Cough! Cough, cough, cough!
In the pitch-black cave, the sound of violent, hacking coughs suddenly echoed.
Hayama struggled to open his eyes, feeling as though a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on his chest. He could barely breathe, yet his lungs burned and itched, forcing him into another fit of coughing.
In his dazed state, a shadowy figure in the darkness stepped forward and slipped a pill into his mouth.
"Swallow it slowly." Hoheto's voice came from beside him.
Only after the medicine took effect did Hayama feel slightly better. Gasping for air, he took in their surroundings.
The cave was dimly lit by a single flickering candle. Hoheto's face was still streaked with dried blood, while across from them sat Shisui, looking utterly exhausted.
"I... I held you back..." Hayama muttered, guilt weighing heavily on his voice.
If he hadn't been so weak, being knocked unconscious almost immediately in battle, his teammates wouldn't have been forced into such a desperate fight. They wouldn't be in such a miserable state now.
"No, the enemy is just too strong." Shisui said quietly, leaning against the cave wall as he lifted his head.
In the faint candlelight, Hayama finally noticed that Shisui's left eye socket was sunken, as if swallowing even the dim light around them.
"Shisui! Your eye-?!" Hayama's voice caught in his throat.
Shisui didn't try to hide his missing left eye. Instead, he calmly looked at his two companions with his remaining eye.
"The enemies from Hoshigakure… they're not opponents ordinary Ninja can handle anymore. If we want to eliminate Hoshigakure, it would require launching an all-out war."
But Konoha, as it stood now, no longer had the strength to wage another war.
"Moreover… among their ranks is a lost member of the Uchiha Clan. If this isn't handled carefully, it could raise suspicions within the village… toward the Uchiha Clan."
Listening to Shisui's explanation, Hayama and Hoheto all recalled the terrifying black-haired girl.
Hayama had been knocked out early, so he hadn't witnessed the later battle.
But Hoheto had seen it… the clash of two colossal titans amidst the forest!
That godlike power still sent chills down his spine even now.
"Therefore, I'll take full responsibility for reporting this mission to the Hokage. As for the details… I hope you'll keep them confidential, at least to a certain extent."
When Shisui said this, his gaze lingered on Hoheto.
This sentence was mainly directed to him.
Shisui knew Hayama's personality well… he wouldn't reveal mission specifics to anyone except the Hokage.
But Hoheto is a member of the Hyuga Clan's branch family. Above him stood not just the branch family's head, but also the main family's head.
So Shisui didn't push too hard, carefully considering Hoheto's position and feelings.
After a brief silence, Hoheto nodded.
Hayama, rubbing his throbbing head, added, "You're the team leader. I'll follow your lead."
"Thank you for your understanding." Shisui said, bowing slightly.
After that, the three took turns keeping watch, resting as much as they could.
But Shisui, who is burdened with unanswered questions and the fear of how the village's high-ranking people would view the Uchiha Clan once this news spread, found sleep impossible.
…
Hoshigakure.
This small Ninja Village, which is nestled deep within the mountains, was now in the midst of relocation.
Gato directed his merchant caravan and the as they loaded various daily necessities onto horse-drawn carts. Under the escort of the Hoshigakure's Ninjas, they set off in batches toward the capital of Land of Bears.
There, on the eastern outskirts near the forests and mountains, they would establish their new Ninja Village.
"The name 'Hoshigakure' will soon become history." Yosei murmured, standing at the village's entrance. He watched the villagers cheerfully moving out and gazed at the lush green forests surrounding the village, letting out a sigh.
In the future, this place would serve as a military outpost for stationing troops in the western region.
Meanwhile, the majority of the villagers and Ninjas of Hoshigakure would begin a new life.
Yosei was deeply concerned about what the future held.
But the eyes of the villagers and the Hoshigakure's Ninjas are filled with hope for what lay ahead.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the distance. Kakuzu dragged two Sunagakure's Ninjas through the crowd, the chains of the Anbu scraping harshly against the ground.
"Yo, Kakuzu-sama, where'd you catch these guys?" Gato, who was taking a break from his busy schedule, teased.
Kakuzu snorted softly, "Just a couple of small fries sneaking around."
Then, he ordered the Anbu to take the two Sunagakure's Ninjas away for imprisonment, awaiting further instructions from Shura.
"Nanashi-sama has returned!"
The figures of Hikari and Kanon escorting the Iwagakure's Ninjas caused an even greater stir.
"Nanashi-sama! Kanon-sama!" When the other Hoshigakure's Ninjas saw the two, they immediately bowed in respect.
Kakuzu couldn't help but look at the three Iwagakure's Ninjas who are bound by the Adamantine Sealing Chains,. Especially when he saw the Explosive Release Ninja, Gari, his green pupils gleamed with greed.
He said to Hikari: "This guy is pretty strong. Hand him over to me."
The only Ninjas Kakuzu took interest in were either high-level Jonin whose hearts he could steal or those with high bounties in the bounty exchange.
"Don't even think about touching these three." Hikaru glanced at Kakuzu coldly: "Lock them all up, they'll be useful later."
Kakuzu clicked his tongue in annoyance but signaled to the Anbu behind him.
These Anbu promptly fitted the Iwagakure's Ninjas with specialized restraints before hauling them off to prison.
"We also ran into three Konoha's Ninjas earlier, but they got away." After dispelling the Adamantine Sealing Chains, Kanon recounted the earlier battle.
Yosei sighed heavily, his mood complicated as he took in the sight of Sunagakure's Ninjas being captured, Iwagakure's Ninjas being bound, and now hearing that three Konoha's Ninjas had been driven off.
Rustle-
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound in the forest.
Everyone's attention turned toward a lone figure approaching.
Hikari's usually indifferent face softened slightly, and she walked forward with the 'gift' in her hand.
"We're here. Your two comrades should've already been brought in." Menma said, speaking to someone behind him.
Trailing behind Menma was a stunningly beautiful and sexy Kunoichi, her steps unsteady. The Sunagakure's forehead protector hung crookedly on her bloodstained outfit.
The moment Hikari saw this Kunoichi, her pupils constricted, and she nearly crushed the 'gift' in her hand.
"Shura-sama, who is she?" Kanon also looked at this Kunoichi, who was wearing a Sunagakure's forehead protector. She had brown-and-green mixed hair, and a pair of long legs.
"Pakura, Jonin of Sunagakure. Currently, my prisoner." Menma replied before turning to Kakuzu, "Lock her up. No special treatment… just standard procedure."
"Understood." Kakuzu grunted. He had already recognized Pakura.
As a hero of the Sunagakure during the Third Great Ninja War, Kirigakure had placed a hefty bounty on her head in the bounty exchange.
Having just experienced a fierce battle, the somewhat weak Pakura was fitted with shackles by Hoshigakure's Anbu before being hauled off to prison.
Just as Menma was about to enter the village to debrief his subordinates on the number of foreign Ninjas captured, Hikari tugged at his sleeve.
"What's wrong?" Menma turned and saw Hikari slowly raising her right hand.
"I brought you a gift." The girl said softly, unfurling her slender fingers.
Resting in her palm was a bloodied Three-Tomoe Sharingan, staring back at Menma.