Wen Lan, Shisui, and two chūnin were patrolling through the forest.
In recent days, Kirigakure ninja activity had become increasingly frequent. Although there had been no direct clashes, everyone could clearly sense that the Mist was testing the Uchiha's defensive perimeter.
As the group leapt between trees, Shisui suddenly sensed something off. He raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop.
They halted instantly, landing silently on the branches.
Among them, Shisui was the strongest—naturally, he was the squad leader.
Shisui jumped down from the tree, crouched, and brushed a hand over a patch of trampled grass. His brows furrowed as his sharp gaze swept the surroundings.
"There are enemies nearby," he said in a low voice. "Stay alert."
The moment his words fell, the air seemed to freeze. Even the sound of the wind vanished.
"Over there! Six ninja in total!" Shisui pointed west. "Judging by their chakra levels, they're all jōnin!"
Without hesitation, the group surged forward.
Six figures moved swiftly through the forest ahead, their speed extreme—clearly prepared.
All six wore Kirigakure headbands. The man in front had his right eye covered by a pitch-black eyepatch.
The Uchiha squad landed on distant branches, watching as the Mist ninja raced toward the direction of the encampment.
Shisui turned and gestured, signaling everyone to remain hidden, his gaze locked on the targets.
He raised two fingers before his chest.
The three-tomoe Sharingan activated—genjutsu instantly deployed.
The last two Kirigakure ninja suddenly froze mid-run. Confusion flashed through their eyes, then their gaze went blank. Like their souls had been ripped out, they collapsed heavily to the ground.
The sudden turn startled the remaining four.
"Hey! What's wrong with you?!" one Mist ninja shouted, shaking a fallen comrade.
Ao immediately sensed something was wrong and activated his Byakugan.
In an instant, he spotted the chakra figures on the distant trees.
Especially Shisui—his chakra was so vast that Ao's heart clenched violently.
"Attack!" Shisui barked.
The four Uchiha burst forward.
Four versus four—perfectly matched.
Shisui flickered like a ghost, appearing directly in front of Ao. Ao swiftly drew a kunai to intercept Shisui's strike!
Wen Lan drew his blade and took a deep breath.
"Flame Breathing—First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
Flames ignited along the blade as Wen Lan charged straight at one of the Mist ninja!
"Scatter!" one of them shouted while forming seals.
Thick fog instantly spread around them.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
An Uchiha chūnin exhaled a violent gale.
The roaring wind tore the mist apart, restoring visibility.
"For us Uchiha," another Uchiha sneered, lightning crackling in his hands,
"the same trick won't work a second time!"
"Lightning Release: Ground Walk!"
Both palms slammed into the earth. Lightning spread like a spiderweb across the ground, surging toward a Kirigakure ninja!
The Mist ninja's expression changed drastically. He leapt upward to evade, but the lightning grazed his left leg, instantly slowing his movements.
At that moment—
Wen Lan was already upon him.
The blade flashed.
His neck was severed cleanly. The head flew into the air before thudding lifelessly onto the ground.
Blood sprayed out, staining the earth crimson.
Shisui moved like a phantom across the battlefield, every strike precise, the Sharingan predicting each enemy movement.
Ao was being driven back step by step.
"Wait!" Ao shouted urgently. "Konoha and Kirigakure haven't officially gone to war yet! We can withdraw!"
His words caused Shisui's assault to hesitate—for what he said was reasonable.
But Wen Lan appeared behind another Mist ninja like a wraith.
The blade flashed.
A string of blood beads sprayed into the air.
The Kirigakure ninja froze, eyes wide, as a thin red line slowly opened across his throat.
Wen Lan spoke coldly:
"War has never waited for a formal declaration.
From the moment you people of the Mist night-attacked our encampment, you should've expected this day to come.
The blood of my clansmen will not be spilled in vain."
A subtle change flickered through Shisui's eyes. He still believed stopping now was the best option.
But Ao roared in fury:
"Are you insane?! You're forcing Konoha and Kirigakure into full-scale war!"
Wen Lan cut down the final Mist ninja, gripping his blade as he turned his cold gaze toward Ao.
"War or not—do you think we Uchiha are afraid of you?"
Shisui frowned, his voice heavy.
"If you keep doing this, the situation will spiral completely out of control!"
Wen Lan sneered, eyes sharp as knives.
"The situation? They crossed the line first.
Passive? Then we become active."
Blood slowly pooled across the forest floor, reflecting Wen Lan's emotionless expression.
"Madmen…!" Ao's face twisted.
"You Uchiha are all madmen!"
In the next instant, his body shot away at full speed.
Shisui watched Ao's retreating back, brows tightly knitted. He turned to Wen Lan, his voice carrying restrained anger.
"You really intend to tear things apart with Kirigakure? You're putting the village in a passive position!"
Wen Lan slowly sheathed his blade, his gaze icy.
"This isn't tearing things apart. They crossed the boundary long ago.
Passive? Then we seize the initiative."
As his words fell, Wen Lan's body exploded into lightning, chasing after Ao's escape path. The air filled with killing intent and the sharp crackle of electricity.
Ao fled desperately through the forest. Behind him, golden lightning closed in relentlessly.
Feeling that terrifying presence drawing closer, Ao cursed inwardly:
Baka! The Uchiha are all lunatics!
His hands flew through seals.
More than ten Water Clones appeared, scattering in different directions, while he simultaneously released another Hidden Mist Technique!
This time, however, the mist truly caused Wen Lan trouble.
He stopped abruptly, staring blankly at the surrounding fog.
He didn't possess Wind-nature chakra, nor did he know techniques like Great Breakthrough.
The chakra-infused mist rendered even the Sharingan useless.
"Damn it," Wen Lan cursed under his breath.
Three figures appeared behind him—Shisui and the others.
Shisui calmly scanned the fog and said in a low voice,
"You were too impulsive."
Wen Lan turned and looked at him coldly.
"But I won't become an undercover pawn for the village."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Shisui's face changed drastically. He spun around to stare at Wen Lan.
That order—from the Third Hokage—he had only received it shortly before departure.
How did Wen Lan know?
Wen Lan's figure gradually faded into the mist, leaving Shisui standing there, unease rising in his heart.
At the Same Time
Ao escaped back to Kirigakure's border outpost and immediately entered a tent.
Inside sat a young boy—
green, spiky hair; a scar over his left eye; and magenta-colored eyes.
It was the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
Ao dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
"The Uchiha… have already detected our infiltration plan. We didn't get far before they discovered us. Everyone else is dead—only I made it back."
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