The bright moonlight couldn't penetrate the canopy overhead. In the darkness, the man was covered in wounds as he leaped from branch to branch.
A young man was slung across his back. Bouncing with every leap, his brows twitched as he slowly stirred from unconsciousness.
"Ghh—"
One arm was broken, and someone had stabbed him in the lower abdomen, but he couldn't spare a thought for the pain. His head felt ready to split open, as if a power drill had been pressed against his temple and bored into it for ages. At last, it pried open a crack, and a flood of memories poured in.
His name was Uchiha Shinmoku. He'd been born in Konoha, and years ago, he'd followed his uncle to Kumogakure on a spy mission. He'd been exposed a day ago and was now being hunted.
The world of Naruto, huh...
The veins bulging at his temples gradually settled, and Shinmoku slowly opened his eyes.
[Host awakening detected!]
"What is that?"
"You're awake?"
Voices sounded in his mind and beside his ear at the same time.
Shinmoku: "...Yeah."
After hearing his answer, Uchiha Shifangtai stopped and set Shinmoku down. "Run on your own. Don't drag me down."
[Mission triggered: Escape]
[Mission difficulty: B]
[As the last scion of the Uchiha, restoring the clan is your mission. Of course, for now, what you need to do is—survive!]
"..."
Well, at least he wasn't hearing things. But—Killer B, Yugito Nii, and a squad of elite jonin—and this was a B-rank mission?
What kind of shitty system was this? It had to be here just to cause trouble.
"What are you standing around for? Go!"
The shout snapped Shinmoku out of his thoughts. Scarlet light flared in the darkness as three tomoe spun and coalesced into a new shape. Uchiha Shifangtai turned to face their pursuers.
Oh. That made sense.
But staying behind in a situation like this meant certain death.
Shinmoku hesitated.
"Go... Take care of Shinna."
"Okay."
Shinmoku plunged into the darkness.
After watching him go, Shifangtai felt a peace he'd never known before.
Six years ago, the clan had plotted a coup. He hadn't wanted to take part, so he'd applied for a spy mission and brought his last remaining family member with him to Cloud Hidden.
Not long afterward, the Uchiha were wiped out.
Maybe it had been the Third Hokage's plan.
Or maybe Itachi had simply gone mad. He was an Uchiha, after all.
He didn't know, but it didn't matter anymore. After his brother died, he'd had only one reason to keep living: to raise his nephew and daughter.
As for the Uchiha, it was annoying when they condemned him, but he'd get to see his brother again. When he thought about it, he was almost looking forward to it.
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The forest became a sea of fire in an instant. The sunglasses-wearing man at the front couldn't dodge in time. He crossed his arms and braced himself before the formation.
The next moment, a Cloud Hidden jonin leaped up from within the formation.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"It's not over yet!" Blood trickled from the corners of Shifangtai's eyes. As far as he could see, trees ripped free of the ground, and the enemies floated into the air, as if everything had lost its connection to gravity. Along with the steam, they were swallowed by the sea of fire.
"He's buying time!" someone shouted. "Shinmoku's not here!"
"Yugito!" A tentacle like an octopus's tail emerged from behind the sunglasses-wearing man and wrapped around the waist of the woman behind him.
"Not a chance!" Blood streamed from Shifangtai's other eye as well, and the two of them began to plummet.
"Hmph!"
All eight tails burst forth. The giant beast had arrived!
"Boom—"
The earth shook.
The shockwave spread outward. Dust billowed, and leaves rustled down from the trees. At last, the moonlight pierced the canopy and fell upon Shinmoku.
"A monster...!"
He took a moment to adjust to his body. His arm was broken, but he could still move his fingers, so he wasn't in danger of turning into a one-armed man just yet. Hand seals, though, would be a little tricky.
He didn't have much chakra or many ninja tools left. He had two shuriken, a kunai, a few Explosive Tags, and the short sword on his back.
There was a river ahead, with a canyon at its end. He needed to wash off the smell of blood first, or they'd catch up no matter what.
He couldn't count on the pursuers all being held back. The Eight-Tails was there, after all. Of course, the Eight-Tails itself probably wouldn't come after him. The likeliest pursuer was Yugito. She'd been his squad leader ever since he became a Genin, and she knew at least eighty percent of what there was to know about him.
His sensory range topped out at five hundred meters. When low on chakra, he kept it to a hundred. It was a habit, and a safe buffer against ambushes.
Yugito knew about that habit too... What a pain!
The advantage of running like a ninja was that he could grab his ninja tools at any moment. He'd been moving along the branches to save energy, but if he ran into trouble, he'd have to throw caution to the wind and sprint for his life... And if he couldn't get away, so be it.
A furry tail wove through the forest, but its owner's face was as cold as ice. This was the area they patrolled when they weren't away on missions. Everywhere, she could see traces of them resting, training, and fighting together.
Did you think you could escape through here?
I'll break both your legs!
Light and shadow crisscrossed between the trees. At last, a faint silhouette appeared at the edge of her vision.
Yugito leaped over the treetops, a cold gleam tracing a graceful arc through the air. She looked just like a big cat pouncing on its prey.
"You really did come from above?"
A fleeting shadow flashed through the scattered moonlight. Shinmoku caught it at once, silently calculated its position, and stealthily reached for a shuriken in the ninja tool pouch strapped to his leg.
Now!
He abruptly twisted at the waist and hurled one shuriken. It rang out in the air. He whipped around and threw the second one, the whole sequence flowing seamlessly as it flew straight at Yugito's face.
Yugito's pupils shrank. Then she headbutted the shuriken, knocking it aside with her Forehead Protector. But her attack had been interrupted, and she landed on a branch.
"How did you find me?" she asked, looking down at him.
"Heh. I heard you panting from way off, kitty."
Rage instantly filled Yugito's chest. She charged with her blade, moving so fast she became a blur.
Lightning Release Chakra Mode!
Shinmoku drew his sword and struck back.
But there was a price for provoking someone. After just one clash, the web of his hand split open.
They clashed again, and Yugito kicked Shinmoku flying. He rolled into the bushes, stirring up a cloud of dust.
"Come out!" Yugito shouted.
A kunai came flying back at her. She slapped it aside disdainfully, then saw the Explosive Tag burning on it and blanched. She dodged by the narrowest margin, only for a Fuma Shuriken to come whistling in, seemingly ready to cut through anything in its path.
She bent backward, her body supple and graceful.
"That's all you've got..."
Before she could finish, a blade stabbed out of the bushes, its tip crackling with dazzling lightning.
"Clang~"
She casually knocked the blade aside, then in the same motion brought her own blade to Shinmoku's neck.
"Anything else to say now?"
"Heh."
Shinmoku tugged open his shirt. After a whole night of fighting, his clothes were already in tatters. Now, his entire chest was exposed.
Yugito's eyes drifted away despite herself. The next instant, her expression turned grave.
Explosive Tags!