A flash of steel cut through the air—swift, merciless. In the next instant, a long gash opened across Kakashi's throat. Yet before a single drop of blood could fall, his body warped and stiffened, transforming into a block of wood.
Substitution Technique!
Uchiha Tatsumi stood silently where he was, his gaze lingering on the splintered log before him. Then, without haste, he turned his head toward a nearby tree. Perched upon one of its branches, Kakashi looked down at him with a calm, almost indifferent expression.
Tatsumi had seen it all—the moment Kakashi executed the Substitution Technique, the seamless transition as he vanished from his original position. The speed had been impressive, but not beyond the reach of Tatsumi's perception.
There had been no need to pursue.
Still, something about it caught his interest.
At first glance, Kakashi's reaction seemed merely quick. But upon closer thought, it felt less like instinct and more like preparation—like he had anticipated the attack entirely. As if he had already expected Tatsumi to strike that way, and readied his escape in advance.
A faint glimmer of curiosity flickered in Tatsumi's eyes.
"You're more interesting than I expected," he said quietly, his voice low and measured. After a brief pause, he added, "Have you fought someone with the Sharingan before?"
"No. You're the first," Kakashi replied, shaking his head as he dropped lightly from the tree. His tone remained even, almost casual. "But I've seen techniques like yours before."
He would never forget that first spar with Natsuhiko—how he had been caught off guard by a similar tactic. Obscuring the Sharingan's vision with ninjutsu, then striking from the flank—it was one of the most effective strategies in a one-on-one fight against a Sharingan user.
Kakashi wasn't particularly practiced in applying it himself; after all, opponents with Sharingan were rare. But having experienced it once was enough. He understood the principle, and he had remained wary of it ever since.
And now, that vigilance had paid off.
"I see…" Tatsumi nodded, unsurprised. "It seems you've done quite a bit of research on the Uchiha. However..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
His figure blurred suddenly, vanishing from sight as he surged forward once more. His blade carved a sharp arc through the air, aimed directly at Kakashi's throat.
"This ends here."
"Hmph."
Kakashi let out a quiet snort, his own blade rising instantly to meet the attack.
Steel clashed against steel.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sharp ringing of metal echoed through the forest as the two collided again, their movements growing faster, fiercer with each exchange. And yet, strangely enough, neither bore any visible wounds.
Their motions flowed like water—clean, precise, almost elegant. But beneath that elegance lurked a razor edge, a killing intent so sharp it seemed to slice through the air itself.
On the surface, both remained composed, their expressions steady and calm.
But beneath that calm…
Something far more intense was unfolding.
Tatsumi's surprise deepened.
By now, he had already deduced the boy's identity. If nothing unexpected had happened, this had to be Kakashi Hatake—the disciple of the Fourth Hokage.
After all, only he possessed a Sharingan despite not being born into the Uchiha clan.
And yet, what truly astonished Tatsumi was not merely that fact—but how well Kakashi wielded it. His mastery, his application in battle… in some respects, it even surpassed that of certain Uchiha themselves.
It was hard to believe.
More importantly—
Through the mask, Tatsumi had clearly seen it.
That eye had already evolved into a three-tomoe Sharingan.
A non-Uchiha with such talent… truly unbelievable.
But overwhelming talent breeds something dangerous.
Greed.
The stronger the power one displayed, the more it would stir desire in others.
As that thought crossed his mind, Tatsumi's grip tightened. His strikes grew heavier, sharper—each one carrying greater force than before.
Kakashi, on the other hand, still appeared calm and unhurried.
And yet…
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, something about his eye felt increasingly strange.
In the past, Kakashi had always been able to see clearly in the midst of battle—but never like this. Never to the point where it felt as though he could perceive everything with perfect clarity.
To his eyes, the entire world seemed to have slowed down.
Every movement, every shift in the air, every flicker of intent—he could follow it all with startling precision.
And yet, what frustrated him to no end was that while everything else appeared slower… he himself had slowed down as well.
His body simply couldn't keep up with what his eyes could see.
He knew exactly what to do, could predict the next move with eerie accuracy—but when it came time to act, his body lagged behind, unable to execute what his mind had already grasped.
