Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

In the torrential rain, a piercing hawk's cry echoed through the skies. Shirou soared high above, his Sharingan — three tomoe spinning wildly — scanning his surroundings with unmatched clarity.

"My three tomoe Sharingan can perceive chakra. Even with the rain obscuring vision or the presence of a barrier, as long as there's chakra..."

Suddenly, Shirou's pupils shrank. Through his spinning Sharingan, he spotted a large, overturned bowl-shaped barrier deep in the rainforest.

"Found it!"

With a sharp cry, his hawk dove toward the barrier. At the same time, Shirou launched a signal flare. The bright flare illuminated the rainy night, and its presence was instantly noticed by the Kumo ninja who were slaughtering their way through the forest interior. Their faces twisted in anger.

"Damn it! We've been discovered! Sensory ninjas, quickly investigate the situation!"

"Captain, the target is alone! They're heading straight for us!"

A sensory ninja from the Kumo reported urgently, relaying the detected information. The leader of the group, upon hearing this, narrowed his eyes coldly and ordered:

"Forget about losses. With that signal flare, the Konoha ninja will arrive here soon."

"Understood!"

As the Kumo leader issued his command, another hawk cry resonated from above. The captive Kushina and Tsunade, trapped below, couldn't help but smile with hope at the sound.

Uchiha Shirou had arrived!

"Watch out, it's explosive tags!"

Under the cover of the hawk's cry, countless kunai rained from the skies, each attached with burning explosive tags. As the kunai struck the ground, the explosions rippled through the forest, shaking the barrier that confined Tsunade.

Tsunade seized the opportunity to launch an attack.

Meanwhile, Shirou descended in a flash, but a sudden bolt of lightning erupted from the forest, startling him. As he focused his Sharingan, the masked Kumo ninja revealed a ferocious, menacing grin.

"These little tricks won't save you. You're going to die here and now!"

In the rainy darkness, two arcs of lightning flashed, illuminating the night. Shirou's Sharingan spun furiously, capturing every detail of his opponent's face. The lightning tore away the mask, revealing a dark-skinned, muscular figure wielding several swords. Shirou's pupils contracted as he took in the sight of the ninja's dual blades strapped to his back.

"Kumogakure's Seven-Blade Dance!"

The two collided again, their massive strength uprooting and shattering several trees along the way.

"So, you're the prodigy of the ninja world everyone's been talking about," the Kumo leader smirked. His cold, glowing eyes fixed on Shirou as he slowly unsheathed six chakra blades from his back.

Perched atop a fallen tree, Shirou's Sharingan spun rapidly, locking onto his opponent. His peripheral vision caught glimpses of the other Kumo ninjas within the barrier, who had thrown caution to the wind and were fighting recklessly.

"The Seven-Blade Dance, an A-rank kenjutsu from Kumogakure. Its unpredictable and rapid strikes make it nearly impossible to defend against," Shirou muttered. A smirk tugged at his lips as he taunted, "But I heard that this famous sword technique was nearly wiped out during the First Ninja War by the Senju and Uchiha clans?"

Hearing Shirou's mocking words, the Kumo ninja's gaze darkened ominously.

"Uchiha brat, let's see if your blade is as sharp as your tongue!"

Without hesitation, the Kumo ninja activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, closing the distance in an instant. Shirou also roared, activating his cursed seal and entering its second state. In his hand, his Kusanagi Sword crackled with lightning.

The two figures clashed like thunderbolts in the forest, their movements too fast for ordinary eyes to follow.

Hiding in the shadows, White Zetsu watched the battle unfold with a raspy chuckle.

"Lord Madara's successor arrived quite quickly. But he'll need to hurry up — we can't let Lord Madara's plan fail."

As White Zetsu's coarse voice faded, a red glow flickered in the eyes of the sensory ninja within the Kumo team. The ninja, unaware of the illusion cast upon him, shouted to his comrades:

"Finish the targets quickly! The captain is already engaging the Konoha ninja outside!"

Within the rainforest, arcs of electricity danced chaotically. Shirou's Sharingan spun madly, analyzing the intricate sword techniques of his opponent. Though his eyes could track the movements, the attacks were so precise and unpredictable that it left his body struggling to keep up.

