The forest fell silent as Shibi Aburame swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the bow and arrow in Seiran's grip.
"That was ruthless," Shibi muttered, shaking his head with genuine awe.
A kilometer back, three arrows had done their work—several shinobi lay motionless in their wake. The second shot had been particularly devastating, punching clean through three Sunagakure fighters in a single line. Even Shibi had to respect the execution.
Seiran's face had gone pale, his breathing labored. He withdrew the metal bow into a storage scroll with a flick of chakra and wiped his brow.
"We need to move. My chakra's nearly gone."
"Right. Let's go."
Shibi worked quickly to erase any sign of their presence, then both men disappeared into the trees.
---
The inn's proprietress was pacing again when she spotted them approaching. Her face lit up immediately.
"Well? How did it go?"
"It's done," Seiran said simply.
Done?
The woman's eyes widened. What did that mean? Was the mission actually complete? Did they recover the Iwa supplies? Her mind spun with questions.
"The situation is resolved, Hongge. When I report to the Hokage, I'll make sure your contributions are noted," Shibi said, his mood visibly lighter now that the job was finished. He gave the proprietress a polite nod.
"Wait—resolved? Already?"
The woman's jaw went slack. But what about Sunagakure's involvement? How was this possible? Neither of them had a speck of dirt on their clothes. It didn't look like they'd fought at all. Had they just shown up and... that was it?
Shibi caught her confusion and smiled knowingly. "This mission succeeded because of Seiran. Honestly, without him, it would've been far more complicated. But the details are classified—you understand."
"Seiran?"
The proprietress stared at the young ninja in bewilderment. He barely looked old enough to be a genin. How could someone so young have made such a difference?
After exchanging farewells, the two set out for Konoha.
On the road, Shibi spoke in a quieter tone. "Because this involves two major villages, once we report to the Hokage, this mission will be upgraded to S-rank."
Seiran's head snapped up. "S-rank?"
"That's right. The base reward alone is at least one million ryo." Shibi paused, letting that sink in. "After we return, I'm going to speak with the Hokage about granting you access to the Scroll of Seals. You'll be able to choose one forbidden technique. Think about what you want."
Seiran's lips curved into a slight smile. The Scroll of Seals. The legendary repository of the village's most dangerous jutsu. There was one technique in particular he'd had his eye on for a long time.
---
Several days of hard travel brought them back to the village gates. Without hesitation, Shibi escorted Seiran directly to the Hokage's Office to make their report.
As Shibi laid out the details, the Third Hokage's eyes gradually brightened. "Good. Good. Good."
The implications were significant. If Shibi's account was accurate, this mission had created a serious rift between Iwagakure and Sunagakure. Seven elite shinobi eliminated, over one hundred million ryo in supplies destroyed—and with Ōnoki's stubborn pride, retaliation was inevitable. That meant Konoha would have breathing room. Even if the shinobi world descended into chaos, Sand and Stone would be too busy tearing each other apart to threaten the Leaf Village.
Hiruzen stroked his beard, regarding Seiran with newfound appreciation. The boy had transformed a complex, dangerous situation into the most favorable outcome for Konoha. Remarkable.
Seiran smiled wryly, saying nothing. His real calculation was simpler than Sarutobi realized. He knew from history that Sunagakure's first assault on Konoha would trigger the Third Shinobi World War. By ensuring the Sand shinobi survived to report back, he'd widened the gap between the two warring villages—buying precious time before that conflict erupted. Time was what he needed most.
"I understand the mission," Sarutobi said at length. "This is being upgraded to S-rank. Additionally..." He paused, looking directly at Seiran. "Because of your outstanding performance, you're being granted the right to select one technique from the Scroll of Seals. Use this wisely."
This was it. Seiran felt his pulse quicken.
The Third Hokage opened a drawer and produced a scroll—the catalog. "Choose whatever calls to you. I'll take you to the vault afterward."
Seiran's eyes moved rapidly across the list. When he found what he was looking for, he pointed without hesitation.
"This one."
Sarutobi's brow furrowed. "This? Are you certain?" This opportunity didn't come around often. Wasting it would be a serious mistake.
Shibi leaned forward anxiously. "Seiran, that technique has steep requirements. Are you absolutely sure? There are far more powerful options."
Seiran met the Third Hokage's gaze steadily. "I've made my choice, Lord Third."
Sarutobi sighed deeply. "Very well. But hear me—mastering this requires enormous chakra reserves. Don't attempt to use it until you've achieved full competency. Forcing it could cost you your life."
"I understand, Lord Third."
What Seiran had selected from the Scroll of Seals' catalog was a technique that would one day become legendary—the signature move of a certain prankster ninja.
The Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
---
Leaving the Hokage's Office moments later, they ran into Rin and Anko, who'd been waiting for their return.
"Finally!" Rin stretched with exaggerated relief. "I was starting to think you two got lost. I've been standing here so long I'm going stiff."
Seiran grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "There were some complications. The mission got bumped up to S-rank, which delayed everything. But once I get the reward sorted, I'm taking everyone out to dinner."
"S-rank?" Rin's mouth fell open. "You completed an S-rank mission?"
"More than that," Shibi added, his tone measured. "Seiran was instrumental. He made the difference."
Rin stared at him in shock. Even she knew that at their current level, there was no way she could contribute meaningfully to an S-rank operation. The gap was simply too wide.
Anko's eyes widened with concern. "If it was that dangerous... please tell me nobody got hurt?"
Shibi shook his head slightly, though something in his expression suggested puzzlement—perhaps even mild exasperation. He still couldn't fathom why Seiran would waste such a rare opportunity on the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. Among the forbidden techniques in the Scroll, it wasn't particularly powerful, and the chakra requirements were notoriously harsh.
But Seiran wasn't interested in debating the choice. The moment he excused himself from the group, he was already moving toward the forest where he trained. There was an experiment he needed to run, and he couldn't afford to waste another second.
His true plan was just beginning.