Wind kept blowing up from the bottom of the valley, filling the entire forest with crisp, refreshing air.
A man dressed in brown hemp clothing pressed himself against the shaded side of a tree. His figure blended into its shadow, and he gave off no trace of his presence.
Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air rapidly approached from one side.
The hemp-clad man's expression changed. He dodged sideways while drawing the Ninja Blade from his back, deflecting the incoming Kunai with a series of metallic clangs.
Just as he was about to knock away the final Kunai, a dark figure dropped down without warning. Before he could attack, a flash of scarlet met his gaze.
The hemp-clad man swayed, his eyes going blank as he stood rooted to the spot.
Even the Ninja Blade slipped from his limp hand and fell beside his feet.
A black-haired boy wearing a grayish-white hooded coat and Goggles on his forehead landed silently in front of him.
His scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan were open, and he held an ordinary, standard-issue Kunai.
The boy was none other than Rikuo, who had traveled all the way from the Land of Night to provide support in the Land of Flow.
Rikuo toyed with the Kunai in his hand, his scarlet eyes brightening slightly.
"Tell me. Who are you?"
Once someone was controlled by the Sharingan, even the strongest willpower was useless.
That was especially true of Rikuo's Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Its ocular power far surpassed other Sharingan at the same level, and the Genjutsu it cast was beyond anything the hemp-clad man could resist.
Sure enough, when he heard Rikuo's question, the man merely maintained his dazed expression and recounted his background in a flat, emotionless voice:
"I am Kakai, an Anbu Jonin from Kumogakure."
Hearing