"Yuhara, he's gone?"
"Yeah, he figured me out. That guy's pretty sharp."
As Yuhara was lamenting the fact that his walking 90 million bounty had just slipped away, Shisui arrived at his side.
He had watched the whole fight and now had a much clearer picture of Yuhara's strength.
Yuhara hadn't used the Sharingan at all—that much Shisui could tell.
As a fellow Sharingan user, he understood just how much that eye enhances perception and control in combat.
Usually, a Uchiha's strength lies in that subtle manipulation—spotting fine details and using them to break down an opponent. But Yuhara hadn't relied on that at all.
He fought Orochimaru purely on raw power—and that raw strength stunned Shisui.
What confused him was how Orochimaru recognized Yuhara's identity, since Yuhara didn't use any distinctive jutsu.
"Fire Style... and I slipped up myself," Yuhara sighed with a shrug, though he didn't seem too bothered.
"Orochimaru really is a crafty old snake. He notices everything, even the tiniest detail."
"He's one of the Legendary Sannin. Not someone to take lightly," Shisui replied.
Plus, Orochimaru had been part of both Root and the ANBU—he was a master of extracting information and reading people.
Yuhara might be strong, but he never went through the kind of covert training those places drilled into people.
"Will this cause problems for us, now that he knows?"
"Not really. Orochimaru's a smart guy—he knows what to say and what to keep quiet."
Yuhara sounded pretty confident. Worst case, if things went public, he could just throw Sarutobi under the bus.
If Hiruzen tried to make a fuss, Yuhara would just say, "You didn't pay me—so I made some side money. What's the problem?"
Of course, that was the absolute worst-case scenario. He didn't expect it to come to that.
"Anyway, forget Orochimaru. We've got business to handle."
He turned his gaze behind him and added calmly,
"Orochimaru told me before he left—Iwagakure's troops are about to take over this sector."
"So… are we hitting the Iwa-nin?"
Shisui was curious how Yuhara got that intel, but he wasn't going to dwell on it. He had no moral qualms about killing Iwa-nin—just like with the Kumo guys earlier.
They were mentally prepared from the start. As long as they cleaned up well and stayed hidden, everything was fair game.
"Yep. Otherwise, we'd have a hard time explaining things later."
Yuhara smirked, then looked back. The wall of flames behind them had started to die down.
"Who are you?!"
The Iwagakure captain eyed the two black-robed figures cautiously. His voice was steady, but inside he was tense as hell.
So were the Iwa-nin behind him—they'd already drawn weapons and were bracing for a fight.
The two figures hadn't done anything threatening, technically. But standing against the backdrop of that raging fire, they radiated crushing pressure.
Yuhara and Shisui ignored them. They glanced at each other, then broke into a sprint—splitting up as they charged!
"Ambush! Prepare for battle!"
Their movements made it crystal clear what was about to go down.
Normally, two people rushing into a force of over fifty would look like sheer lunacy.
But these two? After that firestorm and the overwhelming chakra… it was obvious they weren't ordinary shinobi.
And what they didn't know—was they were up against two Mangekyō-wielding Uchiha.
As he ran, Yuhara's sword lit up with glowing blue chakra. His eyes turned crimson—no more holding back.
He was aiming for a quick and clean finish. Orochimaru had already validated what he wanted to test, so now it was time to wipe this group fast.
He had already picked his first target: a tall Iwa-nin near the front, one with notably strong chakra.
Always take out the tough ones first—that was something his old squad leader drilled into him back in the war.
Yuhara's speed was insane—even without using space-time techniques, he moved faster than most could track.
That tall Iwa-nin—he was actually the captain of the unit. As he realized Yuhara was charging straight at him, his face tightened.
He panicked for a moment, but then his expression turned red with anger.
"That bastard… picking me first like I'm weak?!"
Cursing to himself, he formed hand seals rapidly. A wall of earth shot up in front of him, and sharp earth spikes emerged across Yuhara's path.
Yuhara wasn't fazed. His eyes scanned the field, then he slashed his sword horizontally.
"Vmmm!"
A wave of sharp Wind-style chakra ripped through the spikes, slicing them clean.
Then, with a burst of speed, he leapt toward the freshly risen wall. His blade gleamed with confidence as it drove forward—
"Boom!"
Sand and blood scattered as Yuhara clearly felt his blade pierce through the Iwa-nin's chest.
As the dust settled and the lingering smoke failed to fully obscure his vision, Yuhara could clearly see the shock and unwillingness on the man's face.
But then Yuhara raised an eyebrow—this guy, despite being mortally wounded, suddenly slapped an explosive tag onto Yuhara's sword!
