Naruto:The System's Shadow

The sweat beaded on Hyuga Koten's brow as he realized Uchiha Kaito had somehow materialized before him while speaking, unnoticed.

"Die!"

Hyuga Koten roared, his katana cleaving through the space where Kaito had been. With a resounding thud, it bit into the earth, severing several protruding knife points, yet failing to graze Kaito in the slightest.

"Futile. You are aware this is a genjutsu; you cannot harm me here. Farewell, sayonara!" Kaito reappeared behind him, ascending rapidly. Reaching a certain altitude, the myriad knives on the mountain instantaneously lunged upwards, each extending to be taller than a man, forming an impenetrable thicket of blades.

Hyuga Koten was simultaneously impaled by three katana.

Concurrently, in the real world, Uchiha Kaito's kunai sliced across his motionless neck.

"Ding! Elite Jonin of the Hyuga clan eliminated. Reward: 2000 points."

"Initiate mission: Support Uchiha Madara, eliminate the Hyuga clan's commanding Jonin. Completion reward: 5000 points. Failure results in obliteration!"

"System, you son of a—!"

Hardly had Kaito dispatched Hyuga Koten when the system's voice reverberated in his mind. The smile that had graced his face froze in place. Never could he have foreseen the system issuing a mission at such a juncture, with such preposterous terms.

The original plan, as agreed upon with Madara, was for Kaito to eliminate the opposing elite jonin, then join forces with Madara to repel the enemy jonin, subsequently mopping up the remaining chunin.

Note that the term they used was "repel," not "eliminate," indicating that neither Madara nor Kaito anticipated killing the enemy jonin from the outset.

As members of the Uchiha clan, they were well aware of the power of a jonin. The term "elite jonin" might share the "jonin" suffix, but the gulf in power was immense. Kaito estimated that he could defeat an elite jonin head-on but would only last about a dozen minutes against a fully-fledged jonin before needing to retreat. Even with Uchiha Madara, they could, at best, gain a slight advantage; achieving a kill would be akin to scaling the heavens.

Madara's bombastic pronouncements before the battle—his threats to obliterate the enemy and use them as stepping stones—were merely bluster, intended to bolster his own morale. Only a fool would take them seriously.

Now, the system's mission clearly stated "eliminate," an entirely different level of difficulty. A jonin cornered and desperate was a terrifying force; a misstep could easily result in death.

Crucially, the penalty for failure was obliteration, essentially pushing him to the brink of death.

Taking a deep breath, Kaito forced himself to regain his composure. Calmness was paramount in such situations. He surveyed the battlefield, taking stock of the current situation.

Uchiha Hayate was still locked in combat with the enemy elite jonin; their contest seemed destined to continue for some time. His three Uchiha chunin were each engaged with opposing chunin. Uchiha Izuna, wielding a katana, was holding his own against a chunin, and although disadvantaged due to his age, he stubbornly withstood the onslaught, showing no immediate signs of succumbing.

Conversely, the sight of the eighty-seven younger clan members nearly drove Kaito mad. The six chunin in their midst were wreaking havoc, felling a child with every two or three strikes.

"Even eighty academy students could exhaust those six chunin. A bunch of worthless cowards!" Kaito inwardly fumed.

Mathematically, eighty-odd genin, with a loss of about ten lives, should have been able to eliminate the six chunin, assuming those genin were of sound mind.

These children were clearly inexperienced and had never tasted blood. They had initially charged in with enthusiasm, intending to overwhelm the six chunin, only to be terrified when the chunin drew their blades and instantly felled three of their comrades. The blood of their fallen friends splashed upon them, and the realization dawned that this was not a training exercise, but a deadly battle where death was real.

Consequently, some children broke down, attempting to flee. The entire scene devolved into chaos, negating their ability to fight effectively and resulting in a one-sided massacre.

Kaito averted his gaze. He had anticipated such a scenario. Those who survived this ordeal would shed their naivete, undergo a transformation, and become true shinobi—provided they lived.

He then turned his attention to Uchiha Madara, noting streaks of blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. His clothing was tattered, his breathing labored. He barely managed to parry the enemy's attacks, appearing to be on the verge of collapse.

Yet, Kaito keenly observed the tomoe in Madara's eyes slowly rotating, fixated on his opponent's every movement. His expression betrayed a hint of ferocity, his entire being radiating an indomitable spirit, hinting at the future overlord of the shinobi world.

"Hurry up and help!"

Uchiha Madara roared, blood rising in his throat, culminating in a violent cough. He had just stolen a glance at Kaito, noting that he had dispatched the elite jonin.

A wry smile played on Kaito's lips as he muttered, "Still able to yell for help with such vigor; seems he hasn't reached his limit."

With that, he drew a handful of kunai and charged in a different direction, away from Uchiha Madara, toward the battle between Uchiha Hayate and another elite jonin.

"Madara, something's come up. Hold on for five more minutes; I'll be right there!" Kaito yelled as he hurtled toward the other elite jonin, hurling his kunai and swiftly forming hand seals. "Fire Style: Flame Severing!" Another B-rank ninjutsu he had mastered was unleashed without hesitation. Kaito, resolved to engage in a swift and decisive battle, entered the fray.

"Go to hell! In five more minutes, you'll be collecting my corpse!" Uchiha Madara nearly choked on his own blood, cursing aloud.