Does This Even Count as a Shonen Manga?

A few kilometers outside Konoha.

Space began to twist into a vortex, and Obito and Itachi Uchiha emerged from the distorted void.

Itachi collapsed onto the ground, coughing incessantly.

A massive handprint was clearly visible on his throat.

It had been that close.

A mere fraction of a second more, and Itachi's neck would have been snapped like a chick by Star Platinum. If not for Obito, Itachi Uchiha would already be dead.

"Is he really that strong?"

Obito could hardly believe it.

This was Itachi Uchiha, a peerless genius who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan at the age of thirteen!

Even for Obito—no, even for Madara Uchiha in his prime—it would have been impossible to crush Itachi in such a short span of time.

"Very strong."

Itachi recalled the details of the battle.

He had indeed underestimated his opponent, allowing Lin Qing to seize the initiative.

But underestimating the enemy was no excuse.

"The speed, power, and explosive force displayed by that 'invisible enemy'... they exceeded the limits of humanity."

Seizing the initiative was not inherently terrifying.

But when combined with invincible speed, precision, and overwhelming, destructive power?

That was truly terrifying.

"It was almost like facing a Tailed Beast."

Itachi Uchiha stood up and looked back in the direction of Konoha.

However, failure would only happen this once.

The effect of a surprise attack would be nullified the second time around.

Next time they met, Itachi would not underestimate him again.

But what Itachi did not know was that Lin Qing was not static.

As long as Lin Qing was given enough time, he could draw one Stand after another, each possessing entirely different, brand-new abilities.

Obito returned to his usual, laid-back demeanor.

Uchiha, after all, were always capable of doing such miraculous things.

"Shall we go back and kill him?" Obito asked.

Itachi shook his head: "No need, let's go."

He had fulfilled his promise to Danzo.

Whether one or two remained made no difference to the overall situation. The other ninjas in Konoha were not fools; returning now would only invite unnecessary conflict.

Obito shrugged, space twisted once more, and the two vanished without a trace.

Uchiha Compound.

"Defeated Itachi Uchiha, obtained 800 Soul Fragments."

"Repaid mortgaged soul, deducted 500 Soul Fragments, remaining Soul Fragments: 300."

300 fragments remaining, which meant...

30 draws!

Lin Qing felt the urge to pull for a Stand immediately.

He glanced at Star Platinum guarding his side and restrained himself.

Initially, Lin Qing's soul value was 500 Soul Fragments.

To scrape together a 10-pull, he had mortgaged 30 fragments.

Upgrading Star Platinum from Level 1 (0%) to Level 2 (7%) had consumed 470 fragments.

Calculating it, the jump from Level 1 to Level 2 cost 400 fragments.

And from Level 2 to Level 3...

It required a full 1000 fragments!

Truly expensive.

Not only was drawing cards expensive, but cultivation was also costly.

But the results were outstanding.

His strength, speed, and reflexes were all a significant cut above what they had been at Level 1.

The Susanoo, originally an absolute defense impossible to shatter, could be smashed to pieces by a Level 2 stand.

Of course, this was partly due to Itachi Uchiha summoning his Susanoo in a rush and his lack of clear consciousness.

But even so, Star Platinum was still only Level 2.

The maximum level of a Stand is tied to its star rating.

The four-star Hermit Purple can be upgraded to a maximum of Level 4.

The five-star Star Platinum can be upgraded to a maximum of Level 5.

Once Star Platinum reaches Level 5, its sheer power and speed alone will be enough to pulverize any living creature that enters its range.

Lin Qing pondered for a moment and decided to hold onto the soul fragments, waiting to see what situations he would face before deciding whether to use them for card draws or upgrades.

He looked at the system notification.

"So that kid just now was named Itachi Uchiha."

Lin Qing rummaged through the memory fragments of his predecessor and found information regarding Itachi Uchiha.

"In other words, he's a member of the Uchiha Clan? Killing his own kin?"

Lin Qing wore the expression of a confused old man staring at a smartphone.

What for?

The Uchiha Clan was wealthy and powerful; even a parasite like Lin Qing, who just drifted through life, could rely on welfare to drink and play all day.

Itachi Uchiha was the pride of the clan, so the resources he received would only be greater.

Could it be that the benefits of slaughtering the entire clan were even greater?

That was the only possibility, right?

Having received a formal education in the art of dragon-slaying and being well-versed in history, Lin Qing couldn't fathom, even if he racked his brains, that Itachi Uchiha's reason for destroying his own kin was to prevent clan unrest and trigger a war.

Clan unrest, triggering a war...

Did it have anything to do with the eighty-year-old woman?

Did it have anything to do with the kids playing games at home?

Did it have anything to do with a "waste" like his predecessor, who would pant after running two steps?

"Qing-ge... are you okay..."

