Sunlight spilled across Konoha, and the air carried the faint scent of leaves. Uchiha Xin, hailed as the rising star of the Uchiha Clan, stood at the village entrance, preparing for the third supply mission of his life.
"Xin, are you ready?" A familiar voice came from behind him. It was his captain, Nara Shin.
Uchiha Xin turned around, determination gleaming in his deep eyes. "Yes, Captain. I'm ready."
This mission differed from the previous ones. They needed to cross a dense forest known as the Shadowy Forest, a place filled with unknown dangers. Yet Uchiha Xin did not shrink back. He believed that with his own strength and his companions' support, they would surely complete the mission successfully.
The team set out beneath the morning sun. Within the Shadowy Forest, towering trees blocked out the sky, allowing sunlight to filter through the gaps in the leaves only in mottled patches. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and the occasional roar of a distant beast could be heard.
Uchiha Xin walked at the very front of the team. His senses were exceptionally sharp, and he remained constantly alert to every movement around them. Suddenly, a faint sound caught his attention. He spun around at once, his gaze sweeping through the surrounding woods like lightning.
"Enemy!" he shouted in a low voice, immediately taking up a fighting stance.
His teammates reacted swiftly, drawing their weapons and preparing for battle. However, when they saw the "enemy" clearly, they could not help but freeze.
It was not an enemy at all, but an injured fawn. Its leg appeared to have been cut by something sharp, and blood had stained the grass around it red.
"It looks like it got lost, and it's injured," Nara Shikaku said as he stepped