Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 231: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Outside the gates of Konoha.

"Hey, hey, Otano, what's going on with you?"

Amid the shocked gazes of the Konoha shinobi, a beast-like roar suddenly erupted from outside the gates. The Konoha ninja named Otano, his eyes completely white, had lost control of the tailed beast within him.

ROAR!

With a thunderous roar, Sarutobi Hiruzen, seated in the Hokage's office far away, was jolted in shock.

"This chakra... how is this possible!?"

Peering out of the window, Hiruzen could see the direction of Konoha's gates. Tremors shook the ground, and a massive cloud of dust arose.

"Lord Third Hokage, bad news! The Three-Tails from Kirigakure has suddenly appeared outside the village and is rampaging!"

An ANBU operative appeared urgently in the Hokage's office, reporting in a panicked voice. But Hiruzen's gaze, filled with disbelief, remained fixed on the destruction near the gates.

As the dust cleared, the village gates had been obliterated. The massive, cement-gray shell of the Three-Tails loomed, crouched at the entrance to Konoha.

"This is bad! This is Kirigakure's conspiracy!"

At this moment, even Hiruzen, who could sometimes be slow to react, understood the situation. The appearance of the Three-Tails not only posed a direct threat to Konoha but also carried a deeper, politically dangerous implication.

If Kirigakure spread the narrative that Konoha had stolen the Three-Tails, the other villages in the ninja world would seize the opportunity to escalate the already volatile Third Great Ninja War.

"Declare an immediate state of emergency in Konoha! All genin and chunin are to escort the civilians to the shelters. Jonin, assemble and stop the Three-Tails from entering the village!"

"Yes, sir!"

Despite the chaos, Hiruzen's years of experience as Hokage allowed him to issue clear and decisive orders.

Meanwhile, the entire village plunged into turmoil. Countless Konoha shinobi stared in terror toward the gates, where the enormous, fearsome turtle-tailed beast roared.

"Run!"

"Everyone, get to the shelters immediately!"

"Oshima, deploy now!"

Though panicked at first, Konoha's war-hardened shinobi quickly began organizing an effective response. Under the commands of the jonin, evacuation and defensive measures were swiftly implemented.

In the Hokage building, Hiruzen tore off his Hokage robes, revealing his black battle armor underneath.

"The Three-Tails has appeared near the village—it's Kirigakure's scheme! Hiruzen, if you go now, it's too dangerous..."

Koharu Utatane rushed into the office just in time to see Hiruzen preparing for battle. Panic flickered across her face.

If something happened to Hiruzen, the village would fall into utter chaos.

After all, Hiruzen's reputation had already been shaken by a humiliating defeat in a previous battle. Facing the Three-Tails now, Koharu feared a repeat of the earlier disaster—this time, in full view of the entire village.

"I am the Third Hokage of Konoha!"

Even now, Hiruzen clung to the remnants of his pride as a legendary shinobi. He roared furiously at Koharu's doubts, and his old warrior's spirit briefly rekindled.

Fully armored, with ANBU operatives rallying around him, Hiruzen stood ready for battle.

"Everyone! We cannot allow the Three-Tails to enter the village. Attack with everything you've got!"

"Yes, Lord Third!"

"Summon the sealing unit immediately!"

When Hiruzen arrived at the battlefield, he used his famed Adamantine Staff to drive the Three-Tails back with a mighty blow, pushing it out of the village. For a moment, Konoha's shinobi were reinvigorated by the sight of their Hokage holding the line.

Hiruzen's past defeats were partly due to unfavorable circumstances and strong opponents, but now, fueled by anger and determination, he unleashed his full power. Despite the Three-Tails' overwhelming strength, it wasn't the Nine-Tails. With the combined effort of Konoha's shinobi, it was temporarily suppressed.

"Lord Hokage, bad news! The Three-Tails has a special anti-sealing mechanism. The sealing unit has failed, and we've suffered heavy casualties..."

Outside the village gates, thousands of Konoha shinobi continued their desperate battle against the tailed beast.

However, as time passed, the true terror of a tailed beast became evident—its massive chakra reserves and stamina. With the sealing unit neutralized, the situation grew increasingly dire.

"Such despicable mist shinobi!"

Sweating profusely, Hiruzen was filled with rage. He knew Kirigakure would likely twist this situation to their advantage, painting Konoha as the aggressor. The other villages would waste no time in exploiting this.

"Lord Third, urgent intel! The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have infiltrated our borders and destroyed our supply lines to the frontlines..."

"Shinonosuke-sama has already led an elite team to intercept the Seven Swordsmen..."

Hiruzen, already strained from fighting the Three-Tails, nearly spat blood upon hearing this news.

