Ambushed

Night's curtain fell, the bright full moon rose, and the river reflected the countless stars. Every now and then, a few egrets took fright and scattered into the sky.

Kurenai Yuhi crouched beside the riverbank, hidden among the trees.

Asuma and the others stood on the branches.

Five people and a dog watched the upstream stretch of the not-too-wide river with meticulous attention.

The chilly river breeze toyed with the slightly curled blue-black strands falling over Kurenai Yuhi's forehead.

Her graceful figure floated above the water beneath her snow-white feet, her elegant bearing captivating as it swayed with the shimmering waves.

Just a few minutes earlier.

Asuma had led the team in setting up Exploding Tag traps across the river. An ordinary ninja, even a jonin, would certainly be reduced to nothing but bones if they entered the trapped area without noticing.

Worry showed in Kurenai Yuhi's almond-shaped eyes. She was afraid that Ingetsu would come, yet also afraid that he wouldn't.

Her breathing quickened, and her heart pounded wildly.

If Ingetsu came.

She had to save him at the first possible moment. As for the other Uchiha, she could leave them be.

Kurenai Yuhi's pupils trembled slightly as she made up her mind. She had never liked dragging things out. Once she decided to do something, she would not hesitate.

This heroic temperament of hers.

Its roots could be traced back to the night of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's rampage.

Her father, Yuhi Shinku, had been a Konoha chunin and an instructor for genin. When the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox ran wild, he had been responsible for protecting and evacuating the genin who had graduated from the Ninja Academy alongside Kurenai Yuhi.

Her father had treated her like a child.

Back then, Kurenai Yuhi had stood up under her father's pressure and declared that as Konoha Ninja, even if they could not join the battle, they should still take part in rescue missions.

That night, Kurenai had spoken her heart to her classmates, Might Guy, Kakashi, and the others.

She earned Yuhi Shinku's praise, and her father entrusted her with the Will of Fire.

But no one knew.

The person who had encouraged Kurenai to express herself bravely, constantly cheering her on and comforting her as he stood by her side, had been Uchiha Ingetsu.

While she was hesitating.

Ingetsu had given her a push.

And on that very night.

Kurenai had watched with her own eyes as her father and the other jonin sacrificed themselves beneath the claws of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.

If Ingetsu had not encouraged her to express herself, the genin of their generation might have been evacuated under protection.

She would never have been able to stay beside her father when he was gravely wounded and on the verge of death, allowing him to rest in peace as he called her name with his final breath.

"Kurenai, what are you thinking about?"

Seeing Kurenai Yuhi's vacant gaze, Asuma immediately jumped down from the tree and asked curiously.

Kurenai Yuhi came back to herself, took half a step back to deliberately put some distance between herself and Asuma, and shook her head. "Nothing."

Asuma's brow furrowed. He gave a bitter smile, then leaped back into the tree.

Halfway up Kikyo Mountain.

The trees grew thick and lush.

The Uchiha renegade team entered the mountain path. Kikyo Castle, lit by the lights of thousands of homes, and the river, resembling a silver ribbon, lay to their east.

"Achoo—"

Ingetsu sneezed, raised a hand to wipe his nose, and his cold, aloof expression returned to normal as he continued leading the team from branch to branch.

His gaze was sharp. Even at night, he could distinguish directions with the help of the faint moonlight.

As they traveled, Ingetsu kept thinking, searching for flaws in his defection plan while looking ahead at the current state of the shinobi world.

Before and after the Night of the Uchiha Massacre.

The shinobi world was calm on the surface, and there were no hidden currents stirring beneath it either. In short, nothing particularly significant had happened.

Since there's nothing, then I'll make something happen!

Ingetsu pondered inwardly.

Only if the shinobi world became more chaotic would it be safe for him. It would also allow him to fish in troubled waters.

Otherwise, the Five Great Shinobi Villages would stare openly at their Uchiha renegade team.

Even with the Eight Thousand Spears and Kotoamatsukami, Ingetsu would have no way to survive safely in the shinobi world.

However, he had already made plans to throw the situation into chaos. Their escape was also one part of that plan.

After his battle with Danzo.

Ingetsu had figured out the limits of the Eight Thousand Spears Kaleidoscope. With a full reserve of Yin Release Chakra from the Mangekyo, he could achieve an instant kill and control around 120 elite mid- to high-level Root Organization shinobi.

This was directly related to his Eye Power still being relatively weak. The Eye Power of the Uchiha came from love turning into hatred. The stronger the hatred, the stronger the Eye Power. It was also linked to the strength of one's spirit and Chakra.

