Death Wish, Challenge

"Jin, it's you."

Shisui didn't seem particularly surprised when Jin suddenly appeared.

He just greeted him with a smile.

After knowing each other for years, he'd long since gotten used to Itachi's little brother's tendency to pop out of nowhere.

Or rather—to appear out of thin air!

Shisui had grown accustomed to it.

The kid might just materialize behind him without warning.

And suddenly start talking.

At first, it had startled him plenty of times.

Especially that one time when he was using the bathroom, and the guy suddenly popped up from behind.

Scared him so bad he cut it off mid-stream!

"Shisui, what are you doing here?"

"Huh? I..."

Shisui paused, a little confused.

Wasn't this place his own discovery?

Why did it feel like he was the one who shouldn't be here?

Of course, the odd feeling passed in a flash.

Two figures, one tall and one short, stood on the river's surface, chatting.

Caw, caw—

A crow landed above them.

It sped along the riverbank, flying swiftly.

Time passed bit by bit, and gradually Jin noticed that the traits on Shisui seemed to have changed.

A bright golden glow on his body was especially dazzling.

Below, a trait was puffing out black mist.

[Conversation Target: Uchiha Shisui.]

[Analyzing Copyable Traits...]

[Kotoamatsukami (Gold), Phantom Body Flicker Technique (Purple), Mangekyō Sharingan (Purple), Kotoamatsukami (Gold), Death Wish (Black)...]

Compared to over two years ago, Shisui's traits were now nearly perfect.

The only thing missing was that green Susanoo.

But...

When he saw that peculiar black trait, he silently sighed.

"A man about to die... so Shisui already has a premonition of something?"

In the original story, this bright and cheerful guy actually had a chance to live.

A very good chance, at that.

Whether he fled back to the clan or defected from the village, either path held hope.

But in the end—he gave his last eye to his friend.

Using his life to help Itachi awaken the Mangekyō.

Jin couldn't tell which of these events was the cause and which was the effect.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but recall his own black trait.

He twitched the corner of his mouth and checked it.

[Name: Uchiha Jin.]

[Chakra: 1,852,511.]

[Traits: Seven-Year Itch (Black), Golden Body of Light (Rainbow), Weak Presence (Rainbow), Flying Thunder God Technique (Gold) Lv6, Nine-Tails Jinchuriki (Gold), Mangekyō Sharingan (Purple)...]

Six years had passed, and his spirit and physical strength had grown considerably.

Especially in the last two years, as he got a bit older, his physical fitness had improved faster.

And this was just in his normal state—if he activated Cloud Style Body Technique and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, his stamina could multiply several times over!

Relying on pure taijutsu alone, he could rival an ordinary jōnin!

Of course, the most important thing was...

After all these years, the Seven-Year Itch hadn't changed in the slightest.

The black mist on that trait was so thick it was almost terrifying.

He had tried adding other traits, but nothing changed.

It was still like a stagnant pool of water.

Maybe this thing would only reveal something next year on the Night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre?

Jin thought to himself.

Then he hesitated for a moment, looked at the big boy beside him who was grinning foolishly, and said with a hint of meaning, "Shisui, what do you think of the village?"

"The village? It's great. No wars now, everyone's happy."

"And what about... Danzo? What do you think of him?"

"Lord Danzo?" At the name, Shisui paused before answering seriously, "A true hero who selflessly dedicates himself and works in the shadows to protect the Leaf!"

Jin: ...

Hopeless, completely beyond saving!

This Shisui didn't have a single ounce of the Uchiha Clan's cunning.

[Ten minutes of conversation. Attempting to copy trait.]

[Copy failed.]

Failed again.

If talking wouldn't work, then—let's fight!

Jin lifted his head slightly to look at the big boy in front of him. Sunlight fell through his messy hair, a little dazzling.

"Shisui."

"Hm?"

"I'm—a little hot-headed right now."

"Huh? Have you been staying up late lately, Jin?" Shisui blinked.

"No, I want to—fight you."

Jin rolled his neck, and his joints cracked and popped.

The laziness and slackness in his eyes vanished completely.

Like a waking lion, his whole body radiated a piercing light.

"Haha, what's gotten into you all of a sudden—"

Shisui laughed, even reaching out to ruffle Jin's little face.

But the moment his hand moved, he suddenly saw Jin's eyes turn crimson.

His expression shifted slightly—was this... an Awakening?

When did Jin awaken his eyes?

He was puzzled.

In his memory, Jin was always lying around lazily.

After saying a few words each day, he wouldn't want to move.

And for an Uchiha to awaken their eyes, it usually happened on the battlefield, triggered by the shock of seeing a comrade die.

But—Jin had never even been to the battlefield!

And since birth, nothing particularly painful had happened to him.

So—how did he awaken?

Especially...

This pair of crimson Sharingan actually gave him a prickling sensation on his back.

So this guy was serious?

He took a deep breath, his expression turning grave as he nodded. "Alright."

Shing!

He suddenly drew the katana from his back and stepped back several paces.

Inside his body, surges of Chakra flowed out.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Beneath his feet.

The water surface bubbled like a boiling oil pot.

"Since that's the case, let me see just how far little Jin has grown!"

With those words, he swung his blade.

Whoosh!

The sword aura carried a wave of water, charging straight at his opponent!

A splash, then a crash.

Water splashed out, blurring his vision for an instant.

Through the white mist of droplets, Shisui clasped his hands in a seal and warned, "Jin, you'd better be careful. I'm about to use Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique from three directions at once—"

Mid-sentence, his voice cut off abruptly.

Drip.

A bead of sweat slid down his forehead.

His back prickled with goosebumps.

At the edge of his sight, the cold gleam of a shuriken hovered near his kidney, radiating a faint, eerie light.

"Flying Thunder God Technique" flashed above Jin's head.

Pinching the shuriken's tip, he shook his head and said:

"Bro Shisui, didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk too much during a fight?"

"With a wind-up that long, you're asking to get taken out."

This big kid was still warning him to be careful, even after the fight had started.

If he ran into someone fast, wouldn't he just get one-shot?

And it was at this moment that he finally understood firsthand why Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash, made every ninja village abandon their missions outright.

Even the legendary Leaf's Three Sannin, famous as they were, never got a notice from any village saying, "Abandon the mission upon sight"!

"You... when?"

Shisui furrowed his brow, a hint of seriousness flickering in his bright eyes for the first time.

It was baffling.

Wasn't Jin just across from him? How had he suddenly moved behind him?

A Body Flicker Technique?

But when had he formed the seals?

Splash.

The next second, Shisui himself dissolved into water, flowing into the river.

Splash, splash!

In moments, he reformed a dozen meters away into multiple bodies.

A full twelve clones!

Each wielding a katana, all aimed at Jin!

"Body Flicker Technique? Now that's more interesting... but—"

Veins bulged at the corners of Jin's eyes, and beneath his crimson gaze, the Byakugan flickered on.

"Sharingan plus Byakugan, Bro Water Boy, your Body Flicker's done for, huh?"