Overdrafting the Future, Starting in Naruto

When the smoke and dust cleared, Kinoshita Genichi's body was nowhere to be found at the site of the Susanoo's attack. Only the upper half of Aloe White Zetsu remained, white matter already writhing and regenerating from the wound.

"So fast!" Konan said, looking at Genichi, who was now standing on a rock. She hadn't even noticed how he had dodged the attack.

On the mountaintop, Madara Uchiha glanced at Zetsu, then his gaze returned to Genichi, a new seriousness in his eyes. "The Flying Thunder God…"

Genichi knew a great deal about Madara's abilities, but Madara was not completely ignorant about him either. Although he hadn't specifically had Zetsu spy on him, Zetsu was responsible for gathering intelligence from all sides and had witnessed several of Genichi's major battles. His Flying Thunder God, Wind Release, Water Release, and Ice Release were all known intel. To dodge so quickly that not even his Sharingan could detect a trace, it could only be the Flying Thunder God.

"But it's just a minor inconvenience," Madara said, stepping forward, the Susanoo's swords swinging once more.

On the rock, Genichi leaped into the air. A Susanoo sword passed beneath him, slicing the two-meter-high rock in two. Immediately after, a second sword swept horizontally. Genichi exhaled sharply, forcefully changing his position in mid-air and narrowly avoiding the whistling blade. He then pushed off the passing sword itself, launching himself into the air again to dodge another downward slash.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

After continuously dodging the attacks, Genichi suddenly opened his mouth and shot out a high-pressure water blade.

Water Sand Severing Wave!

This was a high-pressure water jet even more powerful than the ordinary version, as it contained sand to enhance its cutting power. The Susanoo's defense was instantly pierced. As Genichi landed, he fired another severing wave, piercing the Susanoo and then cutting horizontally, attempting to slice Madara in two. Just then, the two Susanoo swords crossed and came slashing down.

RUMBLE!

The earth collapsed, and the entire mountain began to cave in. The watching Nagato and Konan had to move again. The second exchange between Genichi and Madara had ended.

When the dust settled, Genichi was still unharmed, standing on the rock that had been cut in half. The mountaintop where Madara had stood had collapsed into a pile of rubble. The Susanoo was shattered but still maintained its half-body form.

"As expected of the Susanoo," Genichi sighed. It wasn't his first time fighting Madara; they had fought in the future as well. This form of the Susanoo could be broken by his severing wave, but it was difficult to actually harm Madara. Madara, protected within it, was not immobile and could also move to dodge attacks. And if he tried to cut with the severing wave, the attack speed would decrease, and the Susanoo's swords would sweep over, leaving him no time.

Fortunately, he didn't just have Water Release.

Clap!

Genichi clapped his hands together and spat out a torrent of water.

In the rubble, Madara glanced at the damage to his Susanoo and offered some praise. "Stronger than that insidious little runt Tobirama Senju, but that's about it."

He extended his right hand and clenched it. The Susanoo's chakra became even more condensed, and it even grew legs. Madara rose into the air and stood on the Susanoo's forehead. A complete, humanoid Susanoo.

"So… so strong!" Konan was shocked.

Nagato looked up, unable to help but say, "Now I believe he is Madara Uchiha."

"Nagato, a person like that absolutely cannot be trusted," Konan said with concern. "He is just using us."

"We are also using him," Nagato said, unconcerned. "Don't worry, I won't completely believe his words. But his power, and some of the things he knows, are what we need."

Konan thought for a moment and nodded, saying no more.

At that moment, a flood of water surged toward the Susanoo.

RUMBLE!

The Susanoo's swords swung, slicing apart the overwhelming torrent. However, the massive current continued to crash and swirl around the Susanoo, hindering its advance.

Genichi then formed the hand seal for the Art of Zen. A stream of water split off and spiraled up around him, condensing into a water dragon. The dragon opened its mouth and spat out a giant water sphere.

Water Release: Great Water Dragon Cannon!

