"What are you talking about? Keigo isn't the kind of person you say he is!"
"Keigo helps us. He's a friend to all of us, not the sort of arrogant member of a prestigious clan you imagine!"
Akimichi Lie's chubby face instantly filled with anger!
He glared furiously at Uzumaki Kushina!
If it weren't for Keigo, he wouldn't be nearly as strong as he was now. Besides, Keigo always brought them snacks.
Keigo was one of his best friends!
He absolutely wouldn't let anyone talk about Keigo Uchiha like that!
"How can you say that about someone before you even know him?"
Nara Kano frowned deeply.
He didn't scold her, but the impatience in his eyes was unmistakable!
"Keigo... Keigo isn't that kind of person!"
"Keigo gave me a Ninja Cat. He's the best person ever!"
Inuzuka Mi's delicate face was full of earnestness. "If you spent time with Keigo, you'd know how gentle he is."
In her eyes, Keigo was the best person in the world.
He was the most special person. No one was allowed to bully him.
The others didn't speak, but the hostility in their eyes was unmistakable.
"Hmph! I may not like how strong Keigo is, but there's nothing wrong with his character."
Hyuga Ruri gave a little snort.
She added that reluctantly.
Keigo Uchiha smiled faintly and glanced at the kids around him. Over the past year or so, he'd made some truly reliable friends.
He pulled Akimichi Lie back before he could start arguing.
As he slowly passed Uzumaki Kushina, he said gently, "That's a great ambition. Becoming Konoha's first female Hokage? That's admirable. But you should focus on getting stronger first."
Then,
he paused and continued, "And your red hair is beautiful. You don't need to care what other people think."
Keigo Uchiha didn't argue with Uzumaki Kushina.
What was there to argue about with a little girl?
Besides, Kushina hadn't meant any harm.
It was just that... now, ostracized by everyone, she might have resented seeing him surrounded by people and basking in the sunshine.
She was a little like Naruto when he was a child...
"What?"
Uzumaki Kushina had been listening to everyone scold her, her face burning with embarrassment. How could she have done something so stupid?
She knew it wasn't right, yet she'd still gone over there just to get attention!
But Keigo Uchiha's words made her tremble.
She couldn't help touching her red hair. "Is my red hair... really beautiful?"
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
She took a deep breath. That was right. She was going to become the future female Hokage. There was no need to care what other people thought!
Forest of Death.
After parting ways with the others, Keigo Uchiha came here without hesitation.
"The training grounds in the clan compound aren't enough for me to wreck anymore. If I keep going, I'll tear the whole place apart."
He sighed helplessly.
He wanted to train near home, too, but his strength wouldn't allow it. He had no choice but to come to the Forest of Death. At least it was big enough...
And the dangers in the Forest of Death didn't amount to much for him anymore.
"Chidori!"
Keigo Uchiha clapped his hands together!
In an instant, lightning covered his palm, crackling with a clear, piercing birdsong!
He studied the Chidori in his hand as his Two-Tomoe Sharingan spun. "The nature transformation of Chidori's Lightning Release is dispersal. It spreads out the damage from Lightning Release to unleash even greater power!"
"So Chidori's weakness is that it doesn't do enough damage. Only high-speed movement lets it unleash its full power!"
"But Lightning Blade... combines cutting with piercing. It can unleash its full power even at close range. It's an advanced version of Chidori, and it can even... cut through the thunder in the sky!"
The next moment,
the Chidori in his hand gradually changed. Its birdsong faded, and the Chidori transformed into Lightning Blade!
Lightning Blade was an S-rank jutsu.
But since he'd mastered Chidori and understood Lightning Blade's nature transformation, he could master it with ease.
"Next up is... Storm Release: Lightning Blade!"
Any Lightning Release Ninjutsu could be performed as Storm Release, granting it even greater power.
The Lightning Blade gradually turned the blue-white color of Storm Release!
It grew even more condensed!
The lightning within it was terrifying to behold.
With a casual wave of his hand, the Storm Release in his palm disappeared.
"I don't need to master too many S-rank jutsu. Too many would only muddle things. For me, mastering the S-rank Lightning Blade is enough for now. Next, I need to figure out... how to turn Storm Release into a weapon!"
