Shisui's Apology

The mist grew thicker, blurring the world and obscuring what little sunlight remained.

Near an uninhabited island on the border of the Land of Water, a young man in Konoha Ninja attire led the way before stopping.

"Senior Hua Yue, I can only bring you this far. The rest is up to you. Please."

Bowing slightly, Uchiha Shisui studied the senior before him, who was also a member of the Uchiha Clan. They were both Uchiha, yet this one wasn't known for his Sharingan. The more Shisui thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

"Shisui, you managed to escape from the Fourth Mizukage. You used that, didn't you? The Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular jutsu."

Shisui's pupils trembled. He stared at Hua Yue in disbelief, his mind heavy with doubts.

How had he figured it out? How had he discovered that Shisui had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—the warped power he'd gained through his best friend's sacrifice? Could it be...

"Looks like I was right. It's an ability that leans toward genjutsu. Other than a Mangekyō Sharingan ocular jutsu, I can't think of anything else that could quietly change someone's thoughts. What's it called?"

Realizing he'd been tricked into giving himself away, Shisui smiled helplessly and decided it was best to come clean.

"Kotoamatsukami. It's the ocular jutsu dwelling in my Mangekyō Sharingan. It can alter someone's will while making them believe the choice came from their own instincts."

"I'd planned to make the Fourth Mizukage release all of us, but Kirigakure would have immediately realized their leader had been placed under genjutsu. So I could only exploit something they cared about."

"The Ninja Blades of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and... Flash Illusion Moon."

Seeing the apology in Shisui's eyes, Hua Yue's lips twitched. He laughed heartily.

"You're quite the troublesome junior. Fine, then. When I need your help, don't you dare turn me down. See you."

He vanished in an instant. Shisui reflexively activated his Sharingan and looked around, but when he found no trace of chakra nearby, his astonishment only grew.

"He vanished in an instant? So that's the Flying Thunder God Technique. Flash Illusion Moon's Body Flicker Technique isn't like mine, a phantom created with the Sharingan. It's a genuine Space-Time Ninjutsu!"

Shisui turned his gaze toward the distant mist, which stretched beyond sight. He had no idea how many Kirigakure Ninja were lying in wait within it.

"Is Flash Illusion Moon's Illusion Moon Technique also a Mangekyō ocular jutsu? What kind of ability could it be?"

Though intensely curious, Shisui stayed where he was, waiting for Hua Yue to rescue all the hostages.

Meanwhile, in the dense fog where no one could see an inch ahead, a deep-purple Sage face mask quietly appeared. Eerie white mist spread out, mingling with the water vapor.

At the center of the island, numerous unconscious Konoha Ninja had been tied together in small groups. Each of them had at least several Explosive Tags stuck to them, some in plain sight and others hidden.

The Kirigakure Ninja stood fully armed around the hostages, waiting for their enemy to arrive.

"Tell me, is that guy—Flash Illusion Moon—really going to come? He knows this is a trap. What kind of fool would come here?"

"Who knows? He's powerful enough to defeat the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Maybe he's so confident in his jutsu that he'll come here to get himself killed."

"Hahaha! If he dares show up, we'll let him experience Kirigakure's Hidden Mist Formation. But there's no way some idiot would come here to die... right?"

Before he could finish, a figure emerged from the thick fog. He wore black clothes and a black robe, with a Three-Eyed Demon Fox Mask on his head and a cloak billowing behind him despite the lack of wind.

"That mask, that symbol—it's him! Flash Illusion Moon! I never thought the rumors were true. The guy who killed countless Kirigakure Ninja is actually just a boy?"

"Fools. No matter how gifted a young ninja is, he'll be history by the end of today. It's our duty to let him sleep beneath the water and feed the sharks."

A pair of hostile eyes followed the approaching figure. Hua Yue strolled forward at an easy pace, as if he were walking through an empty place.

"Where are the hostages? The Fourth Mizukage, and the two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen who barely escaped my grasp—where are they?"

He surveyed the area as though everything were only to be expected. His tone remained calm as he waited for an answer.

"Damn you, you arrogant brat! Who do you think you are, speaking to us like—"

The Ninja rushed forward all at once, surrounding Hua Yue. Their expressions were vicious, as if they meant to tear him limb from limb.

"Kill him!"

"No, that would be too easy. We'll torture the Flying Thunder God Technique out of him. He's from the Uchiha Clan, so he must have awakened the Sharingan. We'll dig out his eyes and optic nerves!"

They regarded him as their mortal enemy. Before Hua Yue was even dead, they were already plotting to claim their spoils, utterly convinced of their victory.

Yet Hua Yue didn't even glance at them. He turned his gaze toward the camp where all the hostages were gathered, his voice indifferent.

"Come out, Biwa Juzo, Suikazan Fuguki, and the Fourth Mizukage. So the two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen who escaped my grasp were you."

That day, Hua Yue had been in a hurry to treat Might Duy and hadn't had time to check whether the bodies were truly dead. He'd simply snatched up the seven Ninja Blades in haste. He hadn't expected there to be survivors after all.

"Uchiha brat, we sure owe you one for that day. My wounds still ache even now. This is all your fault!"

Suikazan Fuguki emerged from the thick fog. His vicious shark-like teeth gleamed, and he watched Hua Yue's every move without daring to let his guard down.

"Be careful. This guy's Body Flicker Technique is a real pain. I don't want to lose any more teeth."

As they spoke, Biwa Juzo followed close behind, repeatedly swinging the ordinary Ninja Blade in his hand. He seemed unhappy with its weight.

"So the Flash Illusion Moon who's made a name for himself in the recent war is just a kid."

The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, slowly appeared. Hua Yue was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and teased him.

"What's that supposed to mean? You've got a kid's face yourself. What gives you the right to call anyone else a kid? Don't make me laugh. You can decide: should I wipe you all out along with the hostages, or agree to negotiate?"

Hua Yue's words seemed to touch on a forbidden subject. The Fourth Mizukage, who had been so calm moments ago, instantly gritted his teeth.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I have a wife and a son! I'm no kid! If you want us to release the hostages, Uchiha brat, then kill yourself right here in front of us..."

Hua Yue shook his head helplessly and muttered to himself.

"Negotiations have failed. Then you can join them and dance together on the Naihe Bridge. Sage Art: Great Spiral Wheel!"

"That jutsu—watch out! Water Style: Water Mirror Technique!"

Pure white light blazed against pure white, swallowing the mist and the island. In a daze, Karatachi Yagura felt an inexplicable sense of wrongness surround him, but then the towering figure that reached from heaven to earth stunned him.

"What in the world is going on?"