He fired three in a row. The first two were sliced apart by the Susanoo's swords, but the third hit the Susanoo square in the face.

BOOM!

The water sphere exploded. The surface of the Susanoo sizzled, corroded by the acidic water. However, neither the impact nor the corrosion could break its defense. But the force still made the Susanoo stagger back, the water's surface exploding under its feet.

Genichi took the opportunity to move, sliding across the water at high speed, spitting out one high-pressure water jet after another. The first was dodged as the Susanoo turned its head, the second was blocked by a sword, the third pierced its neck, and the fourth accurately hit its head. But not only was Genichi moving, so was the Susanoo, so he still couldn't directly hit the Madara inside.

However, the series of attacks allowed him to get close. With a splash, he launched himself from the water, dodged a sword, and ran up the Susanoo's right arm. As its left hand, having dismissed its sword, came crashing down, he leaped into the air again, landing on top of its head. His right fist was already covered in ice.

Ice Fist - Monstrous Strength!

He slammed his fist down. The ice fist crashed onto the Susanoo's head. With a crack, the Susanoo fractured, and then, under Madara's slightly shocked gaze, it collapsed.

The two of them fell from the air. Their eyes met, and their Sharingan unleashed genjutsu at the same time. But they both instantly broke free—Madara with his powerful dōjutsu, and Genichi with his Art of Rin.

With genjutsu useless, Genichi immediately spat out a water severing wave. Madara tilted his head to avoid being pierced. Just as it was about to sweep over him, the wave collapsed. The Susanoo had reformed—only an arm, but it had accurately smashed the jutsu apart.

After this exchange, they landed on the water's surface. Madara slid backward, and Genichi immediately clapped his hands together. Madara, who had just stabilized himself, looked down and saw water coiling around his legs, spiraling upwards and rapidly freezing.

In an instant, a large ice sculpture appeared. But it wasn't over.

Ice Funeral Great Seal!

The surrounding water surged, intertwining around the ice sculpture, and in an instant, formed an ice spire five or six meters high.

"His strength… is this powerful?" Konan was dumbfounded. Nagato was also shaken. He had thought that if he unleashed the power of his Rinnegan, he would be invincible, but the strength displayed by Madara and Genichi was not to be underestimated.

"Is Madara Uchiha sealed?" Konan looked at the ice sculpture.

"I'm afraid not…" Nagato said. No sooner had he spoken than a cracking sound was heard. The ice spire fractured, and then a chakra blade pierced through it. With a screeching sound, the Susanoo sword sliced the spire open. The ice seal disintegrated, and the armored Susanoo emerged. However, it was not the true complete Susanoo, but only a half-body form. Genichi had never seen Madara use this form; Itachi and Sasuke had used it more often. But considering Madara's current state, it wasn't surprising.

"As expected, it wasn't enough," Genichi sighed. When he had fought Madara in the future, his future self hadn't been this strong. At the very least, his Ice Release was nowhere near this powerful. But to be able to fight to this extent, he was already very satisfied. After all, it was just a clone.

Across from him, Madara looked at him and acknowledged, "It seems I did underestimate you. You truly possess strength on par with the five Kage. But that is all."

Genichi looked at the half-body Susanoo covered in Tengu armor and said, "There is only one person in the Uchiha clan who could have this kind of power. The devil of all shinobi, Madara Uchiha."

"That's right, it is I," Madara said. "Since you acknowledge our ideals, I can give you a chance to join us now."

"No, Madara Uchiha, you may have misunderstood," Genichi chuckled. "I only agree with Nagato's ideals, not yours." He casually drove a wedge between them.

Madara was not bothered by the rejection, nor by Genichi's attempt to sow discord. He had only mentioned it because he saw him as a promising talent. Since he had refused, then he could die.

"Since you have chosen to stand against me, then let me show you the true gap in our strength." The Susanoo had a total of four arms. Previously, only two had held swords; now, swords appeared in the other two hands as well.

