Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Land of Rain.

The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the warm sunlight shone upon the damp earth. The small town, Konoha Camp.

"Shirou, is this the so-called jutsu you claimed would end the battle? Guiding a lightning strike to hit yourself!?"

Inside the house, Tsunade, who had already recovered, scolded the still-weak Shirou in a stern voice, while the others pretended not to notice.

Seeing Tsunade, who was already full of energy in such a short time, Shirou couldn't help but reveal a look of envy.

"The Senju clan's physique is truly enviable."

He didn't even need to mention Kushina, but the Senju clan's constitution was just as absurdly strong.

"Don't change the subject!"

Tsunade snapped coldly, clearly annoyed. Beside her, Kushina raised her head with a look of schadenfreude, her eyes glaring as though she wanted to chime in with a scolding of her own.

Feeling awkward, Shirou turned his head, hoping for help from Mikoto, who was lying weakly on a nearby hospital bed. However, Mikoto simply shut her eyes and pretended not to see, leaving Shirou even more speechless.

"Uh… Sister Tsunade, this jutsu… isn't fully developed yet…"

Shirou stammered awkwardly. The so-called S-rank jutsu, Kirin, wasn't so easy to master. After all, even his Chidori was only a half-finished product.

The guiding of lightning? He hadn't trained enough to control it freely yet. At most, he was using his unfinished Chidori to direct the lightning—right onto himself.

However, Tsunade lectured him mercilessly, "Do you know what people outside are saying now? They're saying that Konoha's genius ninja, Uchiha Shirou, nearly electrocuted himself with his S-rank lightning jutsu…"

The battle with the Rain Shinobi had been brutal, with heavy losses on Konoha's side. Since this small town was the closest, everyone had come here to recuperate.

Just as Tsunade was scolding him, Orochimaru's hoarse laughter drifted into the room.

The moment Orochimaru appeared, Shirou felt like he had seen his savior. Although Orochimaru's face was still pale and he hadn't fully recovered, he was clearly in better shape than Shirou.

"Heh heh, Shirou-kun truly is a genius, coming up with such a jutsu."

Unlike Tsunade, Orochimaru was fascinated by the jutsu's potential. As he entered, he spoke to Shirou with great interest.

"This jutsu has a wide range, extremely high attack power, and minimal chakra consumption. Or rather, it only requires a small amount of chakra to guide the natural lightning. Shirou-kun, you thought of this. Truly brilliant.

To harness the forces of nature itself—though it has significant limitations—Land of Rain's natural terrain is practically made for this jutsu. And even if someone understands its mechanics, only the Uchiha clan could use it…"

Orochimaru's enthusiasm made him sound like a jutsu fanatic as he continued with excitement:

"Controlling lightning requires not only the half-finished guiding jutsu you used but also a powerful Sharingan capable of tracking the speed and flow of lightning. That means this jutsu is exclusive to the Uchiha clan!"

Listening to Orochimaru's analysis, Shirou couldn't help but be amazed. As expected of the future scientist Orochimaru—his sharp insight had dissected the jutsu almost completely.

Just as Orochimaru had said, this S-rank Lightning Release jutsu could only be used by the Uchiha clan, and even then, only by those with highly developed three-tomoe Sharingan.

The ability to track the speed and flow of lightning alone was proof of how powerful Sasuke's Sharingan had been in the original series.

"So, Shirou-kun, from the beginning, this unfinished jutsu of yours could only summon lightning to strike, right? You couldn't control it? And during the battle, your goal wasn't to locate Hanzo's true body but to lure him into attacking you instead…"

Orochimaru suddenly shifted the topic, voicing his suspicions. At this, Tsunade immediately burst into laughter—but her laughter carried a peculiar tone.

"Of course! Konoha's genius is naturally different from ordinary ninjas. While other ninjas use jutsu to attack others, our genius here uses it to attack himself first!"

Tsunade's sarcastic remark left Shirou utterly embarrassed. Meanwhile, Orochimaru shook his head with a look of regret.

"What a pity. It seems Shirou-kun's jutsu still needs time to be perfected. But with Shirou-kun's talent, I'm sure it won't take long—especially with Tsunade here…"

At this, Orochimaru gave a strange smile, but Tsunade immediately responded with a cold snort.

"My business is none of your concern, Orochimaru."

