Shimizu Uzuki was born on April 4th, Year 23 of Konoha.
In Year 25, he refined chakra for the first time—alarming the upper ranks of the Hokage's administration.
In Year 30, he graduated from the Ninja Academy and, in the same year, became a student of Maruboshi Kosuke. For a time, the higher-ups believed Konoha was about to produce another unparalleled genius.
In Year 33, he was promoted to chunin and developed a second chakra nature: Lightning Release.
In Year 39, he entered the Anbu.
In Year 41, he was promoted to Anbu squad captain.
And yet—for eight whole years—he failed to take that final step into the realm of jonin.
Because his chakra reserves were limited.
"Limited" was relative. A ten-year-old who became a chunin would never have low chakra. Someone who trained relentlessly would inevitably push their chakra to the physical limit of their body.
But the limit of this body—
Was chunin.
This wasn't only Shimizu's problem. It was the life story of countless ordinary people.
No matter how hard they tried, they would never break past the shackles of jonin. At best, they might become a special jonin—and that would be the end of their road.
To become a jonin was simply too difficult.
Effort—years of persistent training.
Opportunity—a skilled, experienced teacher.
Talent—exceptional physical constitution, directly determining chakra capacity.
Once, Shimizu had fantasized about bloodline limits—like the Senju or Uchiha clans.
He had fantasized about powerful mentors—like the Sannin.
He had fantasized about being born with five chakra natures, an extraordinary physique, and overwhelming chakra reserves.
Look at the so-called prodigies in the original story—who among them didn't casually overpower jonin or even Kage-level opponents? Who didn't erupt with power at a young age?
Kakashi became a jonin at twelve and independently developed Chidori.
Minato dominated the Third Great Ninja War at twenty, earning the title "Yellow Flash."
Itachi awakened the Mangekyō at twelve.
And then there were Sasuke and Naruto—bugs among bugs.
Compared to them, one's mentality could easily explode on the spot.
Shimizu had started training early and refined chakra tirelessly. He had once been called a genius.
But after reaching chunin, the growth of his chakra reserves slowed dramatically.
Eight years.
Eight years without breaking into jonin.
He had worked hard—truly hard.
But talent capped his ceiling.
And ironically, his Water Release affinity had once earned him the label of "genius."
A hollow genius.
Could he accept that?
Could a transmigrator accept such an ending—once a prodigy, ultimately just a chunin?
In Year 42 of Konoha, he finally seized his opportunity.
—
"Konoha Year 42, July 7th. Shimizu Uzuki, age nineteen, promoted to jonin. Developed third chakra nature: Fire Release."
That was what the Konoha ninja registry recorded.
Jonin.
One simple character.
They meant he had finally shattered his fate.
From then on, his chakra reserves surged again.
His strength grew day by day.
Until April of Year 43—the S-rank mission in the Land of Grass.
That was his battle of fame.
With consecutive high-level Water Release techniques, he crushed an entire mercenary corps of twenty-five veteran ninja—including three jonin.
Genius?
Empty praise.
Everything he had now was carved out by his own blood and sweat.
If you want to keep me here, then come and try!
—
Shimizu moved.
Sword raised, he charged toward the nearest squad, as if intending to break through by force.
After accelerating in a straight line, his speed was lightning-fast.
"Maintain formation. Follow the original plan. Rear units suppress his attacks. Flanks restrict his movement. Limit his speed. Frontline, avoid direct engagement," Dust ordered calmly.
Shimizu intended to kill one first, then adapt.
But the squad he targeted didn't confront him head-on—they evaded his charge.
At the same time, Sand shinobi on the flanks hurled kunai and unleashed Wind Release techniques to constrict his movement space.
Worst of all, the shinobi behind him launched relentless assaults—deadly Wind Release techniques raining down upon him.
The first assault failed.
Shimizu shifted targets—attacking the ninja on his right, the ones who had been throwing kunai and casting Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
Their positioning was clear—they were support.
In group combat, eliminate support first.
