(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)
(T/N: Enjoy!!)
<><><><><><>
Shigenari Shuuzawa knew exactly what Root was.
Two years ago, he had mistaken that bloody scene for a conflict within the Anbu, but as he dug deeper, he realized there was an even darker, more secretive faction within Konoha.
Even his father avoided speaking about it, though he could sense his deep dissatisfaction with the organization.
"This guy… he came from that group?" Itachi Uchiha thought to himself, but he had no time to dwell on it further.
Shuuzawa's powerful fist came crashing toward him again!
Forced into a desperate retreat, Itachi dodged repeatedly while Shuuzawa's relentless attacks blurred into afterimages.
"Nii-san..." Sasuke watched anxiously from the stands, his heart heavy with worry. Even with his mother's reassurance, he couldn't shake the unease.
"Shisui, he..." Fugaku Uchiha's expression darkened. His eldest son was being completely overwhelmed, leaving him deeply displeased.
What made it worse was the growing cheers around them, echoing louder and louder. To him, it was nothing but grating noise.
"Shuuzawa is still holding back." Shisui, though slightly uncomfortable, remained composed.
Having gone on intense missions with Shuuzawa, he understood all too well—this was nothing more than standard procedure for his teammate. Shuuzawa was even going easy on Itachi.
Otherwise, that suffocating, massive Earth Dragon would have already appeared.
Fugaku fell silent upon hearing this, but before he could respond, a wave of gasps erupted from the audience.
Snapping his gaze back to the arena, he saw his son sent flying by a single, devastating kick from Shuuzawa. His heart clenched with urgency.
"Finally created some distance..."
But Itachi himself did not panic. Despite being completely suppressed in this fight, he had devised a way to counter Shuuzawa.
Engaging in a pure taijutsu battle was unwise—the man was simply too fast and incredibly strong. Itachi could track his movements but couldn't keep up.
The worst part? Shuuzawa never once made eye contact. This meant he had no way to cast genjutsu!
"Why is he so familiar with the Sharingan?"
Itachi was growing frustrated, but he knew staying on the defensive in a taijutsu match would only be foolish.
He seized an opportunity and deliberately used Shuuzawa's momentum to widen the gap between them—taking that last kick on purpose!
"Pretty smart."
Shuuzawa raised an eyebrow, seemingly aware of Itachi's intentions.
But instead of pressing forward, he casually pulled out several kunai.
His two objectives were somewhat contradictory—he had to teach Itachi a lesson while ensuring he didn't hurt him.
After some thought, he knew there was only one way.
"Dominate the entire fight and end it with an overwhelming display of force, leaving him no choice but to surrender."
Itachi, now at a distance, also pulled out several kunai. But seeing Shuuzawa standing there without moving made his heart sink.
"How arrogant..."
Still, this presented an opening.
Wasting no time, he hurled his kunai!
Dozens of them soared into the sky before colliding in midair. It might seem like an accident to the untrained eye, but each impact subtly altered its trajectory.
In an instant, a dense web of kunai spread through the air, encircling Shuuzawa from all angles.
"Nii-san!"
"Itachi, you can do this!"
Sasuke and Izumi Uchiha, watching from the stands, grew excited.
This was the signature projectile technique of the Uchiha. No matter how often they saw it, it never failed to send a thrill through them.
"Incredible! I didn't know kunai could be used like this! Come on, this is a Uchiha-exclusive throwing style."
The audience buzzed with admiration at the spectacle. But Yuugao shook her head slightly, and even Shisui sighed internally.
"This is still far from Sasori's level of saturation attacks..." Shuuzawa, however, paid no mind to the incoming kunai. Instead of blocking, he unhesitatingly threw his own.
And oddly enough, his kunai seemed way off target, as if he hadn't even aimed at Itachi!
"A chance!" Recognizing an opening, Itachi immediately formed a hand seal.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, roaring toward Shuuzawa!
At this moment, with a dense rain of kunai above and a blazing inferno closing in, it seemed as if Shuuzawa was completely trapped.
"Shuuzawa..."
Yamato frowned, debating whether to step in with Wood Release.
"He might be underestimating this too much..."
Kakashi tilted his head. Since Shuuzawa helped him and Yamato in Root, they had grown closer. But he still didn't fully understand Shuuzawa's combat prowess.
He knew Shuuzawa was strong, but being this careless seemed reckless. "Don't worry, Shuuzawa has this under control."
Yuugao remained calm. She hadn't forgotten his mastery over Earth Release.
"Compared to his taijutsu, his ninjutsu is even stronger."
"Is that so?" Kakashi scratched the back of his head. Then his eye suddenly caught sight of Shuuzawa's kunai in midair.
In that instant, his pupil dilated. "This guy... he's holding back way too much."
Meanwhile, in the best vantage point of the arena, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched intently. Unlike Kakashi, he was well aware of Shuuzawa's true abilities.
He had asked him not to injure Itachi—but he hadn't expected him to hold back this much.
"Hmm?" But in the next moment, Hiruzen stiffened. His eyes widened in shock.
"Impossible!"
And he wasn't alone. Gasps rippled through the entire stadium. Every single spectator was left in utter disbelief.
Even Fugaku and Shisui, their faces frozen, stared in horror at the unfolding scene.
"It looks like… you've lost."
Itachi's eyes were still locked forward—until Shuuzawa's voice suddenly came from behind him!
"What?!"
A jolt ran through Itachi's body. But before he could react, a devastating kick sent him flying.
His mind went blank, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Acting on instinct, he twisted his body midair, struggling to regain balance and continue the fight.
But at that moment, he caught sight of a kunai hurtling toward him—so close it was practically grazing him.
And in the next instant, Shuuzawa's figure flickered like a phantom.
Before Itachi could react, another punch smashed into him! A dull thud echoed as he hit the ground.
Fortunately, Shuuzawa had controlled his strength, so he wasn't seriously injured.
But when he lifted his head, disoriented, he found Shuuzawa nowhere in sight.
Instead, an icy sensation pressed against his neck.
Because Shuuzawa had somehow moved behind him—his kunai now resting coldly against Itachi's throat.
For a moment, the entire arena fell silent. Countless spectators stared in stunned disbelief.
Because they all recognized exactly what technique Shuuzawa had just used.
And in that moment, looking at him, they could almost see the shadow of a golden figure from the past—one that once struck terror into the hearts of enemies everywhere.
"Alright, the battle is over."As the entire arena fell into absolute silence, Shigenari Shuuzawa calmly retracted his kunai.
At the same time, he extended a hand toward Itachi Uchiha. Itachi seemed dazed, still struggling to process what had happened.
He stared blankly at Shuuzawa, who was helping him up his mind. Shuuzawa, however, paid him no further attention.
After patting Itachi's shoulder—a simple gesture meant as encouragement from a senior to a junior—he turned and walked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
But at that moment, the once-silent arena erupted in a deafening roar, an avalanche of cheers surging like a tidal wave!
"Flying Thunder God! That was the Flying Thunder God Technique!"
"Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!"
"That was incredible!" Amidst the thunderous applause, countless voices rose in animated discussion.
While Flying Thunder God wasn't as symbolic to Konoha as Wood Release, it was undoubtedly just as significant.
For those who had lived through the Nine-Tails incident, they could never forget the sheer power of the Flying Thunder God.
To them, that night had been one where this very technique had saved Konoha!
The rampaging Nine-Tails had been ready to unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb directly onto the village.
If not for the Fourth Hokage using the Flying Thunder God to teleport it away, that catastrophic explosion would have struck Konoha.
The damage would have been far worse if he hadn't managed to relocate the entire beast out of the village.
Many shinobi even believed that while Wood Release symbolized Konoha's strength, the Flying Thunder God was its greatest practical asset.
So, seeing this legendary technique resurface in the village—how could they not be excited?
"Hokage-sama, mission accomplished." Amidst the overwhelming cheers, Shuuzawa maintained a neutral expression, though deep down, he was quite satisfied.
If he wanted to inherit Danzo's "legacy," he had to demonstrate his abilities while gaining a strong reputation.
This Chunin Exam had provided the perfect opportunity, and with an official mission tied to it, he would be foolish not to take full advantage of the situation.
"Hmm." Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind was buzzing. He had not expected Shuuzawa to have mastered the Flying Thunder God!
