Chapter 223: Title at the end

Performance of a Hundred Puppets.

After many years, Sasori finally unleashed his ultimate technique. The sky was filled with red-robed puppets, encircling Kakashi and Tenzō.

"Tenzō, it's up to you now," Kakashi said with a serious expression.

"No problem."

Tenzō nodded. It was indeed time to end this battle.

The next moment,

"Ha!"

Tenzō clasped his hands together, releasing a powerful shout. The Wood Style chakra within him, amplified by Guruguru, erupted in full force.

Rumble.

The ground shook violently as a wooden statue, towering tens of meters high with five heads and hundreds of arms, rose from the earth. It looked down indifferently at Sasori and his puppets.

What... is this?

Sasori was momentarily stunned by the sight of the colossal statue.

Hmph.

Regaining his composure, he sneered and commanded his hundreds of puppets to charge at the wooden statue. They launched projectiles, breathed fire, spewed water, and swung massive blades, using every technique at their disposal to dismantle the statue.

Standing atop the statue's head, Tenzō took a deep breath, his eyes sharp, and then—

"MURA, MURA, MURA, MURA!"

At some point, he had mimicked Dan's verbal tic, controlling the statue's numerous arms to unleash a barrage of punches, creating countless afterimages.

This was raw power and aggression.

Boom, boom, boom!

In just a few seconds,

All of Sasori's red-robed puppets, including Sasori himself, were overwhelmed by the statue's fists, reduced to rubble.

Falling from the sky, they turned to debris.

Dust gathered from all around, reforming Sasori's body.

Although the Reanimated body was immortal, it still took time to fully recover after being destroyed.

During this period, Sasori was defenseless.

Kakashi wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Swiftly, he dashed forward, forming a seal and pressing his palm against Sasori's forehead, leaving a seal mark.

Immediately,

From the seal, black symbols spread across Sasori's body, immobilizing him.

"Kakashi..."

Sasori's lips parted, seemingly wanting to say something, but his soul began to leave his body, ascending into the sky.

Kakashi watched Sasori's soul vanish, then turned his gaze back to see Sasori's body crumble to dust.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

With Sasori dealt with, Orochimaru was next.

Kakashi turned, looking towards the entrance to the Sound Village's underground.

Inside the underground lab,

"Unbelievable power..."

Orochimaru, watching the wooden statue on the monitor, was deeply shaken.

Tenzō, like the other prisoners of the Sound Village, had once been a test subject for Orochimaru's experiments on Hashirama's cells. He had been deemed a failure and discarded.

Yet, Tenzō had grown to such an extent that he could even use the First Hokage's Wooden Statue technique.

Just then,

Boom.

A massive fist punched through the ground nearby, causing the lab to shake.

"Let's go."

Orochimaru's expression changed, and he quickly instructed Kabuto. They didn't even have time to pack.

The two fled in haste.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Kakashi and Tenzō entered, searching the area. They couldn't find any trace of Orochimaru. He had escaped.

"Sensei, what should we do next?"

"We'll hold this position and wait for the Uchiha clan."

...

Half a day later.

Rumble.

From a distance, the ground shook violently, as if there was an earthquake.

"What's happening?"

"Be careful, Orochimaru might be returning."

Kakashi and Tenzō exchanged glances, readying themselves for battle. However, a massive steel fortress emerged from the ground, standing before them.

What is this?

As they were pondering the sudden appearance of the steel fortress, an entrance opened, revealing a group of familiar figures.

It was the Uchiha clan.

Half an hour later.

Under the guidance of Kakashi and Tenzō, the Uchiha clan thoroughly explored the Sound Village. They discovered Orochimaru's ritual for the Reanimation Jutsu and a wealth of research materials.

Fugaku was overjoyed.

With the research left behind by Orochimaru, the Uchiha clan was significantly closer to mastering the Reanimation Jutsu.

"Kakashi, you and Tenzō have done a great service," Fugaku said, expressing gratitude on behalf of the entire Uchiha clan.

In times of crisis, both had chosen to side with the Uchiha, opposing the entire shinobi world. They first captured the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, for the Uchiha, and then located Orochimaru's hideout. Their contributions were immense.

The Uchiha were a proud clan, but they also valued loyalty and admired strength. After fighting side by side for so long, the clan had come to see Kakashi and Tenzō as one of their own.

Feeling the acceptance from the Uchiha clan, both Kakashi and Tenzō were touched.

Their previous impressions of the Uchiha, influenced by the higher-ups in Konoha, weren't favorable. But after all they had been through together, Kakashi's perspective had changed.

The Uchiha were indeed a warlike clan, destined to be surrounded by blood and fire. Yet, it was this very fire that nurtured the most beautiful flowers.

Powerful and beautiful.

This was Kakashi's new impression of the Uchiha clan.

Only such a strong clan could maintain peace, serve as the village's backbone, and deter any enemies with ill intentions.

This made Kakashi even more determined to help the Uchiha defeat the Shinobi Allied Forces and persuade the Uchiha to—

Rejoin Konoha.

On that note, "Fugaku, if I'm not mistaken, Orochimaru likely has other hideouts within the Land of Rice Fields," Kakashi reminded.

"Understood."

Fugaku nodded and immediately ordered pairs from the clan council to lead groups of twenty Uchiha members each, initiating a hunt for Orochimaru.

