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Hello everyone! For those that don't know, I'm a huge fan of the Naruto universe. I recently posted a request thread about a new character I wanted to create and develop: Uchiha Shinko. This character is based on an alternate timeline of the Naruto universe, as fans of the show may realize while reading this story. I love the universe, and I just wanted to put my own little spin on it. This story was an opportunity for me to work on being descriptive, though some parts I feel as if I struggled a bit in doing so. Those parts will be marked with some sort of image or gif detailing someone performing the action I'm describing. Italics are used for character thoughts, and the names of jutsu being used.
I'm open to all feedback you may have! And now, I present to you:
Wind blew from the east, rustling the leaves to mask the soft footfalls from the trees above. A shadow darted from branch to branch, moving with ease as if the trees were its natural habitat. When the shadow came to a stop, the branch barely felt its weight. The moonlight shone down from a gap in the forest canopy, revealing a man in a Fox mask and dark clothing. His tree stood atop a cliff overlooking the valley below. The destination was close at hand below, where a large tree met the side of a cliff. Water poured down from a river atop the cliff, hiding its secrets behind a cascade of water. The Village Hidden in a Waterfall was merely a mile away.
Uchiha Shinko took off his mask to survey his surroundings. A shadow ran across the valley, catching his attention. As he studied the shadowy figure, he thought back to just two days prior, when he stood in the office of the Third Hokage. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind the desk, reading over the mission details before presenting them.
"I want you to think long before accepting this mission, Shinko," the old man began, then smiled a bit at the Uchiha's confused expression. "Ah, yes, the choice to accept a mission happens but rarely. Unfortunately, our Jonin are tied up in their own missions, and so we're left with few choices of our own. You're at the top of our list, as your performance has been exemplary these past few years." Hiruzen paused for a moment, linking his fingers together as he studied the young shinobi. "I will present the details to you, and you are welcome to give me your thoughts."
"This is a solo A-rank mission; one that will be fairly difficult. A Rogue Ninja has been spotted near the Village Hidden in a Waterfall," the Hokage explained. "The details on who it is, and from where, are as yet unknown. Hence our difficult situation here... Long ago, a shinobi known as Kakuzu attacked the Leaf. His mission was passed down to him by the Village Hidden in a Waterfall, and the goal was to kill Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage. He failed, and his village cast him out. If a Rogue Ninja is in that area, who knows what's going on?"
Shinko listened intently, soaking in the information that was being dispensed to him. As part of the Anbu Black Ops, even the smallest detail could be of the greatest importance to him. A Rogue Ninja in the area could mean many things. They could be after a bounty, or seeking to steal from the land to survive. Whatever it was, the Leaf needed to know. Shinko cleared his throat before speaking, his voice steady. "You need a scout. Someone who can slip in and out of the village without notice if needed, or one who can track this Rogue Ninja," he thought aloud. "Rogue Ninja can be tricky. Often they're outcasts that couldn't fit in with the village, either due to weakness or a difference in ideals. You need someone who can gauge the threat this shinobi can be to the Leaf, especially with the history of that Hidden Village." The shinobi bowed his head low. "I would be honored to take this mission, Lord Hokage."
"Mm, very good..." Hiruzen rumbled as he stood, resting his hands behind his back. "Be careful, young Uchiha. This shinobi may be dangerous, and I'd hate to lose someone with your talent."
Shinko saluted the Hokage, and would depart the Village Hidden in the Leaves shortly after. The shadow moving in the alley brought Shinko back to the present, renewing his focus on the movement of the figure. After a few seconds, the shadow faded away into nothingness before his eyes. Shit! Shinko thought to himself, twisting in the tree and casting his gaze across the forest. A large figure came into focus behind him, but before he could weave any signs, a fist slammed into his mask. Shinko was sent flying off the tree over the cliff's edge.
Time seemed to slow for him as he assessed his damage. His nose was bleeding freely, but that could be ignored. He could move his jaw, blink, and turn his neck. Good, nothing's broken. He realized after a moment that his mask was split into two, after noticing the cool night air on just half his face. Shinko twisted in the air to see the figure gazing down at him from the top of the cliff. There was no choice; he had to fight. Was this the Rogue Shinobi that he was tracking?
Kunai appeared in Shinko's hands, as if pulled from thin air. Eight kunai fit between fingers on both hands, and with another twist in the air, he launched the kunai from one hand at the figure hidden by the dark night. Another twist allowed him to fling more right after, aimed at his own kunai. The shadow snorted as if in amusement, until metal clashed against metal, altering the direction of his kunai. Got him. Shinko's kunai would strike from the Shadow's blind spot, though it seemed unphased by the 4 kunai that embedded themselves in its back. Shinko's brow furrowed as he sent a month kunai with string tied along the handle to the cliff. The metal dug into rock, breaking Shinko's fall and bringing him to the cliff. Chakra was focused into his feet, allowing him to stand on the side of the cliff as if it was right side-up.
