Naruto: The Shattered Eyes

"Despite how destructive it is, Fire Release isn't as lethal as I thought."

Hiding in a cave, Suguru stewed a few potatoes and some meat. He was reviewing the battle he had just gone through. By leveraging his peculiar abilities and his array of Dojutsu, Suguru was able to win...

At least for a moment.

He even created a very convincing Shadow Clone by having it use Inhaling Maw on himself. Thus, with his clone bearing the majority of his chakra, he successfully deceived not one, but three jounin at the same time.

Unfortunately, he could not strike strong enough to guarantee someone's death. If he had been less greedy and forced his kunai into Torune's skull, he could've gotten a kill out of that fight.

Suguru overestimated himself and underestimated Hitomi's speed.

'I made a lot of bad choices there,' 

The Shinrakugan was proving to be harder to control than he thought. Compared to the Sharingan — which he had been copying and using for years, his utilization was lacking. 

'Ah,'

That was when Suguru realized that he had overlooked something important.

'I haven't revised my battle strategies despite my recent power-up.'

It seemed like he hadn't been doing his due diligence. Too engrossed in research and business, many things had accumulated rust.

There was a certain wisdom with this revelation.

'Time... what a precious resource.'

Even with all the Shadow Clones he could make, he still didn't have enough time. Despite his knowledge and his ability to see through any obstacle...

Like everyone else in the world, he lacked time.

'Hmmm,'

This made Suguru reflect on himself.

'Am I spreading myself too thin?'

Was he trying to achieve too much with what he had? Alone, being a powerful shinobi, a successful researcher, or an amazing merchant would be someone's lifelong dream. Yet Suguru was trying to do all three.

What would it be, if not for arrogance?

Honestly, Suguru wasn't sure. With Shadow Clones being a thing, he felt that doing everything was possible in a world like this.

All he needed was a never-ending supply of chakra.

'The grass really is greener on the other side, isn't it?' A wry laugh accompanied these thoughts.

A flash of envy had surfaced in Suguru's heart. Had he been blessed with Naruto's chakra, he felt he could become a god with ease.

'Such hubris,' Suguru chided himself for even having such thoughts.

The moral lessons of the original were still clear in his mind. Hard work would always pay off, whether to change one's miserable fate or to do something else entirely. In this world, those who worked hard were to be greatly rewarded.

In this regard, Uzumaki Naruto and Might Guy were especially blessed by the gods of effort. And the other characters didn't slack off either.

'They all made the necessary sacrifices to get what they wanted.'

And to protect what they loved.

Suguru recalled what he wanted to do in this world. For a moment, his mind grew still. The brutal maelstrom of worries, anxieties, and complicated plans swirling in his mind were all silenced.

For a moment, Suguru felt at peace.

'Indeed,'

He inhaled a deep breath. His silver eyes shone with every flicker of the fire before him. Upon smelling the tantalizing aroma of the stew he had made, Suguru's mouth watered.

Yet his thoughts continued.

'I was on a path of self-destruction.'

Had he continued on that path, he would be torn apart by his very own ambitions.

'I need to focus only on the essentials.'

Like the stew he made from only a few chunks of meat and sliced potatoes, sometimes simplicity wasn't all too bad. Each flavor would be clear for him to savor.

'This was why I made my Fire Release Trinity...'

Suguru reminded himself of the initial purpose of his many plans.

'...To strike a balance and maximize what I have.'

***

The next morning, Suguru felt a surge of newfound energy. Due to yesterday's battle, he had come to terms with focusing on a few integral factors that would aid in his growth.

'I'll add a little more intent when I move.' He thought.

Suguru had decided on a code of conduct unlike before when he operated merely on small goals and past, unfed whims.

Of course, this code of conduct also had a lot of loopholes. After all, should a mouth-watering opportunity arrive, he would be sure to sink his teeth in.

'For now, I need to visit Konoha.' Suguru set his eyes on the horizon, 'The security in the Land of Rivers is at an all-time high because of my presence.'

It would be unwise to continue poking the bee's nest.

'I think it's more accurate to say I've already poked the bee's nest...'

Yesterday's battle had been the bees fighting back after being smoked for so long.

Thus, Suguru flickered rapidly through the Land of Rivers. This time, he made sure to take all the necessary precautions. He would no longer make the mistake of exposing himself to past allies who knew his scent.

Valleys and snaking rivers were but fleeting sights as Suguru rushed through.

Various roaring beasts and careful predators were roaming the lands once more. Given the drop in population throughout the Land of Rivers, many trade routes had ceased to exist.

After all, no one could conduct trade in the ghost towns Suguru had made.

It would take a while for the Land of Rivers to recuperate from such losses. Most of the civilians who heard what happened to these ghost towns and villages were too fearful to take occupancy there.

Save for a few opportunists, who wouldn't be afraid of ghosts? Suguru's title as the Ghost of the Land of Rivers sent terror through much of the country's civilian population.

'This makes my life quite simple.'

With nothing to guard, the guards themselves didn't exist. Patrols were few and far between. Although Suguru did encounter a few, they weren't difficult to avoid.

It felt like they were simply there for show.

'To please the River Daimyo, perhaps,' Suguru thought.

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