Outside the village, crows gathered, cawing.
Passing through a large stretch of forest, a figure, along with two bathtubs, was washed out by the rapid current on the riverbank ahead.
Uchiha Izumi coughed repeatedly.
Just then, a hand pressed down on her shoulder.
Immediately after, a warm current followed her shoulder, slowly spreading and flowing through her entire body.
A dozen seconds later, the other party slammed a palm heavily onto her back, causing her to cough violently uncontrollably; water and blood sprayed from her mouth together.
Although it was painful, after spitting it out, she felt much more comfortable and smooth.
At the same time, the parts injured underwater were slowly healing along with the Chakra treatment.
"Thank you."
"Save it for later; we're not safe yet."
The Black-Robed Man lifted a bathtub; inside, children were wailing, and one child, only two years old, timidly pulled back their head.
Uchiha Izumi laboriously lifted the other one and followed behind him.
After the ambush just now, she had completely come to believe the man before her, and also believed what Shisui had said—Konoha wanted to kill them!
If they wanted to live, they had to leave Konoha.
Unfortunately...
Her mother—she had no way to take her away.
Uchiha Izumi bit her lip and looked back toward Konoha.
In this place, naturally, nothing could be seen, but she felt as if she could see it anyway, her eyes shimmering with tears.
"If you're unwilling to accept this, then become stronger than your enemies. Otherwise, shrink into a corner of the Ninja World and live your life in silence."
The Black-Robed Man in front said coldly, "The cheapest thing in this Ninja World is tears."
The two of them fled outward quickly.
The tomoe in Uchiha Izumi's eyes did not fade; she maintained a high-intensity circulation of Chakra all the way to keep up her physical speed.
But, after all, she was only thirteen years old.
Not everyone could be a genius like Shisui or Itachi.
After an unknown amount of time, she was already finding it difficult to hold on, but at that moment, a rustling sound came from behind.
Uchiha Izumi panicked: "Sir, pursuers are coming!"
"Don't panic."
The Black-Robed Man said coldly, "It's not pursuers; it's me."
A moment later, another version of him ran over from the forest.
On the way, he had used Medical Chakra to quietly treat the muscle strains caused by the "Overlimit" state, adjusting his body back to its peak.
Just as he caught up with the two, the cawing of crows came from above.
The murder of crows split into two groups; one group was here with them, while the other was in the distance, also moving rapidly and heading this way.
The bathtubs were set down.
Afterward, the Shadow Clone disappeared.
His mind went hazy for a split second—fighting, running.
The accumulated fatigue, perceptions, and memories synchronized with the original body, giving his mind a significant shock.
Fortunately, only one clone had returned this time.
The Shadow Clone at the Ninja Academy seemed to still be maintaining its working state.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye.
On the panel, there were still the prompts that had popped up earlier.
["naruto: prequel" Episode 12 filming complete!]
[Editing...]
[Release successful!]
[Total Screen Time: 7 minutes 37 seconds. Screen Ratio: 36.2%]
[Due to the large number of characters appearing in this episode, as a villain, your screen time exceeded 30%, and your salary has been increased.]
[Prompt: ...]
Calculating back from the time recorded on the panel, it should have been around when Masahiko assassinated the members of the Root Squad or encountered Kakashi.
"Forget it, I'll know where it cuts off once I look back at it."
Masahiko's brow unfurrowed.
The key right now was to take this group of people away first, then return to the village to swap with the Shadow Clone to ensure his identity wasn't exposed.
He threw a soldier pill to Uchiha Izumi.
"Eat it."
"Yes!"
Uchiha Izumi's face was pale, but after eating the soldier pill, she recovered slightly.
She looked around blankly.
"Sir, are we just going to carry them and walk like this?"
"I'm only responsible for helping you save people; how you take them away is your business. However... Shisui should have made arrangements."
Masahiko looked toward one side of the forest. "They're here."
Just as he finished speaking, the sound of a cat's meow came through.
