TitoVillar
patreon
JST Chapter 239: Kazuki's Plan
🕑 Added 2025-04-08 23:16:03 +0000 UTCAs the Shinobi Allied Forces gathered, the various divisions of Konoha quickly assembled as well.
Konoha Camp
Uchiha Fugaku walked beside a child, whose face was marked by tear lines, his expression serious as he spoke: "Itachi, don’t forget what you witnessed earlier. This is the Shinobi World. This is war…"
"You wanted to give that dying Iwagakure soldier a drink of water, but he tried to kill you simply because you’re a child from Konoha."
"You carry the future of our clan, and you must grow up quickly!"
Uchiha Itachi listened, dazed, to his father’s words, his mind in turmoil.
As a child who hadn’t even attended the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Fugaku had brought him to the battlefield, even showing him the most brutal frontlines of the war—specifically the Iwagakure sector.
When Uchiha Itachi saw the scattered bodies, the broken earth, and the deep crimson soil soaked with blood, he was struck by a powerful mental shock.
Is life really this fragile?
Then, what’s the point of living?
On the way back, Uchiha Itachi encountered a dying Iwagakure soldier. Hearing his desperate plea for water, Itachi had initially wanted to help, but when the shinobi saw his Konoha emblem, he attempted a sneak attack. Itachi had no choice but to counterkill.
Everything he had seen and experienced left Uchiha Itachi deeply unsettled.
He felt that something was wrong with the world, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
Uchiha Itachi wanted to seek advice from his father, Fugaku, but his father had told him that this was something he had to endure because the fate of their clan and the entire Shinobi World depended on him to change it…
And just as Uchiha Itachi’s thoughts became more jumbled, and he was about to try asking Fugaku again...
He was startled to see his usually confident father’s expression change dramatically, his face filled with anxiety, his movements becoming unnatural.
Because Kazuki was walking toward them.
"Fugaku, is this your son?"
Kazuki greeted Uchiha Fugaku familiarly, slightly bending down to pinch Uchiha Itachi's cheek. "He’s quite chubby. But why did you bring such a little kid to the battlefield?"
Uchiha Itachi tried to dodge, but Kazuki’s large hand seemed to possess some kind of magic, making it impossible to escape.
"I want Itachi to mature quickly…" Fugaku said nervously, though his Mangekyo technique told him that Itachi was the one destined to lead their clan and the Shinobi World to a new era, but that was still just a prophecy.
Kazuki’s immense power, on the other hand, was a reality set in stone.
The power difference, status, and the increasingly delicate relationship between them made Fugaku worry that Kazuki might one day come to settle the score with him... and his family.
After all, Kazuki was becoming more like Senju Tobirama, even his hair had inexplicably turned white...
Even dealing with Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo, the useless disciples of the Second Hokage, was difficult for Fugaku…
"Quickly mature, huh?" Kazuki murmured, repeating Fugaku’s words, then nodded. "Fugaku, you have your plans..."
"Let’s go. Join me at the strategy meeting."
Kazuki patted Fugaku on the shoulder and then looked at Uchiha Itachi. "A little genius in the clan? I support your idea of nurturing him early."
"Bring this little guy along. Let me, as a senior, show him how war is fought..."
Fugaku blinked in confusion. What does this mean?
But after thinking carefully, allowing Itachi to experience high-level battlefield command at such a young age could only be a good thing…
After all, even Fugaku, the clan leader of the Uchiha, didn’t have the privilege to attend the core meetings of the Hokage faction…
Fugaku’s thoughts flashed through his mind, and he quickly replied, "Thank you, Kazuki!"
Kazuki smiled indifferently, signaling for them to follow behind.
As for Fugaku, Kazuki didn’t place much value on him anymore.
Uchiha Itachi, overall, was a genius who could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, with potential... but it would still take many years for him to truly develop. For now, he was just a small child.
But since Fugaku was eager to push his son’s development, Kazuki didn’t mind helping the father along, letting Itachi see what true war looked like.
As for how Itachi would view Kazuki, or what thoughts would cross his mind…
Kazuki didn’t care. As long as it got him stirred up, it was a small diversion in his otherwise uneventful life.
