Early the next morning.
Oboro arrived at Konoha's front gate, fully equipped and precisely on time.
Two figures, a man and a woman, both around twenty years old, were already waiting for him there, clearly several years his senior.
The man looked rather plain, wearing pitch-black sunglasses and a light blue headscarf. The woman, however, struck a more familiar chord. Her short purple hair was tied into a small ponytail, and beneath her light brown outer jacket was a fishnet shirt. She was calmly chewing on a skewer of dango.
"Tch, a kid?" the woman muttered disapprovingly as soon as she saw him.
"I thought Lord Hokage was assigning Shunshin Shisui to our squad."
"Don't be like that, Anko," the man said awkwardly. "If this is the Hokage's decision, I'm sure he has his reasons. Besides, Uchiha Shisui is the same age."
Though the newcomer looked young, he wore the same Chūnin vest they did, and the man wasn't about to question that.
"I'm Ebisu," he said politely, handing Oboro a scroll. "Acting squad leader for this mission."
"Mitarashi Anko," the woman added offhandedly.
Oboro briefly glanced over the scroll, it was an espionage mission, moderate-to-high risk. Assigning three Chūnin to it felt a bit conservative.
"Oboro Mitsuki," he said, closing the scroll. "Specialized in taijutsu."
At the mention of his name, both Ebisu and Anko froze for a beat.
"That name… sounds familiar," Anko muttered, eyeing Oboro up and down.
Ebisu shot her a look, silently urging her not to say more.
Oboro remained unfazed. "If you want to request a new teammate, it might not be too late to inform the Hokage."
Ebisu hesitated, fingers twitching nervously against his glasses.
But Anko, after staring at Oboro for a moment, suddenly grinned. "Forget it. You'll do."
She flicked her hand, sending the bamboo skewer in her grip flying like a senbon needle, it whistled past Oboro's cheek and embedded itself into a tree trunk behind him.
Oboro didn't even blink. Anko's grin widened.
"If you don't need more time to prepare, let's move out," he said calmly.
Ebisu still seemed unsure. Anko gave him a firm slap on the back.
"Snap out of it. Let's go!"
With that, she dashed off down the road. Oboro followed in silence.
"…Wasn't I supposed to be the team leader?" Ebisu muttered under his breath, watching Oboro's back with a complex expression.
If the rumors about this guy are true...
There was nothing he could do now. He could only catch up to the team.
The mission required crossing national borders and would take some time to reach the destination. Around noon, the three took a short rest.
Ebisu quietly pulled Anko aside while Oboro sat alone, popping a soldier pill into his mouth and resting with his eyes closed. He ignored them completely.
"What?" Anko grumbled, annoyed as Ebisu dragged her away from her rice ball.
"Don't you know who that Oboro Mitsuki is?" Ebisu whispered.
"…What?"
Anko had felt his name was familiar earlier, but hadn't placed it.
"The one who abandoned his teammates during the war."
Anko stopped, her expression shifting as the memory returned.
"Oh… that guy." She glanced at Oboro again, now with surprise in her eyes.
Back then, the story had spread far in the village. Oboro had once been a rising star, often compared to Uchiha Shisui, his peer. But one day, during a recon mission, he reportedly abandoned his comrades to save himself, and the intel he brought back turned out to be fake.
Everyone assumed he'd falsified it out of cowardice.
From that day on, only Shisui remained in the spotlight.
"I was going to remind you," Ebisu said helplessly.
"You worried he'll ditch us mid-mission if things go south?" Anko asked.
Ebisu didn't respond, but his silence was answer enough.
Anko shoved the last bit of rice ball into her mouth and walked back over to Oboro.
"Hey, brat," she called, bluntly.
Oboro slowly opened his eyes. "Oboro Mitsuki."
"Those rumors about you, are they true?" she asked.
Ebisu flinched.
"If you believe they are, then they are," Oboro said flatly.
"So they're not?" Anko raised an eyebrow.
