Hatake Tatsuya in Naruto

Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Uchiha's Dark Past



Hokage's office, Konoha, Three days before Namikaze Minato was set to take over as the Fifth Hokage.

"Did Tatsuya leave the village?"

Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi had just returned to the Hokage's office to report to Tsunade. The news they brought was startling, but what surprised her most was the rumor she had heard.

"At such a critical time, the strongest person in the village leaves behind nothing but a short note?" Tsunade muttered, her brows knitting together in frustration.

"It's said he found something interesting," Shisui replied. "That guy always chases after his own plans, and honestly, I've given up trying to figure him out."

Tsunade sighed, gathering her composure. Turning to the two Uchihas, she asked, "Do you have any new information to report?"

When this topic was mentioned, Shisui and Itachi exchanged grim looks. Their expressions shifted from concern to despair as they knelt on one knee before Tsunade.

"Yes," Itachi began, his voice heavy with regret. "The Uchiha clan has officially decided to initiate a coup on the day Minato-sama takes over as Hokage. My father… has summoned all Uchiha Chūnin and above to participate."

Hearing this, Minato, who had joined the conversation, clenched his fists tightly. His voice was low and burdened with sorrow.

"So… it's come to this. It couldn't be stopped, after all."

The guilt weighed heavily on him. The sins of his former students had brought the Uchiha to this point, and now the clan would face the consequences as a whole.

Nawaki, standing nearby, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Based on the numbers, the Uchiha Chūnin-level fighters and above wouldn't amount to more than two hundred. Even if the Sharingan allows them to fight three-to-one odds, going up against the entirety of Konoha is nothing short of throwing pebbles at a stone wall."

"It's clear my father has his reasons," Itachi added, his tone somber. "The only decisive factor we know of so far is his possession of the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Mangekyō Sharingan?" Tsunade repeated, her eyes narrowing. A memory seemed to stir within her. "I remember Grandpa Tobirama once telling me that during the Warring States period, only two people had awakened the ultimate Sharingan: Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna."

For a moment, silence filled the room as everyone reflected on the enormity of the situation.

"I've faced Uchiha Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan before," Shisui said. "It's undeniably powerful, but even that alone isn't enough to overcome Konoha. The patriarch must have another plan—something he hasn't shared with Itachi."

A heavy silence filled the room before Tsunade finally shook her head, letting out a deep sigh. "Regardless, Uchiha's rebellion is an inevitable fact. We must prepare. Organize a guard deployment for the Hokage inauguration ceremony. If it comes to it, we'll need to suppress the two hundred insurgents immediately..."

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, her gaze softened. Though Uchiha had once been rivals to her clan, Tsunade couldn't help but reflect on the lessons of the Senju's decline. She didn't want the Uchiha to meet the same fate.

That said, she couldn't allow the rebellion to proceed unchecked. But unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzō in the original timeline, Tsunade's resolve was firm: no harm would come to the innocent Uchiha who weren't involved. This was the furthest she was willing to compromise.

"Please wait, Tsunade-sama!"

As Tsunade prepared to issue her orders, Itachi's voice broke the tension. He stepped forward, his expression resolute.

"If my father initiates this coup, the proud Uchiha will bear a stigma that can never be erased," Itachi declared. "Those who survive will find it nearly impossible to live peacefully in Konoha after this."

The room fell silent again, but his words carried the weight of truth.

Eight years ago, the incident with the Nine-Tails—manipulated by the Sharingan—had already driven a wedge between the Uchiha and the rest of the village. Many villagers, who in another timeline might have directed their hatred toward Naruto, had instead turned their anger on the Uchiha clan.

If another rebellion were to occur, even if Uchiha Fugaku and his co-conspirators were defeated, the remaining clan members would face unrelenting scorn.

Itachi's gaze remained calm, but the words he spoke were heavy. "What would the villagers think of the Uchiha then?" he asked, his voice steady but somber. "A family of traitors who tried to rebel not once, not twice, but thrice? The shame would be unbearable."

