Night fell.
The Hidden Leaf Village lay shrouded in silence.
"Who would've thought the Hidden Leaf's defenses were this lax?"
"Without the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, they're bound to lose this war! We'll be heroes of the Hidden Cloud Village!"
"Hahaha! After this, I'm heading straight to the pleasure district!"
Like phantoms in the dark, the Hidden Cloud ninja moved swiftly and covertly as they retreated. Their faces brimmed with excitement as they whispered among themselves.
One of them had a small, slender figure tucked beneath his arm.
Kushina Uzumaki.
Fear and despair intertwined in her heart. Their cruel laughter echoed in her ears like blades carving into her soul.
"Why… why did this happen…" she murmured, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Her fists clenched tightly as she felt the Nine-Tails' chakra stirring violently within her.
But she knew—
She couldn't recklessly use that power.
Just as despair threatened to swallow her—
A soft chuckle cut through the night.
"What's got you all so happy? Mind sharing with me?"
"Who's there?!"
The leading Hidden Cloud jōnin stiffened, barking out sharply.
The next moment—
Shuoye Uchiha stepped out from behind a tree like a ghost.
He walked casually, black shinobi attire fluttering in the wind, amusement glinting in his eyes.
"A brat? Looking to die!"
The Hidden Cloud ninja relaxed upon seeing his youthful face. Sneering, they instantly surrounded him.
In that instant, the flicker of hope in Kushina's eyes died out—
Replaced by guilt.
If not for her, Shuoye would never have fallen into such danger.
But what happened next left her utterly stunned.
Clink!
A kunai rang sharply.
Before the Hidden Cloud chūnin could even react—
Their throats were slit.
Effortlessly.
As easily as cutting grass.
"What—?!"
The Hidden Cloud jōnin's pupils shrank violently.
"Something's wrong! This brat's not normal! All of you—attack!"
In an instant—
The dark forest erupted with flames.
Ninjutsu burst forward, racing toward Shuoye.
Yet he acted as though he hadn't even seen them.
"Since you came," he said calmly, chakra surging like a tidal wave, "you must've prepared yourselves."
At that moment—
His figure became a streak of light.
Too fast to track.
His hands flashed like lightning, hand seals forming so quickly they were nearly invisible.
"How is he that fast?!"
The Hidden Cloud jōnin stared in disbelief.
This was the strength of a Hidden Leaf genin?
What kind of joke was this?!
"Finger Pistol! Tempest Kick!"
With a low thunderous boom—
Shuoye tore into their ranks.
He danced on the edge of blades, transforming himself into a human weapon. Every part of his body became lethal.
The ninjutsu seemed to gain eyes of their own—
Only to narrowly miss him again and again.
The battle erupted quickly.
It ended just as quickly.
With an expressionless stomp—
Shuoye crushed the final Hidden Cloud chūnin's skull beneath his foot.
The only one left barely breathing—
Was the leading Hidden Cloud jōnin.
"Th… this power… what is it…?"
Blood poured from the man's mouth as shock filled his fading eyes.
"The dead don't need answers."
Shuoye's voice was cold.
A flash—
And the head rolled to the ground.
When the last enemy fell, Shuoye turned around.
His gaze softened.
He looked toward the trembling red-haired girl in the corner.
"Kushina… are you alright?"
Kushina lifted her head, tears still clinging to her lashes. Gratitude filled her heart—but fear lingered in her eyes.
"Shu… Shuoye… I thought I was going to die… Thank you for saving me…"
"It's alright. You're safe now."
He gently stroked her hair, feeling her trembling gradually ease.
At that moment—
A system notification echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Mission complete. You have obtained a God-Tier Gift Pack.]
Brilliant light gathered in Shuoye's palm.
It burst outward—
Condensing into an exquisite card.
[Whitebeard Character Card]
He blinked in slight surprise and read the detailed description.
"Whitebeard. A legendary figure of the Pirate King era. Possesses the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, capable of generating震动 and tearing apart space. Initial fusion rate: 5%. Upon reaching 50%, Tremor-Tremor Fruit abilities will fully awaken."
"This power…"
Shuoye's heart pounded.
If he could master the Tremor-Tremor Fruit—
He would gain an overwhelming advantage in battle.
Danzō Shimura?
He'd beat him senseless.
"I need to become stronger… strong enough to protect all of you."
His eyes gleamed with resolve.
Just then—
Rapid footsteps approached from afar.
A familiar figure rushed into view.
Minato Namikaze.
Anxiety was written all over his face as his eyes scanned the battlefield. When he saw Shuoye standing beside Kushina—
His heart tightened.
"Are you two alright?!"
But in Minato's eyes—
Shuoye's black attire bore a resemblance to the Hidden Cloud ninja's uniform.
A sudden misunderstanding flashed through his mind.
Hand seals formed instantly.
"You Hidden Cloud ninja! How dare you harm Kushina—!"
"Minato, wait!" Kushina cried out—
But it was too late.
Minato's attack had already launched toward Shuoye.
Chakra surged violently.
The air tightened.
Boom!
The next second—
Minato Namikaze was sent flying backward at blinding speed.
He crashed away—
Completely stunned.