Naruto:The System's Shadow

"System, exchange for Rasengan!"

After eliminating the opposing chunin, Uchiha Kaito wasted no time in moving to assist Uchiha Madara. Judging by Madara's current state of grievous wounds, he feared that if he delayed any longer, he would indeed be reduced to collecting a corpse.

"Rasengan, Rank A, requires 5000 points! Exchange?"

"Yes!"

The system's serene voice echoed, and as a surge of warmth flowed through him, Kaito knew he had mastered the Rasengan.

While engaged in combat earlier, Kaito had been meticulously considering which A-rank ninjutsu to acquire. He had ultimately settled on the Rasengan, Naruto's signature technique from the original narrative.

To eliminate a jonin, ordinary A-rank ninjutsu were unlikely to suffice. Only a technique with exceptional single-target destructive power stood a chance, and the Rasengan's potency was evident in the source material.

Furthermore, and most importantly, the Rasengan required no hand seals and could be executed in any manner—single-handedly, with both hands, or otherwise. Naruto's need for shadow clones stemmed from his inadequate chakra control.

Kaito, however, possessed supreme confidence in his chakra control.

"Very well. Let this Hyuga jonin bear witness to the first step in my, Uchiha Kaito's, rise to prominence in the Warring States Period!"

Having mastered the Rasengan, Kaito's confidence surged, and the tomoe in his eyes glowed with an even more sinister light. He spotted the battling pair from afar. Uchiha Madara was entirely on the defensive, reduced to merely absorbing blows. His condition was even more dire than Uchiha Izuna's earlier.

Kaito chuckled quietly. At least he was still alive. He hurled six kunai toward the two combatants, attaching an explosive tag to each.

The art of shuriken and kunai throwing was deceptively difficult to master, but Kaito had diligently practiced it over the past two years. The kunai reached their targets in an instant.

"Get clear, Madara! Explode!"

Six consecutive explosions erupted with deafening roars, amidst which Uchiha Madara's frantic bellow could be faintly heard: "Uchiha Kaito, you'll pay for this…"

A figure, propelled by the aftershock of the blast, was sent hurtling backward. Kaito rushed to catch him; it was Uchiha Madara.

The moment Kaito caught him, a torrent of blood gushed from his mouth. The web of his right hand, clutching his katana, had split open, the blood flowing uncontrollably. His clothes were tattered, and a long, gruesome gash ran along his shoulder, staining his entire arm a crimson hue.

Blood trickled incessantly from his face, accentuating the single tomoe in his Sharingan with a macabre effect. Various ninjutsu had left their marks on his body, particularly the pronounced dent in his left ribcage, which Kaito presumed was caused by a Gentle Fist strike, with at least nine of his twelve ribs fractured.

Numerous fine cuts laced his legs, steadily oozing blood. He resembled a blood-soaked figure.

Uchiha Kaito clicked his tongue inwardly at the severity of the injuries. If he were subjected to such torment, he would have likely fainted from the pain. But Madara was gritting his teeth, stubbornly holding on. It seemed that both Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna possessed extraordinary willpower.

"The hell is wrong with you?! Throwing those explosive tags directly at me—were you trying to blow us both to kingdom come?" Uchiha Madara coughed and demanded angrily, not to start a quarrel with Kaito, but simply out of frustration. How could anyone do such a thing? They had agreed to hold out for ten minutes, and he had unilaterally extended it by five minutes with a mere, "situation has changed." And now, upon arriving to provide support, he casually hurled a string of explosive tags, without regard for friend or foe.

Kaito grinned and explained, "I specifically chose the angle when throwing the kunai. While your position was technically within the range of the explosive tags, it was on the periphery. The jonin bore the brunt of the blast, and with your adaptability, you were perfectly positioned to use the force of the explosion to propel yourself away. See, everything went according to plan, didn't it?"

Uchiha Madara paused, considered the situation, and realized that Kaito's explanation was plausible. His anger dissipated, but he still felt slightly indignant.

Kaito's expression turned serious as he declared, "Enough with the banter. Six explosive tags weren't enough to take him down. Can you still fight? Let's finish him off!"

"Of course! I am Uchiha Madara, after all! By the way, when did you awaken your Sharingan? And it's already three-tomoe—you've been hiding it well!"

Madara flashed a grin, radiating an undeniable aura despite his precarious stance.

During their exchange, the explosions had finally ceased, and as the smoke cleared, the opposing jonin emerged, appearing somewhat disheveled, but without any visible injuries.

"I say, you fought him for over a dozen minutes, and you end up half dead yourself, yet you couldn't even leave a mark on him?" Kaito remarked, his tone devoid of any particular inflection, but it nonetheless made Uchiha Madara flush with embarrassment, as if he had been mocked, and he grew even more agitated.

"Quit running your mouth! You go up against him!"

The Hyuga jonin did not immediately launch an attack. Instead, his Byakugan swiveled, surveying the distant battlefield. Thanks to Kaito's intervention, the Uchiha clan had gained the upper hand and were closing in on the remaining six chunin for the final assault. However, due to the seamless coordination and mutual support of those six chunin, it appeared that they would be difficult to take down in the short term.

"You are quite astonishing," the Hyuga jonin said quietly. Without waiting for Madara or Kaito to respond, he continued, "I initially suspected a trap when I saw you gathered in one place, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. And once I confirmed there were no ambushes, I was delighted. I believed that a group of children like you would be easy prey."

He paused. "But I was wrong. You've done exceptionally well—better than I anticipated. Especially you two. It's difficult to imagine the heights you will reach when you mature. But fortunately, I encountered both of you today. I derive great pleasure from eliminating geniuses from my adversaries' ranks. The satisfaction is unparalleled. Eliminating the two of you will make all the losses tonight worthwhile!"

As he spoke, his figure abruptly vanished, reappearing behind the two. His katana, imbued with wind and lightning, swept down in a horizontal arc.

"Eight Trigrams Horizontal Sword!"

With a deafening crash, the rooftop where the two had been standing was cleaved in two. Uchiha Madara had leaped aside the moment he sensed the attack.

"Too fast... I can't evade it!" The thought flashed through Kaito's mind. In terms of taijutsu prowess, he was indeed inferior to Uchiha Madara.

"One of you shall die first!" The Hyuga jonin grinned with smug satisfaction. At this close range, he was confident that his opponent could not withstand his full-force strike.

Caw…caw…caw…

Kaito could not evade it. But he did not need to…