As Yuma trailed behind the rest of the Anbu squad, he let out a frustrated sigh. The mission was simple enough, but something about today felt off.
For starters, there were way too many spiders. Their webs crisscrossed the forest canopy like some kind of creepy decoration.
"Hey, Inu," he called out, his voice muffled behind his mask. "Is it just me, or are there a lot more of these eight-legged freaks out today?"
Kakashi, leading the team from the front, barely spared a glance over his shoulder. "Focus on the mission, Taka. We can worry about the local wildlife later."
"Easy for you to say," Yuma grumbled under his breath. "You're not the one with spider webs stuck in places they shouldn't be."
It was no secret that he despised spiders. As an Anbu operative, he spent most of his days leaping from tree to tree, and those sticky webs were more than just a nuisance.
The exposed shoulders of his uniform were particularly vulnerable, and the spider webs would cling to his bare skin, making his skin crawl.
After every mission, Yuma had a ritual: he'd meticulously pluck the webs from his body, watching in satisfaction as the spiders swirled down the bathhouse drain.
If he could, he'd wipe every last spider off the face of the earth in a heartbeat.
But that was just a childish fantasy. In a land of dense forests, the spiders were the true rulers, their domains spanning nearly every inch of the terrain.
Lost in thought, Yuma almost missed it when Kakashi suddenly halted on a sturdy branch ahead. The other Anbu followed suit, their movements perfectly synchronized.
"The bandits' hideout is just beyond that ridge," he explained. "Our primary objective is reconnaissance. Here's the plan..."
With a few quick gestures, the squad was divided. Yuma would accompany him, approaching from the front, while the other two circled around to the rear.
Kakashi's tone turned grave as he outlined the strategy. "We have reason to believe they have a genjutsu specialist on their team. If you encounter them, don't engage directly. Remember, gathering intel is our top priority."
"A genjutsu specialist, great," Yuma muttered. "Just what we needed. Those guys are always a pain to deal with."
"That's exactly why we need to be cautious," Kakashi said, his one visible eye narrowing. "Underestimating the enemy is a recipe for disaster."
The Anbu nodded in unison, the gravity of the situation not lost on any of them.
"Move out!"
The four Anbu members vanished into the darkness, splitting off in opposite directions.
As they approached the bandit camp, Yuma could sense Kakashi's mind was elsewhere, probably still processing the Hokage's briefing.
----------
"Kakashi, the task ahead of you is a delicate one," the Third Hokage said, his pipe smoldering as he relayed the mission details.
"So it's true then? The bandits have a genjutsu specialist of considerable skill?" Kakashi asked, kneeling respectfully before the village leader.
The Third Hokage nodded. "I had my suspicions when I first assigned the mission. That's why I sent Motoki and his team - a chance for the newly promoted chunin to prove himself. But I fear I underestimated the threat."
"How is Motoki now?" Kakashi pressed, always one to gather as much intel as possible before embarking on a mission.
The Third Hokage's expression turned somber. "He's in the care of our medical corps, but his condition is concerning. The genjutsu used against him is unlike anything we've seen. Our best minds are still trying to devise a counter."
The Third Hokage's gaze drifted out over the village, his shoulders heavy with the weight of responsibility. "This is a formidable foe, Kakashi. Don't take unnecessary risks."
Kakashi nodded. "Understood, Hokage-sama."
----------
Now, as they approached the bandits' gate, Yuma felt a growing sense of unease.
By all accounts, this group numbered no more than fifty strong, with no known shinobi in their ranks. It was a C-rank mission at best, the kind usually reserved for experienced genin teams.
So why had the Hokage assigned it to a chunin?
And why, after Motoki's team had been so thoroughly defeated, were they sending in Anbu - Kakashi, of all people?
With three jonins and Kakashi, a once-in-a-generation prodigy, they should have more than enough firepower to handle a single enemy ninja, no matter how skilled.
Yet Kakashi's caution as they scouted the perimeter was not the demeanor of a man expecting an easy fight. The lack of guards, traps, or even a single sentry posted was unsettling.
It was as if the bandits were entirely unconcerned about retaliation for their attack on Konoha shinobi.
Yuma shifted uncomfortably, a pesky spider web clinging to the back of his neck. He just wanted to get this over with, to scrub his skin clean of this creepy sensation.
"Let's move," Kakashi signaled, apparently satisfied with his reconnaissance.
They dropped from the treetops, landing silently within the camp's walls.
And that's when they saw the bodies.
The first one lay crumpled against a wooden fence, a dark stain marring its throat.
"Kunai wound," Yuma observed as he rolled the corpse over for a closer look. "Probably from a shinobi."
"No shit," one of the other Anbu muttered, prodding another body with his toe. "Look around. They're all like this."
But Kakashi's attention was elsewhere, his brow furrowed beneath his mask.
Then they saw it. The thing at their feet was barely recognizable as human. Its hairless skin was smooth and distorted, like a half-formed clay sculpture.
And the skin... it was textured like fish scales with an oily sheen.
But what really sent a chill down Yuma's spine was the puddle of viscous fluid seeping from beneath the corpse.
Strands of it clung to the body as he moved it, like sticky, gooey fingers.
"What the hell is this?" Yuma hissed, his stomach churning. "Some kind of new jutsu?"
"I don't think so," Kakashi said, his voice grim. "I've seen a lot of techniques in my time, but nothing like this. Whatever did this... it's not normal."
"You think it's connected to that genjutsu specialist the Hokage mentioned?" one of the other Anbu asked.
Kakashi's gaze was cautious. "It's possible, but we can't jump to conclusions. Our mission is to gather information, not speculate."
As his eyes traveled upward, taking in the dozens of identical bodies strewn throughout the camp, he felt that something was very wrong here.
Even the usually unflappable Copy Ninja felt a creeping dread that set his teeth on edge.
"Spread out and search for survivors, or anything that might give us a clue about what happened here. But be on your guard. Whatever did this could still be nearby."
The Anbu dispersed, their senses on high alert. Yuma couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
As he picked his way through the carnage, a glint of something caught his eye. Kneeling down, he brushed aside a tangle of sticky webbing to reveal a small, silver pendant.
It was shaped like a spider, its multiple eyes seeming to stare directly into Yuma's soul.
A chill ran down his spine as he pocketed the strange trinket. Somehow, he knew it was important. A piece of the puzzle they were trying to solve.
But then, a soft clicking sound made him freeze. It was coming from above, from the thick canopy that stretched over the bandit camp.
Slowly, hardly daring to breathe, he raised his eyes.
And there, perched on a web that spanned the entire clearing, was the biggest, most grotesque spider he had ever seen.