Infinite Anime [264-265] (Patreon)

Chapter 264: Naruto and Sasuke

"They're here!"

Elder Fukasaku warned, telling Jiraiya not to get distracted.

The moment he spoke, Gusion suddenly accelerated out of the sea of fire and slashed straight at Jiraiya's neck.

They moved so fast that, in Orochimaru and the others' eyes, when Gusion surged forward the flames blew apart in the gale, and a dark-red streak of light crashed into Jiraiya.

A deafening boom followed, and the shockwave spread, toppling trees within dozens of meters.

Seeing Gusion press Jiraiya out of the area of Deep Forest Emergence, even the usually cold Saori clicked his tongue. "Orochimaru, your new partner looks very efficient."

"When I teamed up with you, Saori, we got our missions done well too."

Orochimaru smiled flatteringly. He still had to depend on Saori's formidable combat power. Back when they'd been in the same squad, he would never have indulged Saori like this; they'd argue and even fight from time to time.

As Gusion and Jiraiya fought further and further away, they stopped paying attention and focused on the Third Hokage instead.

At that moment, the Third Hokage felt stifled. The trump card he relied on—his proudest student Jiraiya—was being suppressed by this walking catastrophe.

Could Konoha today… really be on the brink of annihilation!?

The thought chilled him to the core. If the village was truly destroyed, how could he face the First and Second down below?

Oh, no need to go down—he was seeing them right now.

Boom—

The First Hokage's mighty blow smashed into the trunk under the Third's feet. Tsunade's monstrous strength was still dwarfed by the First's. And this was with the First at a fraction of his prime. Otherwise, the Third wouldn't have been able to dodge at all—he'd have been flattened in an instant.

Sensing the dwindling chakra in his body, the Third Hokage racked his brains. What else—what else could save Konoha!?

A thought suddenly came to him, but he found it unrealistic.

Konoha's standard fighting force had already committed: all the great clans loyal to the Hokage line were on the battlefield. But there was still one powerful clan that had not gone out to fight.

The Uchiha clan!

Thinking of this, the Third felt a pang of regret. Before the war, he had been confident in Konoha's strength. The village had produced many new talents in recent years; with Jiraiya and Tsunade present, how hard could it be to deal with Orochimaru?

But he had always been wary of the Uchiha's rebellious intent, afraid they would stage a coup in the village's hour of crisis. So before the battle, he ordered Uchiha shinobi not to leave their compound, allowing only their children to evacuate with the rest.

It was one of the emergency measures he had worked out with Danzo. He'd thought it was a clever arrangement.

This way the Uchiha shinobi could be monitored, and their children evacuated with the masses served as a kind of hostage. That would eliminate the possibility of a coup.

But now the problem was that, embarrassingly, Konoha couldn't win with its current forces!

In a crisis like this, would the Uchiha defy his orders and step in to save the village?

Given the delicate relationship between the village and the Uchiha, the Third Hokage thought it very likely they would sit back and watch him die.

But surely the Uchiha wouldn't let the village be destroyed, right? They wouldn't wait until Gusion was at the gates of the Uchiha compound to act, would they?

He prayed the Uchiha would be flexible for once. If they actually followed his orders at this moment, Konoha would truly be finished.

From what he knew, the Uchiha still had a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan, and Fugaku might even possess one himself!

That was two Kage-level powers. If the Uchiha took the field, Konoha still had a chance to turn the tide!

…

At the rear of Konoha, in the evacuation shelter.

Naruto stood on a storage crate, anxiously clinging to the shelter's only window, trying to see what was happening outside through the firelit night.

Unlike the other frightened children in the shelter, he didn't feel much fear—only expectation, and a faint sadness.

Even though he hated how people in the village ostracized him, he couldn't deny that he had felt some warmth here; there were a few people whose attitude toward him wasn't so bad.

Seeing the village being ravaged by war, he thought that even if the fighting stopped by tomorrow, many people would have lost their homes, right?

But Naruto was still a child; he wouldn't dwell on complicated issues. What he cared most about was whether Big Brother Gusion could come take him away as promised.

Earlier, Gusion had said there would be chaos in Konoha—this must be it—and that he would find a way to get him out today.

Naruto no longer wanted to stay in Konoha. Though a few people were okay to him, he longed for an environment where he wouldn't be discriminated against, and friends his age he could truly open up to.

So he looked forward to the new village Gusion had mentioned. He hoped he could make good friends there.

"Move. Let me see."

As Naruto stared out the window, wondering whether Gusion could fight his way here to get him, a boy's voice piped up beside him.