"Damn Uchiha! I'll personally gouge out that Sharingan of yours!" the enraged Kumo leader roared. His Seven-Blade Dance — a kenjutsu also practiced by Killer Bee in the original timeline — was notoriously lethal.

Shirou clenched his teeth. He knew that while he had fought Hanzo of the Salamander before, that battle had been riddled with luck — Hanzo had already been exhausted by the time Shirou engaged. This Kumo ninja, however, was not only highly skilled but also still at his peak.

Even so, Shirou refused to falter. His Sharingan burned brighter, its tomoe spinning faster as his confidence surged.

"You call this an unbeatable sword technique? Before the Uchiha's eyes, even your death is crystal clear!"

The flickers of lightning grew more violent as Shirou's voice rang out. His taunt seemed to unnerve the Kumo ninja, filling him with an inexplicable irritation.

"Uchiha brat, keep playing hero. Meanwhile, the two women inside the barrier will die soon enough..." The Kumo leader scoffed, his blood-red eyes gleaming faintly. However, he remained unaware that he and several key members of his team had long since fallen under Madara's genjutsu, planted through White Zetsu.

Inside the barrier, Kushina was gravely injured. Without the Nine-Tails' chakra, her recovery abilities had diminished significantly. The sight of her battered form within the glowing red barrier made Shirou realize the full extent of Madara's scheme.

Just like Madara's manipulation of Obito and Rin, this time, the targets were Kushina and Tsunade. Madara intended to use Kushina's death as a catalyst to spur Shirou and Tsunade's growth.

"That old bastard Madara enjoys toying with people's hearts!" Shirou muttered bitterly. As he pieced together Madara's plan, his Sharingan began spinning with an almost uncontainable ferocity.

Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique.

A massive wave of fire erupted from Shirou's mouth, engulfing the forest in a roaring inferno. Even in the torrential downpour, the flames raged, consuming everything in their path.

Outside, Shirou was desperately fighting, while inside two barriers, Tsunade, with bloodshot eyes filled with rage, helplessly watched as Kushina kept getting injured.

"Enough! Enough!"

In the other barrier, Kushina, covered in wounds, faced a group of Kumo ninjas attacking her. Unable to use the Nine-Tails' chakra, she kept sustaining injuries.

"Damn it, the Wind Release ninjutsu counters us!"

 "Kill her! We can't keep dragging this out! Take her head and extract the secrets from her brain!"

Seven or eight Kumo ninja corpses lay around, enraging the remaining ones, their eyes bloodshot with fury. That such a young ninja was proving so difficult to handle was humiliating.

Kushina's strength was one thing, but the fact that Wind counters Lightning made things worse. Moreover, she was fighting desperately, while the Kumo ninja initially planned only to capture her alive.

Hidden in the shadows, White Zetsu watched the scene and let out a hoarse laugh.

"Hehe, Lord Madara has prepared for this for so long; it won't be so simple. The curtain should fall soon—if Konoha reinforcements arrive, things could get troublesome."

Under White Zetsu's hoarse gaze, the leader of this elite Kumo ninja had a flash of crimson light in his eyes.

"Haha, Uchiha brat, I'll remember you. We'll take the head of this red-haired girl, extract all the secrets from her brain—even the ones about your relationship... hahaha!"

The Kumo ninja leader laughed wildly, then shouted to his comrades, "Hold him off! I'll personally take the red-haired girl's head!"

"Over my dead body!"

Under Shirou's cold gaze, four Kumo ninja emerged from the barrier to intercept him, allowing their leader to slip inside.

From above, the situation was clear: Shirou was being held back, Tsunade was trapped in another barrier, and both could only watch helplessly as the blood-soaked and utterly exhausted Kushina gave a desolate smile.

She was at her limit.

"Shirou! Sister Tsunade! I'm sorry..."

Faced with the approaching lightning, Kushina, her eyes heavy with fatigue, found herself unable to muster any more strength.

"Kushina!"

Shirou roared in fury. Instead of defending himself against the four attackers, he let his hand spark with brilliant lightning chakra.

With a sickening sound, four blades stabbed into his body, blood splattering onto the faces of the four Kumo ninjas. Yet instead of triumph, their faces were filled with terror.

"Self-Cursing Seal!"

It was a sealing technique Kushina had once gifted him. Using his Sharingan, Shirou avoided any vital spots, and the moment the four blades pierced into his body, the seal on his body activated.

