Shen Tian stumbled. His legs trembled. His breath came in gasps. His vision blurred at the edges.
"If I don't end this now… I'll die."
The wolf pulled itself from the rubble and roared, furious. Lightning flickered violently around it, twice as strong as before. Shen Tian knew it was preparing a final attack.
His heart raced, not from weakness but determination.
He clenched his fists. He had no training, no jutsu strong enough to kill a beast like this, and no idea how to fight properly.
Yet still, he stood.
"No. I won't die here. Not again."
The Sharingan glowed brighter than ever. The tomoe spun faster and faster until his surroundings sharpened into perfect clarity. Every detail of the wolf's movement became predictable.
The beast lunged.
Shen Tian stepped forward instead of retreating.
He grabbed a sharp rock from the ground and thrust it toward the wolf's eye. His timing was perfect, his movement precise. The Sharingan guided him like a battle-hardened warrior.
The wolf screeched in agony, lightning scattering wildly around its body. It stumbled back, thrashing violently.
Shen Tian did not wait.
He staggered away, his entire body shaking. His chakra was gone. His vision darkened. His knees weakened.
But before collapsing, he noticed something.
A faint, pulsating energy flowed into him through his eyes. It felt foreign, yet familiar. The wolf's lifeforce, the essence of lightning, something hidden inside the creature's body… was being absorbed.
Shen Tian's Sharingan shuddered, and the tomoe glowed deeper crimson than ever before.
"What… is this? Sharingan doesn't do this…"
His consciousness blurred, and his body dropped to the ground.
As darkness claimed him again, a mysterious voice echoed faintly in his mind.
"Power evolves through battle. The eyes that see fate shall rewrite destiny."
Shen Tian's lips curled into the faintest smile before everything went black.
The world would soon learn that this was no ordinary Sharingan.
A cool breeze brushed against Shen Tian's face. The scent of grass and damp soil lingered in the air. Slowly, consciousness returned to him like ripples spreading through calm water. His eyelids twitched, and he opened his eyes.
A ceiling of leaves greeted him. Sunlight filtered through them, casting glowing patterns on his skin.
Shen Tian blinked a few times. His body felt sore but strangely comfortable, like he had just recovered from a fever. He pushed himself up, and only then realized something even more surprising.
He was lying on a thick fur mat.
He turned his head slightly and found the Thunderfang Wolf's lifeless body beside him. Its once crackling fur was dim, its lightning gone. The creature that had nearly killed him was completely dead.
Shen Tian stared blankly.
"I… killed it?"
No matter how he looked at it, this wasn't something a powerless outcast like him should have been capable of. He barely had chakra, barely understood ninjutsu, and absolutely zero combat training.
Yet the wolf was dead.
He tried to recall the moment right before he fainted. The memory appeared vividly. The strike to its eye. His Sharingan reacting on its own. That strange energy flowing into him.
Shen Tian lifted his hand and stared at his palm. His fingers trembled slightly.
"That sensation… it wasn't normal. The Sharingan isn't supposed to absorb anything."
He remembered abilities like Izanagi, Tsukuyomi, and Amaterasu. He remembered how the Mangekyou evolved. But none of those resembled what he had experienced.
He needed answers.
Shen Tian took a slow breath and activated his Sharingan. The familiar scarlet glow returned, but something was different.
The single tomoe in each eye had changed. Its shape was sharper, its rotation smoother, and faint sparks of blue lightning flickered around the edge of his iris for a split second.
Shen Tian inhaled sharply.
"The Sharingan… mutated?"
It wasn't an illusion. He could feel it. His perception had improved. His chakra flow was more stable. Even the air itself felt clearer.
It was as if the Thunderfang Wolf's lightning essence had fused with his eyes.
A new type of Sharingan.
He gulped. If this was true, then his eyes weren't bound by the Naruto world's rules. They could evolve differently.
Shen Tian sat quietly for a moment. His heart raced, but a strange thrill surged within him.
"In this world… the Sharingan isn't just a bloodline. It's a path."
His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound. Someone was approaching.
Shen Tian quickly stood and scanned the direction using his improved perception. Footsteps. Human. More than one person. Their Qi signatures were faint but distinct.
He tensed. If they were from the Shen Clan, if they recognized him, or worse, if they noticed the mutated Sharingan, he would be in trouble.
He crouched behind the wolf's body, eyes narrowed.
Through the trees, three figures emerged. They wore uniforms with a cloud emblem stitched on their chests. They were outer disciples of a nearby sect.
One of them gasped when he saw the wolf's corpse.
"A Thunderfang Wolf! That's worth at least fifty spirit stones!"
"But look at the wound. Something stabbed straight into its skull. Who could've done this?"
"Someone strong must be nearby."
Shen Tian bit his lip. He didn't want attention. Not while he was still weak.
But then, the tallest disciple suddenly noticed him.
"You there! Who are you?"
Shen Tian stiffened. He stepped out slowly, keeping a calm expression.
The disciple's eyes widened.
"You're injured. Did you kill this beast?" His tone was skeptical, almost mocking.
Shen Tian kept his voice steady.
"I defended myself."
The disciples frowned. One whispered to the other, shaking his head.
"No Qi presence. No cultivation. He must be lying."
The tallest one snorted and smirked.
"Boy, do you think we're fools? Someone like you couldn't kill a wolf like this. Tell me the truth, and maybe we'll spare your life."
