Naruto: Reincarnated Senju Prodigy With Mokuton

The walk back to Konoha was silent.

Renji and I were absorbing everything that had been said, as if our minds needed time to process the weight of the conversation.

Shisui had pulled us into something much bigger than ourselves, and now there was no way to pretend nothing was happening.

The sky above us was already beginning to darken, tinged with the orange hues of the setting sun. The center of the village was approaching, and with it, the reality that nothing would be the same again.

"So... what are you going to do now?" Renji broke the silence, without looking at me.

I took a deep breath.

"Train. Get stronger. And understand better what's going on."

He laughed softly, but without humor.

"Funny. I should be telling you to stay out of this... but part of me wants you to succeed."

I turned to him, frowning.

"You want to stop what's going to happen, don't you?"

Renji hesitated for a moment, then stopped walking. When I turned to face him, I saw something different in his eyes.

"Of course I do," he said, with barely contained frustration.

"But... I don't know if it can be avoided."

He looked at the ground, his fists clenched.

"The Uchihas have already decided. The village has already decided. No one wants to give in. And if no one backs down..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence, I already knew what it meant.

They would be exterminated.

I crossed my arms, staring at the village in the distance.

"Then the only thing we can do..." I said thoughtfully.

Renji looked up at me, waiting for my answer.

"...Is to find a way to make someone give in before it's too late."

His gaze remained fixed on me for a few seconds.

And then, for the first time that night, he smiled genuinely.

"You're a damn optimist, Senju."

I shrugged.

"It's not that I want to believe it. But if we don't even try... who will?"

Renji let out a long sigh, as if resigning himself to the idea.

"Fine... But you realize that if this goes wrong, we're both going to die, right?"

"Then we'd better make it work." I smiled confidently.

He laughed softly, shaking his head.

"Idiot."

With that, we continued walking. But something inside me changed at that moment, and I knew I had made a decision.

I wasn't going to let this war happen.

[Congratulations! You have reached level 7!]

[EXP: 1650 / 2300 to the next level.]

I couldn't get Shisui's words out of my head.

"The clan won't back down."

"If a war starts, Konoha will be destroyed."

What can I do to stop this?

Looking at Renji beside me, I knew he was thinking the same thing. But unlike me, he already knew the answer.

He couldn't do anything, and it was killing him inside.

The sun was already setting when we arrived in the center of Konoha. The streets were quiet, but I saw them differently now.

The faces of the villagers, the ninjas patrolling the streets, the merchants tidying up their stalls...

If the massacre or a possible war happened, all these faces could disappear in a single night.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

'This can't happen.'

The crisis between the Uchiha and Konoha was deteriorating faster than I had imagined.

And I knew that Shisui wouldn't just stand by and wait for it to happen.

Renji and I said goodbye near the shopping center, and while he headed home, I went straight to my room.

I closed the door and threw myself on the bed. Then I sat up and began to think.

If Shisui has a plan, he'll act soon. And if I want to stop the massacre... I need to know exactly what he's planning.

But one thing was bothering me.

'His plan... is it to use his Mangekyo on Fugaku? Just like in the anime? But if that's the case, Danzo will go after him, and...'

'If he dies... everything will fall apart.'

I jumped up, adrenaline rushing through my veins.

"I can't just wait for things to happen."

I made a hand seal and whispered:

"Mokuton: Growing Roots."

Roots sprouted from the floor and intertwined across my room.

'If I want to do something... I need to get stronger.'

One of the things Hashirama's scroll said was that "connecting with nature is the path to mastering it." So I needed to improve my connection, and fast.

I began to meditate on the floor, surrounded by the roots that now spread across my room. It wasn't the ideal environment, but it was the best I could do for now.

I felt my chakra connect with the roots I had created, and through them I began to sense the entire environment.

My eyes were closed, but I could see much more. I could feel my parents sleeping in the next room, the house and the streets, now silent as the night advanced, and I could also feel a presence lurking around a tree in my backyard... wait a minute...

'What?!' I opened my eyes quickly and moved toward the window to see who was there.

I was tense and already preparing hand seals for a possible attack when I came across a familiar figure. Despite the ANBU mask covering his face, I knew it was Itachi.

"You're very tense for someone who should be asleep," he said, jumping from the tree into my backyard.

I jumped after him, trying to understand what he was doing here.

"Of course I'm tense. You know it's really weird to watch people inside their homes, right? That's something a stalker would do." I replied.

"Stalker?" He looked confused as he removed the mask from his face.

"Oh... Never mind, forget it... But what are you doing here?" I asked, crossing my arms.

His expression was serious but not hostile, so Itachi took a step forward and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Riku, you're getting involved in something you don't understand."

I resisted the urge to look away.

"Maybe. But if I don't try to understand, things will only get worse."

Silence hung between us.

Finally, Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and sighed.

"Come with me."

We walked silently through less crowded streets until we reached a small abandoned temple on the outskirts of the village. It was a discreet, secluded place, and as soon as we entered, I realized we weren't alone.

Shisui was already there, and next to him, Renji was also waiting for us to arrive.

He looked at us with a slight smile, but his expression quickly became serious.

"Well, it seems I no longer need to ask if you're really willing to be a part of this."

Renji leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "I don't think so."

Shisui sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before facing us again.

"I have a plan."

My eyes narrowed, hoping he wouldn't try to solve things with the Mangekyou. Or at least involve us directly, to avoid the risks.

"What kind of plan?"

He crossed his arms.

"We need to convince the Uchihas to give up the revolt before Danzo convinces the village to exterminate them."

"You think he's manipulating things?"

Itachi answered this time.

"I'm sure of it."

My heart sank, remembering the possible consequences of all this.

Shisui approached us.

"To prevent that, we need strength. A great deal of strength."

That's when he looked directly at me.

"Riku... I want you to train with Itachi." 

I blinked, momentarily confused.

Shisui gave a slight smile.

"You have enormous potential. But you're still hesitant. If you really want to protect people, you need to be ready for the worst." 

My breath hitched for a moment.

'Train with Itachi...?'

That meant he really saw me as an equal now.

I looked at Renji, who looked just as surprised as I was, but he just sighed and muttered,

"Well, if you're really going to do this, at least try not to die." 

I took a deep breath and looked at Itachi.

"When do we start?" 

He offered a faint smile.

"Now."

*

[Training Unlocked.]

Description: Itachi wishes to train you personally. Good luck.

*

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