"Damn bastard."
The guy's internal organs were totally destroyed—he was already dead for sure. The only reason he was still moving was sheer physical toughness.
Yet even dying, he still tried to take Yuhara with him. That was something Yuhara had never encountered on a mission before.
"So this is what a battlefield shinobi's last retaliation looks like…"
Yuhara suddenly recalled what his former squad leader once said: On the battlefield, there's no room for pity, fear, or hesitation.
When facing the enemy, you do whatever it takes to kill them—because if you don't, they'll kill you.
And war is brutal—you never know if you'll die in the next second. So even if you're dying, your job is to take down the enemy with you.
He'd only heard that grim truth spoken in his squad leader's calm tone before—but now, he was truly seeing it for the first time.
Yuhara couldn't help but feel a moment of respect—but it passed quickly.
After all, his hands were already long stained with blood. He might not have been fully baptized by war, but he was still a proper shinobi.
"Hmph."
Snorting coldly, Yuhara drove his sword forward with force, plunging both the blade and the explosive tag deeper into the man's chest.
A moment later, he vanished with a Body Flicker Technique—then an enormous explosion rocked the battlefield, blood mist erupting in all directions.
"Captain!!"
The blast hit several nearby Iwa-nin, and those still alive couldn't stop themselves from crying out in anguish.
"Captain?"
Yuhara heard it and realized the guy he'd killed wasn't just some rando—he was someone important.
But that was good. The more critical the kill, the more it would shake the rest.
With that in mind, Yuhara shot upward, soaring over the explosion site. His eyes locked onto where his sword had landed.
Though the blade looked a little worse for wear, it hadn't broken. This sword wasn't made from ordinary materials.
Even taking a full blast from an explosive tag, it stayed intact—that spoke volumes about the forging quality, or maybe just the ridiculous materials Kirigakure used when they made it.
"Shisui's not slacking either, huh."
As Yuhara grabbed the sword, his peripheral vision caught Shisui cutting through the Iwa ranks like a phantom.
With his Sharingan and insane speed, Shisui danced through them with ease.
Yuhara noticed some Iwa-nin were holding their ground well despite the chaos—but others were clearly panicking.
And from their chakra levels, most were just average soldiers—chūnin or genin-level at best.
Jōnin were rare and valuable. Even near the borders, they'd usually serve higher command roles, not frontline fodder.
"Die!"
Just as Yuhara was analyzing the battlefield and descending from above, a voice suddenly snarled next to his ear.
He tilted his head slightly—only to see a kunai flying toward his neck from the side.
But the next moment, everything froze. The Iwa-nin's vicious expression halted mid-swing as his gaze locked with Yuhara's scarlet, three-tomoe Sharingan.
Instantly, he went blank—dazed and confused—until Yuhara's blade cleanly slit his throat. He collapsed with an unwilling groan.
Yuhara didn't even glance at him again. With a flick of his wrist to fling off the blood, he charged back into the crowd like Shisui.
"You guys came too?"
Flicking the blood from their blades, Yuhara and Shisui turned to face the Third Hoshikage and his group. They were curious—what were these guys doing here?
"We were just doing a routine patrol of the frontlines, but then we got reports of a massive fire eruption up ahead. So we came to check it out."
The Third Hoshikage answered with apparent calm—but that was just on the surface.
Inside, he was freaking out like everyone else.
They couldn't unsee what they'd just witnessed—those two slicing through a crowd like they were dancing.
Every move elegant and effortless, with anyone who crossed paths with them sent flying.
To them, battle looked like art—each strike smooth, every motion purposeful.
But their styles were very different. One was all about speed—so fast he was practically untouchable, more phantom than man.
No one could tell what was real and what was an afterimage. It was terrifying.
The other wasn't as fast—but was far more terrifying.
His movements weren't flashy—but they were surgical. Every strike, every dodge—someone died. Always.
He made use of everything around him. Enemy weapons, enemy attacks—nothing was wasted.
They couldn't forget the moment five Iwa-nin tried to surround him. He grabbed one attacker's arm and yanked it—driving the guy's kunai into his own teammate.
Then he calmly spun, avoiding a blade from behind—which then cleaved through the first attacker's neck.
And then he struck too—silently slicing the next one, sticking an explosive tag on him faster than anyone could see.
Then he kicked the man into the crowd and, at the same time, dodged attacks from two other enemies.
He grabbed both their hands mid-attack and forced their weapons into each other, just as the explosive tag enemy behind him detonated in the midst of the others.
Everything he did seemed effortless, like he had the battlefield entirely in the palm of his hand.
