The Scorpion Stinger, the Uchiha Clan Head

Current Loan Item - Vice Admiral Akainu Sakazuki

Item Grade - Silver

Relevant Information

Akainu Experience Card: User currently holds 30% of Sakazuki's comprehension of the Magma-Magma Fruit, randomly mutated into 70% comprehension of Fire Style chakra.

Bond Amplification: User and Lender share highly similar traits; random ability receives a 200% boost.

The compatibility is truly high...

However, I definitely won't grow up to look like that; it's too burly.

Repayment Terms--

If overdue, a hunt will be triggered, deducting 10% of the user's total attributes per minute until repayment.

Optional collateral: "Memory Fragments", "Emotional Colors"...

Silver...

The platform previously judged me as Black Iron; is that an assessment of energy level?

I am Black Iron, Akainu is Silver, Rayquaza is Gold... there shouldn't be any other tiers between these, right?

Uchiha Sora collected the puppet remains on the battlefield, thoughts constantly bursting forth in his mind.

Beside him, Shisui spoke up: "Sora, are you trying to use these human puppets to lure out the Sunagakure ninjas to make it easier for us to infiltrate?"

Uchiha Sora set to work sealing the puppets into a scroll: "You aren't completely stupid."

Shisui gave a wry smile: "You underestimate me too much; I was at least a captain-level figure when I was on the battlefield!"

Uchiha Sora was just being foul-mouthed for the sake of it; if he truly didn't approve of Shisui, he wouldn't have chosen to act with him.

As a teammate, Shisui's abilities in every aspect could be called perfect, and most importantly, he was obedient.

If he had come out with Fugaku, the two of them would have been at odds back in the Land of Hot Water.

Deeply poisoned by the ninja world's system, Fugaku would surely believe that the feudal lords were of some sacred bloodline and could not be harmed.

Uchiha Itachi was half-ruined by Fugaku's teachings, and later driven to a dead end by the shock of Shisui's death.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Sora felt that he should take Uchiha Sasuke out once he returned; the mental state of Fugaku's family was very worrying, and only he could properly teach this rare, good child of the Uchiha.

Hmm... and then Gaara could have a playmate; I am so thoughtful, practically a saint.

"Let's categorize them; some broken puppets will be used as bait, the ones still in good condition will be used later."

Shisui hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Do you want to control Sasori of the Red Sands for your own use? Honestly, I can interfere with his perception for a short time, but not for long."

"Or are you planning to have Clan Leader Fugaku control him?"

Uchiha Sora shook his head: "Our clan leader doesn't possess enough spirit to carry that; maintaining the status quo is the best he can do."

"I will wait for you to awaken the Mangekyō before attempting to unseal Sasori of the Red Sands."

"Mangekyō..."

Before they left, Fugaku had specifically sought out Shisui for a talk.

To awaken the Mangekyō, one needs to experience immense grief and stimulate the brain to secrete a special kind of chakra...

Fugaku had also told Shisui about the hidden dangers of using the Mangekyō.

He specifically instructed Shisui not to provoke Sora's emotions too much.

Sora's spirit was too high, he was too young, and his talent was too great; being stimulated into awakening the Mangekyō at this age was not a good thing.

You are the future of the Uchiha; in a few years, the position of clan leader will surely be passed to you, so ensuring your own stable growth is the most important thing.

Seeing Shisui's strange expression, Uchiha Sora guessed something.

"Fugaku told you how to awaken the Mangekyō, didn't he?"

Shisui was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "The clan leader told me; the reason he didn't talk to you about it is that he feels you are too young, and pursuing the power of the Mangekyō too early causes too much damage to the body."

Fugaku had warned him repeatedly not to stir up Sora's interest in the Mangekyō.

But as soon as Uchiha Sora asked, he had spilled it.

"He's not wrong about that." Uchiha Sora acknowledged Fugaku's point and continued: "The most suitable age to awaken the Mangekyō should be around fifteen or sixteen; awakening it too early carries the risk of bloodline disease."

"Sora... have you done research on the Mangekyō?"

Shisui remembered that no one in the clan had awakened the Mangekyō for many years; where did Sora get his information?

