The road to the Land of Waves stretched long and uneven beneath their feet, its cracked stone worn from years of foot traffic and merchant carts. Mist hung low in the air, a subtle hint that the sea wasn't far off. Team 7 trudged behind Kakashi, quiet but curious. Naruto occasionally mumbled something to Sasuke, who ignored him. Sakura kept glancing at their sensei—at him.
But Kakashi, or rather Shredder, walked ahead in silence, his visible eye half-lidded in thought. Not tired, not bored—just deep in planning.
He wasn't reading the orange book in his hand. He hadn't read it all morning. His mind was too busy calculating.
The Haku and Zabuza Problem
They're coming, he thought. Soon.
Shredder had watched this arc at least ten times in his old life. He knew the beats. Knew the blood. Knew the heartbreak.
Zabuza was a monster, brutal and skilled. But Haku? Haku was wasted potential. A child warped by loyalty, who should've lived and grown stronger.
If I let things play out the way they did, Zabuza dies and Haku dies saving him. Another tragic ending.
He scowled behind his mask.
But this time, I'm here.
Shredder wasn't Kakashi. He knew the story—its arcs, its themes, its pain. And this time, he didn't want to just watch it unfold.
If I can keep Haku alive… maybe even turn him to our side… I gain a powerful ally. Loyal. Deadly. And still moldable.
He grinned faintly beneath the mask.
Let the world think I'm just another jōnin. Let the Leaf think I'm following the script.
Sasuke: The Forked Path
But then, his thoughts darkened.
Sasuke.
That one was harder. That was a storm he couldn't avoid.
Even back home, watching the show, he had felt the frustration every time Sasuke spiraled out of control. No matter how many chances people gave him, no matter how many friends reached out—he always chose the path of vengeance.
And I get it, Shredder admitted. His clan was wiped out. Betrayed. Lied to.
But now, walking in Kakashi's skin, he saw the boy more clearly. The cracks in his pride. The rage. The quiet loneliness.
Sasuke's going to leave the village. I know it. That hate runs too deep.
And even worse, the world he was heading into—Orochimaru, the Akatsuki—it was a spiral of death.
But what if… I built something else?
That thought had been circling his mind since he first met Sasuke in the classroom.
What if I created something like the Akatsuki? A version that's mine. Hidden, controlled. With real purpose, not just chaos.
A place where someone like Sasuke could defect—but still be within reach. Still be guided. Still be used.
Akatsuki 2.0.
Not to destroy the world. But to have a contingency when everything else failed.
Because deep down, Shredder knew: this world wasn't going to follow the script forever. His presence alone already changed things.
And if the story went off the rails?
I want pieces on the board. Strong ones.
Unseen Eyes
Behind him, Naruto tripped on a rock and shouted something about ramen. Sakura snapped at him. Sasuke remained silent.
Shredder didn't turn around.
They're still kids. Still growing. But the future's already creeping up on us.
He tucked the orange book away and slid his hands into his pockets.
Tomorrow, they'd reach the Land of Waves. The real battle would begin. But tonight, he'd be thinking. Planning.
Preparing the world for the new game he was going to play.
One move at a time.