From the night of genocide, marching towards the strongest.

Behind her, Kakashi and Yakumo Kurama stood silently on either side.

Naruto and Sakura did not accompany them.

Naruto, as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, is currently being protected in the heart of Konoha.

Sakura stayed in the research lab with Shizune, focusing their efforts on analyzing the cell solution containing mysterious information that Sasuke had given to Naruto.

The Fourth Raikage, A, slammed his fist heavily on the table, the dull thud sending a shiver through the air. His bloodshot eyes, like copper bells, blared suppressed fury that threatened to erupt: "Half a day! Just half a day! Kumogakure has lost both the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails! Compared to... my brother! That bastard, Uchiha Madara!"

"Heh, Raikage, there's no need to be impatient." Onoki's short body hovered above his seat, his tone carrying his usual unpleasant sarcasm: "We Jinchuriki of Iwagakure also suffered the same fate, didn't we? What's the use of being anxious? Those of you who have lived long enough should know the weight that the name Uchiha Madara represents."

Mei Terumi gently stroked her forehead, her delicate face also covered with frost: "The rogue ninja from Kirigakure, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki Utakata, has been confirmed to have been attacked and is out of contact. In addition, all intelligence leads point to a series of recent anomalies that are closely related to Uchiha Sasuke, or rather Orochimaru, who suddenly reappeared and displayed terrifying power. The situation is far more complex and dangerous than we initially anticipated."

"Speaking of Uchiha Sasuke and Orochimaru..." Onoki changed the subject, his cloudy but sharp gaze fixed on Tsunade: "Hokage, if I remember correctly, they both came from Konoha and were your ninjas, right? Even Uchiha Madara, who stirred up this storm, was one of the founders of Konoha."

Tsunade met his gaze without flinching, lowered her arms from her chest, and placed her palms on the table: "Onoki, what do you want to say? Just be direct."

Gaara, who had remained silent until now, slowly raised his eyes. Having experienced death and rebirth, his demeanor had become even more composed, like a rock at the bottom of a deep pool, calm yet containing weight: "Investigating past connections and losses is futile. The most urgent task is to determine what the common threat we face truly is. Why did Madara Uchiha resurrect? Why did he so blatantly collect the Tailed Beasts in such a short time? What is his ultimate goal? Only by understanding this can we find a way to deal with it."

At that moment, the air in the center of the venue twisted and spun without warning, forming a deep, dark vortex.

A figure clad in a black robe stepped calmly out of the vortex and landed on the polished floor.

The Sharingan, with its scarlet three-tomoe eyes, slowly rotated, coldly scanning the entire scene.

Obito Uchiha.

This time, he did not wear a mask as usual, but showed his true face.

“Obito...”

Upon seeing Kakashi, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

However, Obito Uchiha's gaze lingered on him for less than a moment before he looked away indifferently, as if he had only seen an insignificant stranger.

His gaze swept over the five shadows, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy, and over the shadow guards who were drawing their weapons. Finally, his deep voice, imbued with an invisible sense of oppression, rang out in the silent hall:

"The Five Kage... a boring gathering. But it saves me the trouble of visiting them one by one."

"Die!"

Raikage's roar was like a thunderclap. Almost as soon as Obito finished speaking, he transformed into a blinding bolt of lightning and arrived in an instant!

The fist, imbued with a violent lightning chakra powerful enough to shatter mountains, slammed fiercely towards Obito's face.

However, the fist crackling with blinding lightning struck as if it had hit a phantom, passing through Obito's head without any resistance and slamming into the air behind him, exploding into a burst of scattered electricity.

Obito's figure didn't even flinch, and his crimson Sharingan didn't even glance at the Raikage, who was standing right next to him with wide, angry eyes.

"What!?"

"Illusion? Or...?"

The other Kage, though not as sudden as the Raikage, also took action almost simultaneously.

Gaara's sand surged from his gourd like living things, instantly sealing off all of Obito's possible escape routes; Mei Terumi formed a hand seal, and scorching mist appeared in her mouth; dangerous white light had already condensed in Onoki's palm.

Their attacks or restraints all ended up the same way as the Raikage's—they all missed, as if what stood there was just a realistic mirage.

Sand passed through, ninjutsu swept by, blades slashed, but Obito remained calm and composed, his breathing not even disturbed.

“Everyone, please stop,” Yakumo said. “This is a special ability of his Mangekyou Sharingan, a kind of space-time eye technique. At this moment, his true form is not on the same spatial level as us. What is standing in front of us is just a projected image.”

Upon hearing this, Obito Uchiha remained indifferent, as if what Yakumo had revealed was not some astonishing secret, but merely a self-evident fact, without even glancing at him.

