Chapter 5: Strength Of Magma
The intelligence files on every member of the Uchiha clan were crystal clear to the Root organization. Or so they had believed. The emergence of a wild card like Uchiha Naoki represented a catastrophic failure in their intelligence network, a mistake that was proving fatal in the field.
With a sharp glance, the painted-mask leader signaled the remaining Root members to attack without hesitation. Such a dangerous variable could not be allowed to escape. If he did, he would inevitably become a significant obstacle to Lord Danzo's grand designs.
"What's wrong? Surprised?" Uchiha Naoki grinned, his expression fierce in the flickering firelight. The scorching magma fist that had blocked the sword suddenly erupted, unleashing a terrible wave of molten rock that surged forward to engulf the painted-mask leader.
The Root member recoiled, leaping backward with practiced speed, but not fast enough. A large portion of his arm was caught in the splash, the flesh instantly searing and blackening. A sharp groan of pain escaped his lips.
"Stop being so arrogant, you brat!!"
From behind Naoki came another enraged shout. "Ninja Art: Shadow Shuriken Technique!"
The all-too-familiar rain of sharpened steel pierced through Naoki's body before he could seemingly react.
"Know your place, kid…" the cat-masked Root member who had launched the attack began, a smirk forming beneath his mask. But the smirk died instantly, the triumph in his eyes freezing into disbelief.
Uchiha Naoki had simply let the shuriken pass harmlessly through him, his torso transforming into bubbling magma once more before solidifying back to flesh.
"Damn it, he dodged it again?!" the cat-mask operative gritted his teeth, a wave of frustration and realization washing over him. "So that's it… this ability allows him to completely ignore conventional physical attacks! No wonder the shuriken and the Fire Release did nothing before."
He immediately began to retreat. This critical information had to be relayed to the others.
Not far away, the fox-masked Root member saw his comrade's intent and moved to provide covering fire, his hands coming together to form a seal. "Fire Release—"
"Trying to pass on information? Hmph, wishful thinking!"
Under the combined, acute perception of his Observation Haki and Sharingan, Naoki could read the subtle shifts in their stances and the intent in their movements. He would not let the cat-mask operative succeed.
He raised a hand and blasted a massive, globular mass of scorching magma into the air. "Meteor Fire!" he roared. The magma ball soared and then split apart, raining down searing projectiles upon both the retreating cat-mask and the fox-mask preparing his jutsu.
Seeing the fiery hail, the fox-mask operative was forced to abort his technique and leap away. The cat-mask operative, however, was caught mid-retreat, a perfect target in the open.
"AAHHH—!!!"
A scream tore through the night as a chunk of magma struck his right arm, melting it away in an instant. Another glob slammed into his chest, cratering the armor and scorching the flesh beneath with a sickening sizzle.
"Great Eruption!"
"Hound Dog, Chase the Red Lotus!"
Uchiha Naoki pressed his advantage without mercy. Two attacks launched simultaneously. A devastating wave of magma from his fist devoured the crippled cat-mask operative whole. At the same time, a separate stream of magma morphed mid-air into the shape of a sprinting, molten hound, its speed incredible as it closed in on the still-recovering fox-mask.
"Not good!"
The fox-mask operative had just landed when the magma hound was upon him. His pupils contracted to pinpoints in sheer horror. "It's too late to dodge!"
"GYAAAH—!!!"
The frighteningly high-temperature construct opened its maw and swallowed him whole, his form vanishing into nothingness within the incandescent heat.
"Damn it!!" The painted-mask leader watched two more of his team be eradicated in seconds. The eyes of the three remaining Root members hardened, their expressions beneath their masks turning grimmer. "Is this guy really only thirteen years old?"
"His insight is monstrous! How can he predict our actions so perfectly at his age?"
The painted-mask leader's high-speed lightning sword style was notoriously difficult for even the Sharingan to track, yet Uchiha Naoki had seen through it effortlessly. He had even predicted the fox-mask's evasion landing point, leading to a perfectly timed kill. And his reflexes in activating that strange intangibility were flawless. Most terrifying of all was his tactical vision—seizing the moment to eliminate key threats and relieve pressure. Such calculated ruthlessness was unheard of in a child; even seasoned Jonin in the village rarely displayed such cold efficiency.
