Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

"Stubborn fool!" The ninja with the sharp voice seemed to be enraged and was about to attack.

Just then, a calm voice came from the shadows of the trees behind them:

"Two Uchiha members, in the dead of night, privately contacted my Anbu members to discuss matters involving the village and clan... Doesn't that seem a bit against the rules?"

Kakashi slowly emerged from behind the tree, his hands still in his pockets, only his right eye visible, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Kakashi wasn't entirely wrong. Although he was no longer the captain of the Shadow Guard, the Shadow Guard was still part of Konoha's Anbu (secret service).

"Kakashi Hatake..."

The ninja with the deep voice recognized him, his voice growing even more sinister:

"This is an internal matter of our Uchiha clan. It has nothing to do with you. You are an outsider, and an 'outsider' with the Sharingan. You have no right to interfere!"

Kakashi's name is very special to the entire Uchiha clan.

Most Uchiha harbored hostility towards him—the outflow of the Sharingan was a matter of Uchiha pride.

"Internal affairs?"

Kakashi, completely unconcerned by the other person's attitude, said in a calm tone:

“If it were just a family gathering, I would certainly have no interest, but your attempt to interfere with and coerce a Konoha Jonin who bears important frontline responsibilities during the war is no longer just an internal matter.”

"Shisui is a member of the Shadow Guard. His future and mission are decided by the Hokage and his direct superior, Captain Qingwu. It is not up to... certain people to arrange things privately."

He deliberately emphasized "certain people," his gaze sweeping over the two men with an undisguised warning.

"Kakashi, you..." The ninja with the sharp voice seemed about to explode.

"enough."

Shisui, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. He stepped forward, blocking Kakashi and the two clansmen, and calmly looked at the two clansmen:

"Please leave, both of you. I have made myself very clear! If the clan leader and elders still have any questions, they can formally ask the Hokage."

He paused, then cautioned, "This kind of private contact... is not good for the family or the village."

The two Uchiha looked at Shisui's resolute attitude, then at Kakashi beside him, and knew that they could not achieve their goal tonight.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with resentment and anger.

"...Hmph, Shisui, you'd better watch yourself!"

The ninja uttered a low voice, and the two figures flashed, turning into black shadows and disappearing into the forest, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Silence returned to the forest, leaving only Kakashi and Shisui.

Kakashi looked at Shisui, his lazy expression returning. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, thank you Kakashi-senpai." Shisui shook his head, a hint of fatigue on his face. "I'm sorry for making you laugh."

"Pressure from the family?"

Kakashi asked, though he wasn't an Uchiha, he possessed Obito's Sharingan and wasn't entirely ignorant about certain aspects of the Uchiha.

“Hmm,” Shisui didn’t deny it, but hesitated for a moment before saying, “Because of these eyes.”

"Power is a double-edged sword; it can protect, but it can also hurt others and oneself."

Kakashi said meaningfully, patting Shisui on the shoulder:

"Don't overthink it. Just do what you want. You are Shisui, the Uchiha Shisui of Konoha, not anyone's tool."

Shisui was slightly taken aback; the two former captains of the Shadow Guard had said remarkably similar things.

The difference is that... Kakashi emphasizes his identity as a "Konoha ninja".

“I understand.” Shisui nodded emphatically.

"Should we tell Qingwu about this?" Kakashi asked Shisui for his opinion.

Shisui hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "Not for now. The captain... seems to have his own things to take care of recently. I'll handle things with the family."

Kakashi looked at him for a few seconds and nodded: "Alright, but remember, you're not alone. If you have any trouble, you can come to me, or... go directly to your captain."

That kid... he may be young, but sometimes he might be more reliable than me.

Feeling Kakashi's kindness, Shisui sincerely thanked him.

After exchanging a few more words, the two returned to their respective camps.

Kakashi returned to his temporary lodgings, lay on the bed, his hands behind his head, and his thoughts wandered through his exposed right eye.

Uchiha...

The undercurrents beneath the surface of the leaf seem to be growing increasingly turbulent.

"This is really... troublesome," Kakashi muttered to himself, pulling the blanket over his face.

……

A few days later, Qingwu found Suzaku in Nara.

"Senior Zhuque, I need to leave for a few days to take care of some personal matters," Qingwu said bluntly.

Suzaku Nara didn't seem surprised. He put down the map in his hand and looked at Qingwu: "How long will it take?"

The Shadow Guards are beyond even Mitomon Homura's control; they rely entirely on... their own initiative.

Of course, after spending a long time together, he knew very well that Qingwu was a sensible person who would not do anything detrimental to Konoha.

"It won't take too long, at the fastest three to five days, at the slowest seven or eight days. During this time, the Shadow Guard will stay at the stronghold and be ready to be deployed."

Qingwu pondered for a moment and said, "In addition, I will leave some of my summoned beasts to assist in the defense. If there is any unusual activity on Yunyin's side, I will rush back as soon as possible."

Nara Suzaku nodded:

"I understand. Go ahead. Lord Yan and I will keep an eye on things here, so there won't be any trouble. Yunyin doesn't have the guts to start another war right now, so be careful."

"Thank you." Qingwu bowed and turned to leave.

Without alerting anyone, he rode his silver winged horse into the sky alone, flying north towards the Frost Kingdom.

The biting wind swept across the lines of his face that had become increasingly resolute with age.

The six-month agreement with Orochimaru has come to an end!

Yongchi Cave, one of the three sacred sites alongside Shikkotsu Forest and Myoboku Mountain!

I'm here!

Whether it's a "fate to immortality" or a "snake's lair," we must venture into it.

In order to become stronger, in order to face even greater storms in the future, and in order to... completely take control of one's own destiny.

Beneath the calm surface in Qingwu's eyes lay a hidden expectation and determination!

The silver steed neighed and increased its speed.

Like a silver lightning bolt, it pierced the vast sky and sped toward the agreed-upon location.

……

Chapter 229 Keeping the Appointment, Ryūchi Cave!

Frost Country

It was still that desolate place covered in ice and snow.

Most of the traces left by the earth-shattering battle months ago have been buried by the new snow, with only some particularly huge craters and charred rocks still telling the story of the tragedy.

Qingwu leaped off the back of the silver flying horse and landed at the agreed location.

He waved his hand to recall the silver Pegasus, looked around, and his natural senses quietly activated, already detecting the person who was supposed to come.

"You're really punctual, Qingwu-jun."

A hoarse voice with a unique rhythm came from behind the ice rocks.

Orochimaru slowly walked out, but his attire made Qingwu pause slightly.

Red clouds and black robes!?

Has this guy already joined the Akatsuki?

Orochimaru's golden snake eyes gleamed with interest as he sized up Qingwu.

The young man in front of me has accomplished quite a few "big things" in the past six months.

Thinking back to their first encounter in the Forest of Death, and now... Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

He had seen countless geniuses, but... he had never seen such a rate of growth.

'If... Rope Tree had half... no, one-fifth of this fellow clansman's talent, he probably wouldn't have ended up like that.'

Orochimaru was secretly reminiscing about his former disciples.

Qingwu's gaze lingered on Orochimaru's red cloud-patterned black robe for a moment, a strange, almost imperceptible glint flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.

Orochimaru probably doesn't know that he recognizes the Akatsuki uniform.

However, it didn't matter. He didn't intend to point it out, since the main purpose of today was Ryuchi Cave.

"I certainly remember the six-month agreement," Qingwu said calmly. "So, when shall we depart?"

"Hehe... Qingwu-jun is still so impatient."

Orochimaru licked his lips:

“Ryuchi Cave is different from the habitat of ordinary spirit beasts. It is the kingdom of snakes, a place that follows ancient, strict, and even cruel rules.”

"Hmph... Even as a contractor, I cannot freely enter and exit, nor can I bring outsiders in directly."

As he spoke, he walked to a relatively flat open space in front of the ice rock and took out several scrolls engraved with complex runes from his sleeve.

Then, from who knows where, they pulled out some powder with a strange, sweet and fishy smell and a small bottle of dark red liquid, which looked like some kind of blood.

Qingwu watched Orochimaru's actions with curiosity.

But in his mind, he recalled that in the original work, Orochimaru activated the Grim Reaper Mask using a strange ritual called "shamanistic dance".

Is it...

Orochimaru arranged the items,