Chapter 18: The Boiling Lake
"My exposure to pure taijutsu is still too limited. I have the raw power, but I can't wield it with perfect efficiency," Uchiha Naoki reflected, his brow furrowed in concentration. A true master should be able to inflict the maximum damage with the minimum expenditure of energy. He was still a long way from that realm.
Sizzle! Sizzzzzzle!
In less than half an hour, the mighty waterfall where Uchiha Naoki sat practicing began to thin, then ceased altogether. A colossal plume of steam, thick and white, billowed skyward, transforming into unimaginably dark clouds that collided with a palpable, rumbling thunder.
Seeing the waterfall effectively vaporized, Uchiha Naoki could only move on. He sought out the largest body of water in the Land of Rain—the "Sea Lake"—and sank to its deepest, darkest depths, using the immense water pressure to continue his relentless tempering.
Three Days Later
"What's happening? Is the water in the Sea Lake… boiling?!"
On the northwestern shores of the Land of Rain, a crowd had gathered, staring in disbelief at the vast, churning expanse of the lake. The water, usually placid and cold, was now bubbling violently.
"If I'm not mistaken, the water level seems to have dropped by over a meter!" someone cried out.
"What's going on? The Sea Lake is always icy! How can it be boiling? Has a volcano awakened beneath it?"
"How is that possible? There are no volcanoes in the Land of Rain!"
Countless people watched the incredible scene, their minds reeling.
"Look!!!" a sharp-eyed individual suddenly shouted, pointing a trembling finger toward the center of the lake. "There's something… something fiery red down there!"
"He's right! And it's getting bigger!"
"Do you feel that? The temperature is rising!"
The astonished crowd suddenly felt a parching dryness in the air, as if they had been transported to a desert. The oppressive heat made them want to strip off their clothes—a sensation utterly alien to the perpetually damp and chilly Land of Rain.
BUZZ—
The surface of the lake trembled violently, the boiling becoming even more furious. A strong, acrid smell of sulfur filled the air, mixed with a heart-palpitating, oppressive aura.
"What is it going to be?" the people whispered, a mixture of panic and anticipation gripping them.
BOOM!
Finally, the flaming red entity at the bottom of the lake erupted through the water's surface, revealing itself to all.
"A… a person?"
"How is that possible?! He's covered in flowing lava! Is that even human?"
The crowd stared in utter shock at the figure standing calmly on the water in the center of the lake. Even in a world of magical ninja arts, the sight before them defied belief.
In an instant, the already stifling atmosphere became searingly hot. The radiant heat, even from such a distance, burned their skin and made it difficult to keep their eyes open. The dark rain clouds above were pushed back and dissipated by the terrifying thermal updraft, accompanied by a series of thunderous rumbles. To directly alter the weather itself was a power that seemed divine.
"It seems… my training was a bit excessive," the lava-covered figure mused aloud.
The magma covering his body slowly receded, solidifying back into flesh and fabric, finally revealing a young man in a distinctive black cloak with red clouds and a bamboo hat.
[Fruit Development Progress: 55%]
It was Uchiha Naoki.
"I wonder if there's any news on that snake, Orochimaru," he thought, glancing indifferently at the stunned onlookers on the shore before vanishing in a flicker of movement.
"Red clouds… black cloak… lava ability…" A young man with glasses on the bank, his eyes stinging from the heat, had managed to see the scene clearly. His mind was reeling. "That attire… it can't be mistaken. It's a member of the Akatsuki organization!" He pushed up his scorched glasses. "But why has he become so powerful so suddenly? No, I must relay this information to Lord Orochimaru immediately. This man is one of his hunters. Lord Orochimaru cannot be allowed to face him unprepared."
Others in the crowd, however, began to shout that they had witnessed a god. To make the boundless waters of the Sea Lake boil and to change the very sky with scorching power—if this was not a deity, what was? They began to understand why the weather had been so abnormal lately, pouring rain yet unbearably hot. It turned out a god had truly descended among them.
From that day forth, a steady stream of people began making pilgrimages to the lakeshore to kowtow and pray. Strangely enough, some of their prayers seemed to be answered.
En Route to the Akatsuki Rendezvous
"It's time to move out." On his way to meet Sasori, Uchiha Naoki received the intelligence scroll via a messenger hawk.
"The Land of Whirlpools?" Reading the contents, Naoki couldn't help but feel a flicker of surprise. "He didn't stay in the Land of Sound? What is he doing in the ruins of Uzushiogakure? Scavenging for research materials?" It ultimately didn't matter why Orochimaru was there. What mattered was that his doom was approaching. "I'll use you as a benchmark to test the true extent of my current power."
After his battle with Sasori, he was confident his strength was approaching the Kage level. Now, he felt ready to step firmly into that realm.
Meeting the Scarlet Sand Scorpion at the designated location, the two shinobi sized each other up.
"You… have grown stronger," they said in near-unison.
"Then it seems Orochimaru is in for a very bad day," Sasori's low, cold voice rasped from within Hiruko. "After this, the legend of the Sannin will be erased."
Uchiha Naoki smiled, a burning heat in his eyes. "It will undoubtedly be a historic moment."
To reach the Land of Whirlpools, one had to pass through the Land of Fire. And traveling through the Land of Fire carried a certain risk of encountering Konoha shinobi.
As luck would have it, Uchiha Naoki's luck held.
"Uchiha Naoki! How dare you show your face in the Land of Fire?!"
A squad of eight Root operatives emerged from the forest, surrounding the two Akatsuki members with palpable excitement.
Uchiha Naoki sighed. "Why? Is the Land of Fire your private property? Are others not allowed to pass through?"
The lead Root operative, wearing a cat mask, completely ignored the question and let out a manic laugh. "Excellent! Now I can finally avenge my elder brother! Prepare yourself, you damned traitor! Today, this will be your grave!"
Uchiha Naoki asked, a note of genuine curiosity in his voice, "Well, may I ask who your elder brother is? Did I harm him?"
This only seemed to infuriate the man further. "What did you say?! You don't even remember my brother?!" he roared, his eyes blazing with fury behind his mask. "The day you defiled Konoha with your betrayal, a man in a dog-head mask fell by your hand! Have you forgotten so easily?!"
Uchiha Naoki shrugged. "My apologies. I never bother to remember the names or faces of ants." He then added, his tone turning cold, "Also, I'm in a hurry. Would you mind getting out of my way?"
A group whose average strength barely scratched the level of Special Jonin offered no sense of accomplishment in killing them.
But his words were the final straw. With an enraged yell, the cat-masked man lunged forward. "You bastard! DIE!!"
"Fire Release—"
"Hound Dog, Chase the Red Lotus!"
Uchiha Naoki was faster. His right arm, burning a fierce red, shot out and pierced through the man's chest before his jutsu could even form.
Landing softly, Uchiha Naoki flicked the blood from his arm, his voice utterly devoid of emotion. "As I said. I don't take the initiative to remember the faces of ants."