The eastern coast of the Land of Water.
The sky was a depressing leaden grey, heavy clouds hanging low as if ready to pour down icy rain at any moment.
A biting sea wind howled across the steep cliffs.
Below the cliffs, wild waves crashed against the scaled rocks, shattering into countless foamy fragments.
Atop the cliff, four figures stood against the roaring wind.
Gato tightened his expensive mink coat, his short, stout body seeming to shrink slightly in the wind.
He was currently raising his right hand, staring intently at an extremely fine, tattoo-like black seal on the back of his hand.
His lips moved soundlessly, as if whispering something to the mark, a trace of barely perceptible awe in his eyes.
To an outsider, the scene would seem rather peculiar.
Oyashiro En stood a little further away, his striking white hair whipping wildly in the gale, his large brown overcoat snapping loudly.
The unique rhombus-shaped sunglasses hid the upper half of his face, making his expression hard to read, but his slightly tilted head showed strong curiosity about Gato's actions.
Kisame stood like a rock beside Oyashiro En, the Kirigakure's forehead protector with its deep slash mark tied around his head, his shark-like face expressionless.
Kakuzu, however, was in a completely different state. He didn't pay much attention to Oyashiro En's curiosity.
His dark green pupils coldly scanned every corner of the cliff, every shadow cast by the rocks.
His heavily stitched body was slightly tense, his wide sleeves moving without any wind, as if countless dangerous tentacles were coiled within, ready to respond to any potential threat at any moment.
"No need to be tense." Kakuzu's low, hoarse voice broke the monotony of the wind. He didn't turn around, but his words were clearly directed at the curious Oyashiro En and Kisame.
"This is a unique communication method within the organization. Even across thousands of miles, information can be transmitted in an instant." His explanation was brief and direct, carrying a kind of accustomed indifference, yet also revealing the organization's extraordinary methods.
Upon hearing this, the gaze hidden behind Oyashiro En's sunglasses seemed to flicker.
His interest in this mysterious organization grew even stronger because of this extraordinary means of communication.
Just as Kakuzu's words fell-
A figure stepped out from behind Gato without any warning!
The newcomer wore a large black robe, its sleeves rolling in the strong wind. A white three-eyed fox mask covered his face, revealing only a pair of eyes that seemed to see through everything.
The moment he appeared, the howling wind around them seemed to halt for an instant. An indescribable, intangible pressure instantly enveloped the entire cliff top.
"Shura-sama!" Gato immediately lowered his hand and bowed respectfully, his tone filled with genuine awe.
Kakuzu also relaxed his guarded posture, giving a slight nod. Deep within his dark green pupils flashed a recognition of absolute power.
Kisame's shark-like eyes narrowed slightly as he looked over this Shura with whom he'd had a 'brief encounter'. He didn't speak, but his tense posture showed he felt the immense pressure the other exuded. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Oyashiro En's reaction was more pronounced.
The moment Menma appeared, he subconsciously took half a step back. His brows behind the rhombus sunglasses seemed to furrow tightly.
'Space-Time Ninjutsu…?'
He had never seen such a bizarre method of movement, nor had he ever felt such a condensed and powerful presence… like a Kage of a village.
Oyashiro En scrutinized the mysterious leader of the organization, from the strange mask to his steady posture, trying to grasp any bit of information.
Simultaneously, he recalled the rumors about Shura in the Ninja World.
Menma's gaze, tangible as a physical force, swept over the group, finally settling on Oyashiro En.
The eyes behind the mask seemed to penetrate the rhombus sunglasses, seeing the hidden Ketsuryugan beneath.
His heart stirred slightly. The Oyashiro En before him was much younger than the man from his memories… the one who, in the final episodes of Shippuden, slaughtered his own clan after his wife was driven to death by them, and later became a businessman with his daughter, though calm between his brows, he lacked the composure and unconstrained ease he would have over a decade later.
