"A fish that slipped through the net?"
Danzo's gaze swept over the two of them before settling on Uchiha Azuma's eyes.
"Double Tomoe… interesting."
He raised a hand.
"Root—move."
From the surrounding darkness, over a dozen masked Root shinobi emerged at once, sealing off every possible escape route.
Uchiha Sora collapsed to the ground in terror.
Uchiha Azuma tightened his grip on his kunai, his gaze locked onto Danzo.
He knew exactly how dangerous this man was.
He also knew that Danzo possessed Izanagi, Hashirama cells, and powerful Wind Release techniques.
Even if he had already awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, defeating Danzo wouldn't be guaranteed—let alone now.
---
Ding!
[Fatal crisis detected: Danzo Shimura]
[Emergency Mission: Escape from Death]
[Objective: Escape Danzo's pursuit]
[Reward: Mangekyo Fragment ×5 + Body Flicker Technique (Permanent)]
[Failure: Death (No resurrection)]
---
Danzo looked at Azuma like a predator eyeing prey.
"Uchiha brat… I'll be taking your eyes."
He gave a slight wave.
The Root members attacked all at once.
---
Azuma inhaled deeply.
Three seconds.
That was all Susanoo could give him.
Three seconds to carve out a path soaked in blood.
He shoved Sora aside.
"Stay back!"
The tomoe in his eyes spun wildly—
And he charged.
---
The first Root shinobi lunged forward, blade thrusting.
Azuma didn't dodge.
The blade pierced straight through his shoulder.
At the same instant—
His kunai drove into the man's throat.
Slash!
Blood sprayed.
He didn't stop.
Second.
Third.
Fourth.
Blades pierced his body again and again, but he moved as if he felt nothing.
Killing.
Relentless.
Four bodies dropped in succession.
---
[Killed Root Chunin ×4]
[Critical Reward: Chakra recovery + accelerated healing]
---
Three seconds passed.
Four corpses lay at his feet.
But ten more remained.
---
Danzo's expression shifted.
"Susanoo…? No. Just a skeletal manifestation…"
His eyes narrowed.
"This brat cannot be allowed to live."
He stepped forward himself.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
A massive compressed wind projectile tore through the air, roaring straight toward Azuma.
Azuma's pupils shrank.
He couldn't dodge.
It was too fast.
---
At that moment—
A small figure rushed out.
Bang!
Someone slammed into him, knocking him aside.
"Sora?!"
The wind sphere struck.
Sora's chest burst apart under the impact.
Blood splattered across Azuma's face.
---
"You…!"
Sora collapsed, blood pouring from his mouth—
Yet he smiled.
"Brother Azuma… you saved me…"
"I… I'm just returning the favor…"
"Sora!"
Azuma rushed forward, pressing desperately against the wound—
But the blood wouldn't stop.
Sora's eyes were already dimming.
"I saw it… you fighting…"
"You were… so amazing…"
"I wanted… to be like you…"
"But… I can't…"
His voice faded.
"Brother Azuma… live on…"
His hand fell limp.
---
Uchiha Sora.
Eight years old.
Dead.
---
Azuma knelt there, holding the small body in his arms.
His entire body trembled.
Tears fell before he even realized it.
They had only met tonight.
Run together for barely ten minutes.
And yet—
The boy had died for him.
---
"…Ah…"
"…Aaaaaah!!"
---
He threw his head back.
The tomoe in his eyes spun violently—
Faster.
Faster.
Until—
They shattered.
---
Ding!
[Emotional threshold reached]
[Anger: MAX]
[Hatred: MAX]
[Grief: MAX]
[Evolution condition met]
[Sharingan → Mangekyo Sharingan]
---
[Left Eye: Amaterasu]
[Right Eye: Kagutsuchi]
[Susanoo: Skeletal → Ribcage Form]
---
Azuma slowly opened his eyes.
The tomoe were gone.
In their place—
A new, ominous pattern.
Mangekyo Sharingan.
---
He gently laid Sora's body down.
Then he stood.
And looked at Danzo.
---
Danzo's pupils contracted violently.
"Mangekyo… at a time like this?!"
---
Azuma raised his hand.
His left eye began to bleed.
Blood ran down his cheek—
But he didn't blink.
"Amaterasu."
---
Black flames erupted from nothingness—
Directly on Danzo's body.
---
"Agh—!"
Danzo screamed as the inextinguishable flames consumed him.
His reaction was immediate.
He tore off his burning arm—
And activated Izanagi.
---
Poof.
The flames vanished.
Danzo reappeared—
Arm gone.
Face twisted with fury.
"Amaterasu… You actually awakened Amaterasu…"
---
Azuma didn't give him time.
His right eye began to bleed.
"Kagutsuchi."
---
The black flames reshaped—
Condensing into countless sharp projectiles.
They shot forward.
Danzo retreated rapidly, hands forming seals.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Violent winds collided with the black flames—
But instead of extinguishing them—
They only made them burn fiercer.
"Damn it!"
The flames caught him again.
He was forced to activate Izanagi once more.
---
Azuma's vision blurred.
Pain throbbed through his eyes.
He knew—
He couldn't continue.
Using Mangekyo abilities right after awakening them drained too much power.
If he kept fighting—
He would go blind.
---
"Danzo…"
Azuma stared at him coldly.
"You killed a child today."
"I won't forget that."
---
"Next time we meet…"
"I'll wipe out your entire bloodline."
---
He turned—
And ran.
---
The remaining Root shinobi prepared to pursue—
"Stop."
Danzo's voice cut them off.
His expression was dark.
"That brat has awakened the Mangekyo. You won't catch him."
He stared into the forest.
"Uchiha Azuma…"
"I'll remember that name."
---
Deep within the forest—
Azuma ran.
His eyes bled.
His vision dimmed.
But he didn't stop.
---
He didn't know how long he ran.
Eventually—
He broke out of the forest.
A cliff stood before him.
---
He turned back.
In the distance—
Flames rose into the sky above Konoha.
The massacre…
Was over.
---
He had survived.
---
But he didn't smile.
"Sora…"
His voice was hoarse.
"I'll make your death mean something."
---
Ding!
[Main Mission Completed: Survive and escape Konoha]
[Reward: Mangekyo Sharingan + Chakra boost (granted)]
[Bonus Reward: Random S-Rank Ninjutsu]
---
[Draw complete]
[Obtained: Flying Thunder God Technique (Second Stage)]
---
Azuma froze.
"Flying Thunder God…?"
The legendary technique of the Fourth Hokage.
Space-time Ninjutsu.
The fastest technique in the shinobi world.
---
"…You're serious?"
---
[Flying Thunder God (Second Stage): Allows instant teleportation to marked locations]
[No limit on marks. High Chakra consumption per use]
[Current mark: Uchiha Sora's body]
---
Azuma fell silent.
That mark—
Was where Sora died.
---
He didn't go back.
---
Instead—
He turned east.
---
The sky was beginning to brighten.
The first light of dawn rose over the horizon—
Illuminating his bloodstained face.