The room was small and poorly lit.
A single oil lamp sat on the table, its flame low. Outside, Iwa was restless. Voices carried through the stone walls, shinobi moving in groups, patrols changing more often than usual. Even without looking, Shanks could tell the village hadn't stabilized after the Tsuchikage's death.
Mu-Ji sat on the bed, leaning forward, his hands clasped together. He had been quiet for a while.
Shanks noticed but didn't say anything at first.
Finally, Mu-Ji spoke. "Before we leave… I need to get something."
Shanks turned slightly. "Now?"
Mu-Ji nodded. "Yes."
Shanks studied him for a moment. "What is it?"
"A scroll," Mu-Ji said. "It belonged to my parents. My real father left it with my mother."
That got Shanks' attention.
"Where is it?"
"In the Tsuchikage's office," Mu-Ji answered. "Onoki confiscated it when I was imprisoned."
Shanks exhaled slowly through his nose. "Figures."
There was a brief silence.
"What's in the scroll?" Shanks asked.
Mu-Ji shook his head. "I don't know exactly. My mother only said it had something to do with Dust Release. Not techniques. Knowledge. Theory."
He looked down. "Onoki never destroyed it. He kept it."
Shanks thought about that. Onoki wasn't sentimental. If he kept something, it was because it had value.
"You care about it," Shanks said.
"Yes."
That was all Mu-Ji said, but it was enough.
Shanks scratched his head. "Describe it."
Mu-Ji did. The color of the wrapping. The old seal. The symbol pressed into the wax. Shanks listened carefully, memorizing the details.
When Mu-Ji finished, he waited.
Shanks sighed. "Alright. We'll get it."
Mu-Ji looked up sharply. "You're serious?"
"We didn't come this far to leave loose ends," Shanks replied. "Besides, you're coming with me. Can't have you dragging regrets around."
Mu-Ji hesitated. "You really think I'm coming with you?"
Shanks shrugged. "Unless you plan to stay in Iwa and get executed."
Mu-Ji let out a quiet laugh. "Fair point."
They left before sunrise.
The Tsuchikage's building was heavily guarded. More than usual. Shinobi stood in tense formations, watching each other almost as much as they watched their surroundings.
Shanks observed from above, crouched on a rooftop.
'They don't trust anyone right now,' he thought. 'That works in my favor.'
He suppressed his chakra until it was barely noticeable. His movements were careful, unhurried. He slipped past patrols when their attention shifted, entered through a higher window, and moved through the building without touching unnecessary seals.
The office was exactly as Mu-Ji described.
Shanks found the scroll quickly.
The moment he lifted it, something reacted.
Not an alarm. More like a pressure shift.
Footsteps outside the door.
"Intruder—!"
Shanks didn't hesitate. He smashed through the window and disappeared into the rooftops.
He didn't fight. He didn't engage.
He changed routes, doubled back, blended into shadows, and let the confusion grow behind him. By the time squads reached where they thought he was, he was already gone.
Back at the inn, Mu-Ji stood the moment Shanks entered.
"You're back."
Shanks tossed the scroll onto the bed. "Check it."
Mu-Ji picked it up carefully, inspecting the seal, the wrapping, the symbol.
"…It's the right one," he said quietly.
Shanks nodded. "Good. We're leaving now."
Mu-Ji blinked. "Already?"
"They'll lock the village down soon."
They left through the outer districts, mixed with early travelers and merchants. Once they were outside the gates, Shanks didn't slow down.
They ran.
Even after the village disappeared behind them, Shanks kept going.
Mu-Ji finally grabbed his arm. "We're far enough. Why are we still running?"
Shanks stopped and turned.
"Answer something for me," he said. "Does Iwa use any kind of humanoid chakra constructs for defense or surveillance?"
Mu-Ji frowned. "No. I've never heard of that. Why?"
Shanks stared into the distance. "Because since I entered Iwa, I sensed things everywhere. In the walls. The ground. The buildings."
Mu-Ji shook his head. "That doesn't make sense."
"I thought it was a village defense system," Shanks continued. "But I still feel them. Out here."
Mu-Ji looked at him skeptically. "You're saying they're not tied to Iwa?"
"I don't know," Shanks admitted. "But this area is quiet."
He started walking again.
Mu-Ji followed, still unsure.
Shanks didn't explain further.
He didn't have answers yet.
But one thing bothered him deeply.
The world felt different after coming to Iwa.
And he couldn't tell what was the reason.