The Calm Before the Storm

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the New Year has arrived. Pristine white snow has blanketed the entire Konoha, turning the usual bustle into a brief moment of peace and tranquility.

Even on a day like this, Uchiha Shisui must continue his mission of monitoring the Nine-Tails. The only way he can alleviate his boredom is by studying the Yin Seal of the Uzumaki Clan and the Strength of a Hundred Technique of the Senju Clan.

Is it already the 47th year of Konoha? It seems the war is approaching. I must put the training of these two ninjutsu on the schedule; they will temporarily solve my shortcomings in chakra and taijutsu.

In the upcoming Third Shinobi World War, I won't have to hide like I did in Kirigakure due to a lack of chakra.

Uchiha Shisui leaned against a tree trunk, calculated the time, and began to practice according to the scrolls.

If someone were to observe him with the Byakugan, they would see that the chakra throughout Uchiha Shisui's body was beginning to converge toward his forehead.

As the chakra accumulated, a diamond-shaped mark gradually appeared in the center of his forehead. Before this sealing technique is fully formed, it continuously absorbs the chakra generated within the body.

The formation of the mark cannot be completed in a day or two. During this period, Shisui can only utilize about ten percent of his body's chakra.

In other words, as Shisui is now, any genin could easily handle him.

Just then, through a gap in the leaves, Uchiha Shisui saw a familiar figure knock on the door of Namikaze Minato's house.

Kakashi? Given my current status as an Anbu... I hope you don't perform too poorly when the Third Shinobi World War begins.

Uchiha Shisui suppressed the urge to reveal himself, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

At this moment, Namikaze Minato opened the door wearing an apron and holding a spatula. A rare smile appeared on Kakashi's usually expressionless face.

"Kakashi, you're here. Come on in, dinner will be ready soon."

Namikaze Minato smiled, looking like a small sun dispelling the darkness.

"Sorry to intrude, Minato-sensei." Kakashi took off his shoes and entered the house.

Namikaze Minato's originally sunny expression turned somber for a split second as he glanced toward the nearby treetop. A moment later, he closed the door and headed to the kitchen to cook.

Was I discovered? He really is sharp.

Uchiha Shisui marveled. One must know that he had hidden in Kirigakure for nearly a year without ever being truly detected.

However, after thinking about it, he felt it might not have been Namikaze Minato who discovered him, but Uzumaki Kushina.

It was likely due to the Mind's Eye of the Kagura of the Uzumaki Clan and the Nine-Tails' ability to sense malice.

By evening, after Uchiha Shisui watched Kakashi depart, the Anbu shift change arrived to relieve him.

At the Hokage Building, Uchiha Shisui reported everything the jinchuriki had done and everyone he had contacted to Hiruzen Sarutobi, while simultaneously returning the S-rank ninjutsu scroll, the Yin Seal.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, accepted the scroll, and then pulled out another one to hand to Uchiha Shisui, saying:

"Shisui, I trust your intelligence gathering. Recently, many unfamiliar ninjas have appeared in the Land of Rivers for no apparent reason.

I suspect the Third Kazekage might be making some moves. This time, take a squad to the Land of Rivers to gather specific intelligence."

Uchiha Shisui took the mission scroll, scanned it briefly, and then used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the Hokage Building.

The next day, they utilized the Body Flicker Technique, moving through the forest like three black streaks of lightning, leaving no time for the fallen leaves beneath their feet to even rise.

Along the way, Shisui explained the mission details to his two companions in detail:

The situation in the Land of Rivers has been abnormal lately, with suspected infiltration by Sunagakure ninjas. They need to sneak in, investigate, uncover the truth, and report back in a timely manner.

As they drew closer to the Land of Rivers, the moisture in the air grew heavier, and the surrounding scenery gradually shifted from dense forests to humid riverbanks and interlaced waterways.

Although the Land of Rivers is a small nation, it has its own hidden village. Unlike those large, world-renowned hidden villages teeming with experts, this village has only a small number of ninjas.

However, thanks to the gifts of nature, it has become the largest hot spring inn and vacation destination in the shinobi world.

In Yugakure, steaming vapor permeated the air, emitting a rushing sound as if playing a unique musical score. In the hot spring pool, the mist was thick, shrouding the entire space like a thin veil, dreamlike and ethereal. Uchiha Shisui and the two accompanying Anbu members, still wearing their iconic Anbu masks, lay half-submerged in the hot spring, fully enjoying this rare moment of comfort.

One of the Anbu members stretched his limbs contentedly and couldn't help but sigh: "Ah~ this mission feels just like a vacation. Who would have thought an investigation mission could come with such perks?"

His voice was filled with relaxation and enjoyment.

The other Anbu member was not as relaxed; his brows were slightly furrowed, and his tone carried a hint of doubt and worry:

"Captain, we've been tracking for five days now, but we haven't found a single trace of Sunagakure ninjas. Could the intelligence be wrong?

These past few days of investigation feel like looking for a needle in a haystack; there's no lead at all."

He sat up slightly and looked at Shisui, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Shisui slowly opened his eyes, shook his head unhurriedly, and said calmly: "It's only been five days, what's the rush? Although the Land of Rivers isn't vast, the terrain is complex, and there are many places we haven't investigated yet.

Since the enemy dared to infiltrate here, they certainly aren't fools. How could they appear right under your nose in broad daylight?

We cannot let our guard down. The more it seems this way, the more we must remain vigilant."

The Anbu member wearing the bird mask leaned toward the other, his lowered voice filled with suspicion and dissatisfaction:

"I don't know what the Hokage was thinking, letting someone so young be the captain. Can he be reliable?

Even though I've heard he comes from the Uchiha Clan, he's so young—how much real combat experience and leadership ability can he have?

This mission is so important; it really makes me feel uneasy."

With that, he looked up at Shisui, who was resting nearby, the skepticism in his eyes impossible to hide.

The other Anbu member remained calm, idly fiddling with a smooth stone he had picked up from the edge of the hot spring.

Regarding his comrade's questioning of the captain, he neither echoed the sentiment nor offered a rebuttal, merely thinking silently to himself: Relying on others is inferior to relying on oneself. This captain is young, and I certainly don't expect him to lead me to the completion of this mission.

Having clawed my way through the Anbu all these years, I only trust in my own skills. I'll treat this mission as a solo job; I just need to keep my wits about me and make sure I'm not dragged down by anyone else.

With this thought, he cast a slight glance in the direction of Shisui, his eyes revealing a hint of detachment and coldness, before returning his focus to the pebble in his hand, as if everything around him were of no concern.

Shisui was immersed in the warm spring water, completely unaware of his comrades' thoughts. He closed his eyes slightly and began to carefully sort through his memories.

Several long years had passed since the end of the Second Shinobi World War. Those shinobi villages once ravaged by the flames of war had, under the gentle caress of time, largely regained their vitality and restored their former strength.

The Third Kazekage held the reputation of being the "strongest Kazekage" in the shinobi world. For such a powerhouse to make minor moves of expansion or probing beneath this facade of peace was, in truth, not at all strange.

After all, in a shinobi world governed by the law of the jungle, who wouldn't want to secure more resources and living space for their own village?

However, the situation regarding this investigation was highly suspicious. The Sunagakure shinobi who had previously left traces in the Land of Rivers had suddenly vanished into thin air, as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth.

Shisui pondered to himself that, given the typical modus operandi of the Sunagakure shinobi, it was absolutely impossible for them to abandon their layout in the Land of Rivers without a reason.

Therefore, the only logical explanation was that a grave incident had occurred within Sunagakure—one so severe that it forced them to recall all their forces from abroad.