Naruto turned and saw a boy in a blue shirt and white shorts standing by the crate. Hands in his pockets, acting cool—just looking at him made Naruto a bit annoyed.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Naruto asked curiously.

The boy pointed to the fan crest on his shirt, speaking with pride. "You see this? You don't know who I am? How ignorant."

Seeing Naruto's confusion, he introduced himself. "Remember this. Standing before you is the genius of Konoha's strongest clan, Uchiha Sasuke."

"How full of yourself. Calling yourself a genius—aren't you ashamed?"

Naruto laughed, disdainful of Sasuke's bragging.

Sasuke bristled, leapt up, and kicked Naruto off the crate. "Your stance is flimsy. So weak. You'll be dead last when you get into the academy."

Naruto scrambled up, furious that the other boy had kicked him without a word. "You sneak-attacked me! Get down here and fight fair!"

"Hmph. I'll show you the difference between you and an Uchiha."

Sasuke forgot his original purpose of checking the battle outside, jumped down from the crate, one hand still in his pocket, and beckoned with the other. "Come on."

Infuriated by Sasuke's arrogance, Naruto charged in yelling, only to be easily thrown by Sasuke.

Sasuke stood over him. "Pathetic. So pathetic I don't even care to ask your name."

"Don't be cocky!"

Naruto snapped, flipped up suddenly, and before Sasuke could react, grabbed both of his legs.

He wasn't skilled, but as the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki he healed fast and had natural strength. Once he had a hold of Sasuke, he dragged him into a rolling tussle.

After that, it was all flailing—no technique, just two kids brawling. Sasuke hadn't expected that tactic; once they were entangled, his skills didn't help, and it devolved into trading punches.

Before long, both Naruto and Sasuke looked like little pig-heads, faces swollen.

"Do you submit!?"

Naruto pinned Sasuke and punched, shouting as he hit him.

Sasuke seized a chance, reversed, and pinned Naruto instead. "Do you submit!?"

"N-Naruto-kun… p-please don't fight anymore."

Just as they were running out of steam, a timid voice sounded in the dark, giving them both an excuse to stop.

They broke apart, got up gritting their teeth against the pain, and glared at each other.

"Hmph. What's your name?"

Sasuke asked proudly.

"Remember this. I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto stated his name. "This isn't settled. Next time I'll beat you until you willingly admit it."

Sasuke felt stifled. He hadn't expected to stumble against such a weakling. "Hmph. Next time you won't be so lucky."

Naruto didn't keep arguing. He glanced toward where the voice had come from, but Hinata had already vanished back into the shadows.

Ignoring it, Naruto forced down the pain, hopped back onto the crate, and clung to the window to watch the battle.

Sasuke followed him up, but this time didn't push Naruto off. He just squeezed in and looked outside.

"Looks like they'll be here soon."

Naruto watched the fires approaching down the streets as Konoha's lines shrank, sounding a bit excited.

"Hey, whose side are you on? They're invading Konoha."

Sasuke thought Naruto sounded crazy.

"What do you know about me?"

Naruto couldn't be bothered to explain his feelings. He just stared expectantly at Gusion's valiant figure driving Jiraiya back step by step.

Along the way, ninja troops were being swept aside. Where he passed was like a natural disaster. Ninjas were stunned by lightning and collapsed—simply unstoppable.

And because pressure on the main battlefield was too great, even Jiraiya and Tsunade together couldn't hold Gusion, so several elite jonin came to assist—Kakashi, Asuma, and others among them.

With Konoha's elites tied up resisting Gusion, on the flanks Yagura and the regrouped Kisame were unstoppable—ordinary ninjas couldn't stop them.

Konoha's army was collapsing like a landslide. At this rate, within half an hour their elite corps could be wiped out.

"Hmph, what do you know? It's just small fry falling. Konoha's strongest clan, the Uchiha, haven't even taken the field."

Sasuke declared proudly. "Once the Uchiha move, these invaders are nothing."

"Uchiha? What's so great about you? I don't believe they can beat Brother Gusion—uh… that really strong guy."

Naruto stopped himself mid-sentence but was genuinely curious about the Uchiha Sasuke mentioned. He usually didn't care about clan politics—everyone treated him the same anyway.

"We're the Konoha Police Force—the clan chosen to defend the village. You tell me if we're strong."

Sasuke was quite proud. "Just watch. When my brother and father step in, they'll pound that lightning guy into the ground."

"Konoha Police Force…"

Naruto thought for a moment, then gave Sasuke a strange look. "So you're one of the disliked ones too."

With that, he found Sasuke a bit less annoying—almost a fellow sufferer.

He knew of the Police Force in the village. Those people wearing the same blue tops as Sasuke were also disliked; people avoided and didn't talk to them.

