"Huff... huff..." A disheveled figure hid in an alleyway within the Uchiha clan compound, desperately trying to calm his breathing and reduce his presence. A bead of sweat slowly traced a path down his face, his eyes, with their slight crow's feet, narrowed. His crimson Three Tomoe Sharingan meticulously observed the surroundings.
"It's been three minutes already. Why hasn't he shown up to meet me? Didn't we agree on this time?" Uchiha Onigawara gritted his teeth, barely audible to himself. His voice was filled with impatience and anxiety.
When he noticed a flickering shadow nearby, he immediately shuffled further into the corner, finding a blind spot from many angles, allowing him to barely conceal himself. "Damn it, where are you?!"
He had killed an Uchiha Police Force ninja to escape from the detention cell in the Police Force building. Those guys must be out in full force now. If that man didn't show up soon, he would definitely be caught!
A flashback flashed through Onigawara's mind—after his actions were exposed, leading to his suspension from Anbu and an investigation. A young man wearing a strange mask had approached him.
"Heh heh... Uchiha Onigawara, you brutally murdered two comrades. Do you really think those foolish Konoha ninja can still tolerate you? Your fate will simply be twenty, thirty, or even a lifetime in Konoha's prison."
"I won't lie to you. It's precisely because your unique bloodline holds considerable value that 'that person' wishes you to join us. 'That person' promises that your sadistic tendencies will be fully satisfied with us."
"And all you need to do is leave Konoha. Is there anything left for you in Konoha? As long as you dare to defect, I'll be there to meet you at the right time."
"Oh, and by the way. I forgot to mention, 'that person's' identity won't be unfamiliar to you."
Onigawara initially had no idea who this person was. He only knew that someone who could silently bypass his surveillance and meet him must have considerable skill. It wasn't until he saw a small white snake emerge from the person's sleeve that Onigawara knew who was extending an olive branch.
As a proud member of the Uchiha clan, Onigawara naturally didn't want to be subordinate to a Konoha rogue ninja. Once that guy's "spy" in Konoha got him out of the village, he would kill the "spy" ninja without hesitation and then distance himself from Konoha!
"Tch... my special bloodline..." Onigawara's eyes narrowed. "Are they coveting that brat Akainu's Lava Release Kekkei Genkai but are too afraid to go after him, so they're settling for me instead?" He honestly didn't know why his overly eccentric nephew possessed two Kekkei Genkai. Neither he, nor his deceased sister and brother-in-law, had ever awakened any Lava Release Kekkei Genkai. Of course, that didn't stop Onigawara from trying to use Orochimaru's spy to escape Konoha.
But...
"Where is he?!" Just as Onigawara was seething with frustration, his Three Tomoe Sharingan keenly caught a drop of blood-colored "rain" falling from above.
Drip—
A splash of blood bloomed on the damp ground beneath his feet. At the same time, Onigawara's eyes narrowed. When he hastily looked up, he saw a dark silhouette rapidly falling from above. Onigawara's eyes and hands were quick; he swiftly caught the falling shadow, preventing any sound that might attract the Police Force's encirclement.
"This is..." But Onigawara's pupils suddenly constricted, because he realized he had caught a corpse that was still warm! Blood gushed from the corpse's neck, and its mask slipped off, revealing a face frozen in terror.
Cold sweat drenched Onigawara. He didn't recognize the face, but he recognized the fallen mask—this was Orochimaru's spy, placed in Konoha, who had contacted him half a month ago and offered him an olive branch!
"I encountered him on my way to find you. The 'evil' he committed was like a lightbulb in the dark, impossible for me to ignore."
The sudden voice sent alarm bells ringing in Onigawara's heart. He no longer cared about concealing himself, instantly Shushin'ing to a position he felt offered good maneuverability, and then looked up. Two pairs of Three Tomoe Sharingan met in mid-air.
Onigawara recognized the other person's identity immediately. "Akainu?!!" Onigawara had a deep impression of his nephew. He had seen many extreme Uchiha, and he considered himself quite extreme. But... he felt utterly naive compared to Uchiha Akainu. Even though he was twenty years older!
Onigawara had already taken a stance, ready to form hand signs at any moment. The dead "spy ninja" on the ground made his face darken with disgust, and the killing intent brewing in Akainu's eyes sent chills down his spine.
Onigawara took a deep breath and asked cautiously, "Akainu... are you here for me?"
"Yes."
Akainu's concise answer immediately sent a chill down Onigawara's spine. He couldn't help but grit his teeth. "We're blood relatives! Akainu, why don't you leave Konoha with me? You know what your reputation is like in Konoha, don't you? No one in this village will approve of your ninja way, and neither will the Uchiha clan. There's no point in you staying in Konoha, is there?"
"Akainu, you are a genius with two Kekkei Genkai in our Uchiha clan. Plus, I'm not bad either. If you and I join forces, there's no place in the entire ninja world we can't go. We can make the Uchiha bloodline thrive outside of Konoha!"
As Onigawara spoke, his heart gradually sank. He realized his "invitation" hadn't swayed Akainu. He steeled himself and said, word by word, "Akainu, think of your deceased mother! I am her biological younger brother! I am your closest relative, Uchiha Akainu's only closest relative!"
"Are you finished?" Akainu, looking down, asked with an expressionless face.
"...Yes, I'm finished," Onigawara replied, suppressing his discomfort.
Akainu said, "'Evil' is 'evil.' The absolute justice I believe in will not forgive you simply because we share similar blood. Moreover, I don't have the power to forgive you."
Damn it... This brat is impossibly extreme! Onigawara's face was distorted with fury. He already regretted hiding in this spot; if he had chosen somewhere else, maybe he wouldn't have run into this cold-hearted brat.
Then he heard Akainu's indifferent tone: "Uchiha Onigawara, you, who only regret encountering me, are beyond saving. In my eyes, you are sickeningly repulsive."
Onigawara's face was filled with disbelief. Was what he was thinking so easily seen by others? And this damn brat...
"Fire Style..."
"Grand Fireball Jutsu!!!" He swiftly performed the hand signs without hesitation, and a massive fireball soared towards Akainu above him.