"If you two are beyond saving," Oboro added, "then yes, I would leave."
This little…!
Anko stared at him, feeling something strange.
He didn't react with shame or anger. Nor did he have the aloof pride of someone who looked down on others.
His calmness was absolute. Detached.
As if what anyone thought of him didn't matter in the slightest.
So were the rumors true?
Maybe. Maybe not. But they clearly weren't baseless.
[Name: Mitarashi Anko]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 21]
[Affection: 55]
[Relationship: Fellow Villager]
[Romance Difficulty: B]
[First Kiss Reward: Orochimaru Style]
[Home Run Reward: Sage Power]
"If we're rested, we should move," Oboro said.
Anko nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah."
Land of Forests.
True to its name, this was a nation blanketed in dense woodland. Though small, over ninety percent of its territory was covered in forest. Its climate was similar to the Land of Fire, but noticeably hotter.
By the time they reached their target, it was already night. The forest was quiet and still.
"So this is the village of the Hannya Clan?"
Nestled in a wide clearing carved out of the trees, the small settlement rested beside a river.
"Pretty tiny," Anko snorted from the shadows.
The Hannya were the largest shinobi group in the Land of Forests, well-known throughout the ninja world, though not formally recognized as a shinobi village.
"Are we sneaking in?" Ebisu asked.
"Obviously," Anko said, itching for action. "How else are we getting intel?"
"What if we're discovered?" Ebisu asked, worried.
"Fight. Run," she replied crisply.
Oboro gave her a sidelong glance. She noticed and raised an eyebrow at him.
"This is reckless," Ebisu said, exasperated. "We're in enemy territory, if a fight breaks out, it's practically suicide."
"Got a better plan?" Anko asked.
"…We'll move at midnight," Ebisu finally said. "Let's review the plan."
Seeing that the team leader had made a call, Oboro spoke up. "We should split up."
Both turned to look at him, their expressions hard to read.
"What, you planning to hide out and bolt when things go south?" Anko smirked, voicing Ebisu's unspoken thought.
"Three people together is too conspicuous," Oboro replied calmly. "Separating increases efficiency."
Anko clicked her tongue. His lack of reaction made her lose interest.
"So boring."
"If you two prefer, you can stick together," Oboro added.
"Fine," Ebisu nodded.
As night deepened, Oboro silently infiltrated the village.
At this hour, everyone was asleep. Only the sound of the river and the occasional call of a night bird echoed through the forest.
Without stop, he headed straight for the largest house.
Silent entry was effortless for him. Even the creak of the door was barely audible.
After a quick sweep of the study, he confirmed the house belonged to the Hannya Clan's leader.
He found scrolls detailing the group's mercenary operations, and even correspondence between the Hannya and Konoha. The letters expressed a desire for alliance with the Land of Fire.
But there were also documents, secret ones, pertaining to Iwagakure.
"…Who's there?!"
The bedroom light suddenly flared on, and an aged voice shouted from within.
Oboro had already tucked two scrolls into his gear pouch.
The door to the study slammed open, revealing an elderly man with white hair and a drawn blade, glaring darkly.
"A Konoha ninja?!"
Oboro barely glanced at him. A kunai slipped into his palm from his sleeve.
He vanished.
And reappeared in the outer room.
Clatter.
The sword fell to the wooden floor. The old man followed, collapsing on his back with wide, stunned eyes.
A thin line had opened across his throat, blood now pouring out.
Feigning alliance with Konoha while secretly colluding with Iwagakure.
Double-faced rats like that deserved to die.
Oboro flicked the blood from his kunai and turned to leave.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"There's an intruder!"
Just as he stepped outside, panicked cries erupted across the village.
Oboro's brow furrowed.
Useless teammates.
<><>---------------------------------------
200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters
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• TL/N •
Hello guys Fanfic recommendation!
Check out my other work:
> Naruto: Mind Control
If you like smart and strong MC, this fanfic is for you.
It's Peak.
Give it a chance and you won't be disappointed