Ignoring her, Orochimaru continued to smile at Shirou as he said:

"Shirou-kun, the war is coming to an end. White Fang's surprise attack on the Land of Wind was successful, forcing the Sand Shinobi to retreat. The Land of Rain's defensive lines have been broken, and the Third Kazekage has already sent envoys to Konoha.

Even the Rain Shinobi have ceased hostilities, and negotiations to end the war are underway. Tsunade has been assigned to the rear to treat the wounded, so now she has plenty of time to teach you ninjutsu…"

Hearing this, Shirou froze. At first, he thought Orochimaru was teasing Tsunade, but then he realized he had overestimated Orochimaru's social skills.

Orochimaru wasn't teasing—he was bluntly pointing out that the war was over, and Tsunade had been relegated to the rear.

"Orochimaru, it seems you're not busy enough!"

Even Tsunade, who was well aware of Orochimaru's personality, couldn't help but snark at his thinly veiled jab. She retorted sarcastically:

"This is a great accomplishment, you know—saving Konoha from the war. Orochimaru, shouldn't you and Jiraiya be negotiating with the Rain Shinobi so you can earn your rewards back in the village?"

But Orochimaru, unfazed, licked his lips and turned his gaze to Shirou with interest.

"Compared to the front lines, I find Shirou-kun far more intriguing."

Seeing this, Shirou was utterly speechless. If Orochimaru were a woman, he'd start suspecting some strange intentions! No, no, bad thoughts!

"Lord Orochimaru, with Sister Tsunade here, Konoha's ninjas will surely be treated safely," Shirou said with a smile, tactfully interrupting the conversation and giving Tsunade an out.

Orochimaru glanced at Shirou with a smile, then his throat moved, and he let out a dry retching sound. Under Kushina's wide-eyed look of shock, Orochimaru pulled out a scroll thicker than her arm from his mouth.

"Shirou-kun, this is a collection of Lightning Release material I've gathered. It might help with your jutsu. Of course, if you're willing, we could study this jutsu together someday."

At this point, Orochimaru wasn't obsessed with immortality yet. His greatest passion was still learning and mastering all ninjutsu. Discovering a new jutsu that harnessed the forces of nature? He was thrilled.

Shirou froze for a moment before his face lit up with joy. Was this for real!?

This was Orochimaru! If it were anyone else, he might suspect ulterior motives, but Orochimaru wasn't like that. At this point, Orochimaru was simply a madman obsessed with ninjutsu.

"Of course! I'll write down all the details and ideas for this jutsu right away," Shirou said with a big smile.

He knew that this Lightning Release jutsu had originally been refined in collaboration with Orochimaru. The so-called Sasuke's original creation? Much of the credit likely belonged to Orochimaru.

After Orochimaru left, the atmosphere in the room became awkward. Even Kushina noticed the tension and quietly moved to Mikoto's bedside, peeling fruit.

Tsunade, meanwhile, sat on a chair with a smile, her long legs crossed and swinging lazily as she taunted:

"Why so quiet now? Weren't you so talkative earlier?"

Shirou, utterly embarrassed, forced a laugh. "Sister Tsunade, this is a good thing—it's all for the village. After all, who doesn't know your medical ninjutsu is the best in the ninja world?"

"Bullshit!"

Tsunade glared at him.

"When the war starts, they remember the Senju clan. But as soon as it's over, they shove me to the back, claiming it's for treating the wounded. Don't think I'm stupid enough not to see through their disgusting tactics."

Her tone grew more bitter as she continued:

"Right after defeating the Sand Shinobi, they sent White Fang to the Land of Rice Fields to guard against the Kumogakure. They dressed it up with nice words, saying the Sunagakure suffered too much, and that during peace talks, they'll nitpick if White Fang is present...

It's all for the sake of protecting Konoha's hero! 'White Fang, just endure it for now and stay at the faraway border!'"

Listening to Tsunade vent her frustrations, Shirou almost wanted to clap and cheer.

As expected of Konoha's elders! Masters of internal politics and manipulation. One word: Brilliant!

"Ahem... Sister Tsunade, this is really for protecting the heroes..." Shirou tried to defend the village, but under Tsunade's death glare, his voice grew quieter and quieter.

Beside him, Kushina couldn't hold back any longer. She glared at Shirou and scolded:

"Shirou! Are all of you Uchihas this stubborn? You just keep ramming your head into the wall over and over, refusing to turn back unless you smash it down!"

