The forest canopy blurred beneath their feet as four shinobi moved in practiced synchronization, leaping from branch to branch with the fluid grace of hunters. Shibi Aburame led the team, his deep voice cutting through the whisper of wind.
"Multiple caravans hit in the southern territories. Our target is a bandit cell operating in the region." He didn't slow his pace. "Intelligence suggests Chunin-level fighters, possibly more. Don't underestimate them."
Seiran listened while scanning the treeline ahead, his Byakugan passive but ready. The mission briefing continued as they moved.
"Four possible stronghold locations. We'll need to split up to cover them all efficiently."
"Understood," Seiran replied.
Hyuga Seiran couldn't shake the feeling this was another off-the-books assignment—the Third Hokage quietly routing ANBU work to capable teams. Not that he minded. A-rank missions meant decent compensation, and bandits rarely posed real problems for experienced shinobi. The payout alone made it worthwhile, though he'd never admit how much that mattered to him.
Two days of hard travel brought them to the operational zone. The air shifted almost immediately—humidity spiking as the terrain opened. Beyond the gray wall of forest, blue water glimmered in the distance. Seiran could hear it now: the distant, rhythmic crash of waves.
He'd never lived near the sea before. Something about it stirred an unexpected melancholy in his chest.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Shibi had noticed his gaze. The older shinobi looked out toward the horizon and sighed. "Cross-sea trade. The craftsmen kingdoms send tools; the coastal nations send their goods. That's why these roads see so many caravans."
"Clear these bandits, and merchants can travel safely again." Shibi's smile turned sly. "Pursuing world peace, are we? The top new genius of the village, champion of the Will of Fire."
Seiran groaned. "Don't tease me, Shibi."
"He's earned the title," Rin Uchiha interjected. Her eyes held a sharp edge—envy, maybe, or genuine respect. "I've fought Kakashi. What you did to him was... impressive."
Anko stood apart from the conversation, her head bowed, staring at nothing. She hadn't spoken in hours.
"Let's move," Shibi commanded, all business now. "Four locations. The enemy strength isn't exceptional, so pairs will be more efficient. I'll take Rin. Seiran, you're with Anko. Any objections?"
"None," Seiran said. He could handle bandits solo if it came to that anyway.
The teams split.
---
The cave entrance was almost invisible beneath the tangle of roots and vegetation. Seiran activated his Byakugan, and the stone interior bloomed into sharp relief—far larger than the exterior suggested. Nine shinobi moved with deliberate patterns. Three Chunin, two genin, four below even that threshold.
"Anko, nine total. I'll take the Chunin and genin—you handle the rest."
Silence.
Seiran turned. Anko's eyes were vacant, fixed on something he couldn't see. Her shoulders slumped.
"Anko?"
She jerked upright. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Got it."
Her voice was hollow.
"Actually, forget it. Stay here and rest. I've got this."
He pulled a scroll from his pouch. White mist dispersed, revealing a slender blade—Fangs, the ninja sword. Against a crowd like this, precision was better than power.
"Wait here."
Seiran sprinted toward the cave mouth.
---
The fight was brief.
"Enemy!"
"It's just a kid—"
The bandit's words died as Seiran's blade cut through his throat. Blood sprayed across the cave wall.
"Unnecessary monologues," Seiran muttered, pressing forward.
More bandits rushed him. Kunai and shuriken erupted in a dense spray. They curved away before reaching him—his magnetic field dispersing them like wind against an invisible barrier.
A desperate bandit tore open an explosive scroll. White mist billowed. Metal implements rocketed toward Seiran, tags igniting.
His eyes narrowed.
Seiran planted one leg, his body blurring into motion. The air itself seemed to split.
Revolving Heaven: Yin.
A hemisphere of brilliant blue light materialized around him, rotating at impossible speed. Every projectile that struck it reversed direction instantly, hurled back at lethal velocity.
The explosion was catastrophic.
When the smoke cleared, nothing moved. The bandits lay scattered across the cave floor, most barely recognizable.
Seiran sighed. "I was trying to leave intact bodies."
He'd developed this technique himself—Rotation enhanced by his electromagnetic manipulation, creating a repulsive field that bounced everything away. Its counterpart, Revolving Heaven: Yang, worked opposite: attraction instead of repulsion.
Death had stopped haunting his sleep long ago. This was simply the shinobi way.
After collecting the mission proof and securing it in his scroll, Seiran made his way back. Anko hadn't moved. She still stood in the same position, her posture a study in deflation.
"What's wrong with you?" The question came out sharper than he intended. "Seriously, Anko. What's going on?"