Chapter 227 – Why is He Here!?
"Itachi?"
Uchiha Itachi's face tightened. Across from him, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto wore only confusion.
Moments earlier, freshly resurrected by Edo Tensei, their instincts had driven them to attack—but they had no idea what was happening.
Only after recognizing the target of their strikes did they realize something was wrong. And then… they saw someone else.
"You're… Sasuke?!"
"…It's been a long time, Father. Mother."
Sasuke's expression was complicated. Gen had told him that he would summon their parents—but Sasuke never thought it would happen so soon.
Though he knew Gen's intentions weren't pure, seeing his parents again stirred a whirl of emotions—bitterness, relief, joy.
But above all… his eyes turned cold as they landed on Uchiha Itachi—their murderer. That made everything better.
"Sasuke? You've grown so much…"
Mikoto blinked in disbelief, shifting her gaze between Sasuke and Itachi. For a moment she seemed lost, as if caught between dream and reality.
"But… weren't we dead? Why…?"
"This is a Konoha technique," a voice interrupted smoothly, "it can call back souls from the Pure Land—though not without cost."
The speaker's words made Itachi stiffen visibly. Sasuke pursed his lips but immediately stood straighter, face full of respect.
"You are—?"
Fugaku and Mikoto looked up. On a nearby rooftop stood a white-haired figure, watching with a faint, amused smile.
The man made Fugaku frown. Instinct screamed danger—yet also, disturbingly, submission.
"Father, Mother," Sasuke explained, "this is my jōnin instructor. Under his guidance, I became a true shinobi. Under his guidance, I killed Uchiha Itachi. He is also the future Fifth Hokage—Kitagawa Gen-senpai."
"…Itachi is dead?"
Mikoto's eyes widened in disbelief. Fugaku's face darkened with uncertainty.
"The… future Fifth Hokage?"
"The Hokage title isn't official yet," Gen said lightly, waving it off with a smile. His eyes gleamed as he regarded the reunited family.
"As for killing Itachi—that was your own strength, Sasuke. That victory is yours to share with your family."
"Victory…"
Fugaku and Mikoto both faltered. Their elder son, killed by their younger. Was that… a cause for celebration?
Itachi's expression twisted with pain. Edo Tensei was already torment enough—yet now, even his parents had been resurrected… to be used against him.
"Yes, Father. Mother!" Sasuke's voice shook with excitement. "I killed him! I avenged the clan! I finally did it!"
"To kill Itachi, to avenge the clan…" Fugaku muttered, unsure what to say. But before he could continue, Sasuke's fury blazed again.
"He butchered the entire clan—he even killed you! His crimes can never be forgiven. If I can't give the whole clan vengeance, then at least you can!"
Sasuke drew his blade. Violet chakra flared violently, forming ribs of a skeletal Susanoo around him.
"This time, I won't let that monster escape!"
"…Sasuke."
Mikoto tried to speak, but Fugaku shook his head. His eyes, once clouded, were suddenly clear.
"Susanoo…? So, you've reached this stage already, Sasuke?"
He looked at Itachi, his gaze complicated but calm.
"It seems this battle is unavoidable. Sasuke—show me your growth."
"Yes, Father!" Sasuke's eyes lit with long-suppressed longing. For years he had craved recognition from Fugaku. At last, he would earn it.
Mikoto sighed softly, unable to stop what was coming.
"…Father. Mother…"
Itachi stood in silence, suffocated by dread. Of all things, he had never wanted this—to fight not only Sasuke, but their parents too.
"Sasuke." Itachi's voice was hoarse.
But Sasuke's Mangekyō blazed coldly. "No more excuses. Father and Mother will judge you. The clan's souls will witness your disgrace. And I—"
In a flash, Sasuke surged forward, his blade gleaming as it cut through the night.
"—I'll finally test the power of my new eyes!"
Fugaku followed, his expression grim. Even Mikoto, caught in the momentum, had no choice but to move with them.
From above, Gen smiled faintly. "Yes… a family should stay together. Otherwise, how can one call it a reunion?"