Worse still, the chakra consumption of his Sharingan had become absurdly high.
He had barely used any ninjutsu in this fight, yet his chakra reserves were already nearing their limit.
What's going on…?
Kakashi couldn't fully understand the changes happening within him, but one thing was certain—he had to remain calm.
Even as his chakra steadily drained away, his perception had sharpened dramatically. As long as he could still see, he could still fight.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their clash continued without pause, steel ringing sharply through the forest.
But at that moment, Tatsumi seemed to grow tired of the stalemate. With a flick of his hand, several kunai shot forward, slicing through the air toward Kakashi.
Kakashi reacted instantly, knocking each one aside.
And in that fleeting opening, Tatsumi's hands blurred through a series of seals. In the blink of an eye, a powerful fire release technique was complete.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
"Again…?"
Kakashi frowned as he watched three roaring fire dragons surge toward him from different directions, their blazing forms closing in with terrifying speed. There was no escape.
More importantly, he realized that Tatsumi had likely already noticed the issue with his chakra.
The Sharingan could see the flow of chakra—his condition being exposed was hardly surprising.
Faced with such a wide-range, high-speed attack, Kakashi had no choice but to confront it head-on. Gritting his teeth, he formed hand seals as quickly as he could.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
As his chakra surged, Kakashi made a decision—this was no longer a fight where he could afford to conserve energy. If he wanted to win, he had to end it quickly.
The earthen wall erupted from the ground in front of him. At the same time, Kakashi quietly pressed one hand against the earth, channeling what little chakra he had left—leaving his reserves even thinner than before.
But his focus wasn't on that.
It was behind him.
The Earth Wall was sturdy, an excellent defensive technique, but its weakness was just as obvious—it offered no real protection from the rear.
And Kakashi knew exactly what Tatsumi intended.
This technique wasn't just meant to attack—it was meant to obscure the Sharingan's vision, creating a blind spot from which a hidden strike could be launched.
Boom!
The first fire dragon arrived, slamming violently into the earthen wall.
Flames erupted, the impact shaking the ground as cracks instantly spread across the surface of the wall. The roar of the collision echoed through the forest.
Kakashi didn't move.
There was no time to worry whether the explosion might attract other Uchiha—the second fire dragon was already upon him.
Taking a deep breath, he forced more chakra into the wall, stabilizing it just enough to hold for another moment.
Boom!
Another deafening crash.
The already-damaged wall shattered further, its upper half completely blown away this time.
Kakashi clenched his teeth, still holding his position.
He hadn't yet located Tatsumi.
This time, however, he didn't waste chakra trying to repair the crumbling wall. He knew it was pointless—no matter how much he reinforced it, it wouldn't last.
Instead, he crouched low, his Sharingan peering through the cracks in the fractured wall, locking onto the roaring fire dragon rushing toward him.
Tension coiled tightly within him.
If he moved recklessly now, he would expose himself. If he was going to act, it had to be at the exact moment the fire dragon struck.
Then—
Something changed.
Kakashi noticed that the fire dragon's speed… seemed to be slowing.
And within that instant, in the strange red-and-black world of his Sharingan, something new appeared.
Thin, unfamiliar lines began to trace themselves across the surface of the "slowing" fire dragon. They curved and shifted in strange arcs, bending and twisting as though revealing something hidden beneath the flames.
It was as if something unseen was guiding him—those faint, curving lines seemed to whisper a solution directly into Kakashi's mind.
Follow them… and the fire dragon will fall.
For a moment, Kakashi was completely stunned. He couldn't make sense of what he was seeing, nor understand what was happening to him.
What he didn't know was that, at this very moment, the three tomoe in his Sharingan were spinning rapidly… beginning to merge together.
"…Hm?"
Suddenly, Kakashi sensed something—an almost imperceptible disturbance. The moment that awareness surfaced, the strange state he had been in shattered.
The red-and-black world in his vision flickered. The clear, guiding lines vanished without a trace, and the fire dragon that had seemed so slow instantly regained its terrifying speed.
There was no time to think.
At the exact moment the fire dragon was about to crash into the earthen wall, Kakashi leapt into the air, veering sharply to the side.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several kunai tore through the smoke, streaking toward him midair. Kakashi's blade moved in a blur, deflecting each one in rapid succession.
