The Hell Viewing Technique was known to make the victim see their deepest fears, manifesting their worst nightmares.
These fears could vary widely depending on the person—some might see their loved ones dying, others might be haunted by terrifying monsters, and some might even envision themselves being subjected to unspeakable acts by a group of brutish men. It all depended on what lay hidden in the depths of their mind.
When Uchiha Fūka used the Hell Viewing Technique on himself, what did he see?
In a grand, solemn courtroom, heavily armed police officers stood guard around the room. Rows of reporters with cameras aimed at him filled the spectator seats, and there he was, sitting in the defendant's chair, handcuffed, staring blankly ahead. Then, a stern-faced judge wearing a traditional wig approached, holding a wooden gavel. With a sharp crack, the gavel struck his forehead repeatedly.
"Uchiha Fūka, you are hereby sentenced to twenty years in prison, stripped of all political rights for life, and fined two million ryo!"
Click, click, click!
The cameras flashed incessantly, capturing this historic moment.
"Ah!"
Fūka jolted awake, his heart racing.
What the hell was that?
He sat there, feeling utterly embarrassed.
He hadn't done anything so terrible in his previous life to deserve twenty years behind bars! Why was he being sentenced?
Fūka was so angry he wanted to use the Hell Viewing Technique on himself again and then beat up that judge for daring to mar his handsome face with that gavel.
Phew!
After a while, he finally calmed down and, feeling drained, drifted off to sleep.
"Who would've thought? My biggest fear… is prison?"
…
The next morning, Fūka prepared his lunchbox and, after having breakfast with Obito, headed off to the Ninja Academy.
As usual, Obito couldn't resist helping an old lady cross the street, his soft-hearted nature in full display. This time, however, Fūka decided to ignore him and continued on his way to school.
As they neared the academy, Fūka noticed that the streets were increasingly crowded, filled with chatter and the excited shouts of children, creating a lively, buzzing atmosphere.
"What's going on?"
Fūka looked around and saw that these kids were full of energy as if they were celebrating some kind of achievement, brimming with the pride of moving up from preschool to first grade.
Could it be the start of the new school year?
"Hey, Fūka!"
A slightly ingratiating, childish voice called out to him.
Fūka turned to see a freckle-faced boy from his class. Yesterday, the kid had been overly polite to him after his sudden rise in status, but Fūka had already mentally dismissed him. So, when the boy greeted him, Fūka just nodded and quickly walked toward the school gate.
The freckle-faced boy waved awkwardly, feeling a mix of frustration and resentment. But considering Fūka's newly minted reputation as a "genius," he swallowed his pride and trudged into the school, sulking.
As Fūka had guessed, today was indeed the day when the Ninja Academy welcomed its new students. Hundreds of children, who had passed the entrance exams, gathered at the academy with their parents to listen to the speech of the Third Hokage.
This was Fūka's first time seeing the Third Hokage in person.
A middle-aged man dressed in a white ceremonial robe, short in stature but standing tall with a straight back, his expression stern yet calm, exuding the commanding presence of a seasoned leader.
Fūka only glanced at him from afar before turning away. He didn't linger on the training grounds and instead returned to the classroom, where he could still faintly hear the Hokage's lecture about the "Will of Fire."
"Starting their education young, huh?"
Fūka sat down in his seat, noticing that his two desk mates were treating him much more politely than before. One called him "Uchiha big brother," while the other addressed him as "Fūka big brother," their enthusiasm made his skin crawl.
Sensing his disdain, the two exchanged glances, looking a bit dejected but saying nothing more.
"Fūka, where did you go yesterday?" Kurenai Yuhi suddenly ran over, her big, innocent eyes filled with curiosity. Her chubby cheeks were soft and full of baby fat.
"Ah, I got dragged up to the mountains by that crazy woman—Tsunade. We went to the top of the Hokage Rock." Fūka sighed, adding with a note of caution, "Kurenai, whatever you do, don't turn out like her."
Kurenai didn't fully understand but nodded earnestly.
After chatting with Fūka for a bit longer, Kurenai returned to her seat, and soon after, Rin approached him with a request to learn medical ninjutsu.
"Please, I'm asking you sincerely!" Rin bowed deeply, her voice full of determination.
"Even if you're that earnest…" Fūka scratched his head. Obito was already getting ridiculously jealous—any time Fūka got close to Rin, Obito would look like he was going to explode, acting like Fūka was some kind of rival to be guarded against.
Rin, being perceptive, noticed Fūka's hesitation and couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. "Is it not possible?"
"It's not that it's impossible…" Fūka began, but before he could finish, a figure suddenly dashed over at lightning speed.
"Ha ha ha, Rin, Fūka is usually busy with training, so if you want to learn medical ninjutsu, just ask me!" Obito declared enthusiastically, panting slightly. Then he turned to glare at Fūka, speaking in a low voice only the two of them could hear. "Fūka, you bastard! How could you ditch me?!"
Fūka leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, staring out the window at the blue sky and white clouds.
"Really? But Obito, do you know medical ninjutsu?" Rin looked at him in surprise.
Given his consistently poor grades, Obito was notorious throughout the school for being at the bottom of the class. It was only natural that Rin doubted his abilities.
Obito's face froze for a moment before he laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "Uh, Rin, don't underestimate me. I'm going to be Hokage one day, so of course I'll know medical ninjutsu!"
Well, in front of the girl he liked, Obito was determined to fake it till he made it.
Fūka couldn't help but smirk.
"Really? That's great! Obito, can you teach me some medical ninjutsu during lunch break?" Rin asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Obito looked like he was about to cry. "Lunch break? Well, uh…"
He turned to look at Fūka, desperately signaling with his eyes.
"Hey, Obito, is your eye twitching?" Fūka decided to play dumb.
"Damn it…" Obito gritted his teeth so hard they actually squeaked.
"Obito?" Rin tilted her head, looking at him curiously.
Obito quickly turned back to her, forcing a laugh. "Of course, no problem. It's all settled then."
By the end of his sentence, Obito looked utterly defeated.
At that moment, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the classroom.
A bunch of students from other classes ran out, shouting excitedly as they rushed to see what was happening.
"What's going on?" Fūka craned his neck, but his seat didn't give him a good view of the hallway.
Then, loud cheers and shouts of encouragement began echoing from outside.
Curious, Fūka glanced at Obito, who was sulking, and Rin, who was brimming with excitement. He decided to go check it out by himself.
The hallway outside the classroom was already packed with students, forming a tight circle around something happening in the middle.
Inside the circle, two people were engaged in a close-quarters brawl.
"Gentle Fist—Eight Trigrams Two Palms!"