V.1-C.16│Developments VI│

Looking through his orb, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage watched the young lad known as Obito Uchiha as he went throughout his day.

Hiruzen knew that his interest was unnaturally peaked by the boy, knowing of his talent but especially since he didn't graduate around the same times as Kakashi Hatake did.

He thought for sure the boy would be over with the academy by now, but it seemed like he was... waiting? Maybe not waiting, but for sure the boy was not progressing as fast as Hiruzen thought he would.

He has all the time to watch those he wants to now, due to the Second Great Shinobi War having come to an end.

When looking over files and documents, he would have to start the assignments of teams as well, and he was hoping to do so for Obito Uchiha as well.

Looking over Obito, he watched in interest as the boy was just doing some physical exercise just intensive enough for his body to handle. All kinds of exercises were done, from lower body workouts, to upper body workouts.

After these general exercises, he moved onto stuff that seemed to work on increasing his agility and dexterity. Yoga even. Of course, after the whole physical workout, he would focus on chakra workouts as well.

Chakra control, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. 'Yes... He is most certainly a hard worker.' Hiruzen thought as he watched him get to work.

He had also known that the boy knows of the Mystical Palm Technique, something that he no doubts thinks Tsunade would be interested to learn of.

An Uchiha learning something like that, and at such a young age being able to use it to help stabilize and save someone's life. Which made Hiruzen lament the err of the ways of the people whom went against Sakumo Hatake.

It was sad, and there wasn't really anything he could do to help the man, but it would seem that Obito had managed to implant himself into the situation with great urgency. Hiruzen was thankful, that a grave mistake had not lead to someone's death.

Of course, Sakumo was much too useful to the village and the people to have him die. It would've been a loss, but that loss that he was not wanting to happen still happened anyway.

Sakumo didn't die, but he instead chose to retire from being a shinobi.

A surprising decision for sure, one that even seemed to affect his son, Kakashi somewhat. Seeing what his father went through and determined not to make the same mistakes, Kakashi decided that following the Shinobi Rules must always take priority.

In doing so, Kakashi did kind of become rather closed off from others, but with his father still alive, and now having taken more time off for himself, would now find that what Kakashi would do wouldn't be as bad as before.

Hiruzen stopped looking in on Obito, and decided he needed to get back to his current work at hand.

"Lord Hokage." In walked a young man that Hiruzen had grown increasingly familiar with over the years.

Minato Namikaze, a young man with blond hair, and blue eyes, alongside having handsome features. This young man is the current apprentice under one of his own former students, Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin.

"Minato. What brings you here?" Hiruzen asked the younger man, as he had been keeping an eye out on this boy as he grew up as well.

Hiruzen thought of Minato as a prospective Hokage candidate. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Specifically a Sealing Technique that I have heard about..."

"A Sealing Technique... Did Jiraiya send you my way?" Hiruzen asked.

"Yes. I have grown interested in Sealing Techniques, and I have heard about one in particular that was said to be made by the Second Hokage." Minato revealed his purpose for this visit.

"... I see..." Hiruzen didn't know exactly why Jiraiya wanted the boy to know of this technique, as it was a forbidden one and not supposed to be given to anyone.

However, Hiruzen did have a favorable impression of the young man, his diligence and love for the village having been proven time and time again. "Is it possible for me to see it? Lord Jiraiya said that I may be able to learn it."

"You must've been learning the Sealing Arts." Hiruzen said this more as a statement, having come to his own conclusions about why Jiraiya sent him here. "I will show you. Come." Hiruzen took out a scroll.

The Forbidden Scroll, and proceeded to show Minato the technique known as the Hiraishin. The Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time ninjutsu created by Tobirama Senju.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Minato seemed ecstatic at being able to learn this technique, but obviously he would need to do a lot of training himself if he wanted to use it.

Even if Minato was never taught Seals by Kushina, he would always be an apprentice to the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. Thus, Minato would still be competent enough to figure this technique out and use it.

