Morning.
A thin mist covered the mountain village.
The light was weak.
The air—
Cold.
And everything—
Too quiet.
No roosters.
No dogs.
No voices.
Only the wind—
Whistling through broken windows.
And sometimes—
A faint cough.
Distant.
Weak.
This silence—
Was wrong.
Uchiha Mo and Uchiha Hideki lay hidden behind a dry grass slope.
Watching.
Not speaking.
Because as ninja—
Their instincts were screaming.
Something here… was not normal.
The air carried a faint scent.
Rot.
Decay.
Death.
Even the plants—
Looked lifeless.
"Mo… what do we do?"
Hideki's voice was low.
Careful.
Mo didn't look at him.
"What do you think?"
"As a ninja—"
"Don't you know how to gather information?"
He pointed ahead.
At the village entrance—
A gaunt man stood there.
Yawning.
Careless.
Exposed.
"Him."
"Test genjutsu."
Hideki nodded.
In an instant—
He moved.
Shunshin.
Gone.
Uchiha Mo remained still.
Watching.
Thinking.
Genjutsu.
In theory—
It disrupted chakra flow.
Manipulated the senses.
Trapped the target in illusion.
But—
What if the target had no chakra?
Would it still work?
That—
Was the real test.
———
At the village entrance—
The man had just finished blowing his nose.
Before he could react—
A shadow appeared.
Crimson eyes—
Met his gaze.
The world—
Turned red.
His body froze.
Eyes dull.
Mind gone.
It worked.
From afar—
Mo's eyes sharpened.
Expected—
But still surprising.
Genjutsu doesn't need chakra in the target.
It directly affects the mind.
Which meant—
This world—
Just became much easier.
———
Moments later—
Hideki returned.
Dragging the man.
Silent.
Efficient.
"Your turn."
Mo stepped forward.
"What era is this?"
"…Republic…"
"And this place?"
"…Stone Village…"
"What governs here?"
"…Renjia Town… militia… guns… chaos…"
Renjia Town.
That name—
Triggered something.
Mo's eyes flickered.
"The wealthy family?"
"…Ren…"
Silence.
Then—
Recognition.
A faint smile appeared.
"So that's how it is…"
This—
Was the world of Mr. Vampire.
Uncle Jiu.
A legendary figure.
A "starter guide" in countless worlds.
And now—
He was here.
The future—
Suddenly looked brighter.
———
More questioning.
Fragments of truth.
The village—
Was dying.
For the past half month—
Strange things had begun.
At night—
The graveyard behind the mountain—
Was no longer silent.
Something moved.
Slow.
Stiff.
Some villagers—
Saw shadows.
Wandering.
Graves—
Were dug open.
Corpses—
Gone.
Vanished.
Rumors spread.
Something unclean—
Had been disturbed.
After sunset—
No one dared go out.
That was why—
This place felt dead.
Two days ago—
The villagers sent someone—
To hire a geomancer.
If timing was right—
He should be returning soon.
———
Enough.
Mo glanced at Hideki.
A signal.
Instantly understood.
A precise strike—
The man collapsed.
Unconscious.
Hidden.
Clean.
No trace.
Hideki adjusted his glasses.
"Mo… you seem interested in Renjia Town."
"Not interested."
Mo stood.
Calm.
"Just experience."
"The Main God doesn't waste effort."
"If we're here—"
"It's relevant."
Hideki nodded.
Understood.
"Back mountain."
Mo said.
Then paused.
"…Change clothes first."
Hideki looked down.
Sleepwear.
No gear.
Compared to Mo—
Fully prepared.
The gap—
Clear.
"Agreed."
For a ninja—
Adaptation was survival.
"Village. Simple clothes. Move fast."
"Understood."
Shunshin.
Both vanished.
Like ghosts.
Silent.
Invisible.
Minutes later—
They returned.
Worn clothes.
Patched.
Rough.
Now—
Villagers.
Ordinary.
Forgettable.
Mo concealed his pouch.
Hideki secured tools.
Even borrowed—
Explosive tags.
"Let's go."
Mo looked toward the forest.
The mist there—
Thicker.
Darker.
Wrong.
Very wrong.
"…Let's see."
"What's hiding in that graveyard."
Without hesitation—
They stepped into the mist.
Toward—
The unknown.