"Is this the ancestral land of Uzushio Village?"
"It doesn't look like ruins at all!"
Standing beside Uzumaki Raiden, Uchiha Itachi gazed at the lively scene above the ruins, murmuring to himself. It was not entirely accurate to call Uzushio Village a ruin anymore. Over the years, the site had drawn in numerous ninjas and civilians from across the ninja world, all searching through the debris. This influx of outsiders had created new business opportunities.
Some merchants from the Land of Fire recognized its potential and set up restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in the area. Over time, near the ruins of Uzushio Village, a town had begun to take shape. Given more time, it would surely develop into a fully established settlement.
"It has been a long time since the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, and the explorers who come here from all over the ninja world have considerable spending power."
"And that spending power attracts ordinary merchants. Over time, it becomes a self-sustaining cycle."
"A growing population means increased commerce, and that, in turn, attracts even more people."
"Once industry forms, a village will naturally emerge again."
"Though this new village will never be the Uzushio Village it once was."
Uzumaki Raiden sighed as he observed the scene. A new town was rising upon the bones of giants.
"Master Raiden, what are these people searching for in the ruins?"
"It has been more than ten years since Uzushio Village fell, and I heard that the secret arts of the Uzumaki Clan were destroyed when the village leader sacrificed himself."
"So after all this time, what do they expect to find?"
Hatake Kakashi glanced at the scavengers in the ruins, puzzled. The ones who had invaded the Land of Whirlpools back then were elite warriors from the Mist, and those who had destroyed Uzushio Village were no fools. If there had been anything valuable left behind, would they have ignored it? How could anything of significance remain undiscovered after all these years?
"That's hard to say!"
Uzumaki Raiden raised an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He had sensed something unusual beneath the ruins.
"What kind of seal covers such a large area?"
He stroked his chin in contemplation.
Just then, a sudden outburst caught everyone's attention.
"I found it! I found it!"
From within the ruins, a teenage boy excitedly crawled out, holding something in his right hand. With his sharp eyesight, Obito immediately spotted a crystal chalcedony in the boy's grasp.
"Seriously? Did he actually find something?" Even though he couldn't tell exactly what the boy had discovered, Obito could sense it wasn't ordinary. He shouted in disbelief.
"What are you guys planning to do?"
Within moments, five middle-aged men in ninja vests had surrounded the boy. Their sudden appearance and overwhelming presence left the boy visibly panicked.
"Kid, hand over what you're holding!"
"Think of this as our compensation!"
One of the men pulled out a pouch, retrieved a stack of ninja currency, and casually tossed a 500-ryō bill at the boy.
With that much, he could buy three bowls of ramen.
"I don't want it! I found this fair and square!"
The boy clearly didn't grasp the danger he was in. Fear tightened his grip on the chalcedony, and his expression hardened.
The onlookers didn't intervene. Instead, they merely watched with detached amusement.
"Kid, you don't get a choice in this."
"If you won't sell it, fine—I'll just save some money!"
The man who had offered payment smirked cruelly, slipping the money back into his pouch. He glanced at one of his subordinates and gave a subtle nod.
Understanding the signal, the subordinate grinned and stepped toward the boy.
"No, don't come any closer!"
"I'll sell it! I'll sell it to you!"
Realizing his predicament, the boy's hand trembled as he hesitated. The sunlight glinted off the chalcedony in his grasp.
"Damn it, these guys are scum!"
"They're trying to rob a child!"
"Disgusting!"
Obito's fury boiled over. His strong sense of justice wouldn't allow him to stand by and watch. Seeing such cruelty unfold before his eyes made his blood boil, and he was ready to step in.
Just as he moved, he felt someone grab his wrist. He turned, only to see Kakashi holding him back.
"Kakashi, what are you doing?!" Obito demanded, visibly frustrated.
But it wasn't Kakashi who answered. Instead, Uchiha Itachi, who had been standing quietly beside Uzumaki Raiden, spoke up.
"Obito, that boy doesn't need your help."
"You shouldn't interfere."
"Think about it—how could such an obvious piece of chalcedony remain hidden in these ruins for over ten years?"
Itachi's voice was calm, but his words carried weight.
Uzumaki Raiden glanced at his disciple and smiled approvingly. It wasn't just Itachi's talent that made him exceptional—it was his keen mind. Strength could be trained, but a sharp intellect was much harder to cultivate.
As if on cue, something unexpected happened.
The man approaching the boy was suddenly sent flying backward. He crashed into a low wall and lost consciousness.
In an instant, several figures darted through the crowd. Within seconds, the men surrounding the boy had been taken down, leaving only the leader, who stared in shock at his fallen comrades.
"Uncle, hand over everything valuable you have!"
"Or I'll kill you all!"
Gone was the boy's previous panic. He now grinned as he stepped toward the man.
"Y-You…"
The middle-aged man stammered in disbelief. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he frantically pulled out his money pouch. Kneeling on the ground, he laid the money before him and began to plead.
"I-I'm sorry!"
"Please, spare me!"
"I'll give you everything, just take it all!"
Tears streamed down his face as he pulled out more valuables—money, jewelry, anything of worth.
"Hahaha! Look at you! Who would've thought the one you tried to rob was a ninja?"
The boy sneered, enjoying the man's misery.
But then—
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of movement.
The middle-aged man had drawn a kunai from his sleeve. Before the boy could react, the blade thrust forward.
"Die, brat!"
The attack was swift, leaving the boy no time to dodge.
The kunai plunged deep into his chest. Blood poured from the wound, staining his clothes crimson. His eyes widened in shock. He tried to speak, but his throat filled with blood.
"But…"
The boy collapsed.
"Hahaha!"
"You little punk, you thought you could outsmart me?"
The middle-aged man laughed maniacally and kicked the lifeless body several times, venting his rage. The force of his kicks tore the boy's clothing, revealing a small slip of paper.
"What's this…?"
His laughter faded. As he reached for the paper, it began to burn.
A dazzling light engulfed him.
"Boom!!!"
A deafening explosion erupted.
The spectators, caught off guard, were hit by flying debris. Those standing too close were injured.
Kakashi had anticipated trouble. The moment the explosion ignited, he had already raised an earth wall to shield them.
As the smoke cleared, the ruins bore a massive, charred crater. The boy's body, along with the men who had surrounded him, had been obliterated.
"What the hell just happened?"
Obito stared in shock. He hadn't expected things to take such a turn.
And the catalyst for it all… was just a single piece of chalcedony.
(End of this chapter)