The Unfavored Babysitter

By noon, Uchiha Shisui appeared at Mount Myōjin.

At his hip, wrapped in blood-soaked cloth, swung a grisly package.

Ishiki Kujo didn't need anyone to tell him — inside was the severed head of the intelligence agent.

Yet no matter how he looked at that bundle, Ishiki saw it for what it truly was: a ticking time bomb.

Through his clone's memories, Ishiki knew there was a seal placed within that brain.

But what exactly had been sealed?

A memory?

Or a catastrophic explosion?

He didn't know.

But he knew one thing for certain:

Danzō Shimura would never allow that head to safely reach Konoha.

Shisui himself wasn't in great shape either. Though physical injuries were absent, his chakra reserves were nearly bled dry. He needed rest, urgently.

Still, Ishiki couldn't help but admire him.

Shisui had survived an encirclement at Kuroku Mountain — an ambush Ishiki had seen with his Byakugan.

If Ishiki had been caught there himself, even leaving behind a whole corpse would have been a miracle.

"Let's move," Shisui said curtly. "We can't stay in the Land of Hot Water. Kumogakure's pursuit squads will be on us soon."

Without resting, without a second thought, Shisui led the team toward the border of the Land of Fire.

Aoba and Mirinae understood immediately — no hesitation, only quick footsteps.

Ishiki hung back, taking up the rearguard position, covering the exhausted Mirinae.

The retreat was almost unnervingly smooth.

Even Aoba's raven messengers reported strange news:

Kumogakure's forces seemed to be intentionally avoiding them.

Odd.

Too odd.

Yet no one dared relax.

Only when they crossed into the Land of Fire and reached the main military encampment did Ishiki finally allow himself to lower his guard.

There were still questions clawing at his mind.

But once they reached this point, no casual enemy could touch them.

Perhaps Danzō had made new arrangements.

Or perhaps the sealed head was no longer useful to him.

Only Danzō knew.

On the way, Shisui recovered some strength.

After sending Ishiki and the others to rest, Shisui took the bloodied package straight to the Mission Office.

Walking through the bustling camp, Ishiki noticed something peculiar.

Other ninja smiled warmly at them as they passed — a rare thing.

Only after a few old friends of Aoba came over to chat did Ishiki learn why:

Kumogakure had issued a public directive: if any mission forces encountered Uchiha Shisui, they were authorized to abandon the mission immediately.

Ishiki almost laughed aloud.

The Kuroku Mountain operation had terrified Kumogakure so much they would rather flee than fight.

That night, Shisui finally returned.

But he brought news — and it wasn't good.

"I have to temporarily return to Konoha," Shisui said, regret shadowing his features. "Another mission. You'll have a new Jōnin squad leader assigned."

Ishiki had known from the start that their squad couldn't last.

But this soon?

Less than ten days?

Mirinae bowed slightly, wincing. "I'll need time to heal too... I can't take missions for a while."

Ishiki suppressed a sigh.

He had enjoyed working under Shisui — not just because of his overwhelming power, but because Shisui was the kind of leader who shielded his comrades from the worst.

Trustworthy. Reliable.

Mirinae's absence didn't worry him much — once recovered, she'd rejoin.

But the bigger mystery gnawed at him:

Why was Konoha pulling Shisui off the battlefield just as he was becoming a legend?

Was there truly a mission of greater value?

Or was it something more insidious — a growing fear of Uchiha power?

The next morning, Ishiki met their new squad captain.

A man he had no memory of from the manga.

"I'm Kawahara Junji," said the newcomer with a plain smile. "Your new squad leader. Let's work well together."

Average face. Average presence.

But any Jōnin assigned here had to be strong.

Kawahara wasted no time.

"I'd hoped to give you some rest," he said, "but this is a battlefield. We march immediately."

Beside him stood a newcomer: a brown-haired boy with scars running across half his face.

"I'm Namikaze Raimu!" the boy declared loudly. "I'll be filling in for Mirinae. Nice to meet you!"

Ishiki blinked.

He recognized the name.

Raimu wasn't just anyone — he was Aoba's old partner, a future member of the Hokage Guard Platoon.

In another world, if the Fourth Hokage hadn't died and Konoha's manpower hadn't been shattered, Raimu would've been standing proudly in Konoha's inner circle even now.

The realization stirred something faint and cautious in Ishiki's mind.

Patterns.

Shifting pieces.

For now, no time to dwell.

The new mission details hit hard.

Having just escorted an intelligence asset, now they had to prevent Kumogakure from retrieving their own spies operating within the Land of Fire.

Intercept, destroy, eliminate.

Once again, their path led toward the Land of Frost.

But this time, everything changed.

From the moment they stepped into the Land of Hot Water, they were hounded.

Clashes broke out daily — assassinations, ambushes, traps, poisons.

The warfare was filthy, brutal, constant.

And as they crossed into the Land of Frost, the chaos intensified.

Kumogakure fought like rabid animals now — no pretenses, no restraint.

Kawahara Junji proved his worth quickly.

A master of intelligence gathering and Earth Release techniques, he specialized in trapping enemies, luring them into carefully prepared deathtraps.

Aoba, as always, excelled in supporting roles — baiting, confusing, dividing.

Together, Aoba and Raimu displayed seamless cooperation — their past teamwork shining through.

Ishiki, in contrast, found himself becoming ordinary.

Not due to weakness.

But simply because — in the brutal calculus of Kawahara Junji — Ishiki only demonstrated the level of an average Chūnin.

Stronger than Genin.

But not enough for elite tasks.

Kawahara already began making plans — when Mirinae recovered, Ishiki would be reassigned.

A fresh Chūnin would replace him.

Neat. Efficient. Disposable.

Kawahara smiled faintly at the thought.

Ishiki, standing silently among the swirling plans of powers greater than him, said nothing.

For now.