"Yes!"
Ao felt a surge of relief, thankful he wouldn't have to face Uchiha Shisui's daunting body-flicker jutsu directly.
Leaping out of the main battlefield, he positioned himself at the periphery, carefully tracking Shisui's every move with his Byakugan.
"Fools!"
From a distance, Obito silently observed the chaos unfolding. His gaze shifted from Mei and her team, who were preoccupied battling Shisui's phantom clones, to Mangetsu Hozuki, standing motionless in the distance, and then to Ao, who remained fixated on Shisui.
"Shisui's eye technique... could it be tied to illusion?" Obito muttered to himself, analyzing the situation. Then, narrowing his eyes, he added, "No... it's not just a basic illusion technique. Otherwise, Mangetsu and Ao wouldn't be acting so strangely."
After speaking, Obito vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the air.
The Mist Ninjas, still grappling with Shisui's phantom clones, were the only ones left on the battlefield.
Some time passed.
"You're telling me... you fell for an illusion as well?"
Mei's sharp gaze bore into Ao, who stood before her with his head lowered in silence, unable to offer a defense. The veins on her forehead throbbed with barely contained frustration.
Anyone in her position would feel the same. After an intense battle and immense effort to dispel Shisui's clones, they were left with... nothing. The battlefield was empty.
Yet somehow, Uchiha Shisui's presence lingered, like a taunt.
The root of all this chaos was Ao, who now stood in front of Mei, head bowed in silence. He had been the one to mistakenly identify Shisui's true form, directing everyone's focus toward a false target.
The trust placed in his Byakugan had been absolute—and misplaced.
"I...I'm.."
Ao could barely form a defense, his voice faltering under the weight of the situation. He knew he was in deep trouble. Mei's fury was palpable, and the Mist Ninjas surrounding him stared at him with sharp, piercing gazes, as if ready to cut him down to release their frustration.
It felt as though they all wanted to kill him to vent their anger.
"The enemy must have placed me under an illusion during his initial attack," Ao stammered, desperately trying to explain. "He used it to confuse me while I was trying to monitor his movements during the breakthrough!"
Though her expression was grim, Mei did not place blame on Ao. He had done his best. The enemy's illusion was simply too advanced, even managing to ensnare Ao despite his Byakugan—a truly unexpected turn of events.
"I am ashamed!" Ao murmured, bowing his head.
"Follow behind Bitao and provide her with support," Mei instructed sharply, her gaze fixed on Bitao. Her tone grew darker. "If we fail to kill Uchiha Shisui..."
Shisui might have escaped for now, but the chase wasn't over. However, this time, Ao would not lead the pursuit. He would serve as a deputy instead.
In truth, if circumstances allowed, Mei would have preferred not to rely on Bitao either. Yet, given the current situation, there was no one more suitable for the task.
"What's happening with Mangetsu?"
After addressing the situation with Ao, Mei turned to a member of the Hozuki clan nearby, her tone softening as she inquired about Mangetsu's condition.
"Mangetsu, he... he..."
The elderly Hozuki clansman opened his mouth to speak but faltered, unsure of how to explain the situation.
Their genius, once entirely consumed by fighting, training, and mastering ninja swords, had always been a source of concern. They worried he lacked an understanding of relationships and the importance of family—concerns about his willingness to expand the clan weighed heavily on their minds.
Now, it seemed as though Mangetsu had finally gained some clarity in that regard, but... this wasn't the right time for such revelations.
And yet, was his current behavior a result of an illusion? If so, would he revert to his old self once the effect wore off?
"This is just..."
Watching Mangetsu chase after a Hozuki girl in the distance, Mei felt a pang of helplessness. She doubted their ability to complete the mission successfully under such chaotic circumstances.
"Bitao, have you found anything?"
Now wasn't the time to dwell on distractions. Mei refocused her attention, relying on Bitao to track down Shisui. Despite the setbacks, they had to push forward with their mission.
—
Beneath the watery glow of the moonlight, a swift figure darted through the dense, shadowed expanse of the primeval forest.
It was Uchiha Shisui, who had just managed to break through.
'I hope the misleading trails and my shadow clone will buy me enough time,' Shisui thought as he pressed on.
Shisui navigated the forest with deliberate precision. Despite his incredible speed, he ensured not to leave any discernible traces behind.
As a seasoned expert in both tracking and counter-tracking, he remained acutely aware of his surroundings.
'Someone's up ahead?'
The towering trees, wide enough to require several people to embrace, blurred past him as he sped through the forest.
As he neared the location of his companions, a group of individuals clad in Konoha Anbu uniforms emerged from the shadows, cautiously approaching.
"Who are you?"
Even amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Shisui's vigilance remained unwavering. He maintained a safe distance, refusing to let his guard down simply because of their familiar attire.
"Uchiha Shisui, we are Anbu, dispatched by the Hokage to covertly assist you in completing this escort mission," one of the masked figures stated, accompanying his words with a series of hand signals meant to verify their identity.
"We noticed you abandoned the Mist Ninja negotiation team, so we came to investigate the situation."
"Understood."
Shisui acknowledged them with a nod. He had been informed beforehand that the Hokage might send Anbu as backup for this mission. Yet, the recent words of the Mist Ninja still lingered in his mind, leaving him slightly guarded.
Still, his demeanor remained composed and unreadable.
"Can you explain why you left the escort of the Mist Ninja negotiators behind?"
Noticing Shisui's cautious stance, the Anbu leader refrained from unnecessary commentary, focusing instead on seeking clarity about Shisui's actions.
Everything appeared perfectly normal, as if the Anbu had genuinely come to assist Shisui.
"The mission has failed," Shisui stated succinctly. After a brief pause, he added, "This negotiation was a trap orchestrated by the Mist Ninjas. I will provide a detailed report to the Hokage later."
"In that case, we won't delay you from reuniting with your companions. We'll take our leave now," the Anbu leader responded.
After receiving Shisui's explanation, the leader refrained from further questioning. He slowed his pace, gradually falling behind Shisui. Moments later, the figure of the Anbu disappeared silently into the shadows of the night.
'It seems... nothing is amiss,' Shisui thought, watching the retreating silhouettes vanish into the darkness.
He wasn't particularly surprised. Considering the mission's significance to peace, it wasn't unusual for the Anbu to appear and seek an update on its progress.
Shisui shook his head and glanced up, noting a hidden mark carved into a nearby tree. With renewed focus, he quickened his pace.
If all had gone according to plan, his teammates should be several kilometers ahead. At his current speed, he could catch up with them in less than twenty minutes.
Still, a pang of regret lingered. This negotiation with the Mist Ninja seemed to have been a complete failure.
'Fuck... an ambush!'
Just as Shisui lamented the outcome of the mission, his sharp instincts detected something amiss. The forest around him was unnaturally still.
In the dense woods at night, it was typical to hear the occasional scurrying of nocturnal animals or the rhythmic chirping of insects. But here, there was nothing—only the sound of leaves rustling faintly in the wind. The silence was oppressive, almost unnatural.
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