Konoha Village, a few kilometers away.
The air twisted in a spiraling vortex. Within the distortion, two figures appeared—Obito and Uchiha Itachi.
As the space stabilized, Itachi collapsed to the ground, coughing uncontrollably. His breath hitched with each hack, his hands instinctively reaching for his throat.
A distinct red mark—like a large handprint—was imprinted on his neck.
He had nearly died.
A mere fraction of a second more, and his neck would've been crushed like a twig by Star Platinum. If not for Obito's timely intervention, Uchiha Itachi would've been a corpse left behind in the ruins of the Uchiha district.
> "Is he really that strong?"
Obito's voice was filled with disbelief. He had seen many powerful shinobi, but this?
This was absurd.
This was Uchiha Itachi—the child prodigy who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at the age of thirteen.
Even for Obito himself—no, even for Uchiha Madara in his prime—defeating Itachi in such a short time would've been inconceivable.
> "Very strong," Itachi admitted, standing up slowly, clutching his throat as the pain throbbed with every breath.
His mind raced back through the battle, analyzing every detail.
He had clearly underestimated the opponent.
But underestimation wasn't an excuse. It was a failure. One he'd never repeat.
> "The speed, strength, and sheer explosiveness of the invisible attacker... it was beyond human capacity."
It wasn't just about losing the initiative.
It was about facing a force that combined superhuman reflexes, bone-crushing strength, and pinpoint precision. A one-shot-kill machine.
> "It felt… like fighting a Tailed Beast."
Itachi turned back toward the burning remnants of the Uchiha district.
> Next time… I won't make the same mistake.
He didn't realize that Logan was changing, evolving.
He wouldn't be the same next time, either.
Given time, Logan could summon more stands—each with entirely different, unpredictable abilities.
Obito, back to his usual aloof demeanor, crossed his arms.
> "Want to go back and finish him off?"
Itachi shook his head. "No. It's unnecessary."
He had already fulfilled his agreement with Danzo. Logan surviving didn't change the outcome. The Uchiha clan was destroyed. Only Sasuke remained, just as planned.
> "Besides," Itachi added, "the others in Konoha aren't blind. If we go back now, we risk exposure. The consequences aren't worth it."
Obito shrugged. "Your call."
The space around them twisted again, and the two vanished into the void.
---
Uchiha District, Ground Zero.
> "Defeated Uchiha Itachi. Acquired 800 Soul Fragments."
"Soul Mortgage Repaid: -500. Remaining Fragments: 300."
Logan read the system prompt with a raised eyebrow.
Three hundred fragments left…
That's 30 more draws.
His fingers itched to summon another Stand right then and there. But glancing at Star Platinum, who stood beside him like a silent guardian, he held back the urge.
> Let's do the math.
Originally, Logan's soul had been worth 500 fragments.
He mortgaged 30 fragments to complete the ten-draw summon.
Then, he spent 470 fragments to upgrade Star Platinum from Level 1 (0%) to Level 2 (7%).
So…
Upgrading from Level 1 to 2 cost 400 fragments.
Now, to get from Level 2 to Level 3?
> "A full 1000 fragments?!"
His jaw tightened. The system was brutally expensive.
Drawing new Stands cost a fortune, and training them? Even more.
But the power…
The power was absolutely worth it.
At Level 2, Star Platinum's strength, speed, and reaction time had increased exponentially. It even managed to shatter Susanoo, which was supposed to be invincible.
Granted, Itachi had summoned it in a rush and was semi-conscious.
Still, the fact remained—Star Platinum wasn't even fully powered yet.
A 5-star Stand could reach up to Level 5.
If he ever managed to push Star Platinum to its limit, just its punches alone could crush any living thing within range.
> "I'll hold onto the remaining fragments," Logan muttered. "Save them for now. Either more draws or upgrades… I'll decide later."
Then he noticed another system message.
> "So that guy's name is Uchiha Itachi."
Logan dug into the scattered memory fragments from his past life.
He vaguely remembered the name from Internet culture, memes, and anime discussions. Even without watching Naruto, Itachi Uchiha was a name that floated around often.
> A genius ninja who killed his entire clan?
Logan's face twisted in disbelief.
