Nanhe River.
Splash!
Uchiha Shion tossed a pebble from his hand into the rushing waters below the cliff.
"I heard from Itachi that your mood's been off lately, so I came to check on you," came Shisui's voice from behind. He bent down, picked up a stone himself, and flicked it into the river with practiced ease.
Turning back, Shion hesitated before replying:
"I'm starting to regret joining the Anbu. That place… it doesn't suit me."
"Because of the Anbu's rules of engagement?"
Shisui stepped up beside him, eyes following the endless flow of the river. "Their missions are enough to make most people uncomfortable. If you want to withdraw, I can explain things to the Fourth Hokage for you."
"Haah…" Shion let out a long breath. "There was a mission to bring back classified intel. But on our way down the mountain, ordinary people spotted us. To hide our tracks, the Anbu's directive was clear: erase every possible witness."
He paused, his voice tightening.
"It was an old man carrying a little girl on his back. The child had no parents—they'd died in the wars. Only her grandfather remained, wandering from place to place, begging just to survive."
Shisui hesitated. "Anbu mission details… aren't you forbidden from telling me?"
Shion exhaled, meeting his gaze. "And that's exactly why I'll never truly fit in. Missions. Rules. The so-called shinobi willpower… too many excuses. The Anbu treat human lives like weeds. I've killed before, but I have a line. Innocent old men and children shouldn't be cut down just because they happened to be in the wrong place."
His voice dropped lower.
"That girl… when she first saw my mask, she smiled. She called me 'big brother.' Asked if she could play with my mask for a bit."
Shisui froze. Silence stretched between them, broken only by the rush of the river.
After a long while, he finally asked quietly: "So… what did you do?"
Shion gave a thin smile.
"With me there? There's no way I'd let them kill her. She called me big brother, after all."
His expression hardened as his eyes grew distant.
"I blocked my comrades when they tried to act. Gave the old man some money. Told them to leave as quickly as possible, not to be seen again…"
Shisui waited. When no more came, he asked: "And then?"
Shion's smile turned bitter.
"Later, an Iwagakure scouting unit found them anyway. The old man and the girl… they died. But they didn't give up any information about us."
His voice sharpened.
"After that… I heard the commotion. I turned back. And I killed every last one of those Iwa dogs!"
Shisui blinked. "Iwa's search squad? Did you leave any traces?"
Shion shook his head. "My Anbu teammates followed to clean up. Before she died, the little girl told me: 'Grandpa taught me… you have to keep your word.'"
He gave a hollow laugh.
"Such an ordinary phrase, isn't it? Something countless shinobi call their nindō. And yet, how ironic… a simple promise cost her life."
Shion lifted his head, Mangekyō Sharingan slowly spinning open in his eyes, betraying the storm beneath his calm exterior.
"I had an impulse that day, Shisui. To unleash all my power, march into Iwagakure itself… and wipe it off the map!"
"Shion!" Shisui grabbed his arm urgently. "Impulses solve nothing. You need to calm down."
The Mangekyō faded away. Shion nodded. "I know… Villages across all Five Great Nations, and even the smaller shinobi villages—they're filled with ordinary people. Civilians. Merchants who commission small jobs, or nobles who post high-rank missions. They're the ones who sustain this shinobi system. And yet… they're always the ones who suffer most."
He clenched his fists.
"Destroying Iwagakure wouldn't change anything. In a year, two at most, another Iwa would rise. And it's not just them—every shinobi village carries out similar atrocities."
Shion lifted his eyes to the sky. Resources unevenly distributed, conflict inevitable. Shinobi with extraordinary powers became weapons. Yet, despite producing nothing, shinobi required more resources than ordinary people—resources they seized through force.
Thus, the bizarre system arose, where only with a Daimyō's approval could one even become a Kage.
For the first time, Shion felt a flicker of understanding for Madara and Obito.
Maybe what they fought against wasn't just the deaths of Izuna and Rin, but this entire warped system. Driven to desperation… they lost themselves.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi was a lie.
But then, what could possibly save such a twisted world?
He shook his head sharply, chasing away the dangerous spiral of thoughts. Any further, and he'd end up like Itachi—tormented by madness.
"Shion…" Shisui laid a hand on his shoulder. "If we want to change anything, we'll need overwhelming strength… and the perspective to wield it."
"I was raised within this shinobi system. I don't know the answer. But if it's you, Shion… I believe you can find a way. You'll succeed."
Shion chuckled faintly. "You've always trusted me more than I trust myself. Even I don't know how to fix a system this broken."
Change?
This world, with its shinobi possessing superhuman powers, was utterly different from his past life. Unification?
Gather all shinobi together under one banner, dissolve the villages, then harness that power to unite the nations.
No more wars.
No more schemes.
But without strife… there would be no soil left for shinobi to survive.
"…Shisui, I'll think on it. For now, let's spar. We promised before—once you became clan head, we'd practice more often together."
Seeing Shion already taking his stance, Shisui smiled, slipping off his cloak.
"It's been a while since I've stretched myself. If it's your request, then let's begin."
Bang!
They clapped their hands together in the seal of confrontation, and their figures flickered, vanishing across the surface of the Nanhe River.
Both masters of the Body Flicker, their taijutsu exchange was so fast that their forms blurred from sight.
Whoosh!
Separating at last, they locked eyes. Blood trickled from Shisui's shoulder.
"Your blade…" Shisui muttered.
Shion nodded. "I modified it a little. Last time against Orochimaru, the edge chipped. I replaced it with a version that has a blood-draining seal built in."
Shisui let out a strained laugh. "This is just training, you know. Was it really necessary to go that far?"
Shion shook his head. "If it weren't training, that cut would be across your neck. You may be clan head now, but that doesn't mean you can slack off."
Shisui smirked. "In that case… I'll take this seriously too."