Metal could be heard clattering on the ground as the kunai fell from the shadow's back. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, illuminating the figure. The man that stood atop the cliff was covered in dark, shapeless robes that made it difficult to gauge his physique. All Shinko could see was the height of the man -- well over 6 feet -- and that his face was covered from the mouth down. His eyes were the most startling. Instead of white, the outer-edges were a pinkish-red, with green irides and a lack of pupils. The man then spoke, surprising Shinko.
"You did well to get this far, but you have much to learn if you intend to spy on shinobi like myself." The man's voice was deep, in part due to the face-wrap muffling some of his speech. His words were clear, despite that. "Anbu Black Ops, I see. What village are you from, boy? Tell me, and I'll make sure your death is short and relatively painless."
Shinko didn't seem phased. Threats of death were nothing to him. He's experienced them before, and had near-death experiences himself. Death was not something he feared, but also not something he sought. His mind worked in a blur, formulating his plan of attack. He needed time, but that was something in short supply. "You pack a punch, I'll give you that. But you'll learn nothing from me, Rogue Ninja. Tell me: why are you going to the Waterfall? Who are you to them?"
The man was unsurprised by Shinko's defiance. He knows the Anbu Black Ops doesn't surrender such information willingly. "Information is valuable, boy. There's always a price to pay. I'll give you this, at least, before you die: I've a mission in this region, and I have no love for the Waterfall..."
There wasn't even a pause for breath before the man leaped from the cliff's edge, plummeting head-first toward Shinko. A clawed hand was outstretched toward Shinko's neck, seeking to seize him. The young shinobi's eyes changed, though only one was visible from his half-mask. Brown eyes instantly turned red, and his pupils split into several tomoe. Time moved slowly again, this time due to the enhanced perception that the Sharingan provided him. He could see possible moves before they happened, and he plotted the best course of action based on the information present.
As the clawed hand nearly closed around his neck, Shinko's hand snatched the blade of his chokutō that was sheathed behind his back, and twisted it in a circular motion. The blade bit easily into the Rogue Ninja’s arm, slicing it clean off. Shinko twirled to continue the motion and pierced the man’s heart. As the arm slowly descended toward the bottom of the cliff, the first thing Shinko noticed was the lack of blood. His heart pounded as he waited and watched, studying the body he believed he killed.
The body was slumped into the blade, unmoving for several seconds, until the man wheezed. The right hand that was still intact moved in a familiar motion, and Shinko realized he was weaving signs. Shit! He needed to create some distance between them, and fast. There wasn’t enough time to retrieve his blade as he leapt away, rolling along the side of the cliff. He kept his chakra focused where he rolled so he wouldn’t fall, weaving the signs for Horse and Tiger with blinding speed as he moved back onto his feet. Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu! He kneaded chakra deep within his body as his right hand moved to his mouth, and as his chakra boiled over, he released it. Burning flames shot from his mouth, forming a great orb between him and the Rogue Ninja, eating away at even the cliff they stood alongside. This bought him time to retreat further along the cliff-side, studying the orb as the flames dissipated. As he expected, the large fireball left a sizable crater. What he didn’t expect was the man surviving.
From the crater, his Sharingan picked up movement through the haze of smoke. Tiny, tube-like objects snaked out down the cliff to the arm that lay on the ground below. Shinko watched closely as the tubes connected with something in the arm and dragged it back up to the crater. His breath caught in his throat as he waited, hands ready to weave defensive signs. The left hand, previously severed, reached out of the crater and gripped the cliff-side. Shinko's jutsu wasn't enough; the Rogue Ninja pulled himself from the crater, dusting himself off as if he'd simply fallen into dirt.
"A Sharingan and the Grand Fireball Technique? You're too young to be Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan, which means you must be an Uchiha. I should have foreseen the Leaf scouting the area... My history with them would make a Rogue Ninja sighting worth looking into," the man rumbled from behind his face-wrapping. "It's been a long time since I've been struck in such a way. Your skills would have been valuable to the Leaf for years to come, if only you hadn't been sent to track me."
Shinko was stunned. This man not only had his arm severed, but he was standing and talking as if nothing happened, even with the chokutō still sticking out of him. The momentary shock dulled his senses, and it took but a moment for Shinko to realize the implication the shinobi made. "'My history' with the Leaf," Shinko repeated quietly. His eyes widened, "No... You can't be Kakuzu! He fought with the First Hokage decades ago! Kakuzu is dead by now..."
Kakuzu laughed, "You have much to learn about the world, boy." His hand gripped the blade of the chokutō, slowly pulling it from his body. "If your blade pierced my heart, why am I still alive? Does the concept of immortality not explain this?" The sword was tossed aside, landing on the grass below with a soft 'thud'. "The First Hokage was the first shinobi from the Leaf that I ever fought. I've only gotten stronger since then... A boy like you is out of his league." Kakuzu reached into his robes and pulled out a book, flipping through the pages. "My time will not be squandered, it seems. The Uchiha clan is in my Bingo Book; you should fetch a high price," he explained.
