Deep within a dense forest stretching for hundreds of miles in the Land of Fire.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through layers upon layers of canopy, breaking into scattered flecks of light that sparsely fell upon the forest floor.
The air was filled with the damp scent of earth and rotting leaves. An occasional birdcall drifted over from afar, only to be swept away by the wind into the depths of the foliage.
Three figures moved somewhat raggedly and silently between the towering treetops. Every leap and landing struck a sturdy branch capable of bearing their weight with precision, without unnecessary swaying or sound.
Itachi led the way, his body lowered and his stride steady. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan glimmered faintly red amid the dappled shadows, his gaze constantly shifting between every possible hiding place ahead.
The shadows beneath the canopy, depressions in the brush, the shaded sides of rocks—his gaze was like an evenly spread net, continuously covering every turn along the path ahead.
Inuzuka Hana followed roughly two paces behind him, her footsteps keeping in sync with Itachi's pace.
Her ninja hound, Haimaru, stayed close at her feet, its nose twitching slightly as it continuously caught every trace of scent in the air.
Kabuto Yakushi brought up the rear, holding a map in his hand.
They continued onward like this for about half an hour. Along the way, they encountered bandits again. After dealing with them, the three did not linger and continued forward.
This was already the third group of bandits they had encountered, and they had also been attacked once by rogue ninja.
As the sun began to slope westward, a relatively open stretch of land appeared ahead.
A stream wound its way down between the mountain rocks, gathering into a shallow pool in a depression. The surface