"You're finally here. Can we start the mission now?" The one who spoke first was the female ninja, Kaoru.
She was the leader of the three-person squad. Her strength was on par with a Konoha jōnin, and she possessed a considerable reputation within the underground black market.
Hiruko nodded, having no intention of wasting time on pleasantries. He delivered only one final instruction.
"The target is currently heading toward Takigakure. Remember—he must be captured alive. No killing."
"Got it. Stop rambling. Let's move."
Somewhat impatient, Kaoru rose to her feet and walked straight out. Yugata and Rat immediately followed behind her.
Ignoring her attitude, Hiruko also set off with them.
Leaving the small town behind, the four quickly headed toward Takigakure…
---
Northern Border of the Land of Fire
Aoshi's figure appeared in this area.
"This is where Hayakawa Arashi clashed with the pursuit squad."
Surveying the remnants of the battlefield, Aoshi carefully examined every trace left behind, searching for any clues Hayakawa might have deliberately or unintentionally left.
The bodies of the pursuing ninjas had already been retrieved and returned to Konoha by later search teams.
However, since the entire squad had been wiped out, Konoha had temporarily lost all information on Hayakawa Arashi's movements.
That meant Aoshi had to rely solely on himself.
Fortunately, this kind of tracking and analysis was part of the Ninja Academy curriculum. As a top theoretical student, Aoshi knew exactly how to proceed.
It didn't take long before he found something.
"He went this way." Having reached his conclusion, Aoshi immediately moved.
Before long, he entered a dense forest.
A long river cut through the interior, winding its way through towering trees. This was a massive primeval forest, teeming with birds and wild beasts.
In Aoshi's memory, only Konoha's Forest of Death could rival this environment.
Stepping onto the surface of the river, Aoshi moved forward as though walking on solid ground, advancing without pause.
Soon, a village came into view.
Ordinary villagers lived here. When they noticed Aoshi—the unexpected outsider—they stared at him with clear wariness.
Once they spotted the ninja headband on his forehead, fear immediately surfaced in their expressions.
No one dared to approach or speak to him.
Only when an elderly man—around seventy years old and clearly the village chief—appeared did someone finally step forward.
"Esteemed ninja," the old man said cautiously, bowing slightly. "May I ask what brings you to our village?"
His posture was humble to the extreme, clearly fearful that offending Aoshi might bring disaster upon the village.
To ordinary people, ninjas were living calamities.
Unlike civilians in Konoha, who were accustomed to long-term contact with shinobi, villagers in places like this had every reason to be cautious.
"Elder, I'm looking for someone," Aoshi replied calmly, without arrogance. "Have you seen this person?"
He took out a wanted notice bearing Hayakawa Arashi's image.
The old man's pupils shrank almost imperceptibly. If Aoshi weren't a ninja, he might have missed it.
I've found the right place.
However, the old man shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know."
"I see. Then I apologize for disturbing you." With that, Aoshi turned and left.
He could clearly feel the wariness lingering in everyone's eyes—including the village chief's. He didn't press further, nor did he attempt intimidation.
Against enemies, he could be ruthless. But these were ordinary villagers.
Moreover, he had already spread his senses and confirmed that there were no ninjas in the village—only civilians.
Hayakawa was not here. As Aoshi departed, the entire village quietly let out a breath of relief.
Fortunately, this ninja didn't seem as brutal as the others they had heard about.
Once he was out of sight, Aoshi leapt several times and landed atop a massive tree overlooking the village.
He sat there, chewing on dry rations while secretly observing the area below. Since leaving Konoha, he hadn't rested at all.
Now was the perfect opportunity.
The night passed without incident.
---
By the morning of the second day, Aoshi—still stationed outside the village—finally noticed something.
Three figures were rapidly approaching.
"That headband pattern… Sky Ninjas." As a top student, Aoshi immediately recognized their identities.
"I didn't expect the Sky Ninja to reappear so soon."
During the Second Great Ninja War, the Sky Ninja Village had actively provoked Konoha. As a result, Konoha had dispatched forces to destroy them completely.
"This village should be the one destroyed in that incident."
The Sky Ninja would later appear in Naruto Shippuden: Bonds, eventually launching a revenge-driven attack on Konoha after gathering strength—only to be annihilated once again.
Before the thought had fully settled, Aoshi had already launched himself forward, charging straight toward the three Sky Ninjas.
"Who's there?!" Sensing movement, the three Sky Ninjas reacted instantly, each of them hurling kunai toward Aoshi.
Every single blade missed.
"So fast!"
Their expressions shifted dramatically. The three Sky Ninjas hurriedly formed hand seals, preparing to unleash ninjutsu.
But Aoshi gave them no such opportunity.
Chakra surged into his legs as he activated the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing from sight and reappearing behind them in the very next instant.
Before they could react, Aoshi lashed out with a fierce kick.
The sudden impact shattered their concentration, forcibly interrupting their jutsu. Completely unprepared, the three Sky Ninjas were sent flying, smashing through several thick trees before finally coming to a halt.
