The Spark and the Seed
[Uchiha Stronghold – Three Days After the Attack]
Uchiha Kagen knelt before the clan head, Uchiha Ryougen. His body was still weak. His chakra pathways burned like acid every time he breathed.Ryougen's eyes were calm but cold — the kind that saw straight through excuses.
"You faced the demon," Ryougen said simply."Describe him."
Kagen lowered his gaze. "White hair. Eyes red, but… strange. There was a second ring — blue. His chakra was heavy, like blood, but it moved like water."
Ryougen said nothing, so Kagen continued."He absorbed fire jutsu. Didn't block it — absorbed it. He moved without chakra signatures. The forest died when he fought."
Sorao, Ryougen's younger brother, leaned forward. "You're saying a man erased fire and silenced a forest?"
"Yes," Kagen whispered. "And he spared me. Said one thing before he left. 'Tell them the Kyuketsuki have returned.'"
The room went silent. Even the guards stopped breathing.
Ryougen finally spoke, his tone like iron. "That name hasn't been heard in a century."
Sorao frowned. "You know it?"
"I read it once in the elder scrolls," Ryougen said. "The Kyuketsuki were said to feed on blood before Hagoromo spread chakra. When chakra came, they vanished. Now they return, stronger than before."
He looked at Kagen. "He wanted us to know. That means he's not hiding."
Sorao's eyes hardened. "Then we burn his nest."
Ryougen shook his head slowly. "No. We study him first. Power like that isn't erased by pride. We will send watchers. If they bleed the Senju first, we watch. If they touch our land again—then we strike."
Kagen bowed low. "Understood."
[Senju Camp – Northern Forests]
Shiori looked at the bloodied Senju scout being carried into the tent.He was barely alive, but he clutched something in his hand — a fragment of fabric, pale and soaked in red essence that refused to dry.
Naoki's experiments had changed the air around the Kyuketsuki territory; even humans could feel it now. The scout's chakra system was nearly overloaded from exposure.
"What happened?" she asked.
The medic shook his head. "We found him near the river border. The rest of the team… gone. He kept repeating one word: 'Moon.'"
Shiori took the cloth, rubbing it between her fingers. "It's not blood… it's too smooth."
"It's chakra solidified into matter," said Hideo, stepping inside. "I saw something like it on the night we met that pale man."
Shiori nodded slowly. "He's building something. But not a weapon… a territory."
"Then what do we do?" Ranka asked quietly.
"We wait," Shiori said. "And we prepare. If the Uchiha move against this clan, they'll be weakened. When they bleed, we'll strike."
Hideo frowned. "You'd let those things fight the Uchiha?"
Shiori's eyes were cold. "The Uchiha call themselves the strongest. Let them prove it."
[Kyuketsuki Compound – The Mandala Chamber]
Akira stood before the Mandala, its glow steadier now — less like fire, more like a beating heart.
Botan and Naoki watched as he poured new essence into the basin — a mix of his own blood, the Senju's chakra sample, and something new: black dust, finely ground bone from the Uchiha corpses left behind.
"This is dangerous," Naoki said softly. "Too much difference in bloodlines could destabilize the Mandala."
Akira smiled faintly. "That's exactly the point."
The Mandala pulsed violently, the red glow mixing with blue and black until the light turned violet. A deep vibration filled the hall, and the walls cracked slightly under the pressure.
Then — silence.
When the glow faded, the center of the basin had changed.Instead of liquid blood, a small crystal floated above it, red with a blue flame swirling inside.
Botan stepped forward cautiously. "What… is that?"
Akira extended his hand. The crystal floated into his palm. His body flared with energy — his skin faintly translucent, showing faint red veins pulsing with light.
"The Mandala condensed the mixture," Akira said. "It created something new… something alive."
Naoki stared at him. "Alive?"
Akira nodded. "This crystal is pure essence — the bridge between chakra and blood. It's a Seed Core. When planted, it will form a network of veins and essence channels."
Botan's eyes widened. "You could… grow power?"
"Exactly," Akira said. "We'll plant the first one under our compound. It'll spread, connect every Kyuketsuki through the ground. If I feed it my blood, it will feed them back with power."
Naoki swallowed. "You're creating a living system…"
Akira turned his gaze toward the glowing crystal. "A living village."
[Later That Night – The Surface]
Kisho and Rai stood outside the compound, watching Akira plant the first Seed Core beneath the earth.A faint pulse ran through the ground — slow, but strong.Within minutes, the grass around them turned faintly red.
Rai could feel it — a warmth spreading in his veins. "It's connecting…"
Kisho nodded. "He's binding us all."
A few moments later, Akira rose from the soil. His eyes glowed faint blue around the red, his aura calm but enormous.
"It's done," he said. "The Crimson Network has begun."
Rai knelt. "What now, my Lord?"
Akira looked north, toward the Senju lands, and west, toward the Uchiha. "Now we let them fight. Every battle feeds the land — every death fuels the Network."
He clenched his fist, and faint red lightning flickered around it."I don't need to conquer them," he said softly. "I only need time."
The Uchiha Hunt
The forest south of the Crimson Network was unnaturally still.Not even insects dared to sing.
Rai knelt on a high branch, his crimson eyes scanning the distance. His senses pulsed in rhythm with the faint beat of the Network beneath the earth — every movement within a mile registered in his mind like ripples on water.
"They're coming," he whispered through the link.
Kisho's voice answered from far away, calm and sharp.
Rai nodded and vanished into the shadows.