With a weapon,
he could unleash even greater power.
And he could catch his opponents off guard.
"Water Pressure Technique!"
Keigo Uchiha clapped his hands together. A stream of water instantly appeared in his palm, about thirty centimeters in diameter.
It was incredibly dense.
Unless he put his finger on it, he couldn't even see the water flowing.
"That's not enough. If I want to use it as a weapon, I need to condense it to about three to five centimeters!"
Keigo Uchiha furrowed his brow. Then he released even more chakra.
Under his control, the water gradually narrowed to five centimeters!
"Water condensed this much can hold its shape in my hand, but I still can't use it as a weapon."
Keigo Uchiha's eyes shifted.
He looked thoughtful.
Water Release relied on pressure, compression, and rotation, but turning it into a solid weapon was impossible.
No matter how densely packed it became,
it was still just water!
It didn't have enough offensive power!
"Next, I need to add Storm Release!"
Storm Release itself combined the density of Water Release with lightning's destructive power. What would happen if he used Storm Release with the Water Pressure Technique...?
"Storm Release: Water Pressure Technique!"
Keigo Uchiha called out.
The clear stream of water in his hand instantly turned blue-white as it became Storm Release.
"I'll combine Water Release's shaping and compression with Lightning Release's piercing and explosive force. That'll turn Storm Release: Water Pressure Technique into... a laser!"
As he finished speaking,
the long stream of water in his hand turned into a laser!
Lightning crackled along the long sword formed from Storm Release, so densely packed that it looked like the Sword of Thunderbolt!
It lit up Keigo Uchiha's face in the darkness.
"Now this is a weapon that's truly easy to carry. And the stronger my Storm Release gets, the more powerful this weapon will become!"
Keigo Uchiha gave a soft laugh. "I'll name this technique Storm Release: Laser Sword."
With a thought,
the Laser Sword in his hand took on the shape of a real sword!
The whole blade, apart from its hilt, crackled with savage lightning!
It looked as if it could cleave any enemy in two.
"Wait, what's that...?"
Suddenly, Keigo Uchiha's expression changed.
His chakra control had given him the ability to sense his surroundings like a sensor ninja. And with his Sharingan, he could see what was happening around him!
Far away,
someone was... approaching at high speed!
In a panic... as if they were running for their life!
"No good. They're too far away. I still can't make out what's going on!"
Keigo Uchiha frowned slightly.
They were at least several hundred meters away.
He could sense a ninja at that distance, but he couldn't make out any details.
"Lightning Release: Mantra!"
Keigo Uchiha called out. In an instant, countless tiny, almost imperceptible electric currents spread through the area. By relying on the static electricity and natural currents in surrounding objects,
he barely had to use any chakra.
Yet in an instant, he knew everything happening within a thousand meters!
He'd gotten the idea from Enel's Mantra in One Piece. By spreading Lightning Release and manipulating static electricity and tiny currents, he could sense everything happening around him!
"That's... Kumogakure?!"
Tiny electric currents flickered in Keigo Uchiha's eyes. He narrowed them, a cold glint in his gaze!
And in their arms was... Kushina?
He'd expected Amegakure to start a war once the Second Shinobi World War began.
He'd also expected Kumogakure to come and kidnap Kushina, a member of the Uzumaki Clan. But he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. He knew it would happen, but not exactly when!
"It looks like Kumogakure launched its plan to kidnap Kushina as soon as Amegakure started the war. I have to admit, they acted much faster than I expected!"
Keigo Uchiha's expression turned cold, and he vanished in an instant!
He let out a cold laugh. "I may not have much of a connection with Kushina, but I don't mind teaching you Kumogakure a lesson!"
Elsewhere.
Three Kumogakure ninja looked at Kushina, who was tied up with rope, their eyes full of doubt. "Do you really think this child can control a Tailed Beast?"
"Even an Elite Jonin can't control a Tailed Beast. How could a little kid have that kind of ability?"
"Is the Uzumaki Clan's constitution really that extraordinary?"
Another Kumogakure ninja shook his head and stared at Kushina without a hint of sympathy.
His gaze was cold and appraising.
He looked at her like she was prey—or even livestock!
