Sarutobi Shino, leader of the punitive squad, watched the fleeing boys vanish between the towering trees. His jaw clenched, a vein bulging on his forehead.
Hashirama Senju.Madara Uchiha.Two children who had dared to humiliate his force.
And now they ran, ignoring his presence.
His pride detonated.
"Those little brats…" he growled through gritted teeth.
Then he roared:
"CATCH THOSE BRATS! I'LL SKIN THEM ALIVE TODAY!"
The forest shook with the force of his voice.
The five remaining Sarutobi shinobi leapt into action instantly, sprinting after the boys with disciplined ferocity. Their bodies blurred, their feet barely touching the forest floor.
But before they got far,
"STOP."
Shino lifted one hand sharply.
The squad froze mid-stride.
His eyes narrowed. He wasn't stupid. Chasing two legendary prodigies through dense terrain with a disorganised pack was a recipe for disaster.
He turned toward his two strongest subordinates, battle-hardened shinobi with the aura of high-ranking jōnin.
"You two," he commanded coldly. "Take two men each. Hunt them down. Do not fail."
Both men nodded. They immediately selected their partners, splitting the strike force into two deadly pursuit units.
That left only three shinobi behind:Two uninjured chūnin.And one badly injured ninja, the very one Ishiki had beaten.
Shino looked at the trio, his expression darkening.
"It seems," he said slowly, "that someone has interfered with our plan."
He turned toward the injured ninja.
And in that moment, the temperature seemed to drop.
Shino's killing intent seeped into the air like poison.
The injured man trembled.
"And because of you," Shino hissed, stepping closer, "we lost five elite shinobi of our clan today. Five irreplaceable lives."
The injured man swallowed hard, his voice shaking.
"L-Leader, I told you… The child had a strange tool,"
"If your 'tool' doesn't exist," Shino interrupted, voice cold as stone, "I'll torture you to death for this humiliation."
The injured shinobi flinched violently, clutching his wound.
"It's real! I swear it! He reflected my jutsu,"
Shino clicked his tongue.
"We will see."
He gestured sharply.
"You three, follow me. We're going to the village. We will find the boy. And take the tool."
The final threat hung in the air like a blade.
The three shinobi formed up behind him.
And with that, Sarutobi Shino dashed toward the village with lethal intent,unaware of the desperate preparations unfolding there.
While death closed in from the forest paths, Ishiki was racing against time inside the village.
He'd managed to round up almost everyone: the elderly, the mothers, the crying infants, the trembling men who had long given up hope.
He directed them all toward the concealed hideout beneath the old storage cellar. Only a handful of elders even knew it existed.
But panic spread fast.
"Will this place even protect us?" a woman cried, clutching her child tight.
"My children, my children! Are we safe?"
"Why is this happening to us?!"
Fear became a living creature in that underground corridor, coiling around throats, stealing breath, shattering reason.
Then the blame started.
A finger jabbed toward Ishiki.
One man shouted, voice shaking with desperation:
"THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU! ALL OF THIS!"
Ishiki froze.
Another villager chimed in, louder, bolder:
"If we hand him over, maybe they'll let us live!"
"Give them the boy!"
"He's the reason they're coming!"
"He's just a child, what does he know?!"
Their fear twisted into cruelty.
Ishiki lowered his head, trembling.
He had expected fear.He hadn't expected betrayal.
Every accusation hit him like a blade.His chest hollowed.His breath came unevenly.
Maybe they're right… Maybe I did doom everyone…
But just as the villagers' anger swelled,
A voice roared through the chaos like thunder.
The Chief's Fury
"ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU, STOP THIS INSTANT!"
Silence slammed down.
The Village Chief stood at the centre of the crowd, his frail frame trembling with barely contained anger.
He looked each villager in the eye, disappointment, fury, and heartbreak mixing in his gaze.
"Do you all truly believe," he shouted, "that handing Ishiki over will save us?!"
No one answered.No one dared.
The Chief continued, voice trembling with emotion:
"Yes, if we sacrifice him, perhaps today you will survive. Maybe they will leave. But what about tomorrow?"
He gestured wildly at the gathered families.
"All of you remember how we've lived until now! How many of our loved ones died at the hands of ninjas?! When have they ever spared us out of mercy?!"
Silence thickened like fog.
Then his voice softened, not with weakness, but with pain.
"One of us… one of our own… finally stood up. He defended my honour. He defended all of us."
He pointed at Ishiki, who stood frozen, eyes wet.
"And you want him dead?You want to sacrifice a child to save your own skin?"
His words cut deeper than any blade.
Mothers lowered their heads.Fathers clenched their fists in shame.Children hid behind their parents' legs.
The Chief's hands trembled, not with fear, but with righteousness.
"When," he demanded, voice cracking,"Did our village become so full of cowards?"
The guilt was instant.
Faces burned with shame.The accusations died in their throats.
Even Ishiki felt breathless at the intensity of the Chief's defence.
The old man straightened his back, drawing himself to his full height.
"I have lost my patience today," he said, quieter but stronger."And I will not bow."
He stepped forward, fire igniting in his eyes.
"We are weak. Yes. We are not warriors. Yes."
He lifted his chin defiantly.
"But I am done kneeling."
His voice thundered:
"If death comes for us, then let it see that we stood together.Not as cowards…but as a village."
He lifted his walking staff, planting it into the earth with a resounding crack.
"Those who are not cowards," he said, voice trembling with emotion,"Come with me."
The weight of his words stunned the villagers.
One by one,
Heads lifted.Backs straightened.Fear gave way to courage.
Not because they suddenly felt safe.
But because the Chief reminded them they were still human.
Still proud.
Still united.
Ishiki watched, tears welling in his eyes, not of shame now, but awe.
The Chief… he's incredible…
He whispered under his breath:
"I won't let you die. Not any of you…"
But as the villagers steeled themselves,
The forest whispered.
The leaves trembled.
A deadly presence approached.
Sarutobi Shino was coming.
And the battle for the village's future was about to begin.