Moonlight flowed like water. Pools of blood reflected it like broken mirrors.
Uchiha Azuma stood amidst the ruins, his body drenched in blood. His Double Tomoe Sharingan locked onto the two figures ahead.
Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Obito.
The executioners of the clan stood right before him.
Itachi's gaze was as still as stagnant water, looking at Azuma as if he were nothing more than an insect. He made no move—only spoke, his tone indifferent.
"Double Tomoe. You killed the Anbu?"
Azuma didn't answer.
His focus was entirely on Obito.
The man in the spiral mask had half his body phasing in and out of space. Kamui could activate at any moment. In the original story, this ability made him untouchable—he had slaughtered countless Uchiha without anyone even grazing him.
I can't win.
Azuma knew that clearly.
He had only awakened his Sharingan minutes ago. He hadn't even learned a single C-rank Ninjutsu.
And yet, standing before him were two monsters—both wielders of the Mangekyo Sharingan. One of them even possessed space-time Ninjutsu.
But the system required him to retreat unscathed.
Then there was only one way.
Make them hesitate.
Or—
Make them wary.
"Uchiha Itachi," Azuma suddenly spoke, "how does it feel to kill your own parents?"
A faint ripple passed through Itachi's eyes.
"Your father, Uchiha Fugaku. Your mother, Uchiha Mikoto."
"When you stabbed them with your own hands… did they beg you to stop?"
"Shut up."
Itachi's voice remained calm, but Azuma noticed the subtle tightening of his grip on his blade.
"Or…" Azuma smirked, "did they accept it quietly? Were they willing to die by their son's hand?"
Obito tilted his head, clearly intrigued.
"Kid, you know quite a lot."
Azuma turned toward him, his Sharingan staring directly into the spiral mask.
"And you… Uchiha Obito."
Obito's body paused, almost imperceptibly.
"Why pretend to be Uchiha Madara?"
"You're just a failure who wants to destroy the world because of one girl. What did Rin's death have to do with the Uchiha? With Konoha? You couldn't protect her—so now you want the entire clan buried with her?"
The atmosphere froze instantly.
A terrifying killing intent erupted from Obito, turning the air cold and heavy.
"How do you know that?" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"I know a lot," Azuma replied calmly. "I know your real identity. I know you gave your eye to Kakashi. I know you watched Rin die at his hands—and lost your mind."
He took a step forward.
"You think hiding behind a mask makes you someone else?"
"Enough."
Obito raised his hand. Space began to twist—the vortex of Kamui forming.
"Then do it," Azuma said, stepping forward instead of retreating. "Kill me. And then what? Keep playing Tobi? Keep being the Akatsuki's errand dog?"
He shifted his gaze to Itachi.
"And you, Uchiha Itachi. Do you really think Konoha will treat you as a hero for this?"
"The Third Hokage is probably celebrating right now. Danzo is already planning how to dispose of you. And your precious little brother—Sasuke…"
Azuma's voice turned colder.
"Do you really think they'll let him live?"
Itachi's expression finally changed.
"What are you implying?"
"I'm saying…" Azuma's gaze sharpened. "You're both fools."
"You're being used as tools—nothing more. Once the job is done, you'll be discarded."
"The Konoha higher-ups are toasting tonight, while you two clean the blood off their hands."
Obito slowly lowered his arm.
Itachi remained silent.
Azuma knew he had struck something.
Obito never truly trusted Konoha. His goal was to destroy it, not serve it.
And Itachi—
He already knew the truth of Konoha's leadership. He had only chosen this path for Sasuke.
"So what?" Itachi finally said. "The Will of Fire will not change. The Uchiha must disappear."
"Bullshit."
Azuma's voice cut through the air.
"The Uchiha must disappear? Based on what?"
"Because Fugaku wanted to rebel?"
"And why did he want to rebel?"
"Because Konoha pushed the Uchiha to the margins. Because Danzo coveted their eyes. Because the Third Hokage played the benevolent leader while doing nothing!"
"The Uchiha were cornered. When they resist, it's called rebellion?"
"But when Konoha massacres an entire clan—that's justice?"
Silence fell.
Then—
Obito laughed.
"…Interesting."
He crossed his arms, clearly entertained.
"So what do you want, kid? For us to let you go?"
"No."
Azuma's gaze burned.
"I want you to remember this night."
"Remember how many you killed. Remember their faces. Remember the voices of those children begging for mercy."
He raised his kunai and pointed it at Itachi.
"One day, I'll come back for you. Not for Konoha—but for the people you slaughtered with your own hands."
Then he pointed at Obito.
"And you."
"I'll make you watch as the Uchiha you tried to erase… rise again."
Itachi's eyes grew complicated.
Obito, however, laughed openly.
"With just you?" he mocked. "A brat with a Double Tomoe?"
Azuma didn't respond.
He simply turned around—
And walked away.
Turning his back on two Mangekyo users.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
---
Ding!
[Hidden Task: Confronting the Two Powerhouses]
[Status: Completed]
[Evaluation: Successfully forced hesitation and retreated unscathed]
[Reward: Mangekyo Fragment ×10 + Susanoo (Skeletal Form)]
[Current Progress: 11/100]
[Susanoo (Skeletal Form): Activates in life-or-death situations, duration 3 seconds, cooldown 24 hours]
---
A surge of heat flooded his eyes.
Azuma felt his ocular power rise sharply—still not Mangekyo, but far beyond a normal Double Tomoe.
He didn't look back.
Instead, he returned to the ruins and pulled up the trembling Uchiha Sora.
"Let's go."
The two disappeared into the shadows.
---
Behind them, Itachi and Obito remained where they stood.
Neither moved.
After a long silence, Obito spoke.
"Not going after him?"
Itachi said nothing.
Obito chuckled.
"That kid is interesting. Knows too much… and has guts."
He glanced at Itachi.
"If you don't kill him now, you'll regret it."
Itachi finally replied.
"He won't become a threat."
"Is that so?"
Obito's body began to twist into a vortex.
"I think he will."
His figure vanished.
---
Left alone, Itachi stared in the direction Azuma had gone.
After a long while, he spoke softly:
"…Survive."
"If you can survive… come find me again."
Then he turned—
And walked back into the massacre.
---
Deep within the ruins, Azuma dragged Sora along as they ran.
Sora was too terrified to speak, only able to follow.
After an unknown distance, the corpses grew fewer.
They had reached the edge of the clan grounds.
Ahead lay the fence.
Beyond it—
The forest.
"We're almost there!" Azuma said through clenched teeth. "Once we cross, we're out—"
Before he could finish—
A figure dropped from the sky.
Boom!
Dust and debris exploded outward.
As it settled, a one-eyed man wrapped in bandages stood before them.
His right arm was fully bound. His exposed left eye was cold and devoid of emotion.
Shimura Danzo.
Azuma's pupils shrank sharply.
Why is he here…?