Infinite Anime [219-220] (Patreon)

Chapter 219: The Uchiha Clan Isn't Wiped Out Yet?

"Only four Anbu sent after me? I guess I've been underestimated."

Gusion smiled as he spoke. His Conqueror's Haki spread out, and the currents of the Raijin Fruit crackled like tree branches, colliding with the Anbu's jutsu in midair.

Amid the roar, towering trees toppled in swaths. The Conqueror's Haki stunned the Anbu for a split second—then Gusion's lightning burst through their jutsu.

All three Anbu, positioned around him, snapped to attention, quickly forming seals and unleashing their signature techniques.

"Fire Style: Scorching Burn!"

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Konoha's Anbu worked together with precision. Their attacks weren't reckless; the water-style user, in particular, built a barrier with water to conduct and redirect the lightning, absorbing its force and channeling it away.

The wind-style user relied on the logic that, in the Naruto universe, wind beats lightning. Using elemental advantage, he believed he could block Gusion's thunder.

The fire-style user, however, was more aggressive. The Scorching Burn technique didn't spew fire from the mouth but ignited the target directly—making it hard to dodge.

Believing his position was safe, he tried to injure Gusion first.

Their tactics were solid—but their target was no ordinary foe.

Gusion drew his Mazuko blade, slicing through the fire attack with a gust of wind, while his Raijin lightning punched right through the wind jutsu, striking the Anbu and charring him black.

They'd miscalculated: Gusion wasn't using chakra-based lightning techniques, but real thunder from his Devil Fruit powers. Elemental relationships based on chakra didn't apply.

In nature, wind can't block or disperse lightning.

A mistake meant death. The fire-style Anbu met the same fate: Gusion's lightning was far more flexible than ninjutsu, snaking around obstacles and blasting the target head-on.

In the Naruto world, most ninja have high offense but weak defense—like glass cannons. Even elite Anbu couldn't withstand Gusion's divine thunder and died instantly.

Only the water-style ninja had the insight to survive, using water to redirect and dissipate the lightning.

All of this happened in a split second. In the first exchange, two of the three Anbu were dead, and the third was struggling to fend off Gusion's casual lightning attacks—when suddenly, a figure dropped from the treetops above.

Beneath a cat-faced mask, eyes opened. The three tomoe swirled, transforming into a pinwheel.

The instant Gusion saw the scarlet Sharingan, the corner of his mouth curled up. He realized he may have run into a rare strong opponent.

At this point in the timeline, Anbu with Sharingan were rare. Combined with the opponent's composure and the evolved Sharingan, who could it be but Uchiha Itachi?

Itachi remained calm, unfazed by his teammates' deaths. He used a Body Replacement Technique to swap places with a spot above, then instantly appeared in Gusion's blind spot.

Immediately, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, knowing this so-called Calamity was even more terrifying than the legends—defeating two Anbu without breaking a sweat.

If he hesitated even a little, Itachi knew he'd die here.

The Mangekyo's pinwheel spun in his eyes—Genjutsu: Tsukuyomi!

After casting his eye technique, Itachi instantly felt his body weaken—using the Mangekyo consumed chakra and eye power. Gritting his teeth, he threw a kunai at Gusion's throat with his left hand and slashed at Gusion's neck with his ninja blade in his right.

Clang—

The crisp sound of metal echoed. Sparks lit up Itachi's shocked Mangekyo eyes.

Gusion blocked Itachi's strike with Mazuko, countered with force, and sent Itachi flying. He crashed through several trees before stopping.

Coughing up blood, Itachi's mask was stained inside and out, blood trickling down his cheek.

Shaking, he stood and faced Gusion, Mangekyo eyes fixed nervously on the man perched atop a branch.

"That's all?" Gusion remarked. That was just a casual swing, and the legendary Itachi was nearly on his knees.

He checked Itachi's stats with a scouting skill and discovered just how one-sided ninja stats were in this world:

[Uchiha Itachi]

Constitution: 43

Agility: 60

Strength: 42

Spirit: 73

Charisma: 50

[]

Even a top-tier ninja like Itachi had glaring weaknesses. Compared to ordinary people, his body was tough and his taijutsu impressive—but against someone like Gusion or the Raikage, he was fragile.