Over the next three days,

The Uchiha launched multiple assaults, wiping out all of Orochimaru's bases within the Land of Rice Fields. They thoroughly looted his resources.

"Damn it!"

Orochimaru could no longer maintain his composure. Enraged, yet not daring to confront the Uchiha directly, he had no choice but to swallow his pride. Accompanied by Kabuto and a few subordinates, he fled the Land of Rice Fields, seeking a new refuge.

The Uchiha, on the other hand, decided to settle in the Sound Village.

Thus, after Deidara and the Tailed Beast Island pirates, Orochimaru became the third unfortunate soul to lose his home to the Uchiha.

...

Time flew by.

Winter passed, and as spring arrived, the entire shinobi world seemed to be thriving.

How wonderful it would be if this peaceful scene could last forever.

However,

Everyone knew the war wasn't over.

Except for the Mist Village, which had declared its withdrawal from the Fourth Great Ninja War, the ongoing conflict between the other four major villages and the Uchiha clan showed no signs of stopping.

The reason was simple.

As long as the Uchiha existed, the four major villages would never rest easy. The clan's Mangekyō Sharingan was the greatest threat to peace in the shinobi world.

Recently, intelligence from the major villages reported that the Uchiha were hiding in the Land of Rice Fields, seemingly plotting something.

In response, the leaders of the four major villages became restless. They dispatched reconnaissance ninja to infiltrate the Land of Rice Fields and gather information. Concurrently, the four Kage convened a video conference, preparing to form a new Shinobi Allied Forces.

Tensions were rising, a storm was brewing.

In the Sound Village, within the Land of Rice Fields,

After a winter of diligent research, the Uchiha clan, pooling their collective wisdom, had successfully assimilated and absorbed Orochimaru's research on the Reanimation Jutsu.

Now, it was time to put it to the test.

Underground Laboratory.

Members of the Uchiha Council gathered here. Even Dan and Tsunade left the Kamui dimension, specifically to witness this event.

A prisoner was brought in.

He looked up nervously, only to meet the cold gaze of multiple Sharingan eyes. Glancing down, he noticed he was standing at the center of a complex Reanimation Jutsu seal.

Despair washed over him. He pleaded with the Uchiha, but his struggles were in vain.

The Reanimation Jutsu required a living sacrifice to succeed.

The Sound Village prison held many shinobi, including some particularly heinous death row inmates.

Previously, the Uchiha had released the innocent. Those who remained were naturally the sacrifices.

Fugaku stepped forward from the crowd.

With a solemn expression, he formed the Tiger, Snake, Dog, and Dragon hand seals, finally clasping his hands together.

"Revive, Shisui!"

As Fugaku's deep voice echoed, a blinding light illuminated the room.

Dust swirled, covering the prisoner. His consciousness faded, his appearance transformed, and then—

A black-haired, button-nosed teenager, looking around fifteen or sixteen, stood before them.

Confusion marred Shisui's face.

It felt like he had awoken from a long slumber, his mind a jumble, unsure of his surroundings.

Only when he recognized familiar faces did memories stir, surprise evident on his face.

"Shisui, you're really back?"

Guruguru was the first to approach, poking and prodding Shisui in amazement.

"Guruguru, stop it," Shisui said, looking around at the Uchiha. "Where are we? Was the Uchiha coup successful? Is everyone okay?"

His questions poured out, all centered on concern for his clan.

He didn't mention Konoha.

It's true what they say.

Only in the face of death can one truly understand oneself.

Through his death, Shisui realized his arrogance and folly, and saw the hypocrisy of Konoha's leadership.

He no longer saw reconciling the clan and village as his mission, nor did he see himself as Konoha's savior.

Now, through the Reanimation Jutsu, he had a second chance at life.

Hearing Shisui's questions, the Uchiha exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

"Everyone... what's going on?"

Itachi approached with a smile, recounting everything that had happened after Shisui's death.

From the Uchiha's break with Konoha and departure, to the outbreak of the Fourth Great Ninja War and Konoha's fall, to the formation of the Shinobi Allied Forces against the Uchiha, who had them on the run...

Tetsuhi approached, patting Shisui's shoulder, "You missed a lot."

Shisui was stunned, taking a while to process everything.

Finally, he turned to Dan, "Dan, I..."

Facing Dan, Shisui had much to say, but gratitude was foremost.

He was grateful to Dan for saving the Uchiha, ensuring their survival in the brutal war, and for helping him see his true self.

Dan simply gave a knowing look and walked away.

Itachi pulled Shisui aside, "Shisui, stretch your legs. It might take some time to get used to the Reanimation Jutsu."

"Alright."

Soon, they arrived at a training ground the Uchiha had set up above ground.

Shisui's sparring partner was Itachi.

The two engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat, their speed blinding.

However, Shisui's movements were stiffer compared to Itachi's. He was often a beat slower, gradually being overpowered.

During their spar, Itachi swiftly swung his blade.

In an instant, Shisui's arm was severed.

Yet, to Shisui's surprise, he felt no pain.

Moreover, before he could retrieve his severed limb, it turned to dust and reformed on his body.

Is this the immortality granted by the Reanimation Jutsu?

Such an incredible power.

Chapter 223: Revive, Shisui!