He didn't look like a shinobi at all—more like a dancer. A dancer who could casually slaughter everyone around him.
An enemy like that—there was just no way they could handle him, no way they could afford to provoke someone like him.
But faced with such strength, their suspicions only deepened. The Third Hoshikage's earlier doubts resurfaced again: Why would two people like this take on a mission like this? What secret motives did they have?
Still, the Third Hoshikage knew this wasn't the time to be concerned with such things. They weren't in any position to question it either.
Even if the enemies weren't particularly strong, accomplishing this with only two people was no small feat.
Normally, numbers changed the tide of battle. Even a jōnin surrounded by enough chūnin and genin could be overwhelmed and killed.
But these two? Especially the one who spoke—his display of combat artistry sent chills down the Hoshikage's spine.
"Yes, sir."
The Third Hoshikage took a deep breath and spoke seriously with a trace of respect.
"It's not that we don't trust you—it's just that this is our duty."
"Oh, really?"
Yuhara looked at the old man with amusement. He didn't believe a word of it, but he couldn't be bothered to argue.
"Didn't expect such a responsible 'Kage'... Anyway, now that you're here, I can report back. These guys were from Iwagakure. Their mercenary unit was defeated by us. And that guy, if I'm not wrong, was an S-class rogue from Konoha."
"S-class from Konoha?!"
That revelation turned all their faces pale. Konoha might've declined, but it was still one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
The idea that one of their S-class rogues had shown up here was terrifying.
Still, it was a relief that Yuhara had defeated him—that was a big win.
With that realization, the Third Hoshikage made up his mind. He had to seize this opportunity.
"Sir, your mission is complete. I'll deliver the rest of your payment immediately."
That straightforward attitude made Yuhara and Shisui exchange a glance—this guy clearly hadn't finished speaking.
Sure enough, the Hoshikage continued.
"But... could I ask for your names or codenames? It would help us distinguish you more easily. Also, I hope we can establish a larger and more long-term cooperation."
"This went way smoother than expected," Shisui said as they walked toward another frontline base, glancing at Yuhara with admiration. "Looks like your plan was right again."
Their goal on this trip was simple: make money.
Whether through mercenary work or selling off their weapon stash—they needed cash.
They'd just finished a mercenary mission. Next up was unloading those weapons.
What they didn't expect was that the Third Hoshikage would approach them himself, hoping for long-term cooperation.
"Lord Itō, Lord Narumi, your strength is beyond anything I could've imagined. With your support—and the support of the organization behind you—I believe Hoshigakure can survive even the toughest times.
So I wish to employ you long-term, or your organization, to protect and assist us.
Also, I hope your organization can take on a different commission—not a battle, but one to help us acquire resources to enhance our strength."
Shisui remembered that moment clearly—the Hoshikage was practically groveling.
And Shisui could still feel how fast his heart had been beating. The guy was obviously asking them to find a way to supply weapons.
Since they were posing as mercenaries, accepting such a task made perfect sense.
And clearly, there was plenty of room to negotiate—or fleece him, really. If they played it right, this old man was going to be a gold mine.
But the Hoshikage didn't seem worried in the slightest. In fact, he seemed genuinely pleased.
"As long as you can help Hoshigakure, we'll pay you well. Since the goods will need to be smuggled in, we won't shortchange you."
Hearing that, Yuhara and Shisui didn't hesitate—they immediately accepted.
But Yuhara knew one thing for sure: never make it seem too easy. If this guy thought they could do it without effort, he'd undervalue everything else.
So even though Yuhara agreed, he only said he'd contact the weapons supplier and let them handle negotiations with Hoshigakure directly.
If it worked out, they'd handle the transport. If not, they'd drop it. The Third Hoshikage, of course, didn't object.
"Right, and my name's Makoto Itō now. Lord Narumi Takayuki, don't forget it."
Yuhara was in a great mood, even joking with Shisui. But once names came up, Shisui got curious.
"Hey, does the name Narumi Takayuki mean something?"
Shisui stroked his chin and gave Yuhara a weird look.
"And what about Makoto Itō? I don't buy that you'd pick something random."
You're absolutely right—I wouldn't. But I'm not telling you it's just a reference to two infamous scumbags.
In fact, the name I'm using belonged to a dude who got "boat-ended" by a girl named Kotonoha.
Yuhara grumbled internally, but of course, he wasn't about to explain. It was just a silly joke.
If he had a little sister, maybe he'd have named himself Haruno Yuu just for kicks.
"It just sounds nice," Yuhara said with a shrug, then looked ahead. "That's the outpost, right? Once we check it out, we can head back to Konoha."
