A Huge Price! Shortened Lifespan!
"Tomorrow, we'll split into groups and deal with the Grass Ninja and Sunagakure simultaneously!"
"Are you sure? That's going to be difficult."
"It's the only way," Shikamaru replied firmly. "Otherwise, we won't have enough time. At the same time, we need to prioritize searching for the mission target."
"Then what should we do?" Nakamura asked, though he could already read Shikamaru's expression—he had a plan.
Indeed, Shikamaru spread the map out and pointed. "Sunagakure's camp is here, and the Grass Ninja's is here. The distance between the two is considerable. It will take us roughly two hours to move between them."
He tapped another point on the map. "Someone needs to hold them here for at least an hour." His gaze shifted to Shirō.
After thinking carefully, Shirō nodded. "It can be done, but I'll have to go alone. That way, I'll have the mobility to stay flexible."
"That's settled," Shikamaru declared. "Tomorrow, Nakamura-sensei, Taiyi, and I will handle Sunagakure. Shirō will be our solo unit, responsible for holding the enemy back until we arrive. Don't let them move too easily. Once we regroup, we'll launch a full-scale assault."
"If this works, we'll gain at least half a month to deal with Takigakure and properly search for the target."
"Don't worry," Shirō said lightly. "Guerrilla tactics are my specialty. My archery isn't for nothing."
They spent the rest of the evening finalizing details and calculating how to balance fighting with searching.
But in truth, their mission target would not be easy to find.
According to their intelligence, Karin's mother—known for her Kagura's Mind Eye—possessed an extraordinarily wide sensory range. Gaining her trust was nearly impossible for outsiders. For now, they could only hope that once Grass and Sand were handled, they would have time to search properly.
Fortunately, they had some advantages.
First, Shikamaru's analytical ability allowed him to narrow down possible hiding spots based on her previous movements. Second, Shirō carried a Noble Phantasm that could cloak him from sensory techniques like Kagura's Mind Eye. Combined, their odds of locating her increased significantly.
Their greatest disadvantage, however, was manpower. Their search speed would never match the enemy's.
---
That night, after discussions ended, Shirō tended to his wounds. But unlike before, he no longer cared about lingering aftereffects. Tomorrow would be a battle where he would need every ounce of strength—not only for Projection but possibly to release a True Name.
From his pack, he withdrew a secret medicine he had prepared long ago. Among his options, this formula had the fewest side effects while granting the strongest results. It could temporarily accelerate cell division, enhancing recovery close to self-healing.
But such power came at a price.
First, it brought with it excruciating pain, nearly unbearable even for a shinobi.
Second—and most dangerously—it shortened lifespan.
Human cells can only divide a limited number of times. By forcing accelerated healing, this medicine burned through those divisions, reducing the user's natural lifespan.
Unlike Hashirama's cells, which were restored through sheer life force, this was no miracle—this was science pushed to its cruelest edge.
Even worse, the medicine's effects were short-lived. Sometimes the cost outweighed the benefit; the lifespan consumed could exceed the healing it granted.
But Shirō had already decided. A day or two of life meant nothing compared to completing the mission.
Resolute, he erected a soundproof barrier—one Kushina had once referred to as a "Shizune Barrier"—and swallowed the medicine.
Moments later, muffled screams tore through the seal.
---
The next morning, Shirō rose with dull, hollow eyes. The pain had left him drained, but the experiment gave him firsthand data.
After a brief strategy review with Shikamaru and the others, Shirō entrusted them with a messenger snake before parting ways.
"Nakamura-sensei," Taiyi asked hesitantly, "is Shirō really okay by himself?"
"Trust him," Nakamura said with rare conviction. "I've never seen archery like his, and with Asuka by his side, he'll hold long enough. Focus on Sunagakure—helping him means ending this fight quickly."
"Yes, Nakamura-sensei!" Taiyi replied, straightening.
---
The Sunagakure team awaiting them was weaker than expected: one Jōnin and three Chūnin.
Yet their composition posed problems. The Jōnin specialized in Wind Release, while two of the Chūnin were puppet masters and the last also wielded Wind Release.
For Nakamura, the Jōnin posed little threat. But Taiyi and Shikamaru faced a harder fight.
Puppet masters were notoriously difficult opponents. Their true bodies hid in shadows while their puppets fought openly, their chakra threads nearly impossible to track. Even Sharingan had limits; Taiyi's immature dōjutsu couldn't reliably sense threads.
The usual tactic was to unleash wide-scale jutsu to flush them out. Taiyi regretted then that he had focused on Lightning Release over Fire Release. Lightning was precise and fast, but lacked the sweeping power to scorch a battlefield clean.
Shikamaru was even less suited—his primary technique was the Shadow Imitation Jutsu.
---
Meanwhile, Shirō had already taken position on a mountaintop vantage point. For someone blessed with Clairvoyance, it was ideal: clear sightlines, strong concealment, and easy escape routes.
But one den was never enough. Like a cunning rabbit, he had prepared several fallback points. Behind the mountain, he marked out a forest path as his retreat. Along the way, he buried dozens of explosive tags—ambushes for any pursuers.
He had wanted to lay more, but unlike his projected weapons, tags were bought with hard ryo. His funds were limited, and he still needed to keep a reserve for emergencies.
Tomorrow's fight would test whether the price of his shortened life had truly been worth it.
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