Outside the village, a murder of crows gathered, their caws echoing through the air.
Having traversed a dense stretch of forest, a figure burst from the rapids of a riverbank, dragging two wooden tubs against the current. Izumi Uchiha collapsed onto the shore, coughing violently.
Just then, a hand pressed firmly onto her shoulder.
A warm current of chakra flowed from the palm, spreading slowly through her shoulder and circulating throughout her body. A dozen seconds later, the figure slammed a palm hard against her back. The impact forced a violent fit of coughing, expelling a mixture of river water and blood from her lips.
Though painful, the expulsion brought immediate relief, clearing her airways. Simultaneously, the injuries she had sustained underwater began to knit together, healed by the steady flow of medical chakra.
"Thank you," she gasped.
"Save it. We aren't safe yet."
The black-robed man lifted one of the wooden tubs. Inside, an infant was wailing loudly, while another child—barely two years old—shrank back in fear. Izumi struggled to her feet and lifted the second tub, following close behind him.
After the brutal interception they had just survived, she completely trusted the man before her. She also finally believed what Shisui had told them: Konoha intended to kill them.
To survive, they had to leave the village.
Unfortunately…
She couldn't take her mother with her. Izumi bit her lip, looking back in the direction of Konoha. From this distance, she couldn't see anything, but she felt as though she could see the flames of her home. Her eyes glistened with tears.
"If you're unwilling to accept this, then become stronger than your enemies. Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your life cowering in some forgotten corner of the ninja world," the black-robed man said, his tone biting and cold. "In this world, tears are the cheapest commodity."
The pair accelerated, fleeing further outward.
The tomoe in Izumi's eyes had not faded. She maintained a high-intensity chakra flow to keep up the pace, but she was, after all, only thirteen years old. Not everyone was a natural-born prodigy like Shisui or Itachi.
After an indeterminate amount of time, her stamina began to fail. Just as her legs felt like lead, a rustling sound emerged from the rear.
Izumi's face twisted in panic. "My Lord, pursuers!"
"Don't panic," the black-robed man said calmly. "It isn't a pursuer. It's me."
Moments later, another version of him emerged from the forest.
En route, the main body had used medical chakra to quietly repair the muscle strain caused by his earlier Limit-Break state, restoring his physique to peak condition. As he caught up to the pair, the cawing of crows resonated from the sky above. The flock split into two groups—one hovering over them, the other moving rapidly in the distance, converging on this location.
The wooden tub was set down. Then, the Shadow Clone vanished with a puff of smoke.
Masahiko's mind reeled for a split second. The accumulated fatigue from the battle and the sprint, along with the clone's sensory data and memories, flooded back into his main body. The mental impact was significant. Fortunately, only one clone had dispersed this time. His other Shadow Clone at the Ninja Academy seemed to be maintaining its cover perfectly.
He glanced at his peripheral vision. The System interface displayed a prompt that had appeared earlier.
[Naruto: The Prequel — Episode 12 Filming Complete!]
[Editing in progress…]
[Production Successful!]
[Total Screen Time: 7 minutes 37 seconds. Lens Share: 36.2%]
[Due to the large cast in this episode, your screen time as a Villainous Role exceeded 30%. Salary Reward increased.]
[Hint: —]
Calculating backward from the timestamps on the panel, the episode likely covered the events surrounding Masahiko's assassination of the Root squad and his encounter with Kakashi.
'Forget it. I'll check where the episode cut off later.'
Masahiko's brow relaxed. The priority was to get these refugees to safety, then return to the village to swap places with his Academy clone, ensuring his alibi remained airtight. He tossed a pill to Izumi.
"Eat it."
"Yes!"
Izumi's face was pale, but after swallowing the Military Ration Pill, some color returned to her cheeks. She looked around the desolate woods with a dazed expression. "My Lord, are we just going to carry them and walk?"
"My job is only to help you save people. How you transport them is your problem," Masahiko said, looking toward the side of the forest. "However… Shisui seems to have made arrangements. They're here."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a cat's meow pierced the air.
