Uchiha Yujin felt himself being swallowed by darkness.
His consciousness grew faint.
He was suffocating under an invisible weight.
Each breath was like dancing on the tip of a blade—unbearably painful.
Everything in front of his eyes turned pitch black.
The sounds around him faded further and further away.
Only the faint beat of his heart reLorded, like a dying flame flickering in the void.
He could feel his life slipping away, bit by bit.
His body was growing colder and colder, as if submerged in a freezing river.
He couldn't struggle.
He could only sink.
He wanted to cry for help, but his throat was filled with blood—he couldn't make a sound.
He tried to move, but his body no longer felt like his own.
It was so heavy, he couldn't even lift a single finger.
And yet—just as Uchiha Yujin was about to be completely devoured by the darkness—
A powerful will to survive erupted from deep within his soul.
I don't want to die like this. I still have so many things left unfinished!
That thought, like a lightning bolt, split through the darkness in his heart and brought a glimmer of light.
He felt a surge of power—
It burst forth from deep inside him, shaking every cell, every strand of his DNA.
His body trembled in agony.
His mind blurred, struggling to stay conscious.
He could feel his genes being rearranged.
His body was being reshaped from the inside out.
Gene Lock... First Level... Unlocked!
As the gene lock unlocked, Uchiha Yujin felt his life force returning rapidly.
His senses began to awaken one by one.
Sight.
Hearing.
Smell.
Touch.
Everything rushed back at once.
And with it, his consciousness.
When Uchiha Yujin opened his eyes again—
He found himself lying in a pool of blood.
Every inch of his body screamed in pain.
Especially the gaping wound on his chest—the searing agony was unbearable.
He felt like his skin was being scorched by fire.
Every breath he took was as if he were inhaling sharp blades.
He tried to move, but the pain gripping his entire body made it nearly impossible.
All he could do was lie there, feel the life force pulsing faintly inside him, and wait—
Wait for the torment to subside.
Above, the moon quietly climbed the treetops.
Only then did Uchiha Yujin manage to struggle to his feet, trembling.
"I… I'm not dead."
"Ah!?"
In One Piece World, Pirate Yujin suddenly jolted awake.
His shout echoed through the night.
"You're alive!? Bro! That's awesome!"
In the Marvel world, Stephen Yujin was also stirred by the noise.
Hearing their conversation, he exhaled with visible relief.
"That's the best news I've heard in two days."
"That's weird though."
Pirate Yujin rubbed his chin, puzzled.
"How did you survive? Was it some kind of boost from the One Piece world's physique? That can't be it, right?"
He looked at the others.
"You got any clue yourself?"
"Gene Lock."
Uchiha Yujin's voice was calm, though the memory of the pain still lingered in his mind.
He recalled the moment of awakening and synchronized the newfound ability with both his Pirate and Marvel counterparts.
[Gene Lock — First Level]
When facing life-threatening danger and the fear of death, a person with a powerful obsession can awaken hidden human potential.
Comes with certain side effects.
"This… this is insane!"
Pirate Yujin was stunned.
"Wait, are you saying… Lord God Yujin isn't dead?! He synced the ability to us?! Then why can't we contact him?"
Having unlocked the Gene Lock, Uchiha Yujin now seemed to resonate on the same mental frequency as Lord God Yujin.
Leaning on a tree as he moved forward, he explained slowly,
"I suspect our connection gets severed—Or at least interfered with— Whenever he's in a Horror Movie."
"I'll only know the answer once I can contact him…"
Uchiha Yujin gritted his teeth as he limped through the forest. His breaths were ragged, pain flaring through every inch of his body.
"I don't have time to think about that now. I need to find a medical ninja."
He let out a bitter laugh, one that twisted into a cough.
"I may not be dead yet… but there's hardly any difference."
He glanced down.
A shuriken was still lodged deep into the bone of his leg, the skin torn and bloody around it. He tried to clench his molars in frustration, but even that small motion sent a stabbing pain through his jaw.
And yet… he pressed on.
With a grimace, he dropped to the ground, letting the dirt soak into his clothes, the blood from his wounds smearing across the forest floor.
He dragged himself forward, inch by inch, each breath heavier than the last. Blood marked his path like breadcrumbs left behind for vultures.
After several long, torturous minutes, he paused.
Tearing a strip from his already ruined clothing, Yujin pulled out a kunai and sliced the cloth into smaller, jagged pieces. With trembling fingers, he scattered the scraps across the ground.
"If I go this far…" he muttered, voice hoarse, "…this should be enough to fake a wild animal dragging my body away."
Sweat dripped from his brow as he surveyed the scene, thinking carefully despite the searing pain.
Konoha's forests were vast and wild—rich with life, but also with death.
Countless beasts roamed these woods. It wouldn't be unusual for one to find a corpse before the patrols did.
And besides… in times like these, war constantly at the borders, who would care if a genin—or someone who hadn't even passed the exam—went missing?
"Technically, I'm not even a ninja," he muttered. "I'm just a civilian."
His voice dropped lower.
"As long as Uchiha Itachi doesn't come looking… and I don't appear in front of him…"
"…then he won't know I survived. At least, not for now."
He reached up and touched the black cloth that still covered the upper half of his face.
"Good thing I never revealed my face."
A quiet chuckle escaped him. It sounded more like a dying man wheezing.
"How ironic…"
"The Uchiha Massacre hasn't even happened yet… and I've already been 'killed' once by that guy."
His words hung in the air, bitter and sharp.
With nothing left to say, Yujin turned his body westward. The pain was still there, clawing at him with every movement. But he moved.
Slowly. Relentlessly.
Because he wasn't dead yet.
Not truly.
Uchiha Yujin stepped out of a dense, primeval forest.
Before him stood a slightly worn but sturdy building.
Its outer walls were painted a warm beige, standing in sharp contrast to the natural surroundings, giving off a cozy, homely feeling.
The roof was covered with dark tiles, weathered and mottled from years of wind and sun, yet still firmly protecting those inside.
This was the Konoha Orphanage.
Tall trees formed a natural barrier, separating the orphanage from the noisy outside world.
It was located outside the solid walls of Konoha Village, not inside the village itself.
The leaves and branches swayed gently in the wind, creating a soft rustling sound that added a sense of peace and calm to the orphanage.
Dragging his body, already pushed to its limit, Uchiha Yujin struggled to the orphanage gate.
Knock.
He only managed a single knock on the door.
Bang!
He fell to the ground.
"Who's there?"
A gentle female voice called out from a nearby window, looking toward the door.
"Ah!"
Seeing the child lying on the ground, she quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open, rushing to check on Uchiha Yujin's injuries.
"You can't make it back to the village. Just stay here."
A soft green light, like the fresh leaves of spring, gently covered Uchiha Yujin's chest.
It was a warm chakra, slowly flowing into his body, bringing vitality and healing power.
The glow of medical ninjutsu spun around his wounds.
Each rotation eased a bit of pain.
Each spin helped the wounds heal faster.
He barely lifted his eyelids.
When he saw the gentle woman before him, wearing glasses like a caring older sister, he finally relaxed.
Then, he fainted.
*********
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