Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

All the color drained from the middle-aged man's face. His lips trembled, and the silhouettes of the three black ships reflected in his pupils.

It was obvious that the man had finally realized the truth: their secret conspiracy, and even their very actions, had been under the watchful eyes of the Kirigakure ANBU the entire time.

So much for their grand scheme. They thought they were the ones setting a trap, but in reality, they were the ones being played.

"No... how could this be..."

The middle-aged man tore his gaze away from the three ships. Seeing the corpses floating on the water and his wounded comrades, his eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"We really are... a joke."

His voice was hoarse, laced with deep remorse.

He had believed he was doing the right thing, that he was saving the village, and that his sacrifice would have meaning.

But now he realized that from beginning to end, he was nothing more than a pawn to be used. The deaths of his comrades were completely meaningless.

Uchiha Taiga glanced down at him without a word, then raised his head to look at the three ships in the distance.

Yugito Nii stood beside him, her ninja sword still unsheathed and its blade stained with blood. Her gaze also fell upon the three ships, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Should we make a move?"

Uchiha Taiga shook his head.

"No rush. Let's see how this plays out first."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He cast a fleeting glance toward the last of the three ships before withdrawing his gaze, his expression returning to a calm facade.

The three ships had already drawn near.

The Kirigakure ANBU at the bows leaped from their vessels, landing squarely on the merchant ship's deck.

They wore uniform black outfits and animal masks—some resembling cats, others dogs, and some foxes. One by one, their eyes swept over the scene on the water, past Uchiha Taiga and Yugito Nii, before finally settling on the subdued middle-aged man.

The leading ANBU raised a hand and made a gesture. The rest of the squad immediately fanned out. Some jumped into the water to drag the wounded rogue ninjas together, binding their hands and feet with rope, while others hauled the floating corpses out of the sea.

The entire process was swift and efficient, meeting absolutely no resistance.

The rogue ninjas had completely lost their will to fight. They all kept their heads down in utter defeat; no one struggled or tried to flee, having clearly accepted their fate.

The leading ANBU walked up to Uchiha Taiga, stopping just a short distance away.

He wore a cat mask with two dark holes for eyes, through which a cold, piercing gaze could be seen. His eyes lingered on Uchiha Taiga's face for a moment before shifting to Yugito Nii, and then down to the blood-dripping ninja sword in her hand.

"Who are you?"

His voice was flat, devoid of any discernible emotion.

The other ANBU had already closed in, sealing off all avenues of escape for the two. Each had a hand resting on their ninja sword, bodies leaning slightly forward, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

The people on the merchant ship had long since shrunk back into a corner, shivering in sheer terror.

Uchiha Taiga didn't even look at the surrounding ANBU. Keeping his gaze fixed entirely on the cat-masked leader, he asked, "Did you secretly let these people come after us?"

The cat-masked ANBU did not answer. The eyes behind the mask remained as cold as ice.

The other ANBU also remained silent. No one moved; no one made a sound.

Seeing their reaction, Uchiha Taiga grew even more certain of his theory. He turned his head to look at the middle-aged man sprawled on the deck, a hint of exasperation in his tone.

"You really are a fool. This was obviously a trap, yet you dove headfirst right into it."

The middle-aged man's body shuddered. He buried his face in his arms, his shoulders shaking silently.

Uchiha Taiga withdrew his gaze and looked back at the cat-masked ANBU.

"We're just here to travel around Kirigakure. Could you do us a favor and let us pass?"

His expression... how to put it, looked incredibly sincere.

Unfortunately, no one bought it.

The cat-masked ANBU's voice remained flat. "Kirigakure is not open to outsiders. Furthermore, you do not look like ordinary people."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the surrounding ANBU took another step closer.

Some had already drawn their ninja swords halfway, others reached into their ninja tool pouches, and a few had begun preparing hand signs.

Uchiha Taiga still didn't move, but in the next instant, someone suddenly attacked.

It wasn't the cat-masked ANBU, but a fox-masked ANBU standing behind him.

His body vanished from his spot and reappeared right in front of Uchiha Taiga, a kunai gripped in his right hand, thrusting straight toward Taiga's face.

The tip of the kunai glinted coldly in the sunlight, moving with astonishing speed.

*Swish!*

Yugito Nii sprang into action.

She swung her ninja sword upward, the blade clashing precisely against the kunai with a sharp clink.

The kunai was deflected, spinning through the air a few times before clattering onto the deck.

The fox-masked ANBU was forced back two steps by the impact. As he steadied himself, a flash of shock crossed his eyes behind the mask.

Uchiha Taiga stood exactly where he was, completely unfazed.

He hadn't even blinked. His expression remained unchanged, a faint smile still playing on his lips.

"Just as I thought."

His voice was perfectly calm.

"You recognized us from the very beginning, didn't you?"

The cat-masked ANBU fell silent.

He tightened his grip on his ninja sword and stood up straight, his eyes glaring coldly at Uchiha Taiga from behind the mask.

"Kill them."

His voice wasn't loud, but the command was crystal clear.

The surrounding ANBU moved in unison. Some drew their swords, some threw kunai, and others wove hand signs to unleash ninjutsu.

Flashes of blades, flying kunai, and surges of ninjutsu converged on Uchiha Taiga from all directions, sealing off any room to dodge.

Yugito Nii spun rapidly beside Uchiha Taiga. The ninja sword in her hand blurred into a ribbon of silver, deflecting every incoming attack one by one.

The rapid clashing of metal sounded like a torrential downpour, sending sparks flying and shattered blades scattering across the deck.

Uchiha Taiga stood there, as motionless as a stone statue.

His gaze bypassed the ANBU entirely, landing on the final ship.

"Heh, since you're already here, why bother hiding?"

His voice wasn't loud, yet it cut clearly through the chaotic sounds of battle.

As soon as he spoke, the surrounding ANBU froze in their tracks.

It wasn't that they wanted to stop fighting, but rather that a shadow had spread outward from Uchiha Taiga's feet, connecting with everyone's shadows and forcing their bodies to stiffen involuntarily.

At the same time, the cabin door of the last ship opened, and a figure stepped out.

The person was not tall—in fact, he could be considered quite short, looking much like a young boy.

He wore a dark combat outfit and a bamboo hat draped with a layer of white veil that obscured his face.

His steps were steady, each footfall on the deck producing a soft thud. He walked to the bow of the ship and stopped.

A breeze swept past, lifting a corner of the white veil to reveal the face beneath.

It was a youthful face with round cheeks and large eyes. The corners of his mouth were turned down slightly, making him look as though he were either angry or deep in thought. A horizontal scar ran across his face, stretching from his left cheek to his right, broken only at the bridge of his nose.

Yagura Karatachi.

The Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure, and the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails, Isobu.

He stood at the bow, looking at Uchiha Taiga through the white veil. His gaze was as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

There was no fluctuation of chakra around him. He looked just like an ordinary boy, yet no one dared to underestimate him.

Because it was this very boy-like figure who had initiated the Blood Mist policy in Kirigakure, plunging the village into a state of brutal, ongoing turmoil.

Uchiha Taiga wasn't surprised by his appearance in the slightest. Instead, with a peculiar expression, he asked, "I don't get it. Your people already recognized me, so why did they still attack? Could it be that you're truly not afraid at all?"