Immediately after, a massive, two-tailed white cat leapt from the trees with surprising agility. It landed before them, a look of distinct displeasure on its feline face. "Shisui sent me here… Don't tell me he expects me to babysit?" [T/N: This "Two-Tailed Cat" refers to a generic Nekomata (a cat yōkai from Japanese folklore, often associated with the Ninja Cats/Neko-baa in fanfiction), and is not the Two-Tailed Beast, Matatabi.]
"Very thorough," Masahiko remarked, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.
"Hey! Bastard! I am a Clan Leader, not some damn pack mule!" the cat grumbled, clearly reluctant.
Izumi's eyes lit up. "Are you the leader of the Ninja Cats?"
"Hmph. An Uchiha girl? That's right, this Lord is—"
"Cut the chatter," Masahiko interrupted. "Sit down. I'm putting the children on your back."
"Oi, oi, oi! Are you listening to me? You show absolutely no respe—!"
The Two-Tailed Cat started to shout, but when it saw the sharp, white bones protruding from the man's body, it instinctively shrank its head back.
"Are you a lunatic from the Kaguya Clan?"
"I am Kaguya, but not a lunatic. I've developed quite a few torture techniques based on Shikotsumyaku. If you don't want to experience them, you'd best be obedient," Masahiko said, his voice dropping to absolute zero.
Izumi immediately bowed, her voice soft and pleading. "My Lord Cat, our clan is in dire trouble. We desperately need your help. Please, I beg you!"
"Fine, fine. Put the two tubs on…" The Two-Tailed Cat adopted a look that said I really can't deal with you people. "Where are we going?"
"That is your affair," Masahiko said, glancing at Izumi. "However, if you don't want to get them killed, I suggest you disperse them into remote, backward mountain villages once you reach your destination."
"Villages…" Izumi bit her lip and nodded heavily. "I understand, My Lord." She looked at the shivering children. "I was thinking of taking them to the Land of Rivers."
"Go there if you want to die," Masahiko stated bluntly.
Izumi's face went white. "Is the Land of Rivers dangerous?"
She quickly realized the implication. In the wake of this event, Anbu from every nation would likely be scouring the borders for suspicious individuals. A group of children like them wouldn't survive a day in a contested zone like the Land of Rivers.
Seeing that she understood, Masahiko offered a piece of advice. "Given your current situation, once you've settled them, stay away from the Ninja Cats. Go deep into the mountains and live as ordinary civilians."
"I understand. Thank you for your advice and your help!" Izumi bowed deeply. She looked up, her eyes filled with hope. "Will we meet again?"
"If you become strong enough, we will."
"Yes! I understand!" Izumi looked at Masahiko, then up at the crows circling in the sky. "I will become stronger. I won't drag you or Brother Shisui down ever again."
She bowed once more before leaping onto the Two-Tailed Cat's broad back.
"Hold on tight!" the cat shouted, leaping away and vanishing into the dense jungle.
Masahiko turned and headed in the opposite direction.
Before long, a crow flew down and landed in front of the black-robed figure. It opened its beak and regurgitated a scroll. Masahiko opened the scroll, released the seal, and summoned Shisui's Shadow Clone.
The clone bowed deeply. "Thank you for your help!"
"Think nothing of it. It was a transaction," the black-robed man said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "After today, I trust you have a better understanding of my capabilities. We can cooperate more candidly in the future."
Shisui nodded.
The Shikotsumyaku was indeed terrifyingly powerful; even Danzō had suffered a loss at this man's hands. Furthermore, the speed this man possessed was something extraordinary—something even Shisui couldn't replicate.
The strength of the man before him was far more mysterious and potent than he had imagined. Yet, doubts began to take root in Shisui's heart: Why would a descendant of the Kaguya Clan be lurking in Konoha? How did he manage it?
He was full of questions, but there was a pressing matter. "What do you need me to do?"
The black-robed man didn't offer a detailed explanation. He simply said, "When the time comes, you will know."
"On the other side, I told them you were my subordinate—"
"That is irrelevant," the black-robed man dismissed.
"Then, what is my next step?" Shisui asked.
"You are now 'Madara's' subordinate," Masahiko said, referring to the masked man pulling the strings in the shadows. "You do only what he tells you to do. For everything else, act according to the situation."
"Understood!"