He struggled to stand up. His trembling body swayed several times before he managed to steady himself.
Ignoring his charred skin, he pushed away the Anbu ninja who was supporting him. His eyes full of hatred seemed to be able to drag anyone he looked at into hell.
It was all because of that Uchiha kid! If it weren't for him, his perfect plan wouldn't have gone wrong, and he wouldn't be standing here in such a sorry state!
He looked at the Uchiha ninjas who were glaring at him with hatred, as if they were looking at a fiend from hell. He couldn't help but let out a long laugh towards the sky.
He wasn't defeated yet!
He couldn't just die like this and let the Uchiha clan thrive in the village. If that were the case, they would truly become the most powerful clan in Konoha, and it would be hard for the village to rein them in. He had to put an end to this here.
Dragging his heavy feet and gasping for breath, he walked step by step towards the Uchiha clan.
Sasuke keenly noticed that the old villain with a heart full of malice seemed confident in his one - eyed gaze. He was afraid that the old villain might use the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique again, just as he did in the previous life, to take all the Uchiha clan members here to their doom.
No, he couldn't let him succeed.
"Brother, Father, that old man's eyes are so scary. Is he coming to kill me again?"
He pretended to be weak and helpless, curling up in Itachi's arms. He fidgeted and moved backward to remind them to notice Tanzō's odd behavior quickly.
"Tanzō, what are you doing? Stop right now!"
The ninjas present were all battle - hardened and experienced. They could see the madness in Tanzō's eyes.
Tanzō let out a maniacal laugh and ripped off his tattered outer robe. Black streaks appeared on his battered body, and then his blood spurted out like ink.
"No! Run! It's a Sealing Technique. He wants to take us all to Yomi!"
"Haha. You fools just realized it. Then go to hell with me!"
Some of the surrounding ninjas who couldn't get out of the way in time were splashed with Tanzō's foul - smelling blood. No, they had to stop him, or all the ninjas here would be buried with him!
"This is the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique. It will only be activated when the caster dies. Everyone, stop him quickly."
Stop him! But how? Tanzō's body was gradually swelling into a ball. When the ball exploded, it would mean their death.
....................
Fugaku gritted his teeth unwillingly and slammed his fist on the ground.
Damn it! They had already proved the innocence of the Uchiha clan to the village. They had finally been cleared of the false accusations and were about to live a happy life. Why did God keep looking down upon them and treat them so badly?
Everyone here would be dragged to hell by him. Then everyone would cast suspicious glances at the Uchiha clan.
There were only the old, the weak, women, and children left in the village. How could they cope with the overwhelming hatred?
Tanzō, you are so vicious!
Itachi seemed to understand what his father was thinking. He rubbed his slightly painful eyes and forcefully activated the Mangekyō Sharingan again.
Doesn't Tanzō want to die? Well, Itachi won't let him have his way.
He'll force Tanzō to carry this hideous body around forever, confined to the shadows, never seeing the light of day!
Mangekyō Sharingan: Tsukuyomi
Itachi searched for Tanzō's eyes among the pile of flesh. The moment their gazes locked, Itachi unleashed his ocular power on Tanzō.
The powerful genjutsu would warp his will, trapping him forever in the illusory dreams of his own making.
Everyone watched as the balloon - like swollen body stopped expanding and heaved a sigh of relief, feeling like they'd dodged a bullet.
"Too... good. We're okay."
The jutsu just now was extremely terrifying. With the Third Hokage and the clan heads of numerous Konoha families present, if these elites had perished simultaneously, Konoha would truly never recover.
Tanzō's era came to an end just like that.
..................
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the swollen meatball, a pang of sadness welling up inside him.
Is this the ending you wanted, Tanzō? He reached up and tugged at the brim of his hat to hide the expression on his face.
"Lord Third Hokage!"
"Take him away and lock him up in Konoha's prison."
Fugaku Uchiha observed the Third Hokage's current state. Obviously, it wasn't a good time to talk. After some hesitation, he finally made up his mind and approached the Third Hokage.
"Lord Hokage, I have an inappropriate request."
"Tell me and let's see."
"I hope that the child, Naruto, will be taken care of by the Uchiha clan. No! To be precise, it should be Mikoto, my wife."
"Absolutely impossible. Everyone knows that the Sharingan can control the Nine - Tailed Fox. If you get too close to the fox, what if you have the intention to rebel one day?"
The people who had been retreating originally heard Fugaku's request. Immediately, they stepped forward to stop him.
"I believe the Third Hokage understands better than I do whether the Sharingan can control the Nine - Tailed Fox. The conditions required for that are by no means something you can simply brush off with a single remark."
"Cut the crap! Didn't Madara Uchiha control the Nine - Tailed Fox back then and fight the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, at the Valley of the End? If the First Hokage hadn't been so severely injured in that battle, how could he have died so early?"
"I'll say it one more time. Only Madara Uchiha was capable of controlling the Nine - Tailed Fox! One has to cultivate the Sharingan to his level and possess an enormous amount of chakra like his to even stand a chance of controlling the fox! He's been dead for ages, not a single bone left. What on earth are you still worried for?"
Facing everyone's doubts, Fugaku Uchiha retorted boldly without any courtesy. He turned around and looked at the Third Hokage sincerely.
"Everyone sitting here knows Naruto's identity. He's the son of the Fourth Hokage, a hero's child of Konoha. But can anyone here say they know nothing about the hardships he's endured since childhood?"
"Aren't you afraid that the spirit of the Fourth Hokage, who sacrificed his life for the village, won't rest in peace if you treat his orphan like this?"
There are quite a few people sitting here who have a close connection with the Fourth Hokage. When he was alive, you were all on close terms with him. Now, seeing his child being looked down upon and criticized in the village, how can you have the nerve to face the Fourth Hokage!
"Hold on. Don't act so high - and - mighty. Haven't you just been standing by and watching indifferently?"
...................