---Third POV---
Some families rejoiced, others grieved.
When the news that Ao had been captured alive reached Kiri, it caused an immediate uproar within the village. Voices criticizing his failure dominated every conversation from the shadowy corners of taverns to the official halls of power.
Fishermen muttered over their nets, merchants paused their haggling to exchange theories, and off-duty ninjas debated in hushed tones. All of them were judges in an unofficial trial.
If Ao were returned to Kiri through some diplomatic exchange, his fate remained uncertain. The village's history was stained with the blood of those who had failed important missions, many choosing to end their own lives rather than face dishonor. Even if he avoided that path, there was a high chance Kiri's radical nationalists would ensure he never had the chance to fail again.
In the marketplace, an elderly vendor traced a finger across his throat while discussing Ao with a customer. This was a gesture so commonplace in Kiri that children mimicked it in their games. Failure wasn't just disappointing in the Bloody Mist; it was often terminal.
Such political assassinations might seem barbaric to outsiders, but in the Bloody Mist, they were simply another means of advancement. It was a harsh tradition, as deeply rooted as the mist that shrouded the village itself.
Inside the Mizukage's office, the Third Mizukage, Byakuya, sat in his chair.
The messenger knelt before his desk, head bowed so low it nearly touched the floor.
"Mizukage-sama, our intelligence confirms it. Ao has been captured alive by Konoha forces. The Byakugan is lost," he reported.
"I see. When?" Byakuya asked, unnervingly calm.
"Approximately 18 hours ago. The capture team was led by Aotsuki Ryouma."
After hearing the report from the ninja, he waved him off, then leaned back, eyes half-closed, lost in thought. After a long while, he let out a soft sigh and muttered to himself, "Maybe it's better to just retreat."
Then he leaned further back in his chair, basking in the warm sunlight, silently ranting in his mind.
War is such a pain. That damn Kaguya clan is always stirring up trouble, yelling about launching a war. Now that the fighting has actually started, I haven't seen them accomplish anything worthwhile.
Especially that Shin, he was the loudest one, claiming to be the strongest in the Kaguya clan's history. And what happened? He got taken out not long after stepping onto the battlefield, by that Leaf's Gale, no less.
I knew it. These bloodline clans are all useless.
If I hadn't quietly built up Kiri's resources while the other villages were caught up in the Second Great Ninja War, we wouldn't even have the supplies to sustain this madness.
Five months of supplies left at current consumption rates. Three if we increase offensive operations. And for what? Territory we can't even properly hold?
Byakuya rubbed his temples, trying to push back the headache that had become his constant companion.
Now that the Byakugan was gone, all that effort to build Ao up through the black market to create a reputation as the "Byakugan Killer" just to suppress the arrogance of those bloodline clans, it had all been in vain.
He pulled a folder from his desk drawer, flipping through the carefully documented expenses from the black market dealings that had built Ao's reputation.
He never expected Ao to fail so miserably, letting Konoha take the Byakugan back so quickly.
The Leaf's Gale was proving to be extremely dangerous for Kiri. Ever since he was sent by Konoha, the situation had started spiraling out of control.
Originally, Kiri had made decent progress on the battlefield, but now it had turned into a cat-and-mouse game, and Ryouma was currently the cat.
Because of the unpredictable raids along the Land of Fire's coastline, Kiri ninjas had been forced into an extremely passive position.
The previously efficient squad infiltration tactics had become nearly impossible to execute. Every mission now felt like fumbling in the dark, filled with uncertainty and risk.
Maps covered the wall behind him, each marked with red X's, locations of Kiri squads that had been decimated. He stood, approaching the map.
He felt that this couldn't continue, or else Kiri would end up like Suna, he had to find a way to eliminate Ryouma.
But who should he send?
"Bring me the active roster of our jonin," he called to his aide waiting outside.
"Most are already deployed at strategic points along—" the aide began.
"I'm well aware of where they are. Bring me the roster," Byakuya cut him off sharply.
Minutes later, he scanned the list, mentally evaluating each name. "No... no... too specialized... too unpredictable..."
Kiri still had plenty of high-level combat power, but in his eyes, not a single one was guaranteed to take down Ryouma.
He reached the end with a frustrated exhale.
Maybe it was time to recall the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and have them assassinate Ryouma?
After a moment of hesitation, he began to write.
---Ryouma's POV---
I stood at the camp gate, seeing off Heiji.
He was returning home to participate in his sister's ceremony, accompanied by several members of the Hyūga clan.
They were sent by the Hyūga clan to escort him, or more accurately, to ensure the Byakugan in his possession returned safely to the village.
