Chapter 144: Cracks

The night was deep, wrapped in a thick silence that only the wind rustling through the trees dared to break.

Ren sat upright, eyes half-closed, his breathing slow and controlled.

He was monitoring the chakra field around him, allowing his perception to expand beyond mere sight.

Every small movement, every shift in the air, reached him as a subtle vibration on his skin.

Then—something. A sound, distant movements.

Ren opened his eyes, his body already prepared to react.But instead of alerting the group, he focused his sensory chakra on the exact location.And in a few moments, he understood.

Ren stood up, keeping his composure, and took a few steps toward the presences.From the dense vegetation, two figures emerged in the night.

Shin advanced with silent, deliberate steps, hands in his pockets, his face impassive.

When his eyes met Ren's, he stopped for a moment.

He didn't speak right away. He simply observed him.Then, with a slight nod, he murmured:

"Hmph."

It was his way of acknowledging Ren's presence without too many words.He glanced at the clone beside him, then returned his gaze to Ren.

"Your clone pointed me toward the center of the forest."A brief pause."He was right."

Nothing more. Direct and concise.Ren's clone nodded neutrally, no further words needed.

Shin turned back to Ren, this time with a slight frown."What happened?"

His voice was devoid of emotion, but in his expression, there was an attentive expectation.He wasn't interested in unnecessary details. He just wanted the facts.

Ren didn't waste time. There was no space for hesitation, not now."A lot."His voice was low, tense, heavy.

Shin paused for a moment, scrutinizing him with his usual neutral gaze.

But something was off.

Ren had always had a composed, confident, almost impenetrable air.And yet, at that moment, something was different.His posture was rigid, his tone colder than usual.

Shin narrowed his eyes, not voicing his thoughts, but in his mind, something clicked.This is the first time I've seen him like this.

Ren crossed his arms, his gaze firm, ice-cold."Kurara was seriously injured."

Shin didn't move, but a spark passed through his dark eyes."Injured?"

"Struck straight in the heart by a masked man."

A heavy silence fell between them.Shin remained still, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Then, clenching his fist, he exhaled slowly.

"Damn it."

It was a subdued curse, but in his tone, there was more weight than a thousand words.Shin wasn't the type to vent emotions unnecessarily, but at that moment, he felt frustration rise in his throat like venom.

Kurara.He had always seen her as a stubborn troublemaker, but one thing was certain:She didn't deserve this.

He lifted his gaze to Ren, expecting the worst.

"Is she dead?"

"No."

Shin raised an eyebrow, observing him more closely."How?"

Ren kept his gaze neutral, choosing his words with extreme care.

"Fortunately, the blade didn't go deep enough."

Shin didn't reply immediately.His expression didn't change, but something in his eyes darkened.

"Are you serious?"

Ren didn't flinch.

"The blade deviated slightly, it didn't fully pierce."

Shin sighed softly, never taking his eyes off him.

"That's a relief."

Shin crouched down, crossing his arms."And the others?"

Ren quickly explained the situation—that Hiroshi was still in critical condition, Jun'ko and Yukiko needed more time to recover, and that the masked man was allied with Misaki's group.

Shin listened to everything without interrupting.

When Ren finished, he remained silent for a long moment.Then, he closed his eyes for a few seconds, as if processing everything.When he reopened them, his gaze was more serious.

"Tsk."

- - -

Dawn tinged the sky with shades of orange and purple, announcing a new day filled with uncertainties.

The group woke up with sluggish movements, though they had recovered some energy.

Kurara was breathing better, a sign that the treatments were working.But now they had another problem.

They needed supplies.

Shin stepped forward, watching Ren intently.

"We need to get food."

Ren nodded. "Let's form two groups.Shin, you'll go with Shinji and one of my clones. I'll stay here with the rest of the group."

Without wasting more time, Shin, Shinji, and Ren's clone headed into the forest while Ren remained at the base camp.

As the hunting group moved away, Ren sat down in meditation.He closed his eyes and let his breath sync with the sounds of nature.

The cool night air caressed his skin, the sound of the wind through the leaves creating a constant melody, a silent heartbeat permeating the environment.

But truly relaxing was impossible.His mind wouldn't stop.

The best solution would be to wait out the remaining two days… but we'd be easy targets… and then there's a score to settle.

If the masked man is really Zabuza, something has drastically changed in him over the past year. Could this be what will eventually lead him to assassinate Yagura?

Maybe out of resentment?

At this point, events were already changing.The butterfly effect had begun.

If I were Obito, what would I do?I'd act like Danzo, working from the shadows.

So someone close to Yagura is under his control.I could ask Ao under some plausible excuse… I'll think about it later.

Misaki…

She has too much determination, too much of a need to prove something.Yet something torments her.

If she were just a zealot ready to do anything for her clan, she wouldn't have hesitated when Kurara was struck.I can't predict her next moves with certainty, but I know she won't turn back.

- - -

In a flash, a blade sliced through the air.

A sharp sound.

