The Avengers of the Uzumaki Family

That flowing black hair, that fan-shaped logo on the clothes, and that familiar, cold face.

This figure was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

This road is easily crossed.

The figure, hidden in the thick darkness, only lasted for a short while.

Sasuke then arrived in front of a shrine.

This was once the most important place for the Uchiha clan, where they worshipped their ancestors and gathered clan members for high-level meetings.

Sasuke looked around for a moment.

He then leaped into the air.

We arrived directly at the innermost stone slab of the shrine, and gently lifted the slab to reveal a deep and dark path.

Sasuke didn't hesitate at all, leaping down and heading straight for the innermost area.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 158 Erzhuzi's Determination

In a spacious and cold underground chamber.

This place was once the Uchiha clan's most secret location.

Only a handful of people, such as the clan leader and elders, could enter freely. Other clan members needed permission to enter the most important area. After the Uchiha clan was wiped out, this place became a place where the high-ranking members of Konoha Village could trample on at will.

However, thanks to a special agreement, neither the Uchiha clan's stronghold nor this special place was destroyed. Hiruzen Sarutobi was not the kind of person to do that kind of thing. Danzo Shimura wanted to, but he couldn't do it.

Therefore, that most special stone slab still exists in this restricted area.

Sasuke walked straight down the stone slab and came directly to the Sharingan that had been activated.

Two jet-black tomoe appeared in his pupils.

Sasuke stared blankly at the top of the stone slab, his right hand unconsciously clenching tightly.

'This is not where I belong. Power, I need more power!'

Recalling the battles he had witnessed during the Chunin Exams a dozen days ago, whether it was the giant monster Gaara had transformed into or the powerful chakra aura emanating from Menma, both of them were far beyond his current limits. Either of them could easily defeat him.

Sasuke currently lacks a clear understanding of concepts like Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki. From his perspective, he only sees two peers possessing power that he cannot match, which is unacceptable to the proud Sasuke.

He subconsciously reached for the special curse mark on his neck.

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"Buzz!"

With a sudden thought.

In an instant.

The chakra that was activated seemed to be a cursed seal that came to life in that instant. After a tremor, it spread rapidly, covering the entire body with pitch-black runes.

Sasuke immediately showed a look of pain.

The lower lip was clenched tightly, the pain was being suppressed with all one's might, and in order not to scream, the lip was bitten so hard that it bled.

That was in less than two or three seconds.

Sasuke, however, felt as if he had endured an incredibly long and torturous period.

By the time the body was covered with those pitch-black and extremely unique curse runes, the pain that gradually subsided completely negated the special tactile sensation.

next second.

That seemed to be an incredibly abundant power that could be felt.

Sasuke's right hand clenched and then relaxed slightly.

That subconscious hint of sinister intent only lasted a few seconds before Sasuke's expression turned extremely ferocious and terrifying.

'Not enough, not enough, this amount of power is completely insufficient!!!'

The power boost provided by the Cursed Seal in its first form alone is completely insufficient for Sasuke's current needs.

Now, whenever Sasuke closes his eyes, all he can think about is Menma and Gaara's devastating performance.

What he needs is strength that can rival, or even surpass, those two.

Because the height and strength that man displayed were so terrifying, so unattainable.

The thought of meeting again after so many years after the Chunin Exams comes to mind.

Sasuke's face then became extremely ferocious and terrifying.

Those hellish, nightmarish memories that resurfaced, along with the body and mind that were tortured once again.

'This is outrageous! This is outrageous! This is outrageous, Uchiha Itachi!!!'

This stark and palpable difference in strength was palpable.

The chakra aura became even more terrifying.

Sasuke's anger threshold also reached its peak on that day. Even after ten days of rest and treatment at the highest level of medical care in Konoha, all his injuries had been healed.

But the mental anguish continued to gnaw at Sasuke's heart.

Just thinking about Itachi Uchiha's cruel and indifferent appearance...

Sasuke's heart was filled with a tremendous upheaval.

Under this double stimulus, he has now completely fallen into an abyss of thirst for power, and his heart has long been devoured.

For power.

He's even willing to make a deal with the devil!

'Since this place can't satisfy me, I'll leave!'

The figure of Menma, with his long sleeves, was reflected in Sasuke's scarlet yet jet-black Sharingan eyes as he slightly clenched his right hand.

A cold, sharp look also appeared in his pupils.

This is the determination that has been made.

Even though there have been changes compared to the original work.

But Sasuke's inner desire for power remained unchanged. Gaara and Menma's strength, as well as the scenes from the Chunin Exams, were deeply etched into Sasuke's heart.

He could no longer tolerate such slow growth.

What he wants is to become stronger in the shortest amount of time.

And Orochimaru!

It is obvious that he is the best, and the only, choice.

then.

One night, several days later.

When the Sound Four, acting on Orochimaru's orders and with the help of spies still lurking in Konoha, once again infiltrated the village and arrived before Sasuke.

"Let's go."

This time, Sasuke in this timeline did not refuse at all.

This was done after prior arrangements had been made.

He looked at the Sound Four with a cold expression and spoke in a calm tone.

"Yes, Lord Sasuke."

The Sound Four, who had already received Orochimaru's personal orders, immediately knelt on one knee and spoke with a respectful expression.

"This was prepared for you in advance by Lord Orochimaru. Once you enter, you can activate the second form of the Cursed Seal and gain even greater power than before."

The most robust of them all, Jirobo, took down the wooden barrel, which was as big as a person, that he had been carrying on his back, placed it in front of Sasuke, and said with his head bowed.

Upon hearing that it could make the cursed seal's power stronger, Sasuke didn't hesitate at all and stepped directly into the wooden barrel.

I'm not worried at all about any problems here.

Because Sasuke is truly fearless now; he only craves power, which is his sole obsession.

Jirobo also used special sealing runes to perfectly cover the barrel after Sasuke entered it.

Then he put it back on his back.

The four of them leaped forward and quickly headed towards the outskirts of Konoha Village, with someone providing cover.

The Sound Four, who arrived and left with ease, easily bypassed the outer defenses of Konoha and embarked on their return journey.

They were tasked with sending back this Uchiha boy, whom their Lord Orochimaru so desperately desired, as quickly as possible; this was a death order they had received.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 159 Another one!? (Third update)

Sasuke left without a second thought.

He has officially embarked on the path of his chosen future. His life has already been twisted by his own brother, so he doesn't think his choice is wrong at all. And this is obviously not what Itachi wanted to see.

It's important to understand that in Itachi's script, he wanted to see his younger brother become a hero who would protect Konoha. He himself was a stepping stone arranged for his brother. Whether it was the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan or killing the rogue ninja Uchiha Itachi, all of this was a future that Itachi had already set for Sasuke.

Unfortunately, Itachi didn't understand the principle that things will turn into their opposites when they reach an extreme.

His pressure, his indifference.

All of this led Sasuke down a path that Itachi could never have predicted. In the original story, the final outcome was indeed as Itachi wished, but the process was definitely not something Itachi wanted to see. Didn't he know what Orochimaru was?!

In Konoha, Itachi could still maintain some control, but under Orochimaru, everything depended on Sasuke alone.

If anything goes wrong during this process, his own younger brother will be gone.

This definitely touched a nerve with Itachi.

But just like Itachi's actions, he didn't tell Sasuke at all.

Sasuke's choice was entirely beyond Itachi's control.