Of course, Itachi excelled at genjutsu, relying on his high spirit stat and tactical prowess—plus the Mangekyo's Tsukuyomi—to dominate most situations.

Unfortunately, Itachi's genjutsu was useless against Gusion.

Realizing his opponent was likely an Uchiha genjutsu specialist, Gusion immediately activated his own abilities. His spirit attribute was 70, just three points lower than Itachi's.

Because of his bloodline's passive effect, Gusion was immune to control skills not exceeding his spirit by more than 5 points.

Bad luck for 13-year-old Itachi, who wasn't yet at his peak—his genjutsu was just within Gusion's immunity range.

Without his trump card, Itachi's remaining skills seemed unremarkable to Gusion—even his Susanoo wouldn't matter.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Suddenly, a voice sounded behind Gusion—the water-style Anbu, hoping to strike while Gusion was focused on Itachi.

Lightning crackled around Gusion. A thunder beast shot toward the water dragon, instantly ionizing the water, and the resulting hydrogen-oxygen mix exploded in a flash.

Amid the shockwave, Gusion summoned his Barbarian King Bow, fired an arrow through two trees, and blew the Anbu's head apart.

He spun, launching a roundhouse kick at Itachi's waist, sending him flying again.

Gusion dismissed the bow, switched back to Mazuko, and dove from above, slashing at Itachi's neck.

He'd always liked Itachi as a character when reading the manga as a kid—but that didn't mean he'd go easy on someone sent to kill him.

Bang—

The blade struck, but only cut through a log.

Gusion smirked. "Such a quick Body Replacement, huh?"

He never really understood the jutsu when reading the manga, but now he was sure: it's not about swapping places with a random object at lightning speed—that'd be pointless. It had to be a form of spatial ninjutsu, albeit less flexible than advanced techniques, and limited to nearby objects with hand seals required. Not much use at the highest level.

Still, Itachi used it well—saving himself in the nick of time.

"So, the Uchiha clan isn't wiped out yet?" Gusion casually asked as he turned, unsure of the timeline due to other Explorers' interference.

According to canon, the year he arrived should be when the Uchiha massacre happened. But here Itachi was, still Anbu, sent to hunt him.

On the other side, having just escaped death, Itachi had already considered retreat, but Gusion's question shook him.

He pulled off his blood-soaked mask, revealing a young, handsome face now streaked with blood.

"What do you mean by that?"

Of course, Itachi knew of Gusion. He'd seen Gusion in action, not just heard the legends. At one time, both the Yellow Flash and Calamity were childhood heroes for Konoha kids—including Itachi.

So, being assigned to kill him a few days ago had stirred mixed feelings.

Now, hearing Gusion mention the Uchiha clan's possible destruction, a sensitive topic, Itachi's heart trembled—this was precisely what had been troubling him lately. Compared to the fate of his clan, his own life seemed insignificant.

"So, they're not wiped out yet. Makes sense—you haven't become a rogue ninja like me," Gusion said mockingly. It was unclear if he was mocking himself or Konoha.

Itachi frowned. "What do you know?"

He was confused. The Uchiha coup was supposedly a secret, and the village leadership's attitude was hidden. How did even a long-time rogue like Gusion know the Uchiha were in danger?

Gusion had just been probing for the timeline and world changes. But as Itachi questioned him, a hidden quest appeared:

[Hidden Quest: Uchiha's Redemption]

Objective: Help Uchiha Itachi resolve the Uchiha clan's crisis. Prevent their massacre and secure their rightful place in the ninja world.

Difficulty: Easy to Nightmare

Note: Your actions will greatly affect the world's storyline and exploration rewards.

Rewards: Sharingan (1 Tomoe) bloodline item → Mangekyo Sharingan bloodline item

Failure Penalty: None

[]

Seeing the quest, Gusion instantly changed his mind. With high exploration points and a Mangekyo Sharingan to gain, why not take it?

