Ishiki had made a conscious effort to befriend Uchiha Shisui,and not only because of the man's personality.
What really drew his interest…was those eyes.
If—just if—Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan really was destined to fall into Shimura Danzō's hands one day…then Ishiki figured he might as well steal it for himself instead.
Of course, that would only be possible if he ever drew Whitesnake again.
But that was still far off.There were six or seven years left until the Uchiha Massacre.And who could say what might change now, with his butterfly wings flapping chaos into this timeline?
The squad continued their journey and soon approached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.
It was here that Shisui finally revealed the second part of their mission.
"Extraction. We're to rendezvous in two days at Mount Kuroku, in the Land of Frost.A deep-cover operative from Kumogakure will be waiting for us there.Our task is to retrieve the intel he's obtained… and ensure his safety."
Shisui's wording was deliberately vague.Which told Ishiki the rest of the intel was likely need-to-know.
But they had enough to move.And details, well… those were the squad leader's burden.
As for Ishiki?
His mission was simple: survive.
The group grew more vigilant as they traveled.Previously, they'd still been within the safe borders of the Land of Fire.Now, their path would soon cut across the Land of Hot Water—a small buffer nation wedged between two giants.
Though bordered by two warring great nations, the Land of Hot Water itself had managed to remain neutral.Its capital, Yugakure, no longer maintained a standing shinobi force.
But that hadn't always been the case.
In the earlier years of the wars, this land had also known battle.But with no valuable resources left to fight over, and continual budget cuts from its daimyo,the Land of Hot Water was forced to seek another way forward.
That path… was tourism.
Blessed with abundant natural hot springs and scenic beauty,the country rebranded itself as a place of healing and peace.A retreat where shinobi and civilians alike could forget war—even if only temporarily.
Its former shinobi, the Yugakure ninja, soon found themselves without missions.They too embraced this new philosophy,and the land gradually became known as a place where war was forgotten—a sanctuary of neutrality.
But Ishiki saw the truth.Without rare ores, fertile land, or military strength,the Land of Hot Water was tolerated because it was useless.
Neither Konohagakure nor Kumogakure saw any value in seizing it.And if war ever escalated to the breaking point,it could be reclaimed as a buffer zone.
For now, the squad would cut across this land on their way to the Land of Frost,which, by contrast, had become a hellscape.
The great nations used it as a proxy battleground.Assassinations, looting, banditry—the civilian population had been plunged into starvation and despair.
As they neared the edge of Hot Water territory,Ishiki's group began encountering refugees fleeing from Frost.
But through Aoba's scouting crows, they learned something grim—bandits were chasing these refugees, closing the distance fast.
In minutes, they'd catch up.
What would follow was obvious.
Ishiki felt no emotional stir.
He understood the reality:If they intervened, they'd likely be discovered.That meant facing enemy shinobi—perhaps Kumo-nin already lying in wait.
Even with Shisui's strength, their primary mission might fail.
And who was to say whether those "bandits" and "refugees" weren't Kumogakure operatives in disguise?
At the Academy—back when Konoha was still embroiled in the Third Shinobi War—Ishiki's instructors had taught them exactly this.
They were taught not the ideals of peace,but the cruel truths of war:enemy shinobi disguised as civilians, children raised to be bombs,entire villages razed as decoys.
It was harsh, but real.And Ishiki—though now someone else inside—still carried that caution.
He was certain Shisui would prioritize the mission.
But then Shisui raised his hand—halt.
Instant tension.Even Mirina and Aoba furrowed their brows.
That signal meant only one thing:something was wrong.
"What did you see?" Aoba asked, forming a hand seal to activate his sensory jutsu.
Shisui stopped him.
"One of the 'bandits'... is a shinobi."
The entire squad immediately entered battle-ready mode.
Aoba felt a pang of frustration.His network of tagged scouting crows had been everywhere nearby.If someone had attacked one, he'd have known.
Yet he'd missed it—and Shisui hadn't.
"Don't worry about it," Shisui said with a smile, as if reading his mind."I'm just good at perception too."
He tapped his temple—revealing his three-tomoe Sharingan, glowing crimson.
"This isn't the time to get distracted.We don't know if this ninja is a stray… or part of a trap.Prepare for engagement."
Ishiki's heart pounded.
Technically, this would be his first true battle since arriving in this world.
Moments later, the refugees passed beneath the trees where they were hidden.Half a minute after that, the mounted bandits thundered through.
Snarling, predatory—they didn't see victims ahead, they saw prey already served.
And at least one of them…was a shinobi in disguise.
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I will post bonus chapter if we reach 300 power stones !
300 power stones = 1 bonus chapter