The changing fate of four people
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At the same moment, Tsunade, Uzuki Yugao, and Uchiha Itachi bit their thumbs, pressing their hands to the ground.
Thick clouds of smoke billowed upward as three massive creatures materialized—summoned from Shikkotsu Forest and Ryūchi Cave. Their sheer size caused the ground beneath them to crack and tremble.
Katsuyu, the split body of the Slug Queen from Shikkotsu Forest, towered over them. But the two serpents were anything but ordinary.
While summoning from Ryūchi Cave could bring forth any snake, some had notoriously bad tempers. Manda, for instance, demanded a human sacrifice each time.
Neither Itachi nor Yugao had chosen Manda. Instead, Itachi's serpent was a pure white python, while Yugao's was a deep violet viper. Each was easily fifty meters in length, their massive coils wrapping around the battlefield with an intimidating presence that even the blind could sense.
The Kumo shinobi awoke one after another, eyes wide as they took in the enormous creatures looming over them. Many stood in stunned silence, as if trapped in a waking nightmare.
"Slugs and snakes?" muttered Toshiro in disbelief. "Did Orochimaru join forces with Tsunade?"
He turned to the Fourth Raikage, who was already crackling with lightning chakra. "That direction—it's where the mine expansion device is set up."
Without waiting for an answer, the Raikage's body surged with lightning. "Toshiro, organize the troops. I'll go ahead. Join me as soon as you're ready."
*Boom!*
With a thunderous leap, the Raikage landed in front of Tsunade and her allies, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. The ground cratered beneath his feet from the impact.
His sharp gaze swept over the battlefield. "Tsunade… but no Orochimaru? Interesting." He shifted his focus to the massive summons, realizing the trouble they presented.
"I should've brought Bee or Yugito," he muttered under his breath. "But that would risk drawing the Leaf Village's attention. If the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki shows up… this could turn into an all-out war. And every village is watching our moves."
He pushed such thoughts aside, charging toward Tsunade with intent to end this swiftly.
His fist connected with her chest—only for her form to shimmer and vanish without a trace. No blood. No resistance.
The Raikage's eyes widened. "An illusion? When did that happen?"
Gritting his teeth, he released a burst of lightning chakra. "Release!"
The genjutsu shattered, revealing Uchiha Shisui standing calmly before him, the three-tomoe Sharingan spinning in his eyes.
"Uchiha brat," the Raikage growled, realizing the young man wasn't to be underestimated. Shisui's name had been rising in the ranks, but the Raikage had dismissed him as just another rookie. He wouldn't make that mistake twice.
Before he could strike, Toshiro arrived with a large force of Kumo-nin, numbering in the hundreds. But they were met with an imposing sight: the two serpents, summoned by Itachi and Yugao, had coiled together to form a massive, living barrier around the mine expansion site.
To reach their objective, the Kumo-nin would have to force their way past the snakes or bring them down—a daunting task, given how few in Kumo could match the Raikage's strength.
Assessing the odds, Toshiro and his group launched an all-out assault on the summoned beasts.
The battle had officially begun.
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Meanwhile, the Fourth Raikage found Shisui more challenging than anticipated. The Uchiha's genjutsu struck one after another, forcing him to remain on constant alert. One lapse, and he could find himself ensnared in an illusion he couldn't escape.
But it wasn't just genjutsu. Shisui's mastery over Fire Release and kenjutsu made him even more formidable, and his Sharingan's dynamic vision was effectively halving the Raikage's vaunted speed advantage.
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Farther away, on the riverbank about a kilometer from the main camp, Natsume faced his own battle with an almost eager intensity.
The ninja guarding the river were few—they hadn't anticipated an attack here, assuming reinforcements from the main camp would arrive quickly if needed. A critical misjudgment.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" Natsume called out, forming the seals.
A surge of chakra filled his throat as a massive torrent of water burst forth. The nearby river joined in, amplifying the jutsu into a colossal sphere of swirling water, ready to overwhelm anything in its path.
The river's presence had amplified his jutsu by at least ten percent.
The water sphere burst, releasing a deluge that crashed down like a waterfall from the heavens.
"Watch out!" a Kumo jōnin shouted, reacting just in time. But it wasn't enough.
As the waterfall struck, only the jōnin managed to escape the crushing waves. His team was wiped out by the sheer force of the attack.
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"Bastard!"
A Kumo shinobi snarled, drawing a long sword from his back, lightning crackling along its edge. He lunged forward, moving with blinding speed, slicing clean through Natsume's body.
