Yukari Uchiha (English)

Chapter 67.

I can already see the Hokage's office, feel the ripple of distorted chakra rolling over Konoha like a dark tide. No time for formalities.

With a single powerful leap, I land on the windowsill and shove the window open. Seconds later, I'm standing in the middle of Tsunade's office. My uncle isn't here — I notice it immediately.

"Lady Tsunade!" I call sharply, my voice tight with urgency.

She's already turning toward me, her expression serious — almost angry. "I know!" she snaps. Her chakra is boiling... she's well aware of what's happening.

But I don't let her finish.

"Where is Itachi?" I demand, voice firm.

Tsunade exhales sharply. "He's on a mission. Yukari, you—"

I don't hear the rest. I'm not waiting around for orders. I don't need instructions.

Only one thought echoes through my mind:

Izumi. And the baby.

My heartbeat surges. My chakra flares instinctively. And before Tsunade can even finish her sentence, the space where I stood is already empty.

I have only one goal:

Find them. Now. Before it's too late.

"Yako! Can you locate Izumi's chakra?" I reach out to my faithful companion, my voice steady — but inside, I'm burning.

"Already done. Uchiha District. She's not alone — someone's there."

Of course he acted before I could ask. Yako always does. He reads me better than I read myself. We're more than partners — we're bound by years of trust.

Without hesitation, I activate my Tenku Senko no Jutsu and tear through space itself. I'm still in Konoha, but the direct route would be too slow. Too dangerous. Every second counts.

I rematerialize in the courtyard of my old home.

Izumi.

I spot her instantly. Her stance is tense but unwavering. She clutches baby Shisui tightly to her chest. Her eyes blaze with resolve — but I can see the fear within them too.

A roaring fireball escapes her lips — the Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu, executed flawlessly.

But the Pain body in front of her raises a hand and — with terrifying ease — absorbs the jutsu. No resistance. No hesitation. Then, he lunges toward her.

My heart skips a beat. But my body moves faster than my mind.

That familiar tingle in my eyes — the deep, resonant hum of my Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Time stretches. My chakra focuses on its own — and then it bursts free.

My Susanoo.

In a blaze of radiant chakra, the skeletal guardian erupts — not around me, but around them. Around Izumi and the baby. Pain's strike crashes against it, stopped cold.

This is only the second time I've summoned my Susanoo consciously.

But unlike most, it doesn't wrap around me — it rises to shield those I care for.

Izumi.

Little Shisui.

A shining armor of raw chakra envelops them — not me. I can feel it draining me, pulling from deep within, but with the Eternal Mangekyō... it's not a burden. It feels right.

Because my Susanoo was never meant to protect me.

It exists for those I would die for.

The first time it appeared, it saved Master Jiraiya.