Land of Water border — Nandou Lake
Two kilometers away from the lakeside, Aoki Yoru stood silently on a sturdy tree branch. The mist in the Land of Water drifted thickly through the forest, blurring vision and muffling sound. The atmosphere felt heavy, almost suffocating.
Aoki Yoru brought his hands together and began forming hand seals.
His expression grew serious.
A faint pulse of chakra spread outward from his body like ripples across water, extending in all directions as he activated his sensory ability.
The next second—
His expression changed abruptly.
In his perception, deep beneath the still surface of the lake, a massive presence coiled like a sleeping catastrophe. The chakra he sensed was overwhelming—violent, chaotic, and cold. It carried an oppressive aura that seemed to devour everything around it.
It wasn't just powerful.
It was terrifying.
Aoki Yoru's pupils shrank.
He opened his eyes suddenly, breathing slightly heavier than before. A thin layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead.
He turned toward Kakashi and nodded.
"It's there," he said quietly. "There's an enormous amount of chakra at the bottom of the lake."
Without hesitation, Kakashi Hatake gave a brief nod and immediately moved.
With five Anbu operatives following behind him, he dashed toward the lakeside at high speed, disappearing into the mist within seconds.
As soon as they left—
Aoki Yoru's body relaxed.
He leaned back against the tree trunk, exhaling slowly.
"…That was suffocating."
For the first time since entering this world, he truly felt what it meant to be powerless.
Compared to that overwhelming chakra—
He was insignificant.
Completely insignificant.
After a brief silence, his eyes sharpened.
"It seems I need to find a way to compensate for my physical limitations."
His voice was low, but firm.
He never wanted to experience that feeling again—the helplessness of having his life and death determined by forces beyond his control.
Coming from a civilian background, his natural chakra reserves were limited. The amount of chakra his body could store was far below that of those from powerful clans.
If he had to estimate—
He likely possessed only one-tenth of Naruto Uzumaki's chakra capacity.
And that wasn't even considering the power of the Nine-Tails sealed within Naruto.
Aoki Yoru clenched his fist slightly.
"To make a significant improvement in a short period…"
His thoughts turned dark and calculating.
"As far as I know… there are only two viable options."
Hashirama cells.
Or White Zetsu cells.
Both were extremely dangerous.
Both were incredibly difficult to obtain.
But—
He had one advantage others didn't.
Foresight.
His gaze deepened.
"If I plan carefully… there's still a chance."
No matter what—
He would survive.
Boom—!
A violent explosion suddenly echoed across the distance, snapping him back to reality.
Aoki Yoru lifted his head and focused his attention toward the lake.
At the center of Nandou Lake—
Six figures stood at different positions along the shore.
Kakashi and five Anbu operatives had formed a wide encirclement.
At the same moment—
"Lightning Release!"
Six pillars of lightning descended simultaneously, striking the lake's surface with devastating force.
The water exploded upward.
A massive cavity—nearly ten meters in diameter—was blasted open in the lake, exposing the depths below. The surrounding water surged violently toward the void, creating a swirling vortex.
Then—
A roar shattered the sky.
"ROOOOAAARRR—!!!"
The water erupted.
A colossal figure burst forth from beneath the lake.
The Three-Tails.
Its massive turtle-like body rose into view, water cascading off its shell. Lightning still crackled across its surface, and visible cracks had formed along the hardened shell on its back.
The previous attack had injured it.
And now—
It was enraged.
Its murky, beast-like eyes burned with pure ferocity.
Without warning, its enormous tail lashed outward, cutting through the air with terrifying force as it swept toward one of the Anbu on the shore—a ninja wearing a cat mask.
Aoki Yoru's eyes widened.
What happened next left him speechless.
Instead of retreating—
The cat-masked Anbu charged forward.
He raised a kunai and stabbed directly at the incoming tail.
"…Are you serious?"
Aoki Yoru's mouth twitched.
"Does he think this is just a normal opponent?"
His thoughts flashed rapidly.
This scene felt strangely familiar.
Then it hit him.
"Isn't this just like when Danzo Shimura tried to stab Susanoo with a kunai…?"
Could this Anbu be from Root?
Only Root could produce such… "fearless" individuals.
Bang—!
The collision was instantaneous.
The kunai shattered.
The Anbu—
Was obliterated.
There wasn't even time for a scream.
"Four-Corner Sealing Formation!"
The remaining four Anbu reacted immediately.
They pulled out scrolls and activated a sealing technique.
Chains of chakra surged outward, binding the Three-Tails in place and forcing its massive body down onto the lake's surface.
