Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Night had fallen. The man squatting in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi and his two companions stuffed the last cookie into his mouth, looking with lingering satisfaction at the packaging bags scattered on the ground. His somewhat unfocused eyes, with an ambiguous look, swept over the three children who were deep in thought.

"Crunch~ Crunch~"

Mako, with black mist emanating from his mouth, did not directly devour the corpses of the grass ninjas on the ground, but he still unconsciously made crunching sounds, which were particularly jarring in the quiet night.

"Hey~ curly-haired brat, do you have any more food?"

Shenhuo rubbed his still somewhat shrunken stomach and asked Uchiha Kagami, "I haven't had any normal food for several days. These snacks are barely enough to fill a gap between my teeth."

"Huh? That's all. All the snacks I brought are here."

Uchiha Kagami opened the backpack containing supplies and showed it to the starving Shinho.

"Tsk, do you have any raw eggs?"

Disappointed, Shenhuo licked his dry lips, smacked them as if savoring the memory, and continued to ask.

"ha?"

The young man's inexplicable request pulled the three children back from their immersive story. They looked at each other, their little faces filled with confusion.

Which ninja family has the best tradition of carrying raw eggs when going out?

"Alright, the story is over. You can all die knowing the truth in Mako's belly now."

Shaking off the crumbs from his hands, Shenhuo stood up, lazily stretched, and his gaze turned icy.

"Wait, I have something else to say!"

Once again enveloped by the aura of death, Hiruzen Sarutobi, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, immediately raised his hands. Kamika frowned, his eyes signaling him to speak quickly.

"Sir, our teacher is Tobirama Senju, known as the inventor of the ninja world. He is incredibly knowledgeable and will surely be able to find a way to save your wife!"

Now that things had come to this, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to invoke his teacher's name, hoping to persuade the mentally unstable man in front of him and buy some time.

Dad, you'd better hurry up and get things done, your precious son is about to be taken advantage of!

Despite the commotion, Sarutobi Sasuke hadn't shown up, leaving the frustrated Hiruzen Sarutobi inwardly cursing his father.

"Tobirama Senju? You brats, your identities aren't so simple after all~"

Shenhuo looked at the three brats in front of him with some surprise. He thought he had just caught a few small fry, but he did not expect that the other party had a powerful background. However, he only sighed and did not have the idea of ​​handing over Zhenzi to others.

"The teacher is very capable; he will definitely be able to help you."

Uchiha Kagami chimed in, his dark eyes filled with admiration for Senju Tobirama. This look stung Shinka's heart slightly; once upon a time, he too had admired the elder who had caused them so much hardship.

"Do you really respect your teachers?"

Shenhuo suddenly blurted out a sentence, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other two somewhat confused, but they still nodded very seriously.

"hehe."

With a cold smirk, Shenhuo lowered his head and asked expressionlessly,

"If one day your teacher faced a difficult situation and was sent to their death, what would you choose?"

"what?"

The three children felt a chill run down their spines; they had never imagined such a situation would occur.

"The teacher is one of the strongest people in the village; he would never do such a thing!"

Danzo spoke first, stating that in his mind, Tobirama Senju's character and strength were among the best in Konoha, and he would never sacrifice a student.

"That's hard to say. Ninjas are cold-blooded creatures; they're willing to sacrifice everything for their goals."

Shaking his head at the naive Danzo, Kamuka was dissatisfied with the answer.

"I will go! If my sacrifice can help the teacher and the village, I am willing to give my life!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his head, his small eyes filled with determination. He knew that his teacher would never allow them to make such a choice unless absolutely necessary. If his sacrifice could bring the best outcome, he was willing to be the sacrifice.

"Oh?"

Shenhuo glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose expression was resolute and seemingly genuine, and nodded imperceptibly.

This guy is not only a quiet pervert, but he might also be a top-notch lecturer who's good at conning people.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer sounded correct, Shinka still focused his gaze on Uchiha Kagami, looking at the gentle-looking curly-haired boy, wanting to hear what he had to say.

