Dancing Beneath the Moonlit Night

The reason an accident was called an accident was because no one had expected something like that to happen. If you had sensed a possibility from the start, then it probably did not count as an accident, right?

It was past eight and nearly nine o'clock. April nights still carried a faint chill that seeped into the skin. The night wind howled through the Forest, playing a somewhat frightening tune and masking the faint, unnatural rustling of trembling branches.

However, "The killing intent wasn't hidden very well!"

Sōken stopped, his gaze fixed on the pitch-black Forest to his left.

"Brother Sōken?"

Not even Sōken had noticed when Naruto had changed the way he addressed him. Somehow, "Toka's brother" had become "Brother Sōken." The transition had been as smooth as silk, so natural that it had stirred neither notice nor displeasure in Sōken.

Naruto blinked his sapphire-like eyes in confusion as he watched Sōken suddenly stop.

"Naruto, you're a student at the Ninja Academy now. That means you're basically a reserve ninja. From here on... stay quiet, okay? Don't be afraid no matter what you see. If you really get scared, just close your eyes."

"Huh?"

Sōken grabbed Naruto, whose head was full of question marks, then leaped into the air and raced toward the center of the village.

The next instant, Shuriken flew from the nearby Forest like a torrential downpour.

They're attacking Naruto too? Is it Root, or...

Sōken snorted. The long blade slung across his lower back slid from its sheath, and hazy, illusory Blade Light wove a Defense Line as impenetrable as copper walls and iron ramparts. Sparks burst wildly in midair from the clashes, and every single shuriken was knocked away. However, it also slowed his pace. Listening to the footsteps in the surrounding Forest, no longer deliberately concealed, it seemed the encirclement had taken shape...

"Tch. Looks like there's no avoiding a fight."

"Awesome—"

Naruto had just been about to praise him when he recalled Sōken's earlier warning and immediately covered his mouth with both hands!

He was quite brave, showing no sign of fear.

Perhaps he had not yet reached the age to be afraid? In any case, his eyes shone as he stared at the long blade in Sōken's hand. If the situation had been different, he probably would have dared to reach out and touch it.

"Naruto, don't make any noise, and don't move around."

After reminding Naruto, Sōken leaped onto a sturdy branch of a nearby tree. Naruto was tucked beneath his left arm, while his right hand held the long blade. His scarlet eyes swept the surroundings, three black tomoe slowly revolving within them as he watched for every movement in the area.

He did not rush to attack.

If he had been alone, he could have fought without restraint. But now he had a burden with him who could not afford so much as a bump or scrape, so he needed to be more cautious.

Naruto obediently stayed still and silent, like a wooden doll. Only his darting eyes showed just how excited he was. So far, this bloodless battle had not frightened him in the least. On the contrary, it had thrilled him to the extreme.

However, Once blood was spilled, he likely would not be so happy anymore.

Sōken abruptly drove the long blade in his hand into the nearby trunk. His right hand reached into the Ninja Tool pouch at the small of his back and drew out three shuriken. Chakra silently flowed into them, activating the power known as Knight of Owner. In that instant, the three ordinary shuriken gained properties equivalent to D-rank Noble Phantasms.

"Go!"

With a flick of his wrist, he threw the shuriken.

Faint rustling came from the dark Forest as the attackers shifted positions.

"A bunch of idiots. Underestimating the Uchiha will bring you nothing but trouble!"

A vicious smile spread across Sōken's face.

After flying into the Forest, the three shuriken suddenly collided. The crisp, ringing sound of metal striking metal echoed through the night wind. Sparks flashed and vanished as the shuriken shot off along entirely different trajectories. The next second, three distinct sounds came from the darkness.

The hum of chopping firewood.

The dull thud of cleaving flesh.

The splash of something falling into water.

"Huh? Pretty good. I only took out one."

Sōken narrowed his eyes.

These attackers were more elite than he had initially expected. Were they truly Anbu or Root elites? The Uchiha Style Throwing Technique was no commonplace trick. It was a throwing technique unique to the Uchiha Clan, one that could only be used in conjunction with the Sharingan.

Anyone capable of dodging that move was definitely not weak.

Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere.

From the darkness, someone was the first to unleash a ninjutsu.

Bullet-like wind projectiles fired out one after another, their dense barrage resembling a human-shaped Maxim gun.

Fortunately, ninjas were also human-shaped, self-propelled Gundams. Sōken saw the Chakra density suddenly rise in the darkness. With Naruto tucked under his arm, he pulled the long blade from the tree trunk and leaped across the branches with feline speed and gentleness. Aside from devastating several ancient trees, the ferocious assault achieved nothing.

"Secret Technique: Mind Body Switch Technique."

One of the attackers was a member of the Yamanaka Clan.

"Idiot."

Sōken decisively twisted aside, using Naruto, tucked under his left arm, as a human shield to block the impact of the mental energy.

Ordinary people could not see the mental energy released when the Yamanaka Clan used their secret techniques, but the Uchiha Clan, who were equally adept at manipulating mental energy with the Sharingan, could vaguely sense the ripples created by its eruption through Sōken's Three Tomoe Sharingan.

For an expert of Sōken's level, even the slightest clue was enough for him to see the whole picture.

Before "Naruto" could make any move, Sōken lowered his head and met "Naruto's" gaze.

"Illusion: Fire Dragon."

This was a Genjutsu-based ocular technique in which the Uchiha Clan excelled.

Within the illusion, raging flames coiled around the body and burned fiercely. The assault on the soul instantly broke the Mind Body Switch Technique. At nearly the same moment, the masked attacker crouching atop a tree in the distance let out a piercing, miserable scream. Not everyone could endure the agony of being engulfed in flames.

Strictly speaking, pain that acted directly upon the soul was even harder to endure than pain in reality.

Clang!

The force of the blow from behind made Sōken's body sway.

Behind him, the attacker wielding a Katana wrapped in incomparably sharp Wind Blades inwardly cursed his misfortune. His wind-wreathed Katana could cut through even steel. During past missions, he had once cleaved an Iwagakure ninja who had used a hardening technique in two, along with his weapon.

He had not expected to fail this time.

That enormous thing wrapped in layer upon layer of bandages, like a door panel, was actually harder than ordinary steel.

"Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame."

Sōken swiftly turned around, and blazing Hikari ignited along the long blade in his hand.

Innate Skill: Magic Release (Flame)—as Chakra poured into the blade, raging flames swayed wildly. Wielding that scorching edge, Sōken brought it down in a vicious slash. The attacker, skilled in Wind Style Techniques, had clearly trained diligently in taijutsu and swordsmanship in order to bring out the close-combat properties of Wind Style Chakra. He kept up with Sōken's movement and raised his Katana to block the flaming blade.

However, fire overcame wind.

Rather than helping him sever Sōken's blade, the Wind Style Chakra wrapped around his Katana only fueled the ferocious flames. The surging blaze engulfed his entire body, and the extreme heat claimed the attacker's life in just two breaths.

Though it seemed long, less than a minute had actually passed.

Within that brief minute, Sōken had killed two and severely wounded one while carrying the burden of Naruto. Such a result could only be called brilliant. After all, his enemies were all elites among elites—clan ninjas who wielded secret techniques, master swordsmen skilled in the rare attribute of Wind Style Techniques...