Shinko gritted his teeth. It wasn't unexpected that the clan would be listed in a Bingo Book. The books are used to track shinobi that are blacklisted, and have a bounty on their heads. While typically issued by Hidden Villages, the black markets have their own. An Uchiha must have angered a dealer in the past. "It's unfortunate you won't be able to collect. I'm done talking, Kakuzu. For the Leaf, I'm taking you down," Shinko declared without a quiver in his voice. He didn't give Kakuzu a moment to prepare. The shinobi darted forward, easily covering the distance to Kakuzu as his hands swiftly weaved signs. Wind Style: Whirlwind Prison Jutsu! Chakra focused into his palms, converting into wind that battered Kakuzu back into the crater. Wind whirled around him, trapping the Rogue Ninja in a cyclone.
Kakuzu struggled briefly against the cyclone as it tore oxygen from his lungs. His eyes were full of hatred, and Shinko knew he was about to get serious. The drain on his chakra was heavy, as he expected, but he held onto the immobilization jutsu for as long as he could.
Kakuzu's hands slowly weaved seals against the wind, causing Shinko to redouble his efforts. In the end, his chakra was not enough to completely immobilize the more experienced shinobi. Kakuzu finished the final sign. Wind Style: Pressure Damage Jutsu! Wind burst from Kakuzu's hands, compressing in a tight ball before it exploded, tearing Shinko's barrier of wind to shreds and shoving him off the cliff-side. The air whistled around him as he fell, the ground getting ever closer. Shinko spread his arms out wide to allow some of the wind to catch in his robes and to maintain balance. When he got close, he twisted and moulded his chakra behind himself to bear the brunt of the impact.
Even as he hit the ground, air was forced from his lungs as if someone tore it out of his body. His head throbbed, and lights danced before his eyes. He sensed his Sharingan fading slowly away as he began to lose consciousness. Not like this... Wheezing, the shinobi gingerly began to pick himself off the ground. His legs were jelly while he fought to maintain his balance and stay awake. There were only a few seconds for him to regroup, if Kakuzu was to attack again. He saw his sword on the ground inches away from where he landed. With his diminished chakra, he had to be careful in using what remained.
The scent of rain hit him as he bent to pick up his sword, and he felt the drops begin to fall as he straightened up. Kakuzu landed on the grass a distance away. "The fall should have killed you. I suppose I've underestimated the Anbu Black Ops. Did you use chakra to minimize the damage?" The muffled voice remarked thoughtfully. "You used too much chakra when immobilizing me. I'm quite surprised. They say the Uchiha can see several moves ahead, but here we are... You're almost not worth the bounty of your clan. Not that I won't take it anyway..."
His words were intended to sting Shinko, but the shinobi let them roll off of him. Water was pouring from the sky now, dampening both shinobi as they stood just feet apart. "I... Told you, Kakuzu. I will not die here..." Shinko managed to sputter out weakly. The mixture of rain and the blood from his nose made his mask slip off, revealing the rest of his face. Even despite his Sharingan fading away, his eyes were defiant, his expression immovable.
Kakuzu snorted. "I'll wipe that look off your face, boy," he said calmly. Shinko didn't even see him move, until suddenly the Kakuzu stood before him. A hand wrapped around his throat, slowly blocking off his airflow. "A pity. A few more years of experience, and we may have had a real fight. Last words?"
The Uchiha struggled against the chokehold, his face slowly beginning to lose its color. In a moment of seeming desperation, his sword arm pulled back and thrust the blade forward into Kakuzu's belly.
"What's this?" Kakuzu remarked, looking down at the sword in his belly. The Rogue Ninja had winced, but aside from causing some pain and discomfort, the sword didn't seem to have much effect on him. "You haven't seemed to learn anything, boy. You-" His words were cut off as he looked up, and saw Shinko's Sharingan had returned, and he had completed a sign. "What?!"
Lightning Style... Chitenraisou: One-Thousand Heavenly Spears! Lightning struck suddenly from above. The first strike was several feet off, but many more bolts followed it in a span of a second. A shriek of pain pierced the air, and it took a moment for Kakuzu to realize it came from himself. Electricity coursed through his body as lightning struck the water beneath his feet. The Rogue Ninja thought back through the past few minutes, and all of the pieces fell into place. The scent of rain could have been smelled earlier, from higher up on the cliff. The immobilization jutsu he used had clearly been out of his class. Was that truly intentional, to make himself appear weak? Without the aid of the water and metal as conductors, Kakuzu figured this jutsu would be A-rank at the lowest; a step below the most difficult.
Shinko was released, but the drain on his chakra was too much for him to stay. His hand gripped the blade of his chokutō, unbothered by the spears of lightning falling around them, and pulled it free of Kakuzu's. Not a second later, the Uchiha was gone, and Kakuzu roared with anger as his bounty slipped from his grasp even as another flash of lightning pierced through the sky.
