Konohagakure.
The Uchiha clan compound.
…
"Uncle Teuchi, this is the meal money I owed you from last month!"
The boy looked no older than eight or nine, dressed in the distinctive attire of a young Uchiha. His black hair curled slightly at the tips, soft strands falling across his forehead. A bright, innocent smile lit his delicate features.
Uchiha Sora lifted his hand and passed a small pouch of silver to Uchiha Teuchi.
Teuchi accepted the money and instinctively raised his hand to ruffle the boy's hair—only to stop halfway and awkwardly pull it back.
"Haha, Sora, you're amazing. Joining the Police Force at eight years old… I can't just pat your head anymore. Wouldn't be appropriate."
…
So you do know it's impolite, Sora thought, rolling his eyes inwardly as he sat down at the stall to wait for his exclusive set meal.
"Sora, I've noticed the Police Force has increased patrols lately. Did something happen in the village?"
Snap—
Sora broke his chopsticks apart and replied casually, "Sorry, Uncle. My lips are sealed. It concerns classified matters—no comment."
Ding—
At the same moment, a clear chime echoed in his mind.
「Returned 3,700 ryō to Uchiha Teuchi on schedule. Reputation Points +2」
Uchiha Sora was a transmigrator.
Not a temporary visitor—he had crossed over while still in the womb.
Unfortunately, his parents had died on a mission not long after his birth, granting him the standard "protagonist orphan package."
Thankfully, he bore the name Uchiha. Even without parents, he would never be reduced to eating expired instant noodles or being chased down the street by hostile villagers.
…
The Uchiha clan took care of its orphans. Each month, they provided stipends to local merchants to ensure the children's food, clothing, and shelter. When the children grew up, they could repay the debt—or not. It wasn't mandatory.
Uchiha Sora, however, was famously punctual.
He had started doing odd jobs at four years old to repay every ryō. Merchants couldn't even refuse him.
He often said:
"A man without trust cannot stand. Borrow and repay—then borrowing again is easy."
Within the clan, he had earned the nickname: Uchiha the Promise-Keeper.
Was it because he was noble? Because he refused to live off charity?
No.
It was because of his cheat ability.
—
「Multiverse Borrowing Platform」
This was the golden finger that had existed in his mind since childhood—like a loan application embedded in his consciousness.
As long as he possessed enough Reputation Points, he could borrow power from beings across countless worlds.
But borrowing meant repayment.
If he used that power to resolve his current crisis, then when the other side required assistance, he would have to repay that karmic debt.
Breach the contract, and Reputation Points would be deducted according to severity.
Sora did not know what would happen if his Reputation Points were reduced to zero.
But it certainly wouldn't be pleasant.
…
As of today, Uchiha Sora had accumulated 653 Reputation Points. Five hundred were enough to borrow a powerful force from beyond this world.
He had never used it.
He had been saving it for now.
More precisely…
For tomorrow.
…
The sun dipped below the horizon. The moon, nearly full, rose into the darkening sky.
Tomorrow would be the full moon.
Which meant—
The Night of the Nine-Tails.
After this incident, the Uchiha clan would be relocated away from the village's core district.
A few years later would come the Night of the Massacre.
Anyone with a functioning brain could see it.
The village intended to move against the Uchiha.
First isolate.
Then destroy.
Even the human body understood this logic—if you wanted to remove a portion of tissue, the first step was marginalization.
…
Sora did not think the village leadership was entirely wrong.
On the Night of the Nine-Tails, that scarlet Sharingan had been unmistakably reflected in the beast's eye socket. For Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others not to suspect the Uchiha would have been stranger.
Moreover, the Third Hokage's faction had long harbored prejudice against the clan.
The fact that they waited six years before acting was only because the shinobi world was unstable. Eliminating the Uchiha too soon would have weakened the village against potential invasions.
If not for that person's intervention, perhaps the Uchiha could have torn a massive chunk of flesh from Konohagakure before their downfall.
…
Who could have predicted someone like Itachi Uchiha?
Killing his father.
Killing his mother.
Slaughtering his kin.
Erasing the clan without cost to the village.
…
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Sora lightly tapped the table with the end of his chopsticks, eyes narrowed in thought.
If Minato Namikaze did not die on the Night of the Nine-Tails, perhaps the Uchiha would not have reached that point.
Clan Head Fugaku had placed all his bets on the Fourth Hokage. Once the Fourth died, reconciliation between the Uchiha and the village became impossible.
Should he warn the Fourth Hokage that Obito would attack?
Sora had considered it.
Even if the Fourth believed him…
It would change nothing.
The core trigger of this tragedy was Obito exploiting Kushina Uzumaki's weakened state during childbirth to forcibly summon the Nine-Tails.
Could the village prevent Obito from phasing in with Kamui?
Could they stop Kushina from giving birth?
No.
A jinchūriki's childbirth had already placed the entire village on maximum alert.
The Fourth Hokage would be present throughout.
The Third Hokage would stand by.
The Third's wife, Biwako Sarutobi, would personally assist the delivery.
And yet—
What was meant to happen would still happen.
Once Kushina gave birth and the seal weakened, Obito would inevitably summon the Nine-Tails.
Her death was certain.
And if Minato survived—if he learned that the mastermind was an Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan—would he not direct his fury toward the clan?
…
No matter what, the clan's hope could not rest on a single person.
Unless—
That person was me.
Uchiha Sora's gaze darkened as his resolve crystallized.
He would not sit idle and wait for the Uchiha to be pushed from the village center. By then, it would be too late.
If destruction was inevitable—
Then better to shatter jade and stone alike.
…
"Here you go, Sora! Your special set!"
Teuchi placed a large bowl of teriyaki ramen before him, along with an oversized cup of strawberry milk and ten skewers of brown sugar dango.
Sitting beside him, Teuchi chuckled. "You won't get tired of this? Isn't it too sweet?"
Sora took a long gulp of strawberry milk, licking the trace of cream from his lips.
"Uncle, savory food just keeps you alive. Sweet food—that's life itself."
"Haha! Careful, kid. You'll get cavities!"
"Next time, make that thing you always mention—what was it… ah! Chocolate cake!"
"It's a promise!"
…
Sora stopped eating and looked up at Uchiha Teuchi.
"Uncle Teuchi… do you believe in me?"
Teuchi blinked, propping his chin on one hand before smiling.
"You're Uchiha the Promise-Keeper. Who wouldn't believe you?"
…
"No matter what happens… you'll believe me, right?"
This time, Teuchi did not hesitate.
"Of course. I've watched you grow up. I'll always believe you."
Is that so…
Then that's enough.
Sora lowered his eyes. A faint scarlet flickered within them.
Then—
Let's gamble everything.
—
Night fell.
The full moon approached its zenith.
Wearing a mask, living under the name "Madara," Obito stood atop the Hokage Rock bearing the Fourth Hokage's likeness, gazing over the lights of Konohagakure.
From beneath the earth, Zetsu emerged—two broad, aloe-like leaves framing his form.
"Madara, the location is confirmed."
"Twenty kilometers southeast of the Forest of Death. A large number of shinobi have been moving there recently. The barrier formation is tight."
Silence lingered before Obito spoke.
"It should be tomorrow or the day after. Prepare."
"Understood."
…
For a long time, Obito's gaze lingered on the Uchiha compound.
Then, without another word, he turned.
His body dissolved into a spiraling void.