[NTU] [ARC-26] Chapter : 341

“Damn it—Edo Tensei again!”

Taking advantage of the brief moment when the Third Hokage was disarmed, Sasuke lunged forward, slashing cleanly through Hiruzen's neck. The severed head tumbled to the ground, and without hesitation, Sasuke slapped several explosive tags onto the now-immobile body.

“This will only buy me a little time…”

Spinning on his heel, Sasuke raised his blade just in time to block the Second Hokage’s incoming strike. With a sharp twist of his body, he maneuvered Tobirama between himself and the Third, using the former to shield against the latter.

“Kai!”

Just as the dust began to swirl and reform into Hiruzen’s face, Sasuke activated the explosive tags. A blast erupted, tearing the Third Hokage’s body apart once more in a cloud of flame and smoke.

But then—

“Saru....”

The voice, deep and ancient, sent a chill racing down Sasuke’s spine.

From the remains of the shattered adamantine staff, an eye suddenly opened. It turned slowly, gazing at Hiruzen’s motionless form, and let out a long sigh.

“Uchiha child… don’t take it personally,” the voice continued. “I’m a summoned creature. Once bound by a contract, I must follow my summoner’s commands.”

The creature was none other than Enma, the Monkey King—Sarutobi’s personal summon. Though he had a mind of his own, the binding contract overrode his will. Even though his summoner was now a puppet, he had no choice but to fight on his behalf.

That warning… was the most the summon could offer.

With a final glance, the monkey's eye closed—and then, from the transformed segments of the Adamantine, thick, sinewy arms extended outward like iron branches.

In an instant, they clamped down on Sasuke’s limbs, neck, and joints.

“Don’t think you can take me alive!”

Sasuke gritted his teeth, struggling fiercely against the restraints. But before he could break free, Tobirama reappeared with blinding speed.

“He marked this entire area with the Flying Thunder God seal…”

Sasuke’s eyes darted to the ground—and sure enough, faint glimmers of sealing marks covered the entire space.

Escape… was nearly impossible.

Clang!
A dull metallic sound rang out as Sasuke’s sword struck one of Enma’s arms, producing nothing more than a spray of sparks. The blow had no effect.

Bang!
A sudden, crushing punch slammed into his gut. Tobirama’s attack hit him dead-on.

The pain left Sasuke winded. His body seized up, just long enough for the massive hands to fully immobilize him. One particularly large hand clamped around his waist with such force it felt as though it might snap his spine in half.

“You hide in the shadows and send others to fight for you… Who are you really?!”

Struggling against the hairy arms that held him fast, Sasuke’s eyes flared with anger. He glared at the reanimated Hokage, seething with unanswered questions.

This unseen enemy had used both the Second and Third Hokage to trap him—without ever showing their own face.

“You’ve forgotten me already?”
The Second Hokage’s expression twitched. His face, once lifeless and vacant, began to move, contorting into something unnervingly human.

Even his voice changed—shifting to something sly, smooth, and serpentine.

“No way... Kabuto?”

Sasuke’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“So it was you all along?”

His mind raced. If Kabuto was behind this, then everything made sense—and became much more dangerous.

“You’re after Orochimaru, aren’t you?”

The realization hit hard. Sasuke knew all too well the kind of twisted experiments Kabuto had once dabbled in. Falling into his hands would be disastrous.

He thrashed against the restraints, unwilling to surrender.

“It’s no use,” Kabuto’s voice echoed, mocking.

“The Monkey King is indestructible. Even if he’s not cooperating with the Third, you’ll never break free of his grip.”

With a smug grin curling across his borrowed face, Kabuto—controlling the body of the Second Hokage—approached Sasuke, ready to seal off his chakra.

“It’s over.”

But just as he reached out—

Puff!

A blinding flash of white light exploded in front of him.

Swish!

Before Kabuto could even process what was happening, his vision abruptly snapped back—returning to his own body.

“Hmph…? No matter.”

He casually reached behind to adjust the serpent-like head coiled around him, clearly unfazed by the failure.

“You can run, Sasuke—but you’re still just a fish in a barrel.”

He smirked, confident. “I caught you once. I’ll catch you again. This is nothing but a futile struggle.”

And just as he predicted, even with Tobirama momentarily losing control, the Third Hokage stepped in smoothly, plugging the gap with seasoned precision.

After just a few short exchanges, Sasuke was restrained again.

In the end, without a countermeasure against the Edo tensei, fighting it head-on was a hopeless endeavor.

But then—
“Hmm?”

The glint in Kabuto’s hidden eyes changed abruptly. Something unexpected had occurred.

“Uchiha Fugaku… he’s much stronger than anticipated.”

His pupils—identical to Orochimaru’s—narrowed in surprise.

“So capturing Sasuke won’t be as simple as I thought.”

Back on the battlefield—

“Sasuke! Are you alright?”

A massive skeletal arm—black and radiant with chakra—smashed through the Prison like it was made of glass. The arm reached into the ruins and plucked Sasuke out, cradling him in its protective grip.

“Father…?”
Sasuke’s voice was filled with disbelief.

He looked up at the towering figure of his father—Uchiha Fugaku—who now stood cloaked in a half-complete Susanoo, eyes gleaming with the unmistakable pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

It hit him like a thunderclap.

All this time, he’d believed himself to be strong, the strongest Uchiha of his generation.

And yet…

“Was I... the weakest all along?”

His gaze locked on Fugaku’s eyes. Years of arrogance and self-assurance cracked.

Had all his struggles, all his rivalries… been in vain?

“As you can see,” Fugaku replied calmly, his face resolute as he stared down the two reanimated Hokage.

“This isn’t the time to explain. Fall back and regroup with the others.”

Without waiting for further questions, he gently set Sasuke down and raised Susanoo’s mighty arm again. A rain of radiant chakra blades surged forward, lighting up the sky as they slammed into the enemy lines.

“What are you still standing here for? Move!”

Fugaku's sharp voice snapped Sasuke out of his daze. The tone wasn't just commanding—it carried disappointment, like a father scolding a son for losing sight of what really mattered.

“…Yes.”

Sasuke hesitated. A part of him wanted to stay and fight alongside his father—but something in Fugaku’s expression told him not to.

The command was clear: this wasn’t the time for pride.

As he turned and began walking back toward the main force, he didn’t glance back.

But the look in his eyes said everything.

The sight of his father’s Mangekyō burned in his mind.

“If I had that kind of power…”

He clenched his fists, watching the colossal force of Susanoo destroy in seconds what had nearly defeated him moments ago.

“Mangekyō Sharingan… I must awaken it.”

Memories of his helplessness, the overwhelming strength of his brother, and Naruto’s relentless growth rushed through him.

Sasuke’s jaw tightened.

He would no longer be the weakest link. No longer be left behind.

He had made up his mind.