I’M A MIST SHINOBI IN NARUTO

A warm current ran through Yuto 's heart. Despite her mischievous tendencies, Terumi Mei was still righteous at her core.

"I'm not running away."

Yuto pulled back his small hand stubbornly. "Hiding forever is pointless. You can't guard against thieves all the time."

A cold light flickered in his eyes.

"Whoever provokes me will regret it."

"You brat, I haven't seen you for a while, and now you've got quite the attitude." Terumi Mei scowled, her emerald eyes narrowing. "And what's with that cigarette? Kids your age shouldn't be smoking!"

She snatched at the cigarette dangling from Yuto 's lips, but before her hand could reach it, Yuto vanished in a blur.

He reappeared behind her in an instant.

"This is… the Body Flicker Technique?!"

Terumi Mei turned, her mouth slightly agape in astonishment. "You've been training hard, haven't you? Not bad."

Yuto smirked. "I haven't been slacking all these years."

"Hmm, my little cousin has grown up," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. However, her expression quickly shifted to something more mischievous as she pulled out a thick book.

"But," she teased, holding the book up, "this kind of thing isn't good for your development."

Yuto froze. The cover of the book showed several provocatively dressed women striking alluring poses, their expressions shamelessly seductive.

His face turned crimson.

"Y-You…! How did you get that?!"

A laugh bubbled from Terumi Mei's lips as she waved the book in the air. "Oh, don't look at me like that! I just happened to stumble upon it while tidying up your room. What kind of cousin would I be if I didn't care for your… ahem, literature collection?"

"You broke into my room"

A series of charming smiles lingered on Terumi Mei's lips as she walked away, her footsteps fading into the mist.

Yuto shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. "I've lived two lifetimes and I'm technically in my forties. Reading a little Icha Icha Paradise isn't a crime. What's all the fuss about? Should I be watching Teletubbies instead?"

Muttering under his breath, he carefully stashed his precious book in its hidden compartment.

After Terumi Mei left, Yuto lit another cigarette. Taking a deep drag, he exhaled a perfect smoke ring, his expression turning serious.

"I didn't expect Yagura's son to die in battle… This might be more trouble than I thought."

Yuto 's crimson Sharingan flickered briefly before he closed his eyes. Although he had distanced himself from the Uchiha clan in Konoha, the blood of their lineage coursed through his veins. That fact alone could draw danger to his doorstep.

As night deepened, Kirigakure became eerily silent. The village, shrouded in thick mist, felt almost suffocating. The oppressive fog wrapped itself around every corner, amplifying the unsettling stillness.

In Yuto 's small house, the faint glow of a lantern illuminated the room. Reclining on his bed, Yuto chuckled softly, flipping through the pages of the book Terumi Mei had unearthed earlier. The ridiculousness of the situation brought occasional laughter.

But then—

Swish!

The sharp sound of something slicing through the mist snapped him out of his drowsiness. His eyes, which had been half-closed moments before, shot open.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a dark silhouette lurking just beyond his window. The figure moved stealthily, weaving in and out of the swirling fog.

Creak.

Yuto didn't panic. Instead, he calmly got out of bed and walked to the door. He opened it deliberately, the hinges groaning in protest.

"Yuto . Come with me," the figure ordered.

The voice was surprisingly young, almost boyish, but it carried a dangerous edge.

Yuto studied the figure for a moment before letting out a dry laugh.

"If it isn't Zabuza… What's with the mask? You really think I wouldn't recognize you?"

The figure hesitated, his silence betraying his unease. After a moment, he pulled off the mask. Beneath it was a face Yuto recognized all too well: pale, bandaged, and terrifyingly sharp. Only his piercing eyes remained uncovered, their cold glare like that of a predator sizing up its prey.

"Still the same, huh?" Yuto smirked, his tone laced with irony.

Zabuza Momochi. An old classmate and a familiar rival. In their academy days, the two were the only survivors of their graduating class—the infamous "blood mist" tradition of Kirigakure had seen to that. Out of an entire cohort, only two remained. One was Zabuza, the other, Yuto .

And the rest? They had been mercilessly slaughtered.

"I'm not here to reminisce." Zabuza's voice was low and menacing. "I have an offer. Come with me, and you won't regret it."

Yuto leaned casually against the doorframe, his crimson Sharingan flaring to life. "Oh? And if I refuse?"

Zabuza's grin was feral, his hand tightening around the hilt of the Kubikiribōchō, the massive blade slung across his back. The oppressive mist seemed to thicken, swallowing the space between them.

"Then you'll regret it."

Yuto 's smirk deepened, his own chakra surging as he stepped out into the fog.

"I'd like to see you try."