When Three Genin Try to Save the World (and Fail Miserably)

*Rumble… Boom…*

Outside, the Sage of Six Paths and his mother Kaguya were locked in a world-shattering battle. Inside, huddled beneath a mountain ledge, Uchiha Ying, Naruto, and Sasuke stared at each other.

"I knew it! I knew it wasn't a dream!" Naruto shouted, his excitement quickly fading as he cowered, remembering the explosions that continued to rock the world around them. Who knew when another stray blast might land on their heads, just like last night?

"It's not a dream," Sasuke said, "but it can't be real either. If it were…" He trailed off, thinking about how they should have been obliterated last night if this was truly happening. He still couldn't grasp the situation, but he no longer dismissed it as a mere dream. After all, even though they hadn't actually died, the pain had felt incredibly real.

"What do you think, Ying?" Sasuke asked, turning to his clansman. Despite Ying's inability to awaken the Sharingan—making him a failure in the clan's eyes—Sasuke had grown accustomed to relying on him over the years.

"I'm considering the mission that appeared when we got here," Ying lied. He wasn't thinking about any mission. He was plotting how to use Naruto and Sasuke as bait, hoping to collect any ninja shards that might appear. Unless the Naruto and Sasuke beside him were the seasoned powerhouses they would one day become, they didn't stand a chance against the monsters outside. Right now, Naruto was a prankster without his paint can, and Sasuke was a low-level Genin who hadn't even learned the Chidori. This team couldn't take on the Sage of Six Paths, let alone one of Orochimaru's underlings. The mission to "help Kaguya escape her seal" was practically impossible.

"A mission means a reward," Ying continued, a pang of guilt hitting him. *Forgive me, Sasuke,* he thought. *To regain my strength, you'll have to suffer a little.* They couldn't actually die here, anyway. He knew Sasuke, driven by revenge, would seize any opportunity to grow stronger. The allure of an unknown reward would be enough.

Sasuke's interest was piqued. The power displayed outside was monstrous. If he could attain even a fraction of it… he could finally kill Itachi.

"Complete the mission?" he echoed.

"Yeah, yeah! Maybe if we complete it, we can get out of here!" Naruto chimed in, clueless but eager to appear intelligent.

"He's right," Sasuke mused. "We're trapped. Aside from dying… completing the mission might be the only way out of this 'dream.'"

*Naruto, you magnificent wingman,* Ying thought, grateful for the added justification for their impending 'shared sacrifice.' He nodded, feigning thoughtful consideration. "A direct assault is suicide. We'll have to be clever. But first, we need to understand each other's strengths. What's your best jutsu?"

Silence descended. None of them had graduated from the Academy yet. What decent jutsu could they possibly know?

"Great Fireball Jutsu," Sasuke finally mumbled, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Tr-Transformation Jutsu," Naruto stammered, wanting to mock Sasuke but realizing his own repertoire was even more pathetic.

"Alright," Ying declared, smoothly taking charge. "Sasuke and I will use Fire Style jutsu as a diversion. Naruto, you'll use the Transformation Jutsu to impersonate that woman and switch places with her." Ying knew several powerful jutsu, including the basic Uchiha Fire Release techniques and even the Rasengan, which he'd developed himself long ago. But none of that mattered against the monsters outside. He needed to maintain the facade of powerlessness.

"But… won't we all still die?" Sasuke questioned, accepting the plan but doubtful of its outcome.

"It doesn't matter," Ying replied with a shrug. "We can't die here. We'll just keep trying until we succeed." He knew the plan was as likely to work as an ant killing an elephant, but he needed those ninja shards. Besides, as long as there was even the slightest chance, it might actually work… someday.

"Ying's right! Let's do it!" Naruto, emboldened by the reminder of their invincibility, agreed readily.

Sasuke sighed, resigned. "Fine." He couldn't think of a better solution.

Just as the trio reached a consensus and prepared to confront the Sage of Six Paths, a peculiar toad appeared before them.

"Huh?!"

*Great Toad Sage?!* While Naruto and Sasuke merely stared in curiosity, Ying instantly recognized the creature.

"Greetings, young ones," the toad spoke. "This place is dangerous. Come with me to safety." The Great Toad Sage, at this point a young toad named Gamamaru, observed the distant battle. He didn't know why these children were here, but to prevent them from interfering with Hagoromo and Hamura's fight against Kaguya, he decided to lead them away.

"A talking toad!" Naruto shrieked.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke hissed, more composed in the face of the talking amphibian. "Are you a summoned beast?"

"Not yet," Gamamaru replied, glancing at the ongoing battle. "No one has made a contract with me."

"Where are you taking us?" Ying asked, surprised to find Gamamaru in this scenario. He was curious to see how things would unfold.

"To a place where you can learn senjutsu," Gamamaru offered enticingly.

"Senjutsu?" Naruto and Sasuke exclaimed simultaneously. "Is that… like the powerful jutsu they're using?"

"S-something like that," Gamamaru stammered, sweat beading on his brow. Comparing them to the Sage of Six Paths was a stretch, but he needed to get them moving.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sasuke grabbed the small toad eagerly.

—

—

[Mission Failed]

[Reward: None]

[Retry?]

"Didn't expect it to go like that…" Ying sighed, back in the Leaf Village replica. Gamamaru had taken them to Mount Myōboku, but hadn't taught them any senjutsu. Even if he'd wanted to, there wouldn't have been time. After Kaguya's defeat and sealing by Hagoromo, the trio had been forcibly ejected from the scenario for failing the mission.

"A complete waste," Ying grumbled. He hadn't gained a single shard. He wanted to scream. Next time, he'd have to figure out how to deal with that meddling toad.

"Huh? What's this building?" Ying, intending to revisit the Hokage Tower, found himself in front of a grand estate bearing the Hyūga clan's emblem.

[Current Action Points: 1/3. Enter Scenario?]

He pushed the gate open, and the prompt appeared, inviting him in.