...
Konoha Battlefield Command Center
When Kazuki entered the command center with Fugaku and his son, Tsunade was looking around, puzzled, and asked Jiraiya, "Why isn’t Orochimaru here? He’s been staying in the camp recently, hasn’t he?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "I don’t know either. Maybe he’s gotten lost in his research again?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed beside them, shaking his head.
These were his three disciples, each one acting according to their own whims.
At least for now, he was still the Hokage, so Kazuki wouldn’t punish the shinobi who disobeyed orders too harshly...
But if the sensei came back, it would be a different story. Tsunade might be easy to handle, but if Orochimaru and Jiraiya continued doing things behind the Hokage’s back, they would soon face the wrath of thunderous measures…
As Sarutobi Hiruzen raised his eyes, he immediately saw Kazuki, his white hair unmistakable, and his heart skipped a beat. 'Sensei, are you really this fast…'
“Everyone, thank you for waiting.”
Kazuki walked straight to the head seat and gestured for Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi to sit beside him. His voice was deep as he said, “I have an angering and sorrowful announcement to make: Orochimaru has defected from the village!”
As soon as Jiraiya sat down, he sprang to his feet, shouting, “Impossible!”
Kazuki didn’t answer, only casting a cold glance his way.
Jiraiya immediately shut his mouth and sat back down.
That terrifying gaze instantly brought back memories of the time Kazuki had gone berserk and beaten him…
This guy is nothing like the old man; when he gets angry, he actually hits you!
“Orochimaru attacked me with kinjutsu, attempting to possess my body, but I killed him.”
Kazuki spoke indifferently, “However, I don’t believe he’s truly dead. For now, we’ll file the report and deal with it after the war ends.”
“The pressing matter right now is to face the upcoming collective assault from the Shinobi Allied Forces…”
Kazuki slowly scanned the room.
“Based on the enemy's formation, it seems they plan to launch a full-scale attack on us…”
Kazuki was annotating the war map hanging on the wall as he continued, “This doesn’t sit right. After showing the destructive power of the Tobirama series weapons, they still dared to group their forces like this, meaning they must have found a countermeasure against our current offensive tactics.”
“What could it be?”
Kazuki glanced at everyone present, waiting for a response.
Each person had a different expression.
Because of Kazuki, people like Hatake Kakashi and Hiruko, who usually couldn’t attend these high-level meetings reserved for the Hokage's inner circle, wore indifferent expressions.
To them, all they had to do was follow Kazuki’s orders.
The same went for Kakuzu, who was sitting next to Hatake Sakumo.
More than his position within Konoha, he identified himself more as 'the worker who takes his job seriously for the best boss in the world'...
Konoha had little to do with him.
Jiraiya and Tsunade were deep in thought but clearly hadn’t found the right answer.
Minato spoke softly, “I think they plan to use elite combat forces to clash with us…”
“Objectively, the Tobirama series weapons target mid-tier shinobi with relatively average strength, so they’re not very effective against enemies with strength on the level of an elite jonin or above.”
“If I were the enemy, I would think of uniting the Kage of all the villages to form a special team for a decapitation mission.”
“Without Kazuki…”
Minato looked at Kazuki seriously, “If it weren’t for Kazuki, Konoha would have no chance of withstanding the Shinobi Allied Forces.”
Kazuki gave Minato a look of appreciation. No wonder he could become the Fourth Hokage.
At that moment, Hiruzen also chimed in, “I agree with Minato’s view. Although Kazuki is a user of the Flying Thunder God Technique, this technique isn’t omnipotent…”
“We could form a protective team for Kazuki.”
A protective team for Kazuki?
Even Kazuki felt something odd hearing this.
I dare not let you be my guard...
“There’s no need for a guard team. I will voluntarily expose my location.”
Kazuki said coldly, “In this war, I will use all my strength to secure at least twenty years of peace for Konoha.”
“The tactic is simple. I will go alone and try to eliminate as many of their forces as possible.”
“Your task is to be ready to assist me when my chakra runs out and then launch the second wave of attacks.”
