Chapter 230: Declaration of War!

The Land of Tea, a peninsula nation on the fringe of the shinobi world.

Its remote location coupled with picturesque natural scenery makes it a desirable haven.

A tranquil river meanders through the forest, beside which stands a humble cabin.

In the clearing before the cabin.

Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram—Summoning Jutsu!

With a solemn face, Naruto completes the hand seals, presses his palm to the ground, and with a "poof," a cloud of smoke appears.

However.

As the smoke clears, Naruto is stunned to find that he has summoned nothing.

A dud.

"Heh," Gaara, standing not far off with arms crossed against a tree trunk, scoffs coldly.

Fū, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle, steps forward, patting Naruto on the shoulder, "Don't lose heart, you'll get it next time."

Hearing this, Naruto scratches the back of his head, muttering a complaint, "It's all Kurama's fault, always messing with my chakra. Otherwise, I'd have mastered the Summoning Jutsu by now."

Ever since the transplant of the Rinnegan, the Nine-Tails within Naruto has become more active than before, always causing a ruckus during his training, seemingly resentful of his growing strength.

Konan-sensei explained that Kurama acts out of fear.

After all, once Naruto masters the power of the Rinnegan, he can control Kurama at will, forcing it to obey.

Naruto tried to communicate with Kurama, hoping to establish a cooperative relationship, but the proud beast has always ignored him.

In fact.

Not just Naruto, Gaara and Fū, also being Jinchūriki, face similar challenges.

Becoming a proficient Jinchūriki has never been easy; it demands a great deal of time and effort.

"Naruto-kun, take a break,"

Karen jogs over, bringing a towel and water, shyly handing them to Naruto.

"Thank you, Karen."

Naruto beams, flashing a row of pearly whites, but his face quickly turns serious, "I need to master the Six Paths techniques as soon as possible, become stronger, and reclaim justice for the Uzumaki clan on behalf of Konoha!"

He then glances at Karen's arm.

Despite Konan-sensei's meticulous care and treatment, the bite marks on Karen haven't completely faded, a ghastly sight.

It was only after leaving Konoha that Naruto realized.

He had been living in a web of lies spun by others. Thanks to Konan-sensei revealing the truth, he was no longer deceived.

During this half-year of fugitive life.

Having gone through so much and witnessing the harsh realities of the shinobi world, Naruto gradually understood Pain and the Akatsuki's motives.

Konoha was undoubtedly culpable for the Uzumaki clan's demise.

As allies, the Uzumaki clan had always provided Konoha with Jinchūriki for the Nine-Tails and shared numerous sealing techniques.

Yet Konoha, despite proclaiming the Uzumaki as their most important allies and even imprinting the Uzumaki emblem on Konoha-nin uniforms, proved to be nothing but a show of false allegiance.

When the Uzumaki clan was besieged by other villages, Konoha stood by idly as Uzushiogakure was obliterated overnight.

If it was during the Second Great Ninja War, and Konoha was too embroiled to lend aid, that could be understood.

But post-war, as victors, why didn't Konoha send ninjas to search for the surviving Uzumaki and extend a helping hand?

The truth is.

Konoha's relationship with the Uzumaki was purely deceitful and exploitative, a case of eating the flesh and discarding the bones.

Naruto himself was a prime example; despite his parents' heroic sacrifice for the village, as the son of heroes, he was manipulated by the Third Hokage, leading a lonely and pitiful life from childhood;

Pain's parents fled to Amegakure, yet couldn't escape fate, killed by Konoha-nin during the war, leaving him alone. Later, after founding the Akatsuki, he was schemed against by Danzō of Konoha, losing his dear friend Yahiko, and becoming disabled;

And Karen, she and her mother wandered the shinobi world, enduring countless humiliations and torments.

Such was the fate of the Uzumaki clan.

Having Konoha as a so-called ally led not only to the annihilation of their nation but also to the exploitation and slaughter of the few survivors.

In this light.

Was Pain wrong in wanting Konoha to experience pain?

Therefore.

Naruto decided to inherit Pain's dream, rebuild the Akatsuki, and bide his time until he amassed enough power to exact revenge on Konoha.

With this thought.

Young Naruto's eyes blaze with resolve, his fists clenched tightly.

To the north, in the Mountain Graveyard.

A remote location, almost cut off from the world, making it hard for enemies to discover.

