Mizuki probably had some idea of what was happening.
But he refused to believe it.
He hadn't seen Shikage form a single hand seal.
Was this guy seriously using Nara clan shadow techniques without seals?
Of course, his shock and terror would never get an answer.
Because in the next instant, Shikage's kunai had already slashed clean across his throat.
Shikage turned and looked down at the fallen man. The wet, gurgling breaths coming from the sliced windpipe didn't stir him in the slightest.
Expressionless, he planted his foot on Mizuki's chest to pin him, then drove the kunai straight into the still-beating heart.
[Shinobi Mizuki Eliminated]
[Experience Gained: 72 points]
[Level Up: Lv.0 → Lv.1]
[Obtained: Large Shuriken]
[Obtained: Scroll of Seals]
[Obtained: 10,000 Ryo]
Only after the system notifications appeared did Shikage finally relax and stop mutilating the corpse.
His eyes lingered on Mizuki's body — specifically the curse mark on his right arm.
After a brief hesitation, he decided to make Mizuki his very first shadow soldier.
One reason: practice the extraction and storage process so nothing went wrong when he went for Shisui.
Second reason: that curse mark.
Shadow Lord soldiers could grow stronger. Maybe the seal would come in handy later?
Shikage didn't bother inventing fancy keywords. He simply used the line from his memories.
"Rise."
The moment the command left his mouth, it was like dropping water into boiling oil.
The shadow pinned beneath the corpse began writhing violently, twisting and deforming as if the dead man's soul was desperately struggling.
Seconds later, darkness swallowed the shadow completely, branding the new existence with the mark of its lord.
A silhouette identical in size to Mizuki rose from the ground. It dropped to one knee before Shikage, offering silent, absolute loyalty.
Success on the first try. Exactly as expected.
After all, [Shadow Extraction] success rate depended on corpse integrity and time since death.
Mizuki had died mere seconds ago — the body was still warm and perfectly intact.
What did surprise him was the cost. One extraction had eaten nearly a quarter of his MP!
From this test, Shikage also discovered another hidden factor: the stronger the lord, the less MP it consumed.
"Good thing I figured this out before going after Shisui's shadow."
He stored the new shadow soldier back into his own silhouette, then closed his eyes for a moment.
"Come out. No need to keep hiding."
His voice echoed through the trees.
Moments later, a figure slowly stepped out from the bushes nearby.
The half-lit cat-faced ANBU mask looked chilling under the moonlight.
Noticing that signature shock of white hair, Shikage raised an eyebrow.
"You want to handle the kid, or should I?"
He didn't bother asking for identification. Every shinobi in Konoha knew what those masks meant.
Besides, he already knew exactly who this was.
And why an ANBU operative had shown up? No need to ask.
Beneath the mask, Kakashi's expression stayed cold. He glanced at Mizuki's corpse, the earlier scene flashing through his mind.
—What the hell was that shadow?
—Some new Nara secret technique?
Curious as he was, Kakashi didn't press. He simply replied:
"You go."
"Got it."
Shikage shrugged and turned toward where Naruto had fled.
As he passed Mizuki's body, he added without looking back:
"Oh, right."
"There's a curse mark on Mizuki's arm. Probably connected to Orochimaru."
"Handle it however you see fit."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. All other thoughts vanished as his full attention locked onto the corpse.
"Understood."
...
Only after Kakashi's presence had completely disappeared did Shikage finally drop his guard.
The Kakashi of this time wasn't the laid-back one from the start of the original story. His personality had improved a bit, but he was still mostly cold-blooded.
If Kakashi decided he was a threat, current Shikage wouldn't stand a chance.
"With Orochimaru intel on the table, they probably won't have any brain cells left to waste on my 'secret technique.'"
Even without that distraction, the Third probably wouldn't dig too deep… but better safe than sorry.
Putting the matter aside, Shikage leaped into the treetops, quickly pinpointed Naruto's location from the surroundings, and took off.
"Better hurry. There are bears in this forest."