Why? Thinking of the theory Big Brother Gusion had told him, Naruto wondered if the Uchiha had once contributed greatly to the village, and were therefore ostracized.

Chapter 265: Punching Through Konoha

Sasuke had no idea about Naruto's wandering thoughts. If he knew Naruto was pitying him, he'd pin him down and keep swinging.

Hearing Naruto mention his clan's position, his swollen face twisted into an awkward grin. "So you're not that ignorant. Once my clan acts, this war will end."

Naruto's curiosity was piqued. "If your clan is so strong, why haven't they acted yet?"

Sasuke froze. "M-maybe… they didn't expect the enemy to be this troublesome. They want to keep us as a trump card for last."

He remembered clearly: when the battle broke out, ANBU had come to their compound and told his father something.

After ANBU left, his father looked grim, and the surrounding uncles were furious.

After that, he and several other clan children were taken away to the shelter.

Sasuke didn't understand adult matters, but he felt like ANBU had brought the Hokage's order not to let the Uchiha fight.

"Trump card? We're right under the Hokage Rock. If the fighting reaches here, Konoha's been punched through. Are they waiting until the village is destroyed to act?"

Naruto blurted out what he was thinking. To Sasuke, it sounded highly sarcastic.

"Y-you don't understand anything. Father said a general must remain composed. Since the Hokage ordered us to hold, he must have his reasons."

Sasuke flushed and argued.

Watching the flames of battle outside, Naruto suddenly started to get it. He turned to Sasuke. "Your clan… is being ostracized by the village, right?"

As someone who was ostracized, he had plenty of experience. He wasn't a smart kid, but in this area he had authority.

Based on simple analysis and sharp intuition, he figured out what was going on.

The village disliked the Uchiha like they disliked him. So even in something this important, they didn't let the Uchiha play.

Naruto didn't understand the politics of wartime merit and prestige. He just felt that not letting the Uchiha fight at a time like this showed how unfriendly the village was to them.

And that unfriendliness would ultimately cost the village dearly—just like with him.

Naruto didn't know the significance of a jinchuriki, but from Gusion's stories he could sense how important a jinchuriki was to a village.

But why? Why did the village always turn a cold shoulder to those who mattered?

To the point that he couldn't find a reason to stay. Even if it was his parents' wish, he couldn't do it.

A child's rebellious streak, once sparked, burns hot. Naruto wasn't extreme enough to say he'd take revenge on Konoha, but by leaving he wanted the village to regret losing its jinchuriki.

"Ostracized… what are you talking about? We Uchiha are—"

Sasuke bristled at the claim, then trailed off.

He remembered that when he went to the park, other kids didn't really play with him; when parents passed by, their gazes held… wariness?

What he didn't know was that the kids avoided him not because he was Uchiha, but because he was too arrogant; the boys mostly disliked him, and he didn't want to play with the girls.

As for the parents' unfriendly looks—Uchiha's coup plans had been kept with abysmal secrecy. Not just the Hokage; even civilians had heard rumors. As adults hearing about a possible Uchiha coup, they naturally looked at Fugaku's son with suspicion.

"Hmph. Geniuses are lonely. Ordinary people are just jealous of us Uchiha."

Sasuke snorted, switching his tone. Even if the village wasn't friendly, that only proved their strength.

"You sure are confident, Sasuke…"

Naruto muttered. "You couldn't even beat me, and you're calling yourself a genius."

Sasuke flared up. "Looks like I'll have to beat you until you admit it!"

Naruto wasn't about to back down, but something outside caught his eye and distracted him. "Enough—look! They're here!"

Sasuke tensed and looked out. Gusion's blade work was sweeping and explosive; he was pressing five or six powerhouses by himself, pushing all the way into Konoha's rear. The shelter was less than a kilometer away.

On the outskirts, the chunin and genin assigned to harass the enemy felt despair at the sight.

Even with Jiraiya and Tsunade together, plus many powerful jonin assisting, they couldn't stop Gusion. Was Konoha truly doomed today?

By now, Jiraiya was covered in wounds—Gusion had hammered him out of Sage Mode.

Fukasaku and Shima had both been hurt repeatedly. Jiraiya couldn't bear to keep them in danger and sent them back to Mount Myoboku. Without the two sages' help, Sage Mode was naturally over.

Gusion's demonic blade was vicious, siphoning chakra with each clash. As a result, even after fighting this long, he showed no sign of flagging, while their chakra was running out.

Tsunade's Byakugo was nearing its limit. Repeatedly wounded and drained, the marks on her face had grown faint. Panting, she stared at Gusion, eyes grave.

