Escape

The bright moonlight could not pierce through the canopy that blotted out the sky. In the dead of night, the man leaped between tree branches, his body covered in multiple wounds.

A young man was slumped across the man's back. Under the jolting motion, his brows twitched as he faintly stirred from his unconscious state.

"Hiss..."

One arm was broken, and his lower abdomen had been stabbed, but he had no time to dwell on the pain. His head felt as if it were splitting open; it was as if an electric drill had been pressed against his temple. After drilling for who knew how long, it finally pried open a crack, and a massive flood of memories surged in.

His name was Uchiha Shinmoku, born in Konoha. Years ago, he had followed his uncle to Kumogakure on a spy mission. A day ago, their cover was blown, and they were currently being hunted down.

Naruto, huh...

The bulging veins on his temples subsided as time passed, and Shinmoku slowly opened his eyes.

[Host awakening detected!]

"What the hell?"

"You're awake?"

Voices rang out simultaneously in his mind and by his ear.

Shinmoku: "...Yeah."

Receiving the response, Uchiha Shifangtai stopped, set Shinmoku down, and said, "Run on your own. Don't drag me down."

[Mission Triggered: Escape]

[Mission Difficulty: B]

[As a descendant of the Uchiha, reviving the clan is your mission. Of course, what you need to do right now is—survive!]

"..."

Fine, at least he wasn't hallucinating. But—Killer Bee, Yugito, and a squad of Jonin—a B-rank mission?

What kind of trash system was this? It was definitely here to mess with him.

"What are you standing there for? Go!"

The shout interrupted Shinmoku's train of thought. In the darkness, a scarlet glow erupted as three tomoe spun and coalesced into a new shape. Uchiha Shifangtai turned toward the direction of the pursuers.

Oh~ that makes sense.

But staying behind in this situation was a death sentence.

Shinmoku hesitated for a moment.

"Go... take care of Shinna."

"Alright."

Shinmoku dashed into the darkness.

Withdrawing his gaze, Shifangtai felt an unprecedented sense of calm in his heart.

Six years ago, the clan had conspired to stage a coup. He hadn't wanted to participate, so he had requested a spy mission, bringing his last remaining kin to Kumogakure.

Not long after, the Uchiha clan was wiped out.

It might have been the Third Hokage's plan.

Or perhaps it was simply Itachi going mad. He was an Uchiha, after all.

He didn't know, and it didn't matter anymore. After his brother died, there was only one reason left for him to live: to raise his nephew and daughter.

As for the Uchiha, although being condemned by them was annoying, he would be able to see his brother soon. Thinking about it, he was actually quite looking forward to it.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

The forest instantly turned into a sea of fire. The man in sunglasses leading the group couldn't dodge in time; he crossed his arms and braced himself at the front of the formation.

The next moment, a Kumogakure Jonin leaped from the formation:

"Water Style: Water Wall!"

"It's not over yet!" Blood streamed from the corners of Shifangtai's eyes. Wherever his gaze fell, trees were uprooted, and the enemies drifted into mid-air, as if everything had lost its connection to gravity. Accompanied by steam, they were swallowed by the sea of fire.

"He's stalling for time!" someone shouted. "Shinmoku isn't here!"

"Yugito!" An octopus-like tail sprouted from behind the man in sunglasses and wrapped around the waist of the woman behind him.

"Don't even think about it!" Blood streamed from Shifangtai's other eye as well, and both their bodies began to plummet rapidly.

"Hmph!"

The Eight-Tails emerged in full force; the giant beast had descended!

"BOOM—"

The earth trembled.

The shockwave rippled from near to far, sending dust flying and leaves rustling to the ground. The moonlight finally pierced through the thicket and spilled onto Shinmoku.

"Monster..."

He briefly adjusted to his body. His arm was broken, but he could still control his fingers—there was no risk of becoming a one-armed man for now—though forming hand seals would be a bit troublesome.

He didn't have much chakra left, and his ninja tools were nearly depleted. He currently had two shuriken, one kunai, a few explosive tags, and the short blade strapped to his back.

Topographically, there was a river ahead, and at the end of the river lay a canyon. He had to wash the scent of blood off his body first, otherwise, he would be caught no matter what.

He couldn't count on the pursuers being completely held off; after all, there was the Eight-Tails. Of course, the Eight-Tails itself certainly wouldn't come, so the most likely candidate was Yugito. Ever since he became a genin, she had been his captain, and she understood him at least eighty percent.

His sensory limit was 500 meters, and when his chakra was low, he maintained 100 meters; this was his habit and a safe distance for dealing with surprise attacks.

Yugito knew of this habit too... What a pain!

The advantage of a ninja run was the ability to draw ninja tools at any time. Staying on the tree branches was for saving energy, but if he truly encountered danger, he would have to swing his arms and run for his life... and if he couldn't shake her, then so be it.

A furry tail darted through the woods, yet the owner of the tail wore a face as cold as frost. This area was where they patrolled when they weren't on missions; traces of them resting, training, and fighting together could be seen everywhere.

Do you want to escape through here?

I will break your legs!

Light and shadow intertwined in the forest, and finally, a faint, flickering figure appeared at the edge of his vision.

Yugito leaped over the treetops, a cold glint tracing a graceful arc in the air; she seemed to have transformed into a hunting feline.

"So, it was from the air, after all?"

A shadow flashed suddenly under the scattered moonlight. Shinmoku captured it in an instant, silently calculating the position while stealthily drawing a shuriken from the tool pouch on his leg.

Now!

He twisted his waist violently and flung one shuriken. A ding echoed in the air, and he backhanded a second one, the entire sequence flowing in one breath, aimed straight at Yugito's face.

Yugito's pupils constricted, and she immediately used a headbutt, her forehead protector deflecting the strike, but her momentum was forced to a halt as she landed on a branch.

"How did you spot me?" she asked, looking down at him.

"Heh, I could hear your hissing from a mile away, little kitty."

In an instant, fury flooded Yugito's chest. She lunged forward with her blade, her speed so fast that only an afterimage remained.

Lightning Release Chakra Mode!

Shinmoku drew his blade to counter.

But provoking others came at a price; with just a single collision, the webbing between his thumb and index finger split open.

In another clash, Shinmoku was kicked away, rolling into a thicket after stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Come out!" Yugito shouted.

What greeted her was a kunai. She swatted it away with disdain, only to be shocked to discover the ignited explosive tag attached to it. After narrowly dodging it, a Fuma shuriken came hurtling toward her with the force to cut through everything.

She arched her back, her posture supple and graceful.

"Is that all you can do..."

Before the words had even faded, a blade thrust out from the thicket, its tip dancing with dazzling lightning.

Ding.

She flicked the blade away with a casual motion and then, in one smooth movement, pressed her own blade against Shinmoku's neck.

"Anything else to say now?"

"Heh."

Shinmoku pulled open his collar. After a night of fighting, his clothes were already tattered, and now his entire chest was exposed.

Yugito couldn't help but avert her eyes, but the next moment, her expression turned grave.

It was explosive tags!