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It was a secluded and quiet grove, utterly devoid of the chirping of insects or birds. The silence was profound, broken only by the faint drifting of white mist that hung between the trees. The cold air seemed to cleanse the soul.
Deep within the grove, surrounded by towering trees, lay a small clearing. In the center of the clearing stood two simple graves, and before them stood a boy of eight or nine years old. His face was expressionless, neither joy nor sorrow visible, but his dark eyes carried a deep sadness and an unyielding hatred that could not be erased.
Standing there for a long while, the boy finally spoke softly: "Father, I've buried Aunt Shunzi beside you so she can keep you company. You won't feel lonely anymore. And Aunt Shunzi, I promise I'll bring Haku here to visit you someday."
After a long silence, he continued, "Rest in peaceā¦ and thank you." With those final words, the boy turned slowly and walked away, his figure gradually disappearing into the thick mist. The grove remained as silent as ever, save for the presence of the two new graves.
Two days had passed since the battle in the small village, and today marked the ninth birthday of Miao. In the past, on birthdays like this, his father, Haku, and even Aunt Shunzi would gather at his home to celebrate with him. But now, all those dear to him were gone.
Miao emerged from the grove and stood atop a high cliff overlooking the ruins of the distant village below. A flicker of sorrow passed through his eyes. Though he belonged to the Uchiha clan, this village had been his true home. Now, it was destroyed, leaving him overwhelmed with grief.
At this moment, Miao wore a short black kimono with sleeves that barely covered his hips. Beneath it, he wore a mesh ninja undershirt, and around his waist was tied a white sash. On the back of his waist hung a ninja tool pouchāa typical outfit for a wandering shinobi. Yet, paired with Miao's handsome features, the ensemble gave him an unmistakable aura of grace and mystery.
"I need to leave here quickly," Miao thought to himself. "If I don't, the Hidden Mist Village will surely take notice soon. The aftermath of the battle was significant, and someone nearby might have already noticed the anomaly. For all I know, their scouts could already be on their way."
The disappearance of nearly twenty ANBU operatives would undoubtedly raise alarms. If the Hidden Mist didn't suspect something was amiss, their leadership must be incompetent fools.
With that in mind, Miao leapt down into the snow-covered forest below and dashed along a narrow path. In the blink of an eye, he vanished without a trