The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
In a hidden cave, the ninjas of Konoha gathered—more or less injured.
All of them looked pale and worn.
"Damn those Cloud Ninjas. They ambushed us while we were fighting the Rock and Sand Ninjas."
"We're down to just 29 shinobi. The enemy has hundreds—and their leader is the infamous AB combo of the Cloud Ninja."
"He's the candidate for Raikage... and also the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails!"
"If we don't retreat now, once their encirclement tightens, we'll all be dead for sure."
Worry filled the Konoha shinobi's voices.
The Third Great Ninja War began with the disappearance of the Third Kazekage. The Stone Ninja took advantage of the chaos and broke through Konoha's defense line at Kannabi Bridge, launching a fierce attack.
The Mist launched their own assault, forcing Konoha to open three separate battlefronts.
They thought the rear was secure—no one expected the impatient Cloud Ninjas to send their elite troops through an alternate route.
For a time, Konoha had no choice but to pull back and open a fourth battlefield.
But facing the Cloud Ninja, this patched-together team clearly wasn't enough.
They had already lost most of their forces during the skirmish with the enemy vanguard.
Now, the enemy was deliberately spreading news about the AB combo—hoping to win the battle through fear alone.
"Did no one respond to the call for reinforcements?"
"There was a reply. Namikaze Minato—the Yellow Flash himself—is coming personally!"
"Minato? But isn't he still fighting at Mount Kikyo? By the time the Cloud forces arrive, he may not make it in time."
The excitement that had lit up the injured soldiers' faces instantly vanished.
Minato Namikaze was already a living legend in the Third Great War, but…
A distant flame can't extinguish a fire at your feet.
Defending this stronghold on their own would be difficult.
"At the speed the Cloud Ninja move, they'll be here in three days," muttered one Konoha shinobi, restless.
"In terms of individual strength, we're no match. And if the AB combo joins in, it's over."
As soon as he finished speaking, all eyes turned toward the two men standing at the front.
The coordination of this fourth battlefield had been entrusted to two elite jonin from Danzo's Root division:
Aburame Toki and Yamanaka Fuu.
"First, assess the wounded. If their condition is too severe… we'll abandon them," Yamanaka Fuu said coldly.
"If the Uchiha assigned to our unit had been Shisui, we might not have needed to retreat at all."
"Too bad it's just Uchiha Renji. The moment he got here, he was hit by a barrier trap and wounded. I heard his Sharingan is still just a single tomoe."
Noises of frustration echoed near the cave's entrance.
Uchiha Renji, around 14 or 15 years old, opened his eyes, dazed.
Seeing the wounded lying around him, he couldn't help but freeze.
"Crap… did I seriously time-travel?"
"And I time-traveled right into the Uchiha Clan—the same clan destined to be massacred? Looks like I landed right in the middle of the Third Great Ninja War!"
Renji was stunned.
A swirl of memories filled his mind, leaving him in complete confusion.
The game starts with a fight to the death? Was this just suicide by fate?
And from the sound of it, they were about to abandon the wounded and retreat.
That would leave him as cannon fodder.
"Hell no. I'm not gonna be the first casualty in this reincarnation story. Getting killed right off the bat is not my style."
"Ding! One-Tap Full-Level Expansion Module successfully activated. Would you like to use it now?"
"One-Tap Full-Level Expansion Module…?"
Renji blinked, stunned.
This blessing came way too suddenly.
No—
It had to be said: the golden finger is a standard perk in transmigration stories, and it arrived at the perfect moment.
"Activate the full-level module, now!" Renji commanded without hesitation.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. Activation successful. Creating database…"
Host: Uchiha Renji
Ninja Level:
Ninjutsu:
Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique Shadow Clone Technique Body Flicker Technique Sharingan (Single Tomoe)
Looking at this pitiful list of attributes, Renji finally understood why the others were so dismissive.
In a clan overflowing with geniuses, this kind of strength was nothing but deadweight.
"Scan complete. Host, would you like to use the One-Tap Max Level feature now?"
"Yes—use it immediately," Renji ordered eagerly.
This was a standard perk—it'd be a waste not to use it.
"Ding! Sharingan at max level!"
"Mangekyō Sharingan successfully awakened. Congratulations, host, on unlocking hidden abilities: Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Susanoo!"
"Ding! Great Fireball Jutsu at max level!"
"Ding! Dragon Fire Technique at max level!"
"Ding! Body Flicker Technique at max level!"
"Ding! Shadow Clone Jutsu at max level. Multi Shadow Clone unlocked."
"Ding! Multi Shadow Clone Technique at max level!"
A barrage of system messages filled his mind.
Renji stood in awe.
This meant every ninjutsu he came in contact with… could instantly reach its highest level.
Susanoo. Tsukuyomi. Amaterasu.
Each one a devastating technique capable of tearing apart the world.
"Others spend decades training, sweating blood and tears for even a chance at this kind of power—
But me? Just one tap, and I've maxed it all out. This cheat is freaking amazing."
Renji felt the overwhelming force surge through his eyes.
He couldn't help but laugh.
"Renji, don't move. Your wounds have only just started healing. If they open again, it could be serious," said a voice softly.
The black-haired Shizune appeared in his field of vision.
She was the squad's only medical ninja.
In this battle, death might have been mercy—
Living through it felt like punishment.
Just looking at Shizune's sweat-soaked forehead and pale face, it was obvious her chakra and stamina were dangerously low.
As the glow of medical chakra lit up in her hands again, Renji reached out and stopped her.
"Don't worry. I'm already mostly healed. You should rest for a bit. If you keep going like this, you'll faint from exhaustion," he said gently.
Shizune shook her head stubbornly, biting her lip.
"Lady Tsunade always said—medical ninjas are the final line of defense on the battlefield. If even I give up, then everyone else will be abandoned too."
"I can't stand it. If I were as strong as Tsunade-sama… if I could summon Lady Katsuyu… then no one would have to be left behind."
Her eyes were red. She knelt down, fists clenched tightly around the fabric of her pants.
"My parents died in this war. I don't want other children to go through the same heartbreak I did—
waiting for loved ones who will never return."
"I don't accept it. They're still alive. So why must we abandon them? I'm a medical ninja… but right now, I can't do anything."
Hot tears spilled onto the backs of her hands, mixing with faint sobs.
Her tightly pressed lips trembled with helpless frustration.
Or perhaps…
this is the sorrow a healer must bear.