The massive iron gate was secured with a simple wooden latch.
Tōshirō examined it, his brows furrowing. That's strange… shouldn't a latch like this be placed on the inside?
Orochimaru chuckled lightly beside him. "If we go in directly, we'll alert everyone inside. What do you suggest?"
Tōshirō's expression remained calm. "It doesn't matter. We break in directly."
Just before they moved, Tōshirō gave a short command. "Proceed according to plan."
Itachi nodded. "Understood."
With Tōshirō and Orochimaru refraining from using their full power, Itachi was the designated strike lead.
Inside the building, at the center of the room, there was a small pool.
An old man and an old woman sat facing each other, each holding a fishing rod, quietly fishing in the tranquil water.
The man's name was Ebizō, and the woman was Chiyo—siblings.In their youth, both had been famous shinobi on the battlefield.Now aged and retired, they spent their days away from politics, passing time in simple leisure.
Ebizō, a turban wrapped around his head, spoke in his aged, gravelly voice. "Sister, sounds like someone's bringing our meal."
Chiyo snorted softly, hands steady on her fishing rod. "You've gone senile. Who'd bring food at this hour?"
"You're older than I am!"
"Haha…"
But then, she paused. Her expression stiffened. "Wait—those footsteps… something's off."
Though old, her battle-honed instincts had not dulled with age.
A mocking voice echoed through the room, tone relaxed yet full of menace."Heh… sharp as ever, old lady."
The words hung in the air like mist.
Both siblings turned—and saw three figures standing in the doorway, clad in black cloaks patterned with red clouds.
Chiyo squinted, her eyes narrowing as wrinkles deepened around them. Her gaze fell on the tallest of the trio, the broad-shouldered man with a shark-like face.
She might have isolated herself from the world, but her network of informants was still active. She didn't recognize two of them, but that face—she knew.
Her lips tightened. "One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist… Kisame."
Tōshirō mimicked Kisame's gravelly tone, smirking. "Seems I'm quite famous."
Noting their matching cloaks, Chiyo immediately understood they were part of a group. "A man like you appearing here… what's your goal?"
"Surely not to pay a friendly visit to two lonely old people."
Before she could say more, Tōshirō's hands flashed through a rapid sequence of seals—Tiger–Ox–Monkey–Rabbit–Rat–Boar–Rooster–Ox–Horse–Dog–Tiger–Dog–Tiger–Snake–Ox–Monkey–Rabbit!
In a blur of motion, chakra surged into his throat."Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
They had to finish this fast—the longer the fight dragged on, the more risk of exposure.
Chiyo sighed faintly. "Young people these days… no respect for their elders."
She and Ebizō leapt in opposite directions, easily avoiding the rushing torrent. Even as they moved, she unfurled a scroll with a sharp snap. White smoke burst forth—and several puppets materialized midair, intercepting the slashing blade aimed at her.
Her fingers danced expertly as chakra threads glimmered in the air."Don't underestimate an old woman," she said coolly.
But then, she caught sight of the black eyes beneath one of the masks—eyes that, in the next instant, turned blood red.The tomoe spun, twisting into a curved, blade-like pattern.
Her heart sank. Not good!
But it was already too late.
This was no ordinary illusion—this was Tsukuyomi.The moment her gaze met his, she was trapped.
Normally, only someone with stronger ocular power could resist it.And Chiyo… was not such a person.
Within seconds, her body went limp and she collapsed unconscious.
"Big sister!" Ebizō shouted, horrified.
He knew better than anyone how powerful she was—even now, she was still one of the Sand's strongest veterans. To see her fall in a single instant—it was unthinkable.
The mission complete, Itachi bent down to lift Chiyo's body.
But Ebizō would not stand by and watch his sister taken. He snapped his fingers, chakra threads bursting forth to control his puppets, sending them lunging at Itachi.
"I won't let you—!"
Orochimaru moved in, blocking the attack effortlessly. "Your opponent… is me."
Taking the opportunity, Itachi hoisted Chiyo over his shoulder and bolted.
Tōshirō followed immediately, with Orochimaru covering their retreat.
Ebizō, though desperate, knew he couldn't match three elite shinobi on his own. He triggered the village alarm at once, summoning reinforcements to give chase.
The three raced through the desert night, reaching the canyon—the only exit from the Hidden Sand's territory.Sand-nin were already moving to intercept.
"Who goes there?!" shouted one of the guards.
Even as they ran, Tōshirō's hands blurred through seals again."Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
At the same time, Itachi—carrying Chiyo—formed seals of his own."Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The massive waves of water and fire shot forward as though aimed at the Sand forces—but instead of striking, they collided midair. The explosion of vapor filled the night with thick, blinding mist.
"Stop them!" the squad captain yelled—But too late.
From the smoke, figures burst forth in all directions, splitting the pursuit into chaos. The Sand forces were scattered, unable to tell who to chase.
Meanwhile — The Sand Village Council Chamber.
A man with short brown hair slammed his fist on the table, his voice trembling with rage.
Though his face was unremarkable, his name was not: Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage.
The news had hit like a slap across the entire Sand leadership—three unknown intruders had broken into their stronghold and abducted one of their elders right under their noses.
The atmosphere was heavy, the air suffocating.
Finally, one of Rasa's subordinates—Maki, a man with a turban covering half his face—broke the silence. "Lord Kazekage, we've completed our initial investigation."
Rasa's tone was icy. "Report."
"It was the Sharingan…"
Rasa's eyes narrowed. "Sharingan?"
Maki elaborated, his voice steady. "Yes. Based on the memories recovered from the deceased guard, the masked intruder used the Sharingan to locate the elders' residence."
At that, Ebizō bowed his head silently.
Rasa noticed immediately. "Elder Ebizō—do you have something to add?"
Ebizō nodded faintly. "Now that I think about it… yes, that masked one's eyes were indeed unusual. But the pattern wasn't the usual three tomoe…"
Rasa's brows furrowed. "Not three tomoe?"
"I suspect… it was the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan." Ebizō's voice trembled slightly. "No wonder my sister fell so swiftly, without even a chance to react."
A council member murmured, "Mangekyō Sharingan… there's only one known user alive who possesses such eyes, isn't there?"
Rasa's expression darkened. "Hmph. Whether it's him or not, this matter clearly reeks of the Uchiha clan."
The council members exchanged uneasy glances.
That man—the new Hokage—was not one to be trifled with.
Unlike his predecessors who preached peace and restraint, the current Hokage ruled with raw, absolute power. His philosophy was simple: Those who follow me thrive; those who defy me die.
He had ascended to power by publicly executing the Daimyō of the Land of Fire—before the eyes of the entire nation.
He'd offered an excuse, of course, but everyone with half a brain knew it was flimsy at best.
The will of Uchiha Tōshirō was now well-known to all.
Since his rise, the nobles of the Fire Country had either fled or perished—a fact that spoke volumes.
Someone hesitantly asked, "L-Lord Kazekage, what should we do?"
"What do you think?" Rasa's voice was sharp as steel. "We demand an explanation."
(End of Chapter)
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