"Got you!" A voice came from behind.
Tatsumi had already closed in, his figure cutting through the air as his blade drove straight for Kakashi's throat with unstoppable force.
Suspended in midair, Kakashi had nowhere to evade.
And yet, his expression remained calm.
Boom!
Just as Tatsumi closed to within five meters, the ground beneath them suddenly split apart. Another Kakashi burst forth from below, erupting upward in a shower of dirt and debris.
The sharp, piercing cry of lightning filled the courtyard—like a thousand birds shrieking at once. Crackling arcs of electricity danced wildly in his hand as the newly emerged Kakashi thrust forward without hesitation, aiming directly for Tatsumi's chest.
There was no time for Tatsumi to think.
His blade swung instinctively toward this new attacker—but the instant his Sharingan locked onto him, his expression shifted.
Because what he saw was unmistakable.
That Kakashi… was a clone.
A Lightning Release clone.
But it was too late.
Tatsumi could no longer withdraw his strike—and more importantly, he had no room to do so. The lightning clone was already upon him.
He twisted his body ever so slightly, shifting off-center, and his blade tore through the clone in a clean arc.
In the next instant—
Lightning exploded.
Wild currents surged violently across his body, crackling and spreading with ferocious intensity. Tatsumi drove his blade into the ground in an attempt to ground the current, but the pain still overwhelmed him.
"—Aaagh!"
A furious roar tore from his throat as his body convulsed under the assault. He looked as though he was on the verge of collapse.
Kakashi, forcing his Sharingan to remain active despite the strain, quickly formed another set of hand seals.
The cry of Chidori rang out once more.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, charging straight toward Tatsumi.
Ten meters... Tatsumi remained on one knee, unmoving, as though the lightning had completely incapacitated him.
Five meters... Tatsumi slowly lifted his head. Even through the mask, his gaze felt chilling.
Three meters...
Just as Kakashi was about to strike—
Something felt wrong.
A sharp sense of danger surged through him, coiling tightly around his instincts. Through the haze, he could faintly see chakra gathering within Tatsumi's eyes.
Genjutsu…!
Kakashi immediately understood.
Without hesitation, he pushed his speed even further—and at the same time, he snapped his right eye shut.
His right eye didn't possess the Sharingan. It would be vulnerable.
But the moment he closed it, he caught a glimpse—
A strange glint flashed within Tatsumi's eyes.
The sense of danger spiked violently.
Vrumm!
In an instant, as Tatsumi's Sharingan spun wildly, an eerie surge of chakra pierced straight into Kakashi's mind.
His body faltered—for just a fraction of a second.
For the briefest moment, Kakashi's movements slowed, his body momentarily dragged down by the genjutsu's influence. Yet his recovery came far faster than Tatsumi had anticipated.
Even so—
The moment Kakashi was caught in that illusion, the outcome had already been decided.
Swish!
Almost mirroring Kakashi's earlier tactic, a figure suddenly burst out from his right side. A kunai shot forward, thrusting straight toward Kakashi with astonishing speed.
And yet, just as the blade was about to pierce him, Kakashi's body tilted at an unnatural angle, the kunai grazing past his throat by the narrowest margin.
At the same time, Tatsumi surged to his feet, closing the distance in an instant before driving a heavy kick straight into Kakashi.
Already off-balance from his evasive maneuver, Kakashi had no way to resist. The force of the kick sent him flying.
Thud!
He slammed hard into a wall, the impact echoing dully. After a moment, he struggled back to his feet, movements strained but controlled.
He remained on guard.
But it was clear—he was on the brink.
"Impressive," Tatsumi said at last, his voice calm as he looked at Kakashi. "For an outsider, to wield the Sharingan to this extent… even among the Uchiha, not many could match you."
There was a pause before he continued, his tone turning colder.
"But this is where it ends. You are not Uchiha. And you only have one Sharingan."
Kakashi met his gaze in silence, offering no reply.
He understood exactly how he had lost.
The reasons were simple.
First, his chakra reserves were no longer sufficient to sustain the fight.
Second—
He only had one Sharingan.
