It was still the 38th year of Konoha. The weather had been gloomy these past few days.

  Shimizu Kenjin’s funeral was held alongside the other ninja who had fallen in the same mission.

  Before the ceremony, Shimizu Miketsuki went to see Kenjin’s body.

  If there was any silver lining in this tragedy, it was that Kenjin’s body remained rgely intact. According to what the ANBU could disclose, the mission had taken pce along the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire.

  Several forward outposts had been attacked and breached by unknown enemies. Oddly, the attackers didn’t occupy these points—they slipped through the gap and infiltrated the Fishwater Harbor area deep within the coast.

  Kenjin’s team had been tasked with investigating this shadowy threat. The mission initially went smoothly. According to the intelligence they managed to rey back, the enemy was none other than the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

  However, their retreat was anything but smooth. It appeared the Mist had deliberately used themselves as bait. Once the recon team discovered their presence, the enemy immediately turned their attention on them.

  The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were each elite jonin wielding unique and fearsome bdes. It was said that, united, they could topple a small nation in a single night.

  Facing such a foe, it was a miracle the team managed to send intel back to the vilge at all. Of the eight-person squad, only Kenjin and Uchiha En were on par with elite jonin. The rest included four mere chunin.

  To make matters worse, the enemy had thoroughly prepared their ambush. When the recon team arrived, only three of the Swordsmen revealed themselves—Jūzō Biwa, Fuguki Suikazan, and Hozuki Chiren.

  The remaining three y in wait outside the harbor. Caught in a pincer attack, the odds were stacked overwhelmingly against the Konoha shinobi.

  Miketsuki didn’t know the exact details of the battle, but just imagining the situation was enough to paint a grim picture.

  In the end, thanks to the desperate sacrifice of Kenjin and five others, Uchiha En and a jonin from the Aburame Cn managed to get the intel back to Konoha.

  The vilge responded swiftly. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, immediately dispatched Jiraiya to lead a team to pursue the enemy.

  But they found nothing.

  The Seven Swordsmen had brought no subordinates. Just the seven of them, moving swiftly and with lethal precision. With help from an Inuzuka tracker, Jiraiya’s squad followed their trail back to the breach in the coastline.

  It was clear now—this had been a fishing expedition by Kirigakure. The Swordsmen had unched a quick and deadly strike, then retreated without hesitation. Not only did they gain valuable intel and cause casualties, they also tied up some of Konoha’s top combat strength.

  After all, once the enemy’s identity was confirmed, Konoha couldn’t afford to respond with anything less than its best.

  Truth be told, the Swordsmen had gotten lucky. Had they deyed their withdrawal even slightly, they would’ve been caught by Jiraiya—and the Seven wouldn’t have remained seven for long.

  …

  Back to the funeral.

  Dressed in a bck mourning kimono, Miketsuki stood silently before Kenjin’s grave.

  Around him, other grieving families gathered, their faces pale and subdued. Some children, just like Miketsuki, bit their lips and covered their faces to muffle sobs, doing their best not to make a sound.

  Even the Third Hokage had come to preside over the ceremony.

  “Wherever the leaves dance, there is fire. The fire's shadow will shine brightly and illuminate the vilge, nurturing new life among the leaves.”

  It was the first time Miketsuki had heard those words from Hiruzen himself. They didn’t strike any particur chord in him—but he noticed the eyes of those around him brighten with solemn resolve.

  This world really is a never-ending battlefield, he thought. No wonder everyone clings so desperately to hollow ideals. The shinobi world feels like one big cult.

  As the ceremony ended, Miketsuki walked home, his thoughts drifting to a man he’d noticed earlier—the one with the Uchiha crest embroidered on his back.

  That must have been Uchiha En—Kenjin’s friend. Miketsuki had pnned to thank him after the ceremony. After all, the man had gifted him something extremely valuable.

  But En had left early, without a word.

  When Miketsuki arrived at the Shimizu household and was about to unlock the door, it suddenly swung open from the inside. Startled, he instinctively prepared to jump back.

  “Rex. It’s just me.”

  Uchiha En stepped out slowly, speaking in a calm, unhurried tone as he looked at the startled boy.

  Miketsuki was completely baffled. Sure, stealth was a basic ninja skill—but En had clearly opened the door from the inside.

  He was certain he’d locked it before leaving.

  He’d known En and Kenjin were close—probably teammates since their graduation—but he hadn’t expected En to have a copy of their house key.

  Still dazed, Miketsuki looked at him, just about to invite him in for a chat—when something changed.

  Uchiha En’s eyes shifted.

  From bck pupils to three spinning tomoe. Then, in a blink, they transformed again—three tear-shaped symbols interlocking at the center.

  Mangekyō Sharingan.

  Miketsuki’s heart pounded. He didn’t know why En would reveal such a power to him—but a moment ter, the question became irrelevant.

  The genjutsu released, and En swiftly caught Miketsuki, who had started to colpse. He carried him to the living room sofa, did something he couldn’t remember, and then quietly left.

  Not long after, Miketsuki awoke, groggy but alert.

  “I came home after the funeral… at the door, I ran into Kenjin’s teammate, Uchiha En. Then… what happened?”

  A familiar screen blinked to life in front of him—his system interface.

  [Host: Shimizu Miketsuk

  This chapter isn’t over yet! Click next page to continue the exciting story!

  [Skills: Chakra Refinement Technique, Substitution Jutsu, Transcription Seal - Ame-no-Tokoyomi (One-Time Use)]

  [Wish Rewards: None]

  [Mail: No new messages]

  Miketsuki stared, dumbfounded. Where the hell had that one-time-use skill come from?

  He recognized the term “Transcription Seal.” It was a high-level sealing technique—one that embedded a jutsu into an object or person, set to activate under certain conditions.

  In the manga, Itachi had sealed Amaterasu into Sasuke’s eye. And considering the st thing he saw before bcking out was Uchiha En...

  It wasn’t hard to connect the dots.

  This “Ame-no-Tokoyomi” must be En’s Mangekyō ability. Was it awakened because of Kenjin’s death?

  If so… Miketsuki had clearly underestimated the bond between them.

  Curious, he tapped on the skill description.

  [Transcription Seal - Ame-no-Tokoyomi: When the host suffers a fatal injury, time will reverse, restoring the host to their state 24 hours prior.]

  !

  Just from the name alone, Miketsuki had guessed it might be time-reted. In Japanese mythology, Ame-no-Tokoyomi was a deity associated with the flow of time.

  But he hadn’t expected the ability to be this powerful—it was practically a mini version of Izanagi.

  So En was worried about the safety of Kenjin’s orphan... and came to give me a safeguard?

  The thought sent a wave of unease through Miketsuki.

  People who hadn’t transmigrated could never understand this kind of guilt.

  He wasn’t really Kenjin’s son. He was just an imposter from another world—Blue Star. Even when Chiyoko and Kenjin died, he’d mostly been telling himself to stay calm, to cope.

  But he had received so much from them.

  He could keep rationalizing it. I’m just a kid—what could I have done differently? But this time, Miketsuki didn’t want to make excuses for his emotional detachment.

  He wanted to act.

  At the very least, I have to get stronger. I have to find a way to avenge Chiyoko and Kenjin… take the fight to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. To Kirigakure.

  <><><><><>

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