"No outsider must ever learn Kirigakure's secrets."
"Otherwise, the situation could spiral beyond my control. I won't allow that!"
Uchiha Obito, hidden in the shadows, thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold.
After the battle ended, Terumi Mei volunteered to patrol, citing the need to prevent Orochimaru from causing trouble.
Yagura saw no issue with this request and approved it.
But was Terumi Mei's true goal to patrol?
Of course not—she was just using it as an excuse to find Yoru Ryo.
Yoru Ryo's sudden departure might've been fine on any other day.
But today was different. Orochimaru's intrusion skyrocketed the odds of Yoru Ryo running into danger.
"Little Ryo, please be safe!" Terumi Mei prayed aloud in her heart.
When the carefree Yoru Ryo, humming a tune, crossed paths with the worried Terumi Mei, a real show kicked off.
"As an Anbu member, how dare you roam the village recklessly? Do you know how dangerous that is?"
"Yoru Ryo, do you realize your mistake?!"
Terumi Mei's phoenix-like eyes flashed with icy rebuke, her face frosted over.
Yoru Ryo blinked, caught off guard, then quickly lowered his head, admitting, "I know I was wrong!"
He wasn't dumb enough to challenge Terumi Mei in front of other Anbu, undermining her authority.
In public, he'd admit fault—they were just superior and subordinate.
At home, as siblings, he could argue all he wanted.
Though he couldn't figure out why Terumi Mei was so intense about this.
He'd only wandered the village—could that really be dangerous? Was this worth such a scolding?
Still, his apology had to be sincere to give Terumi Mei a way to back down.
"Hmph, good you know your mistake. Come back with me now."
"I'm going to teach you what it means to be a proper Anbu member!"
Terumi Mei snorted coldly, ordering the Anbu behind her to escort Yoru Ryo back.
…
At home!
"Sis, what's going on in the village? Why so serious?"
Yoru Ryo rubbed his arm—those Anbu weren't gentle, nearly yanking his arm off.
"Orochimaru infiltrated just earlier. How could I not be serious?"
"You running around like that—if you'd run into him, would you even survive?" Terumi Mei snapped, brows furrowed, half-angry, half-exasperated.
"That… yeah, pretty risky. My bad, my bad!"
Yoru Ryo clicked his tongue, putting on a scared act.
He'd known recruiting Kimimaro might mean crossing paths with Orochimaru.
So he'd been cautious.
Luckily, he'd dodged Orochimaru the whole way.
But if he'd actually met him, he'd have had to use Hidden Mist Jutsu to stall and bolt.
Against a Kage-level master like Orochimaru, he stood no chance.
"So why'd you rush out like that? What was worth such a risk?"
Terumi Mei finally got to the point.
Yoru Ryo grinned, then spilled the details—how he'd recruited Kaguya Kimimaro and Mizunotsume Haku.
"You… this, this, this! You're way too bold! Aren't you afraid Lord Mizukage will find out?"
"Releasing remnants of the Kaguya and Mizunotsume clans is a death sentence!"
Terumi Mei, shocked, pointed at Yoru Ryo, lowering her voice.
"Hey, it's all worth it, right, Sis?"
"To change Kirigakure, we need our own crew!"
"Only with enough strength can we gain more say."
"Lord Mizukage, the Great Elder's council—they're all powerful. To stand against them, we've gotta get stronger too!"
Yoru Ryo flashed a grin, speaking softly.
In that moment, Terumi Mei saw it in Yoru Ryo's gleaming eyes: ambition!
"Sis, don't you think there's something off with Lord Mizukage?"
"At least from what he's done these past years, he's no longer a worthy Kage."
"If he keeps leading Kirigakure, the village's tensions will only deepen!"
"I've never heard of a ninja village persecuting its own, slashing its own strength. He…!"
Before Yoru Ryo could finish, Terumi Mei cut him off.
"Shh, enough! I know what I'm doing, but now's not the time!"
"When the moment's right, I'll make my move."
"Little Ryo, next time you pull something like this, you better talk to me first."
"Reviving Kirigakure isn't just your burden, got it?"
Terumi Mei said earnestly, her eyes flashing with sharp resolve.
Seeing her like this, Yoru Ryo smiled!
He saw it in Terumi Mei's eyes too: ambition!
They were both set!
But Orochimaru? He was fuming!
He'd planned to stir up trouble during Kirigakure's chaos.
Instead, he got nothing, fought Yagura, and fled in disgrace.
A total loss.
The next day!
On a three-day break, Yoru Ryo was swinging his sword, racking up enhancement points, when an unexpected visit from Momochi Zabuza interrupted him.
"Momochi Zabuza, what brings a senior ninja like you here?"
Zabuza, a loner, rarely visited anyone. This was unusual.
"I want to see your Hidden Mist Jutsu. I can tell your mastery of it surpasses mine!"
Zabuza got straight to the point.
"You're too kind, Zabuza. A mere Genin like me doesn't deserve such praise!"
Yoru Ryo chuckled, waving it off humbly.
"You deserve it! Be straight with me, if you're a man just say yes or no!"
Zabuza frowned, annoyed at Yoru Ryo's evasiveness.
"Alright then, I'll show you!"
"I've long admired your Silent Killing technique, Zabuza!"
Yoru Ryo said, and without visible hand seals, he unleashed a thick mist, enveloping Zabuza.
"Such fast seals—several times quicker than mine!"
Even knowing Yoru Ryo was a prodigy, Zabuza was stunned by his skill.
"Zabuza, heads up!"
"From now on, don't trust your senses. Use your 'mind's eye' to find me!"
Yoru Ryo's voice echoed, ethereal and impossible to pinpoint.
"No perception at all? Interesting. I came to the right place!"
Zabuza extended his senses, only to hit an invisible wall from all sides.
His mist-sensing ability couldn't spread. This got him pumped!
For someone of his caliber to be blocked completely—Yoru Ryo's Hidden Mist Jutsu was the real deal.