Reincarnated in Naruto World with a System

Ryo, his pride wounded, brandished a handful of shuriken and kunai. The midday sun glinted off the polished metal, reflecting a dark light. The Uchiha clan, renowned for their Sharingan and fire ninjutsu, also possessed a unique mastery of shurikenjutsu, a skill Ryo now sought to demonstrate.

xiu xiu!

With practiced ease, Ryo flung the projectiles. Three kunai and two shuriken blurred into black streaks, tracing intricate and deceptive paths toward Tatsumi. Ryo's aim was precise, each projectile designed to cut off Tatsumi's escape routes. This was an Uchiha family technique, passed down through generations. Ryo believed that no matter which way Tatsumi dodged, at least one or two of the projectiles would find their mark.

Ryo watched with a cold, arrogant smirk. This technique, taught to him by his father, had taken considerable time to perfect. He assumed that even if Tatsumi possessed some natural talent, lacking parental guidance, he couldn't possibly have mastered such advanced skills.

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed, but he remained calm. Ryo's shurikenjutsu was indeed impressive for his age, but the true potential of the Uchiha throwing technique only manifested with the Sharingan. Furthermore, Ryo's strength and speed were lacking, his technique barely passable. Tatsumi, himself no slouch in shurikenjutsu, saw the incoming projectiles as little more than a predictable pattern.

xiu xiu!

Tatsumi's hands moved with blinding speed, mirroring Ryo's actions. Shuriken flew from his hands in a complex web of trajectories.dang dang!

The sounds of clashing metal echoed through the forest. Tatsumi's shuriken intercepted and deflected the majority of Ryo's projectiles. However, one kunai slipped through the barrage, still hurtling towards him.

Ryo's eyes widened in surprise. This kid…Before Ryo could process his shock, Tatsumi, with a swift backhand motion, intercepted the incoming kunai, embedding his own projectile into the empty hole of the oncoming one. The two kunai spun together in the air. With a flick of his wrist, Tatsumi sent the joined kunai hurtling back towards Ryo.The kunai struck Ryo squarely.

Boom…

A puff of smoke erupted, revealing a log in the kunai's path. Ryo had used the Body Replacement Technique. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. This E-Rank ninjutsu, another technique he'd painstakingly practiced with his father, was his trump card. He'd intended to use it to counter Tatsumi's taijutsu, but he hadn't anticipated the boy's skill with shuriken.

"Over here!" Tatsumi's voice rang out. He had already located Ryo's hiding place.

With the speed of a phantom, Tatsumi leaped to the large tree where Ryo was concealed. A swift, sideways kick connected with Ryo's abdomen.

Boom!

Ryo was launched from the tree like a cannonball, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Ouch… that hurts," Ryo groaned, clutching his head.

Tatsumi landed gracefully, brushing dust from his clothes.

Shigeru and Masaru rushed to Ryo's side. "Boss, are you alright?" Shigeru cried. "That was a cheap shot, Tatsumi! So dishonourable!

"Ryo's face flushed. Cheap shot? He rubbed his aching body. "I'm fine! Just a scratch," he lied.

Truthfully, before last night, Tatsumi wouldn't have been nearly so fast or strong. The points he'd allocated to his physical abilities had made a significant difference.

"Let's get him together!" Ryo snarled, gritting his teeth. "I was careless. Once we get serious, he won't stand a chance against the three of us geniuses!

"Shigeru and Masaru hesitated. They'd just witnessed their leader's humiliating defeat. Facing Tatsumi's speed was daunting.

But the thought of three against one bolstered their courage. They stood, ready to fight.

Shigeru threw a handful of shuriken, his technique clumsy and predictable. Tatsumi sidestepped effortlessly, avoiding the projectiles.

Masaru, built like a small tank, charged towards Tatsumi. "Uchiha Changquan1, First Style!" he yelled, throwing a punch with all his might.

Tatsumi simply sidestepped the slow, telegraphed attack and kicked Masaru squarely in the chest. The boy crumpled to the ground.

Ryo watched in disbelief. He'd thought the combined might of the three of them would have overwhelmed Tatsumi. He frantically reached for more shuriken, preparing for a final, desperate assault.

Shua!

Tatsumi dodged the shuriken and, with terrifying speed, closed the distance to Ryo.

"I give up! I surrender!" Ryo shrieked, falling to the ground.

"…Boss?" Shigeru stammered, aghast. "Don't quit! We haven't lost yet!"

Am I the villain here? Tatsumi thought, a strange feeling washing over him. He looked down at the three boys, their faces a mixture of pain and humiliation.

No, I can't be the villain. He shook his head, the unsettling feeling fading.

With a final glance at the defeated trio, Tatsumi turned and continued into the forest.

Behind him, the sounds of weeping filled the air.

"Feng, am I useless?" Ryo sobbed, his voice cracking. "I couldn't protect you. Now you've been beaten…"

"…Boss, it's not your fault," Shigeru sniffled. "He was too strong."

"We can't give up," Masaru declared, wiping tears from his eyes. "We'll train harder. Next time, we'll defeat him!"

"We're geniuses, aren't we?" Ryo whimpered.

"Waaah…"