Catch them, don't let a single one escape!

Within Kirigakure, everyone is currently watching to see when the Third Mizukage will finally die, while privately backing their own candidates in the scramble for the next seat of power.

Karatachi Yagura also covets the position of Mizukage. The reason he led his loyal subordinates across the sea to rally the shattered Kirigakure forces was to achieve a glorious victory, using that momentum to return home and seize the title.

Yet, he never expected that while Konoha was already known to be a difficult opponent—he had witnessed the prowess of Konoha shinobi during the Shinobi World War and was mentally prepared for that—the news of the Third Mizukage's sudden critical illness struck him like a heavy blow.

Now, he is far away in foreign lands, and the war shows no signs of ending anytime soon. No one knows which day the Third Mizukage might suddenly drop dead; by the time he finishes the campaign here and returns home, heaven knows if a new Mizukage will have already ascended.

If he were to disregard the war here and return immediately, not only would his previous investments be wasted, but he might be seized on the spot by the still-living Third Mizukage, who could use his abandonment of the front lines as a pretext for execution.

At that point, he could forget about the Mizukage's seat entirely. The internal power struggles within Kirigakure are brutal; he would likely be killed within days, if not executed on the spot.

Return, or keep fighting...

He turned the question over and over in his mind, but could not reach a decision.

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the tent.

"Lord Yagura, something has happened!"

Karatachi Yagura's head buzzed. He frowned, stood up, and looked at the messenger.

"What is it!"

"Hozuki and Meido have both been killed in action while escorting the supply transport, and the entire transport fleet has been destroyed..."

Karatachi Yagura's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. After a long silence, he slammed his palm onto the table.

The wooden table shattered instantly, splinters flying everywhere.

"Damn Konoha scum, I will make them pay!"

With that, he ordered his men to take him to the site of the ambush.

The night had not yet faded, and thin mist still clung to the surface of the river.

Karatachi Yagura stood on the bank, his pale purple pupils reflecting the charred remains of the transport ships burning in the water.

Twelve ships, twelve blackened skeletons, looked like twelve massive corpses floating on the surface, occasionally popping with sparks and emitting wisps of blue smoke.

Behind him, the Kirigakure shinobi stood in absolute silence, none daring to make a sound.

The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning, the smell of blood, and the foul odor of the river.

Corpses of Kirigakure shinobi lay scattered across the shallows; some were burned beyond recognition, while others still had kunai and shuriken embedded in their bodies.

Karatachi Yagura's gaze shifted from the shipwrecks to the bodies on the shore, and he walked past them step by step.

He saw the body of Hozuki lying in the forest. The blood on his chest had drained away, leaving only a dark scab, but his eyes remained open, his pale blue pupils staring blankly at the sky.

Karatachi Yagura paused beside him for a moment, crouched down, and reached out to close his eyes.

He stood up and continued forward until he reached Meido.

Meido's eyes were wide open, his body kneeling upright on the ground, a gruesome, gaping hole blown through his chest.

Both Meido and Hozuki were his trusted confidants. Meido, in particular, was both a loyal subordinate and a clansman, yet he had met his end here, in the heart of his own rear guard.

Rage began to churn within him.

Closing Meido's eyes, Karatachi Yagura whispered, "I brought you here, never thinking it would lead to your death... So be it. Go in peace; I will avenge you!"

"Have you found out who did this?" he asked, rising to his feet.

The subordinate replied tremblingly, "According to the survivors, a small group of Konoha shinobi were hiding here in advance, launching a surprise attack as soon as the fleet arrived..."

"Do you know which Konoha shinobi were involved?"

"It's unclear, only that there were several Uchiha among them."

"Have you tracked where they fled?"

"We are investigating..."

"Then get moving!"

"Yes... yes..." The subordinate scrambled away as if fleeing for his life.

"Wait," Karatachi Yagura called out.

"My Lord..."

"You said there were survivors. Where is he?"

The subordinate pointed toward the Kirigakure shinobi behind him, then hurried away.

Karatachi Yagura approached the man and asked, "You are?"

The man swallowed hard and nodded.

"How did you survive?"

"My Lord..."

The man stammered through a long explanation, but Karatachi Yagura understood perfectly.

This guy was a deserter!

The corners of his mouth curled into a wicked, sinister smile.

"Your companions are all dead, and you, seeing that the situation had turned against you, ran away early, didn't you?"

"No, my lord, it's not like that..."

"In that case, you should go and reunite with them properly!"

As soon as the words fell, he slammed a palm onto the man's head, causing the latter's skull to burst open like a watermelon.

Blood mixed with brain matter splattered onto Karatachi Yagura's baby face, and paired with his smile, he looked exactly like a demon crawled out from hell.

The surrounding Kirigakure ninjas were silent as cicadas in winter; the air itself seemed to drop several degrees because of it.

Karatachi Yagura spun around abruptly, eyes wide, and pointed a finger toward the north.

"Catch, catch them! Don't let a single one get away!"

A branch burning in the campfire let out a soft crack, piercing the silence of the night.

Naoki, who had been in a deep sleep, slowly stirred awake, stretched, and looked around.

Uchiha Setsuna sat high up in a tree, eyes closed in meditation, blending perfectly into his surroundings.

Uchiha Zongye leaned against a tree trunk, his severed left arm wrapped in bandages, his face still pale under the flickering firelight.

Uchiha Zongxin and Itachi were huddled together, fast asleep; Itachi's small body was curled up, his brows slightly furrowed even in his dreams.

Hyuga Hiroshi sat by the campfire with his arms wrapped around his legs, his chin resting on his knees; he hadn't even taken off his damaged goggles while sleeping.

It seemed like someone was missing?

Naoki touched the wound on his abdomen, which had already begun to heal, and stood up to check the situation.

Shi emerged from the dark forest and said, "You're awake."

"Go get some rest; I'll take the second half of the night."

Shi nodded, then submerged back into the darkness and vanished.

This Anbu ninja was a bit strange; not only was he taciturn throughout the journey, but he also liked to hide in the shadows when sleeping. Anyone who didn't know better would think he came from Root...

After grumbling to himself, Naoki turned back to the campfire and poked at the burning wood with a branch.

Hyuga Hiroshi, sitting to the side, had woken up at some point and was staring blankly at the flames while hugging his knees.

"Naoki, can we still go back?"

"Why are you suddenly saying things like that? Of course we can go back."

"It's not that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"I just had a dream. I dreamt of a guy covered in blood pointing at me, saying he was going to drag us all back, and that not a single one could be allowed to escape..."

Naoki chuckled.