Time passed quietly.
The years stopped for no one. The seasons turned one after another—leaves withered and returned, snow melted into spring, and spring once again gave way to the heat of summer.
In the blink of an eye, two full years had passed.
During those two years, the shinobi world appeared calm on the surface.
The Five Great Nations maintained a fragile peace. The hidden villages continued recovering, rebuilding, and strengthening themselves, and countless people lived their lives believing that this stability would last for many years to come.
But beneath that calm surface, the undercurrents had already begun to shift.
The shadows lurking across the shinobi world had never truly vanished.
They had only been waiting.
Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha, Tsunade let out a long sigh as she tossed yet another stack of reports aside.
Then she glanced toward the other person in the room and raised a brow, fatigue written plainly across her face.
"Shiki… is something bothering you?"
Even a normal transfer of responsibilities would have taken several days to sort out properly.
And even though she had already spent two years in the Hokage's seat, with Shikaku and the others helping her manage the village, the mountain of paperwork still left her drained.
Shiki, who had been lost in thought the entire time, did not answer right away.
Instead, he rose from his seat and walked toward the window, his gaze falling over the village below.
Although two years had passed, Konoha itself had not changed all that much.
The thing weighing on Shiki's mind was something else entirely.
In those two years, the two rats—Black Zetsu and Obito Uchiha—had slipped through his grasp again and again, despite all his preparations.
Two years ago, he had intended to strike at the exact moment Obito moved to drag Nagato into darkness by manipulating Hanzo into killing Yahiko.
Danzō had already been dead by then, but with Obito pushing events from the shadows, Hanzo had still made his move against Yahiko, and Nagato had ended up walking the path Obito wanted for him.
The moment Shiki realized what was happening, he had immediately flown to the Land of Rain. His intention had been simple—capture Nagato and take the Rinnegan.
He knew better than anyone how important those eyes were to Obito.
But things had not gone the way he expected.
It was as though the moment he left the village, his movements had already been exposed.
By the time he arrived in the Land of Rain, Nagato and Konan were already gone without a trace.
Annoyed, Shiki had remained in the Land of Rain for an entire month, waiting for even the slightest sign of them.
They never showed themselves.
That was when he fully realized just how troublesome the White Zetsu were.
They could share information with each other, and with their overwhelming numbers and terrifying ability to hide, the instant he made a move was enough for them to relay that information back to Obito. Once that happened, slipping into Kamui's dimension to avoid him was easy.
Only then did Shiki truly understand the value of space-time ninjutsu.
Unfortunately, none of the powers he possessed at the moment gave him anything of the sort.
In the end, he had lost interest in continuing that pointless game of cat and mouse and left the Land of Rain.
Since then, he had made no move against them.
Of course, it was not because he had given up.
It was because he wanted them to lower their guard.
And now, the time had finally come to try a different approach.
"It's nothing serious," Shiki said at last, turning back toward Tsunade. "I'm planning to head to the Land of Water."
He paused briefly before adding in the same calm tone,
"So give me a mission there."
Tsunade's mouth twitched.
A mission.
She really did not like hearing that word come out of Shiki's mouth anymore.
The last "escort mission" had somehow turned into him purging the daimyō of the Land of Fire.
And now he wanted another one?
It was not that Tsunade regretted what he had done back then. If the same thing happened again, she would still stand on his side without hesitation.
That was not the issue.
The issue was that this guy always acted first, solved everything with one swing of his sword, then dusted off his hands and walked away while leaving the aftermath for her to deal with.
That was the part she could never accept.
Normally, she would not have minded letting Shiki do whatever he pleased.
But that was only when she was not the one trapped in the office afterwards, buried alive under mountains of paperwork because of it.
And now he wanted to go to the Land of Water?
The same Land of Water that had fought Konoha during the Third Great Ninja War?
The same place whose Mizukage had already lost an arm to Shiki?
