The journey from the Land of Fire to the Land of Craftsmen spanned more than ten days. Due to the need to accommodate the slower pace of the two enchanters and porters, Uchiha Itachi and his team had been making steady but slow progress. Nearly five days had passed, and they had only covered about one-third of the distance.
By afternoon, the sky had turned gray, with dark clouds obscuring the sun. A cold winter wind howled through the forest, making Tenma and Xinzi shiver. Tenma sniffled as his nose began to run.
"Sniff..."
"Damn this weather! It's freezing!"
"I didn't expect it to get colder the further we traveled. Even these cold-resistant clothes aren't helping!"
Walking in the middle of the team, Tenma grumbled in frustration. The past few days had been sunny, with warm afternoon sunlight. But today, the weather had suddenly shifted, and the temperature had plummeted.
"Hang in there. We'll reach the border in a few days. We can rest at the border troops' station before continuing."
"For now, let's just hope the coastline hasn't frozen over," Kosuke Maruhoshi added from the rear.
"Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"
"This is so annoying!"
Tenma sneezed and groaned. However, in the next moment, something warm splattered onto his face. Almost instantly, the sharp scent of rust filled his nostrils.
Startled, he instinctively touched his cheek and looked at his palm.
It was covered in bright red blood.
"Blood?!"
"Enemy attack!"
Two voices rang out almost simultaneously—the first filled with shock, the second with urgency.
Thud! Thud!
Next to the cart carrying the star iron, the two porters collapsed lifelessly to the ground. The enchanters sensed the disturbance, but before they could activate any protective barriers, long blades slashed across their throats.
Within mere seconds, four members of the convoy were dead.
The only ones left standing were the Konoha ninjas.
A Deadly Ambush
"Who?!"
Despite his initial shock, Tenma quickly regained his composure. He cursed loudly while pulling out a kunai from his ninja pouch, turning to face the cart in a defensive stance.
Uchiha Itachi, Kosuke Maruhoshi, and Xinzi moved swiftly, forming a protective formation around the star iron. Their weapons were drawn, eyes scanning for the attacker.
Then, from within the cart, a figure slowly straightened up.
A masked man clad in black emerged, flicking the blood off his long blade. His mask had two narrow holes, revealing only his eyes.
A pair of scarlet eyes.
Three black tomoe spun within each iris—the Sharingan!
The masked man said nothing. Ignoring Tenma's outburst, he leaped lightly from the cart. His gaze swept over the Konoha shinobi, but his focus soon locked onto one individual.
Kosuke Maruhoshi.
Without hesitation, the masked man lunged at him.
Clash of Blades
"So, I'm your first target?"
"I'm flattered!"
Kosuke chuckled as he raised his sword to intercept the attack. In an instant, the two clashed, their weapons colliding in a flurry of steel and sparks.
Clang! Clang!
The rapid exchange of blows filled the forest with the sharp sound of metal striking metal.
Itachi remained close to Tenma and Xinzi, not rushing into battle. Instead, he carefully observed the fight, analyzing the enemy's movements while remaining alert for other possible attackers.
Without activating his Sharingan, Itachi relied solely on his keen eyesight and sense of smell. However, all he could detect was the overpowering stench of fresh blood.
"This guy is skilled..."
Kosuke and the masked man continued their fierce exchange. The old veteran had fought for decades, yet his opponent showed no signs of weakness.
After dozens of strikes, neither side had gained the upper hand.
"This guy's taijutsu is impressive!" Kosuke thought as he blocked another strike. He quickly created some distance between them, realizing he needed to change tactics.
"Konoha Ryū!"
Kosuke began to move in a peculiar way, his arms swaying fluidly like willow branches caught in the wind.
To the masked man, it looked as if Kosuke's arms were multiplying—dozens of blurred afterimages overlapped, making it impossible to discern the real attack.
"A sword technique combined with genjutsu?"
The masked man quickly recognized the illusionary trick. He had heard of certain shinobi who could create hypnotic visual effects through precise movements alone.
However, he sneered beneath his mask.
"Unfortunately for you... you're facing the Sharingan!"
A surge of chakra coursed through his eyes.
Instantly, the illusion shattered. The dozens of arms blurred back into one.
At that moment, Kosuke launched forward, swinging his sword in an upward slash aimed at the masked man's abdomen.
To any ordinary shinobi, this would be a fatal blow.
But Kosuke's sword passed straight through thin air—his opponent had vanished!
"What?!"
The Power of Sharingan
Kosuke barely had time to process what had happened before he heard a faint metallic sound.
Shurikens!
A hail of shurikens suddenly shot toward him from all directions. Kosuke tried to deflect as many as he could, but there were too many. Several found their mark, embedding themselves in his body.
Pain flared through him, and he let out a sharp grunt.
Then, the masked man appeared beside him, his blade swinging down toward Kosuke's neck.
Kosuke tried to move—but his body wouldn't respond!
"Damn it...!"
"Genjutsu?!"
Helpless, he could only watch as the blade descended toward him.
But just before it struck—
CRACK!
The entire scene shattered like broken glass.
Kosuke gasped as he snapped back to reality, his body now free.
Someone's hand was pressed against his back.
Turning slightly, he saw a familiar face.
Uchiha Itachi.
"You're free now, Uncle Kosuke," Itachi said calmly, lowering his hand.
Kosuke exhaled sharply, realizing that the moment he had distanced himself for an attack, he had already fallen into the Sharingan's illusion.
If Itachi hadn't dispelled it in time, he would be dead.
Counterattack
"Uncle Kosuke, be careful. That man has the Sharingan—avoid direct eye contact!" Itachi warned.
Kosuke nodded.
"If Itachi weren't here..." he thought grimly. "I would've been killed just now."
"He's Uchiha?" Kosuke asked, staring at the masked man's crimson eyes.
"But why would a Uchiha attack us?"
"I don't know," Itachi admitted. "His identity isn't clear."
"I can't even confirm if he truly belongs to the Uchiha clan."
"But if we defeat him, we'll get the answers we need."
Though Itachi's voice was still youthful, his composed tone reassured Tenma and Xinzi.
Emotions were contagious.
"You're right," Kosuke said, gripping his sword tighter. "I'll take the lead. You back me up."
"I know how skilled you are with shuriken, Itachi. I'll leave my back to you!"
Kosuke lightly patted Itachi's shoulder before rushing forward once more.
The battle was far from over.
(End of chapter)