"…"
The silence was absolute.
In the aftermath of Hero's bold defiance, the grand hall of the Uchiha Military Police Headquarters fell into an unnatural stillness. Not a whisper, not a rustle—only a taut, heavy tension that gripped every shinobi present like an invisible chain around their throats.
You could hear a pin drop.
No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Their collective gazes were fixed on one man—Uchiha Satsuna.
And he was furious.
His expression, normally stoic and sharp like the blade he once turned on a Hokage, had darkened like storm-wracked steel. His breath came slow and deep. Then—
Whirr—
The three tomoe of his Sharingan spun to life in both eyes, glowing a deep, predatory crimson.
The sheer pressure was suffocating.
Murderous intent poured off the old hawk like a rising tide. It was dense, suffocating, predatory, an aura sharp enough to cut flesh and chill bone. One could almost hear the hum of a blade being drawn, though Satsuna hadn't moved a muscle.
And yet… Hero didn't budge.
He barely noticed.
His focus was elsewhere, locked onto the shimmering game-like panel now hovering in his vision.
[Ding!]
[You challenged Uchiha Satsuna and survived.]
[Skill Acquired: Manipulated Shuriken Technique – Master Level (A-Rank)]
→ A surge of muscle memory and precision flows through your limbs.
[Heart of Steel: ++ Stack.]
The rush came instantly.
Knowledge poured into Hero's mind like a raging torrent, uncalled, unstoppable. Wire angles, rotational force, hidden shuriken traps, and lethal strike curves all etched themselves into his muscles and nerves like he had spent decades training with a master.
His breath caught.
His mind reeled.
"What the hell…" he muttered in disbelief, though only within.
This wasn't a mid-tier boost.
This was top-shelf mastery—the kind wielded by legends.
He wasn't just good with shuriken anymore. He could now pull off feats only rivaled by masters like Uchiha Itachi or Sasuke during their peak.
One throw could kill.
Multiple throws? That was a dance of death.
All this… from getting yelled at?!
Hero blinked. For a split second, his survival instincts screamed that maybe, just maybe, taunting legendary war figures was actually profitable.
Then he realized…
Satsuna hadn't cut him down.
A couple of minutes had passed.
The elder still hadn't moved. His crimson eyes glared down, analyzing the boy beneath him.
...And then they faded.
Satsuna exhaled. A long, restrained breath, like someone swallowing an unpleasant truth.
He realized that this kid… wasn't afraid.
Not a flinch. Not a tremble.
Just cold steel and blazing defiance.
The elder's lips twitched in annoyance. With a grunt, he turned his head and growled:
"Since you're so eager to die for Konoha, then fine. I won't stop you."
He raised one hand and pointed, voice like a hammer striking iron.
"You—step forward!"
Hero blinked.
He… what?
Wait, this wasn't the plan!
Where was the blade?!
The dramatic cut?!
The heroic fall into a bloody, glorious insurance payout?
He was supposed to die! Get cut down right now! Claim his heavenly reward! What the hell was this sudden plot twist?!
Satsuna… let him live?
"...Hero-kun..." a soft voice murmured.
Hero turned, and nearly cursed aloud.
There stood Uchiha Shisui, eyes wide, cheeks pale. His gaze brimmed with complex emotion, pain, admiration, fear.
To Shisui, Hero's actions weren't recklessness.
They were bravery.
Noble, self-sacrificing bravery.
And that… made his heart ache.
With a step forward, Shisui activated his own Sharingan, eyes shimmering like scarlet moons.
"Satsuna-sama," he said quietly, "there is still one Genin position open. Please allow me to accompany the mission."
Satsuna's brow twitched.
His gaze shifted.
"…You're Kagami's grandson. Uchiha Shisui."
"Yes," Shisui replied with a respectful nod. "And if I may be selfish once, let me deploy to the Land of Rain."
Satsuna gave him a measured look but said nothing.
That silence was enough.
Approval.
Shisui bowed, then stepped back.
In truth, Satsuna had little concern for Shisui. The doves of the clan would shield the boy no matter what. His rise was inevitable.
What concerned him now… was Hero.
A boy like him—no Sharingan, no clan backing—had stepped up to stare death in the face.
No feathers. No wings.
And yet, already leaping off the cliff.
Satsuna's eyes narrowed.
Maybe this one… was worth watching.
He straightened, and his voice cut through the hall like a drawn blade.
"Land of Rain Deployment: Jonin Makoto leads the squad. Tokujo Suke and Genin Shisui will accompany him."
"Your orders have already been issued. You will rendezvous with Konoha's forward base. Uchiha operatives await you on site."
"Remember: your lives belong to the Uchiha. Not Konoha."
"Do not forget that."
A hush fell.
Hero braced himself for the next name—
"As for the Land of Hot Water's Hell Valley…"
"I will personally lead the mission."
"Chunin Seijuro and Genin Hero will accompany me to reinforce the outpost."
"Report to the village gate by 08:00 tomorrow."
"Dismissed."
And just like that, Uchiha Satsuna vanished.
No lingering words. No further explanations.
Only the aftershock of his presence, and the orders he left behind.
Around them, the rest of the Uchiha dispersed swiftly, eager to escape the pressure hanging in the air.
Within seconds, the hall was empty, except for Hero and Shisui.
***
Hero sighed.
His plan was wrecked.
Thanks to Shisui's meddling, he'd been shoved onto the Hell Valley mission instead of the Rain front.
Hell Valley—bordering the Land of Hot Water. Mist-controlled territory.
It wasn't nothing.
But it wasn't Kikyo Pass.
It wasn't the meat grinder he had aimed for—the place where ninja dreams went to die.
Still… he couldn't complain.
He wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place. Technically, he was just an unregistered genin from a side branch.
Even getting selected was a fluke.
And yet…
A cold thought crept in.
In the original timeline, Shisui had never gone to the Land of Rain. That position shouldn't have been open.
Would this new path… kill him early?
Would Itachi awaken the Mangekyo prematurely?
Would the massacre come sooner?
Hero's gut twisted.
Was his selfish desire to die… already changing the future?
Already shifting fate?
A chill swept down his spine.
He looked down at his hands.
The hands of an extra character.
And wondered—
Just how much damage to the storyline could he cause… by simply trying to die?