An Uninvited Guest

While Terumi Mei and Ao were talking, a puddle outside the tent slowly sank into the earth and disappeared.

Ao, inside the tent, hadn't noticed anything unusual, but a flicker of surprise crossed Terumi Mei's eyes.

"Senior Ao, I've already learned what I need to know about Uesugi Shinji and Kisame Hoshigaki. It's late, so you should head back and get some rest. We'll set out first thing tomorrow morning."

At Terumi Mei's words, Ao nodded. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he got up and left the tent.

After Ao left, Terumi Mei formed a hand seal and used the Body Flicker Technique. She, too, left the tent, disappearing without a trace.

At the edge of the camp, Uesugi Shinji's squad had pitched their tent.

They were leaving for the Forest Fortress early the next morning. Kisame and Rin were already resting in their respective tents, while Uesugi Shinji, who was on watch, sat by the campfire with his eyes closed, resting while quietly keeping an ear out for anything nearby.

It was a habit the three of them had developed over years of missions. Whenever they were on the move, one of them always kept watch, no matter the circumstances—even when other shinobi from their village were nearby.

Just then, a streak of white light shot toward the back of Uesugi Shinji's head. It looked like some kind of projectile.

Uesugi Shinji's eyes snapped open. He tilted his head slightly, and the white streak missed his face by a hair before sinking into the ground.

He glanced down and saw a thumb-sized wet patch on the earth. The streak of white light had apparently been nothing more than a small ball of water.

That doesn't look like an attack. It seems more like they're trying to get my attention, Uesugi Shinji thought.

He had already sensed someone lurking in the woods. The other person had probably come looking for him on purpose. Though he didn't know who they were, Uesugi Shinji decided to find out what they wanted.

His figure blurred, and he vanished into the woods. Before leaving, he tossed a pebble at each of the tents, waking Kisame and Rin to let them know he'd be away for a while.

"Honestly, what's Shinji up to? I thought I'd finally get a peaceful night's sleep."

The flap of Kisame's tent lifted, and his blue-green head poked out. He glanced at Rin's tent nearby and called, "Rin, same as always? Let's settle who takes over the watch with rock-paper-scissors!"

When Kisame got no answer, he soon realized Rin wasn't in her tent either. She must have followed Uesugi Shinji.

Rin's Kekkei Genkai let her slip into light and shadow, allowing her to move without a sound. Kisame hadn't noticed her leaving.

Kisame shook his head and sheepishly pulled his head back into the tent.

There were no clouds to cover the moon that night. Bright moonlight spilled through the woods, making it far easier to see than on an ordinary night.

Uesugi Shinji headed away from the camp at an unhurried pace. Some distance ahead, a slender figure was moving quickly—the shinobi who had used a ball of water to draw him out of camp.

At the same time, a shadow raced low along the ground behind him and merged directly into his own. It was Rin, who had noticed something was amiss and followed close behind.

Uesugi Shinji continued after the figure for about a kilometer. Suddenly, dazzling white light appeared ahead.

The woods opened onto a broad lake. Under the moonlight, its surface gleamed like a mirror, shining brilliantly in the darkness. Uesugi Shinji could now clearly see the person who had lured him there.

The boy was slender and wore a Kirigakure shinobi uniform. He looked younger than ten. His snow-white hair shimmered faintly silver in the moonlight, and his delicate features held a slight smile. His eyes were an unusual shade of pale gray.

In an era of constant war, there were countless young shinobi who entered the battlefield at eleven or twelve. Shinobi under ten who left their village on missions were uncommon, but not unheard of.

"Hozuki Mangetsu?"

Uesugi Shinji's expression remained unchanged, though he was surprised. He hadn't expected the one who had drawn him out to be the young prodigy, already quite famous in the village.

Though Hozuki Mangetsu was young, rumors said he was the most talented shinobi the Hozuki Clan had ever produced. He had supposedly pushed the clan's most mysterious secret technique, the Hydrification Technique, to an entirely new level.

Hozuki Mangetsu grinned. "That's me."

Uesugi Shinji glanced at the boy's saw-toothed teeth, identical to Kisame's, and asked calmly, "What do you want?"

Mangetsu's smile didn't change. As was his habit, he stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. "I heard your Ice Release doesn't come from a Kekkei Genkai. You created it by combining Wind Release and Water Release. Could I see it for myself?"

Mangetsu seemed very interested in Ice Release, but Uesugi Shinji suspected that interest wasn't the only reason he had sought him out.

In Mangetsu's gaze, Uesugi Shinji thought he saw a faint look of anticipation.