Though his other eye was perfectly intact, it lacked the ability to resist genjutsu. That weakness had forced him into taking risks whenever illusions came into play—and those risks had given Tatsumi the opening he needed to deliver a decisive blow.
In the end, Tatsumi had created a blind spot in Kakashi's vision, then struck from within it.
It was a frustrating defeat… but an unavoidable one.
Still… what was that earlier?
Kakashi frowned inwardly.
Why did my Sharingan behave like that?
Despite the loss, he didn't appear particularly shaken. Instead, he calmly reached behind him and drew out a kunai, channeling chakra into the seal engraved upon it.
He had come prepared.
The kunai had been given to him by Natsuhiko and he had accepted it without hesitation. After all, he had known he would be entering Uchiha territory for this mission. Confidence or not, leaving himself without a fallback would have been foolish.
And now, that precaution was proving its worth.
His confidence hadn't been misplaced either. If not for the sudden spike in his Sharingan's chakra consumption, this fight wouldn't have ended so quickly.
But defeat had always been a possibility.
The man before him was undeniably strong—and more importantly, he knew how to think.
He maximized his own advantages while relentlessly exploiting his opponent's weaknesses. It was a method both admirable… and terrifying.
Even so—
No matter how strong Tatsumi was, Kakashi didn't believe he could stand against that person.
And with a commotion like this, the other Uchiha will arrive soon…
At this point, only he can handle the situation.
Kakashi felt no real burden over the outcome. Truthfully, he had never wanted to take on this mission within the Uchiha clan in the first place.
Now that he had lost, there was nothing wrong with leaving the rest to him.
More importantly, it gave him a chance to ask—what exactly had happened to his eye?
He trusted him completely.
From beginning to end.
And yet… this was still the Uchiha clan.
This was still Obito's home.
"It seems you haven't given up yet."
Tatsumi voice cut through his thoughts as he began to walk forward slowly, his gaze fixed on Kakashi.
"Struggling won't change the outcome. Though, I must admit… I would have liked to meet that ANBU of yours—the one who uses Wood Release."
He let out a faint sigh, almost regretful.
"But it seems that wish won't be granted."
Off to the side, Uchiha Jin shook his head lightly, saying nothing.
Everything had come to an end.
Although the course of events had been dangerous, in the end, things had still moved toward a relatively acceptable conclusion.
Even so, Uchiha Jin silently etched this incident into his memory. The ANBU taking action meant that Konoha itself had made a move—and that, in turn, meant there were matters they needed to hasten.
"Actually, I think your wish can be granted."
The sudden voice echoed through the courtyard without warning.
Jin, who had just begun to relax, immediately frowned, while Tatsumi halted in his tracks. Both of them looked up almost at the same time.
There, standing atop the courtyard wall under the pale silver glow of the moon, was a lone figure.
—
A few minutes earlier, in the forest on the outskirts of Konoha, Natsuhiko stood with a satisfied expression, quietly sensing the changes within himself.
And when he glanced at the system panel before him, the smile on his face became impossible to suppress.
Name: Senju Natsuhiko
Gender: Male
Birthday: March 24, Year 34 of the Konoha Calendar
Level: Semi-Kage (System evaluation without abilities) (Chakra reserves: Massive) (Small portion of sealed Ryūmyaku chakra)
Dōjutsu: Jōgan (initial stage)
Bloodline Development: Intermediate (Senju Clan Technique, Basic Yang Release Secret Technique), Kekkei Tōta (Unnamed)
Jinchūriki: Nine-Tails (Intermediate, can grow by consuming large amounts of special chakra; plant Advanced Nine-Tails Fruit to accelerate growth) (Excess chakra ingested, continuously increasing)
Seeds: Basic Three-Tails Chakra (1%)
Fruit: None
Mission: Become the true final boss of the ninja world (unique) (Progress: 27%)
...
Although the system display hadn't changed much—only adding a single new category for dōjutsu—the gains Natsuhiko had made were immense.
Just acquiring a new ocular ability, along with the Three-Tails chakra seed, was already enough to leave him elated.
In truth, both his dōjutsu and his Kekkei Tōta had originally been unnamed. But Natsuhiko felt that his eyes, at the very least, deserved a proper title—so he had given them one.
