The bright moon hung high in the night sky. Tonight's moon was especially luminous, its silvery light spilling across the earth with a desolate chill.
Shin stood at the spatial nexus between Mount Myoboku and the Main World. Even from an immense distance, he could still sense the Ten-Tails' distinctive chakra.
After pondering for a moment, he seemed to reach a decision. He raised his head and smiled. "I'd very much like to head over and see what's happening right now, but you two—would you mind showing yourselves? Your methods of concealing your presence are quite good, but you should know they're useless against me."
The night wind swept through the area, making the surrounding trees sway gently and the shrubs rustle softly. Silence reigned—an utter silence without a single sound.
Then, without warning, countless shuriken flew from a blind spot, their cold glints flashing as they spun at high speed toward Shin.
Shin's eyes had already turned into blood-red Three Tomoe. A faint smile curved his lips. He made no move at all, merely standing calmly where he was.
Silently, the shuriken were affected the instant they neared him. There were no chakra ripples, nor could any other force be sensed. Space was imperceptibly stretched, and time and space became disordered in that instant. This forest had fallen into an indescribable state of chaos.
No one knew how long had passed—perhaps one thousandth of an instant, perhaps ten thousand years—before the world returned to normal.
Two figures appeared before Shin. Even now, confusion still flickered in their eyes. They had clearly never left their hiding place, so why had they suddenly appeared before Uchiha Shin? Shuriken gleaming with cold light were embedded in their bodies—the very ones Uchiha Itachi had thrown just moments ago.
Shin smiled. "Launching a sneak