"What?! Itachi-senpai wiped out the clan? Killed Senior Fugaku and Aunt Mikoto? Obito-senpai, what are you talking about?" Imperial Lee says, utterly shocked.
"Uchiha Itachi… destroyed the Uchiha Clan? This world… is truly sick." Imperial Neji whispers, his final words so soft they're barely audible.
"Obito… let it go. Compared to the Empire, the ninja world is far too chaotic, filled with too much misfortune. It's unbelievable that Uchiha Itachi, that beast, could do such a thing…" Yamato tries to console him.
"Right! Uchiha Itachi in our world is insane! He killed the entire clan, leaving only Sasuke to suffer! Truly despicable. If not for him, Sasuke wouldn't have left Konoha…" Naruto rages, cursing.
Sakura bites her lip, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Obito… I've looked into some information. The Uchiha Clan's Mangekyou Sharingan supposedly only awakens in those who experience extreme despair. Because of that, some extremist Uchiha thought killing their loved ones would unlock it… leading to such tragedies…" Kakashi explains.
"But… that reasoning doesn't add up! Could Uchiha Itachi really destroy the entire Uchiha Clan? Could he do it? Logically, when he massacred the clan, he didn't yet have the Mangekyou Sharingan!" Imperial Obito presses further.
Tsunade's heart races.
'Sensei! Look at the mess you've left me! Now it's all coming out, isn't it?'
She takes a deep breath and says, "Uchiha Itachi in our world joined Akatsuki. You might not know what Akatsuki is, so let me explain briefly.
"It's a terrorist organization of S-rank rogue ninja from various nations, aiming to capture the Tailed Beasts and control the world. When Itachi wiped out the clan, he might've already been tied to this terrorist group, so…"
"So, just one Uchiha Itachi, with some rogue ninja group, could annihilate the Uchiha Clan in Konoha without anyone knowing? And only the next day did people start picking up the bodies?" Obito continues questioning.
His words stun Naruto and Sakura, who hadn't thought deeply about this before.
Even Naruto, whose strength has surged, mutters, "Right! Was Uchiha Itachi really that strong? Even Pervy Sage couldn't do that, could he? The Uchiha Clan was a major Konoha clan like the Hyuga, with plenty of ninja… So why didn't Konoha notice? That's impossible… The destructive power of strong ninjutsu…"
As he mutters, Naruto's expression sours.
Something's wrong with Konoha!
Did Sasuke realize this too, and that's why he betrayed Konoha?
Naruto and Sakura's hearts race, their eyes flicking toward Tsunade.
Kakashi and Shikaku stay silent.
Tsunade sighs, forced to explain further: "Back then, it was under the Third Hokage's rule. I'd already left the village, so I don't know much about what happened. But Konoha's Hokages, across generations, would never kick someone when they're down.
"I think… it's likely the Third Hokage was caught off guard. After all, the Uchiha Clan had moved from central Konoha to the outskirts. Their enemy was a powerful rogue group like Akatsuki…"
"I see…" Imperial Obito nods expressionlessly, saying little more.
Imperial Neji remains silent.
Imperial Lee though trying hard to keep smiling, can't lift the mood.
The atmosphere in the Hokage's office drops to a freezing point.
Naruto and Sakura feel uneasy.
"It was supposed to be a happy meeting. Why'd it turn out like this?" They think, deflated.
They're even more afraid of conflict breaking out between Konoha and the Empire.
In this awkward atmosphere, the Imperial team soon leaves the Hokage's office, led by Kakashi to temporary lodging.
Only Konoha's people remain in the office.
Tsunade turns to Naruto and the others, saying, "I've arranged temporary housing for those three. They're free to move in Konoha for now. As for you, I want you to temporarily lead a martial arts training group."
"Martial arts group?" Naruto asks, puzzled.
"Yes. I just thought of it. I'll recall everyone out on missions to form a martial arts training group.
This group will include Jonin, elite Jonin, and select Genin and Chunin with exceptional talent and potential. They'll all learn martial arts from you." Tsunade says, her expression serious.
Shizune, shocked, cautions, "Tsunade-sama, doing this will cause major losses for the village… Many missions and tasks will be delayed…"
"I know that! But we've seen martial arts' power firsthand. We can't ignore it! Regardless of those three's origins, strength is always paramount for a ninja village." Tsunade says.
"Tsunade-sama's right. If those three are from an evil group like Akatsuki, we should absorb their strengths to make ourselves stronger. If they're truly from this so-called Empire, then boosting our power to face an uncertain future isn't a bad move." Shikaku adds.
"Hey, everyone… why are you all so hostile toward Lee, Neji, and Obito? We'll all be one family eventually…" Naruto tries to protest.
Yamato pats his shoulder gently, signaling him to stop.
Turning to Tsunade, Yamato says, "Tsunade-sama, your reasoning is sound… We initially thought the same. But honestly, with so little time, the Empire only taught us martial arts basics.
Surpassing them is nearly impossible. Plus… they have Sasuke, Naruto… If you saw their power, Tsunade-sama, you'd realize how naive your current thinking is.
Still… as instructors teaching everyone, for the village's sake, we won't refuse."
"Is that so? Then I look forward to meeting this other world's Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto, and seeing this so-called unstoppable, demonic strength." Tsunade says with a faint smile, unfazed.
After sending Naruto and the others off with Shizune, she asks, "Kakashi, you observed with your Sharingan earlier—no traces of genjutsu. Though we can't rule out high-level genjutsu, the situation's clearly getting more complicated.
Shikaku, what do you think of Naruto, Sakura, Yamato, and Sai now?"