Moreover, the battle at Uzushiogakure six months ago, where Konan deployed three hundred billion explosive tags, inflicted severe losses on the major villages, costing them over a hundred elite jōnin, forcing them to recuperate.

They were powerless to pursue the Uchiha clan any further.

Thus, the Uchiha clan lived peacefully here for half a year, quietly amassing strength.

On a flat stretch halfway up the mountain, converted into a training ground.

Two figures, one tall and one short, arrive early in the morning to practice ninjutsu.

It was Kakashi and the recently turned seven-year-old Sasuke.

Swish swish.

Sasuke swiftly formed hand seals, then bent down, grabbing his right wrist with his left hand, forming a stable structure.

The next second.

Chirp chirp chirp.

With the sound of a thousand birds chirping, a large amount of lightning chakra gathered in his palm, forming a high-intensity current, bursting with dazzling lightning.

Then, Sasuke shot out with a whoosh, a trail of white light and lightning, grand in momentum.

Boom.

He struck a dummy in the training field, the lightning chakra spreading throughout the dummy, charring its surface.

"The power isn't focused enough, and there's a deviation in the attack range."

Kakashi, not far away, saw this and muttered to himself, identifying Sasuke's problem at a glance.

The technique Sasuke just used was called Lightning Release: Chidori, a jutsu Kakashi created in his youth.

It embodies both the nature and shape transformation of chakra. Sasuke evidently achieved the former but failed to control the latter, resulting in the technique not manifesting its full power.

Otherwise, the dummy should have been shattered, not just charred.

Moreover, the weakness of Chidori is that it requires rushing towards the opponent during the attack, which could lead to missing the enemy due to high speed, and getting counterattacked.

To perfectly execute this jutsu, one must pair it with the dynamic vision of the Sharingan.

Unfortunately, Sasuke didn't activate his Sharingan, perhaps due to his young age or lack of a suitable catalyst.

In short.

It was flashy but ineffective, that was Sasuke's Chidori at the moment.

"Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke, feeling good about himself, excitedly ran over, eagerly asking Kakashi, "How did I do?"

A few months ago, during a test, Sasuke demonstrated excellent aptitude for Lightning Release.

Considering there weren't any notable Lightning Release ninjas in the Uchiha clan, and Kakashi's Lightning Release was already famous in the ninja world, Fugaku asked Kakashi to become Sasuke's ninjutsu teacher.

Seeing Sasuke's expectant face, Kakashi didn't want to dampen his disciple's enthusiasm, so he smiled and praised, albeit insincerely:

"Sasuke is a genius indeed, with a solid foundation, so he learns quickly. Mastering Chidori in less than half a year, he's much better than his teacher here."

Anyone familiar with Kakashi would know he was being sarcastic.

After all, Kakashi graduated from the ninja academy at age 5, became a chunin at 6, and by Sasuke's age, had killed countless enemies on the battlefield.

Sasuke indeed had some talent, but compared to his brother Itachi and Kakashi, the real geniuses, the gap was glaringly obvious.

Of course.

Naive Sasuke couldn't discern Kakashi's insincere praise, and thought he was truly remarkable, displaying a smug expression.

Hmph.

He secretly vowed to surpass that detestable woman—Uchiha Izumi, and reclaim his brother from her.

Just then.

A powerful oppressive aura suddenly emanated from behind Sasuke, making his small frame shiver, his nerves tightening.

It felt like being targeted by a bloodthirsty fierce tiger.

Then, Sasuke swallowed hard, stiffly turned around, and shouted:

"Uncle."

It was Uchiha Dan.

Not just Sasuke, Kakashi too felt startled.

For the past six months, Dan had been reclusive, rarely showing himself, reportedly practicing mysterious Senjutsu.

Now, without intentionally exuding his aura, just the inadvertent leakage of his presence made ordinary people tremble with fear, their bodies shaking uncontrollably.

This was terrifying.

It was hard to imagine how powerful he had become.

"It's Sasuke, huh? So diligent."

Dan approached, extending his hand to pat his little nephew's head.

Over the past year.

The Uchiha clan had gone through many tribulations, but Sasuke had always been well-protected, like a flower in a greenhouse.

Compared to the original timeline, Sasuke hadn't experienced the night of the clan's annihilation, so his personality hadn't twisted, remaining naive, lively, and sunny.

On the contrary, Naruto, after following Konan, had probably darkened.