He froze, sensing something amiss. The torn body disintegrated into vines that coiled around him, binding him tightly.
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"
Natsume appeared behind him, forming seals as a blade of water took shape in his hand. With a swift strike, he pierced through the Kumo ninja's back. As the vines tightened, Natsume withdrew, scanning the riverbank.
"If I clear the riverbank, the water will flood downstream," he muttered, planning his next move. "The Kumo base camp is to the left—perfect."
He channeled chakra into the ground beneath him.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!"
A towering wall of earth erupted from the ground, forcing Natsume to concentrate harder. His face paled, and he drew on the First Hokage's necklace to replenish his chakra. He repeated the jutsu seven times, creating a massive channel leading toward the camp.
"Done," Natsume sighed, severing a cable connected to the base camp's thunder system. "Without that, the lightning chakra won't spread far… it'll stay contained in their base."
Moments later, his shadow clone, tracking Tsunade, relayed the message. Natsume smirked and turned back to the riverbank.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
A high-pressure jet of water shot forward, slicing through the embankment like a blade. The river surged, guided by Natsume's channel, heading straight for the Kumo camp.
"What's happening?!"
The roar of rushing water caught the Kumo shinobi off guard, confusion spreading through their ranks.
"Everyone, move out of the way!" the Fourth Raikage bellowed as he leaped into the air. "Stay clear of the water!"
But lightning erupted across the battlefield, uncontrolled without the cable system. Kumo shinobi fell one after another, paralyzed by the electrical current as the river flooded their camp. Only a handful of jōnin and chūnin managed to escape.
"Damn it!" The Fourth Raikage's rage was palpable. "I just lost hundreds of men in a single wave!"
He barked orders, eyes locked on Tsunade and her team, who were preparing to retreat. "Don't let them get away!"
Kumo's remaining forces charged forward in a fury, bloodshot eyes blazing with anger.
Tsunade, Shisui, and Itachi prepared to defend, but the numbers were overwhelming. Even for them, fighting against so many jōnin and chūnin was risky.
Just then, Uzuki Yugao's expression twisted in pain as the cursed seal on her neck activated, dark markings spreading across her body.
"Don't resist," Orochimaru's voice echoed in her mind.
Yugao's eyes widened, but her body moved on its own, hands forming seals with deadly precision. However, her target wasn't the Kumo shinobi—it was Shisui Uchiha.
Preoccupied with the battle, Shisui didn't notice the ambush until it was almost too late. Her hand reached for his eyes.
"No!"
Uchiha Itachi, witnessing the betrayal, activated his Sharingan, the second tomoe in his eyes evolving into a third as its red glow intensified.
"Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"
A stream of water coiled around Yugao's arm, halting her strike just in time. Shisui, now alert, quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding having his eyes taken.
Natsume, who had been observing Yugao closely, intervened. "That was close. If Orochimaru gets his hands on those eyes, it'll be a disaster."
He knew that by saving Shisui, he could gain his trust, setting up future opportunities. "If there's a chance to get Kotoamatsukami for myself… it could change everything."
"Itachi!" Natsume shouted as the younger Uchiha prepared to attack Yugao. "Hold on! She's under Orochimaru's control! Killing her won't help us figure out how."
Itachi hesitated, noticing Yugao's unconscious form as Orochimaru's influence receded just in time.
"We need to leave—now!" Tsunade's voice cut through the chaos.
She had also noticed Yugao's strange behavior but knew this wasn't the time to investigate further.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Shisui acted swiftly, sending a torrent of flames into the river. The heat collided with the rushing water, creating a thick steam cloud. As the Kumo shinobi advanced, they were thrown into disarray by the sudden disorientation. Under cover of steam, Tsunade, Shisui, Itachi, and Natsume slipped away into the night.
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[Due to your actions, Uchiha Itachi's fate has changed. You have gained 49 destiny points.]
[Due to your actions, Uchiha Shisui's fate has changed. You have gained 68 destiny points.]
[Due to your actions, Uchiha Sasuke's fate has changed. You have gained 49 destiny points.]
[Due to your actions, Orochimaru's fate has changed. You have gained 89 destiny points.]
[Due to your actions, the Fourth Raikage's fate has changed. You have gained 19 destiny points.]
[Due to your actions, Toshiro's fate has changed. You have gained 8 destiny points.]
[Due to your actions, Uzuki Yugao's fate has changed. You have gained 7 destiny points.]
Natsume blinked as the notifications echoed in his mind.
"That many? Just from this one battle?"
He realized how drastically the future had been altered. Most of all, he had no idea what ripple effects he had set in motion.
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