The Map

The Land of Water had a damp climate. The heavy snow falling in the north turned into steady rain here, pouring day and night until everything in the world became gray.

"This lousy place is so depressing," Kusama Shigeo complained. He was already soaked to the bone, while I clutched my cloak tighter and said nothing.

It wasn't as prosperous as the Land of Fire. It was more like a collection of small villages. Scattered settlements nestled among the mountains, while vast terraces appeared and disappeared behind the mountain mist.

"Avoid the people. Head into the mountains."

Hyuga Makoto led us around one settlement after another, weaving through the forest. Apart from the rustling leaves and the chirping of insects and birds, we heard nothing else.

That meant it was safe.

We'd faced too many dangers along the way. Now that we finally had a quiet moment, it almost felt unreal.

"Stay alert. We're not far from Kirigakure."

"Yes, sir."

I watched the figure ahead of us, unable to make sense of what I was feeling.

If not for Hyuga, how could Kusama Shigeo and I have made it this far? I even thought that if he hadn't been bringing the two of us along, he might have completed the mission long ago.

So this was how different a Jonin was from a Genin.

Wait, wasn't Shisui a Jonin too?

That grinning, punchable face suddenly popped into my mind. My vision darkened. No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't accept it. A little flame flared up inside me.

How had someone like him become a Jonin?!

Hmph. Just wait. Genin, Chunin, Jonin—I'd reach them all sooner or later. Even Kage Level!

After another half day of travel, we began to notice the changes around us. The mountains were no longer peaceful and serene. An air of death seemed to hang over them.

This place was completely different from Konoha.

The forests of Konoha were filled with sunlight.

But these mountains were steeped in killing intent!

As expected, the closer we got to Kirigakure, the heavier the security became, and the more obstacles we encountered. We had less than a third of the journey left, yet it took even longer than the distance we'd already covered.

As we pressed deeper into the area, we began to see wreckage and bones, along with villages where nine out of ten houses stood empty.

Some places looked like ghost towns, utterly silent.

After walking for a long time, we climbed a ridge. Kusama Shigeo suddenly stopped. I followed his gaze and saw a small child dead beneath a tree... Her hair was long, her body caked in mud. A red scarf slipped down in the rain. I couldn't tell whether it was stained with blood or if that was its original color.

I wore a scarf just like it. My mother had knitted it for me herself.

A dull ache tightened in my chest. I parted my lips, but couldn't find anything to say.

"We're close."

In the endless silence, Hyuga Makoto was the first to speak. His voice blended with the fine rain, his tone impossible to make out.

"The Bloody Mist Village... we're almost there?" Kusama Shigeo's voice sounded heavy too.

I said nothing. I simply stepped forward and carefully knelt beside the child. I reached out, unsure what I could do. In the end, I only brushed her hair back and wiped away the mud, revealing the girl's original face. She was pale and tiny, as if she were asleep.

"She's so little..." I heard Kusama Shigeo murmur behind me. My heart sank even further.

The girl looked only three or four years old, still at an age when she should have been snuggling in her parents' arms. Instead, someone had killed her and left her body out in the mountains.

And we'd seen far too many scenes like this along the way.

Kusama Shigeo and I were still grieving when a hand reached out and, without hesitation, lifted the girl's shirt, exposing her horribly mutilated torso.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Kusama Shigeo panicked. He grabbed her clothes, trying to cover her up, while I stood frozen in shock.

"She was killed by a Shuriken. At her age, if she was killed by a shinobi, it could only have been caused by infighting in Kirigakure."

"She died less than two days ago. The enemy may still be nearby. Stay alert."

At that, I looked up at Hyuga Makoto. His eyes rested on the signs of abuse on the girl's body, still detached. There was no regret, no sadness, not even the slightest emotion on his face. It was all obscured, veiled by the downpour.

Then he walked past us, muddy water splashing beneath his feet.

"Move out."

"Hey, you saw that, right?"

As soon as Hyuga Makoto was gone, Kusama Shigeo came over to me.

"How can you keep trusting someone so heartless to protect us? If the mission ever conflicts with our safety, he'll definitely choose the mission and abandon us!"

"..."

This time, I didn't answer. I only glanced at Kusama Shigeo, then turned and followed Hyuga Makoto.

"Let's go."

As we continued north, the weather grew colder. The rain gradually turned to snow, stinging our faces like needles.

I shivered and wrapped my scarf tighter. The wind and snow ahead were so fierce that I could barely see the path or tell which way we were going.

"Hyuga, where are we?" I stopped at a gentle slope. Ahead, the road had completely disappeared beneath the snow.

"We're already at the edge of Kirigakure." Hyuga Makoto activated his Byakugan and surveyed the area, but his brow gradually furrowed.

"Based on past experience, there should be plenty of hidden sentries here." His eyes held a rare gravity.

"But there aren't any."

"None? Maybe you just didn't see them." Kusama Shigeo had been kept down all the way here, but now that we'd reached terrain suited to him, he seemed eager to show off again.

"Move aside. I'll handle this!"

He pushed past Hyuga Makoto and climbed the slope, then crouched down.