The return to the Leaf took several days longer than the journey away, due to how battered and beaten Shinko felt. When he finally came within eyesight of the village's gates, the shinobi on guard, Izumo and Kotetsu, approached him cautiously to offer their assistance. Shinko waved them off; he failed this mission, and would deliver the report of failure on his own. Several eyes watched him from the buildings above as he limped through the streets. He could have sworn he saw a flash of white hair here, a green jumpsuit there, and various other flashes of bodies moving with him. It had been a long time since he'd returned to the village in this condition, and he knew they were watching to ensure he'd be all right.
This thought warmed his heart for a moment, until his predicament closed in around him once more. How would Lord Third react to the failure? It took half an hour to reach the Hokage's office, where the old man sat, looking out the great window behind his desk. It seemed as if he was watching Shinko's progress through the village. Shinko ignored the chair that was in the middle of the room and knelt down as best as he could, wincing a bit from discomfort. "Lord Hokage..." Shinko began, then coughed a bit. His voice was hoarse, having run out of water a day before his return. The movement of his lips made him feel like they'd crack if he continued.
Hiruzen stood from his chair and turned to face the younger shinobi. "Shinko. Have a seat, please," the old man's voice rumbled. He poured a glass of water and handed it to Shinko, waiting until it was empty before leaning himself against his desk.
Shinko sat quietly for a moment, trying to find a silver-lining to the end of his mission, then relented to simply lay out the facts. By the end of the tale, Hiruzen's expression remained unreadable. "And then... I used Chitenraisou. I thought I'd have enough chakra afterward to take him out from there, but... I failed. I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. Because of me, that man is still out there..."
"Failed? It sounds to me you completed the mission, and did a bit more than that." The old man smiled at Shinko's shocked expression. "The mission was to find out what this Rogue Ninja was up to, and their allegiance to the Waterfall. It sounds like you did exactly that, no? Not only that, but you outsmarted him as well. I'm quite impressed, Shinko. The chance of this man truly being Kakuzu is questionable, but I'll have his file re-opened just in case. There are stories of men who've attained immortality before, though often they are men who follow the Way of Jashin." Hiruzen seemed to be in thought, stroking his chin. "Kakuzu, as I heard it, didn't follow their path in his life. If he is truly immortal by some other means, he'd have decades of experience. The fact that you pieced together such a clever plan and executed it flawlessly shows me that I did well in choosing you for this mission. You truly have the Will of Fire," he finished resting a hand on Shinko's shoulder.
Shinko listened quietly to the Hokage, then bowed his head deeply, finally seeing the silver-lining he had been missing all along. "Th- thank you, Lord Hokage....” Shinko managed to croak out. His hands slowly balled into fists. “I- I won’t let you down, nor the Leaf. I swear to it.”
The Hokage regarded the young man for a moment, then nodded. “I know you won’t, son,” Hiruzen murmured, turning back to his chair. “Rest up for a few days. You’ve been through a lot; I won’t be so crass as to give you another mission after this last one. I’m sure you’d like to spend some time with your nephew, after all, no? Go on, now. I’ll call for you when I need you.” The old man smiled knowingly. It wasn’t a secret that Shinko was devoted to his family, and was giving it his all to help his brother raise his son.
Shinko slowly stood, saluting Hiruzen. “Yes, Lord Third. Thank you...” He repeated quietly. The departure from the grand offices took just as long as his arrival, as he now had to head toward the outskirts of the village where the Uchiha clan resided. When he reached his family’s residence and entered the small entrance, night was quickly falling. “I’m home...” He called out, voice a little weak as he sat down on the step leading to the rest of the house, and worked off his shoes. He cringed, slumping a bit against the wall. His body felt like it was on fire after his ordeal. The past few days normally would have been a time for recovery for a shinobi that went through what he did, but Shinko left little time for rest during his return to the Leaf. Whether it was fear or determination that drove him during those days, he didn’t know. Whatever it was, it drove him to run faster and leap farther than he ever had before.
Footsteps could be heard pounding across the other side of the house. “Shinkoooooooo!” a young voice called out happily, and the shinobi felt a body practically tackle him into a hug. “I missed you, Uncle Shinko!” His nephew, Kazu, buried his face against Shinko’s chest. It took all he had not to groan with pain, not wanting to disturb his nephew. “Papa! Gramma! Shinko’s back!” The boy yelled, making Shinko wince at the loudness next to his ear.
“Easy there, buddy. You don’t want to wake up the neighborhood, do you?” Shinko tried to reason with the boy as he stood up, carefully lifting the boy in his arms. He couldn’t suppress a quiet groan as he did so. His nephew eyed him with concern, not used to seeing his uncle express feelings of pain. Shinko quickly turned his nephew’s attention away. “How’d you like to hear about my last mission, Kazu?” The boy seemed to have forgotten everything as he wiggled happily in Shinko’s arms. “Yes yes yes!”