However, it's highly likely that he'll just be like that righteous little devil, saying things about being willing to sacrifice.

"Going to your death? Why would you go to your death?"

However, to Shenhuo's surprise, the seemingly most amiable Uchiha Kagami said something completely unexpected.

Uchiha Kagami frowned deeply. Although he usually appeared very kind, he still retained the unique arrogance and stubbornness of the Uchiha clan.

"My uncle once taught me that when faced with difficulties, one should not sit idly by and wait to die; even when facing an unknown enemy, one should fight to the very end!"

Looking at Uchiha Kagami's clenched fists, a strange light flickered in his eyes, which were previously devoid of divine fire.

"Your uncle must be a very outstanding person, right?"

In Shenhuo's opinion, the uncle who could teach such a child must be a very profound ninja.

"Well, how should I put it? In a sense, it is indeed outstanding."

The three little ones looked at the divine fire shining in their eyes, their thin faces twitching unconsciously a few times, and then replied in a very hesitant tone.

The fact that he could make the head of a village bow down to him perfectly demonstrates Uchiha Gin's exceptional qualities.

"Phew~ For your uncle's sake, if Mako finishes eating later, I'll let you off the hook for now. Leave as soon as it's light~"

Shenhu felt genuine respect for his uncle who could raise such a self-reliant child, and decided to let them go, but he didn't say it outright. He knew very well how much Mako ate; he figured she would be full after eating the grass on the ground.

"Huh? Really?"

A sudden wave of happiness washed over the three children. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kagami Uchiha instinctively reached out and pinched Danzo Shimura, who was standing between them.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

The young Danzo, caught off guard by the attack, couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, rubbing his reddened arms with a wide, angry expression.

"Phew, it wasn't a dream after all!"

The two perpetrators both breathed a sigh of relief, showing no intention of apologizing to the person in question.

"Monkey, you'll regret this!"

With tears in his eyes, little Danzo cried out the formula in a wronged voice.

"Danzo, I am the captain!"

Indeed, as the leader of the three-person squad, Hiruzen Sarutobi was certainly qualified to say such a thing.

Shenhuo, watching the three little devils who were so close, smiled slightly. Seeing the remaining "corpse" on the ground, he reached behind his back and pulled out a rope.

"That's true, but to prevent the three of you from snitching, I'll have to put up with this for now."

As he spoke, Shenhuo tied up the three little ones, preparing to stuff them into the alley so that the town's residents would find them when they went out during the day.

"eat"

On the other side, Mako, who had devoured all the corpses of the grass ninja, licked her full lips and fixed her crimson gaze on the last "corpse". She was already very full, but adhering to the principle of not wasting anything, she prepared to carry out the disc operation.

Just as she was manipulating the black mist to prepare for her meal, the long-dormant "corpse" suddenly came to life.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Ball!"

A plume of white smoke rose, and the burly ninja with a face full of scars transformed into a lean, middle-aged man who looked like a monkey. He was now puffing out his cheeks and spraying Vacuum Balls at the bewildered Shinji.

"There were still some who slipped through the net?"

Hearing the commotion nearby, Shinka, who had just finished binding the three little ones, frowned and stared intently at the unfamiliar man in mid-air. Seeing the headband the man was wearing, she suddenly realized who it was, and then glared at Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose face was filled with delight.

"We've come to rescue you!"

Sensing the icy tone in Shenhuo's voice, the three little ones felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar; their lives were in the hands of the man before them.

"Hmph~ Don't worry, I, Shenhuo, always keep my word. If I say I'll let you off the hook, I will. That man is no match for Zhenzi."

Although Shenhu could easily take advantage of their vulnerability and use the lives of the three little ones to force Sarutobi Sasuke to comply, there is no need for that. Firstly, he cannot control Shinji when he is eating; at most, he can only ensure that he himself is not harmed.

Secondly, Shenhuo was well aware of Zhenzi's terrifying strength. Even an elder as strong as her had his arm dislocated by the girl in a single move. Dealing with such an ordinary-looking middle-aged man would be a piece of cake for him.

