Chapter 15

The cold night wind blew against my face, but Shisui's gaze was even colder.

He was waiting for my answer.

"Who am I?"

That was a simple question for any normal person. But for me, the answer was complicated. I had memories of Riku Senju, of my childhood, of my parents, of my training... But I wasn't exactly him. I came from another world.

I took a deep breath.

"I'm a ninja from Konoha. Part of Team 11. And... a Senju."

Shisui raised an eyebrow but remained silent. He wanted me to continue.

I crossed my arms. "But I'm not like the Senju of the past. I didn't grow up as a warrior. I wasn't trained from a young age to carry my clan's name. To be honest, until recently, I didn't even know what it truly meant to be a Senju."

Shisui closed his eyes for a second, as if absorbing my words.

Renji watched everything in silence, clearly paying attention to every detail.

Finally, Shisui spoke.

"Good," he said with a small smile. "You already have something many don't: awareness of what you don't know."

I frowned.

"There are many ninja who carry a famous clan name, but have no idea of the weight it bears," he continued. "At least you understand that you still have much to learn. That's a good start."

'Was that a compliment?'

Before I could answer, Shisui took a step forward.

"But admitting ignorance isn't enough."

Suddenly, he disappeared.

My eyes could barely track him — then he reappeared behind me, his sudden presence making my skin crawl.

"In a ninja's life, hesitation is weakness."

Before I could react, I felt a slight pressure on my shoulder — and in the next instant, I was thrown forward.

 I hit the ground and rolled several times before managing to stop myself.

'W-What...?'

I spun around quickly — Shisui stood exactly where he had been, as if he'd never moved.

'I didn't even see him move…'

Shisui smiled, but his eyes were serious.

"You may be a Senju. You may carry an important name. You may even have talent." He narrowed his eyes. "But none of that means you're ready."

I stood up, brushing the dirt from my clothes.

Renji crossed his arms and looked at me. "You should've expected him to test you."

Shisui studied me like he wanted to see how I would react.

I took a deep breath and met his gaze.

"Alright," I said, trying to stay calm. "So what do you want me to do?"

He smiled. "That depends."

His eyes glinted for a second, and then, almost casually, he said,

"Are you ready to see the difference between us?"

I swallowed hard.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Renji took a small step back — he already knew the answer.

And I, knowing there was no turning back, clenched my fists.

"Show me."

Shisui's smile remained unchanged, but the air grew heavier. I could feel the pressure building in his posture, even though his face still wore that relaxed expression.

He didn't reach for the blade at his waist. He didn't need to. I was already at a disadvantage before the fight had even begun.

The system flashed before my eyes.

*

[System Activated: NPC Information]

[Analyzing...]

Name: Shisui Uchiha

Age: 16

Ninja Rank: ANBU

Level: ???

Specialties: Shunshin Jutsu, Advanced Genjutsu, Kenjutsu

Intentions:

Assess your potential.

Warning: Full analysis unavailable.

*

I swallowed hard.

'Damn... The system can't even read his level. What the hell am I up against?'

Next to me, Renji took a discreet step back, as if he had already expected things wouldn't end well for me.

Shisui pulled the collar of his ANBU cloak slightly, adjusting it around his neck, and then uncrossed his arms.

"So, Riku," he said in a calm tone, but with a sharp gleam in his eyes. "I'll give you a chance."

My muscles tensed.

"What kind of chance?"

Shisui smiled, and then his Sharingan suddenly activated. Before he could finish his thought, I blinked — and he was gone.

In fact, even the environment was no longer the same. I was now in an open field, the stars shining in the clear sky, and the moon above glowing a deeper yellow than usual.

I looked around, searching for someone, and then I saw Shisui standing on the horizon. His Sharingan seemed to pierce into my soul.

"The past of our clans is stained with blood, Riku. Do you seek power? To understand who you are — and what your role in the world is? You must first know the past..." Shisui said, his voice echoing inside my head.

Before I could answer, I began to hear the sounds of kunai and shuriken from behind me, and when I turned around, I was on a battlefield.

Hundreds — no, thousands — of people were fighting, blood flying everywhere as ninjas died. One of them charged at me.

I managed to dodge the blows he tried to strike me with his katana, but I didn't notice in time that another ninja was coming from the opposite direction.

[Critical Damage Received: -100 HP]

[Bleeding Level 2 activated.]

'What?!' I looked back in shock and yanked myself free from the blade embedded in my abdomen.

I got away from that situation as fast as I could and struggled to stay on my feet despite the pain.

"Exactly, Riku. This is the consequence of war." Shisui's voice echoed in my head once again.

The scene changed again. Now I was standing in front of a pile of bodies, the expressions of horror on each face suffocating.

The corpses' eyes opened at the same time, and they started running towards me, screaming incoherently.

The only reaction I could muster at that moment was to run, looking for a place to hide and think of a strategy, but before I could do any of those things, a powerful voice echoed throughout the area.

"Enough!" said the voice, and suddenly, a barrier of logs and vines completely surrounded me.

Then I began to feel the wound in my stomach closing until it vanished completely.

Recovering from the shock, I began to search for the source of that voice, but before I could reach the place where I heard it, I returned to reality.

Shisui was staring at me, his eyes wide with surprise.

'A genjutsu?! How did I escape it?' I thought, still stunned and panting from the situation I had just been through.

"You... are really very strong, Senju Riku," said Shisui, who seemed a little out of breath as well.

"That was surprising," he continued, this time with his expression changing to a smile.

...