That night, Shinko slept soundly, dreaming of riding the wind into a thunderstorm.
I'm open to all feedback you may have! And now, I present to you:
Enter: Uchiha Shinko!!
Wind blew from the east, rustling the leaves to mask the soft footfalls from the trees above. A shadow darted from branch to branch, moving with ease as if the trees were its natural habitat. When the shadow came to a stop, the branch barely felt its weight. The moonlight shone down from a gap in the forest canopy, revealing a man in a Fox mask and dark clothing. His tree stood atop a cliff overlooking the valley below. The destination was close at hand below, where a large tree met the side of a cliff. Water poured down from a river atop the cliff, hiding its secrets behind a cascade of water. The Village Hidden in a Waterfall was merely a mile away.
Uchiha Shinko took off his mask to survey his surroundings. A shadow ran across the valley, catching his attention. As he studied the shadowy figure, he thought back to just two days prior, when he stood in the office of the Third Hokage. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind the desk, reading over the mission details before presenting them.
"I want you to think long before accepting this mission, Shinko," the old man began, then smiled a bit at the Uchiha's confused expression. "Ah, yes, the choice to accept a mission happens but rarely. Unfortunately, our Jonin are tied up in their own missions, and so we're left with few choices of our own. You're at the top of our list, as your performance has been exemplary these past few years." Hiruzen paused for a moment, linking his fingers together as he studied the young shinobi. "I will present the details to you, and you are welcome to give me your thoughts."
"This is a solo A-rank mission; one that will be fairly difficult. A Rogue Ninja has been spotted near the Village Hidden in a Waterfall," the Hokage explained. "The details on who it is, and from where, are as yet unknown. Hence our difficult situation here... Long ago, a shinobi known as Kakuzu attacked the Leaf. His mission was passed down to him by the Village Hidden in a Waterfall, and the goal was to kill Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage. He failed, and his village cast him out. If a Rogue Ninja is in that area, who knows what's going on?"
Shinko listened intently, soaking in the information that was being dispensed to him. As part of the Anbu Black Ops, even the smallest detail could be of the greatest importance to him. A Rogue Ninja in the area could mean many things. They could be after a bounty, or seeking to steal from the land to survive. Whatever it was, the Leaf needed to know. Shinko cleared his throat before speaking, his voice steady. "You need a scout. Someone who can slip in and out of the village without notice if needed, or one who can track this Rogue Ninja," he thought aloud. "Rogue Ninja can be tricky. Often they're outcasts that couldn't fit in with the village, either due to weakness or a difference in ideals. You need someone who can gauge the threat this shinobi can be to the Leaf, especially with the history of that Hidden Village." The shinobi bowed his head low. "I would be honored to take this mission, Lord Hokage."
"Mm, very good..." Hiruzen rumbled as he stood, resting his hands behind his back. "Be careful, young Uchiha. This shinobi may be dangerous, and I'd hate to lose someone with your talent."
Shinko saluted the Hokage, and would depart the Village Hidden in the Leaves shortly after. The shadow moving in the alley brought Shinko back to the present, renewing his focus on the movement of the figure. After a few seconds, the shadow faded away into nothingness before his eyes. Shit! Shinko thought to himself, twisting in the tree and casting his gaze across the forest. A large figure came into focus behind him, but before he could weave any signs, a fist slammed into his mask. Shinko was sent flying off the tree over the cliff's edge.
Time seemed to slow for him as he assessed his damage. His nose was bleeding freely, but that could be ignored. He could move his jaw, blink, and turn his neck. Good, nothing's broken. He realized after a moment that his mask was split into two, after noticing the cool night air on just half his face. Shinko twisted in the air to see the figure gazing down at him from the top of the cliff. There was no choice; he had to fight. Was this the Rogue Shinobi that he was tracking?
Kunai appeared in Shinko's hands, as if pulled from thin air. Eight kunai fit between fingers on both hands, and with another twist in the air, he launched the kunai from one hand at the figure hidden by the dark night. Another twist allowed him to fling more right after, aimed at his own kunai. The shadow snorted as if in amusement, until metal clashed against metal, altering the direction of his kunai. Got him. Shinko's kunai would strike from the Shadow's blind spot, though it seemed unphased by the 4 kunai that embedded themselves in its back. Shinko's brow furrowed as he sent a month kunai with string tied along the handle to the cliff. The metal dug into rock, breaking Shinko's fall and bringing him to the cliff. Chakra was focused into his feet, allowing him to stand on the side of the cliff as if it was right side-up.
Metal could be heard clattering on the ground as the kunai fell from the shadow's back. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, illuminating the figure. The man that stood atop the cliff was covered in dark, shapeless robes that made it difficult to gauge his physique. All Shinko could see was the height of the man -- well over 6 feet -- and that his face was covered from the mouth down. His eyes were the most startling. Instead of white, the outer-edges were a pinkish-red, with green irides and a lack of pupils. The man then spoke, surprising Shinko.
