With the peace agreement between Konoha and Iwagakure in place, things were supposed to start moving in a better direction.
According to Hiruzen's plan, all he needed to do next was deploy the forces led by Jiraiya and Minato to the battlefront against Kirigakure, wipe out the Hidden Mist shinobi entrenched within their territory with overwhelming force, and then concentrate their military strength against Kumogakure.
But then, the newly inaugurated Fourth Raikage returned to the battlefield, once again leading his shinobi to the borders of Konoha.
This forced Hiruzen to dispatch Minato in the direction of Kumogakure, while also sending Takeshi's team to support the battle against Kirigakure.
...
"I can't shake off this uneasy feeling."
Before he even got a few days of rest, Takeshi found himself back on the battlefield with his team. The occasional shuriken and kunai flying out of the dense mist gave him a firsthand experience of Kirigakure's combat style—completely different from that of the Cloud or Stone shinobi.
"But this won't stop me. Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Dodging a shuriken coming from behind by instinct, Takeshi quickly formed hand signs, took a deep breath, and released a massive wind bullet from his mouth.
The powerful Wind Release easily dispersed the dense mist ahead, revealing the startled figures of several Mist shinobi.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Net!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Claw!"
Kakashi and Obito, in perfect sync with Takeshi, launched a coordinated attack, taking down several Mist shinobi who hadn't even realized what was happening.
"Don't panic, hold the line!"
Though the Mist shinobi leader barked commands to steady his men, the fact that he began retreating in the opposite direction betrayed his true state of mind.
A mirror of ice suddenly appeared before him, and Takeshi's reflection emerged from within, slitting his throat with a senbon in one swift motion.
"It's the White Reaper!"
They didn't know why Konoha had someone possessing a kekkei genkai that should've originated in their own village, but that didn't matter right now—especially when the Mist shinobi recognized the boy before them.
A beast formed from lightning chakra charged with a roar at the Mist shinobi. The purple glow surrounding it caught Takeshi's attention.
So Kakashi developed a new jutsu after realizing Chidori wasn't enough?
His progress really is impressive.
Tilting his head to dodge a slash from a Mist shinobi, Takeshi lowered his body and covered his fist with ice before launching a powerful punch that sent the enemy flying. Then he reached behind and drew the sword with a backhanded grip.
"I can't fall behind either. Time to show you my new jutsu!"
Infusing both lightning and fire chakra into the sword, Takeshi used his ice mirrors to instantly reposition behind a Mist shinobi and stabbed hard at the opponent's back.
The Mist shinobi clearly sensed the movement behind him and instinctively leapt away in an attempt to dodge the attack.
As a result, the blade that was meant to pierce his lower back... missed its mark and instead stabbed into a much more unfortunate area.
"Aaaagh!!!"
The Mist shinobi's agonized scream instantly drew everyone's attention. Seeing the horrific scene, not only did the remaining Mist shinobi lose the will to fight—even the Konoha shinobi couldn't bear to look.
From a distance, Rin raised her small hand to cover her mouth and closed her eyes, refusing to look any further.
"Would you believe me if I said that was an accident?"
Takeshi wanted to explain to the poor guy in front of him, but the dual nature of the Thunder and Fire chakra had already claimed his life before he could respond.
The surviving Mist shinobi fled the area with everything they had, leaving Takeshi standing there alone, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Jeez... Though to be fair, Dad did do something like this before..."
Withdrawing his Lightning Release, Kakashi scratched his head helplessly.
"Yikes... Note to self: never piss off Takeshi."
Obito gasped and covered his vital area, making a silent vow to himself.
...
"Shimura Takeshi, the White Reaper... Hmph. As despicable as his father."
In a hidden corner of the battlefield, unnoticed by anyone, a man in a cloak and mask glared viciously in Takeshi's direction.
Just hearing the surname Shimura made his fists clench involuntarily, veins bulging on his hands—a clear sign of the deep hatred he held.
"Yare yare... Now's not really the time to be obsessed with that kid, Setsuna-kun."
A White Zetsu emerged, speaking in a friendly tone to remind him.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Setsuna turned his gaze away and looked down at the White Zetsu beneath him.
"Has Wada made his move yet?"
"Of course. That's his only grandson. Once he learned the boy was still alive, there's no way he wouldn't show up."
White Zetsu smirked, his tone gleeful.
"And just like Madara-sama predicted, two of those... what were they called again... Right, Root—two Root shinobi have been following behind him."
Uchiha Madara knew the difference between Yōwan and Setsuna well.
Setsuna was a remnant of the era that had witnessed the Uchiha clan's former glory—he revered Madara's will deeply.
Yōwan, on the other hand, had grown up in a new age under Konoha's teachings. While he wasn't naively loyal to the Will of Fire like Shisui, he also wasn't inclined to trust the world Madara described.
He had to be shown true pain.
And what Yōwan cherished most—his deepest bond—was his grandfather.
Imagine: a boy, after enduring countless hardships to escape an unfamiliar land, finally returning to the village that raised him, only to find his most important loved one killed by Konoha shinobi... How deep would his hatred burn?
"This is Wada's own fault."
Remembering how Wada once rose up in rebellion only to retreat halfway, Setsuna felt no sympathy. Turning away, he left the area with White Zetsu.
Still... if this opportunity could be used to get rid of that Shimura brat too, surely Madara-sama wouldn't mind.
Muttering to himself, Setsuna suddenly recalled one of Kirigakure's plans.
...
"This way, the war should end soon."
Beside the campfire, the members of Team 7 huddled together for warmth, roasting skewers as they talked.
"Kirigakure's already running on fumes. One final push and we can kick them straight into the ocean."
On the other side of the fire was the team, composed of Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu.
"Guy, about your father..."
Knowing that Might Duy had sacrificed himself just like in the original story, Takeshi wanted to say something to comfort him.
"It's fine, Takeshi. My father followed through on his beliefs to the very end, letting his youth burn at its peak. That was his will. Tears would only bury the value of his sacrifice."
Might Guy showed his signature smile—but just how forced that smile was, Takeshi couldn't tell.
"Is that so? Then have some grilled skewers."
Smiling in return, Takeshi handed over a skewer.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo