Escaping the Mist Ninja starts with backstabbing your teacher.

Chapter 168 Hesitation leads to defeat, decisiveness leads to loss!

Shisui's figure disappeared into the depths of the woods. Morning light poured down from the top of the torii gate, illuminating the moss on the stone steps with a fuzzy golden edge.

The abandoned shrine has returned to silence, with only the mournful sound of the wind blowing through the broken tiles of the worship hall and the occasional birdsong coming from the distant forest.

Izumi emerged from the shadows of the trees, glanced in the direction Shisui had gone, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He turned his head to look at Yekura beside him, his tone casually playful: "Do you think he'll report this to Danzo and the Third Hokage?"

Ye Cang did not answer immediately. His gaze swept over the treetops pierced by the morning light, and after a moment of contemplation, he said softly, "He will hesitate."

"And then what?" Izumi asked.

"I don't know." Ye Cang shook his head. "But no matter which path he chooses, it won't be easy."

Izumi chuckled softly and didn't press the matter further.

Two figures passed through the forest and disappeared into the wilderness of the Land of Fire, leaving the abandoned shrine far behind.

Shisui walked alone on the road back to Konoha.

The morning dew dampened the cobblestone path, making it slightly slippery underfoot. He walked slowly, each step firm yet light.

It felt as if two rivers were converging, colliding, and churning in my mind, splashing water everywhere, murky and unclear.

There is a river called "duty". He is a ninja of Konoha, a Jonin of the Uchiha clan, and the Shisui of the Body Flicker who was trusted by the Third Hokage, watched by Danzo, and placed high hopes on by his clan.

His eyes are not only his strength, but also the object of the village's surveillance, the source of his family's pride, and the target of countless people's schemes.

He should report this matter; Taketori Izumi has infiltrated Konoha and made contact with him.

This is a threat intelligence of Rank A or higher. No responsible ninja would hide it; he's not the kind of person who would gamble with the safety of the village.

The other river is called "Confusion," and the man's words were like a fine needle piercing the softest part of his heart.

"Do you know how many surveillance points the Konoha leadership has set up outside the Uchiha clan's territory?"

"Do you know how many spies Danzo's Root organization has planted within your clan?"

"After the Nine-Tailed Fox's Night, how much of the trust and hope the Third Hokage expressed to you was genuine?"

"And how much of that was just empty talk to appease you, the user of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

He didn't want to believe it; he told himself it was provocation, division, a tactic most commonly used by an enemy.

But those words were precisely what he had been avoiding and dared not think about deeply.

He knew about the surveillance points outside the clan's territory, of course.

He could sense the sincerity in most of the things the third generation had said to him.

But occasionally, a few words, a pause in tone, a fleeting scrutiny in the eyes, would make him ponder them repeatedly afterward, yet he dared not delve into them.

As for Danzo's Root organization, he was well aware of their wariness, disgust, and even hostility towards the Uchiha clan.

Outside the clan's territory, Root ninjas were stationed to keep watch, observing the Uchiha clan's every move.

Shisui shook his head and quickened his pace.

The gates of Konoha grew larger and larger in his field of vision, and the guarding ninjas nodded at him from afar.

He nodded in response, passed through the gate, and walked into the familiar street. The morning market was already open, with vendors selling vegetables, ninja tools, and dumplings, their shouts rising and falling, and the bustling atmosphere of everyday life was palpable.

He walked through the commercial street and turned into a small road leading to the Uchiha clan's territory. There were fewer pedestrians, and the houses on both sides were getting old, with cracks and repair marks appearing on the walls.

Pushing open the front door, taking off her coat and hanging it in the entryway, changing into indoor shoes, Zhi Shui walked into the backyard.

He sat down on the veranda, crossed his legs, and looked at the old maple tree in the courtyard.

The maple leaves have begun to turn red, and a few have drifted down onto the bluestone slabs, lying quietly like butterflies with their wings folded.

He took the skeletal spider from his sleeve and placed it on his knee.

The spider lay quietly, its eight thin legs slightly curled up, the purple light in its eye sockets so faint in the daytime indoors that it was almost invisible.

Its limbs twitch slightly from time to time, like a real little animal dreaming.

Zhi Shui gently rubbed its back with his thumb; it felt cool to the touch and smooth in texture, like polished bone china.

"Think it over, use this to find me." The man's voice still echoed in his ears, neither too loud nor too soft, neither too fast nor too slow, carrying a sense of composure as if he had already made up his mind.

Shisui stared at the spider for a long time. The afternoon sunlight leaked through the gaps in the eaves, drawing a thin band of light on the ground. Dust particles floated slowly in the band of light, like some kind of silent time measurement.

He thought of Itachi.

That child should still be in class at the ninja academy today; he'll come to train with him after school.

Itachi has been speaking less and less lately, his eyes have become more and more somber, and he occasionally gets distracted during training, his hand seals are a beat or two slower than usual.

What is he thinking? Did he also see what Shisui saw? If he has to choose between the village and his family in the future, can he do better than Shisui?