"Jiraiya-sama, we can't hold him with just us. We need to bring in fresh forces."

Kakashi panted. Gusion hadn't hit him directly, but Kakashi's reserves were never large—he was a tactical fighter who won by finesse. Against a comprehensive, hard-charging opponent like Gusion, he had no answers.

"We still have reserves?"

Jiraiya blinked. He didn't know that. Did Konoha still have a trump card at a time like this?

Seeing Jiraiya's confusion, Kakashi hurriedly clarified. "The Uchiha! They're still standing by in their compound!"

During the rumble, Jiraiya tried to meet Gusion head-on with a Rasengan. Without Sage Mode's physical boost, he didn't have the edge—Gusion split the Rasengan with an upstroke and carved open Jiraiya's chest, blood scattering in the moonlight.

"Tsunade!"

Tsunade caught him and used medical ninjutsu to staunch the bleeding.

"Kakashi, go ask the Uchiha to take the field!"

Jiraiya shouted. He couldn't help but resent his teacher's decision. This was the village's life-or-death moment, and the Third was still thinking about political struggles.

This wasn't about fearing a coup—it was about not wanting the Uchiha to claim the glory!

He didn't care what Hiruzen was thinking now. If those powerful Uchiha lunatics didn't step in, the village would be destroyed.

Not to mention the main front—on the flank, the immortal duo, Kisame and the Fourth Mizukage, were already inflicting heavy casualties on Konoha's forces. Every second, more died—future elites of the village.

Even if they won after this, Konoha would be gutted and no longer the strongest of the Five Great Nations.

Kakashi didn't dare delay. He broke away and headed for the Uchiha compound, praying those Uchiha maniacs wouldn't make it hard for him by citing the Hokage's order to stay put.

Seeing Kakashi go to ask the Uchiha, Gusion was happy to wait. Even if Kakashi hadn't gone, Gusion felt the time was right—he was about to signal Itachi to bring the clan on stage.

The Third Hokage's order had been a big help. Gusion had worried that the Uchiha slacking off at the start would cause public resentment in the village. But with one decree from Hiruzen, that concern was gone.

It wasn't that the Uchiha didn't want to fight—they were just obeying the Hokage's command to stand by. Who could blame them for slacking? If you had to blame someone, blame the Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

To make the Uchiha's move feel more natural, and to bring greater hope to despairing Konoha shinobi when they appeared, Gusion decided to end the battle.

In Sage Mode, he strode forward. The Mazuko swung lightly behind him, kicking up dust and a gale that swept flames skyward.

He flash-stepped, acceleration peaking in an instant, dust spreading in a ring.

Jiraiya and the others couldn't track his lunge and could only defend or cast area jutsu blindly ahead.

Jiraiya used Needle Jizo in a wide barrier to withstand the assault and protect Tsunade and the others.

Tsunade braced in a deep stance, fist ready to fire the moment Needle Jizo was hit.

Several elite jonin released their jutsu before Jiraiya's barrier wrapped them. Fire and wind combined into a massive flaming whirlwind that roared down the street, sealing all paths of approach.

At top speed, Gusion seemed to receive divine inspiration. A heartbeat before touching the firestorm, he halted abruptly, body freezing against physics—extreme motion turning into absolute stillness.

Prisoner left its sheath. As if it had a strange pull, the flaming whirlwind was tugged along by the blade's tip, turning with its arc, like a hooked fire dragon trailing the edge.

With a turn of the blade, the huge wind-fire technique coiled around him like a vicious dragon, enthroning the sword master.

Where the heart pointed, the will directed. Step, cut—nothing unbroken.

In the next instant, a phantom arc swept out. Firelight mingled with Ryou, painting the night red, carving a vast fan-shaped sweep. A bizarre suction drew Jiraiya and the others—and the ground beneath them—toward the blade.

At the moment the sword force peaked, a formless power detonated again. Razor qi gleamed with eerie red, wreathed in faint violet mist, splashing blood under the moon.

A cut from a master of the blade—Gusion cleaved through Konoha's champions in one stroke!

Silence fell, then a blast of gale. Bodies, some in halves and some broken, flew into the storm.

Thud—thud—thud—thud—

One by one, Konoha's powerhouses slammed into the Hokage Rock, punching holes, then fell still.

Carrying gale and flame behind him, dark-red thunder over his head, Gusion moved like a walking calamity. After clearing a path, he strolled toward the shelter deep in Konoha.

Inside, seeing this through the window, Naruto could barely keep from jumping with excitement, while Sasuke frowned, his body trembling.

He was still a child. Even a genius like Sasuke felt fear. He had never imagined that Konoha's strong could be so easily routed—that Gusion would punch straight through them.