Ambush

Night fell, the bright full moon rose, and stars reflected upon the river. Occasionally, a few startled egrets took flight.

Kurenai Yuhi crouched halfway down beside the riverside brush.

Asuma and the others stood on tree branches.

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

The bleak river wind teased the slightly curled, wavy strands of dark hair hanging over Kurenai Yuhi's forehead.

Her graceful figure reflected upon the water beneath her snow-white feet, swaying with the rippling light.

Just a few minutes earlier,

Asuma had led the team in setting Explosive Tag traps across the river. Ordinary ninja—even Jonin—would surely be reduced to nothing if they carelessly stepped into the minefield.

Worry showed in Kurenai Yuhi's almond-shaped eyes. She feared Ingetsu would come, yet she also feared he would not.

Her breathing quickened, and her heart pounded wildly.

If Ingetsu came,

she had to save him at the first opportunity. As for the other Uchiha, she did not need to care about them.

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.

That bold character of hers

had been forged on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage.

Her father, Yūhi Shinkō, was a Konoha Chunin and Genin instructor. During the Nine-Tails' rampage, he had been responsible for protecting and evacuating the Genin who had graduated from the Ninja Academy alongside Kurenai Yuhi.

Treated like children by her father,

Kurenai Yuhi had stood against his imposing presence and declared that, as Konoha ninja, even if they could not join the battle, they should still participate in rescue efforts.

That night, Kurenai poured out her heart to her classmates, Might Guy, Kakashi, and the others.

She earned Yūhi Shinkō's approval and was entrusted by her father with the Will of Fire.

But no one knew

that the one who had encouraged Kurenai to bravely express herself was Uchiha Ingetsu, who had stood beside her then, constantly encouraging and comforting her.

While she had been hesitating,

Ingetsu had given her a push.

It was also that very night

that Kurenai watched her father and the other Jonin die beneath the claws of the Nine-Tails Fox.

If Ingetsu had not encouraged her to express herself bravely, the Genin from her class might have been protected and evacuated.

She would never have been able to remain beside her father as he lay gravely wounded and dying, calling her name until his last breath, and let him rest in peace.

"Kurenai, what are you thinking about?"

Seeing the vacant look in Kurenai Yuhi's eyes, Asuma immediately leaped down from the tree and asked curiously.

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

Asuma frowned, gave a bitter smile, and then leaped back onto the tree.

Halfway up Mount Kikyo,

the trees grew thick and lush.

The Uchiha Rogue Squad entered the mountain path. Kikyo City, glowing with countless lights, and a river like a ribbon of liquid silver lay to their east.

"Achoo—"

Ingetsu sneezed, raised a hand to wipe his nose, and his cold, proud expression returned to normal as he led the team onward, leaping through the trees.

His gaze was sharp as fire. Even at night, he could distinguish directions under the faint moonlight.

While traveling,

Ingetsu continually pondered matters, looking for flaws in his defection plan and considering the current state of the Shinobi World.

Around the Night of the Clan Annihilation,

the Shinobi World appeared calm on the surface, and there were no hidden undercurrents either. In short, no particularly major events had occurred.

Since there isn't one, then I'll create one!

Ingetsu thought to himself.

The more chaotic the Shinobi World became, the safer it would be for him—and the easier it would be to fish in troubled waters.

Otherwise, the Five Great Shinobi Villages would all fix their eyes openly upon the Uchiha Rogue Squad.

Even with Yachihoko and Kotoamatsukami, Ingetsu would not be able to survive safely in the Shinobi World.

However, he had long since made plans for stirring things up. Their escape was also part of that plan.

After his battle with Danzo,

Ingetsu had discovered the limits of the Yachihoko Mangekyo Sharingan. With a full ten-tenths reserve of Mangekyo Yin Release Chakra, he could use a first-strike kill to control around 120 elite mid-to-high-ranking ninja like those in the Root Organization.

This was directly related to his still-weak Pupil Power. Uchiha Pupil Power came from love turning into hatred; the stronger the hatred, the stronger the Pupil Power. It was also tied to the strength of one's spiritual power and Chakra.

