Chapter 3: The Night of Scarlet
Uchiha Naoki opened his hand, watching as the skin rippled and bubbled, transforming into glowing, gurgling magma. A transcendent, scorching heat erupted from his body, a domineering aura that made the very air waver.
[Fruit Development Progress: 40%]
"With this level of power, I should be able to deal with this disaster to some extent," he whispered into the tense night air.
Just then, the familiar, synthetic chime of the system echoed in his mind.
[Ding! The traveling frog has returned from its journey. Please collect your special product.]
"Collect!"
The moment he gave the command, a torrent of foreign knowledge and sensation flooded into his consciousness, merging with his mind as if it had always been there. His muscles twitched, his senses expanding, synchronizing with the new memory imprinted upon him.
[Skills: Basic Observation Haki (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)]
[Source: One Piece World]
[Introduction: A latent power within all humans that allows the user to sense the presence, strength, and emotions of others, even those outside their field of vision. When developed to its extreme, it can grant brief glimpses of the future.]
"The system… it always appears at the most critical moment."
Without a doubt, the acquisition of Observation Haki was a massive boost to his capabilities. Now, he was even more confident in surviving the bloody night to come.
Even with his eyes closed, he could perceive the shape and movement of everything within a few dozen meters, pushing the limit to nearly a hundred. This immediate mastery was another characteristic feature of the system; skills and knowledge were integrated instantly, ready for use, just as it had been with the Shadow Clone Technique months before.
Simultaneously, at the Hokage's Office...
Under the cold light of the moon, Uchiha Itachi, clad in his ANBU armor, knelt on one knee. His voice was a flat, emotionless monotone as he delivered the devastating news to the village's leadership. "The Uchiha clan... has decided to launch a coup d'état against Konoha."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of Shimura Danzo, the Hokage's advisor, gleamed with a grim light. "The situation is critical. We must strike first, before they can mobilize." His gaze, cold and unyielding, settled on the young prodigy before him. "Make your choice, Itachi. Will you side with your clan in their rebellion and face annihilation alongside them? Or will you honor your agreement with us? Help the village suppress the uprising, eliminate the entire Uchiha clan, and in doing so, secure the life of your one and only younger brother?"
This brutal ultimatum was not unexpected for Uchiha Itachi. But in this moment, there was no room for lengthy contemplation. He had only one choice.
To protect Sasuke. To protect the village's peace.
Within the Uchiha Compound, all was deceptively quiet.
"Let's begin," Uchiha Itachi said to the empty air behind him, his face a mask of cold detachment.
"Hehehe. What a cruel and vicious man," a voice laced with mockery replied. "To save your little brother, you would willingly offer up the lives of your entire clan."
The space itself twisted and warped, and a black-haired man with a single eye visible through his orange, spiraled mask materialized from the distortion.
Itachi didn't grace him with a response, instead simply adjusting his ANBU mask. "I invited you to cooperate a month ago solely to ensure the 'persuasion' of certain powerful clansmen proceeds efficiently. Do not mistake your presence for a necessity. I am fully capable of completing this task alone." His voice was like ice. "If you have no intention of assisting, leave now. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee you won't be caught in the crossfire."
With that, he vanished in a flicker, heading deeper into the clan district.
The masked man merely snorted in amusement before his form dissolved back into nothingness. He had no intention of letting Itachi have all the "fun."
Now, on the outskirts of the compound, the Root operatives organized by Danzo received their orders.
"Anyone attempting to leave the Uchiha clan grounds is to be eliminated on sight. Is that understood?" Danzo's command was absolute and devoid of mercy.
The elite shinobi assembled before him gave silent, grim nods of acknowledgment.
On his own path to escape, Uchiha Naoki moved with purpose.
Under the silent night sky, the first faint sounds of commotion and panic had begun to ripple through the air—muffled cries, the distant clash of steel.
"Has the slaughter already started?" Taking a deep, steadying breath, Naoki quickened his pace.
He knew the drill. Both the main gate of the Uchiha compound and the main gate of Konoha would soon be swarming with Root agents. There was not a second to lose.
His newly acquired Observation Haki was stretched to its limit, painting a clear picture of everything within a hundred-meter radius around him. This psychic map allowed him to weave a path through the streets, avoiding the chaotic skirmishes and, most importantly, evading two separate encounters with Uchiha Itachi's chilling presence well in advance.
Two hundred meters.
One hundred meters.
The Uchiha main gate was just ahead. His Haki detected no ambush lying in wait. A wave of relief began to wash over him.
"Tch. A little mouse that slipped through the net."
The voice, playful and cold, came from directly behind him. At the same moment, a gloved hand reached out from a swirling vortex in the air itself, aiming to clutch the back of his head. The single eye visible behind the spiraled mask gleamed with a malicious light, and a terrifying, space-devouring aura emanated from the vortex.
"In that case, I'll just take your life!"
Uchiha Obito felt no threat from the boy before him. This would be trivial.
"Heh. I thought you'd never show up."
Naoki's voice, laced with a mocking tone, caused Obito's visible eye to widen slightly in surprise. Instinctive vigilance flared, and his body began to phase, becoming intangible.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
In that split second, a scorching fireball erupted from Naoki, engulfing the immediate area in a blinding, red haze and searing heat. Using the cover, Naoki performed a single hand sign. A Shadow Clone poofed into existence beside him while his main body, utilizing the fluid nature of his magma powers, melted seamlessly into the cracks of the earth below, fleeing underground. The clone immediately scuffed the ground, erasing any visible trace of the main body's unorthodox escape.
The entire maneuver was executed in the blink of an eye.
"Somewhat interesting. That Fire Release was on the level of a Special Jonin," Obito mused, the fireball passing harmlessly through his intangible form. His tone was condescending. "But you can't possibly believe a jutsu of that level could harm me."
Facing the masked man, the Shadow Clone of Naoki grinned, a triumphant and taunting expression. "When did I ever say… I was trying to hurt you with that?" He watched as the last of the flames dissipated through Obito's ghost-like body. "Don't flatter yourself. I only used it to buy a few seconds. After all, in your current intangible state, you can't materialize to pursue me immediately, can you? So, farewell for now, Mr. 'Madara'."
With that, the clone turned and sprinted at full speed into the distance.
Obito's eye narrowed into a dangerous slit. "How does he know that name? And he seems to understand the mechanics of my Kamui... Who exactly is he?" A sliver of apprehension cut through his amusement. "An enemy with that kind of knowledge cannot be left alive. He must be captured and interrogated."
Watching the fleeing figure, he snorted coldly. "Thinking you can escape from me? How naive." As the inheritor of Madara's will, letting a mere thirteen-year-old Uchiha brat slip through his fingers would be an unimaginable joke.
The fleeing Shadow Clone of Uchiha Naoki pushed its speed to the limit.
"He's fast! Uchiha Obito is already on me!" the clone thought, sensing the familiar, chilling presence materializing within its Observation Haki range. Its form tightened with tension. "My role is to buy time. Let's see how much I can delay him."
Fifty meters!
Twenty meters!
Five meters!
The space directly behind the cloned violently. Obito emerged from the vortex, almost touching its back. Several long, black iron rods shot forth from his hand.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The rods struck true, piercing clean through the clone's body.