Before they left, the Third Hoshikage threw in one last task: a patrol of a remote outpost.
On paper, it was just a basic check-up. If all went well, they could pocket the pay and leave without lifting a finger.
If someone did attack, they'd just help defend the place alongside stationed shinobi.
Compared to other wartime missions, this one was basically free money.
And the Hoshikage was paying a pretty decent rate too. No reason for Yuhara to turn it down.
Hoshigakure's territory wasn't huge anyway, most of it was cliffs and poisonous fog. Not much of a security risk.
"Yeah, once we're done there, we can leave. But this Orochimaru thing needs more attention," Shisui said seriously.
He wasn't too fussed about the names, but he started thinking deeply.
"For a guy like Orochimaru—strong, arrogant—to join some organization and take on missions like this… that organization must be no joke."
"Are you thinking… Itachi?" Yuhara asked, momentarily stunned, then masked it quickly.
"I'm not sure," he added, keeping it vague. "Maybe next time we run into Orochimaru, we can ask."
"But why didn't you use Kotoamatsukami earlier?" Yuhara asked. "We could've brainwashed him and made him work for us."
"You mean the left eye's Kotoamatsukami? Yeah, it can rewrite someone's will, but once I use it, I can't again for a long time."
Shisui looked helpless as he explained.
"It's a brutal jutsu, and it uses a ton of chakra. I used it once against that mystery Uchiha during the Danzo operation—it hasn't recovered yet."
"And the right eye's version takes time, constant chakra output, and direct eye contact. He'd definitely notice and try to resist. That's why I didn't use it—I couldn't."
His reasoning made sense, and Yuhara gave a small nod.
Still, Orochimaru wasn't exactly genjutsu-resistant. If Shisui had gone for it, the odds of success might've been high.
Then again, Orochimaru bolting at the first sign of trouble? Totally possible.
Yuhara sighed. He wasn't going to overthink it. Honestly, it made sense the jutsu had a massive cooldown.
If it didn't, the world would already be brainwashed. Forget Infinite Tsukuyomi—just beam down infinite Kotoamatsukami from the moon.
He vaguely remembered reading that Kotoamatsukami could take decades to recharge—if the user died and no host body protected the eye.
But Shisui was alive, eye intact. That should speed things up, right?
"So, how long until you can use it again?" Yuhara asked after a moment's thought.
"Maybe five more years?" Shisui said uncertainly. "It used to be more than eight, but after that injection you gave me, it's gone down a lot. Still, I think it's based on total uses."
"Got it." Yuhara nodded with a hint of resignation.
Still, a plan was already forming in his mind. Once Shisui's cooldown ended, he was going to use it on Orochimaru.
No way he was letting that research genius slip away.
As they casually chatted and walked forward, the two strolled through the perilous Land of Bears as if they owned the place.
But suddenly, both Yuhara and Shisui stopped in their tracks, their eyes turning toward the distance.
They'd caught a strong scent of blood in the air—and with it, a heavy chakra presence.
It was enough to put them on alert. The chakra they sensed wasn't any weaker than Orochimaru's.
"Looks like we won't get a break today," Yuhara sighed. "I'll go check it out. Might be more of Orochimaru's group—maybe I can squeeze some intel from them."
"I'm going with you," Shisui said without hesitation. "There's definitely two chakra signatures. If trouble starts, we'll watch each other's backs."
Not waiting for a reply, he dashed off. Yuhara simply nodded and followed.
Their speed was immense, and within seconds they arrived at the blood-soaked scene.
Bodies littered the ground. And among them stood two figures.
One had a gray-and-white body, with a strange formation at his feet.
The other wore a long black cloak with red clouds—just like Orochimaru's.
Seeing them, both Yuhara and Shisui lit up.
To Shisui, they were clearly from the same group as Orochimaru—meaning a golden opportunity for information.
But Yuhara had eyes only for the man in the cloak, his mind laser-focused on one thought:
"I have to recruit this guy if I can!"
"How unlucky. Can't believe I ran into him again,"
Elsewhere, in a hidden clearing within the Land of Bears, Orochimaru's figure emerged from underground. He stared into the distance, a crooked smile forming.
He couldn't believe his luck. Even in this remote nation, far from Konoha, he'd still managed to run into an Uchiha.
And not just any Uchiha—the Uchiha clan leader, the one who overthrew Fugaku and ripped out one of Itachi's eyes: Uchiha Yuhara!
Orochimaru didn't have much intel on Yuhara.
Sure, the kid was once a well-known prodigy in Konoha—but back in Orochimaru's day, prodigies were a dime a dozen.
