Inside the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was staring intently at the scroll in his hands.
Following a rhythmic knock on the door, Nara Shikaku, a man with two distinct scars on his face and wearing a standard Jōnin flak jacket, pushed the door open and entered.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Ah, Shikaku. You've come at the right time. Take a look at this." Sarutobi Hiruzen set the scroll down, a thin trail of blue smoke rising from his pipe.
Shikaku walked to the desk, picked up the scroll, and read it carefully. As his eyes scanned the text, his brow gradually furrowed. Hiruzen added a bit of tobacco to his pipe and continued to puff away in silence.
"Lord Hokage, how can we confirm the authenticity of this request?" Shikaku asked his first question after finishing the document.
The signature at the bottom of the scroll was none other than the leader of the Star Village, the Third Starshadow—Yashiro!
"Furthermore, rumors say the Land of Bears has fallen into civil strife. The Star shinobi reportedly attacked the Daimyo and his court. If this request is true and the village has been seized by a mysterious ninja, are the shinobi who slaughtered the nobles acting under that intruder's orders, or are they the Star's own rebels?"
As the strategist by the Hokage's side, Shikaku possessed not only high intelligence but also formidable tactical judgment. He had long served as the Jōnin Commander and was a frontline strategist during the Third Great Ninja War.
In the Hidden Leaf, Shikaku was a core figure of the high command. He was privy to most of the intelligence gathered by the village. He had naturally heard of the upheaval in the Land of Bears, but because that nation sat on the far western edge of the continent—separated from the Land of Fire by several countries—information traveled slowly. The Leaf's intel was limited. Some of it had even come via spies embedded in the Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand.
Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke and said slowly, "Slaughtering a Daimyo is a high crime of treason. The Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand will surely be questioned by their own Daimyos. They will likely send shinobi to the Land of Bears to gather intel or suppress the rebellion."
"Originally, I didn't want to involve our ninja in an affair so far away, but... our own Daimyo has made inquiries."
Understanding the political pressure, Shikaku nodded. The Leaf, ultimately, was a military organization that answered to the Daimyo.
"Then, who do you intend to lead the investigation?" Shikaku pondered. According to the distress call, whether the Star was controlled by an outsider or undergoing a coup, the enemy's strength wouldn't be low. Sending ordinary Chūnin would likely result in failure.
"That boy, Shisui... it's been a while since he's been on a mission, hasn't it?" Hiruzen's right hand tapped rhythmically on the desk.
"You want Uchiha Shisui to lead?" Shikaku had a deep impression of this unique Uchiha. During the Third Great Ninja War, while Shikaku commanded the front against the Mist, Shisui had carved out a legendary reputation as 'Shisui of the Body Flicker,' earning immense military merit.
However, because he was so young, Shisui hadn't been promoted to Jōnin until after the war ended. Recently, he had been serving in the Leaf Police Force, rarely taking outside missions, mostly mediating conflicts between his clansmen and the villagers.
"Shisui's combat capability is beyond doubt. I suggest adding a sensory type and a taijutsu specialist to the team," Shikaku proposed.
Hiruzen nodded. "Then let Hyūga Tokuma and Shiraumo Hayama accompany him."
Tokuma and Hayama had both performed excellently in the last war. The fifteen-year-old Tokuma was already a Special Jōnin, and while Hayama was technically a Chūnin, his mastery of taijutsu was such that he was only a step away from a promotion.
"Understood. I shall summon the three of them immediately," Shikaku agreed.
The composition was solid: Shisui was the powerhouse, Tokuma provided the Byakugan's peerless reconnaissance, and Hayama was calm, meticulous, and an experienced veteran of multiple campaigns. Most importantly, Shisui lacked the typical Uchiha arrogance; as a captain, he would be willing to listen to and analyze the advice of an experienced peer like Hayama.
Soon, the three arrived at the office. They received the S-rank mission directly from Hiruzen's hand. After a brief preparation, they departed.
Two days later.
In the forests west of the Land of Birds, three figures blurred through the canopy at high speeds.
"This S-rank mission... I suppose I'm riding on your coattails," Shiraumo Hayama joked. He carried a long sword on his back, a distinct scar marking his upper lip. S-rank mission rewards started at a million ryō and were usually reserved for Jōnin—especially for a mission involving the reconnaissance of an entire hidden village.
"You're too modest, Senior. Your Vacuum Sword earned praise even from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. I'm sure you'll be promoted after we return," Uchiha Shisui replied with a sincere smile. The three had fought together during the war, and their specialized abilities made for quick chemistry.
Shisui looked at his teammates. "I've heard the Star Village possesses a meteorite—a treasure coveted by many nations?"
"Haha, that thing." Hyūga Tokuma laughed. He was two years older than the others.
Shisui looked at him curiously.
"They call it a treasure, but I've never seen the Star Village produce a truly powerful shinobi," Tokuma explained. "They might call their leader a 'Kage,' but that's just self-styled. In terms of both combat power and overall influence, they are a minor village through and through."
"The Hidden Waterfall was at least gifted a Tailed Beast by the First Hokage. The Hidden Rain produced Hanzo of the Salamander. But the Star... honestly, I've heard very little of note."
Hayama listened to the description and added his own question: "If the 'Star' is so useless, why would a mysterious ninja attack them?"
"Well, we'll find out once we investigate," Tokuma said. As they crossed the border into the Land of Bears, his veins bulged around his eyes. "Byakugan!"
Their mission was to investigate the situation in the Land of Bears and the Star rebellion. If a mysterious ninja truly controlled the village, they were authorized to engage and help the Starshadow regain control—provided they had the strength to do so.
If they could complete the mission before the Stone or Sand arrived, the Star Village would become a vital ally for the Leaf in the western continent, helping to tie down the forces of the other two Great Nations.