"No... It's impossible! How could it come to this?"
Fugaku Uchiha stared at the severed head of Hiruzen Sarutobi tumbling across the ground, muttering incoherently as if he had gone mad.
The future he once foresaw was never meant to unfold like this!
"The reality is already before your eyes. Still unwilling to admit your mistake?"
"Behold the man you once groveled before like a dog. Now he's not only dead, but forever disgraced."
"And we, the Uchiha, are rising to the pinnacle of power, ruling over all of Konoha!"
Hearing Mirai Uchiha's words, Fugaku Uchiha suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was dead. Danzo Shimura was dead. Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were also dead.
Under Mirai Uchiha's leadership, not only did the Uchiha Clan avoid being branded as traitors to the village, they actually carried out the annihilation of the entire Shimura Clan, Mito Gate Clan, and Tenkin Clan...
All those who once cast a shadow over him had now been disgraced, branded as symbols of shame for Konoha itself...
How did things spiral so far out of control?
How did Mirai Uchiha gain such overwhelming power?
Fugaku couldn't wrap his mind around it at all.
The way the Uchiha crushed the Hokage's faction felt disturbingly effortless.
"Master."
Just as Fugaku stood lost in thought, a familiar voice pulled him back to reality.
He lifted his gaze and immediately saw none other than Mikoto herself walking toward him, dressed in elegant black attire.
Seeing his wife, whom he hadn't seen in ages, Fugaku instinctively smiled.
But that smile vanished just as quickly.
If he wasn't mistaken… she had just called him "master"?
As if to confirm his suspicion, Mikoto Uchiha walked behind Mirai Uchiha and gently draped the cloak she held over his shoulders.
She said gently, "Master, it's getting chilly outside. Don't catch a cold."
Mirai Uchiha pinched Mikoto Uchiha's cheek affectionately and nodded with a smile.
Witnessing their intimate interaction — especially hearing Mikoto call Mirai 'Master' — sent a sharp pain through Fugaku's chest.
"Mikoto, why are you doing this? Was it that bastard forcing you into it?"
"As the wife of a clan leader, you should die before enduring such disgrace! How could you call him 'Master'?!"
Upon hearing Fugaku's accusation, Mikoto let out a disdainful snort. "Who told you I was forced? All of this was my choice."
Fugaku involuntarily took a step back, stunned. "Your choice?!"
"How could you sink so low?"
"What do you think Itachi and Sasuke will say when they hear of this?"
"What will others think of us?"
Mikoto rarely showed anger on her face, but now she clenched her teeth and said, "It was our Master who saved the Uchiha clan. I've never felt ashamed serving as our Master's maid."
"On the contrary...it was the identity of being your wife that made me feel humiliated!"
"As for Itachi and Sasuke, they take pride in being able to personally serve our Master, and are ashamed of carrying your blood."
"They cut you out of their lives a long time ago. You don't deserve to be their father."
An unexpected wave of accusations from Mikoto left Fugaku Uchiha completely unprepared.
He could tolerate others cursing or blaming him, but now even his own wife and children were ashamed of him...
For a man, this was the ultimate humiliation!
"Meiqin, there's no need to say more to someone like this. You only need to satisfy me."
"Yes, Master."
Mirai Uchiha scooped up Mikoto and vanished instantly using the [Shifting Body Technique].
Before leaving, the look in Mikoto's eyes was almost intoxicating—Fugaku Uchiha knew exactly what they were about to do.
But there was nothing he could do about it.
Dirt began to fall from his body as the [Impure World Reincarnation] dissolved.
Fugaku Uchiha closed his eyes in humiliation as tears of regret streamed down his face.
If he had tried harder to get along with Mirai back then, would he still have ended up like this?
A gentle breeze blew by, scattering what remained of the traces of the [Impure World Reincarnation].
Several Puppet: Corpse Crows flapped their wings and flew into the sky.
"Caw! Caw! Caw..."
The Puppet: Corpse Crows outside the window annoyed Tsunade, making her pour herself another drink and down it in one gulp.
Strange, why did she feel so uneasy today?
Just as Tsunade was feeling confused, the room door opened.
A short-haired woman holding a pink little pig squatted down opposite Tsunade.
The woman slightly frowned, "Lady Tsunade, why are you drinking in the middle of the day?"
Tsunade grinned carelessly, "Shizune, anything wrong?"
Shizune immediately poured out all her troubles at once, "We've already spent our last coin. The gambling casinos we owe money to are chasing us for payment. The inn owner says we have at most three days to prepare the lodging fee..."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, gazing hazily at Tonton in Shizune's arms. "Tonton's nearly human-like. Selling him could fetch quite a sum."
Startled, the little pig jumped while Shizune quickly held it tightly, "Lady Tsunade, absolutely no way you're taking Tonton away!"
Tsunade threw her head back and laughed loudly, "Just kidding. No need to take it seriously."
"If we can't stay here anymore, we'll just find somewhere else. That's how we always did it before."
Shizune said helplessly, "But even if we leave the Land of Hot Water, there aren't many places left for us to go."
"You've left quite a bit of unfinished business across the ninja world over the years..."
"Let's go to Konoha," Tsunade interrupted Shizune's murmuring.
"Go to Konoha..." Shizune repeated softly, then suddenly realized what she meant.
Her eyes widened in shock. "What?!"
"Tsunade-sama... are you serious?"
Shizune knew at least something about why Tsunade had left Konoha.
For Tsunade, that place was filled with painful memories. In the past, whenever the topic of Konoha came up, sometimes Tsunade would even reveal a faint killing intent.
Even Jiraiya had specially come looking for them and warned them that he'd never let them get away with doing anything harmful to Konoha...
Yet now, Tsunade actually wanted to go back herself?
What on earth was going on!
Tsunade grabbed the sake jug from the table and downed it in one gulp, her gaze hardening.
"I need to visit Konoha to pay my respects to our teacher. And I want to see exactly what kind of person could make our teacher end up like that..."
Deep within Konoha's dense forest,
Orochimaru slammed both hands onto the earth. "[Impure World Reincarnation]!"
Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju were summoned once again through Summoning Jutsu.
The two looked at Orochimaru in confusion.
"Orochimaru, what trouble are you causing this time?"
Orochimaru grinned while flicking out his tongue. "Please be patient for a moment, the person you're here to see will arrive shortly."
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