"Oh no! We've been discovered!" A voice and a tremor came from deep within the forest.
"So that's it!" Uchiha Shigure's eyes flashed as he caught sight of something.
Clapping his hands, he declared, "Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He felt the shuriken strike something, then, with a sharp whoosh, vanished and reappeared exactly where the shuriken had landed.
To his surprise, there was nothing visible.
"I see it! It's in the ground!" Shigure no longer hid his abilities, slipping into Sage Mode. His senses sharpened instantly. In Sage Mode, Shigure could perform limitless short-range teleportation using natural energy.
"Flying Thunder God!" With another whoosh, he appeared above a certain patch of earth.
"Sage Art: Infinite Rebirth!" Shigure unleashed the Snake Sage's technique. In his hands, it was far superior to the version used by Kabuto in the original events.
The soil twisted into Shigure's weapon, instantly skewering the white figure concealed underground.
"The earth is attacking me?! I can't move through the soil anymore... What's happening?!" The figure stared up in horror at Shigure.
"Clang!" Without hesitation, Shigure cast a genjutsu, and the intruder fell into a dazed state.
This pale, plant-like being was all too familiar—it was a White Zetsu, one of the spies engineered by Uchiha Madara. Black Zetsu, however, was nowhere in his sensory range.
"Who sent you?! What's your purpose?!" Shigure demanded.
"U... Uchiha Madara... He wants me to record your battles..." The White Zetsu answered mechanically, puppet-like under genjutsu.
"Why?" Shigure pressed.
"Speak quickly!" His mental pressure and dōjutsu power surged.
"He wants to see if you... are qualified to become his..." White Zetsu confessed again without resistance.
"Last question—are you the original body or a clone?"
"I... a clone..." The figure's mind began to collapse.
Shigure immediately pieced things together.
"So that's it. Madara planned everything. He submitted a mission to the Exchange Office to kidnap Hoshiko—daughter of a wealthy Fire Country merchant who has ties to me—luring me step by step into his trap, into the range of White Zetsu's surveillance. Even using Kakuzu to fight me was meant to force me to reveal my full ability to him."
"Madara is clever, but unfortunately, his mission failed. And you parasites clinging to my body thought silence would save you?"
Increasing his Sage Art chakra output, Shigure forced several hidden White Zetsu to morph into snakes, their forms beginning to petrify.
"You won't die—you're good nourishment," he said, hauling them toward Kakuzu.
"This is..." Kakuzu noticed the abnormal nature of the creatures immediately.
"These are that man's eyes. Your battle with me was orchestrated to gauge my strength, but they underestimated me," Shigure explained, and Kakuzu nodded.
"They're made from the Gedo Statue's life force and Hashirama's cells. You should be able to harvest their hearts... Though I'm surprised they even have hearts, considering they are victims of the Infinite Tsukuyomi," Shigure analyzed.
"I'll absorb some power myself," he added, drawing in their unique bloodline energy. A surge unlike any before flooded his body—recognizably Senju clan and Gedo Statue in origin, meaning it was linked to the Ten-Tails' heritage.
"An unexpected gain... My system should awaken soon. Perhaps my eyes will continue to evolve," Shigure mused with satisfaction.
"Well? Can they really keep you alive, Kakuzu?" he asked.
"Yes! With Hashirama's cells, I won't just survive—my power will even grow," Kakuzu affirmed, then used his secret Heart Stealing technique to finish the hybrid beings. His complexion improved instantly.
"So, you agree?" Shigure confirmed.
"Eight million! Starting today—no arrears!" Kakuzu responded greedily.
"No problem! Here's a check for eighty million—take it first!" Shigure handed him a Konoha Bank check without hesitation. Kakuzu's eyes lit up crimson.
Shigure had officially recruited Kakuzu.
"Oh no! I overlooked something!" Shigure suddenly realized.
"What's wrong, boss?" Kakuzu instantly changed his address—he could smell the profit behind the title.
"Knowing his personality, to break me completely, he'll target Hoshiko, Hayashi Rei, and that blue-haired girl next! I must reach them! Kakuzu, head that way—my Flying Thunder God can be faster alone!"
Entering Sage Mode again, Shigure pushed himself to the limit, chaining Shunshin and Flying Thunder God to rush toward the marks he had placed near Rei and Hoshiko.
"I'm almost sensing them! Hurry!" His pace accelerated, but Flying Thunder God could not instantly span such vast distance.
Meanwhile, Hayashi Rei was shielding Hoshiko and the blue-haired girl in a desperate defense.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!" Rei had removed her mask, releasing a massive cloud of corrosive acid mist.
Rogue ninja from the Exchange Office who touched the mist screamed in agony as their bodies sizzled.
"Ah! It burns!"
"Stay clear of the mist!"
"This is a Kekkei Genkai—the Hidden Mist's secret technique!"
"Use Earth Release to block it!"
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide!" The rogue ninja collapsed the ground beneath the three women, forcing them down into a pit.
They then hurled a volley of shuriken and kunai at the trapped group.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Rei's chakra reserve was dwindling. The water dragon deflected most of the projectiles, but one kunai sliced cleanly through the ribbon holding her hair, releasing her long curls.
"Rei... I didn't expect it to be you!" the blue-haired girl gasped.
"So it's a woman... no wonder..." Hoshiko fell silent.
"It's come to this—there's no reason to hide anymore," Rei said flatly.
"If only he were here..." She thought of Shigure—their teammate, now battling the strongest threat.
"He found the missing Hoshiko and Takeda Kaito, and now faces the most dangerous enemy... And here I am..."
"I can't believe I'm wishing for him right now... No! I won't give up—we're teammates! The mission he entrusted to me—I'll see it through!"
--
Unlock 50 exclusive advanced chapters for just $10 – don't miss out! Check the synopsis/description for the link! 🚀
Loved this fic? 🔥 Then you'll absolutely binge my other hits — "Douluo Dalu: Ten Thousand Years Early System!" & "Douluo Dalu: The Godly Drunkard System" — don't miss out!