Kirigakure had outmaneuvered them. Silent but deadly, their actions had left Konoha reeling.

The other villages—Suna, Iwa, and Kumo—had spent five years loudly declaring their intentions to crush Konoha, yet achieved little. Meanwhile, Kirigakure had nearly torn Konoha apart without uttering a word.

"Lord Hokage, another emergency! Shinonosuke-sama has encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and the Namikaze Minato reinforcement unit has gone missing. The situation is critical—they're requesting immediate reinforcements..."

Before Hiruzen could even process the first report, the next wave of bad news hit him like a hammer. His son was asking for help.

"Send reinforcements immediately—"

Just as Hiruzen began to shout orders, the Three-Tails let out a deafening roar, its massive mouth now forming a terrifying chakra sphere.

A black-tailed beast bomb began condensing, radiating destruction.

Seeing this, Hiruzen's eyes widened in horror.

"No! We can't let that attack land inside the village!"

The destructive energy of the tailed beast bomb surged toward Konoha, and Hiruzen roared:

"Earth Release users, deploy now!"

Underneath the chaos caused by the rampaging Three-Tails, Uchiha Madara's machinations were also unfolding. His goal was not just to unleash the Three-Tails but to plunge the entire ninja world into chaos and weaken every village.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

In an instant, thick walls of earth began rising from the ground around the village gates, creating layered defenses. But against the sheer destructive power of the tailed beast bomb, they crumbled like paper.

Hiruzen, seeing the earth walls fail, prepared to use his Adamantine Staff to intercept the bomb. But just as he stepped forward, a high-pitched hawk's cry pierced the air.

From above, a figure suddenly appeared in front of the tailed beast bomb.

"The bomb... it stopped!"

The devastating attack halted mid-air, leaving the Konoha shinobi in stunned silence.

The figure holding back the bomb wielded a massive fan.

"It's... a fan user!"

In an instant, the bomb dissipated in a flash of light, and the mysterious figure holding the fan stood tall, facing the Three-Tails.

Uchiha Shirou!

At this moment, countless Konoha shinobi stared in shock at this figure, but in the next instant, the figure vanished.

"It's the Flying Thunder God!"

"Lord Shirou is outside the gate!"

Uchiha Shirou had used the Flying Thunder God Technique to instantly appear outside the village gate. It turned out that when the hawk reached the skies above Konoha, Shirou had already scattered two Flying Thunder God kunai.

When Shirou's figure instantly appeared on the battlefield, countless Konoha shinobi were stunned. However, what shocked them even more was that Shirou had directly appeared in front of the Three-Tails.

"Try your Tailed Beast Bomb!"

With a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Shirou swung the enormous Flame Fan fiercely toward the Three-Tails. In an instant, blinding white light flashed.

The next moment... BOOM! A deafening explosion echoed through the skies of Konoha. The terrifying shockwave swept through, destroying countless nearby buildings and trees.

"How is this possible?!"

"The Tailed Beast Bomb was deflected just like that?!"

As the explosion subsided, the Three-Tails had been blasted far away, roaring in pain. The Konoha shinobi were left utterly astonished.

However, as the experienced Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi witnessed this technique and the familiar enormous fan, he exclaimed in shock:

"The Gunbai!"

This was the most powerful weapon of the Uchiha clan, said to be the symbol of the Uchiha clan's leaders throughout history. It had been passed down since the Warring States period and was thought to have been lost after Uchiha Madara.

Yet now, this Six Paths weapon had reappeared.

"Shirou!"

But in the next moment, amidst the Three-Tails' anger-filled yet weakened roars, Mikoto suddenly appeared behind the beast.

As Mikoto approached, the Konoha shinobi noticed that her slender arm was holding a massive, grotesque, barbed weapon.

"The Great Blade Samehada not only devours chakra but also provides its user with..."

With the tomoe in Mikoto's Sharingan spinning, the Great Blade Samehada wrapped around Shirou's arm. In just moments, it transferred an enormous amount of chakra to him, causing Shirou to smile with satisfaction.

"The Samehada truly is a useful weapon."

The blade's original owner, Fuguki Suikazan, had lost his life when he attempted to escape but encountered Mikoto. Not only did he lose his life, but his ninja blade also fell into her hands.

Although Samehada was a weapon, it was also a living being. And as a living being, it could be controlled—especially under the power of the Sharingan.

After all, making Samehada recognize a master required not only immense chakra but also time.

"The Three-Tails is preparing to attack again..."

At this moment, the Konoha shinobi exclaimed in alarm. With his chakra replenished, Shirou's Mangekyō Sharingan began spinning rapidly.

In the next instant, the pupils of the distant Three-Tails displayed the shape of the Mangekyō Sharingan, and its raging body froze in place.

