"Come on, let's go. Vacation time."
Genya stretched lazily.
"Itachi, Shisui, looks like there's a hot spring over there. Want a soak?"
Shisui followed with a smile.
Itachi walked silently beside them, but his gaze drifted toward the bridge, into the distance.
That was where Sasuke was.
And... where that boy named Naruto was, too.
Genya noticed his gaze and suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Relax. That kid Sasuke will catch up sooner or later. After all, he's got you, his big brother, to aim for."
Itachi said nothing. Only the corner of his mouth moved.
Barely.
But Shisui saw it, and so did Genya.
The three walked shoulder to shoulder into the heart of the Land of Waves, bathed in the last glow of sunset.
Behind them, Naruto's booming voice rang out again on the Land of Waves Bridge.
"Kakashi-sensei! Is that guy really not coming back?"
"Probably not."
"Great! Then let's keep going with the mission! I'm definitely going to learn new techniques to protect everyone!"
Sasuke snorted.
"Heal your injuries first, dead last."
"Who are you calling dead last?!"
"You."
"Sasuke!"
For Konoha's Team 7, their story had only just begun.
And for the Uchiha trio, their "vacation" was still going.
Now, at a hot spring in the Land of Waves, Genya's satisfied voice rang out.
"Ah, now this is the life!"
Shisui's soft laughter, Itachi's silence, and the faint sound of distant waves wove together into a curious melody.
Late that night, outside the Gato Group's headquarters.
Dark clouds hid the moon, and the sea breeze carried a salty dampness, mingled with faint sobbing from the distant slums.
The Gato Group's headquarters occupied the best land in the Land of Waves.
It was a sprawling estate of luxurious mansions, surrounded by high walls and