Sarutobi Sasuke's Vacuum Bullet was far superior to that of Shimura Kenichi, a mere idiot. The tiny wind bullets shot towards the stunned Shinji with lightning speed.

"Pfft pfft pfft~"

Seeing the attacks completely penetrate the target's body, Sarutobi Sasuke was overjoyed. However, he soon discovered that after being hit by the Vacuum Ball, the opponent not only remained standing but didn't even bleed a drop. This bizarre scene slowly cast a shadow of gloom over his heart.

"What kind of monster is this?"

"eat"

Mako tilted her head; she hadn't encountered such fierce resistance from food in a long time. Then, in a flash, she vanished from the spot.

"Wow, that's fast!"

Sarutobi Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine and quickly turned his eyes around, searching for the strange woman's figure. He also formed a hand seal, ready to counterattack at any moment.

"eat"

The next moment, the hoarse murmur rang in his ears again. Unexpectedly, the other party did not show any fluctuation of aura. Fortunately, Sarutobi Sasuke was prepared. Water suddenly flowed from one of his arms and transformed into a water blade in the blink of an eye. He swung it behind him without looking back.

[Water Escape·Water Fang Blade]

"Hiss~"

Hearing the sound of clothes tearing behind him, Sarutobi Sasuke couldn't help but beam with joy. This meant that his attack had hit his opponent. The sharpness of the Water Fang Blade was no less than that of a sword made of fine steel. Taking a hit could very likely result in losing an arm or a leg.

"eat"

But soon, Sarutobi Sasuke's smile froze on his monkey face. The eerie murmur did not disappear because of his attack; instead, it took on a more mocking tone.

"boom!"

Sarutobi Sasuke was about to turn around to fight when he felt a tremendous force coming from behind. The force of the blow almost killed him on the spot. He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood and fell to the other side of the street like a kite with a broken string.

"Father!"

Seeing his father sent flying by a light pat from that strange woman, the captured Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but cry out. No wonder Kamika seemed so calm; it turned out that woman's strength was terrifying.

"Cough cough cough"

Mako's brute force smashed Sarutobi Sasuke into a large crater in the street. He struggled to crawl out of it, his eyes filled with horror.

That force is almost as strong as the Hokage's fist.

Feeling as if his internal organs had shifted, Sarutobi Sasuke couldn't help but recall his sparring session with Senju Hashirama years ago. Hashirama had sent him to the hospital with just a light punch.

The doctor counted, and good heavens, eight ribs were broken.

Hashirama Senju: I only used three-tenths of my strength.

"Is he your father?"

Hearing the exclamation, Shinka watched with interest as Hiruzen Sarutobi became anxious.

"Let me go!"

With hatred in his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi glared at Shinka without flinching.

"Weakness is the original sin. Even if I let you go, what can you do?"

Shenhuo coldly shook his head. Since he had said he would let these kids go, he would not go back on his word.

He promised Mako that he would be a person who keeps his promises.

"hateful."

Sarutobi Sasuke, whose limbs were almost falling apart, struggled to his feet, his eyes fixed on the strange woman not far away. Even in his desperate situation, he was still looking for a chance to turn the tide.

His gaze fell upon his son, whose face was filled with worry. Sarutobi Sasuke felt a surge of strength return to his body. He gritted his teeth, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth onto his palm, and slammed his hand on the ground.

"Thump~"

As a plume of white smoke rose, a muscular ape appeared before the crowd.

"Ape God, please lend me your strength!"

The summoned ape, with its pointed head and fierce expression, slowly nodded after hearing Sarutobi Sasuke's request.

"The Vajra Cudgel!"

Sensing something, Sarutobi Sasuke clapped his hands, and the ferocious Monkey God transformed into a giant club with two rounded ends.

Sarutobi Sasuke took it in his hand, twirled it, and instantly felt a surge of fighting spirit.

"Come on, round two."

