By the time I turned twelve, the tension in Uzushiogakure was palpable. The once lively streets of the village were quieter now, and the elders spent most of their days behind closed doors, meeting with shinobi from Konoha or Uzumaki scouts returning from the borders. Even as a child, it was impossible to ignore the growing unease that lingered over the village like an ominous storm cloud.
But despite the creeping anxiety, I couldn't afford to stop training. Every day brought us closer to an unknown fate, and I knew that time was not on our side.
It was during one of those training sessions, late at night in the woods outside the village, that I had my first vision.
I was in the middle of refining a new storage seal when the world around me suddenly shifted. The forest disappeared, replaced by the ruins of a burning village. Smoke filled the air, thick and suffocating, and the sky above was painted an eerie shade of red. I heard screams in the distance and the unmistakable clash of steel on steel.
The ruins were unmistakable. This was Uzushiogakure.
I stumbled forward, my heart pounding in my chest. I had seen this destruction before, in my fragmented memories of the Naruto series. But seeing it in person—feeling the heat of the flames and hearing the cries of my people—was something else entirely. It was real. Too real.
Amidst the chaos, I saw a group of shinobi clad in armor with no insignia to identify their village. They moved through the streets, cutting down anyone who resisted. Blood stained the cobblestones, and my stomach churned at the sight.
And then, I saw her.
Akane.
She was standing in the center of the ruins, her hair disheveled and her clothes torn. She was fighting off three enemy shinobi at once, her chakra chains lashing out like whips of pure energy. But even with her incredible skill, I could see she was outmatched. Her movements were slowing, and her chakra reserves were dwindling.
"No!" I shouted, running toward her. But no matter how fast I moved, I couldn't reach her. It was like the ground was pulling me back, dragging me away from her. I could only watch as one of the shinobi struck her with a blade, the bright crimson of her blood mingling with the red sky above.
"Akane!" I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat.
And just like that, the vision ended.
I was back in the forest, my hands trembling as I gripped the seal I'd been working on. Sweat dripped down my face, and my breathing was ragged. My heart ached, both from the terror of what I'd just seen and the overwhelming guilt that I hadn't been able to save her.
"Riku?" Akane's voice startled me. I turned to see her stepping into the clearing, her brow furrowed with concern. "Are you okay? You're shaking."
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. How could I tell her what I'd just seen? That I had witnessed her death in a future I didn't understand?
"I'm fine," I said finally, forcing myself to stand. "Just… overdid it with the training."
Her eyes narrowed, clearly unconvinced, but she didn't press the issue. "Well, don't push yourself too hard. We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow."
She gave me one last searching look before turning to leave. I watched her go, my heart heavy with the weight of my vision. I didn't know when the destruction of Uzushiogakure would come, but I knew one thing for certain:
I wouldn't let it happen.
The next morning, I woke up with renewed determination. If I was going to save Uzushiogakure—and Akane—I needed to accelerate my progress. That meant taking risks, even if it meant stepping beyond the boundaries of what was considered safe or acceptable.
After breakfast, I made my way to the archives, where the clan's most powerful and forbidden techniques were stored. The elders rarely allowed anyone under the age of sixteen to enter, but I had memorized the patrol schedules of the guards and knew when the archives would be unguarded.
Slipping inside, I moved quickly, scanning the shelves for anything that might help me. My eyes landed on a scroll sealed with a thick red ribbon. The characters written on it read Reaper Seal Techniques—Forbidden. My hands trembled as I reached for it. I had read about the Reaper Death Seal in my past life—an immensely powerful jutsu that summoned the Shinigami itself to seal away an enemy's soul. But the cost of using it was the user's own life.
I wasn't interested in the jutsu itself. I had no intention of sacrificing my life. But I knew that the principles behind the Reaper Seal could hold the key to creating a defense powerful enough to protect Uzushiogakure.
Carefully, I unrolled the scroll and began to read.
For the next several weeks, I devoted myself entirely to deciphering the techniques in the scroll. The formulas were more complex than anything I had encountered before, but I refused to give up. I spent every spare moment practicing and experimenting, often losing track of time and forgetting to eat.
Akane noticed my change in behavior almost immediately.
"Riku, you're obsessing," she said one evening as we sat by the river near the village. "You've been skipping meals, skipping sleep… What are you trying to prove?"
I stared at the water, unsure how to respond. Finally, I said, "I'm trying to protect the people I care about. Isn't that what we're supposed to do as Uzumaki shinobi?"
She sighed, her expression softening. "Of course. But you don't have to do it alone. Whatever you're working on, let me help."
I hesitated. Sharing the secrets of the Reaper Seal felt dangerous, but if there was anyone I could trust, it was Akane. And I knew that I couldn't do this alone.
"Okay," I said finally. "I'll show you what I've been working on. But you have to promise me you won't tell anyone—not even the elders."
Her eyes lit up with curiosity. "I promise."
Together, we began to refine the techniques I had learned from the scroll. It wasn't easy, and there were moments when I doubted whether we could succeed. But Akane's unwavering determination kept me going. For the first time, I felt like we had a real chance to change the future.
But fate is rarely so kind.
A week later, an Uzumaki scout returned to the village with grim news. A coalition of enemy villages had begun mobilizing their forces, and their target was clear:
Uzushiogakure.
The elders convened an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, but I already knew what they would decide. They would prepare for war, trusting in the village's defenses and the alliance with Konoha to protect them.
But it wouldn't be enough. I had seen the destruction with my own eyes.
As I sat alone in the woods that night, staring up at the stars, I made a silent vow.
I would save Uzushiogakure, no matter the cost. Even if it meant rewriting destiny itself.