Tsunade could practically see it already—
A few days from now, a report landing on her desk saying that the Fourth Mizukage had been killed by Shiki for some absurd reason, Kirigakure had gone into an uproar, and an entire army was preparing to march on Konoha in retaliation.
And then, just like always, Shiki would casually solve the disaster he created while she was left drowning in paperwork afterward.
Shiki, of course, had no idea Tsunade had already branded him a walking catastrophe.
He simply stood there, looking at her.
Under his gaze, Tsunade gave a small cough, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed by where her thoughts had gone.
Still...
"Why the Land of Water all of a sudden?" Tsunade asked, narrowing her eyes at him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
As she folded her arms beneath her chest, her expression turned more serious.
"The Land of Water has nothing to do with you."
"To hunt someone down," Shiki replied without hesitation.
"Based on my guess, he should be in the Land of Water right now."
He paused, then added,
"Possibly even in Kirigakure."
There was no hesitation in Shiki's decision.
He was going to make one more attempt to get rid of that brat.
But Obito's whereabouts had always been difficult to pin down.
Amegakure and the Akatsuki were only a front—an organization Nagato had built up on the surface.
As long as Obito had any sense at all, his connection to Amegakure would have been kept strictly one-sided.
Other than Obito himself, the only one who likely knew his true location was Zetsu.
Unfortunately, Zetsu was little more than a weapon. His movements were incredibly difficult to trace, and betrayal was never going to be an option.
Still, Shiki was not without clues.
The key was the Fourth Mizukage.
Perhaps no other Kage in history had been as tragic as Yagura.
He had been controlled from the shadows—first by Uchiha Madara, and now, clearly, by Obito.
Which meant one thing.
There was a very high chance Obito was in the Land of Water.
After all, controlling a Kage was never something that could be left unattended forever.
Even if the method used was a powerful dōjutsu or some other control technique, there was no guarantee it would remain unbroken indefinitely. For someone at the level of a Kage, the risk was simply too great.
It would only make sense for Obito to stay close enough to monitor the Mizukage personally.
And that was not all.
Creating White Zetsu also required resources.
Amegakure had some strength, and the Akatsuki had already started building a foundation, but at this stage they were still far from powerful enough to support everything Obito needed on their own. Their organization had not yet grown large enough for that.
Kirigakure, on the other hand, was one of the Five Great Nations.
If Obito wanted manpower, materials, and a hidden base of operations, there was no better place to exploit.
Which meant the answer was obvious.
Obito was most likely in Kirigakure.
Faced with Shiki's words, Tsunade didn't ask something unnecessary like, "How do you know the person you're looking for is in the Land of Water?"
At this point, she had long since learned not to question his instincts like that.
All she could do was sigh.
"…Fine. I agree," Tsunade said at last, letting out a bitter laugh before speaking helplessly. "But I'm not comfortable with you going to the Land of Water alone."
She paused, then added while trying to sound casual,
"How about this… I'll assign someone reliable to go with you. At least they can keep an eye on you so you don't cause any mess—"
She suddenly stopped, realizing what she had just said.
"—I mean, so you're not alone on the journey. Haha…"
A bead of sweat slid down her temple.
"Fine." Shiki nodded calmly.
He could naturally tell what Tsunade was really thinking, but he didn't bother pointing it out.
At Shiki's residence.
"To summarize, I need to take one person with me to the Land of Water."
Shiki stood at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping across the girls seated below.
"If you want to go, raise your hand."
The moment his words fell—
Six hands shot up at once.
Yugito, Kurenai, Tsunade, Kushina, Rin…
…and even Shizune timidly raised her hand at the end.
In the next instant, pairs of beautiful eyes met each other—
And sparks seemed to fly between them.
I don't want to be separated from Shiki.
That thought was shared almost perfectly by the first three.
Kushina, on the other hand, was simply itching for another adventure after being cooped up for so long.
As for Rin…
She was the one change Shiki had never expected in these past two years.
