The forest surrounding Konoha stretched in every direction, dense with old trees and thick underbrush. The air was still, save for the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds.
"Ryuuji, you go search that side. Ayaka, take the other path," Shin ordered, his voice calm but focused. "We have to find him."
His teammates nodded and scattered, vanishing into the trees like flickers of movement in the green haze.
Left alone, Shin took a deep breath. The sunlight filtered softly through the leaves above as he closed his eyes.
"Spread my chakra as far as I can… mold it…"
He focused, recalling Kaoru's words from the night before. Slowly, he released his chakra into the air, forming it into a massive, invisible veil—a sensory net that flowed out in every direction. The farther it stretched, the thinner and more delicate it became, like a spider's silk caught on the breeze.
And then—contact.
He felt everything. The bark of the trees, the curves of every branch, the flutter of a bird's wing. It was like seeing with a second set of eyes.
Then, something stood out—a subtle disturbance. A flicker of chakra, not from the forest, but from an entity. Perched on a high branch behind them, in a tree they had just passed.
There you are.
Shin's eyes snapped open, gleaming with triumph. "Yes!" he whispered. "I managed to sense his chakra signature!"
His heart raced. This was the first time he had used the Sensory Jutsu after learning it—and it worked perfectly.
Without wasting a moment, he sprinted toward the tree, hands light on the trunk as he began to climb. But halfway up, a thought struck him—mischievous, curious.
If I can use the Rooted Flow Principle… then I should be able to do this.
He stopped on a sturdy branch and raised one foot, placing it carefully against the tree's vertical trunk. Focusing his chakra, he let it flow and lock onto the surface like a magnet.
Then, he lifted his other foot off the branch, balancing only on the foot stuck to the trunk.
He didn't fall.
Shin grinned. "Yep. It worked."
Then, with a rush of confidence, he began to walk vertically up the tree, step by step, his chakra locking to the bark with every footfall. Leaves brushed past his shoulders as the wind picked up, but Shin's focus didn't waver.
Let's see how long you can hide.
At the top of the tall tree, nestled between thick branches and leaves, was the culprit—Purr, the feisty black-and-white cat they'd been chasing all morning. The feline blinked lazily at Shin, completely unbothered by the effort he had gone through.
"There you are," Shin muttered, catching his breath. "We've been searching for quite a while."
He slowly reached out, hands steady and careful.
Almost there.
But just as his fingers brushed the cat's fur—fwip—Purr darted away, leaping to the next tree with agile grace.
"Sigh…" Shin exhaled, annoyed but not surprised. He dashed after it, chakra surging to his feet as he jumped to the next branch.
Tree after tree, the chase continued through the canopy, until finally, with a well-timed leap, Shin snagged the cat mid-jump.
"Got you, you bastard," he growled, holding the squirming feline tightly. Purr hissed, but Shin wasn't letting go this time.
With one hand still on the cat, he descended the tree slowly, letting his chakra do the work. Once on the ground, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a small smoke bomb. With a flick, he launched it skyward—a yellow puff burst into the air.
A few moments later, Ryuuji and Ayaka appeared from different directions, converging on him.
Ryuuji took one look and burst into laughter. "You look like a homeless!" he choked out, doubling over.
Shin blinked. He hadn't noticed.
Ayaka stepped forward, eyes lighting up. "Shin, how did you find Purr?"
"I used the Sensory Jutsu," he answered simply, brushing some dirt off his sleeve.
Ayaka's eyes widened. "The Sensory Jutsu? You can use it?!"
Ryuuji's laughter stopped instantly, his mouth half-open. He stared at Shin like he'd just grown another head.
"Yeah."
Ayaka, on the other hand, was visibly impressed. She stepped closer and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. "Shin, come here for a moment."
He leaned slightly toward her, curious.
To his surprise, she started dabbing at his face, gently wiping away smudges of dirt. Her cheeks were flushed, her movements careful.
Shin's face turned red too. He hadn't expected that.
"Thanks, Ayaka…" he murmured with a soft smile once she finished.
"N-Nothing…" she stammered, looking away.
Ryuuji stood awkwardly to the side, feeling like an outsider. His eyes narrowed just slightly as he thought, What does she see in Shin? He's so arrogant and boring...
She probably likes the brooding genius type—
Ryuuji's bitter thoughts were cut off by the sound of rustling leaves behind them.
"Did you guys find it?" came a familiar, lazy voice.
They turned to see Tadao, their jōnin sensei, emerging from the woods with his usual slouch and half-lidded gaze, as if he'd just woken up from a nap.
"Yes, sensei," the three answered in unison.
"Good…" Tadao yawned, scratching his neck. "Let's go take the reward. I want some dango…"
With that, he turned and began walking, not waiting to see if they were following.
...
Soon, they reached the same elegant mansion from their first mission—the home of Ms. Hino.
They stopped at the entrance, and Shin stepped forward to knock. The door creaked open, and Ms. Hino's face lit up as soon as she saw him.
"Oh, it's you, sweet boy!" she beamed. Her eyes dropped to the cat in his arms. "And you've finally found my Purr!"
The cat meowed happily and leapt into her arms, curling against her chest.
"Thank you so much, sweet boy. I knew I could count on you," she said, ruffling Shin's already messy green hair. "I'm so glad I requested your team personally through the Hokage's office."
"It was a pleasure for us, Ms. Hino," Shin replied with a charming, practiced smile.
She laughed lightly. "Oh, and here's your reward! I've added a little extra for you again." She handed over a small envelope—100,000 Ryo in total.
"Thank you, Ms. Hino. If you ever need our help again, we'll rush here as fast as we can." Shin gave a polite bow and another dazzling smile.
Ms. Hino blushed slightly. "Oh oh oh, such a sweet boy," she said, waving as they left.
As they walked away from the mansion, Shin opened the envelope and began counting.
"Hehehe…" he chuckled under his breath. "Seventy thousand more than expected…"
"Shin, I think you should start a business," Ayaka said, half-joking, but half-serious as she looked at him with admiration.
Tadao and Ryuuji both sighed at once.
Sigh…
To be continued...
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