Naruto: I Am Uchiha Sasuke!?

Sasuke stood atop a cliff, gazing down at Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist Village.

"As expected of the Village Hidden in the Mist," he mused. "Its remote location makes it easy to defend and difficult to invade."

His eyes narrowed as he recalled crucial information.

"Zabuza was hunted down by Kirigakure and the Land of Water, mainly because of his assassination attempt on the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura."

"According to the timeline, Terumi Mei shouldn't have taken office as Mizukage yet. That means…"

A cold glint flashed in Sasuke's eyes.

"The one controlling Kirigakure right now… is Uchiha Obito."

Obito—the man responsible for so much destruction, including the downfall of the Uchiha clan. One of Sasuke's ultimate targets for revenge.

"If he's been manipulating Kirigakure all this time, then by the time the Fourth Great Ninja War happens, with his White Zetsu army and control over the Land of Water…"

The thought of Obito achieving the Moon's Eye Plan unsettled him.

"I can't let that happen."

A smirk formed on his lips.

Then, with a burst of speed, he shot toward the village gates.

---

Sasuke didn't bother sneaking in. Doing so would only make him an immediate enemy of the entire village. Instead, he walked straight to the entrance.

Sure enough, the moment the guards noticed him, they reacted with alarm.

"Stop right there! This is Kirigakure!" one of them shouted, gripping his kunai. "No one enters without Mizukage-sama's authorization. Leave immediately!"

The other guard's expression stiffened as he spotted the Konoha forehead protector in Sasuke's hand.

"Konoha ninja!"

"Sound the alarm! Call for reinforcements!"

A firework shot into the sky.

Boom!

In an instant, multiple figures appeared, surrounding Sasuke.

"That symbol… He's from Konoha?"

"He's just a kid. What's he doing here?"

The Mist shinobi glared at Sasuke with hostility, weapons at the ready.

Sasuke remained unfazed. He casually pulled out an object and tossed it toward them.

A metallic clang echoed as a forehead protector landed at their feet. The center of the Mist Village insignia was slashed.

Some of the shinobi froze in recognition.

"That's—!"

"Zabuza's forehead protector!"

A ninja quickly summoned a tracking hound. The creature sniffed the forehead protector, then barked in confirmation.

Murmurs spread among the Mist ninja.

"Could it be true?"

"Zabuza… he's dead?"

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Satisfied?"

Silence.

Then, the leading guard stepped forward. His expression shifted.

"Konoha ninja, please come with us. The elders will want to hear this."

And just like that, Sasuke walked into Kirigakure without resistance.

---

Mist shrouded the village, blending with its round, fortress-like buildings. Unlike Konoha, Kirigakure felt more isolated, its streets quieter.

Curious villagers stole glances at him. Konoha shinobi were rare here.

Sasuke took in the surroundings, mentally comparing the village to what he knew.

"Smaller population than Konoha. No surprise—it's an island nation, after all."

As he walked, two Mist ninja followed closely behind. Though they remained polite, their watchful gazes betrayed their suspicion.

"Konoha shinobi," one of them spoke, "the elders will arrive shortly. Please wait here."

Sasuke glanced at them. "By the way, Zabuza had a bounty on his head, right?"

The guards exchanged looks before one nodded.

"Yes. Zabuza's crimes—especially his attempt on the Mizukage's life—made him an S-rank rogue ninja. His bounty is thirty million ryo."

"Thirty million?" Sasuke's eyes gleamed.

"Not bad. A dead man just made me rich."

He recalled that Asuma Sarutobi's bounty was around thirty-five million. The Land of Water, being smaller and less wealthy, likely set a lower price despite Zabuza's notoriety.

"Still, this is a nice bonus."

At that moment, an elderly man approached, flanked by several figures.

One of them was a sharp-eyed man with an eyepatch covering his left eye—Ao.

And beside him was a striking woman.

Sasuke's gaze lingered on her.

She had long, wavy reddish-brown hair, with one eye hidden behind her bangs. Her piercing green eye studied him coldly. Dressed in a blue tube-top dress, a white belt around her waist, and dark blue nail polish on her fingers, she radiated an air of both authority and allure.

Terumi Mei.

Sasuke smirked inwardly.

"This is Master Genji," Ao introduced the elderly man. "He is the most respected elder of Kirigakure."

Master Genji, leaning on his cane, gave Sasuke a scrutinizing look.

Sasuke understood the weight of this encounter. Unlike Konoha, where the Hokage held supreme power, Kirigakure's elders had a significant say in decisions.

"He's basically a combination of Danzo and Konoha's advisors."

His musings were interrupted by Terumi Mei stepping forward, her voice sharp.

"Boy, did Konoha really kill Zabuza?"

Before Sasuke could answer, Master Genji tapped his cane.

"Terumi Mei, don't be so brash with our guest," the elder chided. "We will question him properly in due time."

Then, he turned to Sasuke.

"Young man, come with us."

Sasuke followed without hesitation.

As he passed Terumi Mei, he murmured something barely audible.

For a split second, her eyes widened in shock.

Her gaze snapped to him, disbelief flashing across her face.

"What?!"

Ao frowned. "What's wrong?"

"...Nothing."

Terumi Mei shook her head, but her piercing gaze remained fixed on Sasuke's back.

"How does he know about that?"