How many geniuses burned bright and faded just as quickly? How many died before reaching their peak?
War could create geniuses—or bury them. And until a prodigy proved themselves, Orochimaru never spared them a second glance.
But now? Yuhara had grown. And his speed and power had far surpassed what Orochimaru expected.
Itachi was already dangerous—even with just one eye, that man had used the Sharingan to utterly crush him.
So if it were Yuhara instead… how bad would it be?
"And that guy beside him—he's on edge, watching for threats. Clearly, he trusts Yuhara's strength. And to be assigned to the clan head, he must be no slouch himself."
"Which means… that guy must be Uchiha Shisui!"
Just one Yuhara had been enough to kill Orochimaru's appetite for fighting.
Now throw in Shisui—former ANBU, Mangekyō Sharingan, insane combat skills? Orochimaru was done.
In modern terms, it wasn't that Orochimaru was weak—it was that the other side was piloting a Gundam. A real one.
So naturally, he did the only smart thing—he bailed.
There was no way he'd risk his life on this. Especially since this whole side mission had been a waste of time from the start.
"Sharingan… no, Mangekyō Sharingan…"
Staring off into the distance, Orochimaru's mind turned. This was the second time the Sharingan had forced him into retreat.
Even though they hadn't used it directly, its mere presence had driven him away.
But instead of discouraging him, it only intensified his obsession.
Such terrifying eyes. Such overwhelming power. If he couldn't get his hands on them, couldn't experience them firsthand—then he'd failed.
He had to find a way to obtain that power. But before that, he needed to figure out how to defeat the ones who wielded it.
"There's no way to go after Itachi now. After last time, he'll be on high alert. I've got no shot."
"And besides… he's missing an eye. Even if I caught him, he'd be useless."
Orochimaru stood in place, deep in thought. He didn't care much for Itachi anymore.
He knew Itachi left Konoha on his own. His info might've been incomplete, but Orochimaru had once nearly become Hokage himself—he wasn't clueless.
Itachi had attacked his own clan and turned rogue, dragging Danzo down with him—only to be killed by Yuhara.
To Orochimaru, that spelled one thing: Itachi had been duped. He bought into Danzo's and Hiruzen's bullshit.
Back in Konoha, Orochimaru had always seen it. His teacher and Danzo had constantly targeted the Uchiha.
And Danzo? That guy was just a selfish snake with no moral compass—unless you counted his own warped beliefs as "morals."
Researching the First Hokage's cells—Orochimaru had always craved it, was even willing to pursue it, but he never really had the chance.
If Danzo hadn't taken the lead and provided the materials, if his own teacher hadn't tacitly approved it—would he have done it?
At least back then, Orochimaru hadn't considered leaving Konoha. But when the village uncovered some issues, all fingers immediately pointed at him.
That's when he realized—Konoha had changed. His teacher had changed. Maybe it was at that moment that Orochimaru decided he'd rather leave and chase the desires in his heart.
And Itachi Uchiha, that idiot, actually trusted them and betrayed his own clan? What, did he still think Konoha belonged to his teacher and Danzo?
"That kind of fool could awaken the Mangekyō? Unreal."
Orochimaru sighed quietly. Still, he knew Itachi's talent was real—he'd seen the kid's training firsthand back in Konoha.
Shaking his head, he shoved the thought aside. Itachi wasn't worth obsessing over anymore. His sights were better set on Konoha—or more specifically, on Uchiha Yuhara and Uchiha Shisui.
But going after them wouldn't be easy. Not something Orochimaru could handle alone.
"To fight the Sharingan—no, the Mangekyō Sharingan—I'll need someone who also possesses those eyes."
He murmured to himself, and then, as if struck by inspiration, a smile slowly spread across his face.
"Maybe the living don't cut it. Training someone would take years—and still might fail."
"But the dead… oh, there are plenty of legends among the dead. People who wielded those eyes, or even knew how to counter them!"
At that moment, Orochimaru realized just how narrow his thinking had been.
If the living won't work, then why not the dead?
Jutsu were created to serve people. If Tobirama Senju could create it, then Orochimaru sure as hell could exploit it.
If he played this right, he could absolutely obtain the power to crush those Mangekyō-wielding Uchiha!
For a moment, Orochimaru went completely silent. But the kind of silence where someone either breaks—or becomes a true monster. And right now, he was both.
"Looks like I've found a new direction for my research. And once I succeed, I'll have everything I ever wanted."
"Hell, you dead folks might even get to see the world's beauty again. Might even thank me for it!"
(End of Chapter)
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to 30+ at patreon.com/Emik01.