But this time, those ninja also retreated like turtles into their shells, dodging his charge.
Again—
Flanking suppression.
Rear-line killing techniques.
His powerful breakthrough attempt dissolved once more.
He was nearly caught off guard by a Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves—dozens of spinning wind blades slicing toward him in succession.
The battlefield had become a net.
And he was the prey.
Simply halting his assault wasn't enough—another wave of Wind Release techniques came crashing down. Shimizu had no choice but to use Body Flicker to leave the area.
"His speed is incredible! Twenty-four ninjutsu and forty-nine kunai—and not a single scratch on him," a Sunagakure Anbu beside Dust exclaimed in shock.
"So what?" Dust replied coldly, watching Shimizu's failed assault below. "His death is inevitable. What I want is to minimize our losses. Continue draining his stamina and chakra. Have Daro and his squad ready at all times—this is his chance to atone."
"Yes!"
Shimizu launched several more probing assaults, only to find the enemy repeating the same pattern. Twenty regular Sand shinobi and ten Anbu—thirty in total—formed a flawless encirclement.
One squad, however, remained outside the perimeter, unmoving regardless of his attacks. And above them stood the two Anbu at the highest point—one of them the middle-aged man calling himself Dust.
Their strategy was obvious.
They didn't just want him dead.
They wanted him perfectly eliminated.
Drain his stamina and chakra—then let the outer squad deliver the finishing blow.
A troublesome situation.
The continuous barrage from the thirty-man encirclement left him no time to cast large-scale Water Release techniques.
He only needed a few seconds.
But he wasn't even given that.
He had to maintain high-speed movement. The moment he stopped, a storm of attacks would bury him.
He needed an opening.
Leaf Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon!
Shimizu charged head-on again. Using the momentary visual disruption created by the technique, he slipped briefly out of the attack zone.
But the effect was limited.
They had sensory ninja.
"He's in the air!"
Before his sword could descend, attacks were already converging.
Shimizu was forced to use Dance of the Crescent Moon again—same target, same Sand ninja.
He had to kill one.
Break the stalemate.
In that instant, after prolonged high-speed movement and consecutive executions of the technique, a sharp pain flared through his body.
A warning.
His body was reaching its limit.
"Haah!" Suppressing the pain, he swung.
The targeted Sand chunin had just managed to glance up—
But the sky above was empty.
"Behind you!" the sensory ninja shouted.
Too late.
Shimizu's blade severed the chunin's head.
Without hesitation, he began forming hand seals.
This was the precious time gap he had fought for.
Using the corpse as a shield, he blocked the delayed kunai and Wind Release attacks flying toward him.
It had happened too fast—most of the jonin hadn't even reacted before his seals were complete.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A massive surge of water erupted from beneath the sandy ground, spiraling skyward into a 360-degree defensive wall—blocking every incoming attack.
"How is that possible?! This is sand terrain!"
"How can he use such powerful Water Release in a waterless environment?!"
"Impossible! He's not the Second Hokage!"
"Tell Daro not to act rashly! Water Formation Wall… The volume and strength depend entirely on the caster's chakra. Maintaining that much water in a waterless area must consume enormous chakra. Maintain high-pressure attacks. Jonin—intensify your output!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Dozens of spinning wind blades struck the water wall.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"
An enhanced version of Vacuum Sphere.
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
A super-dense compressed tornado launched like a high-pressure cannon, capable of pulverizing anything upon impact.
The jonin poured chakra into powerful B-rank Wind Release techniques, hoping to exhaust Shimizu's reserves.
But they were disappointed.
The barrage shattered the water wall—
Revealing nothing inside.
"Aaagh!"
Shimizu's blade ended another Sand ninja cleanly and decisively.
"He's at Squad Six's position!" the sensory ninja reported instantly.
A second Water Formation Wall surged up from the sand.
This time, the Sand shinobi had no time to unleash high-level techniques. They could only attack with kunai and lower-tier jutsu.
But such attacks were effortlessly blocked by the water wall.
