Mokuton Phantom in Naruto

The sun had yet to rise when Ryuusei, Misaki, and Seiryu were summoned to the Hoshikage's tower.

Eizen greeted them with a stern expression, tossing a scroll onto the table.

"We've received a mission request from the Land of Birds."

The three stepped closer, alert.

"A group of mercenaries is attacking villages, looting supplies, and destroying everything in their path. The local villages have no shinobi to defend them and have paid for our services. Our mission is simple: eliminate the group."

There was weight in his words.

This time, it wasn't an escort mission.

It wasn't about protection.

It was a hunt.

Ryuusei frowned.

"And the hostages?"

Eizen sighed.

"That's not the mission objective."

Misaki and Seiryu exchanged tense glances.

Ryuusei felt a tightness in his chest.

Eizen continued, his voice firm and pragmatic.

"The request we received was to hunt down and eliminate the mercenaries. If you can rescue someone in the process, great. But I don't want you risking your lives for it. Understood?"

Silence followed.

What he was saying was clear.

The hostages weren't the priority.

It was cruel. But this was the ninja world.

Ryuusei clenched his fists.

Before, he would have questioned it.

But now, he understood reality.

He looked at Misaki and Seiryu.

"Are you ready?"

Misaki nodded without hesitation.

Seiryu let out a sigh and smirked.

"Never been more ready to screw over some bandits."

Eizen closed his eyes for a moment, satisfied with their resolve.

"Then leave immediately. Don't waste time."

The three stood up without another word.

The scent of ashes still lingered in the air.

Ryuusei, Misaki, and Seiryu walked slowly through the ruined village, eyes sharp for any movement.

There were no bodies, but fresh bloodstains still marred the ground and the walls of burned houses.

The fires had died, but the horror remained.

This was the third village reduced to ashes since they had left Hoshigakure.

And the group knew they had no time to waste.

If there were still survivors…

Time was running out.

The First Clue

"I found something."

Seiryu's voice broke the silence.

The three regrouped at the village center, and he pointed to the ground.

Footprints.

Faint, almost erased by the wind and debris, but still there.

More importantly…

"Someone left a sign."

Misaki crouched, examining a piece of cloth tied to a low branch.

Torn, stained with blood.

Ryuusei frowned.

"Probably a hostage."

Seiryu nodded.

"And it looks recent. If it were just a stray trail, the mercenaries would've noticed and wiped it clean."

"Then it was deliberate," Misaki murmured. "Someone wants to be found."

They exchanged serious looks.

If someone was asking for help…

They couldn't ignore it.

For two hours, they followed the tracks through the dense forest.

The path was uneven, full of detours and confusing footprints.

But they pressed on.

Until, finally…

"There." Misaki whispered.

Ahead, hidden among the shadows of the trees, was a cave.

No torches.

No visible guards.

But there were signs.

Faint footprints.

Trampled wood.

Ashes from a recent campfire, scattered to conceal activity.

This was the place.

Ryuusei glanced at the other two and nodded.

Without words, they advanced.

The main tunnel was narrow, damp, and dimly lit.

The stone walls glistened with moisture, making the ground slippery.

And right at the entrance…

A guard.

Slumped against the wall, head down, asleep.

Beside him, a small iron bell.

The alarm, in case something went wrong.

Ryuusei didn't hesitate.

Kujaku Myōhō.

From his right arm, a purple energy blade emerged, extending like a solid claw.

He approached slowly, soundlessly.

And then…

Hand over the mouth.

Blade to the clavicle.

The edge sank into flesh, sliding straight to the heart.

The man's eyes widened, his body trembling for a brief moment…

And then, he stopped moving.

Ryuusei held the corpse for a moment, then silently laid it on the ground.

"It's my duty to do this."

He repeated the phrase in his mind.

Again.

And again.

He couldn't hesitate.

If he did… an innocent would die.

He signaled the others.

They moved deeper into the cave.

Until they reached an intersection.

Three different tunnels.

Seiryu glanced at the other two, a small grin forming.

"Each of us takes a path?"

Ryuusei nodded.

"No noise. Eliminate everyone. If you find the hostages, prioritize getting them out. Meet back here in fifteen minutes."

Ignoring the Hoshikage's orders, Ryuusei prioritized the hostages.

Without hesitation…

Each took a tunnel.

Ryuusei

The purple blade vibrated on his arm, casting a faint glow down the tunnel.

He advanced without haste but without doubt.

Two mercenaries appeared ahead.

They never stood a chance.

The first had his throat slit before he realized what was happening.

The second reached for a kunai…

But was impaled in the chest before he could react.

The bodies fell soundlessly.

Ryuusei wiped the blade and moved on.

His steps were precise.

This time…

He wouldn't fail.

Misaki

Her tunnel was narrower and darker.

But that didn't bother her.

She moved her hands swiftly, forming seals.