Uchiha Itachi looked at Kazuki with confusion, his young mind unable to grasp Kazuki’s words.
Jiraiya’s expression changed. He understood, but this wasn’t the kind of peaceful solution he had expected…
Although Kazuki had already been identified as the child of prophecy,
why did he seem to have become even more extreme after visiting the Three Great Sage Regions?
Was he really planning to take on an army of a hundred thousand alone?!
Everyone was arguing and trying to convince Kazuki, suggesting there were better strategies.
But Kazuki simply waved his hand, decisively finalizing the plan. He declared that tomorrow, he would take the initiative and launch an attack, without resorting to the defensive counterattack strategies used in the past.
After Kazuki left, everyone’s expressions were varied.
Among them, the most notable was Shimura Danzo. After being thrown into the prison, he had fought fiercely with Sarutobi Hiruzen on the battlefield of Sunagakure as part of a death squad. All things considered, he had put in a lot of effort.
Thus, Sarutobi Hiruzen had allowed him to participate in the meeting.
But whenever he saw Kazuki, Danzo would always recall the most painful day of his life…
While Kazuki had been speaking earlier, Danzo kept his head lowered, doing his best to remain unnoticed, fearing that Kazuki might call him out and publicly humiliate him with unreasonable reproach.
Fortunately, Kazuki ignored him and instead proposed a plan that seemed to Danzo nothing short of suicidal.
“To destroy a person, one must first drive them mad…”
Danzo couldn’t help but laugh inwardly: “The Uchiha are always like this, once they have power, they lose all sense of proportion!”
“Go ahead, I already see you getting torn apart by a combination of a One-Finger Nukite and Dust Release. Once you’re dead, Konoha will still be the same Konoha!”
“Everything will return to normal!”
Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes gleamed with an unusual light.
What his Mangekyo saw was his son, Uchiha Itachi, eventually becoming the strongest shinobi in the world.
However, as the battlefield situation unfolded and Fugaku recognized Kazuki's true strength, he couldn’t help but question himself in the quiet of the night.
Kazuki was so powerful, and so much older than Itachi…
How could they possibly overcome this enormous mountain?
Looking at it now, it seemed that the mountain would collapse on its own, allowing Itachi to surpass him later!
As expected, the prophecy seen through the Mangekyo Sharingan was absolute and never wrong!
“Itachi, pay close attention to Kazuki’s performance on the battlefield. A person must remain calm to achieve great things. Otherwise, even the best situation can be ruined in an instant…”
Uchiha Fugaku whispered to Uchiha Itachi, his voice betraying a suppressed excitement.
“Study hard!”
Uchiha Itachi nodded, his eyes filled with curiosity as he remembered Kazuki’s figure.
Why does the usually calm father have such severe mood swings when he meets this big brother named Kazuki?
Itachi was even more curious about how Kazuki would secure twenty years of peace for Konoha…
“Shall we try to talk to Kazuki? This is too dangerous!”
Tsunade found Hatake Sakumo and Kakuzu, and with a worried expression, said, “You’re important members of the Root and his trusted subordinates, and I am his sensei…”
“He always listens to us. Though the situation is dire, it’s not yet at the point where Kazuki has to shoulder the entire burden of Konoha alone…”
“Using Tobirama series weapons or guerrilla tactics would be a more reliable option, right?”
Hatake Sakumo nodded in agreement at first but then shook his head.
“I agree with your opinion, Tsunade, but I’m not going to try to convince Kazuki…”
“He is more skilled in war than anyone in Konoha, and much more composed.”
“What we need to do is follow orders and commands, without disturbing his judgment.”
Hatake Sakumo said this, but his heart was not at ease.
Kazuki's actions were indeed uncharacteristic, completely different from his usual calm and calculated approach.
The determination in his eyes was like that of a samurai ready to face death.
What exactly was Kazuki thinking and doing…?
...
Several days later.
On the battlefield.
Kazuki stood alone in the vast plain, awaiting the arrival of the enemy’s main forces.
Konoha’s army was stationed several hundred meters behind him.
And on a nearby mountain peak,
Uchiha Izuna and the others watched this scene, their heads full of questions…
What was Kazuki trying to do?
