The Shadow Clone ran across the water, black mist enveloping both figures completely. Only faint ripples on the calm sea betrayed their passage.
Fugaku sat cross-legged on the deck with his eyes closed, resting. The crew looked uneasy.
In the world of Ninja, ordinary people had no guarantee of survival. They lived with their lives on the line every day.
As the boat approached shore, Fugaku glanced over. The Shadow Clone had already hidden with Mikoto.
Black Mist Invisibility could fool others, but it did not work on Fugaku. He could clearly see the mass of black mist.
After Fugaku disembarked, the crew steered their small boat through a gap between the encircling pirate ships and fled.
The pirates aboard those ships all wore the distinctive uniforms of Ninja. They moved quickly, clearly a crack Ninja Corps without a trace of the laxness of ordinary pirates.
A Ninja on watch called out, "Captain, Fugaku Uchiha has disembarked on the mainland of the Land of Lightning. The small boat he arrived on is trying to escape through the gap beside us. Do we let them go?"
"Kill them all. Leave no one alive. Apart from the Cloud shinobi, there can be no witnesses to this operation.
"The Raikage personally gave us orders before we came. Konoha is divided into factions. Without conclusive evidence, the Konoha leadership won't agree to send troops over Fugaku Uchiha.
"If we let witnesses escape, everything will be out in the open. Even for Konoha's reputation alone, the Third Hokage probably won't let this go. And Konoha is at the height of its power right now."
"Yes."
One of the seagoing ships turned at once and headed straight for the small boat Fugaku had arrived on. Figures leaped overboard and ran across the water.
In the blink