"Because we came here to help Kagami-san!"
There was no such thing as a 'fateful encounter.' It was just a group of people, each with the same goal, drawn together by their own intentions.
Uchiha Kaien didn't believe in destiny. Every favorable outcome was the result of someone's deliberate action and strategic choice.
Just like how, at the beginning, Kaien didn't choose to train within the Uchiha compound. Instead, he went to Konoha's public training grounds—because he knew, at that time, the Uchiha clan didn't have any particularly renowned shinobi.
Especially among his peers. Even Uchiha Fugaku had already joined the Konoha Military Police, so there was no point in wandering around the clan district.
His encounter with Namikaze Minato? That wasn't luck. It was the result of his own planning. If you don't meet someone the first day, does that mean you'll never meet them at all?
Kaien calculated Fugaku's age to estimate the timelines of other notable figures from the original timeline. Then, by leveraging current information, he planned to invest early in one or two future powerhouses. That had been his original strategy.
But, as always, plans couldn't keep up with changes. Aside from his successful investment in Minato, everything else veered off-course—or rather, he'd drawn too much attention too early.
Fortunately, the Uchiha clan and Konoha weren't at odds—at least not yet. After all, Uchiha Kagami was still alive.
The bonds forged in war still held value. And Hiruzen Sarutobi was in his prime, brimming with confidence that he could suppress all the clans through sheer strength.
And true strength—that was always the root of confidence.
...
"Is that so? Then I'll count on you all to help me wrap this mission up quickly."
Uchiha Kagami looked at the three before him. In terms of power, their side utterly overwhelmed the cult of the Jashin.
Orochimaru had already reached the Kage-level. Kagami himself too. Add to that Kaien—who could erupt with Kage-tier combat power—and Minato, already at Jōnin-level...
This team had enough strength to launch an assault on any one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—or even assassinate one of their Kage.
Kagami had full confidence in their odds.
As for why he classified Kaien as someone who could burst into Kage-level strength rather than someone who already was a Kage-level shinobi—it was because he understood the drawbacks of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
A Mangekyō awakened at this age? There were no clear records of such a case in the clan's history. No one knew what kind of toll those eyes would take on Kaien's body.
Which is why Kagami decided to give him a bit of heartfelt advice.
"Kaien, unless it's absolutely necessary, don't use your Mangekyō. That power puts too much strain on you."
"Got it. Besides, Minato and I have already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. We should be able to wipe out the enemy in an instant!"
Kaien looked genuinely excited. After all, he'd just learned a powerful new technique—it was about time he had a chance to use it. And this mission? It was the perfect stage.
With the dynamic vision and insight granted by his Mangekyō Sharingan, Kaien could push his neural reaction speed to its limits.
Only in the heat of real battle could he fine-tune the technique to suit his style perfectly. He was genuinely looking forward to facing the Jashin Cultists. He intended to enjoy himself thoroughly.
...
"Even though activating Flying Thunder God still feels a little clunky... it's good enough to use in a real fight now!"
Minato chimed in immediately. His natural reflexes had always been sharp, and from the beginning, he'd been developing his traits as a speed-type shinobi. With guidance from Hatake Sakumo, he too was now capable of using the technique in actual combat.
...
"Is that so...?" Kagami's expression remained calm, as if he were logically evaluating everyone's capabilities. But inwardly? He was shook.
Konoha now had two Flying Thunder God users?!
What was there to even plan? Just steamroll everything!
As a student of Tobirama Senju, Kagami had seen firsthand the sheer absurdity of the Flying Thunder God Technique. Its unpredictability, its speed—it was something even the Sharingan couldn't keep up with.
And wasn't that jutsu originally created to counter the Sharingan?
Kagami's mouth twitched. Classic Tobirama-sensei... but even he probably never imagined a Mangekyō Sharingan user would one day learn the technique.
What would that even look like?
A teleporting Susanoo?
If it could eliminate the sluggishness of Susanoo's early stages, Kagami couldn't even begin to imagine how destructive it might become.
Now, with three Kage-tier fighters—and Minato, who could battle a Kage under the right conditions—this team was no joke. Sure, Minato's body wasn't built to take a hit, so he wasn't quite Kage-level yet. But with Flying Thunder God? He was definitely dangerous.
Orochimaru's golden, slit-pupiled eyes glinted with a sharp light. As if reading Kagami's thoughts, he spoke first.
"Perhaps... we should launch a direct assault on the Jashin Cult's headquarters. At this point, the power balance between us and them is no longer even close."
He didn't need to say the rest. Everyone understood.
When the gap in strength became overwhelming, any sinister scheme the enemy might have was basically pointless—especially if they were still completely in the dark.
This kind of squad... really could go hunt down a Kage.
Orochimaru couldn't help but recall a previous conversation with Shimura Danzō. The man had asked for his help—both to treat his wounds and... well, for a half-joking mission.
He wanted Orochimaru and Tsunade to team up and go to Kirigakure to assassinate the Mizukage.
Two Kage-level fighters, one master of the Reaper Transformation Technique, and two elite jōnin...
It wasn't impossible. Maybe they really could kill the Mizukage.
But the aftermath? Endless retaliation and war.
Compared to that, this current team—with three Kage-level fighters and a Flying Thunder God user—was even more suited for high-impact missions. And their current target was just some minor Jashin cult.
...
"That said, we can't get careless. The core members of the Jashin Cult... are strange."
Kagami's tone turned serious.
"After a long investigation, I finally discovered the secret behind their bodies—they're immortal."
"Oh? True immortality?"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up with fascination. Eternal life and immortality—such a perfect match. But did this so-called 'immortality' come with a time limit?
Was the Jashin actually real?
And if so, how did he pass his power to his followers?
Did receiving the Jashin's blessing grant one immortality?
The curiosity was unbearable.
...
"Yes. I've hit them with my jutsu before—but they just wouldn't die. Even when burned by Fire Release, the injuries didn't do a thing. They were wounded, but death never came."
"But fortunately, there must be some kind of limitation. Otherwise, when they saw me, they wouldn't have fled. They'd have charged in fearlessly..."
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I recommend that you check out my new fanfic "The Shimura Actually Has Ice Release". It's really good. In short, the protagonist is Danzo's son, so Danzo supports him, he has good mentors, bloodline limit and so on, I won't say much about his background, the fanfic will explain it in the first chapters. I would recommend to check it out, quite a nice fanfic, no system, no harem, no excessive power, I like his backstory, especially that he has support, so his power has backup, and the relationship with Danzo without much emotion, more like Danzo's dream of becoming a Hokage, transforming to make his son a Hokage.
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (156 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)