Uchiha Izumi had never displayed remarkable talent within the Uchiha clan.
To her clansmen, she was an outlier, deemed unworthy of even awakening the Sharingan.
Yet now, she possessed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"Three Tomoe? Your eyes are quite beautiful."
Obito Uchiha gazed at her Sharingan, a cold glint flashing in his eye.
His reasons for being here were twofold: first, to recruit Itachi Uchiha for the Akatsuki, and second, to collect as many Sharingan as possible.
"Sis Izumi!"
Naruto Uzumaki's legs trembled, his mind blank as he watched the scene unfold.
This wasn't his first brush with mortal fear, but it was nothing like facing Mizuki.
The pressure Obito exuded was overwhelming, impossible to face head-on.
Boom!
Before Izumi could react, Obito struck first.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he charged at her, his chains clanging with each swing.
Izumi's face darkened. She hurled several kunai with both hands.
Retreating, she aimed to force Obito back, hoping to close the distance to Naruto and escape with him.
With her Sharingan, she could track Obito's movements swiftly.
The fireball that had passed through him earlier didn't faze her much.
She assumed it was a rare space-time ninjutsu, which typically couldn't be used repeatedly in quick succession.
Swish!
The kunai sliced through the air, whistling sharply.
Facing the gleaming, deadly kunai, Obito didn't even glance at them.
His speed only increased, and the kunai passed straight through his masked face, leaving him unscathed.
Izumi's expression shifted dramatically. The gap in their combat experience and instincts was instantly clear.
Clang!
Despite Izumi's desperate struggle for a few seconds, Obito's chain soon wrapped around her neck.
Agony contorted her face as suffocation set in, her complexion turning deathly pale.
Her pupils rolled back, her breathing faltered, and her consciousness began to fade.
[Naruto Uzumaki, what are you doing? Sis Izumi's about to die!]
[She's going to die! Just like Iruka-sensei!]
As Naruto stood frozen, Chu Ran's voice echoed in his subconscious.
To Naruto, Izumi was his first true family, his most cherished person.
Unlike Mizuki, who betrayed him, Izumi had always protected him selflessly.
"Damn you! Let go of Sis Izumi!"
Naruto's fists clenched, his eyes blazing red.
His chakra surged chaotically. With a flicker, he used the Body Flicker Technique to reach Obito.
He swung a fist at the masked man, but it struck nothing.
Or rather, it passed straight through Obito's face.
Thud!
The missed punch left Naruto unbalanced in midair, unable to control his movements.
Obito's kick sent him flying.
Naruto crashed into a large tree, the force splintering the trunk behind him.
Obito hadn't held back. The impact felt like it had shifted Naruto's organs.
Blood gushed from his mouth, his consciousness growing hazy.
"Why isn't the Nine-Tails' power emerging?"
"Is the seal still too strong?"
Obito studied Naruto, his eyes narrowing as he muttered to himself.
Knowing Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and as the mastermind behind the attack eight years ago, Obito expected Naruto to be unable to suppress the beast's power.
Yet no trace of the Nine-Tails' chakra surfaced, puzzling him.
"Whatever. Time to finish this."
"The other guy's probably almost done."
Glancing at Naruto, slumped against the tree and unable to stand, Obito's expression remained cold.
He released his hands, and the chain slithered free like a venomous snake relinquishing its prey.
Izumi, either unconscious or suffocated, went limp.
As her body began to collapse, Obito grabbed her neck.
"You bastard… what are you doing?"
"Let her go! Let her go!"
Naruto mustered his last ounce of strength, shouting as blood surged from his throat.
Obito, as if deaf to his cries, reached for Izumi's eyes with his other hand.
His fingers dug in. Before Naruto's eyes, blood spurted as Obito forcibly extracted Izumi's Sharingan.
"Ahhh!!!"
The gruesome sight of his closest person mutilated drove Naruto into a frenzy.
He struggled to rise, desperate to charge forward and reclaim his sister's eyes.
But his staggering steps gave out after two, and he collapsed.
Izumi's hollow gaze became the final straw, crushing Naruto's spirit.
[Power! Power!]
[It's because I have no power! Because I'm not strong enough!]
[If I had power! If I were strong enough, I could've protected Sis Izumi!]
[I could avenge her! I could kill this bastard!]
Naruto's hands clawed the dirt, tears streaming from his eyes.
His vision blurred, and Chu Ran's subconscious nudging intensified Naruto's craving for power.
[Ding! Blackening Progress increased by 8%!]
[Ding! Blackening Progress reached 20%! Blackening Treasure Chest x1 acquired!]
[Ding! Blackening Progress reached 20%! Blackening Points increased by 1000!]
The system's notifications rang out. Chu Ran's eyes lit up in the subconscious.
Not only had he gained Blackening Points, but a Blackening Treasure Chest meant another special Naruto ability.
And as the Blackening Progress grew, Chu Ran's physique and soul would continue to strengthen.
(End of Chaoter)