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The farce ended here.
White Zetsu left in utter embarrassment.
The Uchiha clan returned to their dull, monotonous lives.
Such days passed without change until the third day.
That day was originally clear and breezy—perfect weather.
Everyone, including the captured Killer B and Samui, basked in the warm sunlight on the deck.
But before they knew it, the thick fog hanging in the air suddenly grew denser, spreading rapidly. Even with the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, it was difficult to penetrate the mist.
At this moment, even a fool could tell this was no ordinary fog.
Real fog rarely became this thick, nor could it change so suddenly in such a short time.
Something was definitely off.
The Uchiha clan members immediately fell into disciplined formation, ready for battle.
Uchiha Haru stood alone at the bow of the ship.
"Outsiders, please leave the Land of Water! You are not welcome here!"
"Get out of here!"
A young woman's stern voice echoed from within the thick fog, laced with a hint of menace.
Haru remained calm, unsurprised.
He had long suspected that it wouldn't be easy for the Uchiha clan to establish roots here.
He had no intention of negotiating peace.
Not welcome?
Then they would beat their way until they were.
Haru's eyes suddenly gleamed, a blood-red light flickering within them, exuding a strange, malevolent aura.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Forming hand seals swiftly, Haru activated his Wood Release ninjutsu the moment the confrontation began.
From the depths of the water, more than ten thick vines surged upward at an incredible speed, piercing the surface and twisting through the dense fog.
The Hidden Mist Technique was designed to obscure vision over a wide area, especially when combined with water-style chakra, significantly impairing enemy sight—even threatening the Sharingan's effectiveness.
However, the Sharingan wielded here was only a basic one.
Its effect against Mangekyō Sharingan—or higher—is minimal and nearly negligible.
Thus, this seemingly powerful Hidden Mist Technique was mere decoration to Haru, utterly useless against his superior perception.
Thanks to his exceptional insight, he had already pinpointed the exact location of the Hidden Mist shinobi lurking in the shadows.
"Ah!"
Shocked and pained cries echoed through the fog.
Shortly after, the vines under Haru's command dragged out captured shinobi, one after another.
Four in total.
Their skill was average—only Jonin level.
In Haru's grip, they had no chance to resist.
"You… you actually…"
The Hidden Mist ninjas were stunned. They barely had time to speak before their positions were revealed and they were subdued—no chance for escape or retaliation.
Haru stared at the bound shinobi, his blood-red eyes shining brighter.
"Where is Mei Terumi?" he demanded.
"Mei… Mei…"
The four Kirigakure shinobi's eyes glazed over, their voices uncertain and hesitant.
Clearly, they were under an illusion's influence.
Finding Mei Terumi was Haru's top priority upon entering the Land of Water and Kirigakure.
Therefore, the moment he arrived, his first question was her whereabouts.
He wanted to find Mei Terumi.
Thanks to his control over genjutsu, Haru extracted the information he sought.
Then, he ordered his men to escort the captured Kirigakure ninjas away unharmed—no abuse, no killing.
After all, these shinobi would remain in Kirigakure's territory, so minimizing conflict was crucial.
Of course, if anyone proved reckless enough to risk their life foolishly, Haru would show no mercy.
Next, Haru instructed the elder to care for the Uchiha clan members and retreat to a small island approximately thirty nautical miles away.
They were to await orders and never advance without his command.
Finally, Haru ventured alone into Kirigakure, in the Land of Water.
At this time, Kirigakure's leader, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi, was trapped in a genjutsu controlled by the masked man, unconscious and unable to intervene.
This was why Kirigakure had fallen into a dark, brutal, and terrifying era—infamously known as the "Village of Blood Mist."
"Blood Mist…"
Haru murmured the name under his breath.
On his way to find Mei Terumi, he witnessed countless families shattered and people mercilessly slaughtered.
This devastation was not limited to shinobi—civilians suffered just as much.
Compared to this, although Konoha's higher-ups were corrupt and scheming, the village remained relatively stable.
At least civilians' safety and social order were somewhat guaranteed.
But the Hidden Mist Village was far worse.
Haru was known for his ruthlessness—he never hesitated when taking action, and seldom let others' affairs affect his mood.