"Fūinjutsu: Te no Kago."

Invisible chakra threads stretched across the tunnel.

A mercenary appeared ahead… and was caught instantly.

Before he could scream, Misaki slid behind him and slit his throat with a kunai.

Blood quietly stained the floor.

She didn't stop to look.

She pressed forward, searching for the next threat.

She wouldn't hesitate.

Seiryu

Seiryu wasn't the strongest of the group.

But he was the most unpredictable.

His tunnel led him straight to a small room where three mercenaries sat around a table, drinking.

They hadn't noticed him.

Seiryu grinned.

"Well, can't make this too easy for you."

He moved in a blur, sliding a kunai across the first man's throat.

The second reached for a weapon, but Seiryu was already on him, driving a blade into his ribcage.

The third finally realized the threat.

But it was too late.

Seiryu flung a shuriken straight into the man's eye, embedding it deep.

The body collapsed, lifeless.

He took a deep breath, surveying the scene.

"That was easier than I expected."

He wiped the blade and pressed on.

Each completed their task.

When they regrouped at the intersection…

All the mercenaries were dead.

But there was still no sign of the hostages.

Misaki cleaned her kunai and looked at the others.

"Now what?"

Seiryu kicked a body on the ground.

"Maybe they already moved the hostages somewhere else."

Ryuusei frowned.

Something felt off.

Then…

A sound echoed through the tunnel.

Soft, almost a whisper.

A muffled cry.

Misaki immediately turned to the wall.

She ran her hands along the rocky surface.

And then, she found a crack.

Her gaze met Ryuusei's.

"There's a hidden room here."

Seiryu grinned.

"Looks like we found what we were looking for."

Ryuusei took a deep breath.

If the hostages were still alive…

It was time to bring them back.

The muffled crying still echoed down the tunnel.

Misaki pressed her hand against the crack in the wall, feeling cold air seeping through.

"The room's right behind this."

Ryuusei nodded.

He turned to Seiryu.

"We need to be careful. If the hostages are alive, we can't just barge in blindly."

Seiryu gritted his teeth.

"We shouldn't have to think about this! Those bastards deserve to die!"

His furious tone made Misaki and Ryuusei exchange glances.

He was taking this personally.

Seiryu had always been the most playful of the group…

But now, his expression was pure hatred.

Misaki sighed.

"I know how you feel. But losing your cool could cost lives."

Seiryu looked away, huffing.

Ryuusei didn't press the issue. He had to focus on the mission.

With a single hand seal, he extended the purple energy blade of the Kujaku Myōhō from his right arm.

He pressed the blade against the crack in the wall…

And with a precise strike, he carved an opening.

The cave lit up with the glow of torches inside the room.

What they saw made them freeze.

There were five hostages.

Three women and two men, tied up and gagged in the corner.

They were covered in bruises, faces pale and filthy.

But one of them…

Was bleeding.

One of the women lay motionless on the ground.

Her body still warm, but blood slowly pooling beneath her.

Her eyes were glazed and lifeless.

Ryuusei felt a sharp pang in his chest.

Misaki clenched her fists.

And Seiryu…

"Sons of bitches…!"

He rushed forward, thinking the woman might still be alive.

Ryuusei sensed the danger immediately.

The air in the room was tense.

Something didn't add up.

If the hostages were meant to be kept alive…

Why kill this woman now?

His eyes scanned the room.

And then, he saw it.

Explosive tags on the ceiling and walls.

A trap.

"SEIRYU, STOP!"

But it was already too late.

Seiryu charged straight toward the dead woman, teeth clenched in fury.

And the moment he stepped into the center of the room…

The seals glowed.

The trap was triggered.

Time seemed to slow.

Ryuusei reacted on pure instinct.

"KUJAKU NO KENGEN!"

Star energy flared around him, fused with the natural energy from his necklace. Ryuusei held nothing back.

In a heartbeat, he formed a spherical purple chakra shield around Seiryu.

And then came the explosion.

The tunnel trembled violently.

The blast's pressure was crushing, but the shield absorbed the full impact.

When the dust settled…

Seiryu was still alive.

But the room was completely destroyed.

The hostages screamed in terror.

Seiryu collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.

He looked at Ryuusei, still in shock.

"I… I would've died…"

Ryuusei exhaled slowly, controlling his own anger.

"Yes. You would have."

Seiryu lowered his head, speechless.

But there was no time for regret.

Ryuusei turned toward the back of the room.

There was one last tunnel, partially hidden.

And in that tunnel…

Someone was watching them.

The mercenary leader was still there.

He had tried to use the hostages as bait…

But now, he had nowhere left to run.

Misaki drew a kunai.

"You're not leaving here alive."

The man smirked.

"That… we'll see."

He vanished down the tunnel.

Ryuusei clenched his fists.

"Let's get him."