At this moment, Tsunade slammed her hands heavily on the table and leaned forward:

"Obito Uchiha, what is your purpose in coming here?"

"Purpose?"

Obito slowly repeated the two words, his gaze sweeping over the five Kage once more, finally settling on the banner hanging in the center of the hall, symbolizing the alliance of the five great nations:

"On behalf of Xiao, I hereby formally inform you all..."

"The Fourth Shinobi World War has begun."

............

Just as Obito Uchiha was making his declaration of war at the Land of Iron, the atmosphere was equally tense in a brightly lit core medical laboratory far away in Konoha.

Sakura Haruno was completely focused, her eyes fixed on the microscope eyepiece and the analytical instruments beside her that were constantly displaying fluctuating data.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but her fingertips remained as steady as a rock as she manipulated the precise probe and chakra conduction device, meticulously peeling away and analyzing the strangely glowing cell solution from Sasuke.

Silently assisted with taking notes, her expression equally grave.

“How is this possible?” Sakura murmured to herself, her voice filled with disbelief: “The cell structure and activity far exceed any known biological sample, even surpassing the cells of the First Hokage. No! This doesn’t look like a ‘cell’ at all.”

She switched between several analysis modes, and the graph on the screen became more complex and dazzling: "It is more like a highly condensed 'chakra life unit' with self-organization and infinite proliferation potential, containing extremely large and balanced Yin-Yang and Five Elements chakra attributes, coexisting in a stable structure that I cannot understand, and mutually generating each other in a cycle."

Shizune, standing to the side, stared at the diagram on the screen, her eyes filled with shock: "The energy level and life form contained in this solution have exceeded the comprehension of current medical ninjutsu and biology. What exactly did Uchiha Sasuke give us?"

Sakura was silent for a moment, then her gaze fell back on the tube of faintly glowing solution, and she said in a low voice, "Perhaps... this is Sasuke's own cell."

"His own cells?" Jiraiya, who had been silently listening from the wall in the distance, straightened up, his brows furrowed. "Then, what exactly did Sasuke Uchiha mean by giving his own cells to Naruto?"

"Rinnegan!"

Sakura uttered the word, then turned to Jiraiya, speaking faster as she tried to clear her mind: "Lord Jiraiya, do you remember? The Nine-Tails inside Naruto once said that the Uchiha clan are descendants of Indra, the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths, who inherited the spiritual energy and Sage Eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, while the Uzumaki and Senju clans are descendants of Ashura, the second son of the Sage of Six Paths, who inherited the physical energy and Sage Body of the Sage."

She paused slightly, organizing her thoughts: "However, it also mentioned that the Uchiha Sharingan has a profound connection with the Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan, so theoretically, evolution is possible, but Naruto doesn't have the Uchiha Sharingan..."

"No, Sakura!" Jiraiya suddenly interrupted her, a sharp glint in his eyes: "It's also possible for the Uzumaki clan to produce the Rinnegan!"

The image of his disciple Nagato's wavy eyes flashed through his mind. They were the Rinnegan of the Uzumaki clan, which he had seen with his own eyes. This example was enough to shatter the conventional understanding of bloodlines.

"So," Shizune said, her voice tense as she looked at the vial of solution, "what should we do? Should we inject it into Naruto?"

“Yes, injection.” Sakura nodded emphatically, pointing to the analysis data: “Although the energy level contained in this ‘Sasuke cell’ far surpasses that of the First Hokage’s cell, strangely, its aggressiveness and biological rejection response are unusually low, exhibiting an almost deliberate gentleness. This could not possibly be a natural state; it can only be the result of Sasuke deliberately imposing some kind of restriction or harmonization during the separation or treatment.”

Upon hearing this, Shizune's face showed even deeper worry. She hesitated before speaking, "Even so... the energy level involved is truly terrifying. We know almost nothing about its nature, its operating mechanism, or even its potential risks. Directly injecting it into Naruto's body still carries an immeasurably high risk factor."

Jiraiya, standing to the side, crossed his arms and frowned.

He recalled his limited interactions with Sasuke, and Naruto's unwavering and complex trust in him.

"Judging from his motives, Sasuke Uchiha is a deep and scheming guy, but I tend to think that he would not have intended to harm Naruto. If he really had any malicious intent, he would have had countless opportunities to do so."

He paused, his voice lowering as he acknowledged Shizune's concerns: "But Shizune is right. The problem isn't the intention, but the power itself. Cells at this energy level contain too many variables. Even Uchiha Sasuke himself probably wouldn't dare to say it's absolutely safe."

The laboratory fell into a brief silence, broken only by the soft hum of the instruments.

Risk and potential opportunity sway on the scales, with Naruto's safety as the stake.

Just then, Sakura suddenly reached out and decisively took a brand new, thin syringe from the sterilization tray.

