At this point, Uchiha Shisui and his group had been racing at full speed for nearly five days before finally reaching the coastline, which also marked the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.
After the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, the Land of Fire had paid little attention to the lands out at sea. As a result, nearly all the waters around the Land of Fire had fallen under the rule of the Land of Water.
The Land of Fire's merchants suffered greatly as a result. They needed to transport goods by sea to various countries, but the Land of Water did nothing to police the shipping lanes, leaving them rife with bandits and wandering ninja.
"According to the intel, the A-rank rogue ninja Sakumura Shi has been active in this town. It'd be best to capture him alive, but if things go wrong, you're authorized to kill him on the spot." 04 unrolled a scroll and pointed out the mission location.
"06, put this on before we go in. Come with me to gather intel in town." 05 took out a yellow hooded cloak and handed it to Uchiha Shisui.
"Got it." Shisui took the cloak. It was wide enough to conceal his entire body, and the hood's shadow mostly hid his mask.
"Now, move out." With that, 05 used the Body Flicker Technique to dash toward the town.
Uchiha Shisui followed close behind.
At the town's docks, laborers worked busily, hauling heavy wooden crates of considerable value.
"Watch your step! If you damage anything belonging to the ninja, you worthless slaves will pay with your lives." The nobleman jiggled his bloated body as servants tended to him. The contrast between them was striking.
Not far away, Uchiha Shisui watched the scene through his mask and cursed the Shinobi World's rotten order under his breath.
"These nobles... they deserve to die." Shisui put a hand on the Ninja Blade strapped to his back.
"Hold on, 06. We're only here to gather intel. Don't ruin the plan," 05 quickly reminded him.
Just as the two were about to leave and organize the intel they'd gathered, a ninja wearing a Konoha Forehead Protector stepped out of the shadows. A slash mark ran across it, showing that he had deserted his village.
"How's the unloading going?" Sakumura Shi asked as he walked up to the nobleman.
"Heh heh heh, my lord, we owe it to you that the goods made it all the way from the Land of Lightning. Your share alone will be enough to buy a whole city." The nobleman struggled to straighten up, wearing an ugly smile.
In the distance, 05 drew his Ninja Blade and said to Uchiha Shisui, "The situation's changed. We move now."
05 had barely finished speaking before Uchiha Shisui used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind the nobleman. With a wet slice, the man's bloated body was cut in two.
Sakumura Shi, who had just been chatting and laughing with the nobleman, turned pale. He recognized the two by their outfits at a glance.
"Anbu? Damn it! I'd be able to start living like a noble after this job. 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 bulged with rage. He hated the two standing before him.
"A-rank rogue ninja Sakumura Shi, you have two choices: return to Konoha's prison or die here."
After dealing with everyone nearby, 05 walked up to Sakumura Shi and spoke.
"You want to kill me? You're not there yet!" Sakumura Shi quickly formed Hand Seals, puffing out his cheeks.
But before he could release his jutsu, Uchiha Shisui had already launched his own.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
In an instant, an unseen force drew in the moisture around them, and the humidity in the air rose sharply. A powerful stream of water burst from Uchiha Shisui's mouth, spiraling through the air and twisting as it quickly took the shape of a mighty water dragon.
The dragon radiated a chilling aura, its rippling scales glinting in the sunlight. Its enormous head lifted high, its whiskers swaying wildly with the flow of water. It opened its gaping jaws and let out a deafening roar, the sound wave carrying moisture as it spread in every direction. Then the dragon whipped its long tail and lunged at Sakumura Shi with overwhelming force.
"So fast!" Sakumura Shi's hands still held the final seal, but the Water Dragon Bullet was already right in front of him.
"Gah!" Sakumura Shi groaned as the Water Dragon Bullet struck him head-on. The frigid, powerful current swept him up, and his body flew backward like a kite with its string cut,
slamming into the ground more than ten meters away and smashing a person-deep crater into it. Blood seeped from his mouth and nose as his limbs twitched helplessly, terror and despair filling his eyes.
Uchiha Shisui and 05 approached. Sakumura Shi's limbs were twisted, his face covered in blood, yet madness still glimmered in his eyes.
"That should take care of the mission." 05 took out a rope and prepared to tie Sakumura Shi up.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
Sakumura Shi's eyes suddenly widened, and his pupils changed from black to gold. His hair turned white in an instant, and his limbs began to swell.
"Ahhh! You left me no choice!" Sakumura Shi rasped angrily.
His appearance grew more and more grotesque, as if something inside him were pushing outward. Lump after lump swelled across his body.
With a wet pop, a wooden spike suddenly burst out of Sakumura Shi's shoulder.
"Is that... Wood Style?" 05's eyes widened. As a veteran Anbu, he knew about the experiments Lord Hokage was conducting.
"06, back off! He's dangerous in this state." 05 drew his Ninja Blade and warned him.
"Hashirama Cells?" Uchiha Shisui wondered silently.
"Werribababo, Makabaka."
Sakumura Shi's mind grew hazy. His words became incoherent, and his movements turned awkward and strange.
Just as the two were preparing to retreat for the moment, a wooden spike shot toward them.
"It's so hard! My Ninja Blade can't even leave a mark." 05 slashed at the spike, only managing to knock it off course.
Once it pierced the ground, it instantly grew into a huge tree.
05 glanced at the tree that had sprouted beside him, and cold sweat broke out all over his body. If that thing had pierced him, the result would have been obvious.
"06! I'll hold this monster off. Go get 04 to back us up!" With that, 05 charged forward, Ninja Blade in hand.
But even when his blade struck Sakumura Shi's skin, it didn't leave so much as a white mark. His hide was far harder than ordinary wood.
Uchiha Shisui didn't retreat. He simply drew his Ninja Blade in silence.
After watching for a while, an opening finally appeared. 05 strained to force Sakumura Shi's arms apart, leaving his center wide open. Uchiha Shisui didn't let the chance go to waste.
"Storm Release: Lightning Laser Blade!" Uchiha Shisui closed in on Sakumura Shi in the blink of an eye. He put all his strength into his wrist and swung his Ninja Blade upward at an angle, like the first ray of dawn piercing the darkness.
His movement flowed without the slightest pause. As lightning flashed and water vapor swirled, the blade swept across his enemy's neck like a bolt of lightning.
With a sharp crack, Sakumura Shi's head was severed. Empowered by Storm Release chakra, the Ninja Blade cut straight through the defenses around his neck.
Sakumura Shi let out a few muffled groans, then fell silent.
05 limped over to Uchiha Shisui and said, "06, I didn't think you could break through his defenses. I nearly died back there. I'm truly grateful. I'll treat you to a big meal when we get back to Konoha."
"I just wanted to finish the mission as quickly as possible." Uchiha Shisui paid no heed to 05's thanks and walked over to Sakumura Shi's body.
Uchiha Shisui placed Sakumura Shi's bloated body and head into a sealing scroll, then handed it to 05.
04 arrived shortly after the battle ended and noticed that 05 had badly injured his foot. To avoid delaying the next mission, he decided that 05 would take the scroll back to Konoha while Uchiha Shisui and 04 continued with their mission.