Sarutobi Shino stepped into the abandoned village with a jōnin's confidence, but something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The wind whistled through empty streets.Doors hung open.Windows were dark.Not a single footprint or whisper of life remained.
His two remaining subordinates followed closely behind him, their initial bravado fading with every echoing footstep.
The oppressive silence gnawed at them.
Shino clicked his tongue.
"This isn't normal," he muttered.
Then louder:
"Search! NOW! They're hiding somewhere!"
The two subordinates immediately split up, darting into different directions between the wooden houses.
Shino began patrolling the main street.
His instincts prickled.Someone was here.
Someone dangerous.
Then, movement.
On the rooftop of a run-down house.
A boy sat silently, white hair gleaming faintly despite the dull light of dusk. A toy-like sword lay across his lap.
Ishiki.
His posture was chillingly calm.His gaze, murderous.
The injured Sarutobi ninja, the same one Ishiki had beaten earlier, gasped violently.
"Leader! That's him!The boy I told you about!He's the one with the weapon! The sword!"
Shino's thin smile widened into a predator's grin.
"So this is the brat."
His voice was disturbingly calm.
"I heard you have a tool that nullifies ninjutsu. Hand it over… and maybe I'll let you walk away alive."
Ishiki smiled back, cold and knowing.
Then,he vanished.
His figure blurred, disappearing from the rooftop without a sound.
Shino's eyes narrowed,
SHING, !!
A metallic slice echoed from an alley.
Followed by a choking gasp.
Shino and the injured ninja rushed toward the sound.
They found the first subordinate, the chūnin who had gone searching earlier, crumpled on the ground, throat slit in a clean, merciless cut.
A single strike.
A single kill.
The other two Sarutobi stiffened in horror.
Shino clenched his teeth.
The brat was hunting them.
Silently.
Efficiently.
The injured ninja trembled, backing away instinctively.
Where… where is he?!
The boy wasn't running.He wasn't hiding.
He was stalking them through the village like a ghost.
Shino roared, fury breaking through his controlled exterior.
"BRAT! I gave you a chance!"
His voice echoed through the empty homes.
"You refuse, and now you mock me? You think killing my men will save your village?!"
His next words were venom.
"I don't know where you hid the villagers… but I WILL find them."
His murderous chakra flared like a wave of killing intent.
"And when I do, I will kill them. One by one. Slowly. Until you come crawling out to beg me for mercy!"
The injured ninja swallowed hard, his entire body trembling.
But before he could speak,
SILENCE.
Then,
FWOOOSH!!
Ishiki materialised behind Shino, sword raised high.
The downward strike was devastating, aiming to split Shino's skull.
Shino reacted instantly, decades of battle instinct kicking in.
CLANG,!!
Sword met sword, sparks flying.
Shino's blade intercepted the attack in perfect timing.
But Ishiki didn't stop.
He pressed forward, jabbing, sweeping, slicing.
Shino blocked and parried, barely keeping up with the boy's blistering speed.
Then he countered.
THUD!!
A fierce kick drove into Ishiki's chest, sending him flying backwards.
But
POOF!!
Smoke burst in the air.
Shadow Clone.
Shino's eyes widened in fury.
"You little!"
Shino snapped.
He tore apart a nearby hut with a single, chakra-enhanced kick.
CRACK!
The walls collapsed.
"I'll find you! I'll tear down this entire place if I must!"
He stormed through the village, ripping open doors, smashing walls, and tearing through furniture.
Every time he destroyed a house,
Ishiki appeared.
Standing on a rooftop.
Standing behind him.
Standing beside him.
Sword poised.
Eyes cold.
And each time Shino struck,
POOF.
Another clone.
Another taunt.
Another moment of humiliation.
The injured ninja's fear spiralled.
"What… what kind of demon child? Where is the REAL one?"
The village had become Ishiki's hunting ground.
Shino hacked and slashed at empty air, screaming:
"SHOW YOURSELF!!! COWARD!!!"
But Ishiki was not a coward.
He was controlling the battlefield like a seasoned assassin.
Hidden in the charred remains of a collapsed building, Ishiki crouched silently.
His breathing is steady.His mind is razor-focused.
He reached for his pouch.
He drank the final precious drops of the Concentrated Food.
Warmth flowed through him, filling his muscles, sharpening his senses.
He opened his System.
A glowing pane appeared before his eyes.
STATUS
Name: Ishiki
Age: 12
Chakra: 30 / 56
Strength: 28
Ninjutsu:
• Shadow Clone — Intermediate
• Transformation — Beginner
• Body Replacement — Intermediate
• Taijutsu — Intermediate
• Genjutsu — None
Elemental Affinity: None
< Gadgets: Reverse Cloak, Concentrated Food, Genius Helmet, Denkomaru >
His eyes widened slightly.
Both my Shadow Clone and Body Replacement levelled up…
It made sense.He had been using them relentlessly,under pressure, under fear, under real battle conditions.
This was the kind of growth only life-or-death combat could create.
Taijutsu too.His body felt stronger.Faster.Sharper.
Then his eyes fell on the sword resting beside him.
Denkomaru: The Sword That Never Misses
The blade gleamed faintly silver in its dormant form.
But Ishiki knew its true nature.
He whispered its name:
"Denkomaru…"
A toy sword from Doraemon.
A priceless weapon in this world.
A perfect defence.
A perfect offence.
It would automatically strike down attacks.Automatically parry any incoming blow.Automatically respond to threats.
A sword that protected its wielder without fail.
A perfect counter to Shino's rage-fueled assault.
Ishiki slowly rose from the shadows.
Denkomaru in hand.
The village square lay before him,and Shino was in the centre, roaring in frustration, tearing apart another home.
The injured Sarutobi ninja cowered behind him.
Ishiki's eyes narrowed.
He had all the tools he needed.He had the skill.He had the advantage.
This was his battlefield.His village.His fight.
And he was done running.
He stepped forward, expression turning icy.
"He won't leave this place alive."
Ishiki's grip on Denkomaru tightened.
His heartbeat slowed.
His killing intent rose like a blade.
He whispered to himself:
"This time… I will win."
Then he stepped out of the shadows
and walked toward Sarutobi Shino.
{Denkomaru: A gadget owned by Doraemon, which resembles a coloured toy sword. It is gold-colored when activated and silver-coloured when not. It allows its bearer to parry incoming attacks and perform exceptional Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu.}