Sasuke's childish voice came from behind him.

Lin Qing cut off his train of thought, looked at the small child in front of him, and searched his memory for a moment.

"So you're Sasuke."

Long time no see.

Even though Lin Qing had never watched Naruto, he had seen the child's future in various memes—

Covering his face with one hand, eyes peeking through his fingers, shouting "Amaterasu."

Lin Qing ruffled his center-parted hair, reminded of an old acquaintance who wore overalls.

"Qing-ge, my brother..."

Thinking of his parents who died before his eyes, Sasuke changed how he addressed him: "Is Itachi dead?"

"He escaped."

A flash of sadness crossed Sasuke's eyes, followed by hatred.

He didn't understand why the brother who had once been so gentle would slaughter the entire clan.

But the reason didn't matter; the result had already occurred. What mattered was that Sasuke would, for his family, for the lives of everyone in the clan...

Revenge!

"What do we do now?" Sasuke asked.

"Wait for rescue. Something this big has happened; even if they were playing deaf and dumb, they should be coming out now."

Lin Qing pointed toward the direction of the village.

"Look, they're here."

Over a dozen figures, leaping and flickering across the rooftops like fleas, were rapidly approaching.

Lin Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

Tonight's disaster had finally come to a temporary end.

Lin Qing prepared himself to wrap up in a blanket, hold a cup of hot cocoa, and blankly watch the rescue workers bustle about.

That's how it usually played out in disaster movies.

Now that the murder spree was over, even the most arrogant mastermind hiding in the shadows couldn't possibly wipe out the two survivors, Lin Qing and Sasuke, in broad daylight, right?

Naruto was, at the very least, a shonen manga; it shouldn't be that dark, right?

"How many times do I have to say it?"

"We are the victims; the murderer Itachi Uchiha has fled. Sasuke and I are the eyewitnesses, and you are the experts—surely you can find physical evidence at the scene."

"What exactly are you still trying to investigate? Or rather—"

Lin Qing stared at the interrogator opposite him, the questioning and disgust in his eyes nearly overflowing:

"What kind of answer are you trying to hear from my mouth?"

The interrogation room was dimly lit, and Lin Qing's hands were cuffed to the table.

A total of four ninjas belonging to the Root organization stood in the room, each positioned in one of the four corners, monitoring Lin Qing without a single blind spot.

It was as if Lin Qing were the murderer.

Yamanaka So sat across from Lin Qing.

He was a member of the Yamanaka clan, skilled in the Mind Transfer Jutsu, and equally proficient in soul torture and memory extraction; he was the interrogator specifically assigned to question Lin Qing.

As a master of interrogation, even without using his secret arts, Yamanaka So could judge from Lin Qing's tone, demeanor, and gaze that the young man before him was not lying.

But often, the truth is not what matters.

What matters is the objective of those in power.

The key lies in the decision of Lord Danzo.

Knock, knock.

A knocking sound came from outside, and the heavy metal door slid open.

A Root ninja stood at the doorway and beckoned to Yamanaka So.

Yamanaka So walked out.

Lin Qing opened his palm toward the man's retreating back.

"Hermit Purple."

A purple vine coiled around Yamanaka So's boot and followed him out, the other end of the vine pressed against Lin Qing's ear.

Bang.

The interrogation room door closed once more.

The voices of the two Root ninjas were transmitted clearly along the vine.

"Lord Danzo has given the order: kill him, and leave no traces."

One Uchiha remaining in the village is enough.

There is no need to keep two.

Besides, the deal between Danzo and Itachi Uchiha only concerned Sasuke; there was no "buy one, get one free" clause.

"Understood."

Yamanaka So did not question it in the slightest, nor did he ask for any unnecessary reasons.

Lord Danzo issues the orders, and they execute them.

That is the rule.

"What about the other one?" Yamanaka So asked.

"That is not for you to concern yourself with."

Yamanaka So nodded slightly and apologized.

He had overstepped his bounds.

"Leave it to me."

Silent killing was simple enough for the Yamanaka clan; he gripped the heavy door handle of the interrogation room and turned it halfway—

BOOM!

The metal door, a full ten centimeters thick, struck Yamanaka So like the iron palm of a giant, slamming the professional interrogator against the wall like a fly.

The Root member who had come to deliver the message stared at this scene in disbelief. Driven by years of training instincts, he drew his kunai and assumed a defensive stance.

"ORA!"

Star Platinum brought its fist down, shattering the kunai, the arm, and the ribs all at once.

The messenger was sent flying, landing against the metal door from before.

The two men were sandwiched by the iron door, looking like a human meat patty.

With a clatter, the two fell to the ground, clinging to their final breaths, staring in terror at Lin Qing as he walked out of the room.

Lin Qing let out a soft sigh:

"This is supposed to be a shonen manga? This is way too dark!"