Orphans, Different Fates

"Your chakra is very strange," Arashi continued. "It's faint, but very pure, and the way it flows is unnatural, as if it's been artificially suppressed and guided. You're a Root ninja, aren't you?"

Fujii Yuta's body began to tremble slightly.

Root—on the surface, it was a reserve organization that supplied members to the Hidden Leaf Village's Anbu. In reality, it was a group sanctioned by Sarutobi Hiruzen and controlled by Shimura Danzō, dedicated to carrying out all kinds of shady operations for the Hidden Leaf Village. The vast majority of its members were war orphans, subjected to Danzō's strict control and intense brainwashing.

"You..." He lifted his head and looked at Arashi in terror. "How do you know..."

"I guessed," Arashi said flatly. "The higher-ups in the Hidden Leaf Village probably had you pose as a noble's son and go to White Scale Valley as bait to draw out the firepower Iwagakure planted around here. But with your strength, this mission is basically a death sentence for you."

Fujii Yuta's lips quivered, but he couldn't say a word.

He had never expected that this Uchiha Arashi, only six years old, would see through every disguise at a glance. As expected of the Demon King of the Ninja Academy, the ruthless kid who had defeated three chunin in the graduation exam.

"So what?" His expression quickly returned to calm.

"Looks like I guessed right." Arashi turned around, ready to return to his corner. "But it doesn't matter. I just thought... you're a lot like me."

With that, he paid Fujii Yuta no more attention, sat down cross-legged again, and closed his eyes.

Fujii Yuta stood where he was, staring blankly at Arashi's back, his eyes complicated.

"A lot alike?"

He lowered his head and looked at his own hands, his expression sinking into memory.

He was a child of Root.

For as long as he could remember, he had been training in Root.

He had no name, only a code name.

Fujii Yuta was just a name temporarily given to him for this mission.

Lord Danzō had told him this was his chance to serve the Hidden Leaf Village.

As long as he completed the mission, he would be able to leave the underground forever and gain the chance to stand in the sunlight.

He believed it.

But now, he didn't know if he would live to see tomorrow's sun.

In the darkness, only the campfire crackled.

Everyone had their own thoughts.

Although Arashi had his eyes closed, his senses stayed fixed on Fujii Yuta the entire time.

He could feel the boy's emotions fluctuating violently, and his chakra had also become somewhat depressed.

This world really is sick. If I weren't from the Uchiha clan, my situation wouldn't be much different from his, Arashi thought.

But he had no intention of helping.

Sympathy was the most useless thing of all.

If you wanted to survive, you could only rely on yourself and keep making yourself stronger.

As for this boy's fate... it had nothing to do with him.

However...

If those people from Iwagakure really dared to come, then a fierce battle would be unavoidable.

At that thought, a flash of excitement passed through Arashi's eyes.

The blood of a Saiyan began to stir.

He looked forward to the "visitors" who were about to come.

There was an indescribable stench in the air of White Scale Valley.

It was like old blood mixed with gunpowder, with a hint of scorched earth, and just breathing it in made people uncomfortable.

Uchiha Arashi frowned, his ki sense opened to its maximum the entire time. Not the slightest movement within three hundred meters could escape his perception.

Ever since they entered this damned place, he had felt uneasy.

It was too quiet here, so quiet it was abnormal.

Logically speaking, in a place that had once been a battlefield, even after so many years, there should at least be some wild beasts or something. But now, aside from the sound of the wind, there wasn't a single movement.

"Something's wrong," Arashi said in a low voice, unconsciously slowing his steps.

Yamashiro Aoba, who was walking up front, turned back to look at him, a trace of impatience in his eyes, but still stopped. "What is it?"

"It's too quiet." Arashi's gaze swept over the steep rock walls around them. "And there's the scent of Fire Release chakra in the air. It's very faint, but very dense."

Inuzuka Tsume gave a snort of laughter, holding Akamaru as she sniffed hard.

"What scent? I think you're just too nervous, brat."

She was still brooding over what Arashi had done yesterday, and while she was somewhat wary inside, she refused to back down verbally.

Aburame Shibi said nothing. He only silently released several Kikaichū and sent them flying ahead to scout.

Just then, Arashi's ki sense suddenly felt as if it had been pricked by a needle!

"Enemy attack!!"

He practically roared the words, and at the same time, his body lunged backward, pinning Fujii Yuta behind him firmly to the ground.

Boom—!!!

The instant his voice fell, the rock wall not far ahead suddenly exploded! Shattered stone mixed with the blast wave shot into the sky, and dust and smoke spread in an instant.

Immediately afterward came a dense series of whooshing sounds. Countless kunai and shuriken wrapped with explosive tags shot out from the dust and smoke!

"It's Iwagakure's 'Exploding Rock Corps'!" Yamashiro Aoba's expression changed drastically as he formed hand seals and shouted, "They specialize in Earth Release explosions! Everyone, be careful!"

Arashi lay prone on the ground, his One-Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly. Through the spreading dust and smoke, he clearly saw five figures.

Four of the ninjas' energy reactions had reached chunin level, and one of them... his chakra volume was obviously much stronger. A jonin!

The four chunin moved extremely fast, their hands flying through seals, explosive tags pinched between their fingertips.

"Earth Release: Exploding Earth-Flow Wall!"

They formed seals at the same time, and the ground in front of them surged upward, instantly forming a thick earth wall.

But this earth wall was not for defense. It was densely embedded with explosive tags flickering with lightning!

"Not good!" Yamashiro Aoba's heart lurched.

"Earth Release: Rockfall Explosion!"

From overhead came a teeth-aching cracking sound.

Huge chunks of rock were controlled by chakra and broke away from the rock wall, each one attached with a small explosive charge, howling as they smashed toward the ground!

"Scatter!" Yamashiro Aoba shouted, while his hands rapidly formed seals. "Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

A large amount of mist spewed from his mouth, instantly enveloping the surrounding area in an attempt to interfere with the enemy's vision and attacks.

Inuzuka Tsume's reaction was not slow either. Holding Akamaru, she rolled across the ground and dodged a rock smashing toward her.

The rock hit the ground and exploded with a boom, sending shards of stone flying.

"Akamaru, track them!" She patted Akamaru's head.

Akamaru barked, sniffed, and growled low in one direction.

Aburame Shibi crossed his hands, and the Kikaichū inside his body swarmed out, forming a wall of insects in front of him as they tried to block the incoming explosive-tag kunai.

Bang, bang, bang!

The kunai struck the insect wall and immediately detonated.

Violent explosions rang out, and the swarm was scattered by the shock waves. Quite a few Kikaichū were blown apart on the spot.

Aburame Shibi gave a muffled groan, his face somewhat pale.

It wasn't over yet!

In the dust and smoke, a figure broke through the obstruction of the mist, moving at astonishing speed.

His entire right arm was covered in a hardened layer of Earth Release flowing with dark red chakra, making it look like an arm cast from stone.

In his hand, he also held a kunai wrapped with three layers of explosive tags, thrusting straight toward Fujii Yuta, whom Arashi was shielding beneath him!

"Uchiha brat, have a taste of exploding rock!"

The voice was hoarse and grating, filled with frenzied killing intent.

It was none other than that Iwagakure jonin, Rock Demon!