Phantom by the Lake

The silver moon, like a white jade disk in the sky, illuminated everything brightly. After the clouds that had been obscuring the moon dispersed, tonight's moonlight was exceptionally clear. The lake surface reflected the silver-white light, making the surrounding trees clearly visible.

This was not a suitable time to infiltrate the camp—it was too bright. Kaede silently lurked at the lake's outlet, where dense trees provided cover from discovery, and the swift current could quickly wash away his scent, making it harder for ninja hounds to track him.

Fully submerged in the outlet, Kaede could only wait for the right moment—the hour just before dawn, when people were at their sleepiest and the night watch's vigilance dropped. At that time, the moon's glow would fade, the sun had yet to rise, and the darkness would be at its deepest—perfect for his infiltration.

Fortunately, it was still midsummer. Even fully immersed in water, he felt no cold. If it were winter, lying in the water for hours of lurking would likely freeze him to death. Even ninjas feared the cold...

So it was said that ninjas couldn't be judged by common sense. To complete a mission, they often did things beyond imagination.

As he idly let his thoughts wander, waiting for the chance to infiltrate the camp, a dark figure approached with nearly silent footsteps.

"Someone's coming. This place is neither too far nor too close to the camp—why would anyone come here?" Kaede wondered.

From the footsteps alone, the newcomer was clearly a formidable character.

The Sand Shinobi camp was on the other side of the lake, at the inlet, to prevent anyone from poisoning the water source. They had set up camp upstream.

This was downstream, which shouldn't be a concern for the Sand Shinobi. There was no reason for someone to come check just because he had hidden here.

Had he been exposed?

Kaede went completely still, minimizing his presence to the utmost, merging with nature. At the same time, his focus sharpened—if he was truly discovered, he would open his eyes and use genjutsu to control the opponent. That way, he might still have a chance to break into the camp and search for intelligence.

Because of the lake's reflection and the depth of the outlet, looking from the shore into the water, one couldn't see Kaede curled up inside. The newcomer didn't seem to be a reconnaissance ninja either, showing no intention of looking into the water.

Lying underwater, holding his breath, Kaede saw the figure above distorted by refraction. He could only vaguely make out that it was a female ninja.

"The Land of Wind doesn't have beautiful lakes like this. What a shame. I can only enjoy the cool lake water on occasions like this. I should cherish it. If only this war could end in victory—then the Sand would gain more fertile land." She took off her sandals, talking to herself, and dipped her feet into the cool lake water, letting out a soft, delighted chuckle.

In this season, being able to soak in cool lake water was something she, born in the dry Land of Wind, couldn't have imagined, even with her formidable strength.

To avoid drawing attention from her fellow village ninjas and having them find her here—which would ruin her fun—she only dared to laugh softly. She didn't want anyone to know what she was doing right now.

Kaede could only pray that this female ninja would wash her feet quickly and leave. "I don't mind your stinky feet polluting my lake water, but can you hurry up? Holding my breath is really tough."

Two pale, delicate feet traced circles in the water, sending ripples spreading outward. From below, Kaede could only see a pair of slender calves, and above that, a distorted expanse of white.

"Tsk, looks like she's pretty. Dare you show your whole legs? I swear I won't peek," he thought. "I'll just look openly."

"Wasn't my teacher Jiraiya?"

Kaede silently shifted the blame for his lecherous thoughts onto Jiraiya.

"It's so late—no one should be here, right? Should I..." She seemed eager, carefully checking the surroundings before pulling out a scroll from behind her.

"Poof." The white smoke cleared, revealing the scroll's true form. In the center was a large character for 'Barrier,' indicating this was a Barrier Scroll. Someone carrying such a valuable item was certainly no ordinary person.

"Heehee, good thing I brought this." She had been planning this for a while.

"Barrier [Mirage Technique]. Now no one can see this place." She smiled at her handiwork, clapped her hands, and set her belongings on the shore.

From the Barrier Scroll, a mist-like vapor spread, covering the lake surface where she stood. To an outside observer, it looked like a normal lake—no one would notice anything unusual unless they paid close attention.

"A barrier technique developed using the desert mirage phenomenon—how convenient. I'm such a genius beauty. With this, no one will find me." She didn't forget to praise herself.

Summer clothing was already light, and she had been longing for this. Unable to hold back any longer, she quickly shed her clothes, folded them neatly, and placed them aside. She also took a towel from a sealing scroll to wear after her bath.

"The feeling of being completely immersed in cool lake water—I finally get to experience it again. So comfortable~" She walked freely through the water.

What was Kaede doing now? He did nothing. He dared do nothing. Because he felt his head rapidly filling with blood, his eyes bulging, and his mind consumed by the female ninja swimming above him.

As he had guessed, she was a remarkably attractive female ninja—both in figure and face. Especially those two long, slender, pale legs. Even if her swimming form was quite ugly, it was still a beautiful sight!

Having been in a state of stillness, he now felt his blood surging, his heart pounding powerfully. His thoughts could no longer suppress his body's instincts.

A completely naked body—in both his lives combined, this was the first time he had seen one for real. How could he not be excited?

"No, at this rate, I'll be discovered." Even if the female ninja above was clueless, when his heartbeat grew too loud, she would notice.

"What's the big deal? I've seen countless videos. I've been through all kinds of scenes. This level of temptation won't distract me." He kept feeding himself toxic positivity, bowl after bowl, but he found it less and less effective.

"Sis, please let me off. I'm still a kid." Kaede felt like crying. If the circumstances were different, he thought he might not be able to resist and just go for it.

But he had a mission now. If he failed because he got caught watching a beautiful woman bathe, how would he explain it when he got back? "I was watching a beautiful woman bathe, got caught, and ran back. Let me explain—it wasn't on purpose. She insisted on bathing right in front of me, so I watched..."

He figured Jiraiya-sensei would probably be quite pleased.

Development in the ninja world was generally fast. Most matured early. Six-year-olds entered the Ninja Academy, graduated at twelve, and many might have already had their first kill by then.

Not to mention prodigies like Kakashi, who graduated early. By the time his peers graduated, he was already a famous figure in Konoha.

Both mentally and physically, ninjas matured early. Hadn't six-year-old kids been seen confessing their love? So Kaede was suffering greatly now. He was a young man full of vigor, never having seen such a scene.

A trickle of crimson blood seeped from Kaede's nostril and drifted away.

After holding his breath underwater for so long, enduring such an alluring stimulus, caught between ice and fire, he finally broke.