The Uchiha compound was dead.
Once, its wide courtyards had been filled with laughter, with the clash of kunai during training, with the proud voices of clan elders telling the children they were the flame of tomorrow. Now those same courtyards lay silent, painted in ash and blood. Fire chewed through timber beams, collapsing roofs into splinters. The smoke rose thick and bitter, curling high enough to stain the Hokage Monument.
Ren walked through the carnage with steps too steady for a boy his age. His body was trembling, but his eyes—too sharp, too cold—never wavered. I knew this would come. I prepared for it. But knowing doesn't make it easier.
The corpses of his kin lay sprawled in pools of blood, their Sharingan eyes already fading to dull gray. He didn't allow himself to look for familiar faces. Not yet. If he stopped, if he faltered, he might collapse.
Behind him, Gojo Satoru strolled as if nothing mattered. Hands in his pockets, blindfold tilting lazily, his tone was the same mocking drawl he used when irritating enemies.
"Yikes," Gojo said, tilting his head at a burning house. "Talk about bad hospitality. Fire everywhere, no snacks, no music. What a boring party."
Ren froze mid-step, finally turning. His small fists clenched, voice shaking but controlled. "You don't sound bothered."
Gojo's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, I am. I just don't do the whole screaming and crying routine. Kinda tacky, don't you think?" He crouched, leaning so his blindfolded eyes were level with Ren's. "Besides, you're alive. That's already a plot twist worth celebrating."
Ren's voice was quiet, steady despite the pitch of a child. "Alive, but for what? To watch everything burn?"
Gojo grinned wider, tone shifting to something edged, sharp beneath the playfulness. "Nah. You're alive to do something about it. That's the difference between a victim… and a Boss."
Ren inhaled, chest tight, then spoke words too heavy for a child's mouth. "I won't die in someone else's story. From now on, I'll write my own."
Gojo's head tilted. Then, suddenly, he laughed—a rich, amused sound that cut through the smoke. "Ooooh, chills. There it is. The Boss finally talks." He clapped once, sharp and mocking but approving. "I like this version of you. Keep it."
Ren ignored the tease. He turned to look at the Hokage Monument looming in the distance, the firelight painting its carved faces orange. "This world is broken. Clans against clans. Nations against nations. Every generation repeats the same wars. If I stay under Konoha's leash, I'll just be another pawn on their board."
"And?" Gojo prompted, leaning close, smirk never fading.
"I won't be a pawn." Ren's voice hardened. His small fists clenched tighter. "I'll be the one who owns the board. I'll unify this world—even if it takes war."
Gojo straightened, whistling low. "Man… you're, like, ten times scarier than most Kage already. Kind of makes me proud. And maybe a little worried." He chuckled. "But hey, if world domination's on the table, at least you've got style."
Meanwhile, in Konoha
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the glow on the horizon. The smoke of the Uchiha compound rose high, an accusing finger pointed toward him.
"ANBU reports?" the old man asked, his pipe shaking in his grip.
A masked operative knelt before him. "Confirmed: the Uchiha compound has been purged. Identified attacker—Uchiha Itachi. No survivors confirmed."
Hiruzen's eyes closed, his face lined with grief. Another clan, destroyed. Another scar on this village's soul.
On the rooftops, ANBU squads flitted between shadows, ensuring no civilian approached. Yet whispers already spread. Curtains pulled back, frightened eyes peered from windows. Parents whispered to their children: The Uchiha are gone. Stay quiet. Don't ask questions.
Fear gnawed at Konoha's heart.
But none of them knew that a single Uchiha child still lived, walking away from the flames with a man the world could not yet comprehend.
Back to the Ashes
A chime rang softly in Ren's mind, overlaying the crackle of fire.
[Major Event Cleared: Uchiha Massacre.]
[Summon Authorization Granted.]
[Available Summon: Escanor — The Lion's Sin of Pride.]
Ren's breath hitched. Escanor. The name alone radiated power. The sun incarnate, unmatched during the day. With him, even nations would bow. But…
He closed his eyes. Not yet. If I summon him now, his pride, his very presence, will draw every eye in the world. The shadows I need will burn away. His time will come. But not tonight.
Gojo tilted his head, grin sly. "Oho? You've got that plotting face. What's the Boss thinking? Planning to add another weirdo to the guest list?"
Ren allowed himself the faintest smile. "When the time comes, the world won't be ready."
"Good answer," Gojo said, satisfied. He stood, brushing ash from his sleeve, stretching like he had all the time in the world. "Man, I love this gig. Strong Boss, dramatic speeches, mysterious future allies? Way more fun than babysitting brats back home."
They walked deeper into the forest, the glow of the compound fading behind them. For a while, only silence stretched between them, broken only by the chirp of night insects. Then Ren spoke again, voice quiet but firm.
"We'll build something new. Our own family. Not of blood, but of loyalty."
Gojo chuckled. "Cute. But c'mon, every good secret club needs a name. Otherwise, we're just… two handsome guys wandering around."
Ren looked up at the moon, pale against the smoke-stained sky. "Then it will be the Eclipse Order. We'll move in shadow, unseen. And when the time comes…" His eyes gleamed. "…we'll outshine them all."
Gojo barked a laugh, clapping once. "Dramatic! I love it. Honestly, ten out of ten branding. Akatsuki's gonna be jealous."
Ren's expression didn't shift, but his thoughts sharpened. Akatsuki seeks power through fear. Eclipse Order will bring unity through dominance. Where they sow chaos, I'll build an empire.
The boy's voice was still high-pitched, his frame still small, but in that moment he no longer felt like a child. He felt like a sovereign waiting for his crown.
Gojo strolled beside him, humming, the strongest sorcerer in another world now bound to this one. Behind them, the Uchiha were ash. Before them, destiny stretched like an unwritten scroll.
And beyond the veil, the Lion of Pride waited—his wish hidden, his sun dormant, his destiny tied to Ren's.