Since the Byakugan would now be kept by him, unless something special happened, he would likely never leave the village again for missions. In effect, he was now enjoying main house privileges despite technically being a branch member.
He would live in luxury, be treated with more respect, and never see a battlefield again. Some would call that winning the ninja lottery. But in a way, that was another kind of cage, wasn't it? Then again, all of us were in some kind of cage, be it money, be it love, be it revenge... I was no exception.
I watched him adjust his travel pack one last time.
He looked at me with blazing eyes, his gaze so intense it was impossible to ignore. He had never been good at expressing emotions through words.
Taking a deep breath and doing his best to suppress his excitement, Heiji slowly said, "Thank you, Ryouma."
Just a few simple words, but they came straight from the heart.
"Chin up! Don't embarrass yourself," I said, patting him on the shoulder to encourage him. "You're a hero now, act like one."
Heiji let out a helpless chuckle. "Always ruining the moment, aren't you?"
"Someone has to keep you grounded. All this special treatment might go to your head," I replied with a grin.
"As if. I'll probably be stuck in some ceremonial role, guarding scrolls no one reads," he retorted.
"Better than guarding the front lines. Trust me, the papercuts are much less lethal."
I could tell he appreciated my attempt to lighten the mood. That was just my way, keeping things from getting too serious. Maybe I had become this way since your passing, Thomas. Heiji was the complete opposite of you, but something in him still reminded me of you. You would have loved possessing chakra... I could imagine your excitement at having powers like your Dragonball heroes. I hoped you were happy where you were now. Maybe you'd even found your way to that world you loved so much.
The Hyūga escort cleared his throat pointedly. "We should depart, Heiji-san. The clan elders expect our return by nightfall tomorrow."
"Of course," Heiji nodded. He turned back to me, extending his hand. We clasped forearms in the traditional ninja farewell. It was a gesture of respect between equals.
"Stay alive out here, Ryouma," he said quietly.
"Always do. Save me some of that main house fruit juice for when I get back," I assured him with a confident smile.
After sending him off, I turned and started walking back into the camp.
After a few steps, I suddenly spoke into the air, "Since you're here, why didn't you come out just now to see him off?"
A moment later, Shiori stepped out from the shadows of a wooden building.
"It's not like we'll never see him again. I'm not used to saying goodbye to people," she responded in a cool tone.
I understood what she meant. It was basically: "I came to see him off, and whether he knew or not doesn't matter."
For Shiori, caring was vulnerability, and vulnerability was weakness. The Uchiha had trained that into her from childhood. Rather than calling her out, I simply nodded. Some things didn't need to be said aloud between friends.
I knew Shiori's awkward personality all too well. If she actually expressed her feelings directly, that would be the real surprise.
Suddenly, I noticed something different about her. I moved closer to her, circling around her while eyeing her up and down curiously.
"What are you doing?" she asked warily.
"Please don't move," I replied in a serious tone, continuing my inspection.
Shiori had no idea what I was doing or why. She remained perfectly still, but I caught the slight twitch in her eyebrow, the Uchiha equivalent of extreme annoyance.
Then I spoke with a meaningful tone, "I've noticed for a while now… You're a little different from how you were back around New Year's."
Shiori froze for a moment. I could see the subtle surprise in her expression, she clearly hadn't expected me to notice anything different about her.
"Different how?" she asked cautiously.
"Oh, you know... changes. Significant ones," I said mysteriously.
I knew there was something she was hiding. Maybe a new technique? Something she'd been working on in secret?
"Since you've already noticed, then I…" she began.
"Shiori, you've definitely gotten fatter."
Before she could finish her sentence, I abruptly cut her off, my face full of smug satisfaction.
I couldn't help the mischievous smile that spread across my face. I still remembered it clearly, that time I offered to treat her to a meal, and this glutton ate twelve bowls of noodles without hesitation.
"What? It's nothing to be embarrassed about. War rations agree with some people."
Shiori just gently shook her head, her eyes carrying a hint of confusion.
"Hey, why'd you go quiet? What were you about to say just now?" I asked, noticing she hadn't finished her earlier sentence. I genuinely wanted to know what she'd been hiding.
Shiori stepped in close, invading my personal space as I had invaded hers.
"I was going to say... you haven't grown as fast as me lately," she said slowly, one word at a time.
"What?!"
I had originally just wanted to tease her a little, but ended up getting savagely roasted instead.
Immediately, I started spouting a bunch of nonsense like:
"Girls develop faster than boys," "I'm only 12, I haven't hit my growth spurt yet," "Obito and Kakashi were like this too," "The Rock was probably my height when he was my age," and other equally questionable lines.
And just like that, the air around the camp gate filled with laughter and light-hearted banter.
Mission accomplished, I guess?