Storm Division fully formed, but Daisuke (spy) lurking.
First major mission of the expanded team.
Shinkuro sets his final plan in motion.
Seeds of betrayal and emotional tension planted.
Because 15,000 words is a massive chapter, I'll deliver it in 3 parts (so your app doesn't cut it off). After all parts, it will still read like one seamless chapter.
Chapter 1 – Shadows Within (Part 1 of 3)
The wind carried the smell of rain as Storm Division gathered at the edge of the training field.
For the first time, the team stood at its full strength—ten masked operatives arranged in a tight circle, waiting for my word.
Hana stood slightly to my left, her hand brushing against mine just briefly—enough for me to know she was still grounded despite the rising tension. Kai, ever the optimist, grinned under his mask as he checked his gear, while Sera adjusted her sensor tools with quiet efficiency.
Behind them were the five new recruits, their masks freshly painted:
Renji, the genjutsu specialist; Kaoru, the taijutsu powerhouse; Jin, the medic-nin hybrid; Lira, the elite sensor type; and Daisuke, the silent swordsman.
Something about Daisuke still nagged at me. It wasn't obvious—his movements were precise, his form perfect, his answers in debriefings short and professional.
Yet there was a pause in his chakra signature every time he spoke, like a gap too deliberate to be natural.
"Storm Division," I said, voice sharp, "today we move to intercept a rogue supply line carrying forbidden materials to Shinkuro's faction. Our goal is simple: take it down, secure prisoners, and get intel. We move in five."
A chorus of "Hai!" responded, firm and unified. But one voice—Daisuke's—felt hollow, as if already somewhere else.
The March
We moved through the dense forest, Hana running point while Sera kept our perimeter tight with her advanced sensory technique. Lira synced with her, creating overlapping detection layers.
"No movement yet," Lira reported quietly, voice calm.
"Expect resistance," I replied. "Shinkuro doesn't move supplies unprotected."
Kai gave a low whistle. "Feels like déjà vu. Remember the Kaien ambush?"
"That one almost killed us," Hana muttered. "Let's not repeat it."
From behind, Daisuke's voice came softly: "I can take vanguard next time if needed."
"You'll get your chance," I said evenly, though something in his tone twisted my gut.
First Contact
Sera's hand shot up—halt signal.
"Three chakra signatures ahead. Medium range, moving fast."
"Hostile?" I asked.
"Unsure, but high focus," she replied.
"Kai, Renji, flank left. Daisuke, Kaoru, with me on the right. Hana, hold center."
We split, storming forward—and almost immediately, kunai rained from the trees.
The attackers weren't random thugs; they moved like trained operatives—fast, coordinated, lethal.
"Shinkuro's scouts," Hana said through comms.
"Take them alive!" I ordered.
Daisuke's movements were perfect—too perfect. His blade severed one opponent's weapon hand, but the cut pattern… was designed to kill, not disable.
"I said alive!" I barked, spinning to intercept a second attacker.
"They resisted," Daisuke replied coolly, almost bored. Something in that coldness burned in my chest.
The Interrogation
After subduing two survivors, we bound them with chakra-resistant wire. Hana began healing minor injuries on Kaoru while Renji applied a genjutsu suppression seal to prevent enemy suicide techniques.
I knelt before the prisoners.
"Who sent you? Where was the cargo heading?" I asked.
One of them, shaking, spat blood. "You're already too late. Revenant has begun."
The words made my stomach drop. Revenant—Shinkuro's ultimate forbidden project.
"Arashi," Hana whispered, "this… sounds bad."
"Yeah," I muttered, "it's worse than