"Your speed is impressive, but your strength still falls short. Compared to your father, your power leaves much to be desired, and compared to me, the gap is immeasurable. Never try to challenge me again. Remember that—never."
With those words, Isamu turned and left with the others.
Ai remained lying on the ground for a long while, unable to recover. Being defeated in an instant had left him questioning everything.
"I never imagined that even my strongest attack would be crushed so effortlessly. The gap between us is really that great… Damn it… damn it!"
He had wanted to gauge the difference between himself and Isamu, believing it couldn't be that wide. The outcome, however, was something he simply couldn't accept.
Meanwhile, high in the sky, atop a flying platform formed from a Truth-Seeking Orb, Isamu chatted cheerfully with Itachi.
"Grandpa, how are you so strong? That was the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud!"
Isamu laughed.
"A mere Raikage? Grandpa can beat him whenever he feels like it. Forget one Raikage—even if all Five Kage came at me together, I wouldn't back down. If they dared challenge me, I'd teach them a proper lesson! The Five Kage? Hah! I don't even put them in my eyes…"
Seeing Isamu becoming more and more carried away, Tsunade interrupted with a disdainful look.
"Alright, alright, enough bragging. If you keep this up, Itachi's actually going to believe you're stronger than all Five Kage combined. He's still a kid. Aren't you worried you'll bite your tongue telling such outrageous lies?"
"I'm bragging? With my strength, it's not that I look down on the Five Kage—even if all five villages joined forces, I still wouldn't retreat. Garuda, tell her. Am I wrong?"
Garuda thought for a moment before nodding.
"Well… if the so-called Kage are all around the level of that Raikage from earlier, then Isamu really isn't exaggerating."
"Oh, stop encouraging him!" Tsunade sighed. "Garuda, can't you tell there's something wrong with this guy?"
"Hey, Tsunade, what's wrong with me? As for the Five Kage, I—"
"You're still going?" Tsunade walked behind him, slipped both arms around his neck in a chokehold, and tightened her grip. "Didn't I tell you to stop showing off?"
"H-Hey… let go… I can't breathe… let go…"
Caught in Tsunade's iron grip, Isamu dramatically struggled.
Seeing him seemingly unable to breathe, and knowing full well how monstrously strong Tsunade was, Shizune couldn't help but worry.
"Lady Tsunade… maybe you should let go. Lord Isamu really doesn't seem able to breathe…"
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"Why are you worrying about him? Didn't you hear him say he doesn't even take the Five Kage seriously? Since he's supposedly that amazing, how could I possibly hurt him? He's obviously faking it. Shizune, don't fall for him. This old pervert isn't a good person."
The moment Tsunade exposed him—and even called him an old pervert—Isamu immediately dropped the act and whispered,
"Tsunade… could you not say whatever comes to mind in front of Itachi? At least leave me a little dignity."
"You've already thrown away all your dignity. What dignity is left?" Tsunade whispered back. "It's generous enough that I haven't settled the score with you over Garuda yet. You still want face? Keep dreaming."
After hearing Garuda's story the previous night, Tsunade had been deeply moved by her thousand years of unwavering devotion. That was the only reason she'd accepted her. If Isamu had dared bring back some young girl instead, she would have happily broken his third leg.
"Alright, you two, that's enough."
Garuda smiled helplessly before asking,
"By the way, Isamu, where exactly are we going?"
Hearing the question, Tsunade also released him.
Isamu put away his playful expression and spoke seriously.
"This time, I want to take you to meet my clan. It's been far too long since I've seen them, and… I miss them. I wanted to bring my family along."
"Your clan? The Uchiha?"
"Yes."
"What's the point of visiting those people? Besides, if you're looking for the Uchiha, shouldn't we be heading toward Konoha? Why are we flying toward the border?"
It was obvious Tsunade still didn't think highly of that proud and overbearing clan. If Isamu hadn't belonged to it, she wouldn't even have wanted to mention them.
"They aren't the Uchiha living in Konoha. Those people aren't my clan. My real clansmen are somewhere else."
"Somewhere else?" Tsunade frowned. "You mean there are other Uchiha outside Konoha?"
"There are."
"That doesn't make sense. I've traveled across the Ninja World for years, and I've never heard of another Uchiha settlement."
"Of course you haven't. I'm the only person in the entire Ninja World who knows."
He paused.
"And… Tsunade… I owe you an apology."
She looked at him in confusion.
"Why are you apologizing all of a sudden?"
"Because I have to."
He lowered his gaze.
"The reason you don't remember my clan… is because I erased that part of your memory."
"…Erased my memories?"
Tsunade stared at him in disbelief.
"What are you talking about?"
The others were equally stunned. None of them doubted his words—they all knew Isamu never joked when he became this serious.
"It all began with the war at the northern border. Those memories were too painful for you… and they also shattered the perfect image you had of me."
"For your sake… and for Senba's…"
"I used a forbidden technique."
"I extracted every memory related to that incident… and every memory concerning my Uchiha clan."
"I didn't just remove them from you."
"I removed them from everyone in the entire Ninja World."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"You erased the memories of the entire Ninja World…?"
Before she could finish, Isamu gently interrupted her.
"It's too complicated to explain."
"It would be better if you experienced it yourself."
His Rinnegan activated.
Summoning the Wheel of Time, he returned Tsunade's missing memories.
As they flowed back into her mind, Tsunade slowly closed her eyes.
One forgotten scene after another resurfaced.
From Isamu's defection from Konoha…
To the gathering of the Five Great Shinobi Villages…
One forgotten memory after another replayed before her eyes.
The hidden Uchiha clan…
Their people…
Everything she had once forgotten returned.
When she finally opened her eyes, her expression had completely changed.
Disbelief, shock, and countless complicated emotions filled her gaze as she looked at Isamu.
"I never imagined…"
"There was a piece of history like this."
"Isamu… you…"
Isamu lowered his head slightly.
"Back then… because of certain reasons… I had no choice."
"But in the end…"
"For your sake… and for our child…"
"I gave up everything that was almost within my grasp."
"I'm sorry, Tsunade…"
----------------_-_-_------------------
Read 50 advanced chapter on
👉 patreon.com/Master_fic