The explosion caused by the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags lasted for a long time before gradually dying down. As soon as the flames subsided, Uchiha Itachi and Kosuke Maruhoshi rushed toward the blast site.
The battlefield where they had fought the masked man had been completely obliterated, leaving behind only a massive crater. The transport vehicle carrying the star iron was nowhere to be found, and their primary objective—the large chunk of star iron—had vanished without a trace.
The masked attacker had also disappeared.
Even the corpses of Itachi's fallen teammates, the enchanters, and the porters were completely gone.
The sheer power of the explosion had erased all evidence.
The Weight of Loss
"T-Tenma..."
"Xinzi..."
Itachi stood frozen at the edge of the crater, his hands trembling as he covered his face in agony.
He had shown no hesitation when facing the enemy. Even when destroying his fallen comrades' bodies with his own hands, he had remained cold and precise.
But now, as he gazed at the destruction he had wrought, the full weight of his actions crushed him. The loss of his teammates, his failure to protect them—it all settled heavily in his chest.
Kosuke Maruhoshi, standing beside him, watched the boy in silence.
At his age, he had long come to terms with the cycle of life and death in the shinobi world. Though he regretted the loss of their team members, he did not feel the deep sorrow that Itachi did.
For Itachi, however, this was the first time he had experienced such a devastating failure.
Until now, his missions had gone smoothly. He had been raised under the guidance of Uzumaki Raiden, trained to be a prodigy, and had never known true loss.
But now, for the first time in his life, he had lost people dear to him.
"Itachi," Kosuke said after a moment, gently patting the boy's shoulder. "Take a break. I'll check the crater for anything useful."
Before Itachi could respond, Kosuke slid down the crater's edge and began searching through the rubble.
Truthfully, he didn't know what he was looking for.
Perhaps a fragment of the star iron, so their mission wouldn't be a total loss.
Perhaps a relic from Tenma or Xinzi—something that could serve as a memory for the grieving Itachi.
Time passed.
But in the end, there was nothing left to find.
The explosion had consumed everything.
Even the Sword of the Thunder God—Itachi's weapon—had been reduced to nothing.
Kosuke sighed, climbing out of the crater and returning to Itachi's side.
The boy had calmed slightly, but his eyes still held a deep sadness.
"Did you find anything?" Itachi asked, his voice tinged with fragile hope.
Kosuke slowly shook his head and held out his empty hands.
"...Let's go," Itachi murmured. His voice was barely above a whisper, heavy with disappointment.
Without waiting for a reply, he leaped into the trees and sped away, as if fleeing from the battlefield itself.
A Few Days Later—Konoha Village
Inside the Hokage's Office, Namikaze Minato sat upright at his desk, methodically working through village affairs.
Beside him, assisting with official duties, was Nara Shikaku.
Near their desks, a red-haired young man lay sprawled on a sofa, reclining with his eyes closed. A long, black-handled sword rested against the wall beside him.
Suddenly—
Click.
The door swung open, and a kunoichi entered, balancing a stack of documents in one hand.
Minato glanced up and smiled warmly.
"Yūgao, what brings you here?"
The visitor was Uzuki Yūgao, a Chūnin of Konoha.
"Lord Hokage, I have an important report," she said in a quiet voice. Her eyes briefly flickered toward the red-haired man on the sofa before quickly shifting back to Minato.
Walking to his desk, she pulled a single document from the stack and placed it in front of him. The rest, she set down on Shikaku's desk.
Minato's expression remained neutral as he picked up the report—
But the moment he skimmed the first few lines, his smile vanished.
"When did this happen?" he asked, his tone suddenly sharp.
"Two days ago. The report came from the Daimyo's Mansion," Yūgao responded.
She continued, "The team escorting the Daimyo's star iron was attacked. Two Genin were killed. The remaining members, Uchiha Itachi and Kosuke Maruhoshi, provided a debriefing at the Daimyo's court before returning to the village."
"They should arrive tomorrow or the day after."
Just as she finished speaking—
Whoosh.
A hand suddenly snatched the document from Minato's grasp.
Startled, Yūgao turned to see the red-haired man who had been lying on the sofa.
He was now standing, his eyes scanning the report with a sharp, unreadable gaze.
The Missing Target
Minato, unbothered by the interruption, simply continued, "Did Itachi submit a formal report?"
"Not yet," Yūgao answered. "We've been in contact with them, but they haven't filed an official statement."
"As of now, all we know is that they were attacked, and two of their team members were killed."
A low, hoarse voice spoke from behind her.
"Minato... this attack isn't normal."
Yūgao turned sharply.
The red-haired man standing behind her had a serious expression. His voice carried a quiet intensity that made her uneasy.
"Raiden... what do you mean?" Minato asked, furrowing his brows.
At the mention of his name, Yūgao's eyes widened in realization.
She had seen this man before—his face was carved into the Hokage Monument.
The man who had been lying casually on the office sofa was none other than Uzumaki Raiden, the Fourth Hokage.
Her eyes gleamed with admiration.
Raiden exhaled slowly, staring at the document in his hands.
"The fact that someone was able to kill two Genin under Kosuke Maruhoshi's protection means the enemy was at least Elite Jōnin level," he said.
"And someone of that caliber wouldn't attack over a few dozen kilograms of star iron."
"Even if the star iron was valuable, it wouldn't be enough to draw out shinobi of this level."
"Which means..."
Raiden's expression darkened.
"The enemy wasn't after the star iron."
Minato's gaze sharpened.
"Then what were they after?"
Raiden met his eyes.
"...Uchiha Itachi."
Minato fell silent, his mind racing.
Raiden continued, "And if I'm right—this is connected to the masked man who attacked Konoha four years ago."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Raiden tightened his grip on the report.
The memories from his past life were clear.
This moment marked the beginning of Uchiha Itachi's fall into darkness.
And if history was still following the same course—
Then Uchiha Madara's influence had not yet faded.
Someone was setting the stage for the Uchiha's destruction.
And their next move would be even more dangerous.
(End of chapter)