[Uchiha Recon Squad – 3rd Division]
The team moved in perfect formation: five elite shinobi under the command of Uchiha Daen, a seasoned captain known for his precision and cruelty.Daen's Sharingan glowed faintly even under daylight. His clan crest was marked by three small cuts — a sign of personal vendetta.
"We move quiet," Daen said. "No traps, no jutsu until contact. We burn the bodies after."
His second-in-command frowned. "Captain, are we sure this is wise? The last squad—"
"Was weak," Daen interrupted. "This isn't a mission of honor. It's reclamation. No creature drains Uchiha blood and lives."
He stopped suddenly, eyes narrowing. "Spread out. Triangle formation. Something's watching."
They moved silently, blades drawn.
[Kyuketsuki Ambush Team]
This time, Akira didn't lead.He watched through the Network — his mind touching every one of his clan members in the field.
Duke Ren, the blade dancer, was in charge.A tall, quiet man with long silver hair and narrow eyes. He preferred fighting alone but obeyed without question.
"Four signatures," Ren murmured. "Strong. The fifth… hiding."
Hina nodded, crouching beside him. "Their chakra patterns are steady — they know we're here."
"Then let's start," Ren said simply, and vanished.
The Uchiha didn't see him until it was too late.
Daen's Sharingan caught a flicker — a red streak cutting across his vision. He jumped back just as a blade of liquid blood sliced through the space where his neck had been. It hissed through air and vanished.
"So it's you," Daen said, smirking. "The ghosts who feed on blood."
Ren stood on a branch, his body calm and his sword — a thin crimson blade — dripping faint light. "You've come far, Uchiha."
Daen smiled without humor. "I came for your head."
The two blurred into motion.
The Fight
Their first clash shook the air — Daen's sword met Ren's blood-forged blade with a flash of red and black sparks. The ground below cracked from the pressure.
Daen moved fast, Sharingan tracking every motion.Ren's attacks were fluid, like a dance — fast, silent, but unpredictable. His blade melted into droplets mid-swing, re-forming from new angles.
"Too slow!" Daen shouted, twisting behind him. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower!"
Dozens of fireballs erupted from his hands — but Ren didn't dodge.Instead, his body dissolved into mist, the flames passing through harmlessly.
When the mist reformed behind Daen, Ren's blade pierced his shoulder.
Daen grunted, spinning around with a counter-kick, forcing Ren back. "Interesting trick," he said, wiping blood from his mouth. "But your tricks can't hide from these eyes."
His Sharingan spun faster — three tomoe spinning like red moons.The world around him slowed.
He could see Ren's every twitch, every breath.
He lunged forward, his sword aiming straight for Ren's heart — but Ren caught the blade between two fingers.The steel vibrated, and Daen's eyes widened. "What—?"
Ren's eyes glowed. "My blood isn't normal anymore. Your chakra slows inside my mist."
Daen jumped back, panting. He's draining my chakra each time I get close…
Ren flicked his wrist, and droplets of blood rose from the ground — floating like crimson fireflies.
"Blood Art: Scarlet Rain."
The droplets hardened into needles and rained down.Daen formed hand seals quickly. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Wall!"
Flames roared upward, deflecting most of them — but a few pierced through and struck his leg, burning red instead of bleeding.
He fell to one knee, clutching it.
Ren landed calmly a few feet away. "You fought well. Stronger than the others."
Daen smirked weakly. "Then finish it."
Ren's expression didn't change. "No. My Lord gave strict orders: one survivor returns to tell your clan what happens when they cross our borders."
Daen spat blood. "Then he's a coward."
Ren's eyes narrowed — just slightly. "No. He's a builder."
He stepped forward, pressing two fingers to Daen's forehead.
"Sleep."
A faint red light flashed — Daen's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
[Kyuketsuki Compound – Later That Night]
Akira stood in the throne hall, listening to Ren's report.
"Four Uchiha dead," Ren said. "The captain lives. I followed your order."
Akira nodded, thoughtful. "Good. The message will spread faster than any rumor."
Naoki looked up from her notes. "We should expect retaliation."
"Eventually," Akira agreed. "But not soon. They'll want to understand us first."
He looked at Ren. "And you? Injuries?"
Ren bowed slightly. "None, my Lord. Their captain was skilled — I enjoyed the fight."
Akira's gaze softened, almost approving. "You did well. From this day, you carry the title Crimson Fang. The first of our true warriors."
Ren bowed lower. "I will honor it."
[Uchiha Compound – Same Night]
Uchiha Daen awoke screaming. His body was covered in faint red marks that glowed under moonlight.Ryougen and Sorao stood over him.
"What happened?" Ryougen asked.
Daen trembled. "They didn't kill me. They wanted me to live. Said their Lord builds — not destroys."
Sorao scowled. "They mock us."
Ryougen didn't answer. His Sharingan glowed faintly. "No. They send a message."
He turned away. "Double the watchers. Inform all captains. If this 'Lord' builds… I want to see what he builds, and where."
[Kyuketsuki Compound – Mandala Chamber]
The Mandala pulsed faintly as Akira stood before it.He could feel the connection—Ren's victory feeding back through the Network, strengthening every Kyuketsuki.
Botan approached quietly. "The Mandala grows faster with each battle," he said. "It reacts to blood spilled in your name."
Akira's eyes glowed faintly blue and red. "Then let them keep testing us. Each fight makes us stronger."
He turned toward the tunnels where the crimson light shimmered faintly beneath the ground. "Soon, when the world realizes what's under their feet, it will already be too late."