As October began to pass, the salty breeze of November changed in a drastic turn.
One month passed in a blur of disciplined silence.
Yoichi remained a model prisoner, his patience as cold as the stone walls.
He waited for the Island Turtle to finally drift toward the Land of Lightning to restock or invite new shinobi aboard.
Throughout these ten months, the Uchiha maintained his hidden explosive tags with care.
He moved through the shadows of the watchtower and navigational arrays daily, ensuring the seals remained potent.
The Kumo patrols grew used to his quiet presence, seeing only a compliant boy instead of a saboteur.
His proficiency in martial arts soared during this long wait. Even as resources became scarce or remained hidden from inquisitive eyes, his body reached a new peak of refinement.
[Realm: Bone Forging Realm(Middle)]
[Heavenly Demon Posture: (Perfection) 726/1000] (+256)
[Mountain Crushing Fist: (Perfection) 190/1000] (+189)
[Lightning Spear Thrust: (Perfection) 162/1000] (+161)
[Phantom Steps: (Perfection) 216/1000] (+211)
The iron-dense skeleton within him hummed with kinetic potential. Each strike in his secluded cave was faster and more lethal than the last.
He felt the behemoth groan as it finally neared the jagged coastline.
The scent of dry land signaled the end of his confinement.
Yoichi stood at the edge of the shell, his eyes tracking the Kumo docks. The mixed plan was ready. He was no longer just a prisoner; he was a catastrophe waiting for a trigger.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
He then formed a hand seal in the dim light of his cave, and a Shadow Clone materialized with a soft hiss of smoke.
"Stay here and maintain the breathing rhythm," Yoichi commanded. "If they check the cave, give them nothing but silence."
The clone nodded and settled onto the mat, assuming the role of the perfect decoy. The real Uchiha surged out into the cold air, moving with silent, predatory grace.
Closing the distance to a nearby patrol path in a heartbeat performing Phantom Steps, he caught a Kumo Chūnin by surprise.
The man's eyes widened, his face twisting into a mask of pure shock as a prisoner appeared from thin air.
"Who?!" the Chūnin gasped, his hand flying toward his pouch.
It was his last utterance.
Executing Lightning Spear Thrust, Yoichi's hand penetrated deep into the man's chest with precision.
The kill was instant.
Thereon catching the body before it could slump against the stone, the boy worked with ease and rational speed.
The white flak vest was stripped from the corpse and donned including the remaining papers of the Chūnin's identity. Through the Face Changing Technique, Yoichi shifted his features, his skin crawling as it mirrored the dead man's face.
After digging into the earth to retrieve stashed belongings, a vial of Corpse Dissolving Liquid was poured over the remains. The body hissed and vanished into the soil, leaving nothing behind.
Disguised as a guard, the youth walked toward the edge of the shell and activated Spirit Aperture. He scanned the sprawling dock and the depot below, a mental map lighting up with the heavy chakra signatures of innumerable Jōnin. Despite searching the horizon with focused intent, not a hint of the Raikage's massive silhouette appeared.
That titan is gone... This is my chance!
Adjusting the stolen clothing, Yoichi stood as a ghost in their own colors right under their noses.
Bustling cargo moved left to right across the stone docks, hauled by sweating laborers and shinobi into the Genbu's massive storage bays.
Yoichi strolled forward, blending into the frantic rhythm of the supply run. He kept his head low, matching the purposeful gait of a soldier on duty.
The air was thick with the scent of salt and the shouts of commanders, yet his focus remained on the path ahead.
The progress stopped abruptly as multiple Jōnin stepped into his path. Their presence was heavy, their eyes sharp and unforgiving. The lead officer held out a hand, blocking the way with a wall of professional suspicion.
"Hold it, Chūnin," the officer barked over the noise of the cranes. "Authentication papers. No one moves toward the primary depot without verification during docking."
Yoichi halted, his expression shifting into a mask of disciplined respect.
He reached into the pockets of the stolen flak vest, pulling out the authentication papers he had ransacked from the dead man's belongings.
He offered the documents with a steady hand.
A hint of reverence played across his features as he bowed deeply, showing the proper etiquette expected of a lower-ranked shinobi.
The Jōnin took the papers, scanning the details while Yoichi remained still, a perfect subordinate waiting for dismissal. The "Ghost" stood at the very center of the storm, hidden by the very rules meant to trap him.
The Jōnin leader flicked through the papers, his thumb tracing the official Kumo seal. Silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant clatter of wooden crates and the rhythmic groan of the Island Turtle.
"Everything seems in order, Renji," the officer muttered, extending the documents.
Maintaining a deep bow, Yoichi kept his fingers from reaching for the papers. Instead, a single, subtle seal formed within the wide sleeve of the stolen uniform. Months of preparation had been poured into the navigational arrays for this exact moment. A quiet pulse of chakra ignited the trigger.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Thunderous ripples tore through the upper shell of the Genbu. The navigational towers erupted in orange blossoms of fire, raining jagged shards of stone and metal onto the docks. Beneath the surface, the massive creature let out a pained, low-frequency roar that shook the very foundation of the port.
The Jōnin stumbled as attention snapped instantly toward the black smoke billowing into the November sky. Documents flew from the officer's hand, scattered by the sudden shockwave.
