Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

Inside the Rumbling Cavern

"Orochimaru…"

Jiraiya's hoarse voice echoed through the cavern as if he intended to say something. However, Orochimaru and Tsunade were already positioned at one side of the cave entrance, poised to break through at any moment.

On the opposite side stood Uchiha Shirou, separated by no more than a few dozen meters—a slim boundary between life and death.

Shirou's body, corrupted by the Curse Mark, was grotesque. His skin had turned a dark gray, his muscles bulged, and his stature had grown unnaturally tall. His wild, overgrown hair, combined with his menacing aura, made him look like a complete monster.

Curse Mark: Stage Two

His sharp claws emanated a terrifying, beast-like energy. The whites of his eyes had turned black, and the two black tomoe in his pupils spun rapidly.

"Shirou-kun!"

Orochimaru's cold voice echoed across the cavern, causing Shirou to take a deep, ragged breath.

Damn it!

Life or death. Riches or ruin.

He had no choice but to gamble on whether reinforcements would arrive within three minutes.

"Hahaha… hahahahaha… ahahahahahahaha!"

Shirou's maniacal laughter reverberated through the cavern.

"Those who break the rules of the ninja world, we call them trash… but those who don't value their comrades are even worse than trash."

A crazed grin spread across his face.

"I… I've finally understood the meaning of life—just like the Second Hokage, who chose to stay in the Land of Lightning!"

Amid the swirling, terrifying chakra, Shirou's laughter intensified. The tomoe in his eyes spun faster and faster until they morphed into three.

In the face of life and death, the combined negative effects of the Curse Mark and the evolution of the Sharingan drove him to the brink of insanity.

At that moment, he finally understood why the Uchiha were often branded as lunatics.

The evolution of the Sharingan came at the cost of an emotional surge—a tidal wave of rage, loss, and despair. Combined with the Curse Mark, the result was an explosive synergy.

Normally, Shirou suppressed it. But now, he unleashed it without restraint.

"I'm going in!"

Discarding his sturdy armor and plastering his body with paper bombs, Shirou formed hand signs, transforming into Tsunade.

BOOM!

The cave shook violently, and blinding light poured in as the entrance collapsed. In that instant, Shirou's three-tomoe Sharingan gleamed with madness. He charged toward the exit, hand seals forming in rapid succession.

A shadow flashed.

"Hey! Lord Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru! Reinforcements are here!"

Under the dazzling light, a group of Konoha ninjas clad in armor shouted into the cavern. One of them exclaimed, "Lady Tsunade is over there!"

The sight that greeted them, however, left them momentarily stunned.

"Two Lady Tsunades?!"

One Tsunade bore a bloodthirsty, crazed smile, while her counterpart stared back with bright brown eyes full of resolve, glowing under the holy light.

The contrast was striking—one pure and angelic, the other sinister and demonic.

An angel and a devil.

As their eyes met, the scene resembled a classic painting.

In the end, Tsunade held firm to her true self.

Shirou, it seems you no longer need to search for the meaning of your life."

Her calm voice echoed, and to Shirou, it sounded divine. It wasn't sentimentality—it was relief. Relief that he didn't have to die.

The crazed, evil eyes in front of him softened to a blank stare. Tsunade's serene face melted into a warm smile.

"I…"

Before Shirou could respond, he felt something warm on his forehead.

Her soft lips brushed gently against his brow.

Under the warm sunlight, the angelic Tsunade redeemed her demonic counterpart.

"You are Uchiha Shirou—you were never a replacement."

As the transformation Jutsu's smoke dissipated, Uchiha Shirou's monstrous form emerged. With the crisis averted, the power of the Curse Mark visibly receded.

The arriving Konoha reinforcements stared in shock at his body, plastered with enough paper bombs to obliterate the entire cavern.

"Looks like we're saved," someone muttered.

On the other side, Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade, who had stopped Shirou from sacrificing himself at the final moment. For once, his cold, serpent-like eyes revealed a flicker of surprise—and something more complex.

Orochimaru, despite his usual apathy, was not devoid of emotion. He was just far more calculating.

"We're… saved…"

Jiraiya, half-conscious, finally collapsed upon seeing the reinforcements. Orochimaru caught him, but neither of them noticed the kiss shared at the cave's entrance.

The kiss of an angel and a demon.

...

Land of Earth, Iwagakure

"Damn it! Konoha's White Fang!"

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, slammed his fist down in fury, shattering the stone desk in front of him.

"Konoha! Why does Konoha have so many geniuses?!"

As his anger subsided, Onoki sat back in his chair, his body trembling with frustration and jealousy. Why didn't Iwagakure have anyone capable of standing out as a true Kage-level force?

"Tsuchikage-sama, orders have been sent to the front lines in the Land of Grass. Our forces are retreating to the border."

A respectful Iwa-nin reported. Onoki took a deep breath, waved dismissively, and muttered, "A step behind. Konoha's White Fang truly has guts."

Onoki's eyes narrowed at the map in front of him. Reports indicated that Konoha's White Fang had led 2,000 shinobi, seemingly prepared to slice through the Land of Grass and strike the Land of Earth.

Worse yet, if Konoha could ally with the Kusagakure ninja, they might do the same with the Amegakure ninja, turning the battlefield toward the borders of the Land of Earth—a scenario Onoki was determined to avoid at all costs.

"This isn't over, Konoha."

Though defeated for now, Onoki's resolve reignited as he gazed at the ninja world map with ambitious determination.

"Send orders to our forces at the Amegakure border. Infiltrate and create chaos—target Konoha shinobi. Frame them if necessary, assassinate them if possible. I want Konoha to suffer in the Amegakure!"

"Yes!"

Onoki wasn't one to take a loss lightly. After preparing for so long, he refused to let it end without exacting revenge.

...

As the war raged on, the Land of Rain became the main battlefield for the Five Great Nations. Although Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri had not openly joined the fray, their covert actions continued unabated.

For now, Amegakure has declared war on both Konoha and Sunagakure. Yet, after brief skirmishes, Amegakure and Sunagakure seemed to reach a tacit understanding, leaving Konoha to face battles on multiple fronts.

Konoha's strategy of pinning the war on the Amegakure was meant to protect its homeland from the flames of war. Any sign of weakness would invite Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri to join the fray openly.

The delicate balance of the Second Shinobi War persisted.