> "Wait. He's also a Uchiha? So he just… killed his own family?"
He made the face of a middle-aged man on the subway discovering strange news on his phone.
> What's the point of that?
The Uchiha clan was elite—so elite that even Logan, who used to be a nobody in the family, could live lazily off clan benefits.
Itachi, the genius of the family, must've had everything. Why kill them all?
> "Was it for power? Status? Resources?"
Logan tried to imagine himself doing the same.
Nope. Couldn't.
His logic-trained mind couldn't accept the official reason that Itachi did it to prevent civil war. That was just insane.
> "What's next? Slaughtering the village to stop the flu?"
His internal rant was interrupted by a soft voice.
> "Brother Logan… are you okay?"
Logan turned to see Sasuke, eyes puffy, cheeks smeared with tears and soot.
> "So you're Sasuke…"
He squinted, digging into his memory again.
Even without watching the show, Logan had seen this kid's face in memes—crying under a waterfall, eyes blazing, shouting "Amaterasu!"
Logan rubbed his own forehead and thought of an old friend in overalls from childhood TV.
> "Brother Logan… my brother… is he…"
> "He escaped," Logan replied.
Sasuke's expression wavered—grief and hatred flashing in his young eyes.
He couldn't understand why the gentle brother he once adored had turned into a monster.
The reason didn't matter.
The result was that everyone he loved was gone.
All that remained… was revenge.
> "So what now?" Sasuke asked.
Logan pointed toward the village.
> "We wait for rescue. Something this huge? Even the dumbest of cowards should come crawling out now."
And right on cue—
From the rooftops, a dozen figures in flak jackets leapt through the night like fleas, approaching fast.
Logan let out a breath.
> The worst of tonight is finally over.
He imagined himself wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot cocoa, as emergency workers scrambled around him—like a disaster movie ending.
After all, the massacre was over. No matter how corrupt the powers in the shadows were, they couldn't possibly murder the only two survivors in plain sight… right?
> This is a shonen manga… it can't be that dark… right?
---
Konoha Interrogation Room.
> "How many times do I have to say it?"
Logan's hands were cuffed to a metal table. The room was dimly lit. Cold. Four Root ninjas stood silently at each corner like statues.
Yamanaka Cang, a master of telepathic interrogation, sat across from him.
> "We are the victims. Uchiha Itachi is the killer. Sasuke and I are the only survivors. You're the experts, right? Find the evidence yourself."
> "Or—"
Logan leaned forward, eyes sharp and voice cold.
> "What exactly do you want me to say?"
Yamanaka Cang didn't reply.
He already knew Logan wasn't lying. His tone, expression, and body language were too genuine.
But truth didn't matter.
Not when politics were involved.
Not when Danzo Shimura was pulling the strings.
Knock knock.
The door creaked open.
A Root ninja gestured to Yamanaka Cang, who stood up and left.
Logan remained still but whispered:
> "Hermit Purple."
A purple vine slithered silently from his palm, wrapping around Yamanaka Cang's ankle and trailing behind like a wiretap, the end pressed against Logan's ear.
The door shut.
Their voices came through crystal clear.
> "Danzo-sama's orders: Kill the boy. No witnesses."
> "Only one Uchiha is necessary. Sasuke is enough. The deal with Itachi was for one survivor. Not two."
> "Understood," Yamanaka Cang replied without hesitation.
No emotion. No questions.
Just obedience.
> "What about the other one?" he asked.
> "Not your concern."
> "Apologies."
Yamanaka Cang walked back toward the room, placing his hand on the door.
Logan moved first.
BOOM.
The door exploded outward, slamming Yamanaka Cang into the wall like a fly under a swatter.
The other Root ninja barely had time to react before—
> "ORAAA!!!"
Star Platinum manifested and punched downward.
Crack.
The kunai shattered.
So did the ninja's arm. And chest.
He flew backward, colliding with the door like a crash test dummy.
The two Root operatives lay motionless, bodies crumpled.
The metal door clanged to the floor.
Logan stepped out, brushing dust from his shoulders.
> "This… is supposed to be a shonen manga?"
He sighed, exasperated.
> "It's too f*****g dark."
pàtreøn (Gk31)