Chapter 035 Naruto: Has My Nemesis Returned?

These words were like a sharp blade, scraping mercilessly against the very bones of every member of the Uchiha clan. Shock, anger, and fear flashed across their faces, but above all was confusion. Why had Madara Uchiha abandoned them, choosing solitude, only to utter such resentful words now?

Of course, none of them refuted the accusations laid before them. They had nothing with which to defend themselves. The missing clan members had indeed been sent away by Fugaku Uchiha, yet he had not told everyone that he was evacuating the elderly, women, and children. It was not a lack of faith in his people's loyalty, but rather a lack of faith in their discretion. In this world, even a clever mind was no guarantee—one could be forced to reveal everything under genjutsu or mental ninjutsu.

Fugaku feared that if his plan were discovered, the Uchiha would lose even their last spark of hope. The man standing before the Uchiha was not truly Madara, but Obito Uchiha—a name barely known within the clan, believed to have died long ago. Now, all ties to his clan severed, Obito's heart was consumed by the desire for the Infinite Tsukuyomi and a deep hatred for the world.

With a resonant clang, a long blade was drawn, marking the beginning of a bloody night. The peace of the Uchiha district was shattered beyond repair.

Meanwhile, at Naruto's house.

Naruto was tidying his room with great care, making space for his guests. Normally, he spent his nights alone, but tonight there would be four of them. Aki, Itachi, and Sasuke would be staying over. That morning, Fugaku had told Naruto he had a mission to attend to and asked him to look after Sasuke for the night. Naruto understood that Fugaku was carrying out his plan to evacuate the clan. He didn’t quite grasp why Fugaku hadn’t sent Sasuke away as well, but out of friendship, he agreed to take Sasuke in.

Itachi, though expressionless, clearly carried some worry. He knew more than the others. Sasuke, on the other hand, understood nothing. He was saddened by his mother’s disappearance and anxious about his father’s mission. Yet the excitement of his first sleepover with classmates somewhat dulled his anxiety. He mentioned forgetting a few things and asked his brother to accompany him home, while Aki said he needed to fetch something from the laboratory.

Suddenly, the Nine-Tails spoke to Naruto:

"Boy, come inside. I have something to discuss with you."

Naruto set aside what he was holding, sat down quietly, and entered the sealed space. The seal's domain was no longer the damp, gloomy sewer it had once been. Now it was spacious, bright, and orderly, furnished with an array of exotic pieces both inside and outside the gate. It had come to resemble Naruto’s home in the other world. Once he realized the sealed world was influenced by his own spirit, Naruto had taken to renovating it, making it comfortable both for himself and for the Nine-Tails, his reluctant tenant.

When Naruto entered the space, the Nine-Tails was curled up behind the gate, its form shrunken, sprawled atop a massive beanbag. Seeing Naruto, the beast got straight to the point:

"Naruto, something isn’t right. I sense a strange presence has entered the village."

"It’s the same presence I felt that night years ago."

"That person is back—near the Uchiha district."

Naruto stroked his chin. "So, Kurama, you’re saying my father’s killer has returned?"

"Yes. I don’t know what he’s planning, but he’s definitely back," the Nine-Tails replied. "I’m a bit concerned about those Uchiha kids. Whether it’s Itachi or that man from back then, both harbor strong hostility toward the Uchiha—at the very least, they don’t care about the clan’s survival."

"Heh, you used to say you disliked Sasuke and the others. Why the sudden concern?" Naruto teased.

The Nine-Tails hesitated. "And don’t you worry about them, brat?"

"To be honest, I do. A heartless killer like that is nothing but trouble." Naruto formed a hand seal. "Kurama, keep watch around us. I’m going to expand my senses and scan the whole village."

With Naruto’s command, a vast amount of chakra and spiritual energy surged through his network of meridians, his sensory ability increasing rapidly. In a flash, his perception expanded to cover the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

Naruto saw many things.

He noticed the ANBU nearby, tasked with watching over his home; children running through the alleys; villagers settling down after a long day. The various ninja clans of the village were all assembled, fully armed and on high alert.

In an underground chamber, Danzo sat alone at his desk, both anxious and pleased, accompanied by only a few Root operatives, as if waiting for news.

At the Hokage Tower, the senior advisors Koharu and Homura had shed their bulky robes for battle gear, aged but still stalwart.

In the Hokage’s office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was likewise fully equipped, donning his long-unseen battle helmet. Sensing Naruto's scan, Hiruzen glared fiercely toward the sky.

"This feeling… Someone’s probing the village! Who could it be? Does the Uchiha clan have such an expert?" Muttering to himself, Hiruzen immediately took countermeasures. Soon, the entire Hokage building vanished from Naruto’s senses; he could no longer perceive any movement within.

So, the old man does know something after all.

Having swept the area, Naruto shifted his focus to the Uchiha district.

The district was encircled by layer upon layer of ninja. Most were regular shinobi assigned to create a buffer zone between the Uchiha and the rest of the village. Closer in, a ring of somewhat weaker ANBU and numerous Root operatives waited, seemingly poised to intervene when the time came. The innermost cordon was made up of the most elite ANBU, tense and ready for action at a moment’s notice.

Within the Uchiha compound itself…

A masked man with a single eye was battling alone against hundreds of Uchiha shinobi.

"That’s him," the Nine-Tails intoned, agitated. "The one from that night years ago—the one who kidnapped your mother and released me. He is your father’s murderer!"

"Good. Every debt has its debtor—at last, I’ve found him," Naruto said, cracking his knuckles with a series of sharp pops.

But at that moment, his senses caught two smaller figures near the battlefield.

It was Itachi, accompanied by Sasuke, the latter carrying a small bundle on his back. Sasuke’s face was pale and blank, streaked with tears—a look of terror etched deep into his features. Itachi, shocked, shielded Sasuke and stared intently at the ongoing battle.

The masked man, slaughtering his way through the Uchiha, seemed to notice Itachi and Sasuke as well, a hint of amusement flickering in his demeanor.