The original story never actually described how Toroi died.
But as for Nigai, his death was crystal clear.
That unlucky guy didn't die during the Third Shinobi World War. Instead, he got killed when he recklessly charged in while accompanying the Fourth Raikage, A, on a mission to steal a scroll of forbidden jutsu from the Sugi Village. He was caught off guard by an explosive insect technique and died on the spot.
"It should be him."
After a brief moment of thought, Yamanaka Shinno was certain that the one whose fate had changed was Nigai.
Toroi was an experienced veteran who had survived countless battles in the shinobi world. He had long since become accustomed to life and death. Even if a teammate sacrificed themselves to save him, he would mourn for a while, but nothing more.
However, Nigai was different. He had only recently been promoted to jōnin and lacked experience. It made sense that witnessing the death of a teammate had shaken him, altering his mindset—and, in turn, his destiny.
"Better than nothing, I guess."
Clicking his tongue, Shinno used the Hydrification Technique to silently dive through the water, quickly closing in on the area where he had previously sensed the Blood Dragon Eye user.
...
At the edge of the island's port, inside a small residence—
A young man sat calmly on a sofa, sipping hot tea in small, leisurely sips. His eyes were a deep, blood-red color, with a pale purple horizontal bar running across the center of his irises.
The fierce battle that had just taken place at the dock hadn't affected him in the slightest.
Oyashiro En?
Shinno pushed open the half-closed door.
He looked at the man sitting inside, whose appearance bore a strong resemblance to the one from the original story, but he was noticeably younger.
This didn't add up.
Wasn't this guy supposed to have slaughtered his entire clan after his wife was driven to suicide by his own kin? Didn't he then take his daughter, Chino, and leave to become a merchant?
So why was he here?
"The shinobi of Kirigakure really are useless. They couldn't even kill you," En said, glancing at the middle-aged shinobi standing in the doorway. A mocking smile played on his lips. "But since you found your way here, should I call you lucky… or unlucky?"
Their eyes met.
With that single look, En immediately activated his Blood Dragon Eye genjutsu!
Buzz—
An invisible wave of Yin Release energy spread throughout the small room.
The thick, dark, and rancid aura of the genjutsu filled the space, making Shinno frown slightly.
His curiosity about experiencing the Blood Dragon Eye's illusion firsthand vanished on the spot.
Uninterested in wasting words, he casually countered the genjutsu with Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change, reflecting the attack back at its caster.
En, who had been sitting arrogantly on the couch, suddenly froze in place, his expression going blank.
Shinno didn't hesitate.
From his sealing scroll, he retrieved a small glass jar, no bigger than half a palm. Then, using Water Release: Water Prison Technique, he enclosed the area in a protective sphere, ensuring no traces were left behind.
Without another word, he stepped forward and reached for En's eyes.
"Aaaah!!"
A bloodcurdling scream pierced the small room.
Unbothered, Shinno calmly washed his bloodstained hands inside the water sphere. He held up the glass jar, now containing two glistening, crimson Blood Dragon Eyes, and nodded in satisfaction.
"My eyes! I can't see! I...!"
Overwhelmed by pain, En barely managed to break free from his own genjutsu.
But before he could wail for long, Shinno struck again.
With a simple gesture, he cast his own original A-rank genjutsu—Demonic Illusion: Heaven and Earth Reversal.
Stripped of his Blood Dragon Eyes, En immediately fell into the illusion. His expression flickered between ecstasy and agony, but he remained trapped, unable to break free.
As the genjutsu slowly consumed his consciousness, his face gradually relaxed into eerie tranquility.
Shinno grabbed him by the belt and slung him over his shoulder.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the bloodstained water sphere into the ocean, erasing all traces of his actions.
Summoning his hawk familiar, Pidgeot, he took off, flying southwest from the island.
As he glanced back toward the direction Toroi and the others had escaped, Shinno let out a long exhale.
...
Back in Kumogakure, the livestock farm he had arranged for his adopted son, Musai, was nearly finished by the time he left. The young animals, feed, and workers were all in place, and the funds he had left behind should be more than enough to keep things running.
Kumogakure loses a shinobi, Konoha loses an enemy. Everybody wins.
Perfect!
As for Yugito, aside from the contingency plans he had left in place after the Two-Tails rampage, he had also made additional arrangements during his weeklong hospital stay.
Once news of 'his' death reached the village, the information he had temporarily sealed away would begin to unlock under the right conditions.
By the time little Yugito grew up, she hopefully wouldn't meet the same fate—getting captured by those immortal freaks from Akatsuki.
Kumogakure loses a valuable Jinchūriki, Konoha loses a potential threat.
Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's "Rescue Mother" plan just got a bit harder.
Mmm. Also perfect!
"Alright, let's see why you tried to mess with my little Yugito."
Placing a hand on En's forehead, Shinno activated Memory Reading Technique and began quickly scanning through his memories.
He had always found the attack on Yugito suspicious.
Based on the timeline, when he assassinated the Kumogakure higher-ups, Uchiha Madara had just died, and Kirigakure was in complete disarray. There was no way they had the resources to send forces into Kumogakure.
Yet, every clue from the captured attackers pointed to Kirigakure.
And now, Oyashiro En was also involved with Kirigakure's shinobi?
Did Madara really order this before his death?
"…Onoki, you sneaky bastard."
Shinno's lips twitched as he finished scanning En's most recent year of memories.
Unlike in the original timeline, where En slaughtered his clan and left, this version of him had only recently gotten married.
Due to the harsh conditions of the Chinoike Clan's homeland, he had started taking frequent missions from the underground bounty exchange to provide for his wife and clan.
A year ago, after proving his strength and reliability, he attracted the attention of a big client.
He soon began receiving high-paying assignments from this mysterious employer.
Many other bounty nin worked under the same employer. One day, someone caught a glimpse of a Kirigakure forehead protector on their employer—whether intentional or accidental, no one knew.
Since then, everyone assumed they were working for Kirigakure.
If not for this recent mission to "assist Kirigakure shinobi in attacking Kumogakure," En might never have realized—
Their real employer was Iwagakure!
In the original story, the Raikage had accused Onoki of frequently hiring bounty nin for underhanded jobs.
Considering how ruthless war could be, such tactics weren't surprising.
But…
"So Iwagakure and Kirigakure have already allied?"
Shinno withdrew his hand from En's head, temporarily abandoning the idea of killing him outright.
...
Just as he continued his journey toward Konoha—
Ding!
[Significant alteration of an important character's fate detected. The worldline has shifted. Reward: 1x Fate Trait Draw, 1x Random Green Trait Upgrade, 1x Trait Gift.]
"Looks like news of my 'death' has reached Kumogakure!"
His mood instantly lifted.
A Fate trait! Just like Minato's [Lucky Star] and Jiraiya's [Destined Mentor]!
"I'm gonna be the world's favorite child too! System, roll for me!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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