"eat"

Mako remained unmoved by this provocation; in her eyes, Sarutobi Sasuke was nothing more than unpalatable food.

"Standing stick style!"

Sasuke planted the Vajra Staff in the ground, grabbed the other end, and leaped high into the air. Using his momentum, he pressed the tough staff into an arc, and then used the force of its rebound to smash it down on Shinji, who was standing there dumbfounded.

"Bang!"

Along with the swirling shockwave, everyone heard a piercing metallic clang and immediately turned their attention to it.

"How is that possible?"

Sarutobi Sasuke's surprised voice rang out first, and everyone then saw that the giant staff he had swung down with tremendous force was actually caught by Shinji's nimble hand, and he seemed to be lifting it with ease, as if it wasn't very strenuous.

Seeing this scene, Shenhuo's eyes filled with unconcealed pain. What did it matter if he possessed such terrifying power? All he wanted was to get back that cute and clumsy foodie girl.

"eat"

"Ah!!! Sasuke, I can't take it anymore, you'd better pray for yourself!"

As the girl tightened her grip, the Monkey God, who was about to be squeezed to death, could no longer endure the torment and immediately turned into a wisp of white smoke, returning to Flower Fruit Mountain, leaving behind the lonely and helpless Sarutobi Sasuke.

Mako was already tired of this cat-and-mouse game, so instead of standing still and waiting for the other party to attack, she flashed in front of Sarutobi Sasuke and struck him in the chest.

"Bang!"

Sarutobi Sasuke's reaction was quick, but Shinji's speed was simply too unpredictable. He barely managed to cross his arms to defend, but he was still no match for the opponent's palm strike.

The same scenario played out again. Sarutobi Sasuke was once again overwhelmed by immense force, spitting out a mouthful of blood in mid-air before crashing heavily onto a stone pillar on the street and falling into a coma.

"Let me go! I want to stand with my father!"

Seeing that even the Monkey God couldn't save his father, Hiruzen Sarutobi struggled and roared.

"Shut up, kid. I'm going to show you that there are no heroes in this world who save people from dire straits."

Once upon a time, Shinka also struggled like Hiruzen Sarutobi. He had also fantasized that a hero would descend from the sky and save him and Shinko from their desperate situation.

"No!!!"

Seeing Mako slowly walk to her seriously injured and unconscious father's side, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a pitiful scream. His two companions beside him were also tense and worried, unable to bear to see their friend's father die here.

"Hmph~ I told you Monkey Face was a fraud, but Hot Mom Haxi just wouldn't believe me. This time when I go back, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind."

On a rooftop not far from the scene, Uchiha Madara, with his arms crossed, witnessed the entire incident. He was ready to intervene when the three children were surrounded by Kagami.

Uchiha Kagami, this precious darling, can't be allowed to get hurt, otherwise his older cousin will skin him alive.

However, to Madara Uchiha's surprise, these kids were quite capable, and their teamwork was rather commendable, so he patiently observed them.

"Ah~ I've actually opened my eyes!"

Upon seeing Uchiha Kagami activate his Sharingan, Uchiha Madara nodded with some surprise; it was an unexpected delight.

Seeing that the three were completely blind, Madara Uchiha began to warm up while thinking about what kind of cool look to make his entrance, but the sudden appearance of the Grass Ninja interrupted his thoughts.

Before he could even be criticized, he sensed a familiar presence among the Grass Ninja and once again shifted his appearance order backward.

Hasi Hot Mom said her monkey-faced features are impressive, so let's show him just how impressive they are!

"However, that cannibalistic woman's aura is truly complex."

Madara Uchiha, whose appearance was delayed, focused his gaze on the woman who had slaughtered the Grass Ninja. Through his eyes, he sensed the mottled aura emanating from Mako, like a chaotic dye vat, mixed with countless complex emotions.

Sorrow, anger, sadness, excitement; loneliness, hunger.

On the contrary, Madara Uchiha didn't think much of that thin man, as his strength wasn't particularly outstanding.