He changed his response: "I don't know anything. If Konoha had good intel, they'd know I was imprisoned in Kumogakure for eight years—I only just escaped."

Seeing Itachi's confusion, Gusion stepped closer. "But even eight years ago, I knew the Uchiha were doomed sooner or later. That's why I asked."

Itachi was shaken—he knew Gusion's background as an Anbu squad leader. Did Gusion foresee the Uchiha's fate eight years ago?

"Senpai, why do you think our Uchiha clan is doomed?"

Realizing Gusion wasn't attacking, Itachi couldn't help but ask. People instinctively seek advice from the strong. If Gusion had been knocked out by Tsukuyomi, his words would be dismissed—but now, Itachi was curious.

If he could understand the reason, even dying today would bring some closure.

Chapter 220: Suffocating Operations

"Isn't it obvious?" Gusion relaxed, seeing that Itachi wasn't determined to fight to the death. "Hasn't Konoha always treated its heroes this way?"

He was never a great persuader, nor especially smart—he was only revered in the One Piece world because everyone there was dumb.

Itachi, however, was smarter. So instead of analyzing Uchiha's internal affairs (which would be suspicious, given his lack of intel), Gusion approached from his own experience, hoping to establish common ground.

"You mean you were framed, Senpai…"

Itachi looked at Gusion meaningfully. Gusion didn't need to say much—Itachi already understood. As a child, he'd admired Gusion and Minato, so he knew their character well.

Konoha's official reason for Gusion's defection was massacring civilians and secret human experimentation.

He couldn't judge the civilian killings, but human experimentation? Gusion's academic level couldn't possibly support that. He'd been average in the Academy and never touched research—his brilliance only showed on the battlefield.

So Itachi always knew the accusation was false, but trusted that Konoha only expelled dangerous elements for the village's good.

But lately, his faith had been shaken.

First was Shisui's death. Shisui tried to mediate between the clan and the village, trusted Danzo, lost his eye, and ultimately committed suicide in despair.

Was Shisui's death also for the village?

Itachi was willing to massacre his clan for the village—as long as his brother survived. But deep down, he knew it was wrong.

He just couldn't find a better solution.

Looking at Gusion now, Itachi realized maybe Gusion had been in a similar dilemma—another pawn in the hands of those in power.

"Framed? If I'd truly defected, Konoha would've been ruined by Kumogakure long ago. I was tortured in prison for eight years, but never revealed any village secrets."

Gusion spoke earnestly—it was true, but also part of his persona. "Back then, I only discovered Danzo's dirty dealings underground, and he framed me as a traitor."

Itachi was shocked, but not surprised. After Shisui, he knew Danzo was no good. Gusion's words made sense, especially since he had no reason to lie now.

"Senpai, you were a war hero—how could you be exiled? How could the Third Hokage allow such injustice?"

Itachi voiced his doubt.

"The Third?" Gusion sneered, locking eyes with Itachi. "Do you really think high prestige is a good thing? I wasn't his disciple, let alone his student's student. After the war, when he retired, who would become the Fourth Hokage?"

Itachi immediately understood—and despaired at the village's darkness.

Gusion's story alone made him doubt the Third's promises. Was his own burden to massacre his clan just as foolish? Maybe the Third didn't care about Uchiha rebellion at all—just used Itachi to do the dirty work, keeping the village's hands clean and its image untarnished.

He could even make a tearful speech afterward, expressing shock at the Uchiha's inner strife.

That's what happened to Gusion—just because he wasn't a member of the Hokage line.

Even with strength rivaling the Kage and war achievements, Gusion wasn't as renowned as Minato, simply because he wasn't promoted by the right people.

If Gusion had roamed like Jiraiya, maybe nothing would've happened. But he stumbled onto Danzo's secrets and was framed.

Would the Third clear his name? Clearly not. Gusion became a traitor, but never betrayed Konoha.

"Senpai... do you want to return to Konoha this time?"

Itachi's voice was heavy, tinged with sadness. He'd given up the thought of fighting Gusion—he was simply exhausted, perhaps like Shisui was before his end.

He no longer cared about the mission. If Gusion wanted to kill him, he wouldn't resist.

