The third location where a ninja went missing was quite far from the hot spring inn.
After placing the victim from the hot spring inn down, they felt they'd done all they could. For the three of them, the mission remained their top priority.
They left the inn.
The three of them made their way to the target location, moving quickly through the forest.
A gust of wind blew in their wake.
The passersby only felt something over their heads, but when they looked up, nothing was there.
The trio advanced at full speed, not daring to delay even for a moment.
The longer things were dragged out, the worse it would be for them.
"Brother Yashiro, what do you think the Hidden Mist is trying to do?"
Even though they were traveling at full speed, it did not prevent the three of them from talking.
Uchiha Shin couldn't quite understand the actions of the Mist Ninja.
"First, they came all the way from the Hidden Mist, directly towards the hot spring inn. Judging by the way they were acting, they definitely weren't there for a rest."
The Land of Hot Water was well known for its hot springs.
If they had simply come for the hot springs, they wouldn't have killed Konoha's ninjas.
Moreover, they could have left after that, but instead, they returned to eliminate witnesses when they realized there were pursuers.
The key point here was...
For a ninja, witnesses didn't hold much value.
Their actions were unnecessarily cruel.
Yashiro pondered for a moment before saying, "The Hidden Mist Village is an oppressive place. I don't know what the Third Mizukage is thinking. In the Mist Village, the weak are meant to die, and the strong can have everything."
"That's what makes the Hidden Mist different from us."
If wars represent the time of frequent death,
Then the Mist Village lives as if in a constant state of war.
Even their Genin must pass through brutal trials to graduate.
Ninja rankings are based purely on strength, not overall skills.
It's a paradise for the strong and a hell for the weak.
All of this they learned from the minds of the Mist Ninjas they killed.
It was a harsh village, but they did produce strong ninjas.
Whoever could survive there wasn't an easy opponent.
"So, the Hidden Mist is just an evil organization?"
Uchiha Shin felt like he was beginning to grasp the truth.
After all, only criminals behaved like that.
"Perhaps," Yashiro replied, shaking his head. In truth, he wasn't sure how to judge the Hidden Mist, but he knew that such a place was more dangerous than the other Hidden Villages.
If not for the Uchihas holding their position here,
Konoha might have already lost its foothold in the Village of the Hot Springs.
"What matters most is to protect this place; otherwise, it would be a stain on the Uchihas' name."
Although the Land of Hot Water wasn't conquered by them but by White Fang's team, the Hidden Hot Water ninja had called him the White Fang of the Leaf. Yashiro didn't know how that name came about, but he wanted one for himself too. Maybe "Squinty Eyes"?
The three fell silent as they continued moving.
The trees flew past them.
They had already reached their destination.
A gorge lay ahead.
The three began their investigation.
"There are traces of jutsu here," Yashiro said.
The other two looked over at him. Both of them had their Sharingan activated, yet they hadn't detected the signs so quickly.
They hadn't expected Yashiro to notice so fast.
Yashiro touched the ground, feeling some dampness.
"It's likely the Hidden Mist Technique."
Creating mist was a common tactic used by Mist Ninjas.
This made Yashiro think of a particular team from the Hidden Mist Village.
The Mist Assassination Squad.
The Hidden Mist Technique was a basic jutsu for the Assassination Squad.
The squad was formed to eliminate enemy leaders, and they possessed formidable assassination skills.
Yashiro felt an increasing sense of unease.
"Yashiro, your visual prowess is even stronger than ours," Uchiha Shin remarked curiously.
Despite all having three-tomoe Sharingan, Yashiro could detect things so effortlessly.
"I'm older than you, after all," Yashiro smiled.
"Besides, I've trained in the Basic Internal Energy Technique, which has enhanced my visual abilities and consequently the power of my Sharingan."
"It's amazing that such a thing is even possible."
Fugaku was surprised.
He had underestimated the techniques created by Uchiha Jin.
The Six Forms Taijutsu created by Jin was indeed intricate, but who would have thought that the Basic Internal Energy Technique could enhance the Sharingan.
He had never considered it.
"Actually, I have a copy of the technique. If you're interested, I doubt Jin would mind."
Yashiro offered, hoping to ease the tension between Fugaku and Uchiha Jin.
The two of them seemed to be at odds with each other.
Fugaku fell silent. It wasn't just a simple disagreement.
They were nearly at the point of fighting to the death.
Even without the previous incident, Jin wasn't very fond of him.
"Then thank Jin on our behalf," Uchiha Shin said, stepping in to accept on behalf of Fugaku.
No matter what the young clan leader thought,
It wouldn't be wise to refuse something that could enhance their strength.
Fugaku remained silent, which was as good as agreeing.
The three of them continued to investigate the area, but still, they couldn't find many useful clues.
"The enemy passed through this gorge. Does anyone know where it leads?" Fugaku asked, looking at the other side of the gorge.
The entire gorge had only two exits.
"Beyond this line is the sea," Yashiro frowned.
"And across the sea lies the Land of Lightning."
The three exchanged glances and began moving swiftly forward.
They had just emerged from the gorge when suddenly—
"Something's wrong!" Yashiro shouted.
The three leapt away from where they had been standing.
The ground ahead collapsed, and a loud explosion echoed.
Figures emerged from the cliffs on both sides of the gorge.
A fog was gradually spreading.
Ninjas wearing Rain Village forehead protectors blocked the path ahead and behind.
"This is… a trap." The expressions of the three turned grim.
Yashiro's face showed regret.
He had not sensed it in time.
"It's not your fault, Yashiro," Fugaku said, trying to steady the mood.
Though they were at war, the Hidden Mist had not made any significant moves thus far.
It was difficult for anyone to predict that they would set up an ambush at this point.
The enemy's behavior was unexpected.
Perhaps it suited the current circumstances, but Konoha had failed to anticipate it.
War.
No other village would sit idly by and watch.
"Only three of them?"
The leader of the enemy force frowned, visibly dissatisfied as he looked at Fugaku and the others.
"Guess we keep fishing."
The woman beside him licked her lips.
"If we fish any longer, Konoha will catch on," she warned.
The Mist intended to involve themselves in the war and aimed to weaken Konoha's forces.
But so far, they'd only caught three squads, and these three made the fourth.
"Hey, hey, these three aren't just any Konoha ninjas."
An elderly, white-haired man beside them smiled cruelly.
"They're the elite of the Uchiha."
Three pairs of crimson eyes glared at them.
"Fight our way out!" Fugaku ordered.
The three simultaneously drew their swords.
The Uchihas' kenjutsu was quite well-known.
"Kill them!" shouted the enemy leader.
The mist thickened, slowly enveloping the three of them.