He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in, his eyes scanning the room. "Madara himself betrayed the First Hokage, attacked Konoha, and tried to tear the village apart. That legacy is already tied to the Uchiha name, and if another rebellion occurs, that history will only grow darker."

His words struck a chord, and the room fell silent as the implications of what he said settled in. Tsunade's face hardened as she turned away, grappling with the truth of his statement.

"Itachi makes a valid point," Minato said, nodding in agreement. His voice carried the weight of his own leadership, thoughtful yet cautious. "The Uchiha already have a long history of mistrust and fear surrounding them. If another rebellion were to occur, even if Uchiha Fugaku and his co-conspirators were defeated, the remaining clan members would face unrelenting scorn. Their name would forever be associated with betrayal."

Tsunade's brow furrowed. "...Then what do you propose?" she asked.

Itachi clenched his fists, the tension in his body palpable. After a moment of silence, he spoke with quiet determination.

"A single sin is enough for one person to bear."

...

...

The northern border of the Land of Fire, near its intersection with the Land of Hot Water.

"Yin-Yang Hakkeshō Kaiten!"

The technique was unlike the standard Hakkeshō Kaiten used by the Hyūga clan. This version combined black and white energies, forming a yin-yang sphere that unleashed devastating power far beyond the ordinary. The resulting destructive force obliterated everything within a radius of ten meters.

"Is that the true Hakkeshō Kaiten? Impressive."

A figure dashed out from the gap created by the dissipating yin-yang sphere, a faint smirk playing on his lips. It was Tatsuya, a shinobi from Konoha.

As the Yin-Yang Hakkeshō Kaiten faded, it revealed a middle-aged man standing amidst the destruction. His entire appearance—hair, eyes, skin, and even his clothing—was pale, exuding an otherworldly aura.

Anyone familiar with the world of Hokage Ninja would recognize him instantly: an Ōtsutsuki. Flanking either side of the battlefield, hundreds of meters apart, stood two children. One was Hyūga Hinata, an eight-year-old who had accompanied Tatsuya from the village.

The other was another pale figure with clear Ōtsutsuki lineage. However, his appearance was unsettling—his eye sockets were empty, as he was born without eyes.

This boy was Ōtsutsuki Kagetsu, the son of the man battling Tatsuya. And that man? He was Ōtsutsuki Masato, the patriarch of the Ōtsutsuki branch family residing on the moon.

The Ōtsutsuki clan on the moon maintained a centuries-old tradition. Periodically, they would use the channel left by their ancestor, Ōtsutsuki Hamura, to connect the moon with the Earth. From there, they observed the world created by the Sage of Six Paths, monitoring its progress and the actions of its inhabitants.

If signs of impending destruction appear in this world, the Ōtsutsuki clan on the moon is bound by duty to intervene.

Not long ago, the Ōtsutsuki branch family on the moon concluded that the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths on Earth were spiraling into chaos, killing each other and heading toward inevitable ruin. In their eyes, the world was beyond redemption, and they resolved to destroy it to pave the way for a new beginning.

However, the main family strongly opposed this decision. The disagreement escalated into a civil war. The war ended in tragedy: the main family was annihilated, while the branch family suffered severe losses. Only Ōtsutsuki Masato and his son, Ōtsutsuki Kagetsu, survived.

Though both father and son remained steadfast in their belief that the old world needed to be destroyed, their weakened forces made it impossible to act on their convictions. They could only bide their time, observing Earth and waiting for the right opportunity.

This time, however, their mission to Earth took an unexpected turn.

Ōtsutsuki Kagetsu, despite being born blind, possessed an extraordinary level of sensory perception, rivaling that of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. His ability to sense chakra allowed him to identify those with significant potential, including Hinata Hyūga.

Kagetsu spent days secretly observing Hinata, intrigued by her pure Byakugan. But in doing so, he unwittingly encountered the "wolf" guarding the "rabbit"—none other than Hatake Tatsuya.

"Destroy the world? Seriously, that's some next-level edge lord behavior," Tatsuya remarked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

He was utterly unimpressed by the grandiose ambitions of the Ōtsutsuki duo.

---

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