"You don't know how powerful the Uzumaki Clan's constitution is. Have you forgotten how the Uzumaki Clan was wiped out? As long as the Uzumaki Clan exists, Konoha will keep producing geniuses who can control Tailed Beasts!"
"That's why the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed. Don't underestimate this child. Once she grows up, she'll not only have a powerful constitution and the ability to control Tailed Beasts, but she'll also be able to learn incredibly powerful Sealing Jutsu!"
His eyes gleamed with fervor and greed!
"Maybe then, our Kumogakure won't just have Nintaijutsu users. We'll have sealing experts, too, and become even stronger!"
The other two immediately brightened!
They were Kumogakure's loyal operatives.
They had absolute faith and loyalty to their village, and the thought filled their eyes with excitement!
"You despicable Kumogakure! You thieving bandits who'll stop at nothing!"
Uzumaki Kushina's pretty face was full of anger.
She looked like a little lioness backed into a corner.
They were treating her like livestock, all because they wanted to take advantage of her Uzumaki Constitution?
She could already guess what would happen to her.
She'd be taken to Kumogakure, and no one would come to save her. No one would even know she existed.
She'd become a vessel for sealing a Tailed Beast and be locked away for the rest of her life.
If she was lucky, she might live.
But if she wasn't... they'd use her as a breeding machine, forcing her to give birth to... a whole bunch of Uzumaki Clan children. She'd have no say in it and no chance to escape!
Her body trembled, her eyes shook, and she felt cold all over!
Why... why did she have to face something like this?
"Despicable? Stop at nothing?"
One of the Kumogakure ninja laughed, his eyes full of contemptuous coldness!
"There's no such thing as peace in the Shinobi World, and no such thing as mercy. A child like you, raised in a greenhouse and not even a Genin yet, could never understand how cruel the Shinobi World is!"
"There's no right or wrong in the Shinobi World. That's the cruel truth!"
He looked down at Uzumaki Kushina's pretty face, grinning with naked greed and cruelty. Then he suddenly crouched down and pinched the corner of Kushina's mouth. "You're pretty cute. Maybe... you'll make a decent little sow!"
"Bear us more strong descendants!"
His icy gaze brimmed with disdain. "If a woman becomes a Jinchuriki, it can affect her strength. The Tailed Beast might even escape while she's giving birth!"
The cold words echoed in Uzumaki Kushina's ears.
Her delicate body trembled, shock and terror filling her eyes.
I... am going to become... a breeding sow?
Give birth to countless children for Kumogakure?!
Her beautiful eyes grew dim with sheer terror.
An endless, icy abyss enveloped her, chilling her to the bone and leaving her too stiff to move.
Was this... what the Shinobi World was really like?
"Huh? Why does the air feel colder?"
A Kumogakure ninja frowned and glanced at the other two, a trace of confusion in his eyes.
As a ninja—and with it being summer—he shouldn't have felt cold.
So why did he feel a chill?
"How could it be? You're imagining it..."
Another Kumogakure ninja dismissed the concern. They were completely safe now. Once they made it through the Forest of Death, they would reach the Land of Fire's border!
Once they crossed the Land of Fire's border,
the ninja waiting to meet them would take over!
Then the mission would be well and truly complete.
But before he could finish speaking, a terrifying bolt of lightning erupted through the air!
Crackle!
The flash lit up the entire night!
"How... is this possible?"
The ninja who was struck turned instantly black and charred. Within seconds, he was silent!
"This is... Lightning Release! How did the enemy use it? Why can't I see anyone, and what did they use as a medium?"
The two remaining Kumogakure ninjas panicked.
They scanned the area, tense and alert!
Both leaped into the trees at once,
concealing themselves!
But the next instant, their backs prickled. Instinctively, they darted away—and the spot where they had been standing was blasted apart by lightning!
If they'd stayed there, they would be dead now!
"What... what kind of attack is this? How can a ninjutsu be so bizarre? If the enemy had launched it any faster, we'd be dead!"
The lead Kumogakure ninja was drenched in cold sweat.
Standing protectively beside Kushina, he watched the area warily. "This enemy's Lightning Release is almost at its peak. It's extremely hard to detect his attacks. Stay sharp!"
"We can't afford to let our guard down!"