Immediately after, a giant Two-Tailed White Cat leaped rapidly out of the woods.
Coming closer, an unfriendly look appeared on its feline face: "Shisui asked me to come; surely it wasn't to help you babysit?"
"Quite thoughtful."
The corners of Masahiko's mouth curled up slightly.
"You bastard, I'm a leader, not a vehicle!"
It grumbled, quite unwilling.
Uchiha Izumi's eyes brightened as she asked, "Are you the leader of the Ninja Cat Clan?"
"Hmph, little Uchiha girl, that's right. This Great One is exactly—"
"Stop talking nonsense. Get on; I'll put the children up there."
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you even listening to me? Not a single bit of—"
...respect for this Great One!
The two-tailed cat was about to say that, but seeing the bones protruding before it, it pulled its head back.
"Are you one of those Kaguya Clan lunatics?"
"I am, but I'm not a lunatic. I've developed quite a few torture techniques based on Shikotsumyaku. If you don't want to try them, you'd better behave."
Masahiko's voice was cold.
Uchiha Izumi then bowed softly and said, "Sir, our clan is in trouble and we really need your help. Please, help us out!"
"Fine, fine, bring the two tubs of children..."
The two-tailed cat had an "I really can't do anything about you" expression and tone. "Where to?"
"That's your business."
Masahiko glanced at Uchiha Izumi. "However, if you don't want to harm them, it's best to disperse the children into remote, backward villages once you arrive."
"Villages."
Uchiha Izumi bit her lip and nodded heavily. "Sir, I understand."
She looked at the shivering group.
"I want to take them to the Land of Rivers."
"Go ahead if you want to die."
Masahiko's tone was icy.
Uchiha Izumi's face turned pale. "Is the Land of Rivers very dangerous?"
Soon, she realized it too.
During this time, Anbu Ninjas everywhere would definitely be searching for suspicious people.
Children like them would have no chance of surviving in the Land of Rivers.
Seeing that she understood a bit, Masahiko advised, "Given your current situation, once you settle down, stay away from the Ninja Cat Clan, head into the mountain villages deep in the mountains, and it's best to live as ordinary people."
"I understand. Thank you for your advice and help!"
Uchiha Izumi bowed deeply.
She looked up, a look of hope in her eyes. "Will we meet again?"
"If you are strong enough, we will meet again."
"Yes, I understand!"
Uchiha Izumi looked at Masahiko, then at the crows in the sky. "I will become stronger. I won't hold you and Big Brother Shisui back anymore."
She bowed deeply and then jumped onto the back of the two-tailed cat.
"Hold on tight!"
It shouted and vanished into the jungle with a leap.
Masahiko turned and headed in another direction.
Before long, a crow flew over and landed in front of the Black-Robed Man.
A moment later, it spat out a scroll.
The Black-Robed Man opened the scroll, unsealed it, and summoned; Shisui's Shadow Clone appeared.
The other party bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your help!"
"It's nothing. This is a trade."
The Black-Robed Man's mouth curled slightly. "After today, I believe you have gained some understanding of me. We can cooperate more candidly."
Shisui nodded.
Shikotsumyaku was indeed very powerful; even Danzo had actually suffered at the other party's hands.
Moreover...
That extraordinary speed was something even he could not achieve.
The strength of the person before him was far more mysterious and powerful than he had imagined, but Shisui also had more doubts in his heart—why would a descendant of the Kaguya Clan be lurking in Konoha?
How did he do it?
He was full of suspicion, and furthermore...
"What do you need me to do?"
The Black-Robed Man did not explain in detail, only saying, "When the time comes, you will know."
"On their side, I've referred to you as my subordinate—"
"That doesn't matter."
The Black-Robed Man didn't care.
"Then what should I do next?"
Shisui asked.
The Black-Robed Man said, "You are now Madara's subordinate. You can only do what he tells you to do; for the rest, act as you see fit."
"Yes!"