"That kid better not have that kind of bad luck…"
The moment he finished speaking, his figure was already dozens of meters away.
Seconds later, when he spotted the massive, hulking shadow of the bear, Shikage let out a helpless sigh.
"Speak of the devil…"
Thankfully, despite Naruto's legendary bad luck, the kid was still quick on his feet.
He was dodging nimbly while screaming his lungs out. Seemed to be holding up okay.
Shikage had zero interest in watching a child get mauled for entertainment. He pulled out the large shuriken he'd taken from Mizuki.
Twisting his hips, he hurled it with full force.
With a sharp rip, the blade sliced cleanly across the bear's spine.
[Black Bear Eliminated]
[Experience Gained: 10 points]
[Obtained: Complete Bear Pelt]
The moment the system notification appeared, Shikage landed on top of the bear's corpse.
He yanked the giant shuriken out of the spine, stored it in his inventory, then turned to the shell-shocked Naruto.
"Naruto, you okay?"
The backlit figure made the trembling boy instinctively hug himself tighter.
Hearing the familiar voice, Naruto slowly came back to his senses. Blinking rapidly, he stuttered:
"Sh-Shikage-nii…?"
Shikage crouched in front of him, ruffling the spiky blond hair with a gentle smile.
"Evening, Naruto."
Seeing the kid still shaken, Shikage spoke slowly and kept it simple.
"It's over. I already took care of Mizuki."
"Mizuki-sensei…"
Naruto still looked like he was struggling to process everything.
Shikage didn't bother explaining further. His eyes dropped to the small orange bundle in Naruto's arms.
"What's that?"
"A fox."
Mentioning it instantly perked Naruto up. All the terror from moments ago was forgotten.
"It got bitten by the bear, but I saved it!"
Watching the carefree, sunny kid bounce back, Shikage couldn't help but smile.
Yep. That's our bright and unbreakable Naruto.
"You did great, kid."
The praise made Naruto beam with pride, puffing his chest out.
But his expression quickly turned worried again.
"Shikage-nii, it looks like it's dying… Can you save it?"
After a quick thought, Shikage sold the fresh bear pelt. The G he got was more than enough for one red bottle.
"Here, give this to it."
Naruto stared at the glowing red liquid, confused but trusting. He followed instructions and poured it into the little fox's mouth.
The bite wounds visibly began to heal right before their eyes.
The boy jumped up and down in excitement.
"It's working! It's working!"
After confirming the little fox could move again, Naruto carefully set it down on the ground.
"You're just going to let it go?"
Shikage sounded a bit surprised.
"Yeah…"
Even though he was reluctant, Naruto nodded.
"I thought you'd want to keep the fox as a pet."
Naruto's mouth twisted. Remembering Mizuki's words, his face grew gloomy again.
"Someone like me that everyone hates…"
Shikage cut him off calmly.
"Have some confidence in yourself, Naruto."
"Most people don't have their own opinions. They just follow the crowd."
"I might be part of that crowd too… but at least I trust you more than they do."
Naruto looked up, staring at him in a daze as his eyes slowly turned red.
Seeing that expression, Shikage felt a wave of emotion.
—No wonder Mizuki could trick you so easily.
"Alright, let's go home."
"Oh, and bring the fox with you."
"O-okay…"
Naruto hurriedly scooped up the little fox and trotted after Shikage, staying close.
Maybe Shikage's words had worked. Naruto's gaze toward the fox grew noticeably warmer.
"Shikage-nii, what should we name it?"
"Hmm…" A mischievous thought crossed Shikage's mind. "How about Little Nine?"
Staring at Shikage's tall (one-meter-six) back, Naruto felt incredibly safe.
"Then Little Nine it is!"
...
[Target Favorability Conditions Met!]
[Contract Established — Shadow Contract (Uzumaki Naruto) Acquired!]
Looking at the sudden system notification, Shikage froze for a moment, then turned to stare at Naruto.
Feeling that familiar, overly enthusiastic gaze, Naruto shivered hard.
"Shikage-nii…"
"I'm not gonna be your pet…"