The jonin faithfully carried out Dust's orders, preparing to continue draining Shimizu's chakra. B-rank Wind Release techniques were already being formed.
But this time, they didn't even get the chance to complete their seals.
Relying on his unparalleled Body Flicker, Shimizu appeared behind the jonin just as the technique was about to finish.
"Ah—!" With a single cry, the jonin's heart was pierced clean through.
Shimizu didn't linger. The moment he struck, he retreated and formed hand seals again. The Water Formation Wall rose once more.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered fully exploiting his overwhelming speed to reap lives one after another. But six enemy shinobi had yet to make a single move.
He couldn't afford to be careless.
Steady and methodical.
He still had more than half his chakra left.
"Too fast… both his movement speed and his seal speed…" The Anbu beside Dust stared in shock. Their thirty-man formation had been broken apart by sheer speed alone.
"Cease attack. All units on guard!" Dust ordered decisively. "Send in Daro's squad!"
The four members of Daro's squad—who had remained outside the encirclement—began forming seals simultaneously.
This was clearly a large-scale technique.
Through the water wall, Shimizu watched coldly as they completed their seals. The remaining twenty-seven shinobi stood on full alert, no longer attacking but guarding against his surprise assault.
He maintained the Water Formation Wall with minimal chakra expenditure.
Waiting.
At the same time, he removed his Anbu mask—and began forming seals.
In mere seconds—
Both sides completed their techniques.
"Boom!"
A massive torrent of sand surged upward like a tornado, spiraling toward him.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
From Shimizu's mouth erupted a high-pressure, razor-thin jet of water—blindingly fast, devastatingly sharp. Like a blade forged of liquid steel, it sliced straight through the sand tornado with ease.
Its remaining force swept toward Daro's four-man squad.
"Watch out!"
Too late.
It was too fast.
And Shimizu had deliberately chosen the most vicious angle possible—maximizing casualties among the Sand shinobi.
In the blink of an eye—
Seven shinobi in that direction, along with three members of Daro's squad—
Ten in total—
Were cut cleanly in half.
Of the twelve caught in that line of attack, only two survived.
But then—
Shimizu felt his feet sink. He slid his cat mask back on.
The sand beneath him was moving.
Flowing downward.
Is this Gaara's technique?! Desert Funeral?! They're going to bury me alive?!
The thought had barely formed before he lost all mobility.
The flowing sand dragged him rapidly underground.
—
"That was terrifying…" Daro stared at the corpses littering the battlefield, lingering fear in his eyes. If he'd been even a moment slower, he would've died as well.
An unsettling thought crossed his mind.
There was no way that Konoha Anbu, Kūryū, would die so easily.
Dust surveyed the carnage in silence.
Even if they had killed Shimizu, the cost was far too great.
Thirteen Sand shinobi had died.
Three of them jonin.
"Captain?" The Anbu beside him signaled for the next order.
"Have the sensory unit confirm Kūryū's status…" Dust's expression darkened completely.
Then he heard it—
A massive bird cry echoing from beneath the earth.
Damn it.
That Konoha Anbu was still alive.
"All units—prepare for battle!"
The remaining Sand shinobi braced themselves, nerves stretched tight, guarding against a surprise attack from any direction.
But within seconds, the bird cry gradually faded.
What was happening?
"Sensory unit!" Dust's voice carried anger.
"Y-Yes!" The sensory shinobi were already shaken to the core. In normal engagements, sensory and medical units were primary targets.
Although Shimizu had never attacked them directly, his sheer speed and devastating Water Release had terrified them. Even with protection, they all knew—
If he chose them, they wouldn't escape.
Certain death.
Now that they knew he was still alive, they feared that horrifying water blade would suddenly sweep toward them.
"H-He ran! Kūryū is one kilometer northeast! Moving toward the Land of Fire border!"
Finally, one of them located Shimizu's chakra signature.
"Pursue him! He's severely injured! We must capture him!" Dust issued a death order.
He led the remaining twenty-three shinobi into a desperate pursuit.