"It's the Sharingan! The Sharingan has controlled the Tailed Beast!"

"We're saved!"

The Konoha shinobi shouted in shock as they watched this scene unfold. Such a powerful Tailed Beast—one they had been prepared to fight to the death—was subdued so effortlessly?

Could it be over so easily?

"This is the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan?"

As countless Konoha shinobi looked on in awe, the Uchiha shinobi of the Police Force, after their initial shock, erupted into fervent cheers.

"This is the ultimate power of the Uchiha clan!"

"The Mangekyō! Even the strongest Tailed Beast is no match for the ultimate power of the Uchiha clan..."

Only by witnessing it firsthand could one grasp just how astonishing this spectacle was. Among all the elite jonin in the village, and even those who had seen Kage-level combat, none had ever seen a Tailed Beast subdued so effortlessly.

This was not just power—it was specialization, or perhaps domination!

The Mangekyō Sharingan and Wood Release held overwhelming dominance over Tailed Beasts.

"Shirou!"

Mikoto's concerned voice drew attention, but it also caused the distant Hiruzen Sarutobi to notice something keenly.

Blood tears were flowing from Shirou's eyes. Although he quickly wiped them away, the bloodshot veins in his eyes were impossible to hide.

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"Quick! Sealing team, prepare yourselves..."

At the moment of controlling the Tailed Beast, Shirou issued a cold command, as if he were the highest authority on the scene.

The sealing team rushed to perform the sealing jutsu. This scene, along with the stunned expressions of countless Konoha shinobi, filled the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with deep concern.

The Gunbai! Controlling a Tailed Beast!

This stirred old, buried fears within him—memories of the man who had once brought disaster to Konoha. It was all too similar!

It was far too similar to the man who had once plunged Konoha into chaos.

If Konoha were to fall into the hands of such a dangerous Uchiha, it wouldn't just be a disaster for the village—it would wreak havoc across the entire shinobi world.

"Everyone, stay on guard..."

As the sealing jutsu took effect, the enormous form of the Three-Tails visibly shrank, allowing many Konoha shinobi to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Third Hokage!"

When Shirou turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, his expression was indifferent, and there was no hint of respect in his tone.

"Captain Shirou, it's fortunate you arrived in time. Without your Mangekyō Sharingan to suppress the Tailed Beast, I can't imagine how much chaos this would have caused in the village.

But weren't you stationed on the Mist Village frontlines? Why did you suddenly return?"

Clad in armor, Hiruzen Sarutobi first expressed his gratitude, showcasing his skillful ability to pacify others. But his final question sowed seeds of doubt.

You were guarding the Mist Village frontlines, yet you came back? And now the Three-Tails is here in Konoha?

Hiruzen's words effectively undermined Shirou's great achievement of saving the village, planting suspicion in everyone's hearts.

If this had been five years ago, Shirou would have been forced to compete with the Third Hokage within the confines of the rules.

But this was five years later!

Facing Hiruzen Sarutobi's seemingly grateful expression, Shirou smirked and shook his head without hesitation:

"The Mist launched a surprise attack with a mysterious ninja unit to ambush me and Mikoto. We defeated them and learned of the Mist's plan, so we immediately rushed to the village for reinforcements...

The Mist infiltrated this far into the Land of Fire through this area of the frontlines. This was originally Minato and your son's defensive line. But Jonin Minato Namikaze was lured away... When I arrived to assist, I found your son in dire straits and swiftly rescued him before rushing back to the village..."

At this point, Shirou glanced back at the village, where only the gates and surrounding areas had been damaged. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"Thankfully, I wasn't too late."

The last words were spoken as Shirou stared directly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his expression laced with mockery.

I've made it clear: this defensive line belonged to Minato Namikaze and your son. But your trusted Minato Namikaze abandoned his post for glory, creating a gap in the defense.

"And your son is incapable—he was almost beaten to death. If it weren't for me cleaning up the mess in time, the Three-Tails would have already entered the village."

Shirou's straightforwardness, along with his youthful arrogance and lack of awareness to mask his genuine emotions, instantly shocked countless Konoha shinobi.

No one here is a fool.

"Third Hokage-sama!"

At this moment, Namikaze Minato arrived just in time. Seeing the devastated state of the village, a look of guilt appeared on his face, and he immediately admitted his fault:

"I acted recklessly and fell for the Mist Village's trap. This led to the ambush of Jonin Shinonosuke by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and even allowed the Three-Tails to—"

Good heavens!

Namikaze Minato arrived at just the right moment—so timely that Sarutobi Hiruzen's face turned completely ashen. And in front of so many people, no less!

PS: I added the Harem List in the Auxiliary Chapter.