The other Kumogakure ninja nodded firmly.
His expression was grave.
In their line of sight, beneath the moonlight, a young figure stepped forward: Keigo Uchiha.
He gave a faint laugh. "Three Chunin came to abduct a Konoha ninja. Don't you think you're underestimating Konoha?"
A cold glint shone in Keigo Uchiha's eyes!
Kumogakure really was damn bold. While Konoha was fighting Amegakure, they'd attacked its home base. That wasn't something ordinary ninja would dare do.
Only Kumogakure would pull something like that.
Of course, they dared because of their village's geographical advantage.
Even if the attack failed, they wouldn't lose much.
Their village lay amid high mountains and rocky forests,
a natural stronghold that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. That was why Kumogakure's people were so brazen—they weren't afraid of retaliation!
"Is that... a child?"
The two Kumogakure ninjas stared in disbelief.
The lead ninja in particular was stunned. He'd just assumed the Lightning Release user was a Konoha expert, only to find out it was a child of eight or nine. Was this some kind of joke?
"You were the one who attacked us? You're just a kid of eight or nine! How is that possible?"
The lead ninja glared at Keigo Uchiha, outraged.
He warily scanned the surroundings, then suddenly sneered. "Heh, I get it. That brat came with his master!"
"His master is wary of our strength, so he sent the kid out as bait. If we attack, we'll fall into their trap. We absolutely can't let our guard down!"
He looked utterly confident,
as if he'd uncovered the truth.
The other Kumogakure ninja nodded, completely trusting his words.
He watched their surroundings with extreme caution.
"Idiot!"
Keigo Uchiha sneered. A Laser Sword flashed into his hand as he slowly walked toward them. "If Konoha had really sent reinforcements, do you think two trash Chunin like you could defend yourselves?"
There really was someone hiding nearby:
Uchiha Shinsuke.
He'd been concealed beside Keigo the entire time, with no intention of stepping in.
That was Keigo Uchiha's plan. These two were his practice dummies. If Uchiha Shinsuke joined the fight, there'd be no point.
"Back at the Ninja Academy, I only fought my friends in ordinary sparring matches. But this time... this is a real fight to the death!"
Keigo Uchiha grinned, his gaze indifferent.
He looked at the two men as if they were already dead.
"Damn you! How dare you look down on us!"
The lead ninja's expression darkened as he stared at the Laser Sword in Keigo Uchiha's hand. "That Lightning Release is so concentrated. So you really were the one who ambushed us!"
"Kill him! He's just a brat from the Ninja Academy, and he dares to look down on us!"
They were Chunin,
yet a child was treating them like toys to practice on. It was humiliating!
"Lightning Release: Earth Flash!"
The lead Kumogakure ninja barked. Lightning crackled in his hand!
Normally,
he would have tested his opponent's strength with a Kunai. But facing Keigo Uchiha, who was openly taunting him, he didn't hesitate or bother to test him.
He went straight for his ninjutsu!
"Brat, you'll regret angering me today. You'll die by my hand!"
His face twisted with rage, his gaze icy. "Even the most talented ninja is useless if they haven't had the chance to grow!"
The next moment,
he shot toward Keigo Uchiha!
Like an arrow loosed from its bow!
The other Kumogakure ninja watched coldly, his eyes full of scorn. "What a foolish brat. The smartest thing would've been to call for help or run away from the start!"
"You're not even a Genin, and you're looking for death?"
Uzumaki Kushina's limbs felt weak. Her head spun, and the world whirled around her. She couldn't hear the sounds around her.
But she vaguely sensed... that something was happening nearby. And nobody was urging her to walk anymore.
She instinctively raised her head and suddenly saw Keigo Uchiha's calm, indifferent face. It was as though nothing could sway his decisions, yet now... he was standing right in front of her!
"Keigo... Uchiha..."
She struggled to get the words out.
As though she'd glimpsed hope of survival, a spark of light appeared in her dim eyes!
But the next moment, she realized what was happening and said with difficulty, "No, don't save me... They're Chunin. You can't beat them, Keigo Uchiha. Run!"
She desperately wanted to survive and return to Konoha.
But right now, she didn't want Keigo Uchiha to get hurt.
They were Chunin!
