Double Kill

In the dense forest, a gigantic waterfall hung from the cliffs. Rushing water plunged down from above, churning into countless waves beneath its immense curtain.

Only the moonlight illuminated the river, appearing in the night alongside its silvery torrent.

Across from the cliffs lay bustling Konoha. The conspicuous Kage Rock overlooked the village, as if the Hokage of every generation were protecting Konoha in this way.

Lights shone in every home, yet the streets were almost deserted. The contrast between the bright lights and the desolation was striking.

If there was one thing everyone in the Shinobi World hated, it was war.

War raged everywhere. Every shinobi who died meant a family destroyed. How could they not have been the pillars of their households?

The only ones who profited were those standing at the peaks of power in each country. As long as their country wasn't destroyed, they could comfortably stay far behind the battlefield, enjoying their lives.

Defeat? Perhaps all they had to pay was money.

But the shinobi who fought to the death to protect their countries were left to fade into obscurity.

Whoosh, whoosh—

Two figures, one thin and one fat, appeared atop the cliffs, one after the other.

"Konoha really is prosperous."

The fat man gazed at Konoha in the distance and muttered enviously,

"It has vast lands and abundant resources. Unlike our Sunagakure, where you can't even find a blade of grass." He gave a self-deprecating chuckle. As he looked at the village in the distance, greed flashed in his eyes.

The Monkey-Faced Man nodded slightly. "After the Shinobi World War ends, as long as we're on the winning side... we can have resources like these, too."

"The Land of Fire... has been prosperous for too long. It's time for someone else to take its place."

The fat man chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "I heard there's a famous shop in Konoha called 'Ichiraku Ramen.' When the time comes, I'll go try it."

"All you think about is eating," the Monkey-Faced Man spat. "Let's finish the mission before talking about all that. I'll go left, you go right. We'll investigate separately and meet back here in half an hour."

"Sure..."

The two leaped away, heading in opposite directions. They needed to memorize Konoha's terrain in preparation for the war.

Beneath the waterfall, a figure slowly rose from the water, quietly watching the two men split up.

It was Sora Uchiha. He climbed out of the water, wrung out his dripping hair, and raised the corners of his mouth.

"Splitting up? I've finally got my chance."

In truth, with his strength, he could defeat both of them at once.

But that was only if the two Sunagakure shinobi stayed and fought him. If they tried to run, he could catch only one.

And these two were clearly scouts sent ahead of the war. They certainly wouldn't stick around to fight him.

But now, he had a chance to take them out one by one.

He smiled faintly and slipped after the fat man.

"Konoha's nice and all, but the terrain is way too complicated. It's forests everywhere."

The fat man was struggling to memorize the surrounding terrain. Sunagakure had no plants like these; all he needed was a high vantage point, and he could take in the entire village at a glance.

Konoha was different. Its terrain was complex, with dense forests and mountains. He had to walk through it himself to memorize the landscape.

Then the fat man seemed to think of something and chuckled.

"Once this reconnaissance is over, I'll head home and eat my fill."

If they completed the mission, their superiors could reward them with a period of rest back home. During wartime, that kind of reward was like a windfall.

Crack—

Suddenly, his ears twitched. With a Body Flicker, he appeared on a tree trunk, holding his breath and slowing his heartbeat as he warily surveyed the area.

As a scout, he had special techniques. His strength lay in his ears: he could gather Chakra around them to greatly enhance his hearing.

Just now, he had heard an extremely faint sound.

"Monkey, is that you?"

Monkey was the nickname he had given the Monkey-Faced Man.

There was no response. The surroundings were utterly silent; perhaps the sound he'd heard had only been his imagination.

The fat man cautiously scanned the area, his fingers resting on the Kunai at his waist, ready to react to any change.

Whoosh—

Suddenly, a powerful current of air surged up from beneath his tree!

In an instant, a miniature tornado formed and swept him inside!