But Genichi just spread his hands. "Sorry, but I'm afraid we can't continue." He turned to look at Nagato. "Take care. The next time we meet, there's no need to hold back. But since we were once friends, I can grant you one request then."

Nagato nodded and replied, "The same goes for me. I will not hold back against you in the future, but I can also grant you one request."

Genichi smiled and nodded, then, with a poof, exploded into a cloud of smoke.

"It was just a shadow clone," Konan said in surprise.

Madara was also a little surprised that he had been fooled. He couldn't help but smile. "This is getting more and more interesting."

Just then, Aloe White Zetsu, who had regenerated his lower half, appeared beside him and boasted, "I told you he was worth paying attention to, didn't I?"

Madara, who had dismissed his Susanoo, huffed, "I didn't create you to undermine your master!" He turned to Nagato and the others. "Let's go. First, let's get your legs healed."

Nagato and Konan looked at each other, then followed.

In a cave in the Land of Earth, Genichi's expression changed as he received the memories from his shadow clone. The reason he had sent the clone to find Nagato after informing Hanzō was because he had a small idea of trying to be a behind-the-scenes manipulator. But Madara had acted quickly and gotten there first. In that case, he would use the clone to test Madara's strength. Or rather, use Madara as a benchmark to assess his own.

He definitely couldn't win. But he had gained quite a lot from the fight. He hadn't even tried his Wind Release, unless he used the Rasenshuriken, but whether that would hit was another matter. It would probably just be sliced apart by the Susanoo's sword.

Of all the water jutsu he had mastered, the strongest in terms of attack power were still the Water Severing Wave and the combination jutsu, Water Sand Severing Wave. But against a complete Susanoo, they definitely wouldn't be enough. The genjutsu he was proficient in would be difficult to use against Madara, but with his Primordial Spirit Technique and the Art of Rin, he wasn't afraid of Madara's genjutsu either. And against a complete Susanoo, the current strength of his Ice Release was not enough. However, to fight the Susanoo, only Ice Release had a fighting chance at the moment.

And the main training for Ice Release was still lowering the temperature; this direction could not be wavered. The specific moves could just be copied, but that also had to be put on the agenda and was imperative.

"That guy White Zetsu knows a lot of my intel," Genichi huffed to himself. But… looking at the half of Zetsu's body that he had sealed away, he smiled. And this time, there was one ability he had not revealed: Explosion Release. He had only used this Kekkei Genkai when he assassinated the Third Mizukage; Zetsu probably didn't know about it either. Intel was also very important, even in a battle between those at the above-Kage level.

"However, what I faced just now was only a half-crippled, old Madara. In his prime, he could have killed me in an instant with a single Limbo. I still have a long way to go."

Although he felt this, his heart was filled with excitement. Having a goal to chase gave him more passion and motivation.

He sealed the half of Zetsu's body into a scroll, stood up, and left the cave, heading for the battlefield between the Stone and Cloud. He was going to infiltrate the Iwa army.

While he was acting as a grunt doing odd jobs, the Suna-Iwa allied forces, after just three days of preparation, launched a joint invasion of the Land of Rain. Fortunately, Genichi had given an early warning, and Orochimaru had secretly entered the Land of Rain with the first wave of reinforcements, so they were not quickly defeated. A few days later, Fugaku Uchiha arrived with the second wave, and the war in the Land of Rain immediately entered a white-hot stage. The country, which had only just ended a war and had been at peace for a few months, was once again plunged into chaos. The ninja of four villages fought each other in the narrow country, and the civilians began to live a hard life.

On the Kirigakure front in the eastern Land of Fire.

Jiraiya sighed as he read the intelligence about the Land of Rain that had been sent from the village. The Akatsuki had been destroyed.

"Nagato…" Jiraiya's expression was complicated. So the wielder of the Rinnegan was not the Child of Prophecy?

