Jungle Battle
"Huff… huff…" Kyosuke, only five years old, leaned against a massive rock, his small chest rising and falling as he panted heavily.
He used the moment to recover what little stamina he had left, all the while keeping a wary eye on the dense forest around him.
Swish!
A sharp whooshing sound came from directly ahead. Startled, Kyosuke instinctively threw himself forward.
The instant he left his spot, a kunai sliced past his cheek, leaving a thin line of blood before embedding itself in the rock behind him.
"These brats nowadays are really arrogant," a gloomy-looking young man sneered as he stepped out from behind a tree. He glanced at the frightened child fleeing and said to his companion, "To think he dares to deliver goods all the way to Takigakure at his age… I wonder if he even knows how to write the word death."
His companion emerged as well, but unlike the first, his posture was cautious, eyes scanning the area for traps. After a tense moment, he exhaled and muttered, "Don't get careless. We'll finish him off quickly, then bring the goods to meet our third brother."
The gloomy man dropped his smirk and nodded. Together, they followed the faint tracks Kyosuke left as he ran.
---
Hidden in a patch of tall grass, Kyosuke clutched at his bleeding chest, hastily wrapping it with cloth while keeping his eyes on the two figures approaching.
At first glance, their appearance was unremarkable—ordinary faces, standard kunai and pouches. But the forehead protectors they wore caught Kyosuke's attention.
Unlike the symbols of the Five Great Nations, theirs bore an unusual design—an open, arrow-like mark. Kyosuke, who knew the "original work," recognized it instantly.
"Takigakure shinobi…" he muttered under his breath.
Takigakure—the Village Hidden by a Waterfall. Unlike Konoha, Suna, Kiri, Kumo, or Iwa, this small village survived thanks to its natural defenses. Concealed behind a colossal waterfall, it had never once been invaded. Even Kakuzu, the infamous Akatsuki member known for murdering the First Hokage, had once hailed from Takigakure.
These two, however, were rogues—missing-nin who had betrayed their village.
Kyosuke's mission was supposed to be simple: deliver a sealed package to Takigakure. But halfway, these two defectors ambushed him. In their brief skirmish, Kyosuke was forced to retreat, leading to the standoff now.
Though the word "rogue" sounded intimidating, these two barely had the strength of Genin—and weak ones at that. Lacking resources, they were inferior even to fresh graduates of Konoha's Academy. Their attacks so far had been nothing but kunai throws and sloppy taijutsu.
But for a five-year-old, they were already overwhelming.
Even if Naruto at that age (without the Shadow Clone Technique) fought them, he'd likely lose. And Kyosuke's skills were no better—his kunai handling was clumsy, his stamina shallow. The only advantage the rogues had was their adult bodies, already stronger than his tiny frame.
A direct fight was impossible. Kyosuke had to think of another way.
---
"Boss, look." The gloomy man nudged his partner and pointed to the grass patch.
The other man nodded silently, creeping forward.
They circled the area, pretending to search while secretly surrounding Kyosuke. Both raised their kunai at once.
"Heh… kid, remember this in your next life—don't play hero." The gloomy man spun, laughter dripping with cruelty, ready to strike.
His partner mirrored him. Kyosuke seemed trapped.
But then—
Snap!
A rope broke.
Swish, swish, swish!
Dozens of sharpened stakes, hidden in the foliage, shot outward.
Kyosuke had set a crude trap while retreating. Simple, but deadly enough for careless opponents.
Thud! A blade pierced flesh. One rogue howled in pain.
Seizing the moment, Kyosuke burst from the grass and lunged at the injured man.
"You brat—!" The wounded ninja, enraged, slashed wildly. But his furious strikes met only air. Somehow, the boy's movements were sharper, more precise…
"Five…" Kyosuke whispered, counting down.
The man froze. His eyes locked on Kyosuke's pupils—now crimson, glowing with an ominous light. A single black tomoe rotated slowly within.
The Sharingan.
Even in the forest gloom, the gaze radiated killing intent.
"Four." Kyosuke's face was blank as he drove his kunai into the man's chest, piercing his heart.
"Damn it!" The second rogue, horrified by his partner's death, unleashed a flurry of kunai and shuriken.
But to Kyosuke, the weapons moved sluggishly. With the Sharingan's dynamic vision, their trajectories glowed in crisp detail. A sidestep here, a lean there, and every blade missed.
Grinning faintly, he dashed in close.
"Before these eyes, your attacks are meaningless…" Kyosuke recalled Sasuke Uchiha's iconic line, almost laughing at the thought.
The rogue thrust his kunai in desperation. Kyosuke deflected with ease, twisted his waist, and kicked hard into the man's exposed chest.
Before the enemy could recover, Kyosuke hurled his last kunai. The Sharingan read every twitch of movement—dodging was impossible.
Thud.
The blade struck true. The second rogue collapsed lifelessly.
"One." Kyosuke exhaled, deactivating his Sharingan.
Exhaustion immediately crashed over him. He staggered, slumped against a tree, and slid to the ground. For all its power, the Sharingan devoured chakra. At his age, he could only sustain it for about five seconds. Any longer, and his body might have shut down completely.
---
"…Strange…" Kyosuke muttered, clutching his throbbing head. His vision blurred.
Swish!
Another blade cut through the air.
This time, his body was too drained to react.
Splat! Blood burst outward, painting the tree trunk behind him in crimson streaks like a grotesque mural.
Kyosuke convulsed, his tiny hands clutching the mortal wound in vain. His dimming eyes strained to glimpse the new attacker.
But the wound was too deep. For a five-year-old, it was hopeless.
Thus, after defeating two rogue shinobi with his newly awakened Sharingan, Kyosuke was cut down by an unseen third assailant.
He died at the age of five.