Upon second thought, even without Uchiha Sora explaining, Shisui attributed it to those eyes of Sora's that could see the future.

"Fugaku must have told you that the Mangekyō requires immense trauma to awaken, right?"

Uchiha Sora smiled slightly, shook his head, and said, "Why listen to the words of a mediocre man who only awakened his Mangekyō in his thirties?"

"Shisui, we are geniuses; awakening the Mangekyō isn't as difficult as he thinks."

"For us, there is only one thing that requires attention."

"Just intensify your training and increase your body's tolerance."

"Once we return, you are to add one thousand push-ups, one thousand sit-ups, one thousand squats, and a one-hundred-kilometer run to your original training schedule every single day."

"Not a single day can be missed."

"Break through your physical limits through minute accumulations!"

"Sora, I know Might Guy." Shisui scratched his head with a wry smile. "Don't make things difficult for me; I won't be able to endure such exhaustion."

Uchiha Sora continued scavenging for scraps and said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter. Just don't regret not working hard enough when the clan faces disaster."

In Shisui's mind, the vision Uchiha Sora had shown him previously surfaced once again.

"Fine... I'll do it."

--

--

Land of Rain.

Amidst the curtain of rain, Orochimaru walked toward a tall tower with a gloomy expression.

After a moment, he stopped and looked up.

On a platform extending from the tower stood a figure.

With his back to the dim light, his features were impossible to see, but the glowing, deep purple Rinnegan exuded an oppressive presence.

Beside him stood Konan, the angel with spread wings, appearing like a servant of a god.

"Leader..."

"Where is Sasori?" Pain's voice was devoid of emotional fluctuation, like that of a cold corpse.

"Dead."

"Who did it?"

"The Uchiha clan." Orochimaru grinned. "We encountered the Uchiha clan members who defected from Konoha; Sasori was killed, and I managed to escape."

After a period of silence, Pain spoke again.

"Even for that clan, with your and Sasori's strength, you couldn't even escape, let alone annihilate them?"

Orochimaru pulled open his collar, revealing a terrifying wound on his shoulder where even the shoulder blade had been charred black.

"I also learned from Konoha spies that Uchiha Fugaku's peculiar eyes are the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Their clan also possesses an incredibly powerful summoning beast, comparable to a Tailed Beast... one only needs to look at the Konoha border to confirm this."

"Heh, I only managed to escape thanks to a special secret technique; Sasori wasn't so lucky."

Whatever his underlying motive, not a single word Orochimaru said to Pain was the truth.

No... to be precise, every sentence was technically true, but he had swapped the concepts.

Two Uchiha brats could also be considered the Uchiha clan, after all.

"Pain, shall we retaliate?" Sasori had been recruited by Konan personally; compared to other members, she had a slightly better relationship with him.

"No... since he is dead, there is no need to expose our intelligence for his sake."

"Orochimaru... does the Uchiha clan head know you belong to Akatsuki?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "He doesn't. I saw Sasori die with my own eyes and confirmed that no intelligence was leaked."

The Uchiha clan head indeed did not know.

"Hmm... I understand. Go and recuperate first; I will have others handle your missions."

"I require some rare medicinal herbs; the purchase will be a significant sum..."

"Konan, give it to him."

After Orochimaru pulled his collar shut and walked away, the charred blood scabs beneath his black robe fell off, and new flesh began to grow.

Pain's brow furrowed slightly; only when he was alone with Konan did he display such clear facial expressions.

"Madara orchestrated the Nine-Tails Incident, and the Uchiha have defected... Why has he not recruited this clan?"

Capable of killing Sasori and forcing Orochimaru to flee in a panic, the strength of this clan was far greater than anticipated.

They remained an independent clan for now, so as the ancestor of the Uchiha, why had Madara not taken action?

Konan fell silent for a moment before speaking, "Pain, there are too many suspicious points regarding that man; he may not truly be the legendary Madara Uchiha..."

"Enough, Konan."

"Does his ability to control the Nine-Tails not prove his identity?"

"Contact him and confirm the situation regarding the Uchiha clan."

"...Very well."