NARUTO- CH-139. The Rebellious Uchiha

"Hanabi?"

Tsunade was a little confused. "So, you chose Hinata as your successor?"

Since Hinata had already been decided, why was Hanabi even born?

That night, an impulsive mistake?

"Yes," Hiashi said helplessly.

He didn't expect that Hinata would change so much in just a few months.

Not just her personality, but her strength and appetite had grown to astonishing levels.

Compared to her sister, she truly stood out.

But this also meant Hanabi could not escape the fate of the caged bird.

Hiashi didn't want Hanabi to go through what Hizashi had suffered.

"That's fine," Tsunade agreed.

The rules of the Hyuga clan didn't apply to her as Hokage.

How dare those old guys challenge her authority?

"Thank you," Hiashi breathed a sigh of relief.

"That settles it."

Tsunade stood up and left, wasting no time heading to the Nara clan.

The head of the Nara clan, Shikaku, was well-known.

The Nara weren't famous for flashy techniques but for their intelligence.

Their intellect made them invaluable to the Hokage's think tank.

Additionally, their clan specialized in medicinal herbs, particularly deer antlers.

Tsunade often worked with Shikaku while establishing the medical ninja system.

He was far more agreeable than Hiashi.

By noon, Shiki and his classmates had gathered again, sharing their bentos.

Uchiha Sasuke, however, remained an exception.

As a proud Uchiha, he never joined in such trivialities.

But today, something seemed different.

After some hesitation, Sasuke gritted his teeth, grabbed a lunchbox, and walked over to Shiki.

"This is for you," Sasuke said indifferently. "My mother made it for you."

Shiki opened the lunchbox curiously, revealing a luxurious spread: beef, tuna, abalone, scallops, and more—high-quality ingredients.

Sasuke was stunned.

What was going on? Why was this lunchbox better than what he usually ate?

Earlier that morning, Mikoto had handed him the box, saying it was for Shiki.

He hadn't bothered to check its contents.

"Sasuke, your mom is amazing!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Of course," Sasuke replied instinctively, lifting his chin slightly in pride.

Shiki, however, seemed lost in thought.

Was this a bribe?

It didn't seem likely that Itachi had told Mikoto anything.

Perhaps she was simply trying to find a way to support Sasuke?

"Let's eat together," Shiki said with a smile.

"This is delicious!" Ino exclaimed after tasting a piece of beef. "Your mom's cooking is incredible!"

Sasuke couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

For all his aloofness, he wasn't immune to praise—especially when it concerned his family.

______

It was another peaceful day in Konoha.

A month had passed since Tsunade and Itachi came to their agreement.

Between school, practice, and his daily routine, Shiki's life had settled into quiet monotony.

On Sunday morning, as the first light broke over the village, Itachi arrived at the old Senju residence.

"Tsunade," Itachi greeted, handing her a list. "This is the elite team that will attack Root tonight."

Tsunade glanced at the list and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The first name was Fugaku.

Truly… a loving father and filial son.

From the perspective of the village, Tsunade favored Itachi's ideology.

But as a person, she found such people terrifying.

"The Uchiha clan's strength runs deep," Tsunade remarked after reading the list.

There were ten names, all of them jonin.

She recognized every one of them.

However, their fates had already been sealed.

"Can you handle them?" Tsunade asked.

No matter how the fight with Root unfolded, Itachi would have to take these Uchiha out of the village.

But would they even agree?

Force would be needed to suppress them.

"I've activated my Mangekyō Sharingan," Itachi said calmly.

"What?"

Tsunade couldn't hide her shock.

Another Mangekyō Sharingan?

First Shisui, and now Itachi.

This generation of Uchiha was far too powerful.

Yet, ironically, both wielders of the Mangekyō had chosen to stand with Konoha.

It was a bitter irony. Both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Fugaku had wasted incredible potential.

"Don't worry, I can manage it alone," Itachi assured her.

Tsunade handed the list back to him. "Do you have any other requests?"

"I'd like to see Sasuke before I go," Itachi said without hesitation.

"That's fair," Tsunade replied.

She assumed the brothers simply wanted to say goodbye, a natural expression of familial bonds.

Only Shiki suspected Itachi's true intentions:

To push Sasuke to awaken his Sharingan and set his life's path.

Shiki was curious to see how Itachi would proceed without the night of the massacre.

As for stopping him? There was no need.

This was all part of the performance.

The aftermath, however, might require Shiki's intervention—both to protect Sasuke and to further his own goals.

Meanwhile, Tsunade glanced at Shiki and added, "One Root member must be spared: Tone."

This, without a doubt, was a request from Shiki or the Aburame clan.

Tone, with his nano-poison insects, was one of Root's most lethal assets.

In the original timeline, even Obito had barely escaped him.

Though the Aburame clan had other formidable techniques, they still lacked the power to truly rise.

___________

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