"So this is Kirigakure."
After nearly two weeks of travel, Shisui crossed the strait between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire and arrived at Kirigakure.
By then, Shisui had bought a set of men's kimono from a civilian family and changed into it. With a bamboo hat on his head, he made his way toward the entrance to Kirigakure.
Kirigakure was just as its name suggested. It was shrouded in thick sea fog all year round. Even during the day, visibility was less than ten meters, and the dense mist and clouds overhead kept the sunlight out.
"Stop! Who are you?" The four guards at the village entrance warily watched Shisui.
As a village that had been isolated from the outside world for years, Kirigakure rarely saw strangers.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan." Shisui didn't need to go to any trouble to deal with the four guards. One glance was enough to draw them into a genjutsu.
After passing through Kirigakure's checkpoint without a hitch, Shisui entered the village. What he saw was a far cry from the bustling streets of Konoha.
Though the shops lining the streets were open for business, only faint lights flickered inside through the fog. There were just a few scattered pedestrians, all hurrying back and forth as if they had somewhere important to be.
Until now, Shisui's impression of Kirigakure had been limited to the story of Might Duy taking on the Seven Ninja Swordsmen by himself during the Third Shinobi World War.
Back then, to protect the young Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu, Might Duy had faced the Seven Ninja Swordsmen with the resolve to die, opening the Gate of Death of the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates. He had ultimately beaten four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to death, leaving only Biwa Juzo, Fuguki, and Raiga Kurosuki alive—and turning the group of seven into a group of three.
"The Mizukage Building..." Looking at the note in his hand, Shisui's thoughts returned to a few days earlier. This time, Uchiha Madara had clearly learned from his previous mistake when passing along information. After having White Zetsu leave the note at Shisui's residence, he had left the scene to avoid losing another White Zetsu.
"He's so stingy," Shisui thought, grumbling about Madara's cheapness.
According to the original storyline, after Uchiha Madara died, Obito had used his Mangekyo Sharingan to control the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura.
It seemed that Shisui, reborn into this world, had not only thrown the original storyline off course but had also caused quite a butterfly effect.
[Detected target available for plunder: Takedake Oyama, Shikotsumyaku development: 20%]
Following the system's prompt, Shisui spotted an adult man with heavily shadowed eyes. Two distinctive ovals had been drawn over his eyebrows, and his long hair was tied into two braid-like locks on either side of his face. His appearance was quite bizarre.
"The Kaguya Clan's Shikotsumyaku?" Though the Uchiha and Kaguya were both Kekkei Genkai clans, the Uchiha excelled in spiritual power, not physical prowess. That was why Shisui was so interested in the Kaguya Clan's abilities.
The Kaguya man clearly hadn't noticed the pair of eyes fixed intently on him. After all, the Kaguya Clan was famous for its combat strength in Kirigakure, and no one was eager to provoke those madmen who seemed born only to fight.
"Kirigakure hasn't started implementing the Blood Mist Policy yet. The village's various Kekkei Genkai clans haven't been persecuted. What a treasure trove of a village." Shisui had good reason to think so. Konoha also had plenty of Kekkei Genkai clans, but for the sake of the greater good, he obviously couldn't go around plundering other people's Kekkei Genkai in Konoha.
"I'll start with you."
As Takedake Oyama's back gradually disappeared into the distance, Shisui vanished into the fog.
Just as Takedake Oyama rounded a corner and entered a narrow alley, he suddenly turned around and thrust out his left hand, all five fingers aimed at the fog behind him.
"Secret Technique: Three-Finger Bullet."
As Takedake Oyama performed the technique, three finger bones shot from the tips of his fingers, tearing through the fog ahead like bullets.
"Thud, thud, thud." Hearing the dull impacts from nearby, Takedake Oyama knew the finger bones had struck something hard.
"No one... Was I mistaken?" When his ambush failed to hit anyone, Takedake Oyama began to doubt his instincts.
Suddenly, a voice came from beside Takedake Oyama's ear.
"Your instincts were right."
Shisui, now standing behind Takedake Oyama, was curious how a man with only Chunin-level chakra had detected his presence.
With Shisui's skills, even an ordinary Jonin would have a hard time noticing him tailing them.
"Damn it, who are you...?" Takedake Oyama hurriedly turned again, ready to attack his pursuer, but all he saw was a pair of scarlet eyes.
As the three Tomoe spun against the scarlet backdrop, Takedake Oyama lost consciousness. His fate was sealed.
"Eye Technique: Yamata." The pattern in his right eye shifted continuously, taking the shape of a Mangekyo. Without hesitation, Shisui activated the eye technique in his right Mangekyo.
"Ahhhhh..." Though unconscious, Takedake Oyama let out a series of cries. His body began to undergo a strange transformation. The skin on his torso and limbs tightened and shrank, while the flesh beneath seemed to be drained away, leaving him emaciated.
Then his whole body began to shrink. His original height of 1.7 meters dwindled as he withered and hunched into a twisted shape, until at last he curled into the shape of a baby. But this "baby" had clearly been drained of every last trace of life.
Takedake Oyama's sacrifice hadn't been in vain, however. A drop of bright red blood hovered above his corpse.
Facing the drop of blood, which radiated vigorous vitality, Shisui knew it was the essence of life distilled from Takedake Oyama's entire body.
At that moment, not only was Yamata in Shisui's right eye desperate to consume the drop of blood, but Shisui's own body was also filled with longing.
The sudden reaction from his body left Shisui at a loss.
"But this isn't the time to investigate." Shisui was still in Kirigakure, after all. Who knew whether the village had surveillance methods like the crystal ball in the Third's possession?
To avoid complications, Shisui continued with the remaining steps.
The drop of blood suspended in midair suddenly broke apart into countless tiny particles. Each one contained the essence of the Shikotsumyaku that had been cultivated in Takedake Oyama's body.
"Are these particles supposed to enter my right eye?"
Watching all the particles fly toward his right eye, Shisui suppressed his unease and didn't stop them.
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