Naruto: reborn as an Uzumaki

Akane bent slightly, her head snapping backward in one fluid motion, smashing the Root shinobi behind her. Her headband, worn like a hairband, made a metallic thud as it struck the enemy, momentarily stunning him.

Not missing a beat, she spun on her heel and kicked the shinobi in front squarely between the legs. He collapsed instantly, groaning in agony as he clutched his crotch.

She hadn't noticed, though, that the first shinobi was recovering, readying another attack. Just as he lunged, a swift kick from behind connected with his skull, sending him sprawling.

"Seems like I came all the way here for nothing," Kenshin remarked with a smirk, glancing at the incapacitated shinobi writhing in pain. His brow furrowed in disbelief. "You crushed his... How hard did you kick him?!"

Akane rolled her eyes. "I use the same training weights as Lee-kun—though mine are a bit lighter. I'm not obsessed like him," she explained, lifting her leg warmers to reveal the hidden weights beneath.

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Who's this 'Lee-kun' you keep bringing up? You've mentioned him before." While he may have been aware of Rock Lee, Kenshin needed to act like he didn't.

"Lee-kun's a taijutsu genius from my class—best in our generation, even though he can't use ninjutsu," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. "But enough about that. What the hell are you doing here, wuss? Didn't you get caught?"

Kenshin freed her hands from the bindings, but before he could answer, Akane's fist connected with his chest, sending him flying several meters. He hit the ground hard, groaning.

"You really had to punch your little brother that let himself get captured just so you could escape?!" Kenshin coughed, wiping the blood from his mouth. "The one they caught was just a clone. Tsunade's already sent people to arrest Danzo. I've got a few clones on it too. I'm sorry I didn't clue you in earlier."

He stood, brushing the dirt from his clothes before pulling Akane into a tight embrace. She leaned into it for a moment, then reluctantly pulled away.

"We've got to stop Danzo," Kenshin continued, his voice growing serious. "He's got a bunch of Sharingan in his arm, including Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyo. Kakashi and Guy won't be enough alone."

Akane's face darkened, and Kenshin handed her the sword sheathed at his side—one of the twin blades their father had crafted for them. She gripped it tightly, nodding, and they set off toward Danzo's hideout.

Danzo's mind raced as he hurriedly prepared to flee. Staying in the Leaf was no longer an option. He'd attacked a shinobi from another village, putting the Hidden Leaf at risk of conflict with the Hidden Rain.

Worse, he had kidnapped—and likely killed—one of the last Uchiha. As he darted through a hidden escape route, Kakashi and Guy burst into his hideout, followed by twenty elite Jonin and a dozen of Kenshin's shadow clones.

But Danzo, ever the tactician, slipped through a hidden escape route, a handful of his loyal Root shinobi following. As he emerged from the tunnel, however, Kenshin and Akane stood waiting, swords gleaming.

"Danzo Shimura," Akane's voice was ice cold. "You're under arrest for attacking and abducting a foreign shinobi. Surrender now, or face the consequences."

Danzo sneered, waving his hand. "Take them down."

Root shinobi charged at Akane, but she was already moving, a deadly blur of steel and muscle. Her taijutsu, honed to perfection under Guy's training, was lightning-fast, each movement precise as she cut through the enemy ranks.

Kenshin watched with a mixture of awe and amusement. 'She's as fast as Lee without the weights… maybe even faster with that katana. And damn, she looks… really hot fighting.'

Danzo, sensing his imminent defeat, attempted to flee. But before he could escape, Kenshin's shadow clone appeared behind him, severing Danzo's right arm in one swift motion.

Kenshin himself emerged, reclaiming Shisui's eye with surgical precision. A swift kick to Danzo's head sent the elder sprawling.

"You should've stuck to your ambitions, but you let your arrogance blind you," Kenshin said, sheathing his sword. "Now you pay for your crimes."

But as Danzo knelt before him, the figure began to morph into wood. Kenshin's eyes widened. 'A wood clone! Where's the real—'

Before he could react, a sharp wind ripped through the air, slicing into him from behind. Kenshin staggered, blood gushing from his wounds. 'Vacuum Wave...' His mind screamed before everything went dark, his body crumpling to the ground.

Akane's heart dropped. "Kenshin!" She rushed to his side, cradling his limp body. His face was pale, his breaths shallow.

"Kenshin? Come on, say something. Nee-san's here."

His eyelids fluttered weakly. "D... Danzo... he's... geh... getting away... Go... don't... let... him... run.."

Tears welled in Akane's eyes as she gently propped him against a nearby tree. "I'll make him pay," she whispered, her voice trembling with rage. As she turned to pursue Danzo, her vision sharpened, her Mangekyo Sharingan swirling to life. She clenched her fists. He won't escape.

She sprinted through the forest, tears blurring her vision but unable to extinguish the burning resolve within her. 'Danzo, you took my brother's life. I'll take yours.'

Back near the tree, Kenshin groaned, regaining consciousness. Pain radiated through his body, immobilizing him. 'I can't let her face Danzo alone. We need him alive...'

His thoughts raced, focusing on his right eye. It's not just for resurrection. The light... that white light... it means something.

Gritting his teeth, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, peering down at his own battered torso. His right eye revealed a faint blue glow, growing whiter with each second. Without hesitation, Kenshin concentrated his chakra, channeling it through his right eye. His wounds began knitting together, though the strain made his vision blur.

'So... my right eye heals. It must have been how I revived Mom. Her brain was still active after she died... That's why it worked... Kenshin realized, his body slowly recovering.'

But his eye throbbed painfully. 'I can't see clearly out of my right eye now... But I'm not dead yet.'

Ignoring the lingering pain, Kenshin pushed himself to his feet, staggering after Akane.

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