Knock, knock.
Kuro was lounging in the living room, leisurely sipping his tea, when a knock echoed through the house.
"I got it!" Kisara called out, hurrying to the door.
Moments later, she returned with someone Kuro never expected to visit him.
Mikoto Uchiha.
"Oh?" Kigan raised an eyebrow when he saw a Uchiha visiting his house. He turned toward Kuro and whistled.
"Well, it seems my son has his father's good genes."
Kuro nearly choked on his tea, coughing into his sleeve as he tried to recover. Mikoto, ever graceful, offered a polite smile, though the subtle twitch of amusement in her eyes didn't go unnoticed.
Kisara leaned in, whispering with mock conspiratorial glee, "She's pretty, huh?"
Kuro glared at her, cheeks tinged with pink. "What's she doing here?" he hissed under his breath.
Kokomi, still in the kitchen, turns and teases Kuro. "Maybe she's here for you, genius. Are you planning to invite her in or just stare like a fish out of water?"
Mikoto stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Kigan and Kokomi. "Apologies for the sudden visit. I came to ask Kuro to join our teammate for an outing."
Kigan chuckled, clearly enjoying the scene far too much. "Ah, it's so good to be young."
Kisara acted mock-offended, pouting. "Don't forget about an old woman like me, alright?"
Kuro grinned, slinging an arm around Kisara's shoulders. "Old? Nah, your beauty transcends time itself."
Mikoto stood awkwardly, watching the playful exchange, a flicker of jealousy crossing her face.
Kuro finally stopped goofing around. "Alright, alright. I'm coming. Don't make that face."
Mikoto gave a small nod, stepping aside to let him pass. As they made their way to the door, Kisara stage-whispered, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
Kuro groaned audibly.
Outside, the late morning sun cast soft light through the clouds, the village bustling with its usual quiet energy.
They walked in silence for a moment, the space between them filled only by the rhythmic crunch of gravel beneath their sandals. Kuro risked a glance at Mikoto. Calm as ever, she walked with hands behind her back, eyes forward.
"So…" he finally said, "What's this outing really about?"
Mikoto shifted her gaze to him, her eyes a fraction of a second quicker. "Minato invited you, me, and Nawaki to a training session. He also mentioned a surprise, but didn't tell me what it is."
"Well, of course, it wouldn't be a surprise if he did," Kuro muttered, rolling his eyes.
Mikoto let out a quiet, almost imperceptible chuckle. "You're insufferably sarcastic, I see."
Kuro grinned. "And you're as stiff as a kunai stuck in a tree trunk."
Mikoto looked ahead, lips twitching at the corners. "Better stiff than reckless."
"Tch. Touché," Kuro muttered, jamming his hands into his pockets.
'And damn these Root ANBU, ruining a great day with their constant surveillance.'
Kuro's thoughts simmered beneath the surface as they walked, his senses tingling with the ever-present awareness of the ANBU operatives watching him from the shadows.
He cast a glance over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a shadow slipping behind a tree, just barely visible. His teeth ground together, frustration bubbling under his calm exterior. 'I should tell Niji to do something before they destroy my enjoyment.' Kuro thought as he sensed ANBU eyes on him, especially since he was interacting with an Uchiha.
Before he could dwell further on it, Minato's voice rang out, cutting through his thoughts. "Ah, you're here! Perfect timing, everyone's in place!" He waved them over, his smile wide and eager as he clapped his hands.
"So, what's this all about?" Kuro shot him a glance. "You ruin my day of leisure."
Minato chuckled. "Come on, Kuro! You know I'm doing this for a good reason. Besides, you don't want to miss out on the surprise, do you?"
Kuro rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the faint curiosity tugging at him. "I suppose not. But you owe me an Ichiraku Ramen after this, Minato."
Mikoto shot him a brief, amused look, though she quickly turned her gaze forward again.
Kuro felt her look, although he not going to comment on it after receiving a stern warning from Kisara.
Minato flashed him a playful grin. "Deal! Ichiraku Ramen, just like old times. But you'll have to survive the surprise first."
Kuro groaned audibly, but it was clear his mind was already on the promise of that steaming bowl of ramen. "Fine, fine," he muttered.
With that, the team moved toward the training ground near the Forest of Death.
***
Inside an underground cavern, Niji paced back and forth, waiting for his brothers to arrive.
Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!
Figures darted in one by one, silently taking their positions and turning their attention to Niji.
Seeing the last of his brothers arrive, Niji halted his pacing and faced them.
"I called you all here today because I've just received word. Our Lord is growing increasingly dissatisfied with the constant surveillance by Root and the ANBU." Niji's gaze swept across the shadowed eyes of his brothers.
"So, what do you plan for us to do?" one of them asked.
A smirk crept across Niji's face. "Blackbeard and his crew came across a rare plant out at sea. He sent us a few samples, just in case."
He paused.
"Oh, come on! Out with it already!" another figure snapped impatiently.
"Well," Niji said, producing a small plant from a sealing scroll, "this little thing has a very special trait. When the nectar from its flower is applied to the skin, it causes continuous pain in that area—until an antitoxin made from its root is used."
"So?" Another figure asked.
Niji didn't answer right away. Instead, he gave a grin so devilish it made the cavern feel colder.
A few of the sharper ones started sweating. Their eyes widened in horror, and they instinctively clamped their legs shut.
'Good thing I am a shadow soldier, or else I would be shaking in fear.' They thought inside their head.
Those who didn't catch on looked around, puzzled by their brothers' sudden discomfort.
Niji slowly paced again, the small plant still cradled in his hand.
"What do you think would happen," he asked, "if you applied this flower's nectar to a pair of scissors... and then used it to snip off someone's manhood?"
The question hung in the air like smoke.
The last few oblivious ones froze, realization hitting them all at once. Their eyes widened in horror as they, too, instinctively closed their legs, mirroring the others.
A long, uneasy silence followed.
Niji finally stopped and looked over his brothers with a wicked glint in his eye.
"Claire has contacted me," he said smoothly, "and informed me she can refine this flower's nectar into a more potent poison—one that not only prolongs the pain but also halts cellular regeneration in the affected area."
Hearing this, several of the figures began to visibly shiver, the implications settling deep into their bones. Even hardened warriors weren't immune to the visceral fear conjured by Niji's words.
One figure muttered under his breath, "That's not just torture... that's erasure."
Niji smiled wider. "Exactly. And that's why Root will never see it coming. They're prepared for death. Not this."