he road toward the Fire Country border was quiet. High above the road, four figures moved through the trees. At the center of the formation moved Shinji Uchiha.
Ahead of him, a darker blur darted between the treetops. Shisui Uchiha.
Even among shinobi, Shisui's speed was abnormal. He scouted far ahead of the formation, often vanishing from sight entirely before reappearing several hundred meters away.
Behind Shinji moved two more figures.
Kakashi Hatake kept low along a parallel branch At the rear was Ibiki Morino. The squad had been traveling for nearly half a day.
Their destination was the southern Fire Country border. Somewhere beyond that line, a diplomatic envoy from Sunagakure was approaching.
If all went well, the envoy would reach Konoha within two days. If things went poorly Shinji pushed that thought aside.
Kakashi broke the silence first. Wind's shifting."
Shinji nodded once."Storm?"
"Maybe."
Shisui's voice suddenly drifted down from somewhere far ahead. "Relax."
A blur passed through the trees before landing lightly on the branch beside Shinji.
Shisui crouched there casually, crow mask tilted slightly. "No one within three kilometers."
Kakashi glanced at him. "You checked?"
Shinji raised one hand slightly. The conversation stopped. For several seconds the forest returned to silence. Shinji's Sharingan spun slowly behind the narrow eye slits of his mask.
Nothing moved below them. No chakra disturbances.
He lowered his hand.
"Continue."
The squad resumed moving.
Nearly an hour passed.
The forest began to thin slightly as they approached the southern regions of Fire Country.
Terrain changed here. Less dense canopy. More open ground between the trees.
Shisui had moved ahead again, vanishing into the upper branches long before the others arrived.
Shinji landed on a thicker branch overlooking a narrow ravine. Kakashi appeared beside him moments later. Ibiki landed silently behind them.
Eventually. A faint rustle sounded above them. Then Shisui dropped lightly onto the branch.
He didn't speak. He simply raised two fingers. Signal.
Enemy presence.
Kakashi leaned slightly forward. "How many?" Shisui responded with hand signs. Four. Ibiki's shoulders tensed slightly.
Shinji spoke quietly. "Distance?"
Shisui pointed toward the ravine below. "Moving north." Toward the border. Toward the envoy's route.
Shinji crouched slightly, eyes narrowing. "Formation?"
Shisui nodded. "Standard."
That single word carried meaning. Four-man tactical formation. Professional. Not bandits.
Kakashi spoke next. "Village?"
Shisui shook his head slowly. "Masked."
Shinji returned his focus forward.
"Engage?" Kakashi asked.
If the enemy team reached the envoy's route, they could compromise the mission.
"Silent elimination."
Nothing that might alert the envoy traveling miles away.
Shisui grinned beneath his mask. "Finally."
Shinji raised his hand again. Signals. Positions assigned instantly.
Shisui vanished first.
The crow mask disappeared into the upper canopy.
Kakashi moved along the right flank, dropping from branch to branch.
Ibiki descended the left side of the ravine.
Shinji remained in the center.
The enemy team moved carefully through the ravine.
Above them, Shisui waited. Then he dropped. The attack began with silence. Shisui landed behind the rear guard like a falling shadow.
One hand clamped over the shinobi's mouth. The other drove a tanto blade between the armor plates at the base of the neck. The body collapsed without a sound.
At the same moment, Kakashi struck from the right. He landed directly beside the forward scout, drawing his blade in one smooth motion. The scout barely had time to react before Kakashi's strike severed the tendons in his shoulder.
The shinobi stumbled backward. But before he could shout Ibiki appeared. His hand closed around the injured scout's throat. A sharp twist. The neck snapped.
The remaining two reacted instantly. The commander spun toward the trees. Blade already drawn. The final operative launched upward into the branches.
Shinji moved. He dropped directly in front of the commander. The enemy didn't hesitate. Their blades collided instantly.
His strikes were sharp and deliberate, forcing Shinji backward across the rocky ground.
The enemy shifted his stance suddenly.
A feint.
Shinji stepped aside just before the hidden blade in the shinobi's sleeve flashed past his ribs.
Above them, another fight erupted.
The final operative clashed with Shisui among the branches. Their movements were nearly invisible. Blades striking and separating in bursts of motion too fast for normal eyes.
Shisui ducked beneath a strike, pivoted, and drove his elbow toward the shinobi's ribs. The operative blocked. Countered with a short dagger slash.
Shisui twisted sideways. The blade missed by inches. "Not bad," Shisui muttered.
Back on the ground, Shinji finally shifted the rhythm of the fight. He allowed the commander to press forward. Allowed him to believe he was gaining ground. Then he stepped inside the next strike. His elbow smashed into the enemy's jaw.
The commander staggered. Shinji's hand caught his wrist. Bone cracked. The enemy dropped the sword.
But instead of surrendering, the operative reached for a hidden explosive tag. Ibiki appeared behind him. His massive hand grabbed the shinobi's skull. And slammed it into the ground. The body went limp instantly.
Above them the final clash ended. Shisui landed lightly on a nearby branch. He wiped a small streak of blood from the edge of his blade.
"Clear." Kakashi scanned the ravine. "All targets down."
Ibiki studied the fallen operatives.
Their masks.
Their equipment.
Their fighting style.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Search them."
Shisui knelt beside one of the bodies. He pulled aside the shinobi's collar slightly. Then he froze. For a moment he said nothing.
Shinji noticed.
"Captain?"
Ibiiki slowly released the collar. He stood. "Nothing useful."
Shisui tilted his head. "That was fast."
Ibiki ignored him.
But Shinji saw it clearly now. Recognition. Ibiki knew something about these shinobi.
Shinji glanced at one of the fallen masks. A memory surfaced.
Shisui spoke quietly. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Shinji nodded slightly. "Fugaku's mission." The same masked fighters had appeared then too.
He nudged one of the corpses lightly with his foot. "Attacking ANBU squads in Fire Country territory?"
Ibiki spoke "Now," he said calmly, "we continue the mission."
Ibiki watched him for a moment.
The squad moved out again.