The faint glimmer of the Sharingan flashed across Uchiha Shigure's eyes as he studied the three figures in the clearing below. The corners of his mouth pulled upward ever so slightly, a mischievous smirk forming. It was just like him—always scheming three steps ahead.
"Kusuo," he said softly, voice carrying the weight of a proverb, "have you heard the saying—the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it?"
Hatake Kusuo turned to him, puzzled. "Of course! Didn't I just say that earlier? Why are you repeating it?"
Shigure's smirk deepened. "But there's more to it. The line most people forget is this: the oriole stalks the cicada… and behind the oriole lies the hunter with the slingshot." His gaze sharpened, Sharingan glinting. "And right now, Kusuo, we're the ones with the slingshot in hand."
Understanding dawned on Kusuo's face, mixed with hesitation. "Shigure… don't tell me…?"
"Yes. The three down below are none other than Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin, and Uchiha Obito."
Beside them, Hyūga Akane pressed her hand lightly to her temple, her Byakugan veins still fading. "Confirmed. Their chakra signatures match perfectly. It's Kakashi's team, no doubt about it."
Kusuo let out a humorless laugh. "Of course it's them. Fate really is cruel." He chuckled darkly, already feeling the thrill of payback coursing through him. "Well then… should we teach your father's prodigy a lesson on my behalf?"
Shigure tilted his head playfully. "Didn't your father already ask me to keep an eye on you? I'll indulge him for once—let's make this lesson a joint effort."
The thought of Kakashi—a boy their age already carrying the rank of Chunin—sparked irritation in every Genin team from Konoha. His talent, his arrogance, the heavy shadow of his genius—it was a sore point to them all. And now, to Shigure and Kusuo both, it looked like the perfect chance for mischief.
Kakashi and His Battle
The clash before them resembled a miniature battlefield. Two teams, kunai whistling, paper bombs exploding, ninjutsu roaring across the courtyard in bursts of flame and water. Earth was fractured, trees splintered, and chakra pressures collided midair.
"They're fighting like wild animals," Kusuo muttered, impressed despite himself.
Akane's pearly eyes tracked every strike with surgical clarity. "Four Genin, two senior Chunin… and still the fight looks evenly matched. It's unreal."
Shigure narrowed his eyes. "Remember this sight. If you don't sharpen your strength soon… the Third Great Ninja War will chew you alive without mercy."
His tone dropped a stone into the silence. Both Kusuo and Akane turned sharply toward him.
"The Third Great War?" Kusuo hissed. "But the Second one only ended less than ten years ago…"
"Are you sure about this?" Akane whispered, her hands curling over her chest. "You've never misread the future before, Shigure…"
He gave them a solemn nod. They were his teammates; secrets could no longer be hoarded.
"The tension is already seething beneath the surface," Shigure murmured. "Territorial disputes, broken treaties, weapon research, border skirmishes… if nothing unexpected intervenes, another war will erupt within three to five years. Remember my words."
Kusuo swallowed, unable to shake the weight of Shigure's certainty. Akane, normally bright as fire, fell silent too.
What neither of them yet knew—the trigger had already been set. The Third Kazekage's disappearance at the hands of the Red Sand Scorpion would ignite the powder keg. The moment Konoha's White Fang fell to despair and took his own life—that same moment had sealed the fate of the shinobi world.
But for now, only Shigure understood these threads of destiny. And only he carried the burden of foreknowledge.
Kakashi's Chidori
A burst of wind from below pulled Shigure back to the present.
"They're nearly spent," Akane reported suddenly. Her Byakugan locked onto the battlefield. "The weaker team's chakra is almost gone!"
Sure enough, one squad collapsed under pressure, leaving behind scattered ninja cards. The stronger victors barely had time to gasp before another figure streaked forward.
"Oh no! Ambush!"
Obito cursed. "Damn it, Kakashi! We were supposed to go in together! What happened to teamwork?"
"Save your lectures." Kakashi's voice was sharp as steel. His lone form dashed forward, hand wrapped in a brutal storm of blue chakra. Lightning screamed louder and louder, like a thousand birds shrieking in cadence.
"Chidori!"
In the blink of an eye, Kakashi tore through the clearing, thrusting with a speed that tore the eye's perception apart. Two enemy Genin were struck down instantly, bodies falling limp.
Kusuo's jaw slackened. "When… did he develop something like that?"
Akane tensed, her Byakugan wide. "His chakra flow—it's condensed into his hand, sharpening the edge until it peels through matter itself! I've never seen anything so reckless and powerful!"
Shigure's lips curled slightly into a knowing grin. "That technique has a name: Chidori. Lightning Blade. Kakashi himself created it, though it's far from complete." His Sharingan spun faster, copying every single nuance of the technique, every twitch of muscle, every streak of chakra.
A kill delivered in lightning, etched directly into Shigure's memory.
Teamwork in Fragments
The last enemy—a Chunin—refused to fold easily. Kakashi's short sword gleamed as their clash ignited sparks. Meanwhile, Obito flew into hand signs.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A roaring inferno swelled, heating the entire arena. Nohara Rin didn't hesitate—she wove talismans of wind and explosive seals, tossing them into the blaze.
"Wind empowered flames—detonate!"
The Chunin wavered, steel flashing desperately to block Kakashi's blade while his feet backpedaled against fire and detonations from behind. He couldn't hold out long. Between Kakashi's relentless swordplay in close quarters, Rin's engineering of mid-range traps, and Obito's fire covering the field, the three carved him down methodically.
Blood sprayed. The Chunin gasped—then fell.
"We did it!" Rin clasped her hands together in relief. "A Chunin… we actually took down a Chunin!"
But Kakashi only scoffed. "Hn. If you two hadn't interfered, he would have fallen quicker."
"What?!" Obito's eyes blazed in fury. "You arrogant—if Rin and I hadn't backed you up, you'd still be locked in a stalemate! Don't act like you did everything alone!"
"That's enough!" Rin rushed between them, grabbing both their arms. "This isn't the time to argue. Collect the cards!" She tried with all her strength to keep the two boys apart, her voice cracking with frustration.
Kakashi and Obito pulled away, glaring sharp daggers at one another before turning stubbornly in opposite directions.
Hidden above in the trees, Shigure chuckled softly. "Why does this scene feel so… familiar?" For a fleeting instant, it was as if he had stepped outside reality, watching not comrades but characters on a screen reenact their scripted quarrels. But no—this was the world he now called home.
Shigure Makes His Move
"Shigure," Kusuo whispered, excitement thrumming through his voice. "Is it time? Should we attack?"
Shigure considered it. His Sharingan still glowed red, tracking each twitch of Kakashi's team down below.
"Akane," he asked calmly, "search again. Anyone hiding in the trees?"
She activated her Byakugan once more, veins rippling at her temples. Scanning in every direction, her pale gaze scythed through the forest. Then she shook her head firmly.
"No. No hidden chakra signatures nearby. Just them."
Kusuo grinned ferally. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's swoop in and surround them. Kakashi won't know what hit him." His hand tightened eagerly around the hilt of his kunai.
Shigure's smirk returned, sharper than ever.
"Not yet," he breathed. His gaze glinted like a hawk—calculating, patient, ready to strike when the moment was sweet as ripened fruit.
But the air between predator and prey was taut as wire now, and at any instant, it seemed, that wire might snap.
The three crouched low in the branches, watching their unsuspecting rivals below…
And then Shigure whispered—
"On my mark."
--
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