Then, Menma's gaze turned to Kisame, carrying a hint of inquiry.
"You two..." His voice came through the mask, low and steady, betraying no emotion, "...how did you become friends?"
The question seemed somewhat abrupt.
Hearing this, Oyashiro En laughed.
"I didn't expect the legendary Shura to be curious about such things." Oyashiro En spoke first.
His voice carried through the howling wind with a unique magnetism: "Kisame-san, though his appearance... well, doesn't exactly scream 'good guy'…"
Oyashiro En paused, looking at Kisame's shark-like face as if choosing his words carefully. There was no offense in his tone, rather a strange frankness: "...but in reality, he's a man with his own principles and bottom line. In a place like Kirigakure, such people are rare."
His affirmation of Kisame's character was evident.
Kisame let out a low, thunder-like grunt, tacitly accepting Oyashiro En's evaluation.
He added in his hoarse voice, "Your guidance helped me confirm some truths. Since then, there has been no one left in Kirigakure that I can trust. Inside and outside the village, those who want my life for the bounty are everywhere."
Kisame glanced at Oyashiro En: "I needed a few safe hideouts, and someone who could provide necessary supplies and intel. I found him outside the village."
"He was a lone wolf, a Wandering Ninja back then. He also had connections, and didn't care much about my status. We worked together a few times. He helped me evade capture a couple of times, provided supplies. I even owed him a sizable commission before."
Kisame's words were practical, explaining the connection built on survival needs and limited trust.
Menma listened quietly, his thoughtful gaze hidden behind the mask.
Oyashiro En's current identity and state matched the future trajectory he knew.
'This was likely the period before his wife was persecuted to death by his clan, when he was active as a low-profile wandering merchant and Ninja.'
'It seemed the gears of fate had not yet turned to their cruelest moment, and the Chinoike Clan had not yet been wiped out.'
"The organization can help you rescue your wife and daughter…" The white three-eyed fox mask tilted up slightly, looking at Oyashiro En who stood beside Kisame.
Oyashiro En's expression didn't relax. He pushed his glasses up with a single finger: "Then, what is the cost?"
This was the legendary Shura, a top-tier powerhouse who could come and go freely within Konoha Village and Kumogakure!
Having such a powerful figure intervene, Oyashiro En was prepared to pay a price.
"You don't need to pay a cost," the white three-eyed fox mask, however, shook its head: "It just so happens I am interested in the Chinoike Clan's Kekkei Genkai."
Beneath the mask, the three-tomoe Sharingan and the Akaigan activated simultaneously. A vast Ocular Power stared directly at Oyashiro En, causing him to shudder. His Ketsuryugan instinctively activated beneath the sunglasses.
"So that's it-"
Feeling the Ocular Power emanating from two different Kekkei Genkai, Oyashiro En was even more shocked, but he also understood the price.
It was the entire Chinoike clan!
"Gato," Menma's voice cut through the howling wind.
"Yes, sir!" Gato immediately responded.
"Lead the fleet and change course to wait off the southern coast of the Land of Lightning. Conceal your movements, avoid unnecessary attention." Menma's orders were concise and clear.
"Yes!" Cardo accepted the order respectfully.
"The rest of you," Menma's gaze swept over Kakuzu, Kisame, and Oyashiro En: "Come with me. We're heading to Hell Valley in the Land of Lightning." (T/N: In the original work, Hell Valley is in the Land of Hot Water, not the Land of Lightning.)
Before the words had fully faded, he had already turned, facing the vast, turbulent sea. Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped off the edge of the cliff!
His figure did not fall. Instead, he landed steadily on the turbulent and surging sea surface below!
The moment his black boots touched the water, an intangible layer of Chakra instantly formed, steadily supporting him on the furious seawater as if he were on solid ground.
He stood firmly upon the undulating waves, his black robe snapping in the sea wind, as he began walking across the water.
