Naruto: Fate System

"Fuck off damn Uchiha!"

The Root ninja, having followed Danzo for years, were all too used to throwing insults at the Uchiha clan. But no matter how loudly they shouted, they couldn't cover up their own disarray. Sweat dripped down their faces behind their masks as they formed a defensive circle, backs to each other.

After the skirmish, a squad of these self-proclaimed veterans was beaten and scattered, scrambling to avoid the blows of a young Shisui.

"Don't let him surround us!" one Root ninja shouted. "Keep your eyes on—" His words cut off as a shadow passed overhead.

As members of the covert intelligence and assassination unit, the Root ninjas were well-versed in the art of swift movement. But this time, they encountered someone so adept at speed that he had earned the title of Shisui of the Teleporter.

Upon engaging, the Root ninjas spread out, hoping to pull him into a battle of maneuverability.

But in the next moment, they turned around only to find Shisui standing in front of each of them, his cold eyes with three tomoe spinning ominously.

This sense of despair was something the Kiri ninjas had once faced—and now it was Root's turn.

"Damn it! How does he keep disappearing? Where is he?" A kunai sliced through empty air where Shisui had been just a heartbeat before.

"Why is this kid so fast?" Another Root ninja spun wildly, trying to track movements too quick for normal eyes to follow.

"How is he doing this?!"

Alone, Shisui had encircled two entire squads of Root ninjas. Countless afterimages of him all spoke in unison, "I have no intention of hurting fellow comrades. If you abandon your mission to the Land of Rain, I won't harm you." 

Even now, his kind heart wouldn't let him take lives lightly, sparing his opponents with one last plea. But the Root ninjas persisted with their orders, ignoring his mercy. 

"Danzo-sama's commands are absolute! Shisui, are you planning to betray Konoha by allying with the Land of Rain?"

At that moment, Shisui's mind flashed back to Shin's words. His three tomoe spun faster, growing more intense with each thought of his friend—the one person in his life who truly understood him.

For this friend, he defied even the village elders he had always revered. "Even Danzo has no right to give such reckless orders. Stay."

The next moment, Shisui finally struck decisively.

"Aaah!"

A cry of pain rang out as a Root ninja's shoulder was pierced, the blade sliding through flesh. Another fell under Shisui's genjutsu, clutching his head and wailing in agony. "Make it stop! These eyes... these cursed eyes!"

The remaining Root ninjas, now trembling, finally felt a sliver of true fear. They began to understand that stripped of their rank and authority, they were all utterly powerless against Shisui.

"Why—"

But before squad leader could speak further, a kunai whizzed past his ear, striking the ground ahead.

An immense force struck the back of his head, slamming him face-first into the ground. His mask shattered on impact, scattering pieces of porcelain across the forest floor like broken ice.

A blond man, crouched stylishly on the spot where the kunai had landed, held the leader's head down with one hand.

This was none other than Minato accompanied by Fugaku and several other Uchiha clan members.

"Stand down!"

At Minato's command, the Root ninjas, already weary and with little fight left, quietly lowered their weapons. Without Danzo-sama here, we don't stand a chance, one Root ninja thought bitterly as he dropped his kunai.

The remaining Root members dared not challenge the highest-ranking commander on the battlefield—especially not with an entire crowd of Uchihas glaring at them.

Fugaku walked up to Shisui. "Why didn't you consult me before taking such drastic action?"

Shisui was at a loss for words.

Just as he braced himself for a harsh reprimand or even a punishment, Fugaku surprised him. With a slightly awkward gesture, he extended a hand and patted Shisui on the shoulder.

The touch was stiff, unpracticed, but undeniably real.

"You fought well this time. You didn't tarnish the honor of the Uchiha clan." The words came out gruffly, as if Fugaku wasn't quite sure how to deliver praise.

Several Uchiha clan members nodded in approval behind him.

Perhaps the praise wasn't entirely his idea, but with so many of their clansmen watching, it was not the time to lecture Shisui harshly.

Then Minato turned to the young Uchiha and gave him a grateful, understanding smile. "Your actions today might have prevented a greater conflict," he said softly, meant for Shisui's ears alone.

For a moment, Shisui was stunned, caught between confusion and an odd sense of relief. The village and clan, united at last? Is this what you saw coming, Aizen?

It felt ironic. For so long, he had worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between the Uchiha and the village, yet his efforts had always been met with suspicion and indifference.

Today, as he finally took a reckless stand, he unexpectedly found recognition from both sides.

What had his years of dedication really meant?

In that instant, the lifelong chains that had bound him seemed to break, if only slightly. You were right again. Sometimes we need to break the rules to find our true path.

As memories of Shin's words and his face imprinted even deeper into his mind, he wondered—where was Aizen now? Had his friend found his own answers?

---

Hundreds of miles away, Shin wasn't struggling with indecision but was resolutely moving toward his own goal.

As he stood by the wide river, he raised a hand, signaling the Akatsuki members to halt.

On the opposite shore stood a lone figure, donned in purple armor and a mask, wielding a chain-scythe. The weapon swung gently in his grip, its links catching what little light pierced the clouds.

He was a master of poisons feared by even his own men.

"Only Kakuzu, Konan, and Nagato stay. The rest of you, spread out along the river and find other crossing points." His eyes never left Hanzō's form as he gave the order.

Shin knew that against Hanzō, sheer numbers wouldn't make a difference. The legendary shinobi hadn't earned his fearsome reputation by falling to mere crowds of opponents.