Even if it may take a little bit longer to learn because he lacked the extra lessons.

"No problem." Hiruzen put the Forbidden Scroll away, before adding. "I see great things in your future, Minato. I hope you are able to achieve your dream." Hiruzen knew of Minato's dream to be the Hokage.

"Of course!" Minato was happy at the praise from his masters master. It wasn't everyday that he would meet up with the man and be able to even learn something from him.

Minato would leave with a happy smile on his face, even knowing that Kushina would probably never return his affection. Whatever affection that he had was probably even more so than before, given he is older and she is older, thus enabling him to look at her in a different way from before.

But, Kushina was like a forbidden fruit out of his grasp, forever being unable to take it for himself.

It isn't like he is not skilled, isn't good looking, is not likeable. In fact, Minato has a lot of quality within him, but the 'fate' or 'destiny' that should of tied the two of them together had been broken.

Done entirely unintentionally. Even still, Minato would probably still try to woo her in other ways, but Minato knew that as long as Obito was around, he would be unable to do anything.

Simply because Kushina liked to use Obito as an excuse, or at least it seemed like it to Minato that Kushina used Obito as an excuse to not be around him.

Or any other that may wish for her attention.

If anything, Minato needed to find a way to get Obito out of his way, whether that be by getting the boy to like him, or to remove him from the picture in some other way.

Which would probably not work, but Minato liked to consider all his options. Kushina was the perfect partner for himself, in that she is the jinchuriki for the Kyuubi, she is beautiful, strong, and is an Uzumaki, meaning that their children would inherit her clan's vitality and chakra.

How could Minato pass up on her? Not when he already liked her for the longest time now.

What Minato didn't take into consideration is the fact that Kushina didn't even give him the time of day even when she wasn't with Obito. Minato at this point was deluding himself into thinking he stood some chance with her, but that chance was already skewered and then thrown into the void.

With determination, Minato knew that learning this technique would not only make him stronger, but may very well be impressive enough to capture her attention.

At least he hoped.

[]

It was night.

Running.

Pacing himself, this individual was currently trying to get somewhere important. Flashes of red, and a whole lot of other things started to collide into him, as if there was an unlimited amount of lights.

The world slowed down... his breathing, the sights, sounds, smells and what he is feeling felt slower than before.

Looking at his hands, there was blood, but one couldn't really tell whether this is actual blood or not, for his vision was dyed in red.

An animalistic survival instinct was taking over, and this person seemed to be running out of time as something seemed to be catching up with him. Whether this is an actual thing, or otherwise something else.

Using some mystical power, this person covered up their tracks from behind him as he was being tracked by something.

Chakra.

That is what he was using, and he was of aching head. His body seemed to be in pain as well, and he started to question whether or not the blood he had on his hands was actually the blood of another, or his own.

It mattered not right now however, as he needed to get further away. What burdens he had at this moment, he needed to continue on his path forwards.

He wouldn't stop. Never would he stop now, not after having lived and come so far. Images of some strange things passed by his eyes, but he didn't care for this.

Instead, the man? No, it was a boy, continued to run, and run... and run. Running without stop, his pursuers catching up to him, but he was stealthy enough to evade their pursuit up until now.

While the night was dark, the moon is in the sky, covered by some clouds and the stars obscured, this boy turned his red glowing eyes to the sky.

Coming behind a tree, the boy caught his breath as he managed to start cleaning up the blood on himself. He also needed to clean off the scent on him, specifically the scent left behind by the blood.

Going through some strange hand signs, the boy sunk into the ground, not leaving a trace of his presence. He minimized his everything to the absolute minimum, even going as far as to start cutting off his own tenketsu points.

His chakra pathway, this network of interconnected pathways that rotate around the body, was cut off. Right from the core, or at least from the knowledge of where he had cut it off himself.

This was not easy, especially since his eyes don't particularly allow him to see his chakra network. Just some of the flow, and using his own developed theoretical knowledge and practical skills, along with some stolen techniques, the boy managed to do so.

