At first there was only darkness—heavy, endless, suffocating. Then the emerald light returned, pulsing like a heartbeat, filling his eyes and veins with an otherworldly glow. Renji staggered forward, clutching his head. His heart hammered in panic. This… this isn't normal. Where am I? What's happening to me?
And then the memories struck—like a flood breaking through. Memories of another life, of stories read and worlds imagined. Pages, episodes, panels flashing through his mind. Konoha. The Uchiha clan. Naruto. Sasuke. Itachi. The truth came in a wave of terror. I've… crossed over. This is the Naruto world.
His chest tightened. Fear gnawed at him—of what it meant, of what was coming. But the fear slowly gave way to something else. A trembling laugh escaped his lips, first small, then rising. "Hah… hahahaha… This is insane… but incredible. I really did it. I'm here. And I'm Uchiha."
The emerald horizon rippled, and four shadows emerged, their Mangekyō eyes glowing like green fire. Each bore their weapon—hammer, bow, dual short swords, and polearm. Renji's breath caught. His Mangekyō power pulsed. So this… this is one of the Uchiha's forbidden eye techniques? A kekkei genkai that controls four shadows… but they aren't just puppets. They think, they act, they're alive. His lips curved into a grin. "This will create perfect sync… hahahaha…!"
The hammer-bearer's eyes narrowed. "Strength must be grounded."
The bowman tilted his head, voice sharp as an arrow. "Precision decides who lives."
The dual-sword wielder stepped forward, emerald eyes softer, familiar. Renji's chest tightened with a pang. The way she stood, the subtle tilt of her chin—it struck him suddenly. Mother…? His breath faltered. You're her. The shadow of the one who died to protect me. The thought weighed heavy, yet it filled him with warmth. Even in shadow, she remained by his side.
The polearm-bearer's voice was calm, commanding. "Divide it. Let us carry what you cannot."
Renji tested his chakra. Three currents surged within: fire, earth, and water. He frowned, analyzing with growing clarity. "So… fire comes from the Uchiha. Earth is common enough. But water…" His voice softened with awe. "That comes from the Senju bloodline, doesn't it? That explains it. My fast healing all those years. My father must've been a Senju descended."
He pressed his hand into the emerald surface, chakra sparking. "Fire and earth together… magma. Water and earth… wood. Which means…" His heart skipped. "The Uchiha power steers magma, the Senju power guides wood. Both in me."
The hammer-bearer slammed his weapon into the emerald ground. "Fire. Earth. Magma. We will forge it." The archer drew his bow, emerald string glowing. "Burning precision will be ours."
Renji nodded sharply. "Then it's settled. Hammer and Archer—take fire, earth, and magma."
The mother's dual blades shimmered with light. "I will guide the waters. I will mend." The polearm-bearer lowered his weapon, steady as stone. "Water, earth, and wood. We will guard what must endure."
Renji exhaled. "Then Mother and Polearm—water, earth, wood."
The shadows bowed faintly, their emerald eyes burning with purpose. But then, without warning, they began to sink. Their bodies dissolved into dark liquid, merging into the ground. Renji's breath caught. "What—?"
The space around him shifted. From one corner of the emerald world, the hammer and archer shadows rose again, pulling themselves free from the floor. On the opposite side, the mother and polearm shadows emerged silently from the wall itself.
Renji's eyes widened in shock. "You… you can move through shadows?"
The bowman's voice was a whisper, arrow resting against his bowstring. "We are shadows. Light blinds, walls bind—but darkness opens every path."
To test it, Renji pointed toward the horizon. "Over there. Beyond my sight."
The shadows dipped their heads, then vanished again. For an instant the world was silent. Then one by one, they reemerged at the farthest edge of the emerald plain, standing tall and waiting.
A grin split Renji's face. "Perfect. You can hide, travel, and strike unseen. No one will ever know what I command."
His eyes narrowed in thought. The plan was already forming. "In this world, I'll stay silent. Just another survivor. But you…" He raised his hand to the shadows. "You'll work in the dark. Covert tasks, hidden movements. You'll train in new jutsu for me—techniques I'll gather later. That way, I'll always be ahead, always prepared. No wasted time, no risk."
The shadows bowed as one, emerald eyes burning with loyalty. Renji's reflection shimmered in the emerald surface again. His Sharingan shifted, changing to the familiar Uchiha red. His heart jolted. I can pass as one of them. But when he looked back at the shadows, their emerald fire blazed wild and unchanging.
"No," he said firmly. "Keep your eyes emerald. That's our mark. Our truth. The red is only my disguise."
The shadows nodded in silence, bound to his command. Then chakra roared through him—his Mangekyō revealed its second gift: Tsukuyomi. He understood it instantly—dominion over time and perception itself.
And deeper still, colossal figures rose behind each shadow, Susanoo forms of emerald fire.
The hammer-bearer's Susanoo, massive, wielding a crushing war hammer.The archer's Susanoo, sharp and swift, loosing arrows of emerald flame.The dual-sword Susanoo, flowing with lethal grace.The polearm Susanoo, precise and unwavering.And Renji's own—spear and shield, towering and resolute.
The emerald world thrummed with power. Renji smiled, cold and sharp. This world thinks me a victim, a boy spared from massacre. But I am more. Much more. And with you, my shadows… I will decide how this story unfolds.
The emerald world dissolved, and Renji's eyes opened in the hospital—silent, calculating, a new fire alive behind them.