With Sarutobi Sasuke's defeat, Uchiha Madara, who had been preparing for a long time, finally got his chance to appear.

"Watch me just unleash my Susanoo and push them over there, giving these brats a real Uchiha shock, and incidentally making Mirror look good too~"

Having designed his entrance look, Madara Uchiha's eyes widened immediately, and the alluring patterns of his Mangekyou Sharingan began to slowly rotate in his eyes. He clapped his hands, and a blue phantom behind him began to condense.

But it seemed as if the heavens couldn't bear to see Madara Uchiha showing off. Before he could condense the Susanoo, a figure that had been lurking for a long time suddenly stood up on a rooftop in the distance, and by the moonlight, a pair of eyes that were slightly glowing green could be seen.

Ignoring Hiruzen Sarutobi's vengeful gaze, Shinka waved to Shinji, who was standing not far away.

"Mako, finish this and then go home~"

"eat"

"Father!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned deathly pale.

Am I going to become an orphan at such a young age?

Isn't there anyone who can help him?

Do the heroes in comic books really not exist?

"henshin!"

"Turn Up!"

Suddenly, a strange electronic voice rang in everyone's ears.

"What the hell?"

Kamikaze angrily grabbed his messy hair, wondering how many people would have to come before they could truly understand the terror of Mako.

"Chongming! Nanao Chongming! The invincible beetle!"

"That is."

The three little ones stared wide-eyed at the figure standing on the rooftop, even forgetting to breathe.

As the bright moonlight shone down, the silver knight silently descended.

"Who are you?"

Looking at this pretentious guy in front of him, Shenhuo felt a little annoyed. He wanted such cool armor too!

"You are the Divine Fire?"

The silver knight did not answer, but instead asked the divine fire a question.

"Are you some new toy created by the Grass Ninja?"

Seeing that the strange armored man in front of him ignored the man-eating Shinji and instead kept staring at him, Shinho was very puzzled.

"It seems so. The traitorous ninja from the Land of Grass, Shinka, has a bounty of 3500 million ryo. I advise you to surrender, or you will suffer greatly."

The silver-clad knight nodded, his deep voice emanating from beneath his visor.

Bounty?

The three little ones blinked in confusion. They had never been exposed to the concept of black market bounties before, so they didn't understand this unfamiliar term.

"I thought it was someone else, but it's just a stray dog. My bounty isn't so easy to collect!"

Upon hearing the Silver Knight's words, Divine Fire finally understood and immediately put on a disdainful expression. In their eyes, bounty hunters were nothing more than a pack of hyenas that had caught the scent of blood, and they didn't take them seriously at all.

Strong ninjas either join a ninja village or start their own. Those who can work as bounty hunters are basically nobodies who can't make it big.

"It seems you're unwilling to cooperate."

Kakuzu, beneath his mask, shook his head in disappointment. He had been lurking nearby the whole time. He hadn't intervened when the Grass Ninja were slaughtered because both sides had the same goal. If he had taken the divine fire at that time, the Grass Ninja, as the employer, would have definitely taken the opportunity to bargain.

Then suddenly a Konoha ninja appeared, which really scared Kakuzu. The shadow of Hashirama Senju's Wood Dragon was still lingering in his mind, so during this period, he would avoid Konoha ninjas whenever he encountered them.

After Sarutobi Sasuke was defeated, he felt that his chance to shine had come. So, under the moonlight, he drew the Seven-Tails Card and skillfully transformed into the Seven-Tails Knight.

"So what if you don't cooperate? You silver caterpillar, you're no match for my Mako."

Looking at Kakuzu's handsome armor, Shenhuo felt as if he had swallowed ten pounds of lemon juice, and couldn't help but make a sour, sarcastic remark.

"You've gotten yourself into big trouble, kid. That's a forbidden word from the Divine Beast."

Kakuzu regretfully drew the short sword from his waist; he had already sentenced this divine fire to death in his heart.

"Also, I have a name. My code name is Sword, or as people in the underworld call me, Hunter Knight Sword." (End of Chapter)