"Swish!"
The moment a figure appeared, he slashed down and severed Obito's right arm. At the same time, Shisui's longsword followed closely behind.
But once again, the opponent vanished from the spot.
"It's the Flying Thunder God Technique!" Kakashi exclaimed in shock.
"You guessed right!"
An echo of a voice came from behind Shisui; it was a clone of "Ku". Before even finishing his sentence, he reached toward Shisui's ninja tool pouch.
His target: the glass bottle containing the Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan.
Bang!
Shisui's sword swept horizontally, flinging the clone away. If not for the blocking shuriken, the clone would've been cut in two.
Thud!
The three tomoe spun rapidly, Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan had activated.
"Failed, huh? Well, I achieved my main goal. Goodbye, everyone!"
Just before the Mangekyō activated, the clone grabbed Obito's severed arm with one hand, held a kunai in the other, and disappeared.
"Huff… huff…"
Shisui deactivated his Mangekyō, panting heavily. The chakra and ocular power he used tonight were immense.
Beside him, Kakashi was in disbelief: "That's sensei's Flying Thunder God Technique, how is it possible?!"
Fugaku, who had mostly remained silent, walked forward, stepped forward, and picked up a rock. Beneath it lay a dead rat, marked with a sealing formula: (Uzumaki Ku). "Uzumaki"
"Uzumaki?" Kakashi frowned. "Sensei once said only the Second Hokage and he himself ever mastered the Flying Thunder God. So, who is this guy, Uzumaki Ku?"
Shisui looked around before sheathing his blade and said, "He wasn't that strong. In fact, I'd say his strength was below a standard taijutsu chūnin. If not for the urgency, even if he blocked my strike, he would've been injured."
Fugaku furrowed his brows. After thinking, he said, "We'll report this to the Hokage later. This involves the Uzumaki clan, and who knows what he needed that arm for? Too many implications."
A low, mocking laugh came from the masked Obito, who had just regained his bearings.
"Hehehe… It was that guy just now, wasn't it? Red hair… the Uzumaki clan… Uzumaki Ku!"
"He's the one who leaked my intel to you, right? Who would've thought there's still someone hiding in the shadows of this world? You want to know what's special about my right arm?"
"Uchiha Shisui, the reason I could use Wood Release… was because of that arm. The Uzumaki clan, long intermarried with the Senju, are famed for their red hair, longevity, sealing techniques, and vast chakra reserves. He came for the power of the First Hokage… the so-called 'God of Shinobi.'"
In that instant, Obito's words shocked everyone present.
Fortunately, before Obito spoke, Fugaku had activated his Sharingan. The two medical ninjas nearby, caught in a genjutsu, didn't hear a thing.
Bam!
With a palm strike, the now-blinded Obito was knocked unconscious by Fugaku.
"From here on, all interrogation will be handled by the Fourth Hokage. Our task is to escort him to the police force and ensure his safety."
Shisui and Kakashi nodded in agreement. Both were prodigies, veterans of the Third Great Ninja War.
The name Uzumaki meant more than just Uzumaki Mito, wife of the First Hokage. It also meant the current wife of the Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Kushina.
In a dark forest, a figure silently appeared atop a tall tree.
"Tsk…"
Ku hissed as he looked at his swollen wrist, the one that had held the kunai.
The strength of a clone is tied to the original. With the body of a five-year-old, it was lucky not to be bisected by Shisui's taijutsu.
If not for the surprise attack and near-zero reaction time of the Flying Thunder God, reaching out a second time would have meant death.
Still, the harvest wasn't bad. With his current power, there's no way Ku could steal from Orochimaru's lab or Danzo's Root division.
Flying Thunder God was useful, but needed powerful attack capabilities to match. Minato's raw strength and Rasengan were far beyond his current abilities.
An arm made from the original Hashirama cells? There was nothing more suitable!
"Poof!"
With a puff of smoke, the arm was sealed into a small scroll.
He still had to go out and take missions to train; he desperately needed combat experience.
In truth, in the original timeline, the final big boss wasn't Kaguya, but Madara. Who knows? Without plot armor, maybe Sasuke and Naruto could've been toyed with to death by him.
"Every ninja from the Warring States era was a war-hardened veteran. Unlike "Princess Kaguya", who stood dazed for two seconds when hit with a simple Sext Reverse Harem Jutsu.
If not for her dutiful son Black Zetsu whispering in her ear, she'd have been sealed again in a snap.
Ku rubbed his forehead. It wasn't just about gaining experience; he also needed to earn money to support his family.
"This is so hard…"
October 10th, the night that was supposed to be the Nine-Tails Attack, passed peacefully. The once-noisy night market gradually quieted. From this night forward, the future had changed.
Creak
The door opened. Izumi rubbed her eyes and asked, "Big brother, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Yun looked up at the calm night sky. "It's almost dawn. I couldn't sleep, so I came out to look at the stars. What about you? Wet the bed again?"
Instantly, Izumi's face turned red. She puffed up and said, "I stopped bed-wetting two years ago, okay? You're the worst for bringing that up!"
Yun tilted his head, thinking: "Back when we shared a bed before age three, I thought we were in a swimming pool at night."
"Oh, and remember last year? You whispered to Mom early one morning, and then she washed all the family's bedsheets. I bet you wet the bed and begged her to wash everyone's sheets so no one would find out."
Yun clicked his tongue: "Pretty clever. That way, no one would know."
Izumi's face flushed deeper. Humiliated, she lunged at him, mouth open, ready to bite.
Swish!
But in an instant, Yun vanished. Izumi missed and nearly fell, but was caught from behind.
"So fast! Big brother, you're amazing!" she said, wide-eyed.
Yun patted her little head. "It's a secret, Izumi. Don't tell anyone, okay?"
Izumi nodded seriously and tugged his sleeve: "Big brother, you seem different today… You're smiling more."
Yun looked toward the first light of dawn and smiled.
His family's fate had changed. With the Fourth Hokage still alive, the chance of Uchiha clan extermination had dropped significantly.
And starting yesterday, he had gained the initial ability to protect his family in this world—and he would only grow stronger.
"Today, I'll practice shuriken throwing with you!"
"Mm!"