Naruto: Reborn with the Template System

Author Note:

Here's the BONUS CHAPTER as promised—thanks for the support, and let's keep this energy going!

--------------------------------------

"I see,"

Guts nodded thoughtfully.

The Nine Tails' Jinchūriki had changed...no longer Naruto, but Kushina. And now, Kushina was just an ordinary woman, powerless and unable to fight.

Whatever butterfly effect caused this, the future was already straying far from what the anime had once shown.

Then, as if remembering something, Guts asked

"That kid Sasuke, what's your plan for him? Honestly, I don't really care, but if you ask me, you should just tell him the truth directly."

At the mention of Sasuke, Itachi's expression faltered.

A silence lingered. Then, with a deep breath, Itachi shook his head.

"No. Sasuke must believe I'm the one who slaughtered our clan. He'll grow stronger, defeat me, and become the hero of Konoha."

"The one who revives the Uchiha name. That's the best outcome. I'll die a villain… a sinner who carried all the blame."

Guts fell silent, then sighed and casually flicked Itachi on the forehead.

"Suit yourself. Your brother, your drama. But don't get too confident...things never go exactly as planned."

He wasn't just being sarcastic. As a Reincarnator, Guts knew better than anyone: the plot never holds.

Itachi seemed unwilling to linger on the topic.

"Then I'll release the Tsukuyomi. We'll leave now."

"You sure you don't want to see him?" Guts asked suddenly.

Itachi blinked.

"Your expression gave it away," Guts said, smirking. "You do want to see Sasuke. Fine, I'll help. Think of it as interest paid back for all the intel you've brought Konoha over the years."

He casually raised a finger.

"Just listen."

Although their conversation had gone on for several minutes within the illusion world, in reality, only a couple of seconds had passed.

That was the terror of Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu so powerful it could bend time perception itself. For most ninja, falling under it even once meant a total mental breakdown.

"Urgh—!"

Suddenly, Itachi let out a sharp gasp of pain, clutching his left eye.

His face was pale with exertion and shock.

"Mr. Itachi!?" Kisame called out, startled.

From the corner of his vision, Kisame thought he saw something impossible.

Could it be…?

Itachi's voice trembled slightly.

"You actually… cracked my Tsukuyomi…"

Even Kisame couldn't believe it.

"That's… That's not possible…"

He'd never seen anyone survive a full-force Tsukuyomi, let alone shatter it. Itachi's illusionary world was absolute until now.

Off to the side, Kurenai and Anko looked at Guts with wide-eyed awe.

"You've really gotten stronger, Itachi."

Guts stepped forward, stretching his arms with a bored look. "Let's make a bet."

He smiled and hooked his finger toward Itachi like he was inviting a sparring partner to a casual game.

"Land ten hits on me while I stand still. You win, I let you walk away. How about it?"

Everyone's expressions shifted.

But they shifted in very different ways.

Kisame clenched his fists.

"Is this guy serious? That's Itachi he's talking to. Even with restrictions, that's an insane challenge…"

After all, Itachi was a shinobi whose strength approached the peak of Kage-level. With his Mangekyō Sharingan, he could surpass it.

Even Pain or the mysterious leader of Akatsuki wouldn't dare treat Itachi lightly.

And yet… this guy, this monster was offering him a game.

Itachi was quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Very well. I accept."

"Kurenai. Anko. Step back."

The moment Guts gave the order, Itachi moved.

There was no visible hand seal. No warning.

But a blazing jet of fire came screaming forward.

"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"

Kurenai and Anko had barely retreated when their expressions shifted in shock.

"W–Wait… when did he use hand seals?"

"He didn't… or maybe he did. I couldn't even see his hands!"

Anko gritted her teeth.

"They were too fast… I couldn't follow them at all!"

"Using this level of ninjutsu on me, Itachi? Seems you've forgotten who I am."

Guts chuckled, stretching out his hand, palm open toward the roaring dragon head.

At the moment of contact—boom!

The massive fire dragon exploded like an overinflated balloon, bursting into a wave of scorching wind and embers that roared outward, rattling trees.

The violent eruption caught the attention of nearby pedestrians and shinobi, drawing them toward the scene in alarm.

Coincidentally, Sasuke, who had just met up with Kakashi for training was also in the area.

"There's fighting over there."

Kakashi frowned, glancing toward the column of smoke rising in the distance.

But Sasuke had already gone still. His fists clenched so tightly they began to bleed. His teeth ground together, and without realizing it, his Sharingan had activated...now two tomoe, burning bright.

"That chakra…"

It was a presence he could never forget.

The same cursed chakra that haunted him every night in his nightmares.

His brother's chakra.

Back in the battle, the moment Guts crushed the Dragon Fire Technique with his palm, a second wave of danger struck.

Whizz! Clink! Shnk!

Hundreds of kunai and shuriken exploded from the flames, scattering in all directions like a deadly storm.

Kurenai and Anko's eyes widened in shock.

"He hid that many shuriken in the flames!?"

Guts moved to casually swat them away, but then their paths twisted midair.

They curved unnaturally, forming wide arcs, redirecting toward him from every possible angle...above, behind, the sides.

"They're attached to wires!" Kurenai gasped.

"That's the Uchiha clan's legendary shuriken technique! And he's controlling all of them at once?!"

Even in the heat of battle, she couldn't help but admire it.

"Uchiha Itachi really is a genius…" she murmured. "But it still won't be enough...not against Guts."

The precision and coordination were flawless—perhaps unmatched in the entire ninja world.

But Guts only smiled.

"Impressive trick. But in the end... shuriken are still just shuriken."

He clenched his fist.

Boom!

With a single swing of his arm, a violent shockwave erupted from his punch...raw, unrestrained physical power.

It swept through the barrage of weapons, shattering every last shuriken into fragments and sending wires snapping into the air like broken strings.

Kisame, watching in disbelief, muttered,

"What kind of monster has that kind of power…?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Just as the dust settled, a few surviving shuriken zipped through the air until one of them suddenly burst into smoke.

Poof!

A figure emerged mid-spin.

"Shadow Clones!" Anko exclaimed. "He turned his clones into shuriken and hid them in the barrage!"

Incredible.

Itachi wasn't just playing tricks...he was laying traps within traps.

Now three shadow clones of Itachi stood around Guts in a perfect triangle.

Each moved like a blur, hand seals flashing faster than the eye could follow.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"

"Water Style: Waterproof bullet!"

"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"

Three different elemental attacks surged toward Guts at once—fire, water, and wind—combining into a colossal wave of destructive force.

The heat, the slicing wind, and the crushing water surged toward Guts like a tidal wave of pure chakra.

But!

FWOOOOOOOM!

Guts met it with a single punch.

His fist tore through the combined ninjutsu like paper, a shockwave howling outward and evaporating every element it touched.

The three clones were obliterated instantly.

The aftermath shook the forest edge, sending leaves flying and animals scattering for miles.

Even the ground beneath him cracked in a web-like pattern.

--------------------------------------

Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and Exclusive R-18 Content!

--------------------------------------

Update schedule: 7 chapters/week

Every 100 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter

By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.