Shisui thought of Taketori Izumi's disguised eyes, which were calm and even confident.

That certainty made Zhi Shui uneasy, because a person who is full of lies would not show that kind of look in their eyes; that kind of look can only be seen on the face of someone who truly believes in the path they are on.

He took a deep breath, stood up, and went inside.

He placed the skeletal spider on the table; its small white form stood out conspicuously among a pile of ninja tools and scrolls.

He took out a sealing scroll from the drawer, carefully placed the spider inside, closed the spell, and completely covered the purple light.

He carefully placed the scroll close to his body.

He unfolded another blank scroll on the table and picked up a pen.

The pen tip hovered above the paper, the ink condensing into a full black bead that lingered for a long time before falling.

His wrist trembled slightly, and the ink droplet dangled on the tip of the pen, almost dripping, before being drawn back in.

He had a lot to write. Izumi Taketori infiltrated Konoha, he contacted me, and he said some things that I wasn't sure were true.

Konoha remains wary of the Uchiha, even hostile towards them, and is ready to deal with them at any time.

The village is afraid of the Mangekyou Sharingan, afraid that the Nine-Tails incident will happen again.

But what happens after these words are written down? What will the Third Hokage think? What will Danzo think?

Shisui closed his eyes, and the pen in his hand finally fell.

The ink spread across the paper, each stroke neat and composed. He wrote quickly, as if afraid he would stop halfway through.

Some sentences were written too long, so they were crossed out and rewritten, leaving several marks on the paper from the ink lines.

After he finished writing, he blew the ink dry, rolled up the scroll, tied a sealing rope, and then wrote the names of two people on the surface.

The Third Hokage, Danzo.

It wasn't that he didn't want to tell the Third Hokage about this.

Rather, he knew that Danzo would find out about the Izumi River sooner or later.

Rather than letting him find out through other channels and become suspicious, it's better to let him see it from the beginning.

Shisui didn't hide anything; Shisui was still the same Shisui who was willing to cooperate with the village.

This is a gesture, and also a compromise.

Shisui held the scroll in his hand and remained silent for a moment.

Then he stood up, put on his coat, and opened the door to his home.

The afternoon sun shone brightly on his face. He squinted and walked towards the Hokage Building.

My steps were lighter and lighter than when I came, and felt lighter too.

The lighthearted aspect is that he no longer has to keep a secret in his heart; the empty aspect is that after handing over that secret, he may never be able to get it back.

Zhi Shui didn't know.

All he knew was that there were things he had to do, even if doing them would make the bridge he wanted to build even further away.

In the corridors of the Hokage Building, ANBU ninjas came and went.

Shisui paused in front of the Third Hokage's office door, raised his hand and knocked lightly twice. The sound was not loud, but it carried clearly inside.

"Come in!"

Shisui pushed open the door and entered. The Third Hokage was sitting behind his desk, a pipe in his hand emitting wisps of white smoke. Several documents were spread out on the desk, and a pen was placed to the side.

He looked up and saw Zhishui, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Shisui? That's unusual. What brings you here at this hour?"

Shisui stepped forward, gently placed the scroll on the desk, and pushed it to the Third Generation's side.

"Third Generation Leader, there is something I must report to you."

His voice was calm, but the fingers gripping the hem of his clothes were slightly white.

His peripheral vision swept over the corner of the office, which was empty, but was actually guarded by secret agents.

The third generation put down his pipe, picked up the cigarette roll, and unrolled it.

His gaze slowly swept over the words, his expression changing from gentle to solemn, and then from solemn to a profound and indescribable look.

A moment later, he put down the scroll, looked up, and his gaze fell on Shisui's face.

"Izumi Taketori—did he contact you?"

"Yes."

"What did you say?"

Shisui paused for a moment: "He said some things about surveillance, informants, and trust, but I'm not sure if they're true or not."

The Third Hokage stared at him for a few moments, his gaze seemingly scrutinizing, worried, and containing something Shisui couldn't decipher.

Then he slowly nodded and put the scroll into the drawer.

"This matter ends here. I will handle the scroll, and I will inform Danzo. You must not have any further contact with him."

"Yes."

Shisui bowed, turned, and left. The door closed behind him, and the footsteps in the corridor gradually faded away.

The Third Hokage reopened the drawer, took out the scroll, and lingered on the name "Danzo" for a long time.

He sighed deeply, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling. The pipe in his hand had been extinguished at some point.

Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, and wisps of smoke rose from the rooftops of Konoha Village. Everything seemed normal.

No one knew that Shisui had a small sealed scroll hidden under his shirt, inside which lay a skeletal spider, quietly resting.

The purple light in the eye sockets flickered faintly in the darkness, like an eye that had not yet been awakened.

It was waiting, waiting for another sentence that the man had said.

"Use this to contact me."

Shisui knew he might never use it. Perhaps one day, he wouldn't be able to resist using it.

He didn't know that; all he knew was that the spider was a way out.

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