"Sabotage! The towers are down!" one of the elite shouted, already dashing toward the flames.
Straightening his back, Yoichi wore a mask of cold indifference as the guards abandoned the post.
In the swirling dust and mounting panic, the subordinate persona vanished.
The predator turned away from the burning towers and melted into the crowd of screaming laborers, heading straight for the unguarded transport ships.
Panic rippled through the docks like a physical wave. Laborers dropped heavy crates, their shouts lost in the roar of the burning towers above.
Yoichi didn't run away from the chaos; he moved toward a mid-sized cargo ship that was frantically preparing to cast off before the turtle's erratic movements crushed it against the pier.
The Uchiha grabbed a stray crate of medical supplies, heaving it onto his shoulder with practiced ease. He joined a line of sweating loaders, his breathing steady and his face a mask of urgent duty.
"Move it! We're leaving before the whole shell collapses!" a ship hand screamed from the gangplank.
Yoichi surged forward, his boots thumping against the wooden ramp. He tossed the crate into the dark hold and immediately reached for another, acting as if he belonged to the crew.
No one questioned the Chūnin in the white vest helping with the heavy lifting during a disaster.
The sailors were too focused on the fire and the groaning behemoth to notice a new face.
With a heavy jolt, the ship began to pull away from the Genbu. Yoichi stood near the stern, watching the Island Turtle grow smaller against the horizon.
The black smoke from his sabotage smeared the sky, a final mark of his presence. He leaned against a stack of barrels, his pulse finally slowing as the salt spray of the open sea hit his face.
The ship cut through the black swells of the ocean, leaving the burning silhouette of the Island Turtle far behind. Salt spray hung heavy in the midnight air. Yoichi leaned against the railing, watching a Kumo patrol boat approach from a distance, its signal lights flashing a rhythmic command to halt.
"Captain is complaining about the engine's vibration," a sailor muttered, passing Yoichi with a coil of rope. "Bad timing for an inspection."
"It'll be over soon," Yoichi replied, his voice a perfect imitation of the dead Chūnin.
Walking toward the stern, the youth slipped into the shadows of the main deck. He found the access hatch to the rudder assembly and dropped into the cramped, grease-stained compartment.
With a sharp surge of Qi Blood, a Mountain Crushing Fist shattered the primary gear. The metal shrieked and buckled, sending a violent shudder through the entire hull.
"What was that?!" a voice yelled from above. "The steering's gone! We're drifting!"
In the ensuing panic, Yoichi climbed back to the deck, unnoticed by the crew rushing toward the engine room.
He stood at the very edge of the stern, looking out at the vast, freezing expanse of the sea.
The patrol boat was closing in, its searchlight beginning to sweep across the cargo ship's deck.
"Hey, you! Get away from the edge!" a sailor barked, spotting the white flak vest.
Yoichi turned his head slightly, the light of the approaching patrol boat catching the cold, indifferent curve of his stolen face. "I'm already gone," he whispered.
He stepped backward into the abyss. Instead of a splash, there was only the faint, rhythmic thud of boots hitting the surface of the water.
Using his chakra to grip the waves, the Uchiha sprinted into the darkness, his silhouette vanishing into the mist before the searchlight could find him.
Behind him, the ship groaned and stalled, a broken distraction for the Kumo scouts to pick apart while the shadow vanished toward the eventful horizon.
The moon hung low over the black expanse of the ocean, casting a silver glint across the shifting waves. Yoichi came to a steady halt, his boots resting firmly on the surface of the water.
He didn't turn around immediately, but his Spirit Aperture had already mapped the three chakra signatures closing in from the rear. They were moving fast, their rhythm marking them as elite trackers. They've completely seen him through the use of their eyes and hawks nearby.
Due to this, Yoichi's Purification wasn't triggered since it was witnessed by the Kumo Hunters, not the sensory chakra techniques.
"Target identified," a voice called out through the mist.
Three Kumo Hunter-nin landed on the water twenty paces away, forming a loose semi-circle. The leader, a scarred man with a heavy Jōnin aura, gripped a serrated blade. His eyes narrowed as he took in Yoichi's stolen uniform and the calm, rational stillness of the boy's posture.
"You've caused a lot of trouble for a prisoner, Uchiha," the Jōnin spat. "The Raikage wants you back alive, but he didn't say anything about your limbs. Surrender, and we might skip the torture."
Yoichi slowly turned, the stolen face of the Chūnin rippling and shedding away like dead skin to reveal his true features. He didn't reach for a kunai. Instead, he dropped into the Heavenly Demon Posture, his weight shifting low and his center of gravity becoming as immovable as a mountain.
"You should have sent more," the boy said, his voice devoid of emotion.
The Jōnin's face twisted in fury at the perceived insult. "Kill him if you have to! Just keep the head!"
The two flanking hunters vanished in a blur of high-speed movement, their blades drawing arcs of lightning across the dark sky. Yoichi didn't flinch.
He waited until the last possible microsecond, his eyes tracking the minute vibrations in the air. The "Ghost" was gone; only the "Demon" remained on the water.
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Thanks to doomslayer24, Snowwwww, Enterthedragon, and Daemonic_Dragon for the Power Stones! Thank you so much even though we are still a small community here!
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