The mission briefing was simple:
"Escort a merchant named Riku through Withering Vale to the neighboring village of Tanzakura. Expect mild bandit threats."
Simple… on paper.
Team Nine gathered at Hanagakure's eastern gate at dawn, the sky painted with gold and lavender. Shisui carried his full set of tools, his newly earned team scroll secured on his belt. Makoto, energetic as always, tapped his staff against his shoulder. Yua maintained her usual calm, eyes focused beneath her silver-blue hair.
Riku, the merchant, was a portly man with a red scarf and a nervous tick in his left eye. "I heard Withering Vale's been haunted lately… rumors of chakra disturbances."
Kaien's voice played through the earpieces they wore:
> "You are to observe and report anything unusual. Do not engage beyond your rank unless absolutely necessary."
They moved swiftly through the forest paths, Shisui scouting ahead with electromagnetic pulses. The terrain changed dramatically after two hours—lush greens faded into brittle shrubs and cracked soil. The once-beautiful vale now carried a haunting weight.
Shisui paused, narrowing his eyes.
"Arch Energy residue… corrupted and volatile. Something's wrong."
Suddenly, the ground erupted. A lone shinobi burst from the brittle soil, cloaked in torn robes and emitting corrupted Arch Energy—a sickly green-black aura that pulsed unnaturally.
"Give me the merchant," the rogue hissed, eyes wild. "He's carrying something valuable… something my master needs."
Shisui stepped forward, magnetic currents flickering around him. "You'll get nothing."