The forest behind the Naka River wasn't supposed to feel hostile.
Birdsong filtered through the trees, the wind stirred the leaves gently, and sunlight dripped through the branches like liquid gold. To anyone else, it was peaceful.
But to me?
It felt like a knife pressed lightly against my neck.
The new ability the System granted—Observation Pulse—created a faint tingling at the back of my skull. Someone was watching.
Not a curious villager.
Not an Uchiha clan member.
The intent was too measured. Too cold.
Too… Root-like.
I turned my head casually, eyes scanning the treeline while Itachi gathered his things. He was still tired from sparring. His small shoulders rose and fell quietly with each breath.
If there really were Root agents lurking around, and they decided to test us right now…
I clenched my jaw.
No way in hell.
"Shisui?" Itachi asked softly, noticing my rigid posture.
I forced a smile and tapped his forehead gently. "I said it earlier—it's nothing. You're just tired."
"...You're lying."
Hah. Even at eight, he was impossible to fool.
"Maybe," I admitted. "Which is why we're heading home early."
He stared at me for a long second, then nodded.
We walked toward the village path, but my senses remained locked on the forest. And the deeper we went, the stronger that faint killing intent became.
The system flickered in my vision.
---
[WARNING]
Unknown hostile signatures detected
Distance: 40 meters → 30 meters → 25 meters
Recommendation: Prepare for combat
---
My pulse quickened.
I knew it.
Three signatures. Light, precise, like they were trying to stay hidden.
Root operatives didn't attack head-on. They liked testing people. Watching from the shadows. Observing weaknesses to exploit later.
If they had turned their attention toward Itachi this early… that meant Danzo was already planning several steps ahead.
But I wasn't the Shisui from the original timeline.
I wasn't going to play his script.
I stopped walking.
"Itachi," I said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "stay behind me."
He tensed. "Is someone—"
"Just in case."
His eyes widened slightly as he sensed my chakra shift—calm, focused, sharpened like a kunai tip.
Then the forest went still.
Too still.
The birds stopped singing.
The wind held its breath.
The air thickened.
A shadow flickered among the trees.
My hand moved on instinct.
A kunai spun through the air, whistling sharply—
—only for a masked figure to drop upside-down from a branch, catching it between two fingers.
A Root operative.
No emotions on his mask.
No insignia.
Only the blank, chilling presence of a human tool.
Two more landed silently behind him.
Itachi swallowed, fear flickering behind his calm façade.
"Anbu?" he whispered.
"No," I said. "Not the good kind."
The masked man who caught my kunai landed lightly on the ground.
"We were instructed to observe a sparring session," he said in a flat, emotionless tone. "Your sudden increase in ability is… irregular."
Cold anger simmered under my ribs.
Root agents rarely spoke this much. The fact they bothered meant this wasn't random.
Danzo was testing me.
Testing Shisui.
"How very generous of you," I said dryly. "Tell Danzo I don't like being stalked."
The lead mask tilted slightly. "You misunderstand. This is not a message. It is a warning."
Chakra surged from them—silent, precise, deadly.
Itachi stepped forward instinctively, but I pushed him back gently with one arm.
"Stay behind me. No matter what."
His small hands clenched at my sleeve. "Shisui…"
I smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I won't die today."
Then I vanished.
Body Flicker exploded under my feet like a crack of thunder. The world blurred into streaks of green and brown.
I appeared behind the first Root operative—
—but he was fast.
He twisted just in time, kunai flashing toward my ribs.
My blade met his in a sharp clang.
But he didn't see my second attack.
My foot swept his ankle, flipping him off balance. Before he hit the ground, I struck two pressure points along his shoulder and chest.
He spasmed once—then collapsed.
The second operative lunged from the right, blade aimed at my throat.
I ducked and let his momentum carry him forward, my elbow slamming into his gut. He choked silently, but Root operatives didn't make noise.
The third came from above, dropping like a hawk.
Too predictable.
I activated Observation Pulse.
A wave of chakra—subtle and invisible—spread outward from me. His trajectory slowed in my perception, every muscle movement telegraphed clearly.
I stepped aside.
He missed.
My hand snapped upward, grabbing his mask mid-air and slamming him into the ground.
A thin crack split the mask.
Itachi watched with wide, shocked eyes.
To him…
I must've looked inhuman.
I exhaled slowly. "Still want to observe?"
The lead operative recovered, pushing himself to his feet with mechanical precision.
"Your abilities are beyond prior assessment," he said flatly. "Report: Shisui Uchiha has increased threat level."
I stepped forward. "Try increasing it again."
For the first time, he hesitated.
Good.
Maybe Root wasn't used to their prey biting back.
He formed a hand seal. "We have what we need."
Smoke burst outward—standard Root escape technique.
When it cleared, the forest was empty.
I didn't move for a moment, letting the silence settle.
Only the river's distant murmur remained.
Finally, I turned to Itachi.
He stared at me—not with fear… but awe.
"Shisui…" he whispered. "How did you move like that?"
I crouched in front of him so we were eye-level.
"Itachi," I said softly, "you need to remember something very important."
His brows furrowed.
"There will be people in this village who hide behind masks. People who say they act for the good of the Leaf… but only cast longer shadows."
He swallowed.
"If they ever approach you," I continued, "you stay away. Promise me."
He hesitated. "Why would they—"
"Promise."
His lips pressed together. Then he nodded firmly.
"…I promise."
A breath left my chest in relief.
I ruffled his hair. "Good. Now let's get out of here before they change their mind and come back."
He managed a small smile—a real one, warm and childlike.
"Shisui?"
"Yeah?"
"You protected me."
My heart softened.
"Always," I said.
As we walked back toward the Uchiha district, the System chimed again.
---
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Mission Progress: Change the Fate of the Uchiha
Sub-Objective: Protect Itachi — FIRST SUCCESS
Reward:
• Skill Upgrade: Observation Pulse → Tactical Foresight (Lv.1)
• Passive Buff: Shadow Instinct — improved reaction speed when protecting allies
• Hidden Title Unlocked: Guardian of the Prodigy
---
I blinked.
Tactical Foresight?
A new description appeared.
Tactical Foresight (Lv.1):
Predict enemy movement patterns within a 7-meter radius. Success rate increases when protecting designated individuals.
A grin tugged at my lips.
The system wanted me to protect Itachi.
I didn't need convincing.
But something else lingered beneath the joy.
A warning.
If Root was already watching… then the timeline was shifting faster than expected. Danzo's paranoia was accelerating.
If I didn't move soon… the clan's fall could happen earlier.
I glanced at Itachi, who was quietly walking beside me, small and unassuming.
He had no idea how much the future demanded from him.
But I did.
And I wouldn't let him face it alone.
As we stepped into the warm light of the village, I made a silent vow.
This time, Danzo's shadows won't reach us.
This time, the river won't remember Uchiha blood.
This time… we rewrite fate for real.
--
END OF CHAPTER 3