Once a person has a path of retreat, they become weak.
This is true for anyone, without exception.
Aburame Ryōma, the second-in-command of Root, was a man who lived by this creed. It was the only reason he had survived this long in the shadowed underbelly of the shinobi world—a place defined by lies and deception.
March 12th, 5:00 PM, Kusunami Coast.
Ryōma sat upon a motorboat, staring silently at the horizon where the sea met the sky.
It was an overcast day. The wind was howling, and endless dark clouds tumbled and churned at the edge of the world. Despite the gale, the surface of the sea remained eerily calm, as if it were gathering a violent strength intended to flip the world upside down.
Suddenly, a lithe figure wearing a bird-head mask leaped from the coconut grove and landed on the shore.
Ryōma adjusted his dark glasses and turned his head. He stared indifferently at his subordinate, Terai.
"Is it handled?"
"Shigaraki Tanuki has been arrested on charges of embezzling funds and stealing Root assets. However..."
Ryōma nodded, seemingly oblivious to the hesitation in Terai's voice.
Terai grit his teeth but persisted with his report. "It appears Hyuga Yu and Shigaraki Tanuki teamed up to research something... incredible. It involves that project—the one we've been studying in secret."
"I know."
Terai barked urgently, "My Lord, any progress made on that research will catch Lord Danzō's eye. If I may be so bold, moving against Shigaraki Tanuki now is a step too late!"
"As long as he holds 'value,' he will eventually be exonerated. Furthermore, his status will be more secure than ever. He might even... become a threat to you!"
However, Ryōma simply shook his head.
"It is not too late," he said flatly. "At the very least, we have completely cut off that Hyuga brat's retreat. The plan can proceed."
"But I don't understand—" Terai stared intensely at Ryōma, his fists clenching slightly.
He could sense that Ryōma actually admired Hyuga Yu.
Yet, just as Yu had demonstrated his talent—even creating enough value to potentially escape his dangerous position as bait—Ryōma had used an even more ruthless method to force the boy into a dead end.
His thoughts and his actions were completely contradictory.
Ryōma offered no explanation. He simply reached out, shifted the boat's control lever, and slammed his foot onto the accelerator.
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
As the engine roared to life, Ryōma suddenly turned his head and issued a cold command.
"Terai."
"From this moment on, I am granting you command over all Root members stationed at the Kusunami Coast."
"You have only one mission:"
"In the coming war between the Leaf and the Mist, ensure Hyuga Yu's survival—at all costs!"
"If necessary, you are permitted to follow his orders."
"If I fall during this mission, then you and Shin must do everything in your power to assist Hyuga Yu in taking my place within Root!"
Terai's expression hardened. Though he still couldn't fathom Ryōma's ultimate goal, he did not hesitate to drop to one knee and accept the order.
"Understood!"
With his affairs settled, Ryōma narrowed his eyes behind his dark lenses and looked toward the Land of Water.
The wailing sea breeze brushed against his face, and for a fleeting moment, a sense of "unwillingness" stirred in his heart.
Feeling this touch of weakness, Ryōma let out a self-deprecating sneer.
Then, expressionless once more, he floored the throttle.
Roar!
The tiny vessel traced a path like a night owl across the water, heading straight for the massive, looming shadows of the Hidden Mist's warships in the distance.
He charged toward the Land of Water.
Meanwhile, at the Hidden Leaf Medical Corps Camp.
"Hurry! Move those supplies!"
"Medical provisions must be moved to the new camp site in the Nameless Forest before dawn!"
"The Mist's offensive is expected to begin tomorrow morning. This place will become the front line!"
"If you don't want to die, put some back into it!"
The sound of frantic footsteps mingled with the roar of a crowd. Dozens of medical ninja and apprentices scurried about the cramped camp in a state of chaos.
Equipment of all sizes and medical crates were being hauled by shinobi dispatched from the main Leaf camp, desperately transporting everything to the rear.
In a corner of the frantic camp, Yumiko pushed open a tent flap. She had just finished a medicine registration task assigned by the higher-ups. Watching the chaos outside, her face paled slightly.
Just then, Might Duy happened to pass by, carrying a stack of wooden crates piled high on his back. He gave her a friendly warning.
"Doctor Yumiko! You should retreat to the rear quickly. The fighting is about to start!"
"Mr. Duy?" Yumiko looked at him, her heart skipping a beat. She asked immediately, "Do you know where Hyuga Yu is?"
"Hyuga Yu?"
Upon hearing the name, Might Duy instantly became wary. He stared at Yumiko with a strange look in his eyes.
Over the past month, this woman had been constantly trying to get close to him, fishing for information about Hyuga Yu and trying to use Duy as a bridge to reach the boy.
Duy had played the fool every time to brush her off. He had even used her interest as an excuse to drag her into his training sessions as a minor "punishment." He had been quite proud of himself for this, often recounting the stories to Yu with a cheerful, gloating grin.
What he didn't realize, however...
Was that through this process, he had actually become quite familiar with Yumiko. The relationship between them had warmed considerably.
Putting aside the fact that she was a potential spy, the woman was actually a very gentle medical ninja. She treated patients, fresh academy graduates, and even Might Duy with the same kindness. She never called him the "Eternal Genin" like the others in the village did.
It was the accumulation of these small factors that made Duy—even though he knew something was off about her—subconsciously warn her to leave for her own safety.
In the back of his mind, he didn't want such a kind doctor to lose her life on the battlefield.
However, the moment his disciple Hyuga Yu was mentioned, Duy's guard went back up, and his posture became defensive.
Yumiko took in Duy's reaction completely.
She shook her head at him and decided to speak plainly.
"Mr. Duy, I mean Hyuga Yu no ill will—"
"Or, to put it more bluntly: we very much wish to have him!"
"We? Have Hyuga Yu?"
Duy froze, catching the keyword. He never expected Yumiko to be so direct!
"You likely realized it a long time ago, so I won't hide it from you anymore. I am a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud."
The Hidden Sand spy, Yumiko, took a deep breath and lied through her teeth without so much as a blush.
"You must have heard that our Hidden Cloud is a village that prizes brotherhood above all else. We are working hard to build a better village, and for that, we need more like-minded 'brothers' to join us."
"And I was sent here specifically for that purpose."
"We noticed Hyuga Yu's uniqueness long ago. We understand his desires, his situation, and the danger he is about to face!"
"I am one of the members secretly sent here to protect him!"
At this point, Yumiko's expression became incredibly solemn.
"Now, I must inform you: your disciple, that child named Hyuga Yu—"
"His situation is extremely dangerous!"
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