It happened without the slightest warning. The fat man couldn't react in time before the air cyclone swept him up, its spring-breeze-like suction holding him fast.

It didn't hurt him; its only effect was to trap him.

Secret Scroll: Whirlwind!

"Who—!" The fat man had barely started to speak before the fierce wind choked him. He couldn't get a word out, much less call for Monkey's help.

The next moment, a dark shape appeared before him. Four red legs—it was a toad!

Summoning: Gamatatsu!

"Ribbit—"

Gamatatsu puffed out his cheeks like a pufferfish. The next moment, he sprayed several water bullets straight at the fat man!

Pfft—

At the same time, a shadow appeared behind the fat man and plunged a Kunai into his back without mercy.

"Ugh, you..." The fat man's eyes flew wide. He turned back in disbelief, but all he saw was a harmless-looking boy...

With his hearing disrupted by the air cyclone, he hadn't even noticed anyone behind him.

He fell to the ground with a thud, powerless.

"Nice work, Gamakichi." Sora Uchiha gave the toad a thumbs-up. Gamakichi's effect was simple: it dealt damage while increasing the damage Sora dealt.

To put it plainly, Sora's Kunai alone wouldn't have killed someone instantly; it would have taken time. With Gamakichi's help, he had killed the man in a single strike.

With a thud, Gamakichi disappeared.

After glancing at the body at his feet, Sora Uchiha immediately hurried off toward the Monkey-Faced Man.

"I've completely mapped out the terrain on Konoha's right side. I hope the fat guy's done, too."

In the forest, the Monkey-Faced Man leaped from tree to tree, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

Leaves rustled as moonlight filtered through them, dappling the ground. A seven-spotted ladybug watched the Monkey-Faced Man in silence, the red spots on its back far brighter than usual.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

Three Shuriken flew out in a triangular formation. They collided midair, then cleverly shifted into a triangle and shot toward the Monkey-Faced Man.

His expression changed. He quickly threw three Shuriken of his own.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

All six Shuriken collided and embedded themselves in different tree trunks, each sunk deep into the wood and lodged straight in place.

"Who is it!" the Monkey-Faced Man snapped. He grabbed an Explosive Tag and warily watched his surroundings.

Beneath the moonlight, the boy's figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

"As expected of a Chunin from Sunagakure. Your skills are impressive."

Sora Uchiha praised him. Those two exchanges alone showed that the Monkey-Faced Man was stronger than the fat man.

The Monkey-Faced Man stared at the handsome Sora Uchiha, at once shocked and furious.

He was shocked that he hadn't noticed anyone nearby.

He was furious that the one who'd ambushed him was just a boy of eleven or twelve.

"Very good. You're brave to show yourself right in front of me." The Monkey-Faced Man grinned ominously and immediately hurled the Explosive Tag!

Sora Uchiha narrowed his eyes and threw a Shuriken at it.

An explosion rang out with a boom.

But Sora Uchiha was stunned: the Monkey-Faced Man had turned and run the instant the blast went off, with no intention of fighting at all. That sinister, vicious expression he'd worn earlier had only been an act.

"Fine, fine. You're pretty clever."

Sora Uchiha was so exasperated he laughed. He snapped off a tree branch and held it in his hand. "Run? Try my new move first."

He quickly formed Hand Seals. At the same time, his eyes and pupils shone scarlet. Three Tomoe rotated around one another, extending and growing until they formed a magnificent Mangekyo pattern.

"Uchiha's Glory!"

A Mangekyo design burst into view in midair.

The fleeing Monkey-Faced Man felt a terrifying force seize him and lift him straight into the air, directly into the center of the Mangekyo pattern.

He stared down at the boy in horror, witnessing those mesmerizing eyes.

"The Sharingan! You're an Uchiha..."

He could barely speak. He wanted to beg for mercy, but all he saw was endless firelight and the flash of blades...

As he died, he had only one question: why was this Sharingan different from everyone else's?

Double kill!