Ishiki Kujo's shadow clone had traveled several kilometers before finally spotting Inuzuka Zawa and the rest of the team.
There were no Iwa-nin in sight—clearly, Hyūga Tokuma had been scanning their surroundings with the Byakugan and guiding them around enemy patrols.
It also helped that Ishiki's battle with the Iwa-nin had lit up the entire night sky. A massive fire release clash under the stars was hard to miss, even from far away.
Before Ishiki got close, Tokuma had already reacted—but Ishiki, knowing how to identify himself, began forming a series of rapid hand signs as he ran.
Ripple-sense told him it worked. The squad had stopped moving.
The reunion was swift. Ishiki wasted no time. While urging the group to keep moving, he explained:
"I wasn't able to capture Kurotsuchi. But during the fight, I used one of the Kujo Clan's forbidden techniques. I created a massive disturbance at the border—you saw it, right?"
He glanced at Tokuma.
The Hyūga nodded slowly. "We saw rainbows. Then people started... turning into snails."
His voice betrayed his disbelief, and honestly, who could blame him?
Ishiki's expression darkened. He stepped closer to Tokuma, examining him intently. Then he turned to the others.
"Did either of you see the rainbow?" he asked.
Zawa and Muta shook their heads. Ishiki exhaled in relief.
He didn't bother hiding the state of his right eye. From the others' perspective, the changes likely just looked like some secret jutsu—probably part of the Kujo clan's supposed techniques.
Tokuma, uncomfortable under Ishiki's stare, started to speak—but Ishiki cut him off.
"Zawa, Muta. Step away. Tokuma's been affected. If you stay, you might be infected too."
The two didn't hesitate. They trusted Ishiki fully. Without argument, they disappeared into the darkness.
Once they were out of range, Ishiki activated a chakra scalpel, cutting open the back of Tokuma's flak jacket—revealing a horrifying sight.
A snail shell was growing on Tokuma's back.
Tokuma hadn't felt a thing.
Perfect test subject, Ishiki thought grimly.
In the manga, Heavy Weather's subconscious effect had been likened to subliminal messages in movie frames—imperceptible, but deeply influential. Images that bypassed conscious thought and struck directly at the instinctual mind. The rainbows were the vector. Whether through visual symbolism or ancient memory, once seen, the target believed themselves to be a snail. And that belief changed the body.
The only way to counter this… was to break the subconscious effect.
Genjutsu was the best candidate.
Ishiki explained briefly to Tokuma, then cast a basic genjutsu—simple, but effective enough to test a theory.
The Byakugan provided no defense against illusions, and Tokuma's cooperation made the process easy.
The result: the snail shell began to shrink.
But only briefly.
Soon, the transformation resumed.
Ishiki frowned. The initial response meant genjutsu worked… partially. But the mental "scar" left by Heavy Weather was too deep for his basic illusions to erase.
He needed a more powerful genjutsu.
Someone who could alter core beliefs.
One name immediately came to mind:
Uchiha Shisui.
If Shisui truly possessed Kotoamatsukami, the ultimate illusion capable of rewriting one's will without their knowledge, then he could surely reverse the snailification.
Ishiki stopped casting genjutsu. After all, he was only a shadow clone—and he lacked the Sharingan needed to empower deeper illusions. And the Disc system he'd used to upload the Byakugan wouldn't allow the same for his own abilities.
Still, even a temporary delay in Tokuma's transformation would be enough to get him help.
They could save him.
On the way back, Tokuma rode on Ishiki's back, his ruined uniform concealed beneath a massive leaf. It looked ridiculous, but effective.
From his tests, Ishiki confirmed that the effect didn't trigger unless someone looked directly at the rainbow. As long as Tokuma remained under the genjutsu's influence and out of sight of the sky, he'd be safe.
Zawa and Muta didn't question it. They trusted Ishiki implicitly.
The return trip through the familiar terrain of the Land of Grass was swift—much faster than the initial journey.
Within two days, they reached the border again.
Konoha and Iwa were still locked in intense combat at the front. But Ishiki's Ripple detection allowed them to avoid all enemy encounters. They returned to the forward base without incident.
Ishiki's shadow clone was nearing its time limit. Based on the chakra he'd allocated, it could last for several days—but combat or fatigue could still dispel it early.
Fortunately, with Ripple enhancement, his clones were far sturdier than normal. Like a reinforced bubble, they could even store food temporarily—something no regular shadow clone could manage without dispersing.
But the fewer fights, the better.
The clone's Saint's Eye continued to feed visuals to Ishiki's true body. Even after returning to camp, he could see everything the clone saw.
To avoid suspicion, the clone slipped his sunglasses back down over his right eye.
Without specialized dojutsu, no one could see through the disguise. Orochimaru might know, but Ishiki wasn't planning to hide from him anyway.
There were no Uchiha stationed in the Land of Grass encampment.
Ishiki's priorities were now clear: get Tokuma transferred for treatment, and deliver Deidara to Orochimaru.
Whether Orochimaru chose to kill the Tsuchikage's student, interrogate him, or ransom him back for concessions—that wasn't Ishiki's problem.
Personally, Ishiki liked Deidara's style.
If only I had White Snake, he mused. I'd extract that brain and jutsu memory in a heartbeat.