novelnext Chapter 90 Freaks
Chapter 90 Freaks
A chilling unease gripped Zuo Yue's heart without warning. Her body began to tremble slightly, not from the cool night breeze, but from the faint yet increasingly distinct smell of blood in the air.
The scent awakened her most primal human fears—fear of death, of loss, of unpredictable disaster.
Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as she instinctively grabbed Naruto's sleeve, the only thing she could rely on. The fabric was clutched tightly in her hand, bringing a faint sense of security.
However, reason screamed in my mind.
If... if something truly terrible happens, just as I suspect...
Naruto... should leave here immediately!
It was absolutely unacceptable to involve the most important people in potential danger. This thought was crystal clear. However, another, more primal and turbulent emotion—a tidal wave called "fear"—instantly swallowed up this glimmer of reason.
Alone in this deathly silence and blood-soaked darkness? The thought chilled her to the bone, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped her sleeve tightly.
She looked up at Naruto, her eyes filled with intense struggle. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; she didn't know whether to order him to leave or beg him to stay.
Ultimately, all her struggles, fears, and dependencies were laid bare on her face.
Naruto saw that Satsuki's obsidian-like eyes, which were always filled with pride or anger, were now looking at him with an almost sorrowful gaze that he had never seen before.
His eyes were filled with helplessness and pleading, like a small animal shivering in a storm seeking shelter.
Naruto gently placed his palm on Sasuke's cool fingers. "It's okay. Something seems off up ahead, doesn't it? Don't be afraid, I'll stay by your side."
These comforting words were like a lifeline for Zuo Yue, who had lost all sense of security at that moment. Unusually, she didn't utter any arrogant rebuttal, but simply nodded obediently.
The two slowly made their way towards the corner of the Uchiha clan's territory, step by step. With each step closer, the sweet, rusty smell in the air grew stronger, and Satsuki's breathing became more rapid.
Finally, they turned the corner that would determine their fate.
The next moment, all the color drained from Zuo Yue's face, leaving it as pale as paper.
The cold moonlight spilled onto the street, illuminating a scene resembling hell. People dressed in the familiar Uchiha clan crest lay scattered in pools of blood in various poses.
Their necks were cleanly slit open, the fatal wounds gaping open in a gruesome manner, and each person's eye sockets were turned into empty holes from which dark red blood meandered.
These... include biological replicas made by Gold Experience, and... real corpses.
Naruto's eyes were filled with complex emotions. The truth or falsehood depended on the stance these people took in life—whether they were doves or hawks. However, the pretense that even the deceased Danzo couldn't discern was an even more terrifying reality that nine-year-old Satsuki couldn't comprehend.
"This... what is this...?" Zuo Yue's voice trembled so badly it was almost incoherent, the huge shock leaving her mind blank.
Then, the instinct for survival overwhelmed everything. She suddenly grabbed Naruto's hand tightly, no longer clutching the hem of his clothes, but interlocking her fingers as if she wanted to weld herself to his hand.
"Quick...hurry up!" Without saying a word, she grabbed Naruto and stumbled as they ran wildly toward the mansion deep inside the clan.
She was breathing heavily, the icy air stinging her lungs, but she dared not stop for a moment.
Naruto didn't break free, letting her drag him through the corpse-strewn clan territory. From a rational perspective, the best course of action for Sasuke at that moment was indeed to immediately flee the clan territory and seek help in the village center.
However, for a nine-year-old child, witnessing such a horrific scene and being overwhelmed by boundless fear, the first reaction is definitely not a calm "rational analysis." Her only instinctive reaction is to find the safest and most reliable haven in the world.
Dad... Mom... Sister...
In her mind, her father, Fugaku Uchiha, was a powerful ninja, and her older sister, Itachi Uchiha, was a genius of the Anbu. She believed that once she found them, she would be safe, and everything would be alright.
It was this dependence that made her not only run towards "home" herself, but also cling tightly to Naruto—she could not leave the most important person alone in this bloody hell outside.
She is desperately clinging to what she considers the only solid thing, running towards the safe haven of her memories.
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...What happened? Father and Mother...are still alive?!
Uchiha Itachi stood on the rooftop, the night wind blowing through her long hair, her crimson Mangekyou Sharingan fixed on the scene below—among the "corpses" she had created herself, Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto lay there quietly!
Although their breathing was weak and their faces were pale, their chests were still rising and falling slightly... They were really still alive!
How is this possible?!
In order to force Satsuki to awaken her Sharingan and to make her hate him enough to walk the "right" path, Itachi spared no effort.
When the mysterious leader of the "Jin" organization suddenly changed his mind and demanded that her parents be spared, her intense sense of crisis and obsession led her to unhesitatingly use her newly awakened power—"Amaterasu."
That black flame, which would not be extinguished until its target was completely consumed, was lit by her own hands. She endured the soul-wrenching grief as she watched her parents' bodies being devoured by the ominous black flames... She was certain that she had completed this "necessary" sacrifice.
But why... why are they still alive?!
"You're finally back, Uchiha Itachi."
A cold voice suddenly rang out from behind, breaking the deathly silence.
Itachi turned around abruptly, his Sharingan instantly locking onto the source of the sound—not far away, a figure wearing a fox mask stood silently in the moonlight.
"Do you really have to be so absolute?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Itachi's kaleidoscope started spinning wildly!
【Amaterasu】!
Dark flames appeared out of nowhere, instantly engulfing the numb face like a leech, burning violently. However, before the pain could reach him, the numb face vanished on its own, like smoke.
It's a shadow clone!
The next moment, space distorted slightly, and another identical figure appeared in the same spot using the Flying Thunder God Technique, his tone still calm and unwavering.
"Don't be silly, my true form will not appear in front of you."
The newly appeared Menma spoke calmly, his gaze seemingly fixed on Itachi's eyes, which were streaming with bloody tears.
"I advise you to use that eye less. You should already feel it... the price you pay for using that power."
Looking at Uchiha Itachi, whose face was pale but whose eyes were unusually stubborn, Menma shook his head. "I can't believe that a child would go to such lengths to kill his own parents..."
"And an outsider is doing everything he can to protect them. This world really is a breeding ground for freaks."
Itachi Uchiha's breathing became heavy, and tears of blood streamed down her face again. She stared intently at Menma, her voice filled with anger and confusion. "Why did you do this?! This shouldn't have done you any good, [Jin]!"
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(One more chapter to come, to be uploaded in an hour)