"You did well to get this far, but you have much to learn if you intend to spy on shinobi like myself." The man's voice was deep, in part due to the face-wrap muffling some of his speech. His words were clear, despite that. "Anbu Black Ops, I see. What village are you from, boy? Tell me, and I'll make sure your death is short and relatively painless."
Shinko didn't seem phased. Threats of death were nothing to him. He's experienced them before, and had near-death experiences himself. Death was not something he feared, but also not something he sought. His mind worked in a blur, formulating his plan of attack. He needed time, but that was something in short supply. "You pack a punch, I'll give you that. But you'll learn nothing from me, Rogue Ninja. Tell me: why are you going to the Waterfall? Who are you to them?"
The man was unsurprised by Shinko's defiance. He knows the Anbu Black Ops doesn't surrender such information willingly. "Information is valuable, boy. There's always a price to pay. I'll give you this, at least, before you die: I've a mission in this region, and I have no love for the Waterfall..."
There wasn't even a pause for breath before the man leaped from the cliff's edge, plummeting head-first toward Shinko. A clawed hand was outstretched toward Shinko's neck, seeking to seize him. The young shinobi's eyes changed, though only one was visible from his half-mask. Brown eyes instantly turned red, and his pupils split into several tomoe. Time moved slowly again, this time due to the enhanced perception that the Sharingan provided him. He could see possible moves before they happened, and he plotted the best course of action based on the information present.
As the clawed hand nearly closed around his neck, Shinko's hand snatched the blade of his chokutō that was sheathed behind his back, and twisted it in a circular motion. The blade bit easily into the Rogue Ninja’s arm, slicing it clean off. Shinko twirled to continue the motion and pierced the man’s heart. As the arm slowly descended toward the bottom of the cliff, the first thing Shinko noticed was the lack of blood. His heart pounded as he waited and watched, studying the body he believed he killed.
The body was slumped into the blade, unmoving for several seconds, until the man wheezed. The right hand that was still intact moved in a familiar motion, and Shinko realized he was weaving signs. Shit! He needed to create some distance between them, and fast. There wasn’t enough time to retrieve his blade as he leapt away, rolling along the side of the cliff. He kept his chakra focused where he rolled so he wouldn’t fall, weaving the signs for Horse and Tiger with blinding speed as he moved back onto his feet. Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu! He kneaded chakra deep within his body as his right hand moved to his mouth, and as his chakra boiled over, he released it. Burning flames shot from his mouth, forming a great orb between him and the Rogue Ninja, eating away at even the cliff they stood alongside. This bought him time to retreat further along the cliff-side, studying the orb as the flames dissipated. As he expected, the large fireball left a sizable crater. What he didn’t expect was the man surviving.
From the crater, his Sharingan picked up movement through the haze of smoke. Tiny, tube-like objects snaked out down the cliff to the arm that lay on the ground below. Shinko watched closely as the tubes connected with something in the arm and dragged it back up to the crater. His breath caught in his throat as he waited, hands ready to weave defensive signs. The left hand, previously severed, reached out of the crater and gripped the cliff-side. Shinko's jutsu wasn't enough; the Rogue Ninja pulled himself from the crater, dusting himself off as if he'd simply fallen into dirt.
"A Sharingan and the Grand Fireball Technique? You're too young to be Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan, which means you must be an Uchiha. I should have foreseen the Leaf scouting the area... My history with them would make a Rogue Ninja sighting worth looking into," the man rumbled from behind his face-wrapping. "It's been a long time since I've been struck in such a way. Your skills would have been valuable to the Leaf for years to come, if only you hadn't been sent to track me."
Shinko was stunned. This man not only had his arm severed, but he was standing and talking as if nothing happened, even with the chokutō still sticking out of him. The momentary shock dulled his senses, and it took but a moment for Shinko to realize the implication the shinobi made. "'My history' with the Leaf," Shinko repeated quietly. His eyes widened, "No... You can't be Kakuzu! He fought with the First Hokage decades ago! Kakuzu is dead by now..."
Kakuzu laughed, "You have much to learn about the world, boy." His hand gripped the blade of the chokutō, slowly pulling it from his body. "If your blade pierced my heart, why am I still alive? Does the concept of immortality not explain this?" The sword was tossed aside, landing on the grass below with a soft 'thud'. "The First Hokage was the first shinobi from the Leaf that I ever fought. I've only gotten stronger since then... A boy like you is out of his league." Kakuzu reached into his robes and pulled out a book, flipping through the pages. "My time will not be squandered, it seems. The Uchiha clan is in my Bingo Book; you should fetch a high price," he explained.
