For the past few evenings, Kazama Shin had been heading to his training ground earlier than usual.
Not just to train—
But to wait.
For something.
…
Finally—
On the third evening, as dusk settled over the forest—
Shin, who was in the middle of training, suddenly frowned.
He sensed it.
"A group… chasing a single person."
Closing his eyes, focusing—
"And that chakra… it's—"
His eyes snapped open.
"Shisui Uchiha!!!"
BOOM—
Without hesitation, he kicked off the ground.
His figure shot into the depths of the forest.
…
One kilometer away—
Shisui was darting between trees at high speed.
His movements were swift—but unstable.
He kept glancing back.
There were pursuers.
His condition… was bad.
His right eye was tightly shut—
Blood streamed from it, staining his collar.
His left eye—
Glowed crimson.
Three tomoe rotated within.
The legendary dōjutsu of the Uchiha—
Sharingan.
…
Mid-run, Shisui's gaze shifted.
As if realizing something—
He abruptly changed direction.
Moving away.
Far away.
From Shin's training ground.
Even now—
He was trying to avoid dragging Shin into this.
…
Moments later—
SHUA! SHUA! SHUA!
Dozens of figures appeared where Shisui had just been.
Animal masks.
Standard uniforms.
But colder.
Emotionless.
These were not ordinary Anbu.
They were—
Root.
The personal force of Danzo Shimura.
"He just left… but changed direction."
A cat-masked ninja crouched, sensing the residual chakra.
Without hesitation—
A fox-masked figure gave the order.
"Pursue."
In an instant—
All of them vanished.
Chasing Shisui.
…
SHUA! SHUA! SHUA!
Shin leapt across trees, his speed increasing.
"…He changed direction?"
His eyes narrowed.
"It's Shisui."
Only one explanation—
Shisui deliberately led Root away.
Away from him.
"…Too kind."
Shin muttered quietly.
"Doesn't even feel like an Uchiha…"
And yet—
He sped up.
Even faster.
…
Why was he going?
He didn't stop to think.
Maybe—
Because he now had power…
And needed somewhere to use it.
Or maybe—
He simply didn't want to watch someone like Shisui die.
Not like this.
…
The forest grew darker.
And then—
Signs of battle.
Everywhere.
Kunai embedded in trees.
Shuriken scattered across the ground.
Burn marks.
Crushed trunks.
Entire sections of forest destroyed.
And then—
A body.
A masked ninja.
A Root operative.
Dead.
Shin's eyes sharpened.
"…They left a corpse behind."
That alone said everything.
Anbu—or Root—
Never left bodies behind.
Unless—
They didn't have the luxury.
…
"Which means…"
Shin's gaze turned cold.
"Things have escalated."
Danzo's order was clear.
No retreat.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
Capture—or kill—Shisui Uchiha.
At any cost.