Mitsuro had just realized Shiro was gone. It hit him like a ton of bricks—a blow that felt impossible to take in.
For a few seconds, his mind just froze. How could a three-year-old just disappear right under my nose?! I'm a special Jonin! Even with my Sharingan off, there's no way an untrained kid could sneak past me.
His confidence completely crumbled. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it would tear through his chest. His eyes darted wildly around the shelter, but the shadows gave nothing back but silence.
Shiro… right in front of me… how did he vanish?!
Obito's face flashed into his mind like a spark:
"Is that psycho's doing? Only that lunatic could pull a stunt like this! Damn him… I should've slit his throat before he left the village. What kind of justice is this? Why do I have to fight for my life after all this training, while that bastard just messes around with his power?!"
The kids sensed his sudden shift; their eyes glimmered with fear. Mitsuro took a deep breath, trying to get himself under control:
"No… it can't be Obito. He hasn't started yet. And even if he had, he'd come for me first, not a three-year-old."
To reassure himself, he raised his voice and asked,
"Did anyone see Shiro come in? Maybe he's still waiting up there!"
The children exchanged hesitant glances. Yuko slowly raised a trembling hand:
"I… I saw him. He came in after you. He was right in front of me when we came down the stairs."
Mitsuro froze. His chest tightened even more. So he was right there! Damn it… how did I not see him disappear?!
The air in the shelter grew heavier. The drip of water from the damp rocks felt like tiny hammers on his temples. The smell of fish hung thick, and the flickering shadows on the walls seemed to shape Shiro's missing face.
He knew time was short. The Uchiha massacre was coming soon… a moment in history that felt unchangeable. He tried to tell himself: If I want to save the others, I have to seal the door. Shiro… I have to leave him.
But he couldn't do it. Shiro's innocent face stabbed into his mind like a dagger.
"No… that child doesn't deserve to be Itachi's victim."
Mitsuro gritted his teeth. Fear coiled around him like a snake, whispering in his ear: One choice, one mistake… and everything changes.
He went over everything in his mind again. Less than an hour left to seal the cave entrance with the Uzumaki talisman. To pull off such a tricky jutsu, he absolutely needed his three-tomoe Sharingan. A two-tomoe Sharingan couldn't copy or perform something that complicated. Even now, with his three-tomoe, he still didn't quite get all the finer points of the technique.
His plan was simple, but it was fragile: before sealing the hideout, he'd send a Kage-bunshin to the dorm to summon the fake corpses and set off the explosive tags. But with Shiro gone, everything was messed up. Even if he just left him, there'd be one extra body. The ANBU might not care, but Obito and Root? No way they'd let that contradiction slide.
Mitsuro closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and after a few moments, he made up his mind. He had no other choice.
He turned to the kids:
"I've gotta go out for a bit. None of you are allowed to leave here or follow me. I'll bring Shiro back, on time… no arguing. Got it?"
No one answered. Their eyes were wide with fear.
The lamp's flickering yellow light made their shadows dance on the stone walls. Mitsuro forced a smile, trying to make his voice and look calm:
"Listen, everything you need is here—water, food. I hooked up the other side of the bathroom to the river, so don't worry about running out of water. Just don't use too much. And don't start any fires—the air in here isn't great."
He pointed to a stone ledge where a scroll was placed:
"I put a heating jutsu on that ledge. Hikari knows the basics of chakra control, so she can boil water with it. If you're craving noodles, you can ask her to make some."
The kids' eyes brightened a little, but fear still lingered. He went on:
"If I'm late, don't just sit around. Keep training."
He leaned toward Hikari:
"Hikari, I left some chakra scrolls by the bathroom. Learn them well first, then let Daiki practice too. For Hiroshi, Tenma, and Yuko, it's still too early… they need to get their bodies stronger first. Once they can do three hundred sit-ups and push-ups in one go, then you can explain it to them. Understand?"
Hikari swallowed hard, trying to hold back tears:
"Sensei… didn't you say you'd be back soon? Then why are you talking like this?"
Mitsuro knelt in front of her, ran a hand through her hair, forcing a smile:
"Yeah, I'll be back soon. But who knows… Shiro's probably just sulking. The brat's thrown a fit and wandered off. If I get into trouble looking for him, the adults will scold me. And if you came with me, we'd all get caught."
Daiki, with tears streaming down his face, said in a shaky voice:
"Then let's all go back together! We can just run away some other time… why do we have to keep going like this?"
"No! We can't! Kids, you're not going back!" Mitsuro said firmly.
Hiroshi couldn't hold back anymore and snapped, anger flashing in his eyes:
"Why, Sensei? I don't get what you're doing! This isn't you! You've never been like this! This whole escape game isn't fun anymore! And now that Shiro's gone, why are you still pushing this escape? Did someone in the village hurt you? Tell us! I promise we'll set so many traps for them, we'll make them regret ever laying a hand on you!"
Mitsuro took a deep breath, realizing he had to tell them part of the truth:
"Kids… I didn't want to scare you! But our clan has been attacked! All of this… all the games and nonsense today… it's because of that. I brought you to the shelter because out there, our clan's ninja are fighting to protect civilians like you! I don't want to frighten you, but… it's possible no one will make it out alive."
The shock in the children's eyes deepened into pure fear. They couldn't fully grasp everything their teacher said, but they understood one thing: Sensei had been protecting them all along. Hikari grabbed Mitsuro's pants, pleading:
"Sensei… if that's true… can't you stay? It's not safe out there for you either…"
Mitsuro forced a firm, slightly teasing smile:
"Hikari-chan… I'm a ninja, remember? A ninja who doesn't fight is just a coward. Do you really want your teacher to be a coward? And… would your heart be okay leaving Shiro alone out there?"
Hikari swallowed hard and let go of his pants:
"No…"
Mitsuro gave a reassuring smile and raised his thumb:
"Good. Now, remember what I told you. Don't worry about me either. Remember… your teacher is an extraordinary ninja. An unbeatable ninja! Trust me!"
With that, he quickly moved out of the shelter, dropped his backpack to the ground, and pulled out a scroll sealed with a special mark. He put it on the lower door of the shelter, activated his Sharingan, bit his thumb, and focused completely as he pressed the seal onto the scroll. He slammed his hand down… and the cave's entrance began to vanish into the stone itself.
The illusion and sealing mark would last for about six months, keeping the kids safe. The three-tomoe Sharingan, even with the Fuinjutsu scroll being super complicated, helped him activate the extremely intricate seal.
Mitsuro straightened up, heading for the cave exit. He moved fast toward the dormitory; time was short, and he needed to either find Shiro quickly or change his plan a bit. One thing was certain—what lay ahead wasn't going to be easy.
Less than half an hour remained until the Uchiha massacre…