It was no easy task to locate someone hiding in the vast terrain of the Land of Water—let alone a shinobi trained to remain undetected. The mists that rolled endlessly across the landscape weren't just a natural occurrence; they were an ally to Kirigakure, and a hindrance to any outsider who dared to navigate their depths.
If Kakashi's hiding spot could be so easily found by Asahi, then surely it was just as vulnerable to detection by the Kiri-nin. That was precisely the problem.
Asahi didn't know whether the Kirigakure patrols could locate Kakashi, but he believed one entity could—White Zetsu.
Perhaps, from the moment Kakashi had stepped out of Konohagakure, White Zetsu had already been quietly tailing him, hiding in the roots of trees or beneath the moss-covered earth, unseen and untraceable.
'What a terrible miscalculation', Asahi muttered inwardly.
The plan to use the Three-Tails to destroy Kirigakure had been a decision made hastily—one born after Asahi left Konoha. There had been no prior groundwork, no pre-set communication points, and no backup contingencies. It was like stabbing in the dark with nothing but instinct guiding his hand. Finding Kakashi now was like trying to find a single ripple in an ocean of mist.
But time was running out. If Asahi didn't locate Kakashi and Rin before the Kiri-nin moved, it would be too late.
Konohagakure had dispatched over a thousand shinobi, spread out in multiple formations—more than three thousand in total—to infiltrate the Land of Water. Destroying ports was one of their objectives, yes, but not the only one. Assassinations, espionage, sabotage—every team had a different mission.
But Asahi was certain of one thing: Kakashi's mission was the same as his—to destroy the port and weaken the Land of Water's economy.
Under the pretense of "searching for the Three-Tails Jinchūriki", Asahi had split from Asuma and Kurenai and headed for the coastal regions of the Land of Water. He knew Kakashi well—perhaps better than most. Even after losing Uchiha Obito, Kakashi remained a soldier of the village. Whatever doubts the loss had planted, they wouldn't stop him from executing his orders. If anything, it made Kakashi even more determined to complete his missions perfectly.
Ports were the lifeline of the Land of Water. Kakashi wouldn't target minor facilities—he'd go for key locations, heavily guarded yet essential. And that gave Asahi an idea.
For the next twenty-four hours, Asahi didn't rest. He moved like a ghost, leaping across fog-drenched coastlines, imprinting Flying Thunder God Technique seals near every major port he could find. With each seal placed, his reach expanded, allowing him to instantly travel between distant points, scanning every harbor, waiting for any sign of Kakashi.
Over the following days, several ports came under attack by Konoha forces. Battles erupted between squads, and both sides sustained casualties. But none of those teams were Kakashi's.
Still, perseverance paid off. On the fifth day, Kakashi finally appeared—alongside Rin and Guy.
As expected, Kakashi had done his homework. Knowing one team wasn't enough to break through the coastal defenses, he'd joined forces with two other squads. Eleven Konoha shinobi struck the port in coordinated waves, destroying supply ships and disabling dock infrastructure. The entire raid lasted only five minutes, but it was devastatingly effective.
Then they retreated.
Asahi, who had been watching from afar, silently followed.
Kakashi remained cautious. He didn't lead his team straight back to their base. Instead, he took a roundabout path, looping through thickets, doubling back, even setting traps along the way. Had Asahi not been as experienced—or if he hadn't witnessed Kakashi's tactical patterns before—he might've been caught.
But he wasn't.
Over the next seven days, Asahi kept his eyes on Kakashi's camp, keeping a safe distance, but never too far. Each night, he would teleport back to the cave where Asuma and Kurenai waited, updating them and ensuring their safety. Then he'd return to his vigil.
Until it happened.
The Kiri-nin struck swiftly, emerging from the shadows like phantoms. It was clear Kakashi hadn't anticipated the ambush. But something was strange.
The attackers weren't aiming to kill—they only wanted Rin.
Kakashi and Guy were injured, but not critically. Rin, however, was taken.
The moment Rin was captured, Asahi sprang into motion. He wasn't the only one. Kakashi, bloodied but still standing, gave chase as well. His expression was grim, determined, as though he would rather die than let her be taken again.
It was clear. Uchiha Madara had begun executing his plan.
But where were the Kiri-nin taking her?
Asahi considered the possibilities. It couldn't be Kirigakure itself—not likely. Housing a tailed beast in the heart of the village was too risky. The possibility of a rampage was ever-present, and even Kirigakure couldn't afford such destruction.
Even in Konoha, where the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts flourished, Uzumaki Kushina had been secretly isolated when giving birth to avoid the Nine-Tails going berserk.
No, the Kiri-nin would choose a remote, secure location. Somewhere off-grid.
Sure enough, Asahi tracked them to a hidden cave nestled in the forest, half-swallowed by vines and concealed by illusionary fog. If he was right, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki was likely there already, awaiting the ritual.
*Swish!*
Asahi jumped from the trees, landing silently near the cliffside. He prepared to use Earth Style ∙ Hidden Mole Jutsu to burrow beneath the cave, but before he could act, the enemy moved.
More than a dozen Kiri-nin emerged from the fog like phantoms, encircling him.
"A Konoha shinobi?"
"Tch! Another little brat." spat a man with a jagged scar across his cheek and a massive sword slung across his back.
Asahi's eyes narrowed. He eyed the weapon carefully. It wasn't one of the Seven Swords of the Mist—not yet. But the man's bearing suggested he was either a contender for the Beheading Blade or someone obsessed with acquiring it.
Either way, he was no pushover.
"Have you already activated the barrier?" Asahi asked flatly.
The man grinned. "You know a lot, kid. But too bad you'll die here. Consider it an honor—you'll get to witness the assassination arts that built my legend!"
With that, he formed hand seals rapidly. In moments, thick fog poured out, drowning the forest in a blanket of white.
Visibility dropped to nothing.
"Let's start… from the heart." the man's voice echoed coldly through the haze.
Asahi clicked his tongue. "Tch. What a pain."
The assassination techniques of the Mist were infamous across the Five Great Nations. He'd read about them, studied them, and now, he was caught in them.
He had no sensory jutsu—no way of pinpointing chakra through the fog. It was like being blindfolded in a minefield.
But Asahi had something else.
He didn't need to know where the enemies were. He had already memorized the precise location of the cave entrance before the mist blanketed the area.
*Whoosh!*
He hurled one of his marked kunai straight toward the cave.
"You've lost your judgment, kid—without vision, you can't—"
Zzzt!
Asahi vanished mid-sentence, teleporting instantly via Flying Thunder God Technique.
The Kiri-nin's voice cut off, confused.
Asahi appeared in the cave the next moment. There was little fog in the cave, and although the light was dim, Asahi still determined a direction and ran quickly inside.
*****
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