At first, he had jokingly considered something like "Glaucoma," but after thinking it over, he decided against choosing something so… unconventional.
The Tenseigan had left a deep impression on him, but his own eyes were clearly different—they lacked that dazzling, radiant glow.
So in the end, he simply borrowed the name from that boy Boruto.
After all, the difference between their eyes was little more than the color of the sclera.
Though, personally, Natsuhiko thought that black sclera looked far too similar to the eyes of the reanimated dead. His own white sclera was far more pleasing.
"All things considered, tonight has been nearly perfect," he murmured to himself, organizing his thoughts. "Aside from the inevitable failure with the Shikotsumyaku… I've obtained everything I wanted."
That was the only real loss—the inability to acquire the Shikotsumyaku.
But he didn't dwell on it too much. Kimimaro's bloodline development was still too low; expecting more from it would have been unrealistic.
Besides, he hadn't removed that fragment of bone from the tree. There was no rush—he could always wait.
"Right now, whether as Senju Natsuhiko… or under that other identity—hmm, maybe I'll just call it Asakura Hao, or Asakura Yoh—in this era, I've already reached the heights above the clouds."
His abilities were indeed diverse, but not chaotic.
Of the five fundamental chakra natures, he had yet to truly touch Lightning Release—but Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind had all reached an Advanced level.
On top of that, he possessed the power of the Nine-Tails, a Kekkei Tōta, the Jōgan, Advanced Sage Chakra, and the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Yes—his advanced Sage chakra had also fully matured tonight.
Combined with his passive mastery over Yang Release, he was steadily advancing along a path that resembled the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki.
And yet…
There was still something missing.
The power of Yin Release.
For now, he had no clear solution to that gap.
Perhaps the answer lay within the Uchiha's Sharingan—but the prerequisite for that was obvious.
He needed to obtain a pair of Sharingan first.
"I wonder how Kakashi and the others are doing…"
Natsuhiko murmured to himself, his gaze drifting toward the distant silhouette of Konoha.
"But with those Uchiha members all dispatched on missions, and Kakashi there to hold the line… it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Over the past year in the ANBU, Kakashi had grown tremendously under Natsuhiko's guidance. Coupled with the fact that his Sharingan itself had already reached Mangekyō-level potential, handling a situation like this—so long as it didn't escalate into an all-out conflict with the Uchiha—should have been well within his capabilities.
At least, that was how Natsuhiko saw it.
With that thought, the chakra within his body stirred faintly. He had already gained everything he came for tonight, and he was preparing to leave—perhaps stopping by to check on Kimimaro along the way.
The boy was currently hidden in an abandoned hunter's cabin outside Konoha. If everything went according to plan, Snow Hawks and the others would "accidentally" discover him on their return and bring him back to the village.
But just as Natsuhiko was about to move, something shifted.
A faint disturbance rippled through his awareness—the Flying Thunder God mark he had left behind had been triggered.
His movements halted instantly.
Slowly, he turned his gaze toward the distance.
Toward Konoha.
"…Did something happen on Kakashi's side?"
He tilted his head slightly, a hint of puzzlement crossing his expression. From his perspective, this mission shouldn't have posed much difficulty.
Still, he didn't hesitate.
Following the subtle pull of his mark, he quickly locked onto its source. At this point, there was only one thing he hoped for—
That the situation hadn't spiraled too far out of control.
ANBU interfering in the internal affairs of a clan was problematic from any angle.
Especially since the higher-ups in Konoha all knew very well that he stood behind Minato Namikaze. If something went wrong, there would be no shifting the blame onto Hiruzen Sarutobi.
With that thought lingering in his mind, Natsuhiko vanished.
And when he reappeared—
He was already standing silently within the Uchiha compound.
His perception spread outward instantly, sweeping across the surroundings as he assessed the situation.
To his slight relief, the professionalism of the ANBU was evident. Combined with the cooperation of the Military Police Force, even though Kakashi and the others hadn't resolved the situation immediately—and had caused a noticeable disturbance—most of those who sensed it and tried to rush over had been intercepted.
"Only a handful slipped through… the ones too close to be stopped, and a few lurking quietly nearby?"
