Uchiha's forgotten Ember

The forest was shattered.

Trees exploded like twigs beneath the monstrous form of Shukaku, the One-Tail. Sand warped in every direction, forming razors and lances in the air. Gaara, partially transformed and perched within the beast's forehead, howled—his sanity fraying like paper in a storm.

Naruto stood atop the massive head of Gamabunta, the Toad Boss, kunai in hand, cloak fluttering. His face was serious, a rare moment of complete focus.

Beside him, Kaizen Uchiha crouched low, black-and-red chakra cloaking his frame like a furious spirit. Both of his eyes now bore the perfectly fused Ketsugan-Sharingan, the swirling spiral of vision blazing.

> "Tch. This chakra…" Kaizen muttered. "It's feral. But unstable."

> "Gamabunta!" Naruto shouted. "Let's do the transformation!"

The Toad Chief grumbled under his breath. "You brats don't know what you're doing—fine! Let's get weird!"

With a thick puff of chakra smoke, Gamabunta transformed—his shape twisting into that of a massive red fox-like form, jagged and rough, not the real Nine-Tails but close enough to fool Shukaku for a moment.

The battle began in earnest.

---

Kaizen's Role: Flames vs. Sand

As Naruto and Gamabunta lunged at Shukaku, Kaizen split off, flickering across treetops. His body was alight with chakra-enhanced flames—not typical fire release, but Crimson Chakra Fire, a unique form of elemental energy sparked by his purifying of the Uchiha and Kurata bloodlines.

> "I'll target his tail," Kaizen said. "You two keep him focused up front!"

Kaizen flashed through seals.

> "Crimson Art: Spiral Flame Prison!"

A massive ring of crimson fire erupted below one of Shukaku's arms, exploding upward and coiling around it. The flames pierced the sand armor, charring it black.

Shukaku roared, smashing wildly. Sand dragons erupted from his form, crashing toward Kaizen.

Kaizen's eyes shifted—time slowed.

He weaved between attacks with the eerie grace of someone who could see three seconds ahead, the Ketsugan fusion burning patterns of movement into his vision.

> "You think you're the only monster?" Kaizen hissed, hands glowing.

"Then let me remind you—the Crimson Flame never forgets."

He hurled a crimson spiral blade at Shukaku's chest. It pierced deep, carving into the hollow spot beneath the sand beast's throat.

---

Naruto's Moment: Wake Gaara Up

Meanwhile, Naruto and Gamabunta tackled the main strategy—waking Gaara.

> "Kaizen's giving us an opening!" Naruto growled.

He summoned clones mid-air and fired forward.

> "This is for everyone you hurt, Gaara!"

"Uzumaki Naruto: Headbutt of Friendship!!!"

The force of Naruto's chakra-boosted headbutt slammed into Gaara, breaking through the sand barrier surrounding his form. A crack of golden light split through Shukaku's forehead as Gaara began to stir.

---

Climax: Shukaku Begins to Crumble

With Gaara losing focus, Shukaku's sand began to collapse in chunks. Gamabunta reverted back, growling in pain.

Kaizen landed beside Naruto, flames dimming.

> "He's coming down. Gaara's out cold."

"We need to end this."

Naruto nodded.

Together, they jumped toward the crumbling beast, dust and chakra flying around them like a storm.

As Shukaku fully collapsed, the crater it left behind was immense, half the forest pulverized.

Kaizen looked at Naruto, tired but proud.

> "We did it."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah. You're not so bad for a Uchiha."

Kaizen smirked. "Don't get used to the compliments."

Konoha burned.

Not in flame, but in sorrow.

Smoke still rose from the outskirts where buildings had crumbled under the sand onslaught and the summoned snakes. The invasion left behind a broken village—torn rooftops, blood-slick tiles, and battered shinobi everywhere.

But what hurt most wasn't the damage to stone or steel. It was the silence. The realization.

The Third Hokage was gone.

The funeral was held under a solemn sky. No words could soften the weight of the void Hiruzen Sarutobi had left. No jutsu could rewind time.

---

The Gathering of Shadows and Mourning

Kaizen stood beside Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi in his full black attire—traditional Uchiha funeral robes enhanced with Kurata embroidery. His arms were folded, the air around him unnaturally still. His newly awakened fused eyes—Ketsugan-Sharingan—remained sealed beneath a ceremonial cloth, both out of respect and due to the strain they still carried.

Naruto's face was pale, lips pressed tight. Beside him, Konohamaru clutched his grandfather's scarf with trembling hands.

Jiraiya stood apart in quiet thought, only his narrowed eyes betraying the deep wound in his heart.

Tsunade was still gone. Her absence loomed.

As the Hokage monument loomed over the ceremony, the remaining jonin and elders gathered. Ebisu wept openly. Iruka held back tears for his students' sake.

And on the casket, rested the hat of the Third.

---

Kaizen's Inner Voice – Narration

"I never knew him well… but he was one of the last lights that held this place together. Even in my rebirth, even in my secrecy, I saw how he kept the fires of Konoha burning through war, betrayal, and peace alike."

"And now… he's gone."

Kaizen remained still as Asuma stepped forward to light the ceremonial incense. The white smoke curled around the assembled mourners, drifting up toward the mountains.

---

The Ice Cocoon

Hidden far beneath the village, in one of the sealed Kurata chambers only Kaizen could access, rested the cocoon of ice.

There was no entity inside. No heartbeat. No lingering will.

Only fragments—corpse matter, scorched bone, and arcane residue—encased in a crystalline prism. Kaizen had taken every precaution. The Ketsugan-Sharingan fusion confirmed it: the entity was dead. The threat was gone.

Still, Kaizen left a seal over it—a fail-safe with the purity of fire and the stillness of frost. He wouldn't take chances. Not again.

---

After the Funeral

Back at the Uchiha compound, now partially restored thanks to Kaizen's private funds and unknown supporters, the youth lit a single candle at the rebuilt shrine.

He whispered no prayer.

Instead, he looked toward the empty space on the family tablet—the one that should've borne his name had the massacre not erased his lineage from the stone.

"I'll do more than survive… I'll outshine the ghosts of this village. And if Tsunade becomes Hokage, then perhaps this place has a chance."

He turned, cloak billowing behind him.