Bleach x Naruto: Shinigami in Konoha

"I'm sorry...we're hiding something..." the man apologized nervously to Sasuke.

A six-year-old girl stood beside them, clutching the woman's leg, her wide eyes filled with confusion and fear.

Sasuke Uchiha waved his hand nonchalantly. "We already saw it. It's fine. You should stand up—you're scaring the child. Also... could you prepare a clean bed for him?"

Upon hearing Sasuke's calm response and realizing he wasn't blaming them, the couple looked stunned for a moment, then nodded quickly. "Yes, of course! Right away!"

They moved swiftly, making up a fresh bed with what linens they had. Sasuke gently placed the unconscious Itachi on it and sat beside him silently.

This entire situation felt strangely familiar.

Six years ago, after Sasuke was nearly assassinated by Uchiha Setsuna, Itachi had similarly sat at his bedside the whole night, refusing to leave even once. Now, the roles had reversed.

"If Izumi knew about this, she'd be heartbroken," Sasuke murmured to himself, glancing at his brother.

Izumi Uchiha—now a full jōnin—had been growing distant from Itachi due to constant missions, but the emotional bond between them had only deepened. Every time she returned from a mission, she'd stop by their house, even when she knew Itachi might not be home.

They were now both around seventeen or eighteen—an age when people in the village often got engaged—but neither had confessed their feelings. Watching their hesitation was starting to frustrate Sasuke.

Roughly two hours passed before a black-cloaked figure entered through the side door, drawn by a subtle mark Sasuke had left behind.

"How's Itachi?"

Shisui Uchiha walked in and asked immediately, his voice low with concern.

"He hasn't woken up yet," Sasuke responded. "But judging by his condition, it's probably due to excessive Sharingan use. His chakra's almost completely drained."

"What about you, Shisui? Did you catch Orochimaru and the others?"

Shisui sighed, removing his cloak and tossing it aside. "Orochimaru is far too cunning. He's already established a vast, interconnected underground network beneath the Hidden Sound Village. When I arrived, they had already hidden themselves deep inside. The tunnels split into too many forks. I couldn't keep track, and I wasn't familiar with the terrain."

He paused, his tone turning bitter. "The entire village was practically abandoned. Most of the Sound-nin fled with Orochimaru. I did, however, find three remaining Uchiha defectors in a lab. But their Sharingan had already been removed. Including Uchiha Setsuna, that leaves only one rogue Uchiha still out there."

Sasuke nodded calmly, as if he had already anticipated such an outcome. "It's not your fault. The Third Hokage dispatched an entire unit of Anbu and couldn't catch him either. Given Orochimaru's strength and knowledge, he was bound to slip through."

That last Uchiha... Sasuke was convinced Orochimaru had taken over his body. He finally obtained the Sharingan he'd long coveted, but it was clear he still wasn't satisfied with his physical vessel.

"You're probably right," Shisui admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Still, you and Itachi are something else. 'Genius' doesn't even cover it anymore."

He glanced from the unconscious Itachi to Sasuke. "Just a few months ago, you didn't even know the Body Flicker Technique, and now your chakra and control are comparable to elite jōnin. I don't even know what your current abilities are, but I'd wager you're already close to jōnin-level, if not beyond."

Sasuke gave a rare, faint smile. "You're being modest. You awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan six years ago, didn't you? You're leagues ahead of us."

Shisui chuckled. He had already confided in Fugaku about awakening the Mangekyō, so Sasuke's awareness didn't surprise him.

"Okay, okay. If we keep going, it's going to sound like we're just praising each other."

Like Itachi, Shisui chose not to pry into the origins of Sasuke's rapid growth. The Uchiha had enough secrets between them already.

A few minutes later, Itachi stirred and opened his eyes. Once they confirmed his condition was stable, the four of them began their journey back to the Hidden Leaf Village.

---

Outside the Hokage's Office

Before they could even knock, loud, boisterous laughter echoed from within.

"Hahahahaha! I already met that brat Naruto! He's got talent—but still just a step behind me in my prime!"

Sasuke recognized the voice immediately and raised an eyebrow.

"Jiraiya?"

Just then, a voice called out from behind.

"Sasuke!"

He turned and saw Naruto Uzumaki jogging toward them. His forehead protector was tilted sideways as usual, and he looked a little scuffed from training.

"Hey, Naruto. You're just getting back?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "Our squad just finished a mission. Then my dad said he wanted me to meet someone but didn't say who."

Before Sasuke could respond, the office door flew open.

An old man with long, white spiky hair stood in the doorway, grinning widely.

Naruto's face twisted in recognition. "It's YOU! That pervy old sage who peeped on women at the hot spring! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Jiraiya, completely unfazed, grabbed Naruto by the collar and lifted him off the ground with ease.

"Kid, you met me once and still forgot my name? It's Toad Sage Jiraiya, not some pervy geezer!"

He gave Naruto a light bop on the head before turning back to the group. "Ahem. Sorry about that. You're here to report to Minato, right? Come in."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly. He had admired Jiraiya from afar when he was younger, and now seeing the man in person was… surreal.

"I didn't expect Jiraiya-sama to return to the village," he said softly.

"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama," Shisui added as they walked inside.

Jiraiya smirked, hoisting a struggling Naruto over his shoulder and disappearing down the hallway.

"If you try peeking again, I swear I'll Rasengan your face!!" Naruto hollered as he flailed, to no avail.

Minato Namikaze, sitting behind his desk, gave a helpless chuckle. He was flanked by Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi, both wearing grim expressions.

"Sasuke, Shisui, Itachi—good, you're back," Minato greeted warmly. "How did the mission go?"

Shisui stepped forward. "We found five Uchiha defectors in total. Four—including Uchiha Setsuna—are dead. Their bodies have been recovered. The last one escaped."

Minato's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

"We encountered Orochimaru."

BOOM!

The door suddenly burst open with a loud crash.

JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS.

Currently at CHAPTER 81 on Patreon.

Five chapters every two days on Patreon.

One chapter everyday on webnovel.

patreon.com/FrancisMW