Everyone's gaze was drawn to the forehead protector gleaming on Shigure's brow.
Calmly, Shigure raised a hand to touch it.
"What's wrong?" he asked evenly. "Is there something wrong with my headband?"
Behind him, Haku and Chōjūrō landed lightly on the ground.
Shigure turned slightly toward them.
"Did I wear it wrong or something?"
The two simply shook their heads.
"Shigure, you…"
Shikamaru started to speak but trailed off, unsure how to continue.
Neji stepped forward, his eyes narrowing.
"Why are you wearing a Hidden Mist forehead protector?"
Shigure met Neji's gaze and replied without hesitation, "Shouldn't a shinobi from the Hidden Mist wear a Hidden Mist headband?"
Neji's expression hardened.
"Then what are you implying? Did you defect from Konoha as well?"
Shigure didn't answer immediately. Before Neji could press further, Shikamaru interjected.
"Hold on, Neji. If he had defected from Konoha, the village would've already issued a capture order."
The group fell silent for a moment, realizing he was right.
If Shigure had truly betrayed the Leaf, there would've been an official mission to bring him back—or eliminate him. Yet no such order existed.
"But if you didn't defect," Lee said, frowning, "then why are you… a Mist shinobi now?"
"Alright, that's enough questions," Ino said, cutting in.
"Shigure-kun, how have you been doing in the Hidden Mist?"
Shigure smiled faintly.
"Not bad. If things go as planned, I'll probably be the next Mizukage."
His words left the group stunned.
A Leaf ninja… becoming the next Kage of the Hidden Mist?
Could that even happen?
"Anyway," Shigure said, his tone shifting back to business, "enough about me. Let's focus on the mission."
He looked to Shikamaru and gently set Ino down from his arms.
"Ino has already sensed Sasuke's chakra," he said.
"He's approximately five hundred meters ahead."
"However, the enemy seems to have reinforcements. I had planned to rest first and then act,"
Shikamaru said, his eyes narrowing.
"But now that you're here…"
Everyone turned toward Shigure. With his arrival, their earlier strategy suddenly felt redundant.
After all, before overwhelming power, all plans were meaningless.
Shigure understood exactly what Shikamaru meant.
"There are five of them in total," he said.
"Four of them are the same shinobi who appeared during the Chūnin Exams—Orochimaru's subordinates. Their strength isn't weak, but they're not unbeatable."
Shikamaru frowned.
"Wait—how do you know there are five of them? I didn't mention that."
Shigure gave a calm smile.
"I have sensory abilities as well. They're not as precise as Ino's, but I can roughly detect chakra signatures nearby."
That answer only deepened the others' unease.
So, he could even sense chakra? Just how many abilities did this guy possess?
When Shikamaru didn't respond, Shigure continued.
"Those four—can you handle them?"
Neji's brows furrowed, feeling slightly provoked.
"Of course."
There were six of them—Lee, Neji, Chōji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Ino. If they couldn't handle four shinobi, they would have no right to call themselves Konoha ninja.
Shigure nodded approvingly.
"Good. Then those four are yours. As for Sasuke—leave him to us."
He gestured, and Haku and Chōjūrō stepped forward to stand behind him.
Neji instinctively activated his Byakugan. A sharp chill emanated from Haku, whose calm presence felt like standing before a glacier.
Meanwhile, Lee's gaze fixed on Chōjūrō—the memory of his swordsmanship during the Chūnin Exams was still vivid.
A man who could exchange blows with Shigure himself… his strength was unquestionable.
"Then let's move out," Shigure said firmly.
Everyone nodded in unison. With Shigure handling Sasuke, they no longer needed to worry about conserving their strength.
All they had to do was stall Orochimaru's subordinates.
Shigure's gaze shifted toward the distance.
At that very moment, Sasuke—resting beside a river—suddenly opened his eyes.
"Not good," he muttered.
"Something feels off…"
The Sound Four immediately stood up.
Kidōmaru frowned.
"What is it?"
Sasuke's expression darkened.
"The pursuers… they're close. I can feel it."
"Then leave it to me!" Jirōbō said, stepping forward.
The towering man's intent was clear—he would stay behind to delay the enemy.
Sasuke didn't stop him. His attention was focused entirely on the ominous pressure closing in from behind.
He could only hope his instincts were wrong.
Because if they weren't… this defection was about to get very messy.
Without wasting another word, the rest of the Sound Four pushed forward with Sasuke, leaving Jirōbō behind.
But not long after they advanced deeper into the forest, a thunderous crash echoed behind them—the sound of combat.
Kidōmaru's eyes narrowed.
"So there really are Leaf shinobi on our tail… and strong ones, at that."
Tayuya, Sakon, and Ukon tensed immediately.
"Sasuke," Tayuya said sharply, "you go on ahead. Since Jirōbō's engaged, we'll stay here and handle the pursuers. Head for the rendezvous point alone!"
Sasuke didn't hesitate—he turned and sprinted into the forest.
Meanwhile, Shigure's group bypassed Jirōbō's battlefield. Chōji had stayed behind to engage him one-on-one.
When they reached the next area, three enemies awaited them—Kidōmaru, Tayuya, and the Sakon-Ukon brothers.
Shigure surveyed the field in a single glance.
"Three of them here. Be careful," he said.
"I'll continue after Sasuke."
Without hesitation, he leapt forward into the trees, Haku and Chōjūrō following close behind.
At that instant, Kidōmaru, hidden high above, launched a sudden ambush—golden threads of spider silk shot through the forest, aimed straight for Shigure.
But before they could reach him, a shadow tendril coiled around Kidōmaru's leg, yanking him back.
Neji stepped into the clearing.
"Your opponent is me."
On the opposite side, Sakon and Ukon were intercepted by Shino and Lee, while Ino's Mind Body Switch Technique disrupted Tayuya's attempt to summon her Doki.
The battlefield split instantly.
Shigure, Haku, and Chōjūrō surged forward, leaving the others to hold the line.
Kidōmaru and his companions didn't rush after them. They sneered instead.
A handful of Konoha brats? They would crush them first—then rescue Sasuke.
Meanwhile, Sasuke raced through the forest alone.
His pace was relentless, but the oppressive aura behind him grew heavier with every step.
No matter how far he ran, that suffocating presence loomed closer—inevitable, inescapable.
Among all the enemies he had faced, only one person could make him feel this way.
His eyes sharpened. "Shigure… if you're here," he said coldly, stopping beside the river, "come out!"
He turned, staring into the shadowed depths of the forest.
The wind carried the faintest whisper of chakra—sharp, focused, and cold as steel.
...
TN:
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