Naruto: one more uchiha

Sitting atop the Hokage Mountains, Kazui watched the village in silence, his gaze fixed on the flickering lights in the distance. The cold wind brushed against his face, but he barely noticed. That old man… he really knows how to manipulate people. He even managed to move me a little, he thought, recalling Hiruzen's warm embrace and the comforting words he had offered.

He let out a bitter laugh as his lips curled into a cynical smile. "Although, to be honest, that doesn't mean anything to me," he murmured, standing up. From this height, the world seemed small, and the village even smaller. 

"No matter how hard he tries or what words he uses, nothing he does will ever bring back what I've lost." 

Kazui clenched his fists, feeling helplessness creep back into his heart. His thoughts drifted to his current situation. Now, I have only one option: survive. This village is crawling with enemies, and I… I'm too weak. Five months of preparation isn't enough to face someone like Itachi.

With a sigh, he allowed himself to evaluate his progress. My fundamentals aren't bad. My taijutsu is decent, but I doubt it's even at the level Sasuke had at the beginning of Naruto's story. However, that will change now that I have the Sharingan. Sasuke only needed one fight against Rock Lee to copy his taijutsu style. Maybe I can do something similar if the opportunity arises.

Kazui crossed his arms, his mind analyzing possibilities. Though, to be honest, the ideal situation would be having a good sensei to teach me. Someone who can really help me unlock my potential. But who would want to train someone like me? I'm not even a genin yet. It all depends on what the Hokage decides… and whether he allows me to join the academy in this village.

His eyes settled back on the village. Beneath its calm surface, he knew it hid countless secrets and threats. But it was also clear that if he wanted to become strong enough to achieve his goals, this was where he needed to start. 

Kazui took a deep breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs. His determination burned brightly, even amidst the pain and doubt.

Kazui placed a finger on the ground, focusing. His senses began to pick up on the chakra around him. 

"So, they're coming…" he murmured to himself.

In the distance, he spotted a ninja accompanied by a child. Kazui recognized those eyes, still haunted by the trauma of losing an entire family.

He watched them closely as they approached and slowly rose from the ground. 

"I've been waiting for you…" he said, his voice calm but laced with a strange resentment.

The ninja, showing no emotion, spoke in a firm tone: 

"I've brought him here as ordered by the Hokage. I want you to know that, by the Hokage's orders and for the child's protection, I will be watching you."

Kazui didn't respond immediately. Instead, he approached Sasuke, who still hadn't lifted his gaze from the ground. Slowly, he crouched to the boy's level, locking eyes with him. For several long seconds, Kazui stayed in that position, his gaze fixed on Sasuke's eyes as if trying to understand the pain reflected in them.

Gripping Sasuke's shoulders firmly, Kazui, with his red eyes that signified the Uchiha heritage, maintained a tense expression. One hand still rested on Sasuke's shoulder as he reached into his ninja pouch with the other, pulling out a kunai. His hand trembled slightly as he brought the sharp blade closer to Sasuke's face, each movement seemingly weighed down by an internal struggle.

The ninja, noticing the proximity, tensed and drew a kunai of his own, quickly approaching Kazui. 

"Stop! Don't do anything to him!" he shouted urgently.

But Kazui, showing no trace of fear, continued staring at Sasuke, his gaze locked onto the boy's eyes, frozen in terror. As Kazui saw the fear in those eyes, he felt a sharp pang in his chest. Involuntarily, he let the kunai slip from his grasp, his face pale with the shock of what he had just witnessed.

The ninja wasted no time. He launched himself at Kazui, delivering a kick to his chest that sent him crashing against a nearby tree. Drawing his kunai, the ninja pressed it to Kazui's throat as a group of shinobi emerged from the shadows, surrounding them.

Kazui, completely defeated and drained of strength, stopped resisting. A wave of helplessness consumed him. 

"I warned you… don't blame me now. I have no choice…" the ninja said, pressing the kunai closer to Kazui's throat.

Kazui closed his eyes, accepting the futility of his situation. Defeat was inevitable.

But just then, something changed. Sasuke, watching Kazui being completely overpowered, felt rage welling up inside him. Tears streamed down his face, but they were not tears of fear. His gaze, now resolute, radiated an unyielding determination.

With a strangled cry, Sasuke lunged at the ninja, driving a kunai straight into the attacker's neck. The ninja collapsed to the ground, lifeless, as blood splattered across Sasuke's face. Trembling, Sasuke yanked the kunai from the ninja's corpse and gripped it tightly, his eyes burning with the power of a newly awakened Sharingan.

Kazui, still in shock at what he had just witnessed, stared at Sasuke, whose face was now smeared with blood. Sasuke, trembling, stood up and looked directly at Kazui, as if he had just witnessed an irreversible shift in his destiny.

The other shinobi, seeing what had happened, stepped back, visibly uneasy. 

"What do we do now?" one of them asked, his voice filled with concern. "The boy has awakened the Sharingan. Danzo-sama ordered us to eliminate only the older one. We need to act fast before the Hokage's ANBU realize Sasuke is no longer at his location."