When he had entrusted Shuuzawa with the technique, it was partly because his outstanding performance on missions had warranted a suitable reward.
More importantly, he had wanted to pull Shuuzawa, a Root operative, away from Danzo and closer to himself.
After much consideration, the "Hiraishin Technique" seemed the best way. But now, his mind was spinning.
Shuuzawa's talent was even greater than he had imagined! Not only had he learned it, but he had done so in just a few short months.
"Well done!" Hiruzen quickly collected himself, and a wide smile spread across his wrinkled face.
Shuuzawa mastering the Flying Thunder God was an enormous boon to Konoha!
The village was weakened, and someone like Shuuzawa was a much-needed boost.
Without hesitation, he reached out and clapped Shuuzawa's shoulder twice.
"Well done, Shuuzawa!" Shuuzawa watched as Hiruzen's initial shock and confusion transformed into enthusiasm and relief.
He wondered momentarily if he had just witnessed the man change faces entirely. However, Hiruzen didn't seem to care.
He simply continued speaking with a warm smile. "The Flying Thunder God is no simple technique."
"I never expected to see it shine again after Minato. Shuuzawa, I must thank you and congratulate you!"
"No, it's Thanks to you, Hokage-sama." Shuuzawa nodded with a smile. The way Hiruzen spoke was leagues ahead of Danzo, that was for sure.
"Go and get some rest. There are still more exams to go, though I doubt anyone will be paying attention after this."
Hiruzen chuckled, gesturing toward the ecstatic crowd.
"Kakashi and the others are all watching. I'm sure they're just as excited. Don't keep them waiting. Also, once the exam is over, I have something for you."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "These are the insights and notes from my teacher, the Second Hokage, as well as the Fourth Hokage Minato, on the Flying Thunder God. I believe they will be most useful to you."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Shuuzawa accepted without hesitation.
While his mastery of the Flying Thunder God and his combat techniques could be further refined through skill points, having these notes would help disguise his unnatural level of proficiency.
After all, he had reached Level 6 in Flying Thunder God thanks to the "Shinobi Scholar" titled!
He wasn't entirely sure how far Minato had taken the technique, but there was one thing he did know—he could sense every single Flying Thunder God marking that the Fourth Hokage had left behind.
For example, as he smiled and walked toward Yuugao and the others celebrating, his gaze briefly flickered toward a large tree in the distance.
Within his perception, there was a Flying Thunder God seal there.
"Obito Uchiha? What is he doing here?"
"It seems that kid is no ordinary shinobi."Hidden behind a tree, the black half of a strange Venus flytrap-like figure murmured to Obito.
"I've already investigated his background. He was just an ordinary orphan but was later taken into Root under Danzo's training."
"He specializes in Earth Release and is also proficient in Water Release. And now, as it turns out, he's also mastered the Flying Thunder God."
"Hmm." Obito's gaze darkened as he observed Shuuzawa chatting and laughing with Yuugao, Kakashi, and the others.
He didn't care about Kakashi—after all, since Rin had died at his hands, his own heart had long since died as well.
His only dream now was to complete the Infinite Tsukuyomi, to create a world where Rin, the real Kakashi, and everything he had lost would be restored.
What truly unsettled him was the Flying Thunder God. He could never forget how Minato had thoroughly humiliated him using that very technique.
"But this changes things. This kid's background—and his mastery of the Flying Thunder God—just gave me a new idea."
"Oh?" Black Zetsu glanced at Obito in surprise but quickly understood what he was implying.
"You plan to use his connection to Root and the Flying Thunder God to manipulate events?"
"Yes." Obito nodded. His voice was calm and steady.
"I know Danzo harbors resentment toward the Uchiha. I've watched his actions for years."
"This kid came from Root, which means there's a chance he shares Danzo's hostility toward his clan. Given that he has mastered the Flying Thunder God..."
Obito's eyes narrowed. "If an Uchiha child were suddenly attacked—if there were no traces left behind—who would they suspect?"
The answer was obvious. His gaze shifted toward two individuals in the distance—Itachi Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha. These two were his real targets. The plan begins now.
If you want to support me, join my patr**on. Have 20 advanced Chapters for you guys.
patr**n.com/saitamablast > NTS NOVEL TIER