Ever since that day—when he had stopped her from taking her own life and the awkward aftermath that followed…
She had slowly become a completely different person.
Back then, Rin would avoid him whenever she saw him.
But thanks to the actions of a certain red-haired woman—
Shiki narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Kushina.
For some reason, Kushina had taken it upon herself to break that awkwardness. She would constantly find excuses to bring Rin over to his place…
…and naturally, she would come along herself.
"Too bad," Shiki said, spreading his hands slightly, clearly amused. "I can only take one person this time."
"And Tsunade…" he added, glancing at her, "as the Hokage, you're not going anywhere. Don't even think about it."
"Tch."
Tsunade clicked her tongue and turned her head away with a huff.
Even though she had already expected that outcome, she still held onto a sliver of hope.
Maybe—just maybe—luck would be on her side this time and she could escape this office for once.
In the end, though, she just wanted to run away from her responsibilities.
But the situation didn't allow for that.
Shiki's true target this time was the Mizukage of Kirigakure—the person most closely connected to Obito.
If things escalated, he might even end up facing the entire village.
Taking care of one person was manageable.
But protecting a group while being surrounded by an entire hidden village?
That would only give someone like Obito—who now possessed both Kamui abilities—an opening to strike.
It was far safer to leave everyone else behind in Konoha.
Although Shiki said he was going to the Land of Water to find Obito…
In reality, his plan was much simpler.
He intended to capture the Mizukage and force Obito to reveal himself.
Which meant Tsunade's concerns were completely justified.
Because Shiki would, without a doubt, provoke Kirigakure.
Everything Tsunade feared… would very likely happen.
"Then Yugito can't go either," Tsunade suddenly said, her tone sharp as she pointed at her. "She stays."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Yugito shot back immediately, clearly dissatisfied. "Why can't I go?"
Even after all this time, the two of them still couldn't get along.
"Yugito, Tsunade's right," Shiki said as he sat beside her, gently rubbing her golden-blonde hair. "You're staying behind this time too. Protect everyone here for me, got it?"
Almost instantly, Yugito's expression softened, her earlier defiance melting away as she nodded obediently.
Shiki is relying on me… he needs me…
A trace of pride flickered across her face, completely oblivious to the strange looks the others were giving her.
"Leave it to me," she said confidently, patting her chest. "I'll definitely protect everyone!"
The motion caused a noticeable sway, but she remained completely serious.
…What an easy cat.
The others all had the exact same thought at the same time.
And just like that, Yugito was out of the running.
Shizune, of course, quietly lowered her hand as well and withdrew alongside Tsunade.
As for the remaining three...
Kurenai Yūhi's eyes lit up at once.
"Shiki-nii, you know me," she said with a soft smile, her voice carrying its usual gentle charm. "I'm the most reliable one here, and I'm careful too. Wouldn't I be the best choice?"
Rin Nohara's eyes flickered slightly before she spoke up as well.
"Shiki-sama, you know me too. Under Sensei's training, I'm the best at evasion, and I won't slow you down. Why not take me?"
Shiki raised a brow at her.
Rin really had changed a lot over the past two years. Back then, she would never have volunteered for something like this.
Now she was actually trying to go out with him on her own initiative.
Even though Shiki still did not know what she was thinking, he chose not to say anything for the time being.
Kushina's eyes shone brightly as she leaned forward.
"Shiki, you know me. Now that I can use the Nine-Tails' power much more skillfully, I'm definitely the strongest fighter here besides Tsunade-sama. So obviously, you should take me."
The three spoke almost at the same time.
Then, in the very next moment, they all turned and looked at each other, their gazes full of completely different intentions.
Shiki stroked his chin thoughtfully.
His eyes moved over the three of them one by one, and under that calm inspection, they all straightened up unconsciously.
As for who to choose...
