[NTU] [ARC-26] Chapter : 348

“Father, what happened here?”

On a scarred battlefield, where smoke still clung to the air and scorched earth told of a recent clash, Itachi Uchiha—dressed in a green flak jacket—stood before his father, his eyes filled with concern.

They had been dispatched by the Hokage to reinforce this front line, only to discover that the one in need of support was none other than Fugaku himself.

Yet by the time he arrived, the battle was already over.

Itachi’s relationship with his father had always been complicated. In his early years, Fugaku had forced him into the shadows of Root, using him more like a tool than a son. But that changed after peace negotiations were signed. Slowly, Fugaku allowed Itachi to step away from the Anbu's darkness and live as a standard shinobi—free to care for his own growing family.

Still, every now and then, difficult tasks were quietly passed his way. Like now. He’d originally been deployed to assist the samurai battalions, only to be suddenly redirected by the Hokage to this battlefield.

His eyes narrowed as they landed on a lone, unfamiliar figure seated calmly in the center of the field.

“Is that… Hanzo of the Salamander?” he asked, recognition dawning.

Though the man’s appearance was slightly different, Itachi—always sharp and well-versed in historical figures—quickly pieced it together.

A chill passed over him.

"But... Hanzo died years ago."

"It’s the Edo-Tensei," Fugaku replied grimly.

He stood beside Jiraiya, both men clearly exhausted and embarrassed. They had failed to stop Kabuto, and worse still, the enemy had resurrected the Second and Third Hokage.

The silence was heavy—broken only by Itachi’s calm, focused question.

"Where’s Sasuke?"

A sinking feeling settled in his gut. His brother was nowhere in sight.

Normally, Sasuke would rush to him the moment he arrived, eager to spar, question, or demand answers about jutsu and genjutsu.

But now… nothing.

Fugaku’s face darkened. "Kabuto… captured him."

Though the words were difficult to say, he gave Itachi a brief account of what had happened. His voice was tight with frustration—and shame.

"Kabuto..." Itachi repeated, his tone unreadable.

He didn’t panic. He didn’t raise his voice. But a sudden coldness settled over him—calm, measured, deadly.

"He intends to revive Orochimaru," Itachi deduced instantly.

With just a few details, he cut to the heart of the matter. His scarlet Sharingan flickered to life, casting a bloody glow over his face.

He turned to Jiraiya and his father.

"Jiraiya-sama, Father—you both have troops to lead. Leave Sasuke to me."

He bowed briefly, respectfully, then turned, eyes already scanning the battlefield for residual chakra traces.

"Itachi…" Fugaku called after him, torn between duty and a father’s instinct to chase after his son.

But he was a clan leader, and with the Hokage absent, he couldn’t abandon the battlefield—not now.

"Sasuke is in your hands."

He hesitated, then added more quietly, "Kabuto’s true strength is still unknown. But he commands many resurrected shinobi. We've already confirmed the Second and Third Hokage—and Hanzo of the Salamander. There may be more."

"Use sealing jutsu where possible. Or that eye of yours."

He watched his eldest son walking away, a silent storm in motion.

Then, with a father’s last, desperate caution:

"Itachi… you're not just Sasuke’s older brother anymore. You’re a father. Don’t let your child lose his parent over this."

Itachi paused at the edge of the battlefield, his back to them.

"I understand, Father. I’ll proceed with caution."

Then he tilted his head slightly, murmuring under his breath:

"Hanzo, huh..."

Although Itachi’s Sharingan had picked up faint chakra traces, they were too fragmented—virtually useless for tracking Kabuto directly.

As he turned to leave, his father's earlier words echoed in his mind. A spark of inspiration lit up his usually stoic expression. His gaze shifted toward the sealed figure of Salamander Hanzō.

“Jiraiya-sama,” Itachi said suddenly, “may I take Hanzō with me?”

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. The request was unexpected—but intriguing.

“You can, but be careful,” the Sannin warned. “This guy’s no pushover. Even in this state, he’s dangerous.”

He paused, his tone turning graver. “Especially the salamander toxin in his body—if it leaks out, it could be catastrophic.”

Jiraiya had sealed Hanzō himself—and in doing so, had been forced to let Kabuto escape with the Second and Third Hokage. It was a bitter compromise, one that still frustrated him.

That Uchiha Itachi would show interest in Hanzō now... was strange. But Jiraiya saw no reason to deny the request.

“Take him. Just don’t let him give you trouble.”

“Thank you.”

Itachi didn’t waste another word. He slung the immobilized Hanzō over his shoulder and vanished with a few swift leaps, disappearing into the horizon.

In a secluded clearing deep within the forest, Itachi landed silently. After ensuring no one was nearby, he formed a quick series of hand seals.

Caw! Caw!

A chorus of sharp caws echoed as chakra poured from his body. Black feathers burst forth from the swirling energy, coalescing into a sleek crow. It circled above before perching gently on his shoulder.

Its head tilted intelligently.

"I need you to reverse summon Shisui here. Can you do that for me?"

The crow cawed and unsummoned itself. After a few minutes, Itachi summoned the crow again. This time the crow summoned Shisui Uchiha.

.

"Shisui… I need your help.” Itachi whispered, his voice unusually soft.

"I understand. You don't need to ask, Itachi."

“Kotoamatsukami.”

The moment the powerful genjutsu was activated, the crow’s eye glowed and pulsed with energy. Its influence washed over the sealed Hanzō, subtly rewriting his will.

Itachi let out a silent breath. He had been incredibly lucky.

With the command planted, he made another hand seal.

“Release.”

The sealing jutsu dissipated.

"I'll need to leave for another front. Take care, Itachi." With that, Shisui unsummoned himself.

Hanzō stirred groggily, groaning as consciousness returned. One moment, he had been forcibly summoned and made to fight—and the next, sealed away by none other than Jiraiya.

Now, before he could process what had happened, he found himself face-to-face with a red-eyed Uchiha radiating silent pressure.

“What the hell is going on—?” Hanzō began.

“Take me to Kabuto,” Itachi interrupted, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.

Hanzō froze. For a moment, he seemed to wrestle with something—then the tension drained from his shoulders. The man who had once declared war on three Great Nations, who had brought peace to the Rain Country through strength alone… now silently nodded.

The once-feared “Demi-God of the Shinobi World” had lost the fire that once made him legendary.

“Understood.”

Without another word, he turned and began walking into the unknown, guided by the subconscious pull of Kabuto’s chakra.

Itachi followed close behind, face expressionless, heart steady.

No joy.
No sadness.
Only resolve.