Chapter 2: The Will of Fire
Chapter 2: The Will of Fire
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The night burned.
Hikaru's lungs heaved as he sprinted through the chaotic streets of Konoha, dodging past fallen debris and injured shinobi. The Nine-Tails' roars still shook the heavens, its massive form towering above the village as it battled Konoha's strongest.
He had barely escaped Obito's grasp. Minato Namikaze had appeared just in time to divert the masked Uchiha's attention, but that didn't mean Hikaru was safe.
This was still a war zone.
His mind spun with information. The fragmented knowledge in his head told him exactly how the canon version of this night played out—but there was a problem. He wasn't supposed to be here.
I'm an anomaly.
Hikaru didn't know what it meant yet, but the way Obito had looked at him sent chills down his spine.
"Move, move, move!" a panicked shinobi shouted, pushing civilians toward a shelter entrance carved beneath the Hokage Mountain. "Get underground! Don't stop!"
A woman carrying a small child stumbled, her ankle twisting as she collapsed onto the stone pavement.
Hikaru reacted on instinct.
He pushed forward, arms extending as he caught the woman before she hit the ground. "Are you okay?"
The woman, still gasping for breath, looked up at him with wide eyes. "M-My baby…"
Hikaru's gaze snapped to the small child in her arms—a little girl, no older than two, shaking with fear. The sight made his chest tighten.
[New Quest: Save the Civilians]
→ Assist the evacuation effort and lead the injured to safety.
Rewards:
→ 300 EXP
→ +1 in Constitution
→ Title Unlock: [Protector]
Hikaru exhaled sharply. His system was already adapting to his actions.
"Come on," he urged, helping the woman to her feet. "The shelter is just ahead."
She clutched her child tightly and leaned against him as they ran.
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They arrived at the underground shelter just as another explosion rocked the sky. Inside, shinobi and medical-nins were organizing the civilians into groups. The place was packed, but everyone was dead silent, as if they were collectively holding their breath.
A group of children huddled near a corner, teary-eyed but quiet, their parents whispering reassurances. Every single person here was terrified.
This was the reality of war.
A part of Hikaru clenched at the sight. These people weren't fighters. They were blacksmiths, shop owners, caretakers—just normal people caught in the crossfire of titanic forces.
He had no time to process it further. The woman gripped his hand tightly. "Thank you… Thank you so much."
A voice called from the entrance. "All clear! No more civilians outside!"
Hikaru exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. He had done his part.
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[Quest Completed: Save the Civilians]
Rewards:
→ 300 EXP (Level Up!)
→ +1 in Constitution
→ Title Unlocked: [Protector]
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His vision flashed briefly, and he felt a slight shift in his body—like a rush of energy settling into his core. He clenched his fist.
This is real. This system is real.
"Hikaru?"
His head snapped toward the voice—an old shinobi stood nearby, his eyes narrowing.
He swallowed. "Uh, yeah?"
"You're a Senju, aren't you?" the man murmured. "You look just like—"
BOOM.
The roof shook violently, and a pulse of killing intent flooded the shelter.
Everyone froze.
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[WARNING: High-Level Threat Detected]
→ The Kyūbi is approaching.
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A ripple of pure malice washed over them, and Hikaru felt his stomach drop. He turned toward the entrance—toward the streets.
His vision zoomed in, his perception sharpening—
Through the narrow cracks in the underground shelter doors, he could see it—
A massive tail, made of seething red chakra, rising above the village.
It was coming.
"Oh, shit."
---
Outside the shelter, the battle had reached its climax.
On the rooftops, dozens of ANBU and elite jonin were unleashing their strongest jutsu against the rampaging beast. Water, fire, and lightning clashed in the air, but none of it made a difference. The Kyūbi's chakra simply regenerated anything they destroyed.
"We need to buy time for the Fourth!" shouted a shinobi with a flak jacket, gripping his bleeding shoulder.
But even as they fought, the monstrous fox's tails swung again—
Right at the Hokage Monument.
The entire mountain shook as stone and debris rained down over the village.
Hikaru could barely comprehend the scale of destruction in front of him. This wasn't just a battle—this was an extinction-level event.
Then—a golden flash.
Minato Namikaze appeared atop the Kyūbi's head, his hands already forming a barrage of seals.
The sealing had begun.
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Hikaru gritted his teeth, fists clenched as the battle raged on. He was too weak to fight. He couldn't do anything.
But if this Gamer System was real, then he needed to start somewhere.
He opened his Status screen.
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[STATUS]
Name: Hikaru Senju
Level: 2 (Next Level: 400 EXP)
HP: 250/250
CP: 200/200
STR: 5
AGI: 7
CON: 6
WIS: 9
Skills:
→ [Substitution Jutsu - Rank E]
→ [Chakra Control - Beginner]
→ [Survival Instinct - Passive]
→ [Protector - Title Buff: +5% Defense when shielding civilians]
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Hikaru took a deep breath. He had a long way to go.
But this was just the beginning.
The system had confirmed his Senju bloodline. That meant…
Could he learn Wood Release?
Before he could continue, another golden flash erupted above the battlefield.
Minato Namikaze was making his final move.
A kunai whipped through the air, striking the Kyūbi's head—
And the God of Shinobi's successor vanished in a burst of chakra.
This was it.
The moment that sealed Naruto Uzumaki's fate.
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To Be Continued…