"How about this?" Shiki said casually, pointing at the still steaming food on the table. "You three compete and see who can eat the fastest. I'll take whoever finishes first."
"Deal!" the three girls answered in unison.
And then—
They immediately turned toward the table and started devouring the food.
Swish, swish, swish!
The chopsticks in their hands moved so quickly they were almost a blur.
Picking up food, shoveling down rice, swallowing—
Everything flowed in one smooth motion!
For a moment, the atmosphere at the table turned strangely intense.
It was just a meal, but the three of them attacked it like it was a battlefield.
"Oh no—!"
Rin's expression changed at once.
She was clearly at a disadvantage!
Out of the three, Kurenai had recently started feeling like she had put on a little weight.
Of course, Shiki felt that she had simply grown more in the places that mattered most, but Kurenai herself had still decided to start dieting, so she had served herself the smallest portion of rice.
Kushina, on the other hand, had a full bowl—
But she was a true foodie.
She opened her mouth wide and ate with shocking speed, completely throwing away any trace of ladylike grace. Her pace was absurdly fast!
Compared to those two, Rin's disadvantage was just too obvious.
She still had half a bowl of rice left, while Kushina and Kurenai's bowls were already nearly empty.
"No... this won't work...!"
Rin's eyes darted around.
"I need to think of something..."
Meanwhile, on the other side, Kurenai and Kushina were still focused entirely on stuffing their mouths.
For the sake of going on an adventure—
—or rather, what each of them privately wanted to turn into something more like a trip alone with Shiki—
they were giving it absolutely everything they had.
Only...
All of a sudden, a small bowl appeared beside them.
Then, with one swift movement of her chopsticks, more than half a bowl of rice from it was dropped into each of their bowls.
The two girls froze.
Then they slowly looked up at the culprit.
Rin Nohara smiled gently at them.
"You two should eat a little more," she said softly, her eyes practically saying, See? I'm thinking about you.
Kurenai and Kushina: "..."
...
In the end, the one Shiki brought with him was Rin Nohara.
Although Kurenai and Kushina kept shouting, "She cheated!" and felt completely indignant inside, Shiki still ignored their protests.
In his eyes, Rin was the most suitable choice.
Because of Obito Uchiha, it would actually be more dangerous to leave Rin behind in the village with Tsunade.
So between the three of them, taking Rin along was the safest option.
"Shiki, wait—!"
Yugito, who had disappeared at some point, suddenly came running back.
A few strands of hair clung to her forehead, making her look unexpectedly adorable.
"I already prepared food for your trip," Yugito said with a bright smile. "Some of it is cooked food that'll keep for a long time, and I also packed something like that hot pot from before. You just need to put it in a pot and add water. You won't go hungry."
"Thanks, Yugito."
Shiki smiled, took the food from her, and casually patted her head before turning to leave.
Behind him, Yugito beamed with satisfaction.
Then she shot Kushina and Kurenai a proud look before walking off, happily fluffing her hair.
"..."
"Damn it... that bastard Shiki never planned to take me in the first place," Kushina muttered, growing even more annoyed as she stomped her foot and sulked off.
Kurenai only shook her head gently before leaving as well.
After all, Shiki-nii had already secretly promised that he would take her out with him another time after he came back.
So she was not that upset.
On the way out of the village, Rin finally asked curiously,
"Shiki-sama, what exactly is our mission this time?"
"S-rank mission," Shiki replied without even changing expression. "Maintain a steady state of mind, keep an open mood, and tour the Land of Water on the premise that we avoid unnecessary conflict."
He said it as if it were perfectly natural, clearly making it up on the spot without revealing anything real.
"Well. That's about it."
Rin: "..."
There was an S-rank mission like that?
That was really...
Shiki, meanwhile, simply looked ahead.
The Land of Water was overseas, so if they wanted to get there, they first needed to take a ship.
The two of them traveled all the way to the coastline at the border of the Land of Fire, found a large vessel, and booked a VIP room.
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