"See this? It's Rustle Grass." He pulled a vine from his pocket and showed it to us, a hint of smugness at the corner of his mouth. "It's the secret treasure of the Kusama Clan. It can pick up any sound that reaches the ground within three miles."

"You've never seen anything like this, have you?"

I certainly hadn't. My eyes went wide!

He chuckled, then dug a hole in the ground and planted the vine. Forming Hand Seals, he said, "Grass Style: Rustling Movement!"

As soon as the vine entered the soil, it grew rapidly, spreading in every direction. The part aboveground began to spin and stretch too, until it tangled together and slowly took on a spiral shape!

Kusama Shigeo leaned down, studying the vine's shape intently.

Th-this looked a bit like radar from my previous life!

—Not bad!

I watched, surprised, and deep down, a flicker of resentment welled up.

Even though I was a genius of the Uchiha Clan, I didn't have the Sharingan, famous for its insight, and I couldn't even scout for enemies. Meanwhile, Kusama Shigeo and Hyuga Makoto had both proved invaluable along the way.

I sighed, growing even more eager to awaken my own Kekkei Genkai.

It was an ability unique to the Uchiha Clan—and to me alone!

—The Sharingan, one of the Three Great Dojutsu!

If I had the Sharingan, even with just One-Tomoe, I'd be a shinobi capable of standing on my own, right?

I'd definitely awaken it. I was a genius, after all!

I remembered that Itachi had awakened his at eight. With my talent, I ought to awaken mine at least a few days earlier! I nodded to myself.

After all, I was the older brother. How could I lose to my little brother?

"Well? Find anything?"

After scouting for a long while, Kusama Shigeo finally stood up, brimming with confidence. "My vine didn't detect any enemies either. There's definitely no one here." He brushed the snow off himself and lifted his chin. "Follow me!"

But not one of us followed.

"This is the only route into Kirigakure's territory. If we want to go around it, we'll have to cross the snowy mountains."

Hyuga Makoto rarely spoke, but when he did, he always cut straight to the point, making my heart skip.

"If they're not here, where are they?"

"What are you trying to say?" Kusama Shigeo's brow immediately furrowed. I could tell he was a little wary of Hyuga Makoto, but he still refused to back down. "Are you saying there's something wrong with my vine, or that I'm lying?"

"Hey, that's not what the captain meant!"

Afraid they'd start arguing, I hurriedly said to Kusama Shigeo, "Hyuga means the enemy here might not be as simple as we think. We should be cautious and observe the area before we act!"

As I spoke, I looked up at the sky. It was dark and gloomy, with a bitter wind blowing beneath the low clouds. A blizzard was coming.

"Observe some more?" Kusama Shigeo looked at me, then at Hyuga Makoto beside me, and suddenly lost his temper.

"What are you two whispering about? How much more time are we going to waste? This is already the fourth day. Our teacher only gave us ten days, which means we have to find that child today!"

"Otherwise, we're failures. Got it?"

My heart began to pound. I was worried too. I didn't dare speak up, but I didn't want to give up either.

"Why are you both so quiet?" Kusama Shigeo clenched his fists. "Have you forgotten what Teacher Orochimaru said? Or..." He scoffed and raised his chin proudly. "Are you just scared and too afraid to keep going?"

I knew it was a provocation.

But I still felt a fire flare up inside me!

I stood still, instinctively looking to the captain. He didn't move, his gaze fixed on the distance, growing ever more cold.

"Hmph. So none of you are going?"

Kusama Shigeo studied our expressions, as if he'd suddenly made up his mind. Before we could react, he formed Hand Seals.

"Then go back and face Teacher Orochimaru like this. And tell him—"

"I absolutely refuse to have cowards as teammates!"

The next instant, a cloud of smoke burst with a "poof," and Kusama Shigeo vanished from the spot!

"Hey, you!" I was about to chase after him when someone grabbed my wrist.

"Hyuga, he went alone!" I was frantic, but Hyuga Makoto turned to me and asked a completely baffling question:

"Did you put your map away?"

"M-my map?" I suddenly understood. "Hyuga, are you trying to confirm our route?" As I spoke, I felt the stiff scroll inside my clothes and quickly nodded. I was about to take it out when Hyuga Makoto stopped me.

"Put the map away. Let's go."

"Huh? We can go now? But... but isn't there danger ahead?"

"He's already entered Kirigakure's territory." Hyuga Makoto stood up and stepped into the mountain mist ahead of me.

"Now there's no need to worry about all that."

We caught up with Kusama Shigeo beside a river.

He'd done such a poor job concealing his tracks that if we hadn't found him first, his next encounter would surely have been with the Anbu of Kirigakure, hunting him down!

"Well, well. The two cowards made it." He smiled arrogantly. "Changed your minds? Ready to work with me?"

When he saw that neither of us responded, he grew smug. "But I'll tell you first: if you want to work with me, you have to accept that I'm the captain of this team. Got it?"

"Don't you feel ashamed saying that?" I was about to speak, but Hyuga Makoto pressed down on my shoulder and walked ahead of me.

"Let's go."

At that, Kusama Shigeo was overjoyed.

"See? That wasn't so hard." He followed the team, swaggering. "Hey, when we finish the mission, remember to tell Teacher Orochimaru that I deserve the most credit. Got it?"