sasuke, maybe he'd have a proper conversation.
But he only protected Konoha because it was his village now.
If the Third Hokage was still in charge, Guts wouldn't even bother watching it burn.
Touch what's mine and I'll deal with you.
Also, Guts had to admit, he was surprised.
Ever since breaking through to Kage-level, Hanabi and Hinata's growth had skyrocketed.
He recalled how Naruto and Sasuke also broke through to Kage-level in the original timeline.
Maybe this was when the Sage of Six Paths brothers, plot hacks started triggering?
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