Chapter 22: Exiting the Current
The river continued cutting through the forest like a dark line beneath the moonlight.
Water rushed steadily over the rocks, carrying leaves and small branches downstream. The sound never changed. It was constant and quietly powerful.
The Root shinobi moved along both sides of the river.
Silent and efficient.
Their eyes scanned every detail of the terrain as they advanced.
At the front of the group, Torune moved calmly across the river's surface. Chakra held his footing above the water while the current passed beneath him.
Behind his glasses, his gaze moved slowly across the riverbank.
Searching the area methodically.
The insects beneath his cloak stirred again.
Small clusters of Rinkaichū slipped into the air and spread outward across the forest.
They drifted between tree trunks.
Over rocks.
Along the damp soil near the water.
Each one carried back fragments of information.
But nothing clear appeared.
Fū Yamanaka walked along the right bank, keeping pace with him.
In complete silence.
The group continued downstream, carefully examining the terrain.
One of the Root operatives stopped near the water's edge.
"There are more disturbances here."
Torune stepped closer.
The soil was softer in this area. Small marks were visible near the edge of the river.
Footprints.
But they were shallow.
Unclear.
Fū studied them silently.
"Still moving with the river," he said quietly.
Torune did not answer immediately.
Instead, his insects returned once again.
Dozens of microscopic bodies gathered beneath his cloak.
Reporting to him as he listened with rapt attention.
Then he slowly lifted his head and looked farther down the river.
Something felt wrong.
Not with the tracks.
But with the pattern.
They had followed the river for several minutes now.
And yet the signs were inconsistent.
Small disturbances appeared every so often, but never clearly enough to confirm a direction.
A careful shinobi could leave false traces.
Torune knew that.
He crouched again and studied the ground more closely.
The footprint near the waterline was shallow.
Too shallow.
If someone had stepped out of the river here after walking through it for that long, the soil should have shifted more.
Unless—
He stood again.
Fū noticed immediately.
"You found something."
Torune nodded and spoke, a slight weight entering his voice.
"He misled us."
One of the Root shinobi frowned slightly.
"How?"
Torune pointed toward the footprint.
"This mark was placed intentionally."
Fū's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the ground again.
"Meaning?"
Torune's voice remained calm.
"He wanted us to believe he continued downstream."
A brief silence passed between the group.
Fū slowly turned his head and looked upstream.
The river stretched in the opposite direction, disappearing into the dark forest behind them.
"…You think he went the other way."
Torune nodded once.
"Yes."
Another operative spoke.
"But the current—"
"That is exactly why."
Torune stepped out of the water and onto the riverbank.
"A shinobi escaping pursuit would remove his tracks."
He looked at the flowing river again.
"Walking upstream erases every sign of movement."
Fū folded his arms as he considered it.
The logic was sound.
The current would carry away any footprints immediately.
And if Kenzo had only briefly stepped out to leave a false trail—
Then they had been chasing a shadow.
Fū exhaled quietly.
"He's really careful."
Torune turned toward the direction they had come from.
"Yes."
"A shinobi capable of defeating an ANBU squad of that scale would not rely on simple escape methods."
He then began moving again.
But this time—
Upstream.
The Root operatives followed without hesitation.
Their formation shifted instantly as the direction of the hunt changed.
Meanwhile…
Far ahead of where they had been searching —
Kenzo stepped out of the river.
Water dripped quietly from his clothes as he climbed onto a flat stretch of stone along the riverbank.
The current rushed past him, carrying leaves and small debris away into the darkness.
He stood still for a moment, listening carefully for any movement or any insects in the air.
After finding none—
Kenzo looked downstream briefly.
Then back upstream.
His expression remained calm.
"They should have noticed by now," he murmured quietly.
His mind was already calculating.
Root shinobi were not fools.
They would not be fooled for long by such a simple trick.
Someone like Torune would eventually see through the diversion.
And when he did—
He would begin moving upstream.
Kenzo had already expected this.
Which was why he hadn't stayed in the river forever.
He then knelt near the water and picked up a small stone.
For a moment he studied the current.
Then he dropped the stone into the river.
It vanished instantly beneath the rushing water.
The action allowed him to observe the speed of the current and confirm that the river had truly erased every trace of his trail.
Kenzo stood again and looked toward the forest ahead.
The trees here were more spread out.
The terrain sloped gently upward away from the river.
Good ground for moving quickly.
After carefully scouting the area earlier, he had deliberately chosen this section of the river.
It was ideal for leaving the water and escaping quickly.
Kenzo briefly glanced down at his legs.
The cold water had numbed them slightly, but the feeling would return soon.
For now—
Distance was what mattered.
He stepped away from the riverbank and into the forest.
His movements were quick and controlled.
Within seconds his figure disappeared between the trees.
Behind him, the river continued its endless journey through the forest.
And somewhere far downstream—
The Root shinobi were only now beginning to realize they had been following the wrong direction.
(A.N) Skippable
I hope you're enjoying the novel so far. I just wanted to ask which style you prefer. Would you like the chapters to include more detailed descriptions, or would you rather they stay straight and simple?
You can comment below anytime. I read every single one of them and would be glad to answer your questions or hear your thoughts.