"...Naruto, even though I am your father's younger brother, I don't know who he is. Ever since I was a child, I was kidnapped by human traffickers. I was later abandoned, lost my memories due to an accident, and wandered for over twenty years... Now that I've returned to my homeland, although they've told me my identity, I simply can't remember anything. The only thing I know is that I have a relative like you!"
Naruto listened in shock, his mouth agape. Even the root ninja observing him in the shadows were dumbfounded, and both the Nine-Tails and Minato in Naruto's inner world were equally stunned.
This was truly like a grandmother sewing a wedding dress for her daughter and granddaughter—what a wild tale!
"Shirai can really spin a yarn like this?" The other companions, watching from the side, exchanged glances, realizing for the first time that Shirai's ninja skills in the root organization might have been wasted.
Shirai rambled on for nearly ten minutes without giving Naruto a chance to interrupt.
Finally, after a long pause, Naruto managed to speak up. "Uncle, can we talk about this later? I have an appointment..."
But Shirai wasn't about to let him go. He quickly tried to block Naruto's path. "Naruto, you can't leave yet! I haven't told you about my adoptive mother's story!"
Naruto felt overwhelmed and needed to find an excuse. "I just need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."
Even Shirai couldn't refuse that excuse, but he wasn't ready to give up.
Just as he was about to try to keep Naruto there, even weaving a tale about the traditions of Konoha to justify why an uncle and nephew could use the restroom together, Naruto had already bolted away, disappearing without a trace.
"Follow him... wait, he's coming back." The root ninja companions had just planned to act when they saw Naruto returning, pulling up his pants and scratching his head.
"You went to the bathroom that fast?"
Shirai was also taken aback. It was great that Naruto was willing to come back, but the sensing ninja observing from the shadows suddenly exclaimed, "This is a Shadow Clone!"
He disregarded the Hokage's strict orders against the root organization contacting the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and rushed out from the shadows, yelling at Shirai, who was still chatting with the clone.
At that moment, Naruto, who had reached the edge of the area, sensed that his clone had been discovered and muttered, "So it was a scam after all! Good thing I'm clever. What uncle? You could trick a five-year-old with that, but I won't fall for it!"
"I'm not playing with you anymore! Sister Izumi said she wanted to ask me how to barbecue today. I can't keep her waiting!"
With that, Naruto easily dispelled the Shadow Clone and activated the Flying Thunder God technique, disappearing from the spot.
"Brat!"
"That little rascal..."
Just moments later, Shirai and the other root ninjas arrived at the scene, but no matter what means they used, they couldn't locate Naruto's whereabouts. Their expressions grew grim.
"Quick! Notify Danzo! Hopefully, the Nine-Tails hasn't gone to the Uchiha clan."
Meanwhile, in Naruto's inner world, Minato's expression suddenly turned serious. "Could it be... at this time?"
The Nine-Tails observed Minato's expression thoughtfully. Just as it was about to speak, an extremely familiar and unmasked malice surged toward it!
"Is it him?!"
At the moment Naruto landed after using the Flying Thunder God, a shuriken suddenly flew toward him from the air, causing him to duck and cover his head in fright.
"Stay still... Naruto-kun? What are you doing here?"
Izumi Uchiha's cold voice turned to surprise as she looked at the suddenly appearing Naruto Uzumaki.
At that moment, she wore a practical ninja outfit, her Konoha forehead protector obscuring her fair forehead, replacing her previous gentle demeanor with an icy beauty. The unique crimson Sharingan of the Uchiha clan added an eerie charm to her appearance.
But Naruto, upon standing up, had no time to admire Izumi's rare outfit. The instant he landed and avoided the shuriken, he sensed a wave of intense malice and murderous intent surging from the building behind him!
Unbeknownst to him, the brightly lit building before him was the headquarters of the Konoha security force. All he felt was as if a world-destroying beast was rampaging within, sensing the fear and dread of many people, all swallowed up by an indescribable pure murderous intent.
Naruto instinctively turned to look at the building behind him, noticing that the illuminated windows didn't shine brightly; it seemed something was blocking the light.
It was blood!
It was blood!
The bright red color stung Naruto's eyes.
"Izumi... Sister Izumi, what's going on over there? I feel like people inside that building are disappearing... Something is coming!"
Naruto felt his whole body tremble and instinctively swallowed, a chill creeping up his spine.
In a flash, Izumi appeared in front of Naruto, shielding him. "You need to leave! This place is dangerous!"
Her words only heightened Izumi Uchiha's anxiety. She vaguely realized that this child could sense the surrounding malice; his instinctive words suggested that something dreadful was already happening inside the building...
Not daring to take any chances, Izumi protected Naruto while her three-tomoe Sharingan activated with full power, its formidable dynamic capture ability firmly locking onto the entrance of the security force building.
It's coming!
"Hmm?" Just as Obito, wearing his mask, stepped out of the door, three shurikens shot through the air toward him.
The timing, speed, and precision were impeccable, but...
The shurikens passed right through Obito's body and embedded themselves into the building's wall.
Obito calmly turned his head, examining Izumi with the Sharingan behind his mask. "Nice eyes. What are you trying to protect?"
In response, three incredibly swift shurikens flew from Izumi, but they too passed right through him, utterly ineffective.
"How is that possible?" Izumi was shocked, but before she could react, Obito's ghostly figure was already before her, directly locking her entire body with chains that passed right through!
The immense force from his speed caused Izumi to cry out in pain as the chakra-controlled chains bound her tightly.
"Nothing at all?" Obito, standing behind Izumi, showed no concern for her futile struggles. Instead, he looked curiously at the empty surroundings.
Just a moment ago, there had definitely been a strange and familiar chakra fluctuation.
Obito frowned beneath his mask.
"Naruto-kun... managed to escape? That's great." Izumi, tangled in chains on the ground, felt a sigh of relief. But looking at the figure that had turned back to pull out a blade from the void, her heart filled with fear once more.
Facing death, she didn't display the resolve expected of a Uchiha ninja, but rather the genuine fear of a thirteen-year-old girl.
In her moment of despair, tears streamed down her face as she instinctively whispered, "Help me, Itachi-kun..."
Your Itachi can't save you.
Obito thought mockingly in his heart. However, just at that moment, a voice suddenly echoed behind him—
The roar of a water dragon!
"Senjutsu: Water Release: Heavenly Light Three Roars Wind Scattering Ice Sealing Water Dragon Bullet Zero Style!"