On the battlefield,
figures flashed past!
Keigo Uchiha kept dodging his opponent's attacks. The other ninja's Lightning Release Ninjutsu couldn't even touch him. After all that effort, he might as well have been hitting empty air!
The lead Kumogakure ninja was panting.
His eyes brimmed with fury!
"Is this what Konoha's ninja are like? You don't even have the courage to fight!"
At the same time, though, a trace of fear crept into his eyes!
What kind of freak was this kid?
Why was he so fast?
He couldn't land a single blow!
"Idiot. I was giving you a chance. But now I see you're not strong enough to be my sparring partner."
Keigo Uchiha spoke calmly. As nimble as a bird, he leaped onto a tree branch, then looked down at the ninja below.
He glanced at Kushina in the distance and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. These clowns aren't even enough to give me a decent workout."
A Chunin's strength was no longer anything special to him.
He'd absorbed his opponent's experience in a short time.
But Keigo Uchiha wasn't in a hurry. He seemed to be waiting for something, his dark eyes like black holes!
"Heh, you little brat! What Kumogakure's really good at... is Lightning Release!"
The ninja sneered. Violent Lightning Release chakra surged around his body as he walked toward Keigo Uchiha.
"If you'd beaten me before I activated Lightning Release, you might've had a chance to win. But now that I've used it to boost my speed, you don't stand a chance!"
Although the Nintaijutsu was a secret technique of the Yotsuki Clan,
plenty of Kumogakure ninja knew how to use Lightning Release to energize their bodies and briefly increase their speed.
"My speed is on par with an average Jonin now. How are you going to fight me, brat? You're dead!"
The lead Kumogakure ninja laughed arrogantly.
His gaze was wild and triumphant!
"Is that so?"
Keigo Uchiha's lips curled slightly.
A trace of amusement entered his dark eyes.
The next moment,
Blue-green Storm Release chakra flared around him, enveloping his entire body!
Within an instant, he lit up everything around him.
Like a Thunder God descending from the heavens!
"Now... are you ready to die?"
Keigo Uchiha gave a soft laugh.
The next moment, he shot forward!
The earth split beneath his feet!
"Impossible! That can't be! That's... Lord Raikage's Lightning Release Armor!"
The lead ninja's expression changed, and cold sweat ran down his forehead!
He knew that technique all too well. It was the signature of every Raikage!
"No, it's not Lightning Release Armor. The chakra's different. This is... Storm Release!"
His pupils contracted.
He couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
He was dumbfounded!
What was going on?!
He'd come to abduct a Konoha ninja from the Uzumaki Clan. Why was a Kumogakure Storm Release user here in Konoha?
And why was he using Storm Release to perform the Yotsuki Clan's Lightning Release Nintaijutsu?
Was he freaking dreaming?
But Keigo didn't care how baffled the man was.
His eyes flashed crimson, the Two-Tomoe Sharingan appearing in them!
Once he reached his top speed, Keigo needed the Sharingan to help him keep the enemy in his sights!
That was a weakness caused by his body not being fully developed.
Of course, with the Sharingan,
the weakness was almost negligible.
"Sharingan!"
The lead Kumogakure ninja cried out. "You're a member of the Uchiha Clan!"
"How could someone from the Uchiha Clan master our village's Storm Release and Nintaijutsu? It's impossible!"
But Keigo Uchiha gave him no time to catch his breath.
He kicked him hard, sending him flying!
Though he had managed to block the attacks, it had done no good.
The boy before him was so violent he seemed like... a humanoid monster!
"What the hell is this monster? Why has a kid this young mastered Storm Release to such a degree? Why can't I dodge his attacks?!"
The lead Kumogakure ninja's arms felt like they were about to split apart!
He suddenly struck back.
But no matter what he did, Keigo Uchiha easily blocked his attacks, then hammered him with even fiercer, more terrifying blows!
In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged a flurry of increasingly fierce attacks!
Gradually, the lead Kumogakure ninja began to falter!
With Lightning Release Armor activated, Keigo Uchiha surpassed him in strength, speed, and stamina.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. "A few years ago, the Raikage's son was kidnapped. He was unconscious for several days, but wasn't hurt at all!"
