Chapter 10-Gifts of Suffering!

Chapter 10

OBITO UCHIHA

The shinobi world was very cruel. It was a world where there existed a clear divide among those born with talent and those without it. And this was never more evident than in this moment as he watched his teammate, Kakashi clash with the Uchiha clan heir.

Izuna Uchiha, was a boy born with everything. He was the son of the current clan head, and was loved and doted on by everyone, and more than that the boy was hailed as a prodigy, one unlike any seen by the clan in years.

He had obtained his sharingan at age four and had mastered it before even reaching the academy, and now as an eight-year-old he was facing Kakashi, a genius who was two years older than him on even footing.

"He landed a hit," Obito gasped as he saw Kakashi's body flying through the air, as Izuna Uchiha stood there with cold, even face and for some reason it made him grind his teeth, as he saw the competence at display.

"Those blue flames, what were they sensei?" he saw Rin ask their sensei with stars in her eyes, and that made him ball up his fists, at the inequality of htis world. At the cruelty of this world, for she never had such a look when she talked of him.

Only for him, Only for Kakashi.

Not him. Never him.

"It's Izuna-kun's take on fire manipulation. He has modified the basic fire ball jutsu and using his mastery of wind nature manipulation is able to make his jutsu more potent and dangerous," and that was evident given how Kakshi's Earthen wall stood there half molten as Kakashi''s eyes narrowed, and sharp spark erupted over his tanto.

"Now, Kakashi is getting serious," he added, cheering on his teammate, and yet the Uchiha heir was not done yet and he watched as the boy got into his stance and immediately half a dozen of him appeared around him, making him click his tongue.

And then they blurred as Kakashi and Izuna engaged in another barrage. Kakashi was faster, his lighning nature technique was faster, and yet Izuna's technique was a menace than even troubled Kushina sensei.

And as Kakashi tried to cut through those half a dozen forms, his blade simply passed through them, much to his dismay, until he saw one of Izuna Uchiha's clones break though Kakashi's defences, and land an attack much to his surprise, before the clan vanished, and a lighnting storm emerged from him electroluting Izuna Uchiha.

BOOM!

An explosion rocked the area, as Obtio smiled.

"A Lightning Clone," he guessed, and that was an A-class technique that was very difficult to master, and its utility lay in just this, that when they were damaged they tended to take out the opponent alongside them.

And as the dust cleared now only one Izuna Uchiha remained, a bruised and battered Izuna Uchiha, but one still standing as Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

CLANG!

The boy parried a kunai with his tanto, and then as shuriken.

CLANG!

CLANG!

They came from all directions much to his surprise,as Izuna Uchiha was forced to parry those attacks, as Minato sensei frowned.

"What is he doing? Why is he hiding?" Obito complaint, as Minato-sensei's eyes widened.

"He is not hiding. He is buying time for that," and the way he said that, he seemed worried, as suddenly a sound emerged from the forest, one of chirping, chirping of a thousand words and he saw for the first time those red eyes widen, as a figure blurred through the forest, as he saw Kakashi emerge from the forest, his hand clasping onto what seemed to be a storm of lighting as it tore through the ground.

And then in the blink of an eye, he saw Izuna Uchiha move as well, as the boy put his hand on the ground, as a massive sealing formula appeared on the ground.

"Fuinjutsu: Death's Abysss!" and the massive formula expanded around him, and just as Kakashi's feet touched the ground with it, he saw it.

Kakashi slowed down, significantly, and yet he was still too fast and as Kakashi reached him, he saw that arm covered in lightning reach for Izuna Uchiha's face, as the boy's tanto reached for Kakashi's neck.

"ENOUGH!"

And before anything could happen, Minato-sensei was there, clasping their arms, stopping them, having vanished from his side in but a blink of an eye.

And he could harly believe his eyes.

They were younger than him. Both of them, and yet here he was useless, and as he looked towards Rin watching their battle with glinting eyes he felt more useless than ever. More jealous than ever as the lightning around Kakashi's hands vanished, as Izuna Uchiha put back his tanto.

"You have improved," and the words stilled him, not for what they were. But from whom they had come. Kakashi had just praised someone. Kakashi, the cold and stringent Kakashi had just praised someone.

"Thank you," and with that they both formed a seal of reconciliation, as Minato-sensei made his announcement.

"The spar is over. Izuna Uchiha you are to report to the Kage office...."

0000

HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

Hiruzen was rarely ever impressed by a shinobi, but as he stared at the young boy infront of him he could say it that he was impressed. The spectacle that he had just witnessed between him and Sakumo's child was something much encouraging for him in these darker times, as he found himself thinking often of the future of the village.

And yet as he looked at them, looked at the next generation he found it hopeful, he found it a little less bleak.

The tragedy that the boy infront of him had suffered was enough to end careers. For a young shinobi to see their team slaughtered, it was something that the few ever recovered from, and he had thought it all lost and yet the boy had defied expectations and had pushed back, and had reclaimed himself as the Uchiha's shining star.

Danzo's miguided attempt at trying to get the village an upper hand against Kumo had nearly cost them, a future prodigy. But in the end, Uchiha Izuna's poetantial had shone through and the boy was much deserving of the promotion he was about to receive.