Then, the body of a large bird fell to the ground, motionless.

For a moment, the group remained still, on alert.Then, with a sigh, Shin relaxed.

"Just an animal."

Shinji tilted his head slightly, observing the prey he had taken down.

"Better than nothing."

Ren's clone nodded.

"Let's head back."

- - -

The sea breeze blew gently along the coast, carrying the taste of salt and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the cliffs.

Despite the seemingly peaceful atmosphere, the air was thick with a subtle tension—an energy suspended between those who watched and those who were being watched.

Seated at the center of the vast stone platform overlooking the sea, Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, carefully examined the reports of the ongoing exam.

His cold, inscrutable gaze moved over the pages with absolute calm, betraying no emotion.

By his side stood Fujimoto-sensei, several ANBU, and, slightly behind, the Council Member Fujino.

The only sounds, apart from the crashing waves, were the soft rustling of the pages as Yagura turned them with mechanical precision.

The first files concerned the academic exams of previous years.

He started from the first-year reports.

Statistics, combat patterns, supervisors' reports—everything seemed consistent with what was expected from such young students.

Deaths? Yes, but only a few.

The first-year exam, though brutal for those who weren't ready, had never required an excessive blood toll.

Yagura flipped to the next section.

He moved on to the second-year reports.

And there, he noticed something.

The death toll had significantly increased compared to previous years.

It wasn't just a number. It was a pattern.

Even the nature of the battles seemed more violent, more lethal.

His expression remained unreadable, but his mind began analyzing the phenomenon with greater attention.

Such a drastic increase in just a few years... Is it just a coincidence?

Yagura was not a man who believed in coincidences.

Finally, he arrived at the current report.

The third-year exam.

He expected to find the same pattern—perhaps even an increase in deaths.

But what he saw made him pause for a moment.

There had been no deaths so far.

The students were surviving.

Was that even possible?

Technically, yes. Each class had its own dynamic, and sometimes student groups were more strategic, less impulsive.

And yet, something about this troubled him.

This is going too smoothly.

He didn't immediately lift his gaze. He continued reading.

The battles had taken place, but nothing serious.

No one had died.

Strange.

Very strange.

But not impossible.

As he continued reading, a small detail caught his attention.

Not in the report.

On the coast.

The ANBU who had handed him the document made an almost imperceptible movement.

A slight tilt of the head, almost an involuntary reflex.

For a brief moment, his attention seemed to slip toward a precise point.

Fujino.

It was nothing obvious.

Nothing that could immediately raise suspicion.

Just a small gesture, a fraction of a second.

But Yagura noticed.

He closed the report and leaned back slightly, fixing his gaze on the sea for a long moment.

"The situation is proceeding more smoothly than expected," he said, his tone neutral, revealing no hint of suspicion.

Fujino gave a small smile.

"Yes, Mizukage-sama. This year's students seem to be... more balanced."

Yagura didn't respond immediately.

He let a few seconds pass before slowly turning his gaze back to him.

His face was calm.

His tone indifferent.

Then, he called out to an ANBU with a fish-shaped mask.

"Go check personally."

Fujino interrupted, his voice smooth but firm.

"Mizukage-sama, there is already an ANBU on the island."

"Two can cover more ground."

Yagura's voice was absolute.

Fujino remained silent for a moment, then bowed slightly.

"As you wish, Mizukage-sama."

The masked ANBU disappeared instantly, vanishing into the mist.

Yagura returned his gaze to the sea.

His fingers tapped lightly against the stone surface.

A quiet rhythm.

A rhythm of calculated thought.

Something was happening within the mist.

And Yagura intended to find out what.

[Hi There! Ito-kun here ^.^ Sorry for the delay, i'll update one more chapter in the next hour, and if i can i want to gift you one more chapter, so that the story can develop further faster :)

Thanks everyone specially Jayroy_63 ,Sami_Alfoheday, BagusPardana, thefarmerboy007_7, Daoist9Qy0Nv, Darkosiris_Lopez, Alexx_Sejas, Werty_9247, RyuB201, shadowborn, Yasmin_Silva_3876, RyuB201, DaoistVVm1Vi,Saryman, DaoistDW5XU4, Acnol,DaoistSEsItM,bndr, RyuB201, VanHellsing6969, Daoist710883, WertyTribola,GuyWithSomeInteres, LevinCloth, Daoist0thxiB, bndr, AKIB19,LevinCloth, DaoistAZmi17,Alexx_Sejas, Morgoph, Strandarn, Gothrog, Nonymous_H, Ikaro_Rodrigues, Radical_Hamburger1, Misteriboi, AKIB19, Syndulyr, Abdul_Salam_FASAMI,julii_garcia, averious, Storm2010, Henrique_Aaa, SAGAR11, sip_Yo,Natan_Santana_1549, Zayah, Saryman, NathanBESH, Daoist9Sa84q, Gothrog, shadowborn, DarkGambit, Miguel_024 and Meltis_Pach!

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