"You are far too careless, boy!"
A cold voice, laced with a hint of triumph, came from behind Uchiha Naoki. The painted-mask leader had used the distraction to reposition himself. "If other attacks don't work, then what about Water Release, the natural counter to fire and heat? Let's see you try to evade this by turning into magma!"
His cheeks puffed out, and he unleashed a high-pressure, penetrating jet of water. "Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
"Good!" the other two remaining Root members shouted in unison, hope flaring within them.
However, facing this point-blank, seemingly sure-hit counter-attack, Uchiha Naoki merely offered a jokingly dismissive smile. "A good idea in theory, but unfortunately… it's still useless!"
His torso transformed into magma once more, but this time, he willed a large hole to open directly in its center. The high-pressure water jet shot straight through the empty space without touching a single part of his molten form, harmlessly striking the ground behind him with a furious hiss.
"What?!" The painted-mask leader's eyes bulged in disbelief. "It can't be?!"
His moment of shock was all the opening Naoki needed. By the time the leader thought to retreat, it was far too late.
"Hound Dog, Chase the Red Lotus!"
A scorching, magma-formed arm shot out with piston-like force, piercing clean through the man's chest. The intense heat instantly cauterized the wound and incinerated his internal organs.
"Guh…!" The painted-mask leader spat a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with stunned refusal to accept this reality before he crumpled to the ground.
"How is this possible?!" The final two Root members stared, their morale shattering. "His predictive ability is too terrifying!"
Their leader had launched a surprise attack with a supposedly restraining elemental jutsu, and he had still been predicted and effortlessly countered. How could they possibly hope to defeat such an enemy?
"Now… only two of you remain." Uchiha Naoki took a steadying breath, the scent of ozone and burnt flesh thick in the air. He grinned, a feral expression in the gloom. "Let's end this quickly."
These two possessed the lowest chakra levels of the group; they would be the fastest to dispatch.
He shot towards them in an instant. The two operatives scrambled backward, not daring to face his onslaught directly. As they retreated, their hands flew through seals in a desperate, synchronized defense.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Ninja Art: Thousand Flying Needles!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
A maelstrom of flame, senbon, and slicing air currents rushed to meet him. Uchiha Naoki simply let the attacks pass through his elementalized body. He didn't break his stride, instead slamming his hands onto the ground.
"Lava Burial!"
BOOM!
The earth beneath the two retreating operatives' feet suddenly split apart. Two pillars of burning, red magma erupted from the fractures, swallowing them whole before their screams could fully form.
"GYAH—!!"
Even though Naoki's magma had not yet reached the fearsome 1,200-degree heat of its previous user, a temperature of over 600 degrees Celsius was more than sufficient to reduce most foes to ash. In a matter of seconds, the two Root members were completely annihilated.
"Hah… Hah…"
Uchiha Naoki took a few deep, steadying breaths, his body steaming in the cool night air. He was satisfied with his performance. Focusing his will, he gathered all his remaining strength into his right arm, which swelled and glowed with intense heat.
"Great Eruption!"
A final, colossal fist of magma, larger than any before, roared through the air and smashed directly into the chakra barrier sealing Konoha's main gate. The complex seal-work flickered violently and shattered with a sound like breaking glass.
Whoosh!
Without a moment's hesitation, he blurred into motion, streaking through the now-open gateway and out into the freedom of the world beyond.
A mere two seconds after he vanished into the darkness, a squad of regular ANBU arrived at the scene, their faces grim as they surveyed the smoldering, corpse-strewn battleground.
BOOM!
At that exact moment, a shocking crimson light flared deep within Konoha, followed by a thunderous explosion that echoed across the village. Uchiha Naoki, already miles away, received the final message from his distant Shadow Clone before it dissipated.
The commotion had been his clone's last, desperate engagement with Uchiha Obito.
"It's a real headache," Naoki muttered to himself, pushing his speed even further. "Having an enemy on the level of Uchiha Obito right from the start is no simple matter."
Even without the power of the Rinnegan, Obito's strength was easily at the level of a Kage. This time, the clone's elemental intangibility and the destructive power of the Magma Fruit had barely been enough to hold him off. But next time, the outcome might be different.
He needed to get stronger fast.