It was still Konoha 38. The weather had been gloomy for the past few days.
Shimizu Kento's funeral was held together with the Ninja who sacrificed their lives alongside him.
Before the funeral, Shimizu Mitsuki had gone to see Kento's remains.
Fortunately, Shimizu Kento's body was relatively intact, according to the mission description provided by the Anbu.
A few days ago, on the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire, some frontline outposts were breached by unknown enemies. However, the enemies did not occupy these outposts; instead, they used this opening to enter the Fish Water Port area within the Land of Fire's coastline.
Shimizu Kento's squad's mission was to investigate these hidden enemies. The investigation went smoothly, and according to the intelligence relayed back, the enemies were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from Hidden Mist.
However, the evacuation was not smooth. The enemies seemed to have intended to use themselves as bait. When the investigation squad discovered them, the enemies also noticed the investigation squad.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist consist of seven elite Jonin, each wielding a Ninja Blade with special abilities. Legend has it that the seven of them working together can conquer a small country overnight.
Facing such opponents, it was already difficult for the investigation squad to relay intelligence back to the Village, as only Shimizu Kento and Uchiha En possessed the strength of elite Jonin within the squad, and four of the other six members were still Chunin.
Moreover, the enemies were well-prepared at Fish Water Port. When the investigation squad discovered them, only Biwa Jūzō, Suikazan Fuguki, and Hozuki Chizuru showed themselves.
The remaining three were ambushed outside Fish Water Port. With a pincer attack, the scales of victory naturally tilted towards the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Shimizu Mitsuki did not know the specific details of the battle, but it was imaginable how dire the situation was when facing such opponents.
Under the desperate cover of Shimizu Kento and five other Ninja, Uchiha En and another Jonin from the Aburame clan successfully delivered the intelligence back to Konoha Village.
Konoha Village reacted quickly. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, immediately dispatched Jiraiya to lead a squad to Fish Water Port for a pursuit mission.
However, the squad found nothing. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had not brought any subordinates. The seven elite Jonin were highly mobile. Following the senses of an Inuzuka clan Jonin, they traced their way back to the coastline where the initial breach occurred.
Clearly, this was a Hidden Mist Village fishing operation, utilizing the immense strength and mobility of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. After achieving certain results, they would strike and retreat quickly back to Hidden Mist.
It also allowed them to tie down some of Konoha's Advanced combat forces, as Konoha, upon learning that the enemies were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from Hidden Mist, could not possibly send out weaker Ninja.
In fact, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were also very lucky, because if they had retreated even a little slower, they would have been pursued by Jiraiya's squad, and then the Seven Swordsmen would inevitably have lost a few members... Back to the funeral.
Shimizu Mitsuki, dressed in black mourning clothes, looked at the already buried Kento.
There were also family members of other sacrificed Ninja around. Some children, like Mitsuki, sobbed uncontrollably, covering their faces, but they all tried hard not to make a sound.
The Third Hokage also came. He presided over the funeral for the fallen Ninja.
“Where the tree leaves dance, fire will burn. The firelight will continue to illuminate the Village and make new leaves sprout.”
It was the first time Shimizu Mitsuki truly heard this phrase from Hiruzen Sarutobi’s mouth. He didn't feel anything special, but the eyes of the other funeral attendees brightened.
“This world is full of wars, and people's spiritual world is truly empty.”
Shimizu Mitsuki, who felt the Ninja World was a giant pyramid scheme, thought to himself.
After the funeral, Shimizu Mitsuki walked home, recalling the man with the Uchiha clan crest embroidered on his back at the funeral.
He must have been Uchiha En, Kento's friend. Shimizu Mitsuki had planned to thank him after the funeral, after all, he had given him such a precious gift.
However, the other party seemed to have no intention of talking to him and left midway through the funeral.
He arrived at the Shimizu residence and was about to open the door, but it opened from the inside. Shimizu Mitsuki was startled and immediately prepared to leap back to create distance.
“Don’t be nervous, it’s me.”
Uchiha En came out of the doorway unhurriedly, speaking to Mitsuki, who seemed startled.
Shimizu Mitsuki was currently full of confusion. Although infiltration was a basic skill for Ninja, Uchiha En had just opened the door directly from the inside.
He clearly remembered that he always locked the door when he went out.
He had thought that Uchiha En and Shimizu Kento had an unusual relationship, perhaps having been squadmates since graduation, but he never expected Uchiha En to even have a key to his house.
Shimizu Mitsuki looked at Uchiha En while thinking, preparing to invite him to sit inside again, but in his line of sight, Uchiha En's eyes changed.
From black pupils, they transformed into three rotating tomoe, then quickly changed into three teardrop shapes connected at their ends.
Mangekyo Sharingan! Shimizu Mitsuki was shocked. He was even more puzzled as to why Uchiha En would show him these eyes, but his confusion quickly vanished.
Uchiha En stopped releasing the genjutsu and quickly moved to embrace Mitsuki, who was about to collapse. After placing Mitsuki on the living room sofa, he did something and then left.
Soon after, Shimizu Mitsuki woke up and looked around.
“I went home after the funeral. At the door, I ran into Kento's teammate, Uchiha En. By the way, how did I faint?”
The System, which had not appeared for a long time, had an updated prompt panel.
Host: Shimizu Mitsuki
Skills: Chakra Refining Technique, Body Replacement Technique, Transcription Seal - Amenotokotachi (one-time)
Prayer Harvest: None
Mail: No new mail for now
Shimizu Mitsuki was a little dumbfounded. How did he inexplicably gain a skill, and a one-time one at that?
He knew about Transcription Seal; it was an Advanced Sealing Technique that Seals a Ninjutsu into other objects, which would automatically activate when a set condition was met.
In the manga, Itachi sealed his Amaterasu into Sasuke's eyes. Considering that the last person he saw before fainting was Uchiha En, a simple analysis would clarify the situation.
This so-called 【Ame no Tataruki】 should be Uchiha En's ocular Ninjutsu, a Mangekyo Sharingan. Could it be that it awakened due to Kento's death?
It seems he had underestimated the bond between Uchiha En and Shimizu Kento.
Thinking this, Shimizu Mitsuki clicked on the introduction for 【Transcription Seal - Amenotokotachi】.
Transcription Seal - Amenotokotachi: When the host receives a fatal injury, time will be reversed, and the host's body will be rewound to its state 24 hours prior.
!
Shimizu Mitsuki had a premonition from the name of this ocular Ninjutsu that it would be related to time.
After all, the name Ame no Tataruki in Japanese mythology refers to a deity who governs time.
He just didn't expect the effect of this Ninjutsu to be so powerful, almost a mini-version of Izanagi.
“It seems Uchiha En was worried about the safety of Kento's orphan, so he specifically came to give himself an insurance policy.”
Thinking this, Shimizu Mitsuki suddenly felt a surge of irritation.
It might be difficult for someone who hasn't reincarnated to understand this feeling.
He was not Shimizu Kento's real child, but an impostor from Blue Star, even consoling himself repeatedly when facing the deaths of Chiyoko and Kento.
Yet, he had accepted many gifts from his parents in this life. Shimizu Mitsuki could, of course, continue to comfort himself that as a child, he couldn't refuse.
But this time, Shimizu Mitsuki didn't want to make excuses for his indifference. He wanted to do something.
“At the very least, I need to improve my strength first and find a way to avenge Chiyoko and Kento, against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and Hidden Mist Village.”