As hope flickered in Ryota's eyes, memories of those two "brothers" slowly resurfaced in his mind.
The history of the shinobi world began with the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
As the progenitor of all shinobi, he spread chakra among humankind, striving for peace and establishing the first semblance of order.
But that order never carried over to his two sons.
His eldest, Indra, a prodigy of unmatched talent, believed in the creed that "power is everything." He inherited Hagoromo's formidable visual chakra—the progenitor of the Sharingan.
His younger, Asura, gentle and clumsy yet steadfast, upheld the creed of "love and peace." He inherited Hagoromo's body chakra, which later became the foundation of the Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines.
The brothers, who should have ruled together, instead clashed and ultimately severed all ties.
Yet this feud never truly ended—
Across countless generations, their struggle lived on, reincarnated into new vessels, continuing the ancient conflict and unbroken cycle:
The previous reincarnation of Indra's chakra was Uchiha Madara, and the one who now bears it is Uchiha Sasuke.
The previous reincarnation of Asura's chakra was Senju Hashirama, and the one who now bears it is Naruto Uzumaki.
This was destiny's cycle, the obsession of the shinobi world's will.
And what Ryota needed now was to sever this endless fate and draw both bloodlines of destiny into his own Familia system.
As for how to do it… the method was simple.
Once branded with his Falna Engraving, they would belong to his Familia—
their souls and bloodlines cut off from their former fate, reborn as Ryota's loyal warriors.
But Sasuke—
Though nominally already counted among his Familia, the system had not yet marked the task as complete. That fact revealed the key issue.
"…Sasuke carries Fugaku's Falna mark."
Ryota sighed softly.
"That won't do. I need to erase the old mark myself and redo it."
Only then would Indra's reincarnation truly come under his banner.
As for the other—Naruto was still unconscious, his condition unknown, but that made it the perfect chance.
"Since he's not awake yet, I might as well pay him a visit."
A smile tugged at Ryota's lips. It was about time he visited the old friend sealed inside Naruto.
He patted Ais's head, running his fingers gently through her golden hair.
"You two stay here and wait for me."
"If Fugaku comes looking for me, just say I'm not around."
"Mm." Ais gave a quiet nod.
A flash of light swept through the room, and silence followed.
"…Mm?"
Lefiya stirred, blinking groggily as her cheeks flushed, still caught in half-sleep.
"Lady Ais… where's Ryota?"
She rubbed her eyes, staring blankly at the now-empty room.
Ais didn't reply. She simply stood at the window, gazing toward some faraway horizon.
…
The air rippled, like water disturbed by a stone.
In the next moment, Ryota appeared above Naruto's home.
Everything was as it had always been, just like in the anime—unchanged.
But as he stepped forward, his brow furrowed.
"…Blood?"
The scent wasn't from mere injury—it was the stench of death.
His focus sharpened, his will spreading outward, blanketing the whole street.
At once, he felt it—an abrupt fracture.
Specifically, the sensation of Falna bonds being severed.
"…Two Uchiha are dead."
Within his Familia system, Ryota could sense the state of every member. Their deaths resonated on a soul-deep level.
"What's going on? Konoha was already stabilized, and Fugaku reported no anomalies…"
Ryota's thought flickered.
Far away, the eyes of the Asura Path and Animal Path flared with light as they received his command.
The Asura Path turned to Fugaku, who had only just sat down to rest.
"Two Uchiha have been killed. Near Naruto's home."
With that, both paths vanished in a puff.
Fugaku shot to his feet, face paling.
"What?!"
He had already restructured Konoha's defenses—how could anyone kill under his nose? And Uchiha no less?!
"Men!"
At his shout, several Uchiha elites rushed in.
"Come with me! Protect the clan head!"
"Yes, sir!"
…
Meanwhile, Ryota stepped into Naruto's home.
It was as simple and tidy as always, nothing out of place—even the curtains hung the same way.
But the bed was empty.
Naruto was gone.
The lingering stench of blood, mingled with faint traces of chakra, made Ryota's chest tighten.
"…Someone took him."
His mind replayed the sensation of those two slain Uchiha.
Blood. Naruto missing. Familia bonds broken.
This was a calculated move.
"Kidnapping Naruto?"
"Heh… gutsy."
His eyes hardened. The Rinnegan surfaced, six rings spreading outward in black.
Everything revealed itself.
He turned, vision extending beyond sight.
And then—his gaze locked onto the forest several kilometers away.
Two figures raced through the trees. One carried the limp body of Naruto.
They wore black cloaks with red clouds, faces shadowed by straw hats. Their steps left not a trace of dust.
"…Akatsuki?"
Ryota's pupils narrowed. He recognized those uniforms immediately.
His expression turned cold, tinged with surprise—and amusement.
"This chakra… familiar. Who are you?"
Without hesitation, his body vanished in a ripple of space.
…
Two figures darted through the forest.