"These eight years in Kumogakure, I suffered constant torment, but I never revealed Konoha's secrets—not out of loyalty, but nostalgia for my childhood. In truth, I hate Konoha's leadership now and have no intention of returning."

Gusion continued, "If Danzo and the others come for me, I won't hold back—I'll cut them all down."

Itachi gave a bitter smile. "Senpai, you're strong indeed. You've found your own path... I still can't see through it all."

Even understanding Danzo's filth and the Third's indifference, Itachi still loved the village and didn't want war between clan and village.

He was caught in the middle, unable to please anyone. If he went down that path, his beloved brother would hate him forever.

"You used a dojutsu I've never seen. You must be a top talent among the Uchiha. Yet, with such powerful eyes, you still can't see your path?"

Gusion's words echoed in Itachi's ears. He couldn't help but meet Gusion's gaze, searching for answers.

"Senpai... I haven't introduced myself. I'm Uchiha Itachi."

He spoke solemnly. "Though I was sent to hunt you as an Anbu, I want to ask—as someone who's been through all this, since you foresaw the Uchiha's fate, do you know what I should do? How can I find a better path?"

Itachi felt it was absurd to seriously ask his target for advice. But he was desperate, hoping for insight from someone who knew the village's darkness and had reached Kage-level strength at 13—someone like himself.

"Itachi, if I'm not wrong, the clan's conflict with the village has escalated. Are you preparing to rebel?"

Gusion considered how to phrase it appropriately.

Itachi nodded helplessly. "That's right. My father is the clan head and holds meetings every day, debating whether to rebel."

Learning the current status, Gusion found it odd. Even reading the manga, he'd thought the Uchiha massacre was absurd—the whole clan acted crazy and lacked intelligence.

Itachi, the only clear-headed one, was limited by his age and brainwashed by the Will of Fire, so he chose the worst solution and caused the worst tragedy.

Itachi was trapped by both sides; no wonder he made such decisions.

But honestly, even Gusion—let alone online anime fans—felt there were countless solutions.

Really, the Uchiha massacre wasn't a dead end. It wasn't even a real dilemma.

Gusion asked the core question: "Itachi, I've always wondered—what does your clan actually want?"

Itachi paused. "What do we want?"

He thought for a moment. "Probably more power. My father and the others always felt it was wrong that no Uchiha ever became Hokage. My father... probably wants to be Hokage?"

Gusion was speechless. Did nobody communicate in that clan?

"Do you really think that's the core issue? That your father wants to be Hokage?"

He pressed.

"Isn't it? Or even if it's not my father, anyone else—Uchiha co-founded the village with the Senju, but after four Hokage, we've never had one."

Itachi explained, but Gusion's questions made him feel uneasy.

"Wanting to be Hokage isn't a problem. Every Konoha ninja has dreamed of it."

Gusion shook his head. "Your father and the others probably just feel it's unfair—not just that no Uchiha became Hokage, but that your clan doesn't even have a real say in the process."

Itachi was stunned. He'd missed the root issue.

The Second Hokage assigned the Uchiha to the police force, which seemed powerful but was really just a scapegoat role with little real authority. The Hokage and elders controlled everything, and the Uchiha never got a fair chance at leadership—no wonder the clan felt marginalized.

"We... do have voting rights," Itachi protested, unconvincingly.

"Oh, sure, but is it fair? You can't even get through the nomination round—the first votes are always controlled by the Third and the elders," Gusion said. "You don't even have a single seat among the elders."

Frankly, Gusion thought the Konoha-Uchiha mess was ridiculous. In the real world, this wouldn't happen.

Even as politicians, the Third and Danzo were inept.

What does the Uchiha really want?

Not to be discriminated against, just a fair chance at election.

In real-world, this would be like a minority party asking for a fair shot at becoming PM.

Why not just let them run? Even if they somehow won, the elders would still have power—being Hokage isn't absolute.

But the Third and the elders pulled a suffocating move: instead of allowing fair competition, they wiped out the whole clan.

From a political standpoint, it was disastrous for Konoha—not to mention the loss in strength.