For now, Ingetsu had no way to improve it quickly. He could only slowly temper his spirit over time and perfectly refine and control his Chakra.

"It has been nearly three days since the Night of the Clan Annihilation, and my Yachihoko Mangekyo Sharingan's Yin Release Chakra has only recovered to thirty percent. Kotoamatsukami has finished cooling down, though. Still, that's enough."

Ingetsu felt considerably more at ease.

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

But even so,

if Ingetsu only had a pair of Yachihoko Mangekyo Sharingan with a single type of ability during their escape, without the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami, the pressure of fleeing would inevitably increase drastically.

As for Susanoo,

he was still exploring it.

That was also why Ingetsu had insisted on killing Danzo, taking enormous risks to seize the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyo Sharingan.

Just as the squad swept past a mountain peak,

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

Five pitch-black figures rose from waist-high bushes, blocking the Uchiha Rogue Squad's path.

Under the moonlight, it was clear that the five wore ninja headbands and carried weapons.

Uchiha Ingetsu was the first to stop. He crouched on a branch, activated his Three Tomoe Sharingan, stared straight ahead at the situation, and raised a hand to signal behind him.

At that moment, aside from Nanfeng, who carried Tamao on his back, and Izumi, who was watching over Mikoto,

the other Uchiha flashed away at once, scattering into concealed positions within the dark forest.

Their movements were swift and perfectly coordinated.

Mikoto's beautiful dark eyes flickered with a trace of shock. The Uchiha clan's ninja truly possessed such exceptional adaptability in battle.

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

that no matter how powerful each member was individually,

a team without a central pillar

could never respond to a single call, cooperate seamlessly, and fight in coordination.

"What exactly did he do to make all of you both revere him and trust him from the bottom of your hearts?"

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

Izumi shot Mikoto an irritated glare, tightened her grip on the ninja sword in her hand, and prepared herself for battle without answering.

Izumi was still wondering whether this old woman was suitable for Captain Ingetsu.

So what if she was Itachi's mother?

Did being Itachi's mother mean she could go after younger men?

Izumi puffed out her cheeks in anger and gripped her ninja sword tightly. If she had not been watching over the woman beside her, she could have been fighting shoulder to shoulder with Captain Ingetsu right now.

Mikoto did not understand the hostility in Izumi's eyes and mistook it for the girl still excluding her.

Mikoto did not know about the Night of the Clan Annihilation.

While her eldest son had slaughtered the civilians,

Ingetsu had led these Uchiha in a surprise attack, assassinated Konoha's core leadership, killed Shimura Danzō, and avenged the Uchiha.

Izumi suddenly sighed. "Sigh, perhaps Captain Ingetsu's choice wasn't necessarily right either. He chose the mountain route, and now we've run into a pursuing ninja squad. If we'd chosen the water route, things might have been different."

Mikoto paid no attention to Izumi's muttering. She naturally maintained her gentle, tranquil demeanor, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ingetsu's straight-backed silhouette.

At the front of the squad,

"Hm?"

Ingetsu narrowed his eyes and analyzed the situation. The next instant, he decisively drew his ninja sword from his back and used the Body Flicker Technique toward the five shadows ahead.

In only an instant,

Mikoto's eyes widened. She only saw a blur before her, and when she could see clearly again,

not only had Ingetsu appeared, but the other Uchiha who had vanished earlier had also reappeared.

They surrounded the five shadowy figures, their ninja swords crossing as they pressed them against the five men's throats.

The five were caught completely off guard.

The scene fell into dead silence.

Ingetsu's ninja sword rested against one man's throat, its sharp blade biting into his skin and drawing a line of blood.

Using the moonlight, he glanced sideways and saw the man's face clearly.

The other party was a young man with a gaunt face. He wore a Kirigakure Rogue Ninja Headband, sweat beading on his forehead, but a fierce glint remained in his eyes as he tightly gripped a bow and arrow.

The thin young man was also studying Ingetsu. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and he cried out in joy:

"Captain Ingetsu!!!

It's me.

Yager!

You saved us before."