Shen Tian stared at him quietly. His Sharingan was not visible, but his gaze alone made the disciple flinch for a moment.
Then Shen Tian spoke softly.
"I don't need you to believe me. And I don't need your mercy."
His voice was calm, yet it carried an unshakable confidence.
The disciple scoffed loudly.
"You've got quite a mouth for someone who's about to die."
Shen Tian's eyes narrowed.
He hadn't even joined this world properly, and already someone wanted him dead again.
A cold smile formed on his lips.
"If you want a fight…"
He lifted his hand slightly.
"…then come."
The three disciples exchanged looks. They were outer sect members of the Azure Cloud Sect, and although not elite, they had enough strength to bully someone like Shen Tian without hesitation. To them, he was just a weakling without Qi, a stray who happened to be alive by accident.
The tallest among them stepped forward. His arrogance showed in every movement.
"You've got guts, brat. But courage without strength is just stupidity."
He raised his hand and gathered Qi. A faint blue glow surrounded his palm. Even though it was weak compared to inner disciples, it was more than enough to kill an ordinary person.
Shen Tian's heart raced. He had no ninjutsu prepared and barely any chakra left. But the Sharingan activated instinctively.
Scarlet light flickered in his eyes.
The disciple thrust his palm forward. Shen Tian could see everything in slow detail—the angle of the arm, the shift of weight on his feet, the uneven rotation of Qi. To others, the attack was too fast to dodge. To Shen Tian, it was predictable.
He moved to the side, avoiding the strike completely. The disciple stumbled forward, shocked that someone without cultivation evaded his blow.
"How did you dodge that?"
Shen Tian didn't answer. He lowered his stance, his eyes sharp. His body trembled slightly from exhaustion, but his perception was razor-sharp.
The disciple gritted his teeth and charged again, swinging his arm like a hammer. Shen Tian read the movements and sidestepped once more, then flicked a pebble toward the disciple's forehead.
The disciple yelped as the pebble struck him right between the brows. It didn't injure him, but it stunned everyone present.
"You… You dare hit me?"
Shen Tian exhaled slowly.
"I warned you. I don't need your mercy."
The disciple roared and unleashed a stronger burst of Qi. He ran toward Shen Tian with reckless fury. This time, even his companions stepped back, worried they would get caught in the attack.
Shen Tian's breath hitched. His chakra felt nearly empty. If he miscalculated now, he would die.
He drew in air, focused, and whispered to himself.
"Calm. Focus. Observe."
The Sharingan spun.
Then something happened.
Lightning crackled at the edges of his vision. A faint spark flickered in his pupils. For an instant, the world sharpened even further. Every movement, every shift of Qi, every imbalance in the disciple's footing was undeniable.
Shen Tian's body moved before he even realized it. He dodged sideways, grabbed the disciple's wrist, and twisted. The disciple let out a cry of pain. Shen Tian pushed his shoulder and used the disciple's momentum against him.
The young man crashed to the ground.
The other two disciples stared with wide eyes.
"Was that a martial technique? I didn't see any Qi."
"No, he moved like he predicted the attack…"
"Impossible. He's not a cultivator!"
Shen Tian stood still, breathing heavily. His vision blurred for a moment, but he remained upright. He wasn't strong. He wasn't trained. But with the Sharingan, it felt like he had practiced this many times before.
The disciple who fell got up, rage filling his eyes.
"You filthy bastard! I'll kill you!"
He charged again. Shen Tian prepared to dodge—but at that moment, something new happened.
The disciple's movements stuttered.
Not in reality, but in Shen Tian's vision.
The Sharingan displayed faint lines of motion before the disciple even moved, like a ghostly trace predicting where he would strike.
It was only for a second, but it was enough.
Shen Tian's eyes widened.
"Is this… foresight?"
He didn't have time to think. The disciple attacked, and Shen Tian simply stepped aside, grabbed the man's arm, and once again threw him with minimal effort. This time, the disciple rolled several times across the ground, groaning in pain.
The forest went silent.
The last two disciples stared at Shen Tian with disbelief and fear. They weren't strong, but they understood one thing clearly:
This youth was not normal.
Shen Tian's Sharingan dimmed slightly. He was exhausted. If they attacked again together, he might not have the strength to avoid their blows.
The disciples hesitated. If he could defeat one of them without Qi, what would he do if he actually had cultivation?
Their expressions twisted. Pride screamed to fight, but fear whispered retreat.
Finally, one disciple shouted angrily to cover his shame.
"This isn't over! Just you wait. Azure Cloud Sect will hear of this!"
The three of them backed away slowly, dragging their injured companion. None dared approach Shen Tian again.
Once they disappeared into the forest, Shen Tian collapsed onto his knees. His body trembled violently.
"That… was too close…"
He clenched his fists. He didn't win through strength. He won through perception, instinct, and the Sharingan's new hint of future sight.
He knew one thing now.
He could not stay here. If word spread, people would come. Curious ones. Jealous ones. Powerful ones. And he wasn't ready.
Shen Tian breathed deeply and looked toward the distant mountains. He didn't know what awaited him there, but one direction stood out among his inherited memories.
Azure Cloud Sect.
He chuckled weakly.
"Trouble always finds me… so I might as well walk into it myself."
He stood slowly, steadying his breath. His eyes gleamed faintly, filled with determination.
In his past life, he was a powerless fan who admired shinobi from behind a screen.
In this life, he would become one.