In an instant, Natsuhiko grasped the full picture through his sensory abilities.
And yet, he couldn't help but let out a faint, amused sigh.
He had just obtained the Jōgan, and yet his first instinct upon arrival had been to rely on sensory perception instead. Habits were truly hard to break.
"Struggling won't change the outcome. Though, I must admit… I would have liked to meet that ANBU of yours—the one who uses Wood Release. But it seems that wish won't be granted."
At that moment, a voice carried clearly into Natsuhiko's ears, causing his brow to lift slightly.
"Well… if he's asking so nicely, it would be rude not to oblige."
Besides, he had just acquired the Jōgan. He was curious to see exactly what it could do—especially that so-called chakra mode.
With that in mind, Natsuhiko made no effort to conceal himself. He lifted his head slightly, standing beneath the moonlight, his figure radiating a natural arrogance.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he adjusted his posture, lowering his head just a fraction.
Right now… he wasn't using a disguise.
His expression settled into calm indifference as he spoke.
"Actually, I think your wish can be granted,"
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet the moment it echoed through the courtyard, it was like a stone cast into still water—instantly stirring ripples that spread in every direction.
Natsuhiko stepped down lightly from above, landing without a sound. He paid no attention to the masked Uchiha watching him and instead walked straight toward Kakashi.
"What happened?" he asked calmly. "You couldn't even handle someone like this?"
"He's strong… and something's wrong with my Sharingan today."
Kakashi closed his eye as he spoke, his voice carrying an unmistakable fatigue.
"I don't know why, but its chakra consumption is four or five times higher than usual. Maybe… maybe Obito doesn't want me here…"
He paused briefly, then added in a quieter tone, "Sorry to disappoint you, Commander."
Natsuhiko frowned slightly at those words. He knew Kakashi hadn't wanted to come here in the first place—but the problem was, there hadn't been anyone more suitable for dealing with the Uchiha.
Kakashi's attitude was troublesome, to say the least.
Still… something he said caught Natsuhiko's attention.
Four or five times the usual chakra consumption?
Does that mean… he triggered it correctly?
At that thought, chakra began to gather in Natsuhiko's eyes. He remembered clearly—his eyes possessed an ability of super perception, something that could supposedly see through everything.
He wanted to test just how real that claim was.
His chakra stirred, rippling outward as he slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they shone with a brilliant, almost dazzling light.
Kakashi froze for a moment. This was the first time he had ever seen Natsuhiko's eyes like this.
Not just him—everyone present was caught off guard by the sudden change.
Especially Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Tatsumi. They had already realized who this newcomer was… but since when had the Senju clan possessed eyes like these?
Natsuhiko ignored them all.
To him, they were no different from the dead already.
His gaze fixed firmly on Kakashi.
And in that instant, he finally understood what "super perception" truly meant.
Through his eyes, Kakashi's closed Sharingan appeared clearly—its pattern resembling a shuriken, as though it had already awakened.
It was active.
Only… it had yet to fully unleash its power.
"So this is what 'supoer perception' looks like… not bad at all," Natsuhiko murmured inwardly.
He reached out and gave Kakashi a light pat on the shoulder before speaking in a steady voice.
"I know you have questions. Like why I sent you here in the first place."
He paused briefly, then continued.
"But don't overthink it. Do you really believe Obito is blaming you? No… this is his gift to you. Get some rest. I'll explain everything later. Once I do… you'll understand."
As he finished speaking, Natsuhiko's gaze shifted—toward Uchiha Tatsumi, Uchiha Jin, and the others lurking in the shadows around them.
His chakra surged.
In an instant, the destructive power hidden within his eyes erupted outward, spreading across his body.
A deep azure chakra cloak formed around him, wrapping him in a shimmering layer of energy.
The sheer force of it distorted the air, making his figure appear almost unreal. Under that overwhelming pressure, the surrounding Uchiha felt their breathing grow heavy, as if the very atmosphere had thickened.
And yet, Natsuhiko himself remained calm—
Even as a storm raged within him.
He took a slow breath, his eyes locking onto Uchiha Tatsumi.
Then, suddenly, he smiled.
"Now that I'm here, let me show you what you've been asking for."
...
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