In other words.

Compared to the original timeline, Sasuke and Naruto's personalities at this age had completely switched.

Interesting.

Dan estimated that Sasuke's current strength had probably fallen significantly behind Naruto's, and this gap would further widen in the foreseeable future.

If one day, the two crossed paths again, Sasuke would likely be trounced by Naruto, right?

Thinking of this, Dan revealed a mysterious smile, leaving a sentence for Kakashi and his disciple Sasuke:

"I'm just passing by, won't disturb you further, carry on."

With that, he drifted away.

As he left, his steps were graceful, his robust frame seemed weightless, lighter than a feather.

He resembled a sage devoid of any worldly taint.

After a stroll outside, Dan leisurely returned home.

Samui, with her bulging belly, was being assisted by Mikoto as they strolled in the yard, both women chatting and laughing.

Next month was her due date.

"Dan, congratulations, you're going to be a father," Fugaku approached, offering his congratulations with a smile.

The child of Dan and Samui was the first to be born in the Uchiha clan since their departure from Konoha this year, holding extraordinary significance for the entire clan.

It was a joyous occasion worthy of clan-wide celebration.

Observing the joyful expressions of the two women, Dan remarked softly:

"Samui's wish is for this child to live in a peaceful era."

Fugaku paused, understanding the deeper meaning in Dan's words, and then inquired, "Dan, what do you plan to do?"

"Brother-in-law, let's declare war on the entire ninja world. It's time to end this war."

Dan calmly uttered these words, as if merely discussing lunch plans with Fugaku.

"Dan, have you mastered the Senjutsu...?"

Fugaku's face lit up with joy. The 'end' Dan referred to surely meant victory, not defeat.

In other words, Dan was ready.

Indeed.

"Yes, it's a good opportunity to test the results of my training against the Shinobi Allied Forces," Dan said with a slight smile.

"Alright, I understand."

Fugaku's eyes sparkled. In fact, the clan members were also prepared, awaiting Dan's command.

Now, the Uchiha clan could finally act without restraint, ready for a big fight.

With an excited heart, Fugaku left to inform the clan members.

As Samui and Mikoto greeted him with smiles, Dan approached the two women, then squatted down, placing his face against Samui's belly, listening intently.

The little one inside was quite lively, seemingly eager to start training right from the womb.

Hmm, definitely a promising fitness enthusiast in the future.

Dan revealed a contented smile.

Meanwhile.

In the Leaf Village, within the Hokage's office.

A remote video conference involving the Kage from various villages was underway.

Over the past half year or so, to deal with common threats in the ninja world, such as the Uchiha clan, remnants of the Akatsuki represented by Konan, and the exiled government of Konoha, an intelligence-sharing mechanism was established among the five major ninja villages, excluding the neutral Mist Village, casting a vast intelligence net across the entire ninja world.

However, so far, the results had been minimal.

The enemies of the ninja world seemed to be elusive, hiding away, leaving the higher-ups of the four major ninja villages restless.

Finally.

"We've located the Uchiha clan."

Tsunade pointed at the ninja world map in front of her, marking a large red cross deep in the uninhabited peninsula to the north.

The Uchiha clan was hiding in the primal forest there.

"What are we waiting for? This is our chance. Before the Uchiha react, let's mobilize our forces, surround the peninsula, and exterminate them!"

The Fourth Raikage was as impatient as ever, brimming with zeal for war.

The Two-Tails Jinchuriki from the Cloud Village was still in the hands of the Uchiha clan; for the Raikage, rescuing Yugito was a must.

Chiyo frowned, hesitating:

"What if the Uchiha resort to guerrilla tactics like last time?"

She hadn't forgotten how the Uchiha had outplayed the Shinobi Allied Forces in their last encounter, with the Sand Village suffering the most, even losing their homeland.

Many Sand ninjas were left with severe psychological scars.

If such a situation were to occur again, the Sand Village wouldn't be able to withstand it.

"That's a concern. We need a long-term plan, can't act rashly."

Shikaku Nara voiced his agreement in a grave tone.

Just then.

An Anbu hurried into the Hokage's office, whispering something into Danzo's ear, causing him to stand up abruptly, his face filled with astonishment.

"What happened?"

The other Kage inquired in unison, sensing something significant had occurred.

Danzo took a deep breath, then slowly said:

"The Uchiha clan has declared war on us."