Akatsuki's Assault

Eastern Land of Rivers. Dusk was settling.

The vast, primeval forest spread like an endless dark-green ocean, layer upon layer stretching through the evening haze toward the horizon until it merged with the heavy lead-gray clouds.

The crowns of ancient towering trees blocked out most of the sky, plunging the forest path into dimness before the sun had even set.

The occasional cry of a bird, or the rustle of some unknown beast passing through the underbrush, only added a deeper chill of wilderness and the unknown.

A winding dirt road, worn down over years by merchant caravans and travelers, struggled onward through the depths of the dense forest.

At that moment, a rather unusual group was making its way along that road.

A plain, enclosed freight carriage drawn by two nags was rolling over the muddy post-rain road, letting out creaks and groans.

Its wheels left deep ruts in the soft ground, clear proof that the cargo inside the carriage was extraordinarily heavy.

But what truly drew the eye were the people guarding the carriage on all four sides.

Uchiha Shisui carried a Ninja Blade on his back and walked at the very front of the group, clearing the way.

His short black hair was slightly messy, and his features were handsome and refined.

His gaze swept quietly over every shadow, treetop, and rock on both sides of the road where danger might be hiding.

Slightly behind the carriage on either side, Kimimaro and Haku walked left and right.

Haku's figure looked somewhat slender. He wore a white high-collared robe beneath a gray-blue Land of Stars standard vest, his smooth black hair tied behind his head with a simple cord.

His face was exceptionally delicate, even carrying a soft, androgynous beauty. His skin was fair, his eyes watched the