I woke up in a pool of silence that was slowly shattered by sounds—not just one, but many. The sound of footsteps, soft whispers, the rustle of fabric, and the pounding of my own heart that began to thump loudly in my chest. The air around me was warm, feeling foreign, and even the scent in this place was not the salty mist from my hometown, Kirigakure. This... is another place.
Awareness hit me like a storm.
My mission had failed.
My blood seemed to freeze, cold creeping down my spine. The memories surged mercilessly—an unexpected attack, the screams of a comrade pierced by a kunai, the shadow of a mask among the trees, and the metallic smell of blood thickening in the air. Someone leaked information. It had to be. But who?
Who was close enough to know the timing, route, and composition of our team? Who was cruel enough to hand us over to death?
My heart raced painfully. It couldn't be... Could it be... Uncle?
Once, Uncle was the figure who always smiled warmly at me, ruffling my hair gently every time I came home from training. Whenever Mother couldn't return from a mission, Uncle happily cooked my favorite seaweed soup, caring for me as if I were his own child. But everything changed when Uncle was promoted to Head of the Terumi Clan.
Now, Uncle had become an unpredictable figure, like a puzzle I couldn't read. I had just realized that all this time, he had carefully locked in that position.
When the news of Mother's death came, almost simultaneously with Father's passing, who was also the Head of the Terumi Clan, Uncle immediately took over the position left behind. As if everything had been prepared in advance.
Why? Why did Uncle want the position of Head of the Clan so badly? What did he really want? In fact, now I began to wonder... was Uncle the one who leaked information about our mission?
But how could that be? This was a mission directly assigned by the Mizukage, with no intermediaries. This information should only be known to us who were involved. If Uncle was truly the perpetrator, then his betrayal was not just against us—but against all of Kirigakure.
Anxiety wrapped around me tighter, and I couldn't help but feel it. My hands clenched tightly on the worn blanket covering my body. The nails digging into my palms felt very painful, but that pain—though torturous—was still far better than the helplessness gnawing at my heart since that night.
I must return to Kirigakure. The Mizukage must know about this. The truth must be revealed.
But the journey home would not be easy. If the Konoha ninja were still searching for me, I could die before crossing the border. But wait...
Are they really Konoha ninja?
Their faces were hidden behind Anbu masks, but their movements... were not like what I had heard about Konoha's Anbu. They were rough. Rushed. Like hungry wolves that had lost their discipline. Even in large numbers, they were like distorted shadows—no coordination, no typical Anbu pattern.
And one thing that was most suspicious—they came only in a small group. If this was an official operation from Konoha, there should have been double security. At least one platoon of Jonin and Chunin to support the Anbu. But all that came were they... and some of us managed to escape. I was sure some of us were still alive.
If this was indeed an operation from the Konoha village, they should have eliminated or captured us quickly.
One doubt turned into a faint certainty. Maybe this wasn't Konoha. Maybe... this was the work of a third party. Bounty hunters? Another village? Or... part of an internal coup?
"Haah…" my breath escaped in a long exhale. My head throbbed sharply, as if thousands of kunai were stabbing from within. Being a ninja was not just about training and techniques. It was life and death. It was a fight against time and the truth that continued to hide.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
________________________
[Note: 510+ latest chapters have been added! For Just 3$ You Get Access To Chapters Way Ahead,
Now you can access the chapters before Webnovel And Scribblehub by following,
Just become a patron on Patreon:
Patreon.com/Alex_Fabianoki]