My Name Is Uchiha Gen

Sasuke suddenly became curious about Uchiha Gen. "Is your name fake too? What's your real name?"

"Just call me Gen. All right, I've answered all your questions. Is there anything you need to bring? It's time to go."

"Where to?"

Uchiha Gen turned sideways and tilted his head slightly. "—Didn't I say I was done answering questions?" Seeing Sasuke freeze, his originally icy eyes narrowed slightly before he suddenly smiled. "You can start thinking about how to escape now, because this is your best chance. But I can't guarantee your safety."

Sasuke's expression darkened. Just now, he had felt killing intent no weaker than Orochimaru's for an instant, and every cell in his body had sounded a warning. In that moment, Sasuke had been certain that this man calling himself Gen truly wanted to kill him.

The moment Uchiha Gen jumped out the window, he saw several tiny black dots rapidly converging on the inn where he was staying.

Looking closely, they were Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and the others. Uchiha Gen clicked his tongue inwardly. He had still noticed them too late.

A sudden sense of unease rose in his heart. After thinking briefly for an instant, Uchiha Gen abruptly looked up. Jiraiya was coming down from above, his fist smashing viciously toward where Uchiha Gen stood!

Uchiha Gen, struck squarely in the face, inflated and exploded into a wooden post. Using the momentum, Jiraiya stomped the ground apart with one foot. After landing, he frowned deeply. A Substitution Technique? When had he used it?

Jiraiya had come because Naruto had begged him repeatedly. If he let this brat slip away just like that, then the Toad Sage's reputation would be ruined in front of Naruto. (If he had any to begin with.)

At that moment, Uchiha Gen was fleeing for his life with Sasuke tucked under one arm. Damn it, he had thought there was only Kakashi and one unstable bomb. He had planned to show Sasuke a little something, but who knew Jiraiya would come personally too? What the hell was there left to play at! As for Sasuke, he probably could not be kept. A Jonin was still too weak!

Elsewhere, Orochimaru was searching for Tsunade's whereabouts with Kabuto. A faint smile rested on his face, but his golden vertical pupils gleamed coldly. Judging by the time, it should be about right. Looking at his numb hands, was someone trying to snatch food from a tiger's mouth?

Uchiha Gen—just what secrets did he have? And why was there no information about him at all in the records concerning the Uchiha? A false name? Orochimaru had examined the files of the other clan members as well, but none of them resembled Uchiha Gen in the slightest.

It was obvious that Orochimaru had told Konoha about Uchiha Gen's location, but he had concealed the fact that Uchiha Gen was a Reanimated Body. In his view, it would be excellent if Uchiha Gen could kill a few Konoha ninja.

It was precisely because they knew Uchiha Gen's movements that Naruto and the others had acted ahead of time and caught him in a time gap.

Meanwhile, Itachi had only just learned that Sasuke had been taken. No emotion showed on his face, though his pace seemed to quicken slightly. Kisame found the atmosphere a little strange. Their travel speed seemed faster, yet it also felt like an illusion.

Along the way, Sasuke was jostled so badly under his arm that he wanted to vomit. "You... put... me... down. I can run by myself!"

"Mm, I know you'll run."

"...My hands are already tied behind my back. I just want to be more comfortable." Sasuke said something even he did not believe, feeling as though his intelligence had dropped. Yeah, Naruto must have infected him.

"Fine."

The moment Sasuke thought that, he felt himself being put down.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Sasuke was utterly bewildered. He wanted to ask if Gen was serious, but fearing Uchiha Gen would change his mind, he swallowed the words.

No matter what was in his Crimson Gourd, Sasuke followed Uchiha Gen while beginning to think about how to rendezvous with Naruto and the others.

Yet Uchiha Gen started chatting with him about random things. "What do you plan to do after you get your revenge?"

Sasuke: "?"

Without waiting for a response, Uchiha Gen spoke as though talking to himself. "It's fine if you don't know. Your main goal right now is to become stronger. You can think about the future later!"