For a brief moment—
It was restrained.
But then—
Aoki Yoru's expression shifted.
He sensed multiple presences approaching rapidly from all directions.
The fastest among them—
Were two extremely familiar signatures.
Itachi Uchiha.
And Kisame Hoshigaki.
"…Trouble."
Without hesitation, Aoki Yoru suppressed his chakra presence and sank into the ground using Earth Release, hiding himself completely.
At the lakeside—
"Hurry!" Kakashi shouted. "The enemy is already here!"
The four Anbu increased their chakra output, pouring everything into maintaining the seal.
But the Three-Tails—
Was already going berserk.
The sensation of being sealed triggered its deepest instincts. Memories of past confinement resurfaced, driving it into uncontrollable rage.
Its massive body trembled violently.
Cracks began forming across the sealing array.
The Anbu gritted their teeth.
Blood streamed from their mouths and noses as the strain overwhelmed their bodies.
Kakashi turned toward the forest.
Two figures emerged slowly from the mist.
Itachi and Kisame.
"It's been a while… Captain Kakashi," Itachi said calmly.
Kisame grinned, revealing his shark-like teeth.
"An acquaintance, Itachi-san? Then let me handle this. I've always wanted to test the strength of the famous Copy Ninja."
He reached for the massive blade on his back—Samehada.
But Itachi raised a hand slightly.
"I'll handle it."
His tone was quiet, but absolute.
"If you fight, the disturbance will be too great. The Hidden Mist's forces are already approaching. We need to finish quickly."
As he spoke—
His eyes changed.
The three tomoe spun rapidly, transforming into a complex, pinwheel-like pattern.
Mangekyō Sharingan.
Kakashi immediately lifted his forehead protector, revealing his own Sharingan.
His body tensed.
He knew exactly how dangerous the man before him was.
A man who had slaughtered his entire clan without hesitation.
"Captain Kakashi," Itachi said softly, "since you possess the Sharingan… do you understand the difference between it and the Mangekyō?"
Before Kakashi could respond—
The world distorted.
Darkness swallowed everything.
The next moment—
He found himself bound.
His limbs were nailed to a massive black cross.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't escape.
Itachi stood before him, expressionless.
"In this world… time is under my control."
A blade appeared in his hand.
Then—
He stabbed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Time stretched endlessly.
Seconds felt like hours.
Pain repeated infinitely.
Kakashi's consciousness began to crumble under the relentless torture.
Meanwhile—
At the center of the lake—
Crack—!
The sealing formation shattered.
The Three-Tails broke free.
Fully enraged, it raised its head and roared.
A sphere of chakra began forming in front of its mouth—
Black and crimson energy intertwining violently.
A Tailed Beast Ball.
It fired.
BOOM—!!!
A blinding explosion engulfed the battlefield.
From afar—
A massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky.
Elsewhere—
Mei Terumī, the Fifth Mizukage, froze mid-movement.
"…That was a Tailed Beast Ball."
Her expression darkened.
"Hurry! Something has gone wrong!"
Back at the battlefield—
Smoke slowly cleared.
The land was devastated.
Nothing remained intact.
The Three-Tails—
Had disappeared.
Nearby—
Itachi stood breathing heavily, one hand covering his eye as blood trickled down.
A translucent skeletal structure surrounded him and Kisame—
Susanoo.
It had shielded them from the explosion.
Kisame stepped forward.
"Itachi-san, rest. I'll handle the beast."
But before he could move—
A torrent of molten lava surged toward him.
"Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!"
Mei Terumī had arrived.
Her gaze was cold.
"Kisame Hoshigaki… I didn't expect to meet you here."
She glanced at Itachi.
"And you… the clan-slayer of Konoha."
Her voice hardened.
"This time… neither of you will escape."
Behind her, Mist ninja forces gathered rapidly, surrounding them.
Five kilometers away
The ground bulged slightly.
Aoki Yoru emerged, holding an unconscious Kakashi in his arms.
His breathing was heavy.
Earlier, sensing something wrong, he had sent a Shadow Clone underground.
At the moment of the explosion—
He had pulled Kakashi to safety.
"Kakashi-sensei… what should we do now?"
Kakashi's voice was weak.
"…Go to the ship… leave the Land of Water…"
His head slumped.
He lost consciousness.
Aoki Yoru didn't hesitate.
He adjusted his grip—
And sprinted toward the coast at full speed.
Behind him—
The chaos of the battlefield continued.
But he didn't look back.
Survival—
Came first.