He made no move to interfere—though quietly, he adjusted the Edo Tensei bindings, making sure none of them spoke words that should not be spoken.
To his surprise, none of them even tried.
"…Better this way. I can turn my attention elsewhere."
His eyes flicked toward the distance.
"The other me should be ready by now. The Ōtsutsuki from the moon… I'll erase them all. No loose ends."
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Hyūga compound, another clash raged.
"Damn you, Danzō! Again?!"
Hiruzen's face twisted with grief and rage as he squared off against his old comrade—now nothing but a puppet of Orochimaru.
"Monkey… this time, I won't hold back!"
Not far away, Jiraiya cursed as he battled against Sasori and others.
"Even in death you don't stay quiet? Orochimaru—where is he? He's the one pulling your strings. And what of Uchiha Obito?"
Kakashi's voice cut in, sharp. Naruto clenched his fists, brows furrowing. They too wanted answers.
"Hmph. If you want him… find him yourselves."
Kakuzu scoffed, shaking his head with disdain. Kurosuki Raiga, on the other hand, spoke coldly.
"Don't bother trying to sow discord. I hate it too, but do I have a choice?"
"Sure, I'd love nothing more than to kill that rotten snake myself," he sneered, "but right now, he's too useful against you Konoha types."
Sasori's voice was equally frigid. His puppets had already filled the sky like a dark cloud.
"Especially since I've always despised you Leaf shinobi!"
Boom!
Without another word, the Edo Tensei reanimated of Akatsuki attacked in unison. The thunder of their strikes shook the ground. Death meant nothing to them—this battlefield was perfect.
Jiraiya and the others immediately countered, clashing headlong into the storm. The compound erupted into chaos.
Amidst the confusion, an old man slipped silently into the Hyūga rear lines. His pale Byakugan eyes scanned relentlessly until they landed on their target.
"At last… I've found you. The White-Eyed Princess."
Excitement gleamed in his gaze. What thrilled him even more was that he sensed another girl—her Byakugan even purer than the first.
"…Two of them? Impossible… no, this is perfect. Toneri's future is secured."
Unlike the other Moon Elders, he had always fretted over their bloodline's survival. He feared that if he took the White-Eyed Princess's eyes, it might harm Toneri's destiny. But now, with two candidates, his worries were gone.
With that thought, he lunged forward. The surrounding Hyūga shinobi immediately noticed his presence.
"You—!"
The sight of his Byakugan stunned them for an instant. That hesitation proved fatal.
Crash!
The old man didn't hold back. His fists struck their chests like hammers.
Crack!
Bones shattered. Several Hyūga collapsed lifelessly in a heartbeat.
"Damn it!"
Only Neji reacted in time. His eyes widened as the elder surged toward Hinata and young Hanabi. He grit his teeth and threw himself in front of them, chakra flaring as he dropped into the stance of the Eight Trigrams Palm.
"How naïve."
The elder's disdain was chilling. His fist shot forward, aimed at Neji—but his killing intent was locked firmly on Hinata and Hanabi.
Even without the blow landing, the pressure was suffocating. To Neji, it felt as though he faced some primeval beast.
"Be careful!"
Hinata cried out, clutching Hanabi tightly in her arms.
But the elder's strike never slowed. His fist barreled down toward Neji—
—and then a short blade came spinning through the air.
BOOM!
The explosion that followed shook the Hyūga compound. Houses swayed and rubble rained as the elder was blasted backwards, slamming into a wall with bone-rattling force. Smoke and dust billowed skyward.
Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi stared in shock, realizing only then that they had been whisked to safety.
"Are you all unharmed?"
The calm voice drew their attention. A figure had appeared beside them as if from nowhere.
"Gen-senpai!"
Neji's eyes widened. Hinata's face lit with joy. In her arms, little Hanabi's gaze locked, wide-eyed, on Gen.
Not far away, the battered elder struggled to lift his head. His eyes fixed on Gen—and his face drained of all color.
"Impossible… impossible! How—how is he already here?!"
---