Naruto: The Tale of Neo

Amid the ruins of destruction,

Setsuna Uchiha clenched his fists tightly, his eyes radiating an icy, bone-piercing coldness as he turned toward the three Hidden Cloud ninja—Moroi, Ramii, and Tsuchidai.

Never before had he experienced such searing pain in his soul!

He was the Elder of the Uchiha, a proud eagle soaring freely in the sky.

He was also the admired figure to whom the fledgling hawks of the clan aspired.

But now,

here,

all he could do was watch as Neo Uchiha—an eagle destined to shatter the clouds, pierce the heavens, and rise higher than the Ninefold Peaks—used his flesh and blood to carve a desperate escape route for him.

The three tomoe of Setsuna Uchiha's Sharingan spun rapidly, almost connecting into a solid black line, teetering on the verge of transforming into a new shape.

But it was futile.

Setsuna Uchiha painfully acknowledged a cruel truth—he was no Kagami Uchiha, born with extraordinary talent.

He lacked the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

And so, all he could do was glare with wide, bloodshot eyes, the whites of which were now webbed with countless red veins.

His eyes were crimson, monstrous.

A line of blood tears silently streaked down his cheek.

Setsuna Uchiha closed his eyes in anguish, and in the darkness, he saw the countless departed figures of the past.

Tajima Uchiha, Madara, Izuna, Kagami—

One after another, the spirits of Uchiha warriors stood like a wall in front of Setsuna.

They were silent, their faces rigid, their scarlet Sharingan wide open, glaring at him with fury and blame.

Their lips, teeth, and even their facial muscles trembled with rage as they stared him down.

The resentment, the anger, the accusations—

Why, after all the wars since the Warring States Era, was it someone as mediocre as you who survived?!

Setsuna Uchiha's eyes shot open, and all hesitation vanished from his gaze.

His blood-streaked Sharingan swept over the three Hidden Cloud ninja with an electric sharpness.

Suddenly, Setsuna Uchiha threw back his head and laughed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Though he laughed, the sound was laced with an agonizing pain, like nails being torn from their beds.

"Good!"

"Good!"

"Neo Uchiha! As the Elder of the Uchiha, the leader of the Hawk Faction, and your godfather—"

"I acknowledge your resolve!"

Setsuna Uchiha roared in grief and rage:

"Now go and die!"

"Die without regrets—die happily right here!"

Inside the barrier, Neo Uchiha's heart skipped a beat as he nervously glanced at Setsuna Uchiha.

He was terrified that the old man might lose his cool and try to join him in a blaze of glory.

I've gone this far—don't ruin it now, old man! Get a grip and just run, for crying out loud! Who cares about pride?

However,

Setsuna Uchiha raised his long blade, pointing it at the three Hidden Cloud ninja. His gaze was cold, like an eternal glacier.

With a resolute tone, he promised:

"Rest assured, I will flee like a beaten dog!"

"But these three…"

"They will suffer the eternal wrath of the Uchiha Clan!"

"From this day forward, I will mobilize the entire clan to hunt them down!"

"The Daimyō and ninja villages of the Five Great Nations will simultaneously receive a permanent bounty mission!"

"Beyond that, every underground bounty station will have a standing reward for their heads!"

"Every organization—big or small—the Star Ninja, Waterfall Ninja, Grass Ninja, Rain Ninja, Hot Springs Ninja, Kunoichi Corps, Land of Iron, Ryūdōin, Akatsuki, Xuanyuan Collective, Mori, Lin, Prajna Group, Yangyan..."

"All of them will know—"

Setsuna Uchiha's eyes burned with madness, blood-red and vengeful, as his voice rang out like hammering nails:

"Each of your heads is worth one hundred million ryo!"

His words were like daggers, piercing deep.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ramii trembled uncontrollably, his face filled with panic.

"Setsuna Uchiha, have you lost your mind?!"

"Are you planning to break the unspoken rules of the ninja world?!"

"This is a death sentence!"

Tsuchidai and Moroi, standing beside him, felt as though their heads had been struck by hammers. A deafening buzz drowned their thoughts.

Madness!

Everyone here has gone mad!

The young one is mad!

The old one is even madder!

In the chain of hatred that defined the ninja world, every clan and village had endured the pain of loss and vengeance. But no one—no one—had ever dared to take things as far as Setsuna Uchiha.

At most, a clan might discreetly post anonymous bounties at underground stations.

It was a simple logic: You killed my son, so I'll put a bounty on your head. Fair enough.

But such actions could easily escalate conflicts, fueling wars that would never end, plunging villages into ruin. The major nations had always worked to prevent this.

But the Uchiha were different.

As one of the two strongest clans of the Warring States Era, the Uchiha had the power to bypass village systems and deliver their vengeance directly to various organizations.

No one had ever done it before, but the Uchiha absolutely had the means to make it happen.

A public bounty of 300 million ryo, combined with potentially billions in hidden costs, was a price few in the ninja world could comprehend.

And for what? Just to kill three people?

This level of obsession could bankrupt other clans or villages. But the Uchiha?

The Uchiha were rich. Very rich.

Such expenses wouldn't even scratch the surface of their wealth.

Moreover, the Hawk Faction within the clan consisted of fanatics who would happily fund such bounties out of their own pockets.

Hearing Ramii's protests, Setsuna Uchiha sneered, his gaze cold and contemptuous.

"Rules? Do you think I care about rules?!"

"Did you mistake me for someone else? I am—"

"Setsuna Uchiha!"

At his words, Ramii, Tsuchidai, and Moroi all froze, their faces paling.

Of course. This was Setsuna Uchiha.

Setsuna's name was notorious among senior ninja across nations.

He had once staged a coup and attempted to assassinate the Second Hokage during peace talks.

It was akin to the infamous Golden and Silver Brothers of Hidden Cloud.

The only difference?

The coup failed. The assassination was unsuccessful.

He hadn't yet had the chance to execute his rebellion.

A certified lunatic!

"You're insane! Insane! Insane!" Tsuchidai shouted in terror, hurling curses.

Ramii pointed a trembling finger at Setsuna, his entire body shaking with rage and fear.

Moroi's face was ashen, his spirit on the verge of collapse.

Who could possibly understand his despair?

Before him was a younger madman dressed in explosive tags.

Behind him was an older madman swearing eternal vengeance.

He was on the brink of a mental breakdown!

Even Neo Uchiha, standing inside the barrier, felt a chill run down his spine as he watched Setsuna.

For the first time, Neo found himself wishing he didn't have to die here.

Because if he died and Setsuna returned…

The Uchiha Clan might meet an even faster end than in the original timeline!

Neo Uchiha sighed inwardly:

Save me! Why are all these Uchiha such lunatics?!

I barely escaped one Shisui Uchiha, and now I've got a Setsuna Uchiha whose madness is on a whole other level!