"At the time, Lord Raikage thought the other side had made a mistake and that it was all a misunderstanding. But now... it's clear Konoha was behind it!"
"And it was definitely the Uchiha Clan. Their goal was to make Kumogakure hand over its Nintaijutsu to this Uchiha boy who's mastered Storm Release!"
It all clicked into place.
So Kumogakure hadn't been the first to kidnap people.
The Uchiha Clan were the real experts at this!
"You've outlived your usefulness. Die."
Keigo Uchiha's scarlet Sharingan eyes were so cold they chilled the heart.
A light sheen of sweat appeared on his body.
It was only a warm-up.
This wasn't a fight to the death, as far as he was concerned. But it had taught him the difference between shinobi fighting on a battlefield and students sparring at school.
"On the battlefield, every attack is a killing blow, aimed at a vital spot. And while attacking, you're already planning where to strike next!"
"And if an attack misses, you need to know how to escape. That's what it means to be a shinobi who's faced life and death!"
In an instant, Keigo had committed all of it to memory!
"Die!"
The lead ninja brought both hands down like hammers!
His forehead was slick with cold sweat, and terror filled his eyes!
All he wanted now was to escape and take this news back to the Third Raikage!
Keigo vanished in a blur, dodging the attack.
A Laser Sword flashed into his hand!
He swung it straight at the man's head!
"Stop!"
The Kumogakure ninja beside Uzumaki Kushina felt a chill crawl up his back. Trembling, he roared, "Stop right now! Or I'll kill her! She's Konoha's Jinchuriki. If she dies, you'll be held responsible too!"
"Don't try to fight back. Stop attacking at once!"
He shouted furiously!
His voice was thick with fear.
That was right. He had to admit it: at that moment, he was afraid.
The boy in front of him... was like a demon!
From start to finish, he'd clearly been toying with them!
There was even a smile on the demon boy's lips...
As if this were all just a game to him. Was this what Konoha's genius was like? He was only eight, yet he could utterly overwhelm them, even though they were Chunin.
It was practically... child abuse!
"Kill her?"
Keigo Uchiha raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. His attack didn't pause for an instant. His scarlet Sharingan glinted coldly. "Then kill her. I don't even know that girl."
"She's just a civilian. What does she matter to a genius of the Uchiha Clan like me?"
Without hesitation, he brought the Laser Sword down!
Under the horrified gaze of the lead Kumogakure ninja, the man's head flew high into the air before dropping to the ground with a dull thud.
Even in death, his eyes were still filled with terror and disbelief.
"Now... it's your turn. Have you decided how you want to die?"
Keigo Uchiha chuckled. The blood on his Laser Sword hadn't even reached the ground before the heat of the Thunderbolt vaporized it.
It was like a demon's sword... one that never got stained with blood!
"Monster! You're a complete monster!"
He screamed in terror, utterly panicked.
How could he possibly defeat a monster like this?
The boy showed no emotion. In his eyes, even his fellow Konoha shinobi were nothing but trash he could discard at will!
"What a fool. You believed every word I said."
Keigo Uchiha grinned, showing a row of gleaming white teeth. The next instant, his Sharingan spun wildly.
The Kumogakure ninja's body went rigid.
His eyes went blank.
Then, as if he'd seen something unimaginably terrifying, he abruptly raised his Kunai and plunged it into his own heart!
The moment it pierced his heart, his mind cleared again.
He stared at Keigo Uchiha as blood gurgled from his throat, like a sinister flower staining the earth around him.
"You... are a demon..."
His head lolled to one side, and he died.
"You're already in your twenties or thirties, and you still haven't seen the truth of the Shinobi World? The Shinobi World is the truly cruel one."
Keigo Uchiha said calmly. His gaze was indifferent; he didn't even spare the corpse another glance.
He reached out and gently lifted Uzumaki Kushina into his arms.
"Sorry I'm late. You seem to be all right, so let's go home!"
"Huh?"
Uzumaki Kushina froze.
She hadn't even had time to react.
Keigo Uchiha shot straight into the sky.
The clouds drifted apart, revealing the bright moon.
With Uzumaki Kushina in his arms, Keigo Uchiha raced beneath its light, the huge, bright moon forming a backdrop behind them.
Before you continue