Locust was on the ground, his chest barely moving. Sena looked at me with a complicated expression, her eyes torn between relief and dread, while Kaen stood silent, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. The air buzzed faintly from the fading charge of my Stormdrive, and for a moment, the only sound was Locust's ragged breathing.
Then Kaen's Sharingan spun, scanning the treeline. His voice came out low and tense. "There are people approaching."
The words made my stomach tighten. I turned to Sena and Kaen, ready to move. "We have to get out of the chakra distortion zone. Once we are clear, we can fight at full power."
Kaen recoiled, anger flashing across his face. "I am not running any further. I will stand my ground and go help Sensei once I deal with those cowards."
"Kaen, listen to me," I said, trying to keep my voice calm even as frustration built. "I'm taking you and Sena out of the distortion zone first. Then we can decide what to do. If we stay, we will be fighting with one hand tied behind our backs."
Kaen shook his head. "The further we go, the longer it takes to reach Sensei. I can fight here. You can leave if you want."
I clenched my teeth, resisting the urge to hit him. Sena let out a soft sigh and turned her attention toward the approaching enemies.
I thought quickly. Maybe I could catch another one off guard, end this fast. But Sena spoke before I could act.
"Noa, you should go ahead and support Sensei," she said firmly. "Kaen and I will hold them. You are faster, and you can reach him sooner."
Kaen looked annoyed but stayed silent this time. I frowned. "How am I supposed to get past them unnoticed? They already see us."
Sena gave a small, confident smile. "Leave that to me." She grabbed another scroll, pressed her palm to it, and poured chakra inside. "Release."
A thick fog burst outward, flooding the clearing in seconds. It rolled across the ground like a living thing, swallowing the light and muffling every sound.
I moved into the haze, crouched low, each step careful and measured. Through the fog, I caught sight of two figures emerging from the trees. Their masks glimmered faintly through the mist. One shaped like a heron, sharp and narrow, the other like an owl with wide amber lenses.
The Owl operative froze when he saw Locust's body. Without hesitation, he formed a rapid series of hand seals. Black marks spread across Locust's chest and neck, twisting like living ink.
Locust's body convulsed violently. His limbs jerked against the ground, back arching as muffled gasps rattled through the mask. Thin trails of blood began to seep from his ears, dripping down the sides of his neck and soaking into his collar. A few dark drops slid beneath the mask's edge, staining his shirt as the seals etched across his chest and arms pulsed brighter and brighter.
Then his body went still. The silence that followed was unnerving, heavy with finality. A second later, the seals ignited. Red light flared through the markings, followed by a sharp hiss as heat surged through his body. The lines burned outward like molten wire, consuming everything until the corpse collapsed into a heap of blackened ash.
The Owl's gruff voice broke the silence. "We cannot leave any evidence behind. If Konoha links this to us, they might use it as an excuse to attack the Hidden Cloud. That would turn into a political disaster."
That was the last thing I heard before fading into the mist completely, suppressing my chakra and steadying my breath. Each step became deliberate, my focus locked forward as I began moving toward Shisui.
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Kaen POV
I was angry. Angry at Noa for taking my choice away from me. I understood that I might have died there, but I wanted to be with my sensei until the end. Even if it was a pointless death, it would not have been a coward's one. Father always taught me to never run away from a fight. Yet I never even had the chance to try, not with Noa dragging me out.
The truth was, I was even angrier at myself. Seeing Noa's true strength made it clear that he had been holding back all along. He played the role of a rival, but I was never truly one. The hatred I felt during our first fight deepened, twisting into something darker. I resolved myself right there. I would either win this battle and save our sensei, or die trying. If our clan's greatest warrior fell while I lived, Father would kill me the moment I came home.
That thought steadied me. A silent resolve settled in my chest as I watched the fog thicken.
The man in the owl mask tilted his head. "I am sure I sensed three as we approached. Why are there only two now?"
The one in the heron mask answered coolly. "It does not matter. The one who left was a chunin at best. It will not affect the outcome of our jonin's battle."
Owl grunted. "Then let's deal with these brats quickly and go support them."
Because of the dense fog, they had to move in close. The Heron looked around with annoyance. "This fog is irritating." He began weaving hand seals, but Sena reacted instantly. She threw a kunai at him and rushed forward.
The Owl flickered toward me. My Sharingan caught his movement, and I dropped low under his first strike. My hand shot out, drawing a kunai in one smooth motion as I slashed toward his abdomen. Using my smaller frame, I aimed for his blind spot, but he slipped back with a flicker of his own and stood still, wasting time.
"You Uchiha are always irritating to fight," he muttered, forming a new set of hand seals.
I darted forward, but he slammed a palm into the ground. A pulse of chakra erupted, sending dust and mud flying in every direction. I shielded my face, keeping just enough visibility to watch for sudden movement. Then a kick struck from my blind side, hitting my ribs hard enough to knock the breath out of me.
I stumbled, gasping, as he continued weaving hand signs. Frustration and anger burned inside me, fueling my focus. My Sharingan spun faster, analyzing every movement, every seal. He pressed his hand to the ground.
"Earth Release: Stone Needles."
Hardened spikes burst from the mud, shooting toward me at high speed. I dropped into a roll, narrowly dodging the first volley. The second I met head-on, coating my hand in chakra and punching the spike aside, shards scattering. My Sharingan tracked every movement, every needle, faster than before. Somehow, it felt easier, more natural.
Then a kunai flew in the middle of the barrage, slicing across my arm. I flinched, blood splattering, and flickered sideways, evading the final volley.
I wanted to counter his ninjutsu with mine. However, the chakra distortion made that a bad option. I would need more time to cast, and the chakra cost would be far higher than normal. Better to save it for a critical moment or when I catch up to Sensei.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Sena trading blows with the Heron. She had already opened several cuts on him, her movements fluid and precise. His voice rose in anger. "You cunning bitch!"
Sena only smiled, her expression calm and unreadable, her beauty untouched even in that moment of chaos. For an instant, my heart skipped a beat. Then movement flickered at the edge of my vision.
At the edge of my vision, my Sharingan caught the glint of Owl's sword descending toward me. I raised my kunai just in time, the blades clashing as his superior strength pushed me backward.
Owl's mocking voice followed. "Do you really have time to look at your girlfriend in the middle of a fight for your life?"
I kicked forward, but he met my strike with his own, faster and heavier. My leg was pushed aside. His sword came down again, slicing for my shoulder, but I dropped low in an instant, my body nearly touching the ground as I moved beneath the arc of his blade.
I twisted, spinning low, my Sharingan burning as everything slowed around me. My hand drew a kunai mid-spin and hurled it upward from beneath, giving him no time to react. He turned sharply at the last moment, but not fast enough. The kunai buried itself deep in his shoulder.
He stumbled back with a sharp curse.
A small grin spread across my face. "I've drawn blood."
The red glow of my Sharingan reflected in his mask as my teeth flashed in a wild grin.