"That was a beautiful spar," Hiruzen complimented, and the most impressive part was that he knew that the boy had much more to spare, much like Sakumo's child.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," the boy added softly as he gave him a bow, and Hiruzen smiled at the young shinobi.

"To modify a basic fireball jutsu as such, I have not seen a shinobi do that in years," and indeed for most shinobi simply mastered a technique and moved onto the next, few ever thought beyond the norms and the traditions, and tried to innovate.

And yet he had, combing fire nature with wind nature, the boy had created a katon jutsu that had overpowered an earthen style mud wall, rather easily. It was a feat reminiscent of his own sensei, whose mastery over ninjutsu was unlike anything seen since in the Five Great Nations.

And that was not the only contrast here, Izuna Uchiha had suffered much like Tobirama sensei, being hailed as a prodigy to suffer a great loss, because of your own repute. They were both serious shinobi, with little to no quirks who chose to dangle in all the shinobi arts rather than tying themselves to one single art.

"The last shinobi I can think of who did this was my own sensei," he added, and the boy shook his head.

"This cannot be compared to the feats of the Nidaime-sama," the boy added humbly.

"Still, I am impressed and for that I grant you the rank of chunin from this day on," and the boy smiled as Hiruzen pushed forward the scroll.

"This spar was a test for you, one set up separately from the rest of the exams because Konoha has need of you," he said his tone growing sterner and stricter as the Professor vanished, and the God of Shinobi took his place.

"You are to be deployed at the Northern front, and shall serve under the command of Orochimaru. You leave at dawn tomorrow with the rest of the reinforcements," and the boy nodded and gave him a salute.

"You are dismissed, prepare well for the campaign Izuna-kun. I have great expectations from you," and with that the boy left his office, not before he saw those eyes of his glance towards the shadow behind him as Hiruzen found himself smirking.

CLANK.

And as the doors closed hies eyes turned towards the shadow at his back as well, as he whispered softly.

"You are slipping, Danzo," and at those words, his old friend emerged from the shadow, stepping forward with that cane.

"You still did not ask him about his last mission," and that was just like Danzo to ignore it all, and move towards the sourest subject.

"And what am I to ask him about that?" he asked, picking up his pipe and putting it into his mouth, savouring the chilling smoke as it pushed down his throat.

"That how the hell did a seven-year-old genin manage to kill half a dozen Kumo nin, one of whom was a veteran jounin" and indeed that was an intriguing topic, but as Hokage, there was a semblance of order here. He could prove into a shinobi's actions too overtly, specially one who was a clan heir.

"Does it really matter?" he asked Danzo as he exhaled the smoke. For to him it did not. The fact of the matter was that Izuna Uchiha had survived the onslaught, killing the half a dozen nin that had slayed his whole team.

How he had done so was his secret to keep? Moreover, it was not as if both him and Danzo did not really have an inkling on how such a thing may have happened.

"He slew enemy nin, bought time for our shinobi to recover the bodies of his fallen comrades. I believe that the whole matter was settled with that," and that was it, and yet for Danzo it was not.

"You have grown soft. There is a darkness in those eyes, darkness that can bring great ruin to this village. As a kage it is your duty to protect this village from the threat of the mang...."

"ENOUGH!" Hiruzen ordered sharply to stop his friend from muttering those words.

"You had your way and nearly cost the village a great asset, an era-defining asset. You are not to interfere in any matter pertaining to Izuna Uchiha anymore. Am I clear?" The boy had suffered enough, and he was very closely associated with both Kushina and Minato.

If anything unsavory was to happen to the boy, it would adversely affect Konoha's ability to use its jinchuriki.

"Do as you wish. I still stand by my decision," Danzo added as he slowly walked towards the door.

"You should have given the boy to me...."

"No, you are wrong, old friend," Hirzuen added as the door closed.

0000

"I leave the rest to you..." a bleeding Shisui Uchiha gasped out as blood dripped down his mouth as, a young Izuna Uchiha sat there holding him in his arms.

"NO! NOOOOO!" the young Uchiha screamed, his whole body covered in blood, as the light in his best friend's eyes vanished, much to his dismay.

"NOOO! SHISUI!" Izuna Uchiha screamed as tears dripped down his eyes and into the lifeless face of his best friend, and in that moment, half a dozen Kumo-nin surrounded him.

"Don't worry too much, boy. You will be joining him soon enough," one of them taunted as he took out his kunai and smiled wildly, as they all laughed as the young Konoha ninja slowly stood up, stumbling, his whole body covered in wounds and scars as he stood and turned to face the six Kumo nin as the three dead bodies lay behind him.

"We are going to have one taking those eyes of yours. Your little friend had them too, didn't he? They will serve as a nice bount..." and then the Kumo jounin, named Kan stopped as he felt his whole body still, as he looked up and found the young Uchiha looking at them, his red eyes now gleamed in the darkness of the cave.

And yet the pattern in them was no longer the simple three tomorrow associated with the Sharingan. It was different, and yet he could not say anything, he could not move his body, as the last thing he heard before his body moved was an ominous command.

"KILL YOURSELF!"

0000

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