Only just in time, for above him, his pursuers, had come to a stop. One of them seemed to be sniffing the air, trying to locate the boy, but within the dark and having cleaned himself off, leaving fake markers elsewhere, he was having an easier time.

"I can't find this person! They dared to come to the Uchiha Compound! Who do they think they are! To even kill one of our own..." It would seem this group of people happened to be with the Uchiha clan.

"What was her name? That one that died. She had a grandson, did she not?" Another person asked, and while the Uchiha are infamous for their Sharingan, only a minimal few had ever awakened it.

"Adoptive grandson. He is living with Lady Mikoto."

"That brat has gotten in my way. I am sure of it." Another said with passion.

"Calm down Fugaku. We know, no, everyone knows of your infatuation with Lady Mikoto, but she has clearly rejected you... why can you not let it go?" One of the clansmen hesitated to ask, but they said so anyway.

"You don't understand." The now identified Fugaku replied. "We need to go back and check up on Mikoto."

"Do you really think she'll like that?" One of the clansmen asked, but Fugaku shut them all up with his glare. Especially since he had been feeling rather upset more and more often than not.

"Whoever it was, they have gotten away. I can't sense them." The one with a rather acute sense of smell said, being unable to sense their presence.

"Fine. When I find whoever this person is, I shall kill them myself." Fugaku's voice was now identifiable by the boy underneath their very feet.

The boy is in pain, his head hurting, his eyesight very strange right now, and most of all, he is unable to do anything until his body naturally pushes his chakra back into his system naturally.

"I am sure Lady Mikoto would be honored." Some of the clansmen jested, laughing as Fugaku's expense. Even being the next in line, the heir to the Uchiha head position, Fugaku was not getting everything he wanted.

Respected some, he is, but that didn't mean he was going down the path he thought he wanted. Needed even, and that included roping in Mikoto Uchiha as his bride. His wife. She comes from a rather wealthy and somewhat influential Uchiha family within the clan itself, and if he were to marry her, he would have all he needed to cement his rule of the Uchiha.

The boy slipped for a second within the small space he had provided himself, creating a small sound. "Wait!" The Uchiha clansmen stopped before looking at Fugaku who seemed extremely sensitive right now. "Did anyone else hear that?"

"Hear what? I am picking up a scent in another direction. Whoever it is, they set up this place as a decoy." One of Fugaku's clansmen said.

"It was the wind...?" Fugaku didn't really think so, but he had no way to sense anything except using his eyes, and even then, the Sharingan is limited in terms of tracking capabilities. "We need to inform the Hokage. Something strange is going on with that boy and those related to him."

Fugaku held a grudge against Obito, and Obito didn't know of it, not up until this point.

One should've guessed it by now, but the person on the run is Obito, but those above seemed to think he was an adult. He had made sure to create such an illusion, so that he may not be implicated.

He killed her.

Masumi. His grandmother Masumi.

He cried tears of blood. He silently cursed this world, and cursed the curse of the Uchiha for making him like this...

'No. Maybe... Maybe I was like this from the start...' He kept silent as he hid from those above, and he would have to wait until his chakra network reopens by itself. Using the Sharingan to steal the Gentle Fist was a good decision, as it helped him in this moment of life and death.

"Come, Lord Fugaku. We should be going." It seemed like Fugaku had stayed looking around a bit more.

"Yes..." Fugaku replied, before they too left, leaving Obito all on his own, but he wouldn't say a word. Wouldn't create anymore tears, and would most definitely hold back the feeling he is currently feeling at this moment.

It wasn't over until its over, and knowing that Fugaku Uchiha seems to have it out for him, only made him want to stay undercover even more so than before. Well, Fugaku doesn't exactly want to kill Obito or anything, but he certainly wouldn't mind throwing Obito somewhere else, so that he may take Mikoto.

The object of his desire.