What the heck!? This sudden roasting left Shirou stunned. What did this have to do with him? Why was he getting dragged into this?

After venting at Shirou, Uzumaki Kushina moved over to massage Tsunade's shoulders, comforting her:

"Sister Tsunade, you don't know—this Shirou is just bull-headed. When I first transferred to the village and said I wanted to become Hokage, this guy kept babbling about the Will of Fire or whatever. His brain must've been broken!

Every written exam he took was absurd. Those tests about the Will of Fire and how great the Hokage was—he aced every single one of them!"

At this point, Kushina seemed to recall the past, and she couldn't help but point at Shirou, who was lying on the bed, her wide eyes glaring as she said:

"Even back then, the teachers at the ninja academy said, 'The reason Uchiha Shirou can score full marks is that the test is only worth 100 points, and the reason we pass is because our abilities can only reach that level.'"

She even brought up this ancient history. Shirou widened his eyes in disbelief. Back then, he only did that to maintain his persona. Why was it now being made out to seem like he had some kind of mental issue?

However, as Kushina spoke about what seemed like embarrassing moments from Shirou's past, deep down, she was defending him.

"Enough!"

Tsunade sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. Did she not see through Kushina's intentions? But the current state of the village—it wasn't just disappointing; it was far worse than that.

Tsunade raised her head, looking at the bedridden Shirou, her brows furrowing as she spoke in a serious tone:

"I understand that you're trying hard to refute the darkness of the village. Deep down, you can see what's going on, but you still try to avoid it. However, there are some things you must understand—the village isn't what you think it is.

Or rather, the village has already changed. This time, your Uchiha clan might even be reassigned to the rear lines."

As she said this, Tsunade took a deep breath. In her eyes, Shirou was indeed stubborn—especially when it came to matters regarding the village. This prompted her to shift her gaze to Mikoto.

"Mikoto, you're far more level-headed than Shirou. I hope you'll stay vigilant in the future. The slaughter on the battlefield is, in fact, the easiest part. The most brutal challenges come when you face the enemies hidden behind you."

Tsunade spoke with an earnest and solemn tone. At this point, none of them were ordinary ninjas anymore. She had to shoulder the burden of the Senju clan, and similarly, Mikoto and Shirou had to bear some of the Uchiha clan's responsibilities.

Both sides carried the weight of their families.

The clever Mikoto seemed to understand the implications of Tsunade's words. She nodded seriously and said:

"I understand, Lady Tsunade. Don't worry, I'll stay vigilant in the future."

In the next moment, three pairs of eyes simultaneously turned to look at Shirou. This left him feeling awkward as if the issue lay entirely with him.

"Shirou, what's that Will of Fire you're always preaching about? Something about how the children of the village are its future hope, and the older generation must trust and protect them, right?"

Looking at Shirou, Tsunade felt a headache coming on. Although he was usually mature, sometimes he was so… Uchiha! So maddeningly stubborn!

"And now? On the battlefield, I see teenagers barely older than ten fighting on the frontlines, their lives burning like flames to illuminate the village. Meanwhile, the corrupt elders are greedily enjoying everything."

Her sarcastic words echoed in the room, directly dismissing Shirou's naive ideas. After all, if he continued holding on to such childish and idealistic notions, she feared he'd end up in trouble.

Or rather, trouble had already come for him. It was only by sheer luck—his and hers—that they'd survived.

Hearing this, Shirou widened his eyes, looking at Tsunade, Kushina, and even Mikoto. Their gazes seemed to scream: That's right! We're talking about you!

Wow! At this moment, he finally realized—

He had been trying all along to subtly get them to recognize the village's true nature. But now, they had turned the tables on him, thinking he was the one who didn't understand, and they had come to educate him instead.

This is a Uno Reverse Card!

Staring at the three of them in shock, Shirou was momentarily at a loss for words. It felt like he couldn't process what was happening, but deep down, there was an odd sense of lying on a hospital bed while blessings rained from the sky.

Honestly, it was all thanks to the Konoha infamous elders for making him look good. He hadn't even expected the higher-ups to be this shameless. They had barely won on the frontlines and were already turning on their people.

As expected! The other Great Nations of the ninja world had only lasted this long because Konoha was too busy sabotaging itself.

Seeing Shirou's dumbfounded expression, all three women sighed inwardly. Even Mikoto looked worried. While Shirou had ambition, his trust in the village seemed a bit excessive.