That single strike left all three severely injured and utterly unable to move.
Without hesitation, Aoshi activated the Human Path ability, directly delving into their memories.
From this, he learned the exact location of the Sky Ninja base. He also uncovered the whereabouts of his mission target—Hayakawa Arashi.
After defecting from Konoha, Hayakawa had become entangled with the Sky Ninjas.
With all the information he needed, Aoshi calmly ended the lives of the three Sky Ninjas and immediately set off toward their base.
---
At the Same Time
Inside the Sky Ninja base, within the leader's hall.
A man past his prime stepped inside, a Konoha ninja headband still worn on his forehead—though a deep horizontal slash had been carved across it.
The unmistakable mark of a rogue ninja.
If Aoshi were present, he would instantly recognize him. Hayakawa Arashi.
Entering the hall, Hayakawa looked toward the black-haired man seated at the head of the chamber—Shinno, the leader of the Sky Ninjas.
Although Hayakawa had joined them, a trace of disdain flickered in his eyes. After all, the Sky Ninjas had once been annihilated by Konoha.
As a former Konoha shinobi, he naturally looked down on them. Of course, he concealed this sentiment well.
He was now dependent on them and had something he wanted—showing arrogance would only be foolish.
"Shinno," Hayakawa asked bluntly, "when will you fulfill what you promised me?"
More than a month earlier, while leading a patrol, Hayakawa had discovered Shinno attempting to infiltrate Konoha in disguise.
A fierce battle had erupted immediately.
As the leader of the Sky Ninja Village, Shinno's strength was far from weak. In just a few exchanges, all of Hayakawa's subordinates were slaughtered.
Even against Hayakawa himself, the fight ended in a stalemate. But during the battle, Shinno revealed his astonishing medical ninjutsu.
No matter how severe his injuries were, he could recover with frightening speed.
As the fight dragged on, Shinno gradually gained the upper hand.
Realizing that defeating Shinno alone would be extremely difficult, Hayakawa prepared to summon reinforcements.
At that critical moment, Shinno abruptly ceased fighting. And then he made an offer Hayakawa found impossible to refuse.
Eternal life.
According to Shinno, the regenerative ability he displayed during the battle was merely the effect of an incomplete technique.
Once perfected, it would dramatically stimulate cellular activity, achieving the effect of extending one's lifespan.
For Hayakawa—already over fifty years old—the temptation was overwhelming. Who wouldn't want to live a few more years?
That promise shook his resolve.
In the end, he agreed to help Shinno steal a forbidden jutsu from Konoha and defected to the Sky Ninja Village.
"Don't worry," Shinno said calmly. "Once the Zero-Tails is successfully created, I will naturally help you prolong your life."
Shinno had been researching the Zero-Tails jutsu relentlessly.
The deeper his research went, the more convinced he became of its terrifying potential. This was a forbidden technique capable of creating a Zero-Tails rivaling a true Tailed Beast.
Shinno firmly believed that once the Zero-Tails was completed—and combined with the Sky Ninja Village's stronghold, Ancor Vantian—he would finally be able to exact revenge on Konoha.
As this thought crossed his mind, Shinno glanced subtly at Hayakawa standing below.
And you will be dealt with as well. That's right—Shinno never intended to honor his promise.
He hated Konoha ninjas to the core. Helping one of them achieve immortality was unthinkable.
The only reason he tolerated Hayakawa was because the Sky Ninja Village had only recently been rebuilt. Their forces were still weak, and a jōnin of Hayakawa's caliber was a valuable asset.
Otherwise, Shinno would have killed him long ago instead of pretending cooperation.
Completely unaware of Shinno's true intentions, Hayakawa continued to dream of eternal life.
"Then I'll await your good news." With that, he turned to leave the hall.
But at that very moment, a figure appeared on the large display screen at the front of the chamber.
A Konoha ninja—rapidly approaching the Sky Ninja base. It was Aoshi.
As a former Konoha shinobi, Hayakawa recognized him instantly. His expression changed sharply.
"That's Hirakawa Aoshi!"
"Oh?" Shinno glanced at the screen, his tone indifferent. "So he's the Konoha hero who rose to fame two years ago. He doesn't look like much."
"Don't underestimate him," Hayakawa warned urgently. "Even though he's only a chūnin, his strength rivals that of a jōnin!"
In response, Shinno merely smiled. If Konoha had dispatched a large force, he would certainly be cautious.
But it was only one person. Even if that person was Hirakawa Aoshi, could he truly change the outcome alone?
This was the Sky Ninja Village's stronghold.
"You're now one of us," Shinno said calmly. "This is the perfect chance to show you the strength of the Sky Ninjas."
"With numbers on our side, within our own base… can we really not deal with a single Hirakawa Aoshi?"
His words brimmed with confidence. In Shinno's eyes, Aoshi was nothing more than a minor threat.
Hearing this, Hayakawa finally relaxed. He, too, began to imagine Aoshi's downfall.
So what if you're a genius? Only those who live long enough truly win.