Yet this time, seeing a white-haired old man brutally killed by a vicious shinobi, and a baby helpless in its cradle, stirred something within him.
Perhaps it was time for Kirigakure to change.
…
Within Kirigakure, deep in a dense forest, a young female ninja, about eighteen or nineteen years old, was practicing ninjutsu.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
More than ten kunai flew from her hands with precise accuracy.
They flew in all directions, at varying angles and incredible speeds.
Tengtengtengteng!
Each kunai struck the mark she had carefully set in advance.
Even targets positioned at awkward, negative angles were no exception—they were hit with unerring precision.
Such mastery of kunai and shuriken techniques was undeniably rare for someone her age.
When the female ninja saw that every kunai had landed perfectly, a faint, beautiful arc lifted her fair and handsome face. Clearly, she was very satisfied with this result.
However, just as she turned around, preparing to retrieve all the kunai and practice once more, her slender figure suddenly froze.
Someone had appeared before her—without her noticing.
A stranger she had never seen before.
His body was completely concealed beneath a dark robe, lending him an aura of mystery and an unusual, almost hypnotic allure.
He was not very old—perhaps even younger than her—but his cold eyes were piercing, as if capable of seeing through everything.
Yet what caught her gaze most was his face—astonishingly beautiful.
She had never seen such a striking person.
His delicate, sculpted features were both handsome and masculine, almost stunning her into silence.
If it weren't for the extreme sensitivity of the situation...
In recent years, Kirigakure Village had become almost entirely isolated from the outside world.
They had cut off communication with outsiders and were fiercely hostile to any ninja who dared approach.
At every entrance around Kirigakure, guards blocked the way to prevent any outsiders from entering.
Yet now, such a complete stranger stood before her.
No matter how reckless she was, she was not a fool.
Something was definitely wrong.
Who was the man in front of her?
"Who are you?"
The female ninja asked warily, eyes narrowing as she stared at the man before her.
The black-robed man remained calm and spoke softly, his voice steady.
"Uchiha, Haru."
"It's you!"
The female ninja blurted out in surprise, then her expression shifted slightly.
Haru's eyes flashed sharply.
Since entering the Hidden Mist Village, he had deliberately concealed his tracks.
With his strength and the powerful perception granted by the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he was confident that no one in the Hidden Mist Village had detected him yet.
He was absolutely sure of this.
Then how did the ninja in front of him know?
"Do you know me?" Haru asked, locking eyes with the female ninja.
"No… No, I've only heard a little about you," she answered hesitantly.
In truth, the moment the words left her lips, she knew she had made a mistake.
But her heart was too shocked to control itself.
Haru remained calm.
Such a clumsy answer was no deception to him.
Yet he had lost interest in pressing the matter further.
Because he had already pieced it together.
Who was truly in control of the Hidden Mist Village now?
Who had he encountered on his journey through the Land of Water?
Everything became clear with just a little thought.
Everything was orchestrated by the masked man lurking behind the scenes.
They didn't want him entering the Hidden Mist Village?
They could try and stop him.
Haru no longer feared the masked man.
Not to mention that the Akatsuki organization was still in its infancy, its members incomplete.
Even if they were fully assembled, so what?
Apart from Nagato, who wielded the Rinnegan, who was strong enough to challenge him?
Let them come.
He would simply take them on.
"You are Mei Terumi?"
After a moment, Haru looked at the female ninja and said.
He had hidden his tracks all the way—he wouldn't reveal himself to just any ninja.
Unless this ninja was his target—Mei Terumi.
But this Mei Terumi was far from the composed and powerful Fifth Mizukage she would become in the future.
She had not yet endured the many trials ahead, and she appeared somewhat green and inexperienced.
Otherwise, she would not have been exposed so early due to a slip of the tongue, allowing him to deduce so much.
Yet, for a young ninja under twenty, Mei Terumi had done well enough.
She knew Haru was their enemy.
And he was extremely powerful.
She was not capable of dealing with him.
But apart from that initial slip, she had remained calm and composed, never panicking.
Among the young generation of ninjas Haru had encountered, only a few—such as Uchiha Itachi, Hatake Kakashi, and Samui—had demonstrated such poise.
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Love the story and can't wait to see what happens next?
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Thank you for reading, and I truly appreciate your support! 💖
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