He then couldn't help but think of Genichi. Could that little bastard Genichi be the one? Should I ask him to be my student? That probably wouldn't be right. But he already calls me 'Master,' so we can be considered to have a master-student relationship. Jiraiya comforted himself. Now that the war was escalating, he couldn't help but feel a bit lost.

But he was a man with a strong heart. He soon put aside the deaths of Yahiko and the others and focused on dealing with the fierce offensive from the Mist. He had to push these guys from the Bloody Mist back.

The Hidden Cloud Village.

The Third Raikage was furious. He slammed his fist, blowing his desk apart. "I'm heading to the Land of Earth immediately!" His son, A, and Killer Bee were besieged. And according to the intel, Iwagakure was mobilizing more and more troops.

Dodai opened his mouth but couldn't stop him. Right now, only the Third Raikage himself could break the encirclement and allow the other Cloud-nin to break through.

"Dodai, you immediately arrange for reinforcements to provide support. I'm going to the Land of Earth first!" With that, the Third Raikage and his personal guard left in a hurry.

Two days later.

Genichi, who was playing a minor role in the Iwa army, heard his comrades discussing that the Third Raikage had appeared on the battlefield and had broken the encirclement.

"As expected of the Third Raikage," Genichi praised internally. In these past few days, he had gained a deep understanding of the Iwa-nin's way of fighting. It was a village that was very good at coordination and group warfare. And they were skilled at building fortifications, whether for defense or encirclement.

However, the Third Raikage had not withdrawn his troops, but was continuing to fight Iwa. Genichi was very committed to his role, and batches of his "comrades" died around him.

On the ninth day after the Third Raikage appeared on the battlefield, Genichi learned from his jonin captain that the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had also appeared on the battlefield. Five days later, Iwa had finally completed its encirclement of the Cloud-nin again.

Genichi knew that the famous scene of the Third Raikage fighting ten thousand Iwa-nin alone was about to happen. However, he did a rough scan, and there weren't ten thousand Iwa troops at all, only about eight thousand. But this number was still terrifying.

Three days later, he finally witnessed the scene of the Third Raikage leading his men to charge the Iwa defensive line. He was currently on the right flank of the encirclement, in the third echelon, so he still had time to watch. He stood on a wind-eroded rock pillar, with a wide field of view. And with his Heaven's Eye, he could clearly see the Third Raikage, in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, leading his son A, Killer Bee, and a group of Cloud elites in a wedge formation, charging the eastern defensive line.

The towering, thick earth walls, the various defensive positions built with Earth Release, and the numerous Iwa-nin were no match for the Third Raikage's sharp attack. They were all broken in a single blow.

"In terms of sharpness of attack, it's stronger than my Water Sand Severing Wave, and more sustainable." Genichi assessed internally. And the Third Raikage's speed was also astonishing. At least, without considering the Flying Thunder God, he was faster than Genichi with the Art of Pyo. But that was to be expected. The Third Raikage had tempered his Lightning Release Chakra Mode for at least thirty or forty years; it was at the pinnacle of mastery. Unless they were in water, where Genichi's water-based Body Flicker could match his speed.

"A defensive line like this shouldn't be able to stop the Cloud-nin. But it won't be that easy for them to retreat either." As he was thinking this, he looked over at the Third Tsuchikage. Onoki was floating in the air; he was not directly participating in the battle. Although Dust Release was powerful, it had a weakness: it took too long to activate, especially against a speed-type like the Third Raikage. But his presence on the battlefield was the greatest encouragement for the Iwa-nin.

"Quick, move! The Cloud-nin are about to break through the first line! We have to go and block them!" the jonin ordered. The Iwa-nin of the second and third echelons, including Genichi, all moved out, circling around from the flanks. At the same time, a large number of Iwa-nin were in pursuit from all four sides. On the north side, there were also Iwa-nin responsible for flanking and blocking.

This was Iwagakure's tactic: rely on their superior numbers to encircle and intercept layer by layer, continuously wearing down the Cloud-nin's effective strength.

(End of Chapter)

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