UCHIHA DISTRICT
Riser appeared at the entrance of the district without changing his posture, and his gaze swept through the place in silence. The houses were intact, but the emptiness was evident, as if the place had been abandoned permanently and never reclaimed.
'So this is how it ended…' The thought came directly, without emotional weight, just registering the current state of the place.
He took a few steps forward without hurry, maintaining a steady pace as he activated Kenbunshoku Haki. His perception expanded throughout the entire district, passing through the structures without finding any living presence, only the absolute silence that dominated every point of that space.
'No one.' The reasoning closed quickly, confirming that there was no active surveillance or external interference at that moment.
Riser stopped in the center of the main street, letting his gaze pass over the nearest houses before organizing the next step. The absence of presence did not mean safety, only opportunity, and he had no intention of wasting that.
'It's easy to rebuild all of this.' The thought remained objective. 'Merlin can handle this effortlessly… just follow the original pattern of this world.'
He didn't move for another second, just consolidating the idea before moving on to something more immediate. It wasn't enough to restore it, the place needed to be protected before anything else.
'I don't know barrier jutsu… so I'll solve it with magic.'
The decision came without hesitation.
Riser raised his hand simply, and the energy responded instantly, without excess or waste. The magic spread silently, covering the entire district without generating visible impact, but creating a layer that enveloped every house, every street and every point of that territory.
The barrier formed.
There was no glow, no external sign, only presence.
'Anyone looking from the outside will see the same thing… abandoned. Even after reconstruction.'
The structure consolidated in a few seconds, adjusting limits, reinforcing points and completely sealing the space against any unauthorized entry. The magic didn't just block physical passage, it manipulated perception, maintaining the original appearance intact for any external observer.
Riser kept his gaze forward as he felt the result.
'Now that's better.'
He didn't need to test.
The answer was already clear.
'The most protected place in this village… and no one will understand why.'
Silence returned to dominate the district, but this time it wasn't abandonment.
It was control.
Riser lowered his hand, ending the activation without leaving any visible trace of the action. The territory was closed, isolated from the rest of the village without drawing attention, exactly as he needed.
"Well… now that this is settled, I'll head back." He spoke without raising his tone, as if he was simply finishing a simple task.
His gaze swept through the district one last time, evaluating the result without needing further adjustment. There was nothing more to do there for now, and staying wouldn't bring any immediate gain.
'I want to see how they'll react when they can't enter here anymore.' The thought came with slight interest, anticipating the inevitable consequence of that decision.
His eyes changed.
The red replaced the natural tone, and the Mangekyō Sharingan emerged with absolute precision, activating without effort or delay. The space around him distorted slightly, as if being pulled into an invisible point.
"Kamui."
His body disappeared instantly, leaving no trace or presence, being absorbed by the technique itself before the environment could even react.
The district remained.
Silent.
Protected.
And completely out of reach of anyone.
___
ROOT HEADQUARTERS
The ANBU remained kneeling as he finished the report, keeping his head down while informing that he had been identified by the Sharingan wielder inside the flower shop and forced to abandon the mission before completing surveillance.
Danzō didn't respond immediately.
'Another Uchiha… and not a common one.' The thought came loaded with restrained irritation. 'Speed beyond standard… perception high enough to locate a hidden ANBU with ease.'
He remained still for a few seconds, organizing the information precisely before reacting. That wasn't just an operational failure, it was confirmation that the target was far above expectations.
"Leave." The order came low, firm and without room for hesitation.
The ANBU didn't respond.
He simply disappeared instantly, leaving the room completely silent.
Danzō closed his eyes for a brief moment, maintaining external control while his mind rapidly processed the possibilities. The analysis was no longer focused on what happened, but on what needed to be done from that point forward.
'Very well… I intended to just observe.' The thought remained cold and direct. 'But you became a problem far too quickly.'
He opened his eyes.
"Riser…" The name came out low, tested as if being fitted into a larger plan.
He didn't hesitate.
"I'll go to Tsunade-hime." The decision came clear, already defined. "And demand your arrest… and that you be handed over to me."
The reasoning continued without pause.
'If he truly possesses this level of ability… then he cannot remain outside my control.'
The intention solidified.
'A new pair of Sharingan…'
And this time… he had no intention of failing.
___
HOKAGE TOWER
A sharp sound marked the sudden appearance in the corridor.
The small body fell with enough force to draw attention, and his condition left no room for doubt. Injured, exhausted, breathing with difficulty, carrying clear signs of a recent battle.
Shizune was the first to react.
She crouched immediately, bringing her face closer as recognition came instantly.
"A toad?" Her voice came out quickly, already filled with concern.
Tonton let out a low sound beside her, sensing the change in the environment.
Shizune didn't hesitate.
She picked up the toad carefully, adjusting his body to avoid worsening the injuries, and stood up immediately.
'This is from Jiraiya-sama…'
"We have to go now." She spoke without wasting time, already starting to run.
The path to the office was direct.
The door was opened without warning.
Tsunade lifted her gaze at the same instant, irritation already present from the interruption. The reaction was automatic, but disappeared in the next second, replaced by something completely different.
She saw.
Her body moved before her mind could follow.
"Fukasaku!" Tsunade rushed forward without stopping, already extending her hands as medical chakra activated instantly, enveloping the toad's body with total precision.
The healing began immediately.
Without question.
Without delay.
Fukasaku opened his eyes slightly, still affected, but conscious enough to respond to her presence.
"Tsunade…" His voice came out weak, but firm enough to carry urgency.
She didn't respond.
She just maintained focus.
"I have… a message…" He forced the words, even with his body still recovering.
Tsunade didn't look away.
"Shizune, leave." The order came without room for questioning. "Don't let anyone in."
Shizune froze for a moment, but nodded in the same second.
She left quickly, closing the door behind her.
The ANBU who were hidden around retreated at the same time, disappearing without resistance. The order was clear, and their absence left the environment completely isolated.
Now only two remained.
Tsunade kept the chakra active, stabilizing Fukasaku's body as she waited. The tension was no longer in the situation, it was in what had not yet been said.
'This isn't coincidence…' The thought came heavy, directly connected to what she had already felt since the casino. 'I won… and now this.'
The pattern was repeating.
And she knew it.
"Speak." Tsunade kept her tone firm, without deviating from the objective. "What did Jiraiya send?"
Fukasaku breathed with difficulty, gathering enough strength to complete the message. His body was still being healed, but the urgency allowed no more delay.
"Jiraiya… was killed…" The voice came out heavy, carrying the weight of the information. "It was Naruto… with help from Sasuke… and Orochimaru…"
Silence fell over the room.
This time… absolute.
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