The curse mark spread through the four blades, quickly reaching the arms and faces of the Kumo ninja, paralyzing their bodies.

Watching this unfold, White Zetsu was stunned. "Is he insane?!"

In the next moment, blood sprayed everywhere as the Kusanagi Sword slashed through the four attackers. Covered in blood, Shirou didn't stop for a moment despite the rain pouring down, his palm crackling with lightning.

Under White Zetsu's shocked gaze, this turn of events seemed to deviate from Madara's plan.

Boom!

 The lightning in Shirou's hand struck the barrier, simultaneously drawing down bolts of lightning from the sky.

Shirou was gambling as he used Chidori, his incomplete technique, to summon a lightning strike from the heavens. With no preparation, this Lightning Release: Kirin was only half-complete and much weaker than the one he had used against Hanzo.

Even so, with a thunderous roar, the natural power of the lightning shattered the red, transparent barrier. The moment the barrier broke, Tsunade roared and rushed toward Kushina.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Cutter!"

The Kumo ninja leader, cloaked in crackling lightning, charged at the powerless Kushina. His target was her neck—he intended to decapitate her with one strike.

"Let go of Kushina!"

Tsunade roared, rushing forward. Seeing this, the Kumo ninja leader shouted, "Even if it's you, you won't survive this jutsu!"

The lightning strike was too fast. Tsunade's charge had put her right in its path.

"Damn it! The barrier's broken! The target Lord Madara values so highly cannot be allowed to die!"

Hidden in the shadows, White Zetsu was alarmed. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he immediately sent out a backup clone.

The ground suddenly erupted as pale, ghastly hands grabbed Tsunade's legs. However, with Tsunade's monstrous strength, the pale hands were instantly torn apart.

"This is bad!"

White Zetsu's eyes widened in shock—it was all going wrong. Madara's plan had failed!

Framed by the lightning, two figures stood. At this moment, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of both Tsunade and Kushina.

In their stunned eyes, Shirou pushed them both aside. As he did so, his crazed face wore a faint smile. Then...

"Lightning Release: Lightning Cutter!"

Lightning flashed, and scorching blood sprayed into the two women's wide eyes. In their shocked gazes, they saw Shirou's body struck by the lightning and sent flying.

"Shirou!"

Kushina and Tsunade's horrified eyes took in the scene.

Blood, shattered internal organs, and Shirou's broken body fell heavily to the ground.

"Kehehe, still standing, huh? You're tougher than I thought—not even your head came off!"

The Kumo ninja leader, blown back by the impact and crashing through several trees, grinned viciously. However, as he stood up, Tsunade, her eyes blazing red with fury, appeared above him.

"I'll kill every last one of you!"

Tsunade's enraged roar shook the air. With terrifying strength, she brought her foot down on the Kumo ninja leader. His horrified gaze was consumed by the overwhelming force.

"Heavenly Kick of Pain!"

The ground trembled and collapsed on a massive scale, forcing even White Zetsu, hiding below, to scurry away in panic. The devastating attack covered an enormous area.

"This is bad! Lord Madara's chosen successor is doomed!"

White Zetsu's wide eyes reflected his panic. Everything had been going according to plan—who could have predicted that Shirou would be so reckless, using an incomplete jutsu like that?

By borrowing the power of nature itself, Shirou had shattered the barrier in such a desperate and unprepared manner that there was no chance to salvage the situation.

"What do I do?! Do I go back and tell Lord Madara that his chosen successor is dead? And that it was the Kumo ninja who killed him?!"

White Zetsu's mind was spinning. He had never been in such a chaotic situation, utterly dumbfounded.

"Shirou!"

As Shirou fell to the ground, his chest was a bloody mess. His organs were shattered, fragments of bone scattered... This sight made Kushina's pupils contract. In the next moment—

Thud. Thud.

A powerful heartbeat echoed. Kushina's pupils turned beast-like as the Nine-Tails' chakra violently broke through its seal.

"Roar!"

In an instant, four tails of chakra burst from behind Kushina. In her overwhelming despair, she didn't lose control as she had before.

In her Four-Tails form, fueled by unprecedented rage, she maintained her rationality. Although the Nine-Tails' chakra burned her skin, she quickly formed a terrifying Tailed Beast Bomb in her mouth.