Naruto: I am Uchiha Fugaku [91]
Deep in the forest, a massacre was underway.
More than a dozen shinobi, clad in the uniforms of Kirigakure, were surrounding and hunting five individuals.
Among the five under siege were both men and women—and even a young girl.
Several corpses already littered the ground, some dressed in Kirigakure attire, others clearly not.
"Ice Release: Thousand Needles of Ice!"
One of the besieged, an elderly woman, quickly formed hand seals.
In an instant, dozens of icy senbon needles condensed from the moisture in the air and shot out in a concentrated barrage.
"Scatter!"
The Kirigakure ninja in that direction, recognizing the jutsu's power, turned pale and immediately jumped aside to avoid it.
Squelch—
One ninja wasn't fast enough. He was pierced by dozens of ice needles.
Dozens of bloody holes opened across his body—one even directly in the center of his forehead. He dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Whoosh!
Just as the old woman unleashed her Ice Release, a Kirigakure jonin closed in, thrusting a kunai toward her.
"...!"
The others, desperate to help, were held back by multiple Kirigakure shinobi each. None could break free in time.
One man, in his haste to protect the old woman, left an opening—earning a deep gash across his side from a pursuing enemy.
Squelch—
The kunai pierced deep into the old woman's side. She managed to kick the jonin back, but blood gushed from the wound, and she staggered, barely staying on her feet.
Her eyes glanced toward the little girl behind her, filled with sorrow and frustration.
She had lived a long life and no longer feared death. But the thought that her young granddaughter might not survive this day left her full of regret.
"Grandma…"
The little girl had pale skin, large eyes, and clutched a kunai tightly in her trembling hands.
Though she wanted to fight, her body shook uncontrollably from fear. Watching her grandmother fall injured, her eyes filled with pain and worry.
"Found them."
Unnoticed, Uchiha Fugaku stood atop a nearby tree, silently observing the battle.
His expression was cold. Even at the sight of the injured old woman and the terrified girl, he showed no emotion.
As a shinobi, one must never let compassion cloud judgment. Pity only leads to unnecessary risk—and ultimately, death.
Besides, neither the old woman nor the girl deserved his sympathy.
The old woman was clearly an Ice Release kekkei genkai user, which meant she had likely fought on battlefields against Konoha. She may have even killed comrades from the Uchiha clan.
As for the little girl, though she hadn't seen war yet, she was a member of the Yuki Clan. From birth, she enjoyed privileges earned through her clan's bloody conquests—slaying shinobi of other villages.
"Seven corpses from the Yuki Clan… Weak overall, but their bloodline should still hold value. Not a bad haul..."
Fugaku remained hidden in the branches, waiting patiently.
He would wait until the Kirigakure shinobi finished killing the Yuki Clan survivors. Then he would move in and claim the corpses.
In the meantime, his Sharingan copied every Ice Release jutsu the Yuki shinobi used.
He couldn't use them yet—but once he processed the corpses and acquired their kekkei genkai, he would.
---
More than ten minutes passed. The battle was nearing its end.
Four more Kirigakure shinobi had been killed, but now only two members of the Yuki Clan remained: the little girl and a blood-soaked middle-aged man.
The man was heavily wounded, his clothing completely stained red.
Weakened from blood loss, he still shielded the girl and attempted to break through—but every attempt failed.
"Water Release: Water Blade!"
A Kirigakure shinobi formed a massive blade from condensed water and slashed toward the girl from behind.
"Ice Release: Frozen Wall!"
Panicked, the man formed a wall of ice, just in time to block the blade and protect the girl.
But in the next instant, he was struck by a volley of water bullets, his body tossed aside like a broken ragdoll.
He hit the ground hard. Blood gushed from his body, dyeing the earth crimson.
He struggled to lift his head, gave the girl one final glance… and went still.
"Uncle Makio…"
The girl trembled, clutching her kunai. Her voice was filled with helplessness and sorrow.
"One left."
The remaining Kirigakure shinobi all turned to the girl, eyes cold and predatory—like wolves eyeing helpless prey.
One man stepped forward with a twisted grin.
His blade, still stained with the blood of another Yuki clan member, gleamed in the light.
"Why…? Why did you kill Grandma… Uncle Makio…?"
The girl glared at him with large eyes, filled with confusion and rage.
She couldn't understand. Just this morning, she still had a family. Now everything was gone. Why? Why were they hunting her?
Her grandmother had died before her eyes. Uncle Makio too. Everyone was gone.
"The Yuki Clan betrayed us. All of them must die—including you!"
The man's voice was chilling.
He vanished and reappeared right in front of her, swinging the bloodied blade down.
Clang—
Driven by pure survival instinct, the girl raised her kunai and blocked the slash. The force of the blow sent her flying backward.
The man pursued without hesitation, eyes filled with cruelty. He raised his sword and slashed again toward the fallen girl.
"Ahhh…"
A cry of fear and despair left the girl's mouth.
Her life flashed before her—memories of warmth, of family… only to be replaced by images of corpses drenched in blood.
She was angry. She was heartbroken. She didn't understand. And as her emotions reached their breaking point—
A surge of frigid, white frost burst from her body.
One after another, massive ice spikes erupted from the ground, shooting toward the man.
"What—?!"
His expression twisted in shock. He tried to dodge, but he was too close.
Squelch—
One ice spike pierced straight through his chest, lifting him into the air like a skewered doll.
Blood poured down the spike. His body twitched, then went still—dead on impact.
---
"She's awakened her kekkei genkai…"
From his perch, Uchiha Fugaku's eyes narrowed in surprise.
If he wasn't mistaken, the girl had just awakened her Ice Release bloodline.
To be able to kill a Kirigakure shinobi the moment her powers awakened—even if it was a surprise attack—proved that she had exceptional potential.
Perhaps not inferior to Haku, the boy later adopted by Zabuza Momochi.
"Damn it—!"
Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining Kirigakure shinobi roared in rage.
"To hell with this—kill her!"
They lunged forward in unison, killing intent surging.
Whoosh!
Before they could reach her, a figure suddenly appeared in the field.
It was Uchiha Fugaku.
Originally, he had planned to wait until the Yuki Clan were all dead before making his move.
But seeing the girl awaken such a powerful Ice Release… he changed his mind.
Letting a child with this kind of potential die would be a waste. No—
She would become a tool. His tool. A weapon to be molded and used.
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