Swish. Swish. Swish.
Leaf shinobi flashed through the forest like fleeting shadows, their movements precise and silent.
They were currently operating on one of the many islands that, when taken together, formed the Land of Water.
At the start of the Third Shinobi World War, Kirigakure had been overwhelmingly aggressive, launching relentless offensives across multiple fronts. However, in recent months, the Hidden Mist had shifted into a noticeably defensive posture.
One of the primary reasons was the devastating loss of four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Each of them had been an elite jōnin.
Their loss was nothing short of catastrophic.
It was widely believed that when the Seven Swordsmen fought together, they possessed the strength to overwhelm even a Kage. That claim was not an exaggeration. Kage themselves varied greatly in power, and against a weaker one, the Seven truly did have the ability to secure victory.
And yet—
Who could have imagined that such a fearsome group would be destroyed by a single genin?
The news had sent shockwaves through both sides.
Kirigakure was stunned. They had never heard of a shinobi that powerful emerging so suddenly. Truly strong individuals rarely remained unknown for long. Even if their existence wasn't publicly acknowledged, information always leaked. There were always those willing to sell secrets, village assets, hidden talents, classified intelligence for money, influence, or political leverage.
But this?
This had come out of nowhere.
Konoha, too, was shaken.
Many shinobi found themselves re-evaluating someone they had long dismissed.
The so-called Eternal Genin.
The man they had mocked, belittled, and ignored.
Seeing him display such overwhelming strength left many stunned and more than a little afraid.
Some even felt lucky.
Lucky that he had never taken their words seriously.
After all…If he had wanted to silence them, a single kick would have been enough.
There wouldn't have even been a body left behind.
As they dashed through the forest, Itsuki spared a brief glance at the figure running beside him.
Might Guy.
For a moment, a faint sense of pity crossed Itsuki's mind when he saw the seriousness etched onto Guy's face.
Originally, Guy hadn't been part of this squad.
Only after the death of his father and several of his former squadmates had he been reassigned here, alongside a handful of other survivors. Loss had carved itself deeply into him, stripping away much of the loud optimism he would one day become famous for.
"This is war," Itsuki muttered quietly, his gaze lingering on Guy for a brief moment.
This wasn't the first time he had seen someone lose their family.
In the past five years as a shinobi on the battlefield, Itsuki had witnessed it countless times, senior shinobi breaking down after losing the young, and juniors weeping over the deaths of their elders. War spared no one, not by age, rank, or clan.
Even he wasn't exempt.
There had been a time when he'd cried as well.
An Uchiha jōnin had sacrificed himself so the rest of the squad could retreat safely. Itsuki still remembered that day vividly, the way the man had laughed through bloodied breaths, shouting his pride in being an Uchiha while unleashing one final Fire Release technique to hold the enemy back.
That scene was carved deeply into his memory.
There was another time too.
That time, he hadn't cried but he had been left stunned.
A Hatake clan jōnin had stayed behind so the others could escape, Itsuki among them. As the man faced his end, his final words rang clearly through the chaos, declaring that the Will of Fire within the Hatake clan burned no less fiercely than in any other.
Remembering that, Itsuki let out a quiet, bitter scoff.
"I don't know about others," he muttered sarcastically, "but it definitely burns lower than our Hokage's."
A man willing to send preteens to the front lines, while keeping himself far from the battlefield.
If that was the Will of Fire… then it was one that demanded sacrifices from everyone except the one preaching it.
"Everyone, halt."
Shinku raised his fist, bringing the squad to an immediate stop before issuing his next command.
"Yūsō. Check it."
"Yes, Captain."
The only sensory nin of the squad who is from Yamanaka clan forward slightly. Normally, he would have been deployed alongside a Nara and an Akimichi, but war had a way of breaking formations. Both of his usual teammates had already fallen, and filling gaps in random squads had become routine.
He closed his eyes, focusing his senses.
"Chakra signature detected… three hundred meters ahead," Yūsō reported slowly. "There's also scattered chakra spreading across the area. If I'm not mistaken… it's the Hidden Mist Technique."
Shinku didn't hesitate.
"Everyone, on guard!" he barked after only a second of thought. "This is probably a decoy."
The squad's formation tightened instantly, kunai flashing into their hands as they prepared for an ambush.
Even knowing the enemy was waiting for them, they had no choice but to proceed.
Taking another route would cost precious time, and there was no guarantee it wouldn't be another trap waiting to spring. In fact, spreading out or rerouting could increase the chances of being picked off one by one.
That was why they moved forward anyway.
Sometimes, seeing the pit didn't mean you could avoid falling into it.
As they advanced, the mist thickened rapidly, just as Yusō had warned.
Dense. Heavy. Oppressive.
Shinku's eyes narrowed.
This density… even my Wind Release would take time to disperse it.
A bead of sweat slid down his temple.
There was a real possibility that they were facing an elite jōnin. Of course, given the abundance of nearby water, it could also be the work of several chūnin working together.
Either way, the situation was dangerous.
This was Kirigakure's home field.
Every second spent inside the mist tilted the advantage further in the enemy's favour.
"Everyone, stay close," Shinku ordered in a low voice. "No unnecessary sounds. They'll be tracking us through vibrations and disturbances."
His gaze shifted slightly.
"Yusō, try again."
*************
Is there jutsu which allows to read memories of dead not soul one of Nagato?