Without the slightest hesitation, before Shizune and Jiraiya could even react, she precisely inserted the needle into the solution reservoir, extracting a small but sufficiently clear amount of pale golden liquid.

"Then let me try it first."

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned the needle toward the bulging blue veins on her arm.

"Sakura! Wait!" Shizune cried out in surprise.

"Nonsense!" Jiraiya stepped forward.

But Sakura's movements were quick and decisive. A slight stinging sensation came, and the cool solution was slowly injected into her vein with each push.

The two could only watch helplessly, their faces frozen in shock.

After the injection was completed, Sakura deftly pulled out the needle. She looked up and met the incredulous gazes of the two people, her face displaying an expression that was a mixture of determination and composure.

“Sasuke probably anticipated our hesitation, and perhaps... he even intended for me, or someone among us with the appropriate qualifications, to try it first.” She gestured to the remaining solution in the storage container: “So the dosage he gave was enough for several injections, far exceeding the needs of one person.”

She took a deep breath, sensing for any unusual sensations within her body, and clearly stated, "Tsunade-sensei once told me that our Haruno family is actually a branch of the Senju clan that merged into Konoha in the early years and changed their surname. In terms of bloodline, I also carry the power of the Senju lineage and am a descendant of Ashura. If even my body can withstand it safely, then Naruto, whose physique is far stronger than mine, is even less likely to be in trouble!"

"Sigh, you little brat..." Jiraiya looked at her unwavering expression and could only sigh in the end.

Does this mean that I've somehow become one with Sasuke-kun?

A thought that should never have surfaced at this moment suddenly rushed into Sakura's mind, making her cheeks flush and two red blushes instantly appear.

Seeing this, Shizune, who had been keeping a close eye on her, immediately noticed the sudden change and her alarm bells went off. She thought something had happened to Sakura's body and immediately went forward to check on her.

…………

Inside the main hall of the Sound Village.

The atmosphere was so tense it was almost frozen.

Sasuke sat leisurely in the main seat, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, his gaze sweeping over his subordinates below, whose expressions varied, with a hint of amusement.

Kimimaro stood at the front, his pale face expressionless, only his eyes fixed on Sasuke, cold and sharp. Standing beside him, Guren's expression was much more complex, a mixture of vigilance, doubt, and a hint of barely perceptible wavering.

Jugo's face was full of worry, his eyes anxiously darting between Kimimaro and Sasuke, his body leaning slightly forward as if he were ready to rush forward and stop them at any moment.

Honoka, who was a little further away, watched quietly, while Karin and Suigetsu were a different story, their eyes darting around, looking left and right.

As for the four Sound Ninja standing in the corner, they lowered their heads and even deliberately breathed softly, for fear of being swept away by the aftershocks of this silent confrontation.

"Sasuke-sama."

Kimimaro finally took a step forward, his icy voice breaking the silence, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "Excuse me, where exactly is Lord Orochimaru?"

Because of Kabuto Yakushi's departure while impersonating Orochimaru, Sasuke's increasingly undisguised attitude in recent years, coupled with the information and doubts obtained after the battle at the Sanctuary crater, all these signs finally made Kimimaro unable to deceive himself any longer.

Today, he chose to confront this issue that he had always been reluctant to delve into.

Lord Orochimaru is the meaning of his existence, the only light shining in the direction of his dark life.

"Orochimaru?" Sasuke chuckled softly, his laughter revealing neither joy nor anger, only a faint sigh: "Sometimes, I do admire his ability to win people's hearts and gather his subordinates. Even after all this time, there are still people who are so devoted to him."

The implication in those words made Kimimaro's gaze grow even colder. "So, in other words," his voice deepened, his knuckles turning slightly white as he clenched his fist, "Orochimaru-sama is dead, isn't he?"

Before he could finish speaking, a pale bone blade suddenly pierced the skin of his palm, protruding with a chilling aura.

"Kimimaro! No!" Jugo suddenly stepped in front of him, spreading his arms wide, and turned urgently to Sasuke: "Sasuke! Kimimaro didn't mean it that way! He just... just can't accept it right now! I'll talk to him, I definitely will!"

However, Kimimaro seemed oblivious to Jugo's obstruction.

He just stared intently at the white-haired youth at the head of the table, even though he knew better than anyone that there was an insurmountable gap between his strength and that he might not even last a single exchange.

But some things are more important than victory or defeat, or even life and death.

"Kimimaro," Sasuke said slowly, his tone calm but carrying an invisible pressure: "I advise you not to actually make a move, otherwise, you won't be the only one to die, Orochimaru will also be completely wiped out."

"What do you mean?" Kimimaro's pupils contracted slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed beneath his tightly furrowed brows.