Naruto: The Rise Of Uchiha

"Give up?"

In a dark cave, Orochimaru sat cross-legged, his golden eyes shut as he rested.

As a Kage-level shinobi, he was not one to be followed without notice. He had sensed the presence of Uchiha Fugaku and his group not long after they began tracking him.

However, Orochimaru made no effort to erase his tracks or confront his pursuers. He had a plan—to lead them into the Land of Rivers.

The Akatsuki had extended an invitation for him to meet them in this very country. Orochimaru intended to use Fugaku and his team to gauge Akatsuki's strength.

But the sudden rain had disrupted his plan.

"Patriarch Fugaku, it seems fortune is on your side today," Orochimaru muttered, his lips curling into a sinister smile.

Using his summoned snake's chakra perception, he confirmed that the group included Uchiha Fugaku, with whom he had recently dealt.

While the deal had been amicable, Orochimaru had no intention of letting Fugaku live unscathed. Yet, the rain had washed away the tracks, thwarting any confrontation.

"Well, I'll have to verify Akatsuki's abilities myself," he mused, standing up. Orochimaru stepped out of the cave, heading toward the rendezvous point specified by Akatsuki.

As he moved, the small snake he had been using to monitor Fugaku and his team disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

Not far away, hidden within a tree, Uchiha Fugaku emerged as though stepping through air.

After separating from Uchiha Asami and the others, he had concealed himself using the Mayfly Technique.

Looking at the spot where the snake had vanished in smoke, Fugaku narrowed his eyes.

"I'm being watched," he muttered, confirming what he had suspected for the past two days.

With his heightened perception, enhanced by smelting the bodies of Yamanaka clan members, he had sensed a faint presence monitoring him. It was almost imperceptible, like an illusion.

Now, with the snake's disappearance, Fugaku was certain.

"A snake summoning beast... It's Orochimaru," he deduced.

If Orochimaru had detected their pursuit, why hadn't he erased his tracks? Why hadn't he attacked?

"There must be a reason," Fugaku muttered, though he couldn't pinpoint it.

Shaking his head, he decided it no longer mattered. The mission had effectively been canceled due to the rain. Orochimaru's intentions, whatever they were, could no longer come to fruition.

With the rain gone, the sun emerged, casting a warm but gentle light over the Land of Rivers.

On a large, flat rock, two men wearing black cloaks adorned with red clouds stood waiting.

One was a burly, weathered man with a stubble-lined face and a ring inscribed with "Three" on his finger.

The other was pale, with a grotesque scar running from his left eyebrow to the right corner of his mouth. His ring bore the word "North."

"Uchiha Fugaku—bounty of 30 million," the weathered man read aloud from a bounty notice he held.

The Akatsuki had discovered Fugaku's entry into the Land of Rivers and learned of the hefty bounty on his head. With funds always in demand, they had decided to act.

When they realized Fugaku had separated from his group, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Blame the one who placed the bounty," the scarred man said coldly, his icy gaze locked on Fugaku.

Standing calmly, Fugaku glanced at their Akatsuki robes and rings. He recognized their affiliation but did not know these particular members.

"Thirty million? That seems low," Fugaku remarked, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

He knew that years later, even someone like Asuma Sarutobi, a mere elite jonin, would have a bounty of 35 million.

"Only thirty million for someone like me? How disappointing," he mocked, though he understood it was due to the secrecy surrounding his true strength.

"Your bounty is already higher than most elite jonin," the weathered man said as he tucked the bounty notice away.

"Let's not waste time," the scarred man interjected, his tone sharp. "His companions haven't gone far. Eliminate him before they realize he's missing."

"Understood," the weathered man replied.

With a powerful leap, he launched himself into the air, his right fist enveloped in a layer of rock.

"Earth Style: Rock Fist Jutsu!"

The ground shook as the man's rock-covered fist came crashing down.

Fugaku sidestepped the attack with ease, the fist smashing into the ground and creating a spiderweb of cracks.

"Ice Style: White Whale!"

The scarred man finished a series of hand seals, and a massive whale made of ice materialized, surging toward Fugaku with crushing force.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan spinning as he analyzed the incoming attack.

(End of this chapter)

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