Only the strongest few would decide the battle.

On the other side of the river, Hanzō raised his hand, mirroring the gesture made by Shin.

The ninjas behind him spread out, moving along the river to pursue targets both upstream and downstream.

Before they left, one of the ninjas turned to Hanzō and said, "May victory be yours!"

Hearing the long-unheard words of encouragement seemed to revive a bit of Hanzō's former spirit, filling him with the vigor of his youth. He stepped out onto the water, chakra concentrating beneath his feet as he steadily advanced toward Akatsuki on the other side.

As he approached, he said, "Shin, Nagato, and Konan, I once admired you and even wanted to protect you. And yet today, you betray me."

It seemed he wanted to bolster his own confidence and rekindle his long-dormant fighting spirit. But in verbal duels, Shin had never lost.

"Perhaps you did admire us, but the only ones you've ever truly supported were those weaker than you."

"You're old. In your youth, you could still generously recognize the Sannin from Konoha. But now? You're frightened by a few children standing before you, Has the so-called Salamander really fallen this far?"

Hanzō had once possessed a talent for recognizing potential and had some measure of heroism in his youth. But time spares no one.

Shin's words felt like a sharp knife thrust into his heart, making him feel the same stifled frustration that Ōnoki had felt months before at the negotiation table.

Originally, he thought he could suppress these younger shinobi with words to boost his own confidence. But in the end, the one left vulnerable was himself.

"Go to hell!"

Since words failed, he had no choice but to attack.

"Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!"

Standing on the turbulent river under the rain, Hanzō opened with a wide-scale water attack.

A massive wall of water surged forward with immense force.

"Nagato, fall back. Konan, get airborne. Kakuzu, you take the lead." Shin quickly issued orders and began his own jutsu.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

He summoned Ayumi, who tossed him a small glass vial upon arrival.

"Here's the antidote pill. Guaranteed quality from Sora-ku! Don't forget to settle the fee later~" Despite the gravity of the situation, she maintained her playful demeanor.

"Thanks, Ayumi! I'll make sure you have all the snacks you want. This is a lifesaver!"

Days earlier, Shin had requested her to commission an antidote pill from Sora-ku. After waiting a few days, it arrived just in time for battle.

Meanwhile, Kakuzu summoned two masked beasts and stepped forward, facing the incoming tidal wave.

He wasn't worried about poison; his body was far from normal.

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

"Water Style: Water Wall!"

Wind and water collided with the massive wave, creating an earth-shattering explosion. The impact sent spray in all directions, creating a momentary rainbow on the battlefield.

The rain intensified, forming a dense veil, through which a high-speed water arrow shot forth, bypassing Kakuzu and his masked beasts, aimed directly at Shin in the rear.

Close to hitting, the water arrow transformed into a humanoid figure wielding a scythe that swung down upon him.

But Shin reacted swiftly, drawing his blade just in time to block his scythe. The clash of metal rang out across the battlefield, momentarily drowning out the sound of rain.

Hanzō's left hand subtly flicked a chain, which shot up like a snake, aiming to hold Shin's weapon. Still green, Hanzō thought, already tasting victory.

This move wasn't just a simple surprise attack; it was a seamless combo. The chain would immobilize the enemy's weapon, followed by a fatal scythe strike.

In his youth, the swordsman Mifune of the Land of Iron had fallen to this same move.

Clang!

The chain wrapped around Shin's blade, and with a yank, Hanzō pulled it from his hands. Water sprayed from the violent motion, creating a brief curtain between the combatants.

He chuckled in satisfaction, his respirator emitting a proud huff.

The scythe swung down again. But the blade cut through empty space, without the resistance of a solid strike.

Hanzō was momentarily startled and looked up in shock. 

There stood Shin, calmly at a distance just beyond the scythe's reach, his hands already forming seals. The previous strike had misjudged by a mere twenty centimeters, grazing only his vest.

I missed? Hanzō was unnerved.

However, with his extensive experience, he quickly guessed the answer. "You used a genjutsu on me?"

Unfortunately, by the time he spoke, Shin had completed his jutsu.

"Triple Phase Seal!"

This was a sealing technique he had developed, combining knowledge from the system and Kaori's family records. It was similar to the Double Tetragram Seal but less domineering, so he named it the Triple Phase Seal.

Black sealing symbols quickly crept up Hanzō's lower body.

Has age dulled me this much?

He hurriedly wrapped his chain and scythe around his arm, pressing his hands together to use jutsu.

"Genjutsu Dissipation!"

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Acknowledging his disadvantage, he swallowed his pride and summoned his old companion—the salamander Ibuse.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, a massive, brown salamander landed by the riverbank, creating a shockwave that forced Shin back. Water exploded outward from the impact, momentarily creating a clear space in the constant rain.

Seeing this, Shin quickly crushed an antidote pill he'd held in his mouth.

In the next moment, Ibuse opened its mouth wide, spewing a massive cloud of purple poison mist. The toxic cloud spread rapidly, turning the rain purple where it touched.

Shin hastily retreated.

Fortunately, he had prepared a cautious battle formation—Nagato was safely in the rear, Konan was airborne, and he himself had taken an antidote and quickly fell back.

The only one nearby was Kakuzu, who, though appearing normal, was anything but human on the inside.

Once Ibuse's poison mist dispersed, Shin shouted, "Strike!"

Standing atop Ibuse's head, Hanzō's heart suddenly skipped a beat. The enemy knew far more about him than he anticipated!

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