Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou

"Captain!"

Amidst the startled cries of the Sand Ninja, Rasa, who was floating in the sky, suddenly erupted into flames.

However, as the flames in the sky dissipated, what was revealed was a sand clone, heated red and crystallized by the fire.

"Sand clone!"

Seeing this, Shirou below frowned, his expression turning grim.

"The Sharingan is terrifying. I almost failed to dodge in time!"

The sound of Rasa's labored breathing echoed in the air. Behind the cracking, smoke-emitting sand clone, a figure appeared.

It turned out that the moment Rasa noticed the kunai was connected to a wire, he had used the sand clone as a shield in front of him. Capitalizing on the distraction, he had concealed himself from Shirou's sight below.

"As expected of the Uchiha!"

Still shaken, Rasa ascended even higher on his flying gold sand, as if seeking safety at a greater altitude.

The shuriken manipulation technique unique to the Uchiha clan was indeed a remarkable skill in the ninja world. It had almost caught Rasa off guard. Even Sasuke in later years continued to use this technique, showcasing its practicality and low chakra consumption. More importantly, it was highly covert—only the Sharingan's insight could fully utilize its potential.

"Now, it's my turn..."

Before Rasa could finish his sentence, his words abruptly halted. A whistling sound suddenly came from behind him, prompting him to hurriedly turn around. Two massive Fūma shurikens were hurtling toward him.

"The shuriken manipulation technique isn't over yet!"

At this moment, Shirou's face revealed a triumphant smile. Biting down on the steel wire, he gave it a hard pull. The fire-style technique he had used earlier had also served to disguise these two massive Fūma shurikens.

"You've managed this much. As expected of Uchiha!"

However, after recovering from his initial shock, Rasa smiled. A circular shield of gold sand instantly formed in front of him.

Two mere Fūma shurikens were hardly capable of breaking through his defense.

At the same time, below, Shirou—still pulling the steel wire—smirked and said:

"But can your gold sand defend against my original A-rank technique?"

With a puff of smoke, one of the massive Fūma shurikens transformed into the figure of Uchiha Shirou. Simultaneously, the figure below vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"A transformation technique! And a shadow clone!"

In that instant, as their gazes locked, Rasa's gold sand shield thickened rapidly. However, his pupils shrank in fear when he saw a glowing blue chakra sphere forming in Shirou's hand.

A-rank, seal-less ninjutsu—Rasengan!

Boom!

With a thunderous roar, the Rasengan tore through the gold sand shield, scattering it in all directions. The spinning chakra sphere obliterated the defense in an instant.

As the Rasengan pierced through the shield, its blue glow illuminated Rasa's face. His pupils contracted in disbelief.

"No! Impossible!"

In Rasa's shocked eyes, his gold sand was shredded like paper. The Rasengan struck his abdomen in an instant.

"Captain Rasa!"

The Sand Ninjas around cried out in panic. A deafening explosion echoed across the battlefield as Rasa was hurled into the air like a cannonball, spinning from the impact.

Watching this scene, Shirou smiled. Earlier, he had used a shadow clone technique under the cover of his fire-style attack, transforming his real body into a Fūma shuriken.

This strategy was inspired by many classic tactics from the original Naruto series, and it didn't disappoint—it yielded a brilliant result.

As expected!

In the early stages of ninja combat, before anyone could fight like overpowered magicians, battles between ninjas were still determined by intelligence and strategy.

"Retreat!"

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the heavily injured Rasa endured the pain and manipulated his gold sand to catch himself while issuing a retreat order.

At this moment, Rasa bore a spiral-shaped wound on his abdomen, with fragments of gold sand scattered around it. If not for his gold sand armor providing some protection at the last moment, the A-rank Rasengan would have likely ended his life.

"Retreat!"

Following Rasa's command, the surrounding Sand Ninjas, though unwilling, began retreating in an orderly fashion.

On Konoha's side, cheers erupted. Shirou, the young Jōnin commander, had solidified his prestige with his strength and accomplishments.

"Do not pursue them. Hizashi, takes two squads to maintain vigilance against any counterattacks from the Sand Ninjas. The rest of you, push into the valley to support our comrades."

Shirou's calm and decisive orders left no room for doubt. It was clear that the Sand Ninjas, as elite forces, would have prepared a retreat plan beforehand, littering their path with traps. Pursuing them recklessly could lead to disaster, especially if they were ambushed by rogue ninjas from behind.

Their priority was to protect the mine and its secret.

"Yes, sir!"

Ninjas respected strength. As long as you were powerful enough to lead them to victory (and survival), they would follow you without question.

Rasa, an elite Jōnin of the Sand Village renowned in the Land of Wind, had been defeated—not just repelled but thoroughly beaten. And it had happened before their very eyes.

"Kill the rogue ninjas!"

Konoha's morale surged, while the rogue ninjas in the valley remained oblivious to Rasa's defeat. Only the rogue ninja leader and a few others guarding the outskirts saw Rasa's failure and fled in panic.

"Sand Ninjas! Rasa, you're nothing but a useless coward!"

The one-eyed rogue ninja roared in frustration. Years of effort spent gathering his forces had been wiped out in a single battle. A complete loss.

"Shirou!"

Hearing Uchiha Mikoto's concerned call, Uzumaki Kushina opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

Shirou, however, waved it off calmly and said, "I'm fine. Stay vigilant for the battles ahead."

Though he claimed to be fine, his forearm was visibly bruised—a result of the immense pressure from Rasa's gold sand shield when he struck it with the Rasengan.

This victory was achieved through a deep understanding of Rasa's abilities and careful planning. Rasa, unfamiliar with Shirou, had fallen victim to his strategy. Additionally, the rainy terrain had weighed down Rasa's gold sand, reducing its speed and increasing his chakra consumption.

Otherwise, defeating a seasoned Jōnin like Rasa wouldn't have been so easy.

"Rush out! Damn those Sand Ninjas for abandoning us!"

"Run!"

The rogue ninjas, seeing the tide turning against them, had no will to fight and desperately attempted to flee. Shirou, observing their panicked retreat, calmly issued a new order:

"Focus on wounding them. Do not engage in deadly combat."

"Yes, sir!"

"Support our allies. Medical ninjas, prepare to treat the wounded. Recon squads, stay on alert!"

Having experienced the battlefield, Shirou remained composed, issuing clear and effective commands.

The rogue ninjas, now injured and fleeing, would not get far. Without a stable base, rogue and missing-nin were like stray dogs. Injuries would only lead to abandonment or infighting among their ranks.

In ninja warfare, deception was always at the forefront. A single mistake could lead to a bloody lesson, and Shirou refused to take any unnecessary risks.

Preserving his forces while weakening the enemy—that was the mark of a wise commander.