Shinko gritted his teeth. It wasn't unexpected that the clan would be listed in a Bingo Book. The books are used to track shinobi that are blacklisted, and have a bounty on their heads. While typically issued by Hidden Villages, the black markets have their own. An Uchiha must have angered a dealer in the past. "It's unfortunate you won't be able to collect. I'm done talking, Kakuzu. For the Leaf, I'm taking you down," Shinko declared without a quiver in his voice. He didn't give Kakuzu a moment to prepare. The shinobi darted forward, easily covering the distance to Kakuzu as his hands swiftly weaved signs. Wind Style: Whirlwind Prison Jutsu! Chakra focused into his palms, converting into wind that battered Kakuzu back into the crater. Wind whirled around him, trapping the Rogue Ninja in a cyclone.
Kakuzu struggled briefly against the cyclone as it tore oxygen from his lungs. His eyes were full of hatred, and Shinko knew he was about to get serious. The drain on his chakra was heavy, as he expected, but he held onto the immobilization jutsu for as long as he could.
Kakuzu's hands slowly weaved seals against the wind, causing Shinko to redouble his efforts. In the end, his chakra was not enough to completely immobilize the more experienced shinobi. Kakuzu finished the final sign. Wind Style: Pressure Damage Jutsu! Wind burst from Kakuzu's hands, compressing in a tight ball before it exploded, tearing Shinko's barrier of wind to shreds and shoving him off the cliff-side. The air whistled around him as he fell, the ground getting ever closer. Shinko spread his arms out wide to allow some of the wind to catch in his robes and to maintain balance. When he got close, he twisted and moulded his chakra behind himself to bear the brunt of the impact.
Even as he hit the ground, air was forced from his lungs as if someone tore it out of his body. His head throbbed, and lights danced before his eyes. He sensed his Sharingan fading slowly away as he began to lose consciousness. Not like this... Wheezing, the shinobi gingerly began to pick himself off the ground. His legs were jelly while he fought to maintain his balance and stay awake. There were only a few seconds for him to regroup, if Kakuzu was to attack again. He saw his sword on the ground inches away from where he landed. With his diminished chakra, he had to be careful in using what remained.
The scent of rain hit him as he bent to pick up his sword, and he felt the drops begin to fall as he straightened up. Kakuzu landed on the grass a distance away. "The fall should have killed you. I suppose I've underestimated the Anbu Black Ops. Did you use chakra to minimize the damage?" The muffled voice remarked thoughtfully. "You used too much chakra when immobilizing me. I'm quite surprised. They say the Uchiha can see several moves ahead, but here we are... You're almost not worth the bounty of your clan. Not that I won't take it anyway..."
His words were intended to sting Shinko, but the shinobi let them roll off of him. Water was pouring from the sky now, dampening both shinobi as they stood just feet apart. "I... Told you, Kakuzu. I will not die here..." Shinko managed to sputter out weakly. The mixture of rain and the blood from his nose made his mask slip off, revealing the rest of his face. Even despite his Sharingan fading away, his eyes were defiant, his expression immovable.
Kakuzu snorted. "I'll wipe that look off your face, boy," he said calmly. Shinko didn't even see him move, until suddenly the Kakuzu stood before him. A hand wrapped around his throat, slowly blocking off his airflow. "A pity. A few more years of experience, and we may have had a real fight. Last words?"
The Uchiha struggled against the chokehold, his face slowly beginning to lose its color. In a moment of seeming desperation, his sword arm pulled back and thrust the blade forward into Kakuzu's belly.
"What's this?" Kakuzu remarked, looking down at the sword in his belly. The Rogue Ninja had winced, but aside from causing some pain and discomfort, the sword didn't seem to have much effect on him. "You haven't seemed to learn anything, boy. You-" His words were cut off as he looked up, and saw Shinko's Sharingan had returned, and he had completed a sign. "What?!"
Lightning Style... Chitenraisou: One-Thousand Heavenly Spears! Lightning struck suddenly from above. The first strike was several feet off, but many more bolts followed it in a span of a second. A shriek of pain pierced the air, and it took a moment for Kakuzu to realize it came from himself. Electricity coursed through his body as lightning struck the water beneath his feet. The Rogue Ninja thought back through the past few minutes, and all of the pieces fell into place. The scent of rain could have been smelled earlier, from higher up on the cliff. The immobilization jutsu he used had clearly been out of his class. Was that truly intentional, to make himself appear weak? Without the aid of the water and metal as conductors, Kakuzu figured this jutsu would be A-rank at the lowest; a step below the most difficult.
Shinko was released, but the drain on his chakra was too much for him to stay. His hand gripped the blade of his chokutō, unbothered by the spears of lightning falling around them, and pulled it free of Kakuzu's. Not a second later, the Uchiha was gone, and Kakuzu roared with anger as his bounty slipped from his grasp even as another flash of lightning pierced through the sky.