"..."

As he spoke, Uchiha Gen suddenly turned and stared at Sasuke. He looked him over from head to toe, his gaze finally settling on the rope binding Sasuke's hands behind his back. His brows furrowed deeply. "You're really too weak." It was unclear what he was angry about.

Though saying that to a child was somewhat unfair, as the owner of the Sharingan, Sasuke truly was too weak. Anyone dared to covet him, including Gen himself.

A vein bulged on Sasuke's forehead. Was this ever going to end? He stopped walking, genuinely angry this time. Because he had been taken away too early, he had not seen Gaara's battle with Naruto. "What do you mean?! I was—"

"One of the top competitors in the Chunin Ninja Exams?" Uchiha Gen stopped as well. Judging from the road ahead, Kakashi had probably blocked them off. Since they could not escape, then forget it. He would stop running. "Or do you think that if the Sand ninja hadn't caused trouble, you could have taken first place?

"Let me put it another way. Tell me, how strong was Itachi when he was your age?"

After being interrupted repeatedly, Sasuke inwardly cursed, but Uchiha Gen's final question left him speechless.

Then Sasuke thought of something. "What about you? If you can beat Itachi, why do you need to take me away? Aren't you just afraid of these eyes?"

"Yes." To Sasuke's surprise, Uchiha Gen admitted it as though it were only natural. Though a Reanimated Body could not die, it had two obvious weaknesses. First, it could be sealed. Second, it was not immune to genjutsu. And Itachi happened to possess both—the Totsuka Blade and Shisui's eye.

Hearing that, Sasuke gave a cold laugh and was just about to mock him.

"All right, there's no need to stall for time. I'll only give you half a year. If you haven't grown strong enough to satisfy me after half a year, I'll dig out your eyes." As if he had made up his mind, Uchiha Gen spoke coldly.

Sasuke's opinion of Uchiha Gen fell to rock bottom. A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He was just another pathetic fool coveting his clan's power.

Ignoring Sasuke's thoughts, Uchiha Gen decided to give up on taking Sasuke's eyes. First, because of Orochimaru, Naruto and the others had come directly after him. If he took Sasuke's eyes now, it might cause an unpredictable butterfly effect. There was a high chance he would die here today.

Second, if nothing unexpected happened, the Uchiha Clan would have only Sasuke left in the future.

Since he had been reborn as an elder of this clan, he should not imitate Uchiha Madara and screw over his own descendants. Thinking of that, Uchiha Gen inexplicably wanted to laugh. Black Zetsu had played Madara, Madara had played Obito, Obito had played Itachi, and Itachi had played Sasuke. The great clan of old had become this. Forget it—this kid had already suffered enough.

The moment he finished speaking, Jiraiya caught up from behind. But seeing Uchiha Gen and Sasuke standing still in a strange atmosphere, he did not attack immediately. Sasuke was still in Uchiha Gen's hands, after all. He merely asked in confusion, "Who are you? That... what was it..."

Jiraiya stared at him, unable to recall the name for the moment.

Uchiha Gen silently mourned his former forgettable face. "...Jiya."

"Right! That was the name! Where's Jiya?" Jiraiya rubbed his chin as he looked Uchiha Gen over. "You're Jiya." He used a statement, not a question. At that moment, just as expected, Kakashi appeared from the direction Uchiha Gen had just fled toward.

Uchiha Gen nodded, acknowledging it.

"Then what's your real name? Why were you working with Orochimaru? And why did you suddenly betray Orochimaru?" He was asking rather than attacking because, first, he did not know whether Gen had done anything to Sasuke.

And according to Naruto's description of his behavior, this person was not particularly battle-hungry. He might be persuadable.

With a trace of respect from his previous life, Uchiha Gen bowed to Jiraiya. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Gen—I am a returning avenger." When he raised his head again, Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in his eyes.