Chapter 13 – The Blaze Fruit
It was clear that the current Uchiha Sasuke was quite different from the Sasuke at the beginning of the original story's plot. Not only was there no trace of coldness on his youthful face, but there was even a hint of shyness… and the unique timidity one feels around strangers.
"I never knew Sasuke was this cute as a child…" Watching Sasuke shrink behind Uchiha Itachi, a smile spread across Izaya's face.
Seeing this, Uchiha Itachi also joked lightly, "My little brother here is a bit shy. He's usually only used to interacting with family members."
"I understand." Izaya nodded. He then walked closer to Uchiha Sasuke and said in a kind tone, "You have to remember my name, Izaya!"
After all, Sasuke was one of the most important protagonists in the Naruto world. Izaya naturally wouldn't deliberately make an enemy of him. In this world of powerful shinobi, talent was no match for plot armor, and plot armor was no match for protagonist光环 (protagonist halo)! This was a truth Izaya understood well.
"I suppose I count as your brother's friend. If you ever run into any trouble in the future, you can come find me." After a moment's thought, Izaya voiced what was on his mind. The thought of the adorable little Sasuke in front of him being led astray by that creep Orochimaru into becoming a brooding edgelord… Izaya simply couldn't accept it!
"Okay." The six-year-old Uchiha Sasuke didn't fully grasp the meaning behind Izaya's words. But seeing the smile on his brother's friend's face, Sasuke responded to Izaya in a very polite tone.
"Alright, time to get back to training!" After the brief exchange of pleasantries, Izaya didn't linger on the conversation. He was ready to resume his Fire Release training.
But at that moment, Uchiha Itachi spoke again, "Wait, Izaya…"
"What is it?" Seeing Uchiha Itachi's hesitant expression, Izaya stopped and walked over to him, a questioning look in his eyes.
"If… just if… one day I have to leave Konoha, and Sasuke encounters difficulties… would you help him?" Making sure Sasuke was out of earshot, Uchiha Itachi led Izaya a short distance away before speaking slowly…
'It's about this?!' A flash of surprise crossed Izaya's face as he looked at Uchiha Itachi. He hadn't expected Uchiha Itachi to trust him so much! To even say such words…
If Izaya remembered correctly, the current timeline was just before the Uchiha Clan Downfall! The Uchiha Itachi standing before him was still a double agent caught between his clan and the Konoha leadership! To say such a thing at a time like this…
A wave of conflict rose within Izaya. Although he genuinely wanted to help Uchiha Itachi… his current strength simply didn't permit it! The Uchiha massacre incident involved not just Danzō, the Third Hokage, and Uchiha Itachi himself. There was also the meddling of Uchiha Obito… and the Akatsuki organization behind him. The machinations between so many Kage-level powerhouses were not something Izaya could intervene in!
To be blunt, while Izaya was fond of Uchiha Itachi's character, and based on their previous interactions, Itachi was definitely someone Izaya could befriend… if Izaya dared to get involved in this matter, it would be a near-suicidal endeavor.
After careful consideration, Izaya was about to politely decline when suddenly…
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for activating the God-Level Selection—Uchiha Itachi's Plea…"
{Option 1: Gracefully decline, wisely prioritizing self-preservation. Reward: Uchiha Itachi Favorability -100. Obtain a Summoning Beast: A Millenium Turtle.}*
{Option 2: Accept Uchiha Itachi's request. Stand by Uchiha Itachi's side during the Uchiha Clan Downfall incident half a month later. Reward: The Blaze Fruit. (Effect: Upon consumption, grants the user the abilities of the Fire-Fire Fruit from One Piece. Increases the power of all Fire Release ninjutsu by 10%.)}*
{Option 3: Accept Uchiha Itachi's request. Follow Uchiha Itachi and join the great shinobi organization—Akatsuki. Reward: Random Lottery x1.}*
'Damn system, what's the meaning of this prompt?!' Izaya hadn't expected the system to pop up right as he was about to refuse Uchiha Itachi! And judging from the reward for Option 1, Izaya could clearly see… the system's utter contempt for him.
A Summoning Beast… A Millenium Turtle… Wasn't that just a roundabout way of calling him a coward?!
'It's called prudent development, do you understand, system?!' What made it even harder for Izaya to accept was that the system was still trying to push him toward becoming a rogue ninja! Although the reward for the third option was more tempting, there was absolutely no way Izaya was becoming a rogue ninja! It was impossible. Wasn't it safer to stay undercover in Konoha?
"It seems my only choice is to agree with Uchiha Itachi…" Having made his decision, Izaya finally resolved to help Uchiha Itachi. Although participating in the Uchiha massacre would place him in great danger… compared to the other two options, this was undoubtedly the safest path for him now.
And the thing that most captivated Izaya's heart was the reward for choosing this option—the Blaze Fruit! For Izaya, who was desperate to increase his strength, he had no way to refuse this!
Although Izaya now possessed the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit and the tenfold cultivation speed buff, allowing his strength to progress steadily… the overall pace of his growth was still too slow. Izaya estimated that if he relied solely on his current methods to strengthen himself, by the time the original plot began, his strength might only be at the chūnin level. That kind of power was mere cannon fodder in the vast world of shinobi…
But if he had the Blaze Fruit… the outcome might be different. After all, something like a Devil Fruit was definitely not inferior to the Bloodline Limits in the Naruto world! And from Izaya's understanding, the Blaze Fruit appeared to be a Logia-type Devil Fruit. And Logia types were recognized as the strongest among the three Devil Fruit categories…
"If I combine Fire Release ninjutsu with the Blaze Fruit…" Imagining the combination of the two, Izaya felt a bright path opening up before him!
Unlike the Bloodline Limits in Naruto, the most significant feature of the Logia-type Blaze Fruit was its ability to allow the user to "elementalize" their body, rendering them immune to physical attacks! It didn't grant immunity to other Devil Fruit abilities… but the world Izaya was in was the Naruto world! Aside from Izaya himself, who else possessed the power of a Devil Fruit?!
Simply put, as long as Izaya consumed the Blaze Fruit rewarded by the system… he could basically ignore most taijutsu-based attacks!