On the left, one carried Naruto, lips twisted in a cruel grin. His slicked-back gray hair whipped in the wind, and around his neck dangled a rosary with the emblem. Purple-gray eyes gleamed with fanatical fervor.
"Ahhh… what a delicious scent. This brat's got that thing sealed inside him, doesn't he?"
He licked his lips, eyes alight with madness.
"To think I can offer the Nine-Tails to Lord Jashin…! I can't wait for the ritual, ahahaha!!"
Hidan—the Akatsuki's most deranged zealot.
Beside him strode a cold, hooded man, his black cloak hiding a body that writhed faintly with threads beneath the skin, chakra of multiple natures coursing within.
"Keep it down, Hidan."
His tone was icy.
"Our mission is to take the Nine-Tails' vessel. Not to waste time on your sacrifices."
This was Kakuzu—the other half of Akatsuki's immortal duo. The miser shinobi with five hearts and mastery of five elements.
He glanced at Naruto's limp form in Hidan's grip, his voice sharp.
"Were it not for Pain's direct order, I wouldn't waste time coming to Konoha for this."
"The Nine-Tails is trouble."
Hidan snorted, his grin manic.
"You're scared he'll go berserk? I'm immortal, what do I care! And look—he hasn't gone berserk, has he?"
"This village's a wreck anyway. We waltzed in and barely anyone stood in our way."
Kakuzu shot him a sidelong glare.
"Shut up before—"
But Hidan just swung Naruto like a sack of grain, laughing with bloodthirst.
"Tch. You're too cautious, Kakuzu. Isn't this the perfect time? Kill a bunch of brats, have a grand sacrifice—Lord Jashin would be pleased!"
Kakuzu's voice was flat.
"We came for the Nine-Tails, not to topple Konoha. Don't underestimate this place."
"Ha!" Hidan barked. "After that explosion? This village is finished. Their elites are ash—bodies scattered! If Naruto wasn't in such a special spot, even the vessel would've been blown to dust!"
His grin widened, both regretful and exhilarated.
"Ah, if only we'd come sooner. Imagine bathing in all that blood… a perfect ritual…"
Kakuzu's brow furrowed, unease flickering. Something that could obliterate Konoha's entire leadership in one blast was no trivial matter.
"Keep yapping and I won't bother saving you when you actually die."
"Cheh." Hidan chuckled, but fell quiet.
The two pressed on swiftly.
But then—
Kakuzu's instincts screamed.
"Earth Style: Iron Skin!"
His arm hardened to black stone just as—
BOOM!!!
An immense force smashed into him, shattering the ground and sending shockwaves through the trees.
Kakuzu staggered back three steps, his arm numb.
"Who's there?!"
Hidan sprang back with Naruto, widening the gap.
When he saw their attacker, he froze, eyes bulging.
"…The Asura Path?!"
For a moment, he just stared—then roared, enraged:
"What the hell?! Bastard, you've got the wrong guy! We're Akatsuki!!"
The only reply was a thunderous crash as a colossal stone panda landed before them, shaking the forest floor.
"?!"
Hidan cursed, leaping away to Kakuzu's side.
He gawked at the massive beast, baffled.
"A summon?!"
Before he could process it, footsteps sounded.
The Animal Path—emerged from behind the beast.
Both Hidan and Kakuzu stiffened, the same thought flashing through their minds:
Pain's Six Paths? Here?
"Oi oi oi, Asura Path and Animal Path both showing up? Did we get marked as traitors?!"
Hidan turned to Kakuzu.
"This is your fault! You and your damn side jobs pissed Pain off!!"
Kakuzu's face was grim.
"Idiot. These aren't the Pain's Six Paths we know."
Hidan blinked, then narrowed his eyes.
"…Yeah. They're different."
These two radiated the Rinnegan's aura, but they weren't mere extensions. They were… independent.
And their eyes—within the familiar gray-purple rings, faint triangular marks pulsed in a circular pattern.
Hidan's jaw dropped. Then he broke into a crazed grin.
"Ooohhh! Interesting! Someone else with the Rinnegan besides that lunatic?!"
He licked his lips, tossing Naruto aside.
"These two—mine!! Time for a sacrifice!!"
With a mad laugh, he charged, scythe gleaming—
But suddenly, he froze.
The crushing pressure didn't come from the two before him. It came from behind them.
Hidan's pupils shrank. His heart skipped a beat. A cold dread spread from his gut to his skull.
Shhhk…
The air behind the two Paths split open.
And a figure stepped out.
No chakra flared. No killing intent radiated.
Yet the world itself seemed to bend around him.
A presence beyond the shinobi system.
"…Another one?" Hidan muttered, scythe faltering.
Kakuzu's expression darkened.
"So brazen, sneaking into Konoha to abduct someone…"
Ryota's voice cut through the forest, calm and cold.
"And the one you dared to take… is the Nine-Tails."
"Akatsuki… have you all gone mad?"
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