Kakuzu glanced at Oyashiro En and Kisame, snorted, then leapt off the cliff. Chakra adhered to his feet, and he too landed steadily on the water's surface, creating a small ripple.
Kisame followed closely behind, landing on the water with exceptional stability.
Oyashiro En jumped last, his movements carrying a unique lightness. He landed on the water almost soundlessly, demonstrating impressive Chakra Control.
The group of four, like four black silhouettes, ignored the fierce sea wind and surging waves.
Moving at a speed that defied common sense,
they sped swiftly towards the Land of Lightning.
A day later, the southern part of the Land of Lightning.
The terrain here was completely different from the fertile coastal plains, presenting a desolate and barren scene.
The land was a sickly grey-brown, with sparse vegetation. Only low thorny bushes and drought-resistant shrubs grew stubbornly.
The air carried a faint smell of sulfur and an indescribable sense of oppression.
Before them, a massive canyon, as if split open by a giant axe, stretched across the land.
The canyon's sides were steep, almost vertical reddish-brown rock walls, scarred by wind erosion, like dried, congealed blood.
The canyon floor was deep and dark, with glimpses of jagged strange rocks and a dried-up riverbed.
Barren, desolate, dead silent… this was the main theme here.
Menma's group appeared soundlessly on a high rocky outcrop on the canyon's periphery.
The journey across the sea had left little trace on them. Kakuzu remained cold and guarded, Kisame scanned the surroundings warily, and Oyashiro En's sunglasses reflected the gloomy light of the valley.
"This is the Hell Valley, where the Chinoike Clan has been imprisoned for generations." Oyashiro En said with a worried expression, as if recalling some unpleasant memories.
Menma stood at the forefront, not rushing to enter the canyon.
He slowly closed his eyes. His powerful sensory ability, like an intangible tide, spread out silently from him, spreading across the entire Hell Valley and its surrounding area.
Mind's Eye of Kagura!
The barren silence within the canyon, the flow of magma deep within the rock layers.
And, near the canyon entrance on both sides, two Chakra Signatures deliberately suppressed, hidden extremely deeply, yet still present like faint fireflies in the night!
Two Kumogakure's Ninjas!
They were lurking in rock crevices near the canyon entrance, their presence almost merging with the environment. Clearly, they were hidden sentinels responsible for monitoring activity in Hell Valley.
Menma's eyes snapped open. His gaze accurately pierced through hundreds of meters and the obstruction of rock, like two icy blades, instantly locking onto one of the lurking Kumogakure's Ninjas!
The Kumogakure's Ninja was casually watching the canyon entrance.
Suddenly, a chilling feeling, as if targeted by a wild beast, instantly gripped this Kumogakure's Ninja's heart!
He felt his blood seemingly freeze solid in that instant, drenching him from head to toe in an ice-cold dread!
Every hair on his body stood on end. Cold sweat poured out like a waterfall, soaking through his underclothes. Cold sweat trickled down his spine, bringing wave after wave of shivers.
This terrifying, tangible gaze lasted only a moment.
Menma's gaze shifted away, as if he had merely glanced over an insignificant stone.
The moment the pressure vanished, that Kumogakure's Ninja, as if just rescued from drowning, gasped sharply, his lungs burning with pain.
Overwhelming fear completely shattered his nerves. He no longer cared about the lurking mission or his companion, who was also petrified and unable to move. He scrambled out of his hiding place in the rock crevice, crawling on all fours as he fled desperately towards Kumogakure!
His movements were wretched and panicked, filled with the terror of a narrow escape, wanting only to get away as fast as possible.
His companion also seemed to wake from a dream, following closely behind. Their panicked figures soon disappeared into the barren wilderness.
Menma acted as if he hadn't seen the two wretchedly fleeing figures, and seemed utterly unconcerned about any possible report they might make.
He withdrew his gaze, turned calmly, and spoke two words to the three behind him:
"Let's go."