*Konoha, Yamanaka Residence*
The comforting aroma of a home-cooked meal filled the air. Ino's mother smiled warmly at her husband, her voice laced with gentle concern.
"Eat up, dear. You must have suffered a lot over in the Land of Waves. Tell me, were they… harsh with you?"
Inoichi Yamanaka shook his head, reaching for a piece of tempura shrimp with his chopsticks.
"No, not at all. The guards were surprisingly reasonable. Honestly, the food there wasn't half bad either."
"Really?" his wife replied, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "So Ino wasn't just trying to spare my feelings when she said that?"
Hearing his daughter's name, Inoichi's expression grew thoughtful. "Speaking of which, where is Ino?"
"Down at the flower shop. She should be back any minute now…"
Pat-pat-pat.
Right on cue, the sound of light, quick footsteps echoed from the entryway. Ino bounded into the room, her ponytail swishing. "Hey! Old man, congrats on getting out of jail!"
"Ino! Your father is not a prisoner!" her mother scolded, though her tone was more exasperated than angry.
"Noriko, could you give us a moment?" Inoichi took a breath and said softly, "There's something I need to discuss with Ino."
She paused, then nodded. "Alright, I'll go to buy groceries."
Once Noriko had left the house, Inoichi's expression turned serious. "Ino, you probably know why I want to talk to you, right?"
"Is it about Yuto-kun?" Ino asked, folding her hands neatly in her lap and sitting up straight, meeting his gaze directly. "You went to see Shikamaru first thing after getting back to the village, didn't you, Father?"
Inoichi's face instantly changed, his brow furrowing. "How did you know that?"
"I saw it in your eyes," Ino replied with a slight smile.
"What?" Inoichi stared, disbelief written all over his face. "You're…"
"An improved version of the Mind Body Transmission jutsu. It allows me to read memories through eye contact." Ino blinked, chuckling softly. "Of course, there are limitations. First, the target's mental energy can't be higher than the reader's. Second, the memory accessed must be from a specific, fixed timeframe."
"An improved version?" Inoichi gasped.
"Just like you're thinking," Ino confirmed, her voice softening. "Yuto-kun taught me."
"You… and Shikamaru…" Inoichi's voice was heavy with dawning realization. "You've both… chosen your path?"
"Yes, Father. Sooner or later, we will become part of the Land of Waves. This is our own decision."
Inoichi looked into his daughter's determined eyes, a complex mix of pride, fear, and helplessness washing over him. He opened his mouth to reply, but the words were stolen by a sudden, thunderous…
BOOM. CRRRRUMP.
A series of massive explosions rocked the very foundations of the house, interrupting them.
—
*Konoha's Back Mountain*
"What's going on?"
By the time Inoichi arrived, a large crowd of Konoha shinobi had already gathered. At the front, Kakashi and Might Guy had set up a barrier.
"Don't worry, it's just Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi collecting experimental data," Kakashi explained, waving a hand dismissively.
KABOOM!
Another massive explosion rang out as he spoke.
The ground shook, and a huge plume of dust billowed into the sky in the distance.
"Just collecting data?" Inoichi and the others inhaled sharply.
If they didn't know better, they'd think the Land of Waves was launching an attack! This is way over the top!
"To avoid any… accidental injuries, it's best if everyone maintains a safe distance," Kakashi said with a long-suffering sigh.
WHOOSH—THUD!
A figure plummeted from the sky and crashed into the ground.
Orochimaru lay in a crater, most of his body already covered in a white, bone-like substance.
Step. Step. Step.
Uchiha Itachi emerged from behind a rock face, his clothes pristine, completely unharmed.
"Heh heh heh, truly terrifying!" Orochimaru struggled to his feet from the crater, a grin stretching across his face. "So this is the power of a perfect Hollow"
"You've finished collecting the data, haven't you, Orochimaru?" Itachi's voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.
"Apologies, are you bored?" Orochimaru chuckled softly. "But unfortunately, we're only about halfway done."
As he spoke, Orochimaru raised his arms and began forming hand signs.
"Hmm?"
Itachi's expression shifted slightly, sensing something unusual.
Edo Tensei no jutsu! (Impure World Reincarnation)
POOF.
Several ornate coffins erupted from the ground. The lids slid open, and legendary figures stepped out into the light.
The Second Tsuchikage, Mū. The Third Raikage, A. The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki. And the white-haired Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju…
"Gentlemen, I assume no further explanation is needed?" Orochimaru smiled, looking at the help he had summoned.
"So, this is your first completed product? An Uchiha?" Tobirama Senju stroked his chin, frowning.
"Remarkable. Such presence," Gengetsu Hōzuki twirled his moustache, smiling. "To make someone dead for so long feel a shiver of fear… impressive."
"Hmph! Enough talk!" the Third Raikage, A, barked, his body instantly sheathed in crackling lightning. "Let this old man test what this so-called 'Hollowfication' is all about!"
He became a blur, charging straight at Uchiha Itachi.
Hell Stab: Three-Finger Nukite!
It was his legendary technique, an attack famed for piercing through anything, even a Tailed Beast's hide.
Tap.
Yet, Uchiha Itachi merely raised a hand—casual, almost dismissive—and caught the Raikage's lightning-clad wrist. The devastating charge stopped dead.
The Third Raikage's pupils constricted in shock and disbelief.
If the other had dodged or blocked with equal force, he could understand! But to stop his charge dead by simply grabbing his wrist from the front…
You've got to be kidding me. Is this even humanly possible?
"Interesting," Gengetsu Hōzuki murmured, watching the Raikage's reaction. His interest piqued, he pointed a finger at Itachi and fired a high-pressure water bullet.
Itachi raised an eyebrow, smoothly tilting his head to avoid the water jet.
But it was a distraction. Unnoticed, the nearly invisible Mū had already flanked him.
Earth Style: Earth Rock Spears!
The ground around Itachi erupted violently, countless sharpened stone spears stabbing upward from every direction.
And in that same instant, Tobirama Senju made his move. He opened his mouth.
Water Style: Water Severing Wave!
A thin, devastatingly precise blade of water shot forth, slicing through the chaos of rock and dust, cleaving the entire rock face behind Itachi clean in two.
"Whoa there!" Gengetsu Hōzuki exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Isn't that a bit excessive, Lord Hokage? Are you trying to kill a shinobi from your own village?"
"If he can't handle an attack of this caliber," Tobirama retorted, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the dust cloud, "then he doesn't deserve to be called a being that transcends this era."
The dust slowly settled.
Uchiha Itachi stood in the exact same spot, completely untouched. Not a scratch, not a smudge of dirt on his cloak.
"This… this has to be a joke, right?" Gengetsu Hōzuki said, unable to believe his eyes.
"Are our jutsu completely ineffective against this guy?" Mū also stared, wide-eyed.
"Truly astonishing!" Orochimaru grinned, his face full of awe. "Now this is the kind of data worth recording!"
"Let me add a little bonus, Orochimaru," Itachi said, his eyes now shifting to a crimson red, his voice cold and detached.
"What?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.
"You've always wanted to know, haven't you? What true Hollowfication really is." Itachi lightly touched his face with one hand and pulled downward.
HUM.
A milky-white, black-striped bone mask materialized and clamped over his face. The spiritual pressure leaking out formed into raging, visible gusts of wind.
A tremor, involuntary and primal, ran through every single shinobi there—even the unflappable Tobirama Senju.
"Lord Orochimaru, it's terrible!" Just then, an ANBU ninja burst through the barrier line, shouting. "The specimens from our experimental lab… they've all escaped!"
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