"Reinforcements? It's just one person. Your father."
Artoria fixed her gaze on Itachi.
Just moments ago, his inner world had been a storm—roiling, chaotic. Yet now, he had calmed like a silent lake, answering with composed rationality.
And he was right. With the tide of battle turning in their favor, it was virtually impossible for three chūnin and a jōnin to abduct an Uchiha unnoticed. That kind of maneuver wouldn't go undetected by their side.
But what if the Iwa-nin found Itachi before the Uchiha did?
Yes… if they were bold enough to risk failure by abducting one Uchiha genin, what would stop them from taking another—especially one too weak to resist?
In mere seconds, Artoria assessed the situation based on the intel Itachi had access to and formed a rough conclusion.
"Your father?" Itachi questioned, doubting the identity of the person who had arrived. He shook his head. "No, that can't be. If it were Father, he wouldn't reveal his position by throwing a kunai."
"He would've predicted their escape route, laid a trap in advance, or infiltrated silently for a surprise attack."
"My father taught me that a true shinobi never engages the enemy so openly."
Just now, Itachi had heard the dull thud of a kunai embedding itself into a tree. That kind of move wasn't his father's style.
If it truly was him, he would've approached like a shadow—silent, unseen—and struck with a single, lethal blow.
"…But it is your father," Artoria replied with certainty.
She paused briefly, then added, "However… something's not right about him."
"Not right?"
Curled up in the hollow of the tree, Itachi's body tensed. He hadn't even tried to look outside—not once. He understood that although he'd been discovered, the enemy still didn't know his exact location.
And one's gaze, like a lantern, could betray their position.
"Yes," Artoria nodded. "His eyes… they're different."
She had been about to explain when, suddenly, her pupils reflected a dramatic change—three black tomoe spinning in Uchiha Fugaku's Sharingan, now overlain with a fan-shaped pattern, far more ominous.
Then, thick, dark chakra surged around his body—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted in Itachi's ears. Wind howled, flinging dust, weeds, and shattered stone into the hollow like a tidal wave.
The blast sent Itachi flying, slamming him against the inner wall of the hollow.
An instant later, a thunderous roar ripped through the forest, shaking the air with such force it rendered his hearing nearly useless. It felt like a swarm of bees buzzing inside his skull—thousands of them, never stopping.
"King… what just happened?!"
His body, now fully acting on instinct, no longer obeyed his practiced breathing. Panting for air, he gritted his teeth against the pain in his back and pulled himself upright by the wall.
But it didn't stop.
Wave after wave of concussive wind and sound battered him from outside, forcing him to draw upon his chakra just to maintain his footing.
In that moment, Itachi could no longer remain hidden.
"Your father… has turned into a giant."
Artoria, unaffected by the chaos, as if observing from another realm, hesitated before speaking.
"I mean his chakra is so immense that it's physically manifesting—like a colossal arm made of pure energy."
"I think it's time you saw for yourself. With power like that, I doubt anything will happen to you while he's here."
Chakra? A giant?
After a moment's thought, Itachi followed her advice and crept toward the hollow's entrance.
Dust swirled in thick clouds outside, like a fog veiling a battlefield.
It was as if a hurricane had ripped through the forest.
Trees lay uprooted or snapped in half. Entire trunks had been reduced to shattered wood.
It had only been two minutes—maybe less—since that first kunai hit its mark. No conversation, no build-up. Just destruction.
Among the debris of shattered stone and broken trees, Itachi spotted his father.
His right arm had transformed. Thick, black chakra poured from it like smoke, coalescing into bones, muscles, tendons…
It formed a massive limb—an arm extending from his own—wrought entirely from chakra.
And in that monstrous black hand, someone was clutched tightly.
An Iwa-nin jōnin.
Itachi recognized the rank immediately from the man's forehead protector.
"L-Let our captain go, Uchiha Fugaku! Or this kid dies!"
Itachi pressed his back against the tree, peering toward the source of the voice.
In the distance, two Iwa chūnin trembled as they held the unconscious Uchiha boy hostage, kunai to his throat, desperately trying to negotiate.
Wait… there should've been one more.
Itachi frowned and glanced toward Artoria.
Before he could ask, she spoke calmly—as if reading his thoughts.
"He's already been crushed."
Crushed?
Itachi's brows furrowed. Only then did he notice that beneath his father's feet, the dirt was stained a different color.
"When your father threw the kunai, that jōnin appeared by his side almost instantly—using a high-speed technique," Artoria said.
"But before he could act, he slammed into that massive black hand like a moth flying into fire—and was caught immediately."
"The other chūnin tried to rescue him, but before he even got close, a second arm—just as massive—materialized and swatted him like an insect."
She described the entire encounter with eerie calm, then concluded, "Itachi, your understanding of what it means to be a shinobi is still very limited. The power in this world… is terrifying."
It was a heartfelt observation.
Itachi slowly turned his gaze to his father.
He had never seen him like this before.
Killing intent radiated from his body, thick and suffocating. His face, cold and stoic, was overshadowed by those blood-red Sharingan—now filled with hatred, violence, and madness.
In his memory, Fugaku had always been calm—almost mechanical. Even when killing, he never let emotions get in the way.
But now…
"There's another kid—"
A voice cut through the chaos, dangerously close to Itachi.
But before he could react, the world fell silent again.
"Itachi. This journey ends now."
Fugaku's voice echoed across the clearing as the massive chakra hand clenched tighter. "Bring Uchiha Hikaru with you. We're going home."
The Iwa jōnin in his grasp let out a sickening series of cracks—his bones shattering under pressure. Blood sprayed from his body like a shaken soda bottle.
Then, silence. He collapsed to the ground, twisted and broken like a crushed can.
Only then did Itachi turn to look behind him.
Somehow, the two chūnin who had been holding the other Uchiha had appeared beside him. But they weren't attacking.
They stood still, grinning like fools, eyes glassy—arms outstretched, still holding the unconscious Hikaru.
What… happened?
Itachi's mind went blank.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!