Ingetsu temporarily had no way to raise it quickly. He could only temper his spirit over time while perfectly refining and controlling his Chakra.

"It's been nearly three days since the Night of the Uchiha Massacre, yet the Yin Release Chakra of my Eight Thousand Spears Kaleidoscope has recovered to only thirty percent. Kotoamatsukami has finished cooling down, though. Still, this is enough."

Ingetsu felt somewhat reassured.

The original owner had been born the captain of the Uchiha Police Force, a Three Tomoe Uchiha proficient in Uchiha Swordsmanship, Fire Release, and close-combat taijutsu.

Even so.

If Ingetsu had only a pair of Eight Thousand Spears Mangekyo with a single ability and lacked the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, the pressure of fleeing would have increased dramatically.

As for Susanoo.

He was still exploring it.

That was also why Ingetsu had been determined to kill Danzo and risk everything to seize his Kotoamatsukami Kaleidoscope.

Just as the team swept over the top of a mountain.

Swish—swish—swish—

Five pitch-black figures rose from the waist-high bushes and blocked the Uchiha renegade team's path.

Under the moonlight, it was clear that all five wore forehead protectors and carried weapons.

Uchiha Ingetsu halted first. He crouched on a branch, activated his Three Tomoe, and stared at the situation ahead before raising a hand and waving it toward the rear.

At that moment, apart from Nanfeng, who was carrying Tamao, and Izumi, who was looking after Mikoto.

The other Uchiha suddenly flashed away and scattered into concealed positions within the dark forest.

Their movements were swift, and their coordination was flawless.

Mikoto's dark, beautiful eyes flickered with a trace of shock. The Uchiha Clan's ninja truly possessed such outstanding ability to adapt to sudden situations.

But as a Three Tomoe wielder and a Konoha Jonin herself, Mikoto also understood.

No matter how powerful each team member was in individual combat.

If the team lacked a central pillar.

It was absolutely impossible for them to respond to a single command, coordinate seamlessly, and fight as one.

"What exactly did he do to make you all revere him so much while also trusting him from the bottom of your hearts?"

Doubt flashed through Mikoto's eyes as she looked at Izumi.

Izumi rolled her eyes at Mikoto in annoyance, tightened her grip on her ninja sword, and stood ready to strike without replying.

Izumi was still wondering whether that old woman and Yinyue Captain were a good match.

So what if she was Itachi's mother?

Did being Itachi's mother mean she could eat young grass?

Izumi puffed out her cheeks and gripped her ninja sword tightly. If she had not been looking after the woman beside her, she could be fighting shoulder to shoulder with Yinyue Captain right now.

Mikoto's eyes revealed confusion at Izumi's hostility. She mistakenly thought the girl was still excluding her.

Mikoto did not know what had happened on the Night of the Uchiha Massacre.

When her eldest son had slaughtered civilians.

Ingetsu had led these Uchiha in catching Konoha's core leadership off guard, assassinating them, killing Shimura Danzō, and avenging the Uchiha.

Izumi suddenly sighed. "Sigh, it seems Yinyue Captain's choice may not have been right after all. He chose the mountain route, only to run into a pursuing ninja squad. If he had chosen the water route, things might have turned out differently."

Mikoto paid no attention to Izumi's muttering. She naturally maintained her gentle, composed demeanor, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ingetsu's straight back.

At the front of the team.

"Hmm?"

Ingetsu narrowed his eyes, analyzing the situation. In the next moment, he decisively drew his ninja sword and flashed toward the five shadows ahead.

In merely an instant.

Mikoto's eyes widened. Everything blurred before her, and by the time she could see the situation clearly again.

It was not only Ingetsu. Even the other Uchiha who had left earlier had appeared together.

They surrounded the five shadows completely, their ninja swords crossed against the five people's throats.

The five were caught off guard.

The scene fell into utter silence.

Ingetsu's ninja sword pressed against one person's throat, its sharp edge cutting into the skin and drawing a thin line of blood.

With the help of the moonlight, he glanced sideways and made out the man's face.

The other party was a young man with a gaunt face. He wore a Hidden Mist Village rogue-ninja forehead protector, and sweat covered his forehead, but his eyes held a fierce glint as he gripped the bow and arrows in his hands.

The frail young man was also sizing up Ingetsu. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he cried out in delight:

"Yinyue Captain!!!

It's me.

Jaeger!

You saved us before."