The sound of battle shattered the silence of the Uchiha district. The Sound Four moved swiftly, their target clear: Sasuke Uchiha. However, they had not anticipated resistance.
Mikoto and Izumi stood before Sasuke, kunai drawn. Kimimaro stepped forward, his bone blade gleaming under the moonlight.
"You will not take him," Mikoto declared, her Sharingan blazing.
Jirobo lunged, his monstrous strength sending shockwaves through the ground. Mikoto met him head-on, weaving hand signs. Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique! A wall of flames erupted, forcing Jirobo to stagger back.
Izumi flickered behind Kidomaru, dodging his golden webbing with precise movements. She unleashed a flurry of kunai, forcing him to retreat momentarily.
"Get back inside, Sasuke!" Mikoto ordered.
But Sasuke refused. His hands shook as he activated his Sharingan. He had lost his father, and now... now he was watching his mother fight for his life.
Kimimaro surged forward, his dance of bones striking fast. Mikoto barely dodged, her movements growing sluggish from exhaustion. A piercing lance of bone shot through her shoulder, drawing blood.
"Mikoto!" Izumi screamed, attempting to reach her, only to be intercepted by Kidomaru's webbing. Her vision blurred as she struggled against the sticky binds.
Sasuke's breath quickened. No! I won't lose them!
With a roar, he charged forward, lightning crackling around his hand. Chidori! His attack nearly pierced through Kimimaro, but the Kaguya warrior dodged at the last second, kicking Sasuke aside effortlessly.
Mikoto forced herself up, blood dripping from her wounds. She turned to her son, eyes filled with sorrow and pride. "Run, Sasuke."
A powerful blow from Jirobo sent her crashing against a stone pillar. Sasuke's scream echoed through the night as darkness consumed him.
Miles away, Itachi Uchiha sat in quiet meditation when a sudden, piercing pain tore through his senses. His Sharingan flared involuntarily, a vision flashing before his eyes.
His mother... gravely injured.
Izumi... broken and bloodied.
Sasuke... powerless.
And standing over them, the monstrous figures of the Sound Four.
Orochimaru's men.
Itachi's hands curled into fists, his usually composed facade cracking. He had tolerated many things in his pursuit of peace, but this?
This was unforgivable.
A slow, chilling rage settled within him, more potent than any emotion he had felt in years. He rose to his feet, his Akatsuki cloak billowing behind him.
"Kisame." His voice was calm, yet lethal. "I have a new target."
The shark-like shinobi raised a brow. "Orochimaru?"
Itachi's crimson gaze darkened. "I will kill him with my own hands."
Naruto and Haku stood at the ship's bow, the sea wind whipping at their clothes. The message from Tsunade burned in Naruto's mind.
"Menma has gone rogue."
His hands clenched around Uzushio's Fang. Menma... what have you done?
Haku placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll make it in time."
Naruto nodded, but doubt gnawed at him. The bond he had with Menma, the one thing he thought unshakable, was slipping away. And as the storm clouds gathered ahead, he knew a reckoning was coming.
Time had not been kind to Menma. While Naruto journeyed to Uzushiogakure, Menma's jealousy festered, turning into something far darker.
Under Danzo's guidance, he trained in secret. The forbidden arts of Root were brutal—designed to turn shinobi into weapons. Each mission stripped away more of his hesitation, replacing it with cold efficiency. His hatred for Naruto was the fuel Danzo needed to mold him.
One night, an Anbu infiltrated the Root compound. Hidden in the shadows, they watched as Danzo presented Menma with an ancient scroll.
Forbidden Art: Inferno Coffin.
Menma unsealed it, his cursed seal pulsing violently. His eyes gleamed with something unrecognizable—something monstrous.
The Anbu vanished, leaving only a whisper behind as they disappeared into the darkness.
"Tsunade-sama must know."
Tsunade's fist shattered the wooden table.
"Danzo has gone too far."
Minato stood beside her, his expression unreadable. But beneath his calm demeanor was a father's rage.
"The Anbu confirmed it?" he asked.
"Yes." Tsunade's hands tightened into fists. "He's manipulating Menma, feeding his darkness."
Minato exhaled sharply. "Then we end this now."
That night, Konoha's forces descended upon Root's hidden bases. Minato and Kakashi led the assault, their Anbu forces clashing with Danzo's elite operatives.
The underground hideouts trembled as explosions rocked the foundations. Kakashi weaved through the battlefield, his Sharingan tracking the movements of the Root agents. With swift precision, he cut down an enemy attempting to flee.
Minato moved like a golden specter, teleporting between the battlefield and cutting through Root's ranks. However, Danzo was nowhere to be found.
Then, as the dust settled, a clone of Danzo exploded in a violent burst of wind chakra.
"He tricked us," Kakashi realized grimly.
Minato's eyes narrowed. "No. He's still here."
Just as they prepared to resume their pursuit, a shadow emerged from the depths of the compound.
Menma.
He stood at Danzo's side, his cursed seal fully activated. His gaze met Minato's, and for the first time, there was no warmth.
Only hatred.
Without hesitation, they vanished into the night.
Kushina sat in the Uzumaki compound, her hands clenched tightly around the edge of the wooden table. The room was silent except for the distant murmur of worried voices outside. She had spent the last hour trying to calm herself, but the news of Menma's betrayal and the impending clash with Naruto had shaken her to her core.
"This isn't happening… this can't be happening," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Across from her, Mito stood with an expression of deep concern. Though younger than her brothers, she had inherited Kushina's sharp instincts and fierce loyalty. Her crimson hair, the mark of her Uzumaki heritage, framed her face as she clenched her fists.
"How did we let it come to this?" Mito murmured. "How did Menma fall so far?"
Kushina exhaled shakily, struggling to keep her emotions in check. She had fought so hard to keep her family together, to protect her children from the darkness that had once threatened her own clan. And yet, now, her youngest son was walking the very path she had feared.
But the pain didn't end there.
Another messenger had arrived minutes ago, delivering the news that Mikoto Uchiha, her closest friend, and Izumi, a dear part of their extended family, had been gravely injured in an attack by Orochimaru's Sound Four. The thought of Mikoto, lying bloodied and broken after protecting her son, made Kushina's stomach twist with rage.
"This bastard… Orochimaru… he dares to go after my family, after Mikoto and Izumi?" Kushina's voice trembled with barely contained fury. "And Danzo—if I ever see that snake, I'll make him regret everything he's done."
Mito nodded, her eyes darkening. "We need to do something. We can't just sit here while Konoha falls apart."
Kushina's hands tightened into fists. "Naruto and Minato will handle Menma. But when this is over, I swear—I will tear apart anyone who dares threaten my family again."
The storm inside her was rising. And this time, there would be no mercy.