The return to the Leaf took several days longer than the journey away, due to how battered and beaten Shinko felt. When he finally came within eyesight of the village's gates, the shinobi on guard, Izumo and Kotetsu, approached him cautiously to offer their assistance. Shinko waved them off; he failed this mission, and would deliver the report of failure on his own. Several eyes watched him from the buildings above as he limped through the streets. He could have sworn he saw a flash of white hair here, a green jumpsuit there, and various other flashes of bodies moving with him. It had been a long time since he'd returned to the village in this condition, and he knew they were watching to ensure he'd be all right.
This thought warmed his heart for a moment, until his predicament closed in around him once more. How would Lord Third react to the failure? It took half an hour to reach the Hokage's office, where the old man sat, looking out the great window behind his desk. It seemed as if he was watching Shinko's progress through the village. Shinko ignored the chair that was in the middle of the room and knelt down as best as he could, wincing a bit from discomfort. "Lord Hokage..." Shinko began, then coughed a bit. His voice was hoarse, having run out of water a day before his return. The movement of his lips made him feel like they'd crack if he continued.
Hiruzen stood from his chair and turned to face the younger shinobi. "Shinko. Have a seat, please," the old man's voice rumbled. He poured a glass of water and handed it to Shinko, waiting until it was empty before leaning himself against his desk.
Shinko sat quietly for a moment, trying to find a silver-lining to the end of his mission, then relented to simply lay out the facts. By the end of the tale, Hiruzen's expression remained unreadable. "And then... I used Chitenraisou. I thought I'd have enough chakra afterward to take him out from there, but... I failed. I'm sorry, Lord Hokage. Because of me, that man is still out there..."
"Failed? It sounds to me you completed the mission, and did a bit more than that." The old man smiled at Shinko's shocked expression. "The mission was to find out what this Rogue Ninja was up to, and their allegiance to the Waterfall. It sounds like you did exactly that, no? Not only that, but you outsmarted him as well. I'm quite impressed, Shinko. The chance of this man truly being Kakuzu is questionable, but I'll have his file re-opened just in case. There are stories of men who've attained immortality before, though often they are men who follow the Way of Jashin." Hiruzen seemed to be in thought, stroking his chin. "Kakuzu, as I heard it, didn't follow their path in his life. If he is truly immortal by some other means, he'd have decades of experience. The fact that you pieced together such a clever plan and executed it flawlessly shows me that I did well in choosing you for this mission. You truly have the Will of Fire," he finished resting a hand on Shinko's shoulder.
Shinko listened quietly to the Hokage, then bowed his head deeply, finally seeing the silver-lining he had been missing all along. "Th- thank you, Lord Hokage....” Shinko managed to croak out. His hands slowly balled into fists. “I- I won’t let you down, nor the Leaf. I swear to it.”
The Hokage regarded the young man for a moment, then nodded. “I know you won’t, son,” Hiruzen murmured, turning back to his chair. “Rest up for a few days. You’ve been through a lot; I won’t be so crass as to give you another mission after this last one. I’m sure you’d like to spend some time with your nephew, after all, no? Go on, now. I’ll call for you when I need you.” The old man smiled knowingly. It wasn’t a secret that Shinko was devoted to his family, and was giving it his all to help his brother raise his son.
Shinko slowly stood, saluting Hiruzen. “Yes, Lord Third. Thank you...” He repeated quietly. The departure from the grand offices took just as long as his arrival, as he now had to head toward the outskirts of the village where the Uchiha clan resided. When he reached his family’s residence and entered the small entrance, night was quickly falling. “I’m home...” He called out, voice a little weak as he sat down on the step leading to the rest of the house, and worked off his shoes. He cringed, slumping a bit against the wall. His body felt like it was on fire after his ordeal. The past few days normally would have been a time for recovery for a shinobi that went through what he did, but Shinko left little time for rest during his return to the Leaf. Whether it was fear or determination that drove him during those days, he didn’t know. Whatever it was, it drove him to run faster and leap farther than he ever had before.
Footsteps could be heard pounding across the other side of the house. “Shinkoooooooo!” a young voice called out happily, and the shinobi felt a body practically tackle him into a hug. “I missed you, Uncle Shinko!” His nephew, Kazu, buried his face against Shinko’s chest. It took all he had not to groan with pain, not wanting to disturb his nephew. “Papa! Gramma! Shinko’s back!” The boy yelled, making Shinko wince at the loudness next to his ear.
“Easy there, buddy. You don’t want to wake up the neighborhood, do you?” Shinko tried to reason with the boy as he stood up, carefully lifting the boy in his arms. He couldn’t suppress a quiet groan as he did so. His nephew eyed him with concern, not used to seeing his uncle express feelings of pain. Shinko quickly turned his nephew’s attention away. “How’d you like to hear about my last mission, Kazu?” The boy seemed to have forgotten everything as he wiggled happily in Shinko’s arms. “Yes yes yes!”
That night, Shinko slept soundly, dreaming of riding the wind into a thunderstorm.