S-Rank Rogue Ninja Sakumura Shi

Uchiha Shisui and his team sprinted at full speed for nearly five days to reach the coastline, which served as the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.

Due to the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Fire's general indifference toward maritime territories, almost all the seas surrounding the Land of Fire had fallen under the jurisdiction of the Land of Water.

The merchant caravans of the Land of Fire suffered immensely because of this; they needed to transport goods by sea to various nations, but the Land of Water ignored the shipping lanes, leaving them infested with bandits and rogue ninja.

"Intelligence indicates that the A-rank rogue ninja Sakumura Shi is active in this town. It is best to capture him alive for this mission, but if the situation turns dire, you are authorized to eliminate him on the spot." 04 unfolded a scroll and pointed out the mission location.

"06, put this on later and follow me into town to gather intelligence." 05 pulled out a yellow hooded robe and handed it to Uchiha Shisui.

"Understood." Shisui took the robe; its wide cut completely concealed his physique, and the shadow from the hood largely obscured the mask on his face.

"Now, move out." 05 finished speaking and immediately utilized the Body Flicker Technique to move rapidly toward the town.

Uchiha Shisui followed closely behind.

At the town docks, busy laborers hauled heavy and valuable wooden crates.

"Be careful, all of you! If you damage the Ninja Lord's goods, you lowly slaves will pay with your lives." The nobleman shook his bloated body, enjoying the service of his nearby attendants; the scene was starkly vivid.

Not far away, Uchiha Shisui watched the scene through his mask, inwardly cursing the chaotic state of order in the ninja world.

"These nobles... they truly deserve to die." Shisui rested his hand on the ninja sword at his back.

"Wait, 06. We are only here to gather intelligence; do not disrupt the plan." 05 hurriedly cautioned.

Just as the two were planning to leave to organize their intelligence, a ninja wearing a Konoha forehead protector emerged from the shadows, though a slash mark across the metal indicated he had defected from the village.

"How is the cargo coming along?" Sakumura Shi walked up to the nobleman and asked.

"Hehehe, Ninja Lord, the fact that this cargo could be transported from the Land of Lightning is all thanks to you. Your cut this time is enough to buy an entire city." The nobleman struggled to prop up his body, wearing a grotesque smile.

In the distance, 05 had already drawn his ninja sword and said to Uchiha Shisui, "The situation has changed. Strike now."

No sooner had 05 spoken than Uchiha Shisui flickered behind the nobleman. With a wet thwack, the nobleman's bloated body was cleaved in two.

Sakumura Shi, who had been joking with the nobleman just moments before, saw his expression shift as he instantly recognized the attire of the two intruders.

"Anbu? Damn it! I was just one job away from enjoying the life of a noble. Why won't you bastards leave me alone! I already told you, I know nothing about the experiments! Why won't you believe me!"

Sakumura Shi's eyes were bloodshot, filled with hatred for the two men before him.

"A-rank rogue ninja Sakumura Shi, you have only two paths now: return to the Konoha prison, or die here."

05 finished off the surrounding men and stepped in front of Sakumura Shi.

"Want to kill me? You're still too early!" Sakumura Shi finished speaking, his hands moving in a rapid seal as his cheeks puffed out.

But before he could release his ninjutsu, Uchiha Shisui had already unleashed his own.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

In an instant, the surrounding moisture was pulled together by an invisible force, and the humidity in the air spiked sharply. A thick torrent of water erupted from Uchiha Shisui's mouth, spiraling and twisting in mid-air until it condensed into a majestic water dragon in the blink of an eye.

The water dragon radiated a frigid aura, its wave-like scales shimmering with a cold light under the sun. Its massive head reared high, whiskers swaying wildly with the flow of water. It opened its gaping maw and let out a deafening roar, the sound waves carrying a mist that spread in all directions. Then, the water dragon lashed its long tail, lunging toward Sakumura Shi with the force of a thunderbolt.

"So fast!" Sakumura Shi still held the final seal, but the Water Dragon Bullet was already upon him.

"Cough, cough." Sakumura Shi let out a muffled groan as he was struck directly by the Water Dragon Bullet. Instantly enveloped by the cold, powerful current, his body was tossed away like a kite with a broken string.

He slammed heavily into the ground over ten meters away, creating a pit a man deep. Blood seeped from his nose and mouth, his limbs twitched weakly, and his eyes were filled with terror and despair.

The two men approached. Sakumura Shi's limbs were twisted and his face was covered in blood, yet a frantic light still flickered in his eyes.

"The mission is complete." 05 took out a rope, intending to bind Sakumura Shi.

Just then, the anomaly occurred.

Sakumura Shi's eyes suddenly widened, his pupils shifting from black to gold. His hair turned white in an instant, and his limbs began to swell.

"Ahhh, you all forced me to do this!" Sakumura Shi's voice was hoarse as he roared in anger.

His appearance became increasingly grotesque; it looked as if something was pushing out from within his body, causing lumps to bulge across his skin.

Rip. A wooden spike suddenly erupted from Sakumura Shi's shoulder.

"This is... Wood Release?" 05's pupils dilated. As a veteran of the Anbu, he naturally knew about the experiments the Hokage was conducting.

"06, fall back! He is dangerous in this state." 05 drew his sword and warned.

"Hashirama Cells, then." Uchiha Shisui speculated inwardly.

"Wari-babo, Makabaka."

Sakumura Shi's consciousness began to blur, his speech became incoherent, and his movements grew erratic and strange.

Just as the two prepared to retreat temporarily, a wooden spike struck out at them.

"So hard! Even my ninja sword can't leave a mark." 05 slashed at the spike, only managing to deflect its trajectory.

After the wooden spike pierced the ground, it instantly grew into a large tree.

05 glanced at the tree that had sprouted beside them, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. If that thing had pierced his body, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"06! I will hold this monster off; you go find 04 and bring him for support!" 05 finished speaking and charged forward, sword in hand.

However, when his blade struck the creature's skin, it didn't even leave a white mark; the hardness was far beyond that of ordinary wood.

Uchiha Shisui did not retreat, but silently drew his own ninja sword.

After observing for a long time, the opportunity to strike finally appeared. 05 exerted all his strength to shove Sakumura Shi's arms aside, leaving Sakumura Shi's center wide open, and Uchiha Shisui naturally would not let such a chance slip by.

"Storm Release: Lightning Laser Blade!" Uchiha Shisui closed the distance to Sakumura Shi in the blink of an eye. With a sudden snap of his wrist, he slashed his ninja blade upward in a diagonal arc, much like the first ray of dawn piercing through the darkness.

The movement was fluid and seamless, devoid of any hesitation. Accompanied by flashing lightning and churning mist, the blade's light swept across the enemy's neck like a bolt of lightning.

With a crisp crack, Sakumura Shi's head was completely severed. Bolstered by the Storm Release chakra, the ninja blade ignored the defenses around his neck entirely.

Sakumura Shi only managed a few muffled groans before falling silent forever.

05 limped over to Uchiha Shisui's side and said, "06, I never expected you to be able to break through his defenses. I almost lost my life just now; thank you so much. Once we return to Konoha, I'll definitely treat you to a feast."

"I only wanted to finish the mission as quickly as possible." Uchiha Shisui paid no mind to 05's gratitude, and after speaking, he walked over to Sakumura Shi's corpse.

Uchiha Shisui sealed Sakumura Shi's bloated body and head into a scroll before handing it over to 05.

04 arrived shortly after the battle ended and discovered that 05 had sustained a severe leg injury. To avoid delaying the next mission, it was decided that 05 would take the scroll back to Konoha, while Uchiha Shisui and 04 would continue with the mission.