Beside a lake not far from Naka Shrine, stood a serious-looking ninja. He was wearing a black Gunbai windbreaker and was looking down at the boy beside him.
"Fugaku, can you see all the seals clearly?"
"See clearly..." The boy swallowed, hiding his nervousness. "Si-wei-shen-hai-wu-xu."
It should be this.
The adult leaned towards the young man and said seriously, "Wrong, the last seal is Yin."
The boy felt a little ashamed that he had let his father down, but at this moment his legs were spinning and he couldn't control it, let alone concentrate.
"Great Fireball Jutsu is the basic Ninjutsu for us Uchiha Clan to learn Fire Release. You are Young Clan Head, and you must master it earlier than your peers.
Did you hear that? "
"I heard it."
"Then give it a try."
Gathering chakra in his throat, the boy told himself, then craned his neck and leaned back.
"Fire Release? Great Fireball Jutsu."
A flame less than two centimeters shot out, as if someone had lit a match.
The young man lowered his head in shame. How he hoped that he could succeed and be praised by the man next to him, "As expected of my son."
Just...
The young man was about to apologize when suddenly, the ground shook violently. The originally calm lake surface seemed to have been cut open by someone from the sky, and the surrounding ground suddenly sank.
"Father!"
The boy screamed in horror, then fell into the icy lake water along the crack.
"Am I going to die?!"
Fugaku suddenly opened his eyes and woke up from the nightmare.
The surroundings were dark, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of medicine. He tried to move his right arm, but a stab of pain stopped him.
Where am I?
What happened?
My whole body was throbbing, it was the kind of heart-breaking pain. Fugaku carefully raised his left arm and touched his body lightly with his hand. Everything within reach was covered with a thick bandage.
He closed his eyes and racked his brain to remember what had happened.
Finally, the memories slowly took shape... just like the gurgling bubbles rising from the bottomless water.
"I jumped off the waterfall!"
Fugaku stared blankly at the darkness around him.
"Could this be hell?"
At this moment, an old voice suddenly came from beside his ear.
"Are you awake?"
Fugaku turned his head. Just this movement gave him a splitting headache, as if a Kunai was pierced into his skull.
He took a few long breaths to fight off the pain. Then, he became more careful and looked at the approaching person slowly and methodically.
Through the dim light, he saw a scythe held by a pair of hands like dead wood, the black clothes and... a Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Fugaku opened his eyes wide and said in surprise, "Your eyes... could it be that you are also a member of the Uchiha Clan's tribe?"
The old voice said calmly, "Well, it's up to you to think whatever you want."
"It is impossible for outsiders to master Sharingan, and it is impossible to transplant Sharingan. Old man, you must be my clansman. In that case..." Fugaku paused and asked tentatively, "Is this Konoha?"
"Konoha..." The old man narrowed his eyes and unconsciously tightened his grip on the sickle.
"What a strange word. Since Hashirama died, I have never set foot there again."
The old man's tone was calm, but his words revealed infinite regret and nostalgia.
Fugaku savored the information revealed by the other party.
"First Hokage has not set foot in Konoha since his death. That has been at least thirty years - which means this person is not a ninja from Konoha, but still lives in a strange cave... Wait!"
"Old man, are you Rogue Ninja from Konoha?"
The old man seemed to have heard something interesting, and for a moment he laughed so hard that he couldn't stand upright.
"In a sense, I am indeed Rogue Ninja of Konoha, but... no one has ever announced that I am Rogue Ninja."
"Old man, have you ever thought about going back? I am Young Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan. If you send me back, my father will definitely not treat you badly. Even Rogue Ninja can handle it."
The old man grasped the sickle tightly and said softly, "I can never go back."
There are some things in this world. Once you take a step, you can never look back. Even if you are reluctant to give up, you can only sigh and walk on alone.
Neither can I go back,
Can't go back either.
Fugaku opened his mouth, but suddenly remembered something, his face changed and he said, "No, my father said, Uchiha Clan has never had Rogue Ninja in these years, and I have never seen you.
Who are you and where is this place?! "
Faced with Fugaku's aggressive tone, the old man still said calmly, "This is Crevice of Reincarnation."
"Where?" Fugaku felt a chill all over his body, "Is this...Crevice of Reincarnation?"
"Yes, you are indeed in the cycle of life and death at this moment."
Fugaku said in a trembling voice, "So you mean, I'm already... dead?"
"Not entirely."
"That's not entirely true?!" Fugaku was irritated by the old man's vague words.
"Life and death are either/or things. What do you mean by not being completely like this?"
"My stupid tribe, you have disappointed me so much." The old man shook his head, "I thought you would have a better understanding of life and death."
"This is a world in between - at this moment, you are wandering here, either returning to your original world, or heading straight to death... it depends on your next actions."
Fugaku tried hard to understand and asked again, "Then what do you want me to do?"
"It's very simple. I want you to help me cut off all the cause and effect in this world and create a world with only winners, a world with only peace, and a world with only love."
"I don't understand what you are talking about at all."
"Don't understand? It doesn't matter. One day, you will understand what I am talking about."
Fugaku's heart sank suddenly.
The old man continued, "Child, don't look like this. You should feel honored that I found you - this is the mission you have been waiting for your whole life, and you are the chosen one."
This old man must be crazy!
"I'm sorry, although I'm grateful that you saved me, but you must have chosen the wrong person." Fugaku suppressed his anger, "I don't know how to help you cut off the cause and effect."
The old man shook his head and said, "Wrong, I didn't choose you... but fate."
"What?" Fugaku's voice was almost inaudible.
"You floated with the current to the underground passage I dug, and then I rescued you. Isn't this the guidance of fate?"
Fugaku understood that the old man in front of him must be a lunatic, so he softened his tone and said, "Old man, you must have made a mistake. You were waiting for someone else... and I am just a joke played by fate on you."
"I don't think so. I have been here for almost thirty years. You are the first visitor and I believe the last."
Fugaku felt angry and helpless.
"I'm warning you, my father is the patriarch of the Uchiha Clan. No matter who you are, if you imprison me like this again——"
The old man smiled and said, "I don't have to restrict your freedom. You can go out if you want. To put it bluntly, with our current bodies, neither you nor I can get out of here."
"You damn old man, who are you?!"
Fugaku roared, and his voice echoed fiercely in the cave.
The old man was a little tired, so he walked to a huge chair and sat down with his scythe in his hand, and then slowly said, "I am the undead of the Uchiha Clan - Uchiha Madara."
Fugaku lost his voice and said, "How is that possible? Madara died a long time ago Valley of the End."
A mocking look appeared on the old man's face, "Everyone in the world thinks I lost to Hashirama, but how can winning and losing be absolute?"
Fugaku is a little desperate.
If this old man is really Madara, then there is definitely a shocking conspiracy hidden inside. Likewise, knowing this secret, there is absolutely no way he can escape.
As if he had read through his inner thoughts, the old man smiled and said, "Stop struggling, I will need you to do many things for me in the future. Since you finally saved your life, don't rush to seek death."
"Of course, you can die if you want, but in return, I will accept a pair of Sharingan from you as a reward for saving you."
Fugaku is completely desperate.
"Please, let me go. I have a friend named Uchiha Chen. He is much better than me and his strength is much higher. I can bring him to you. How about it?"
The old man said in a cold tone, "You haven't figured it out yet, have you? Why were you chosen?"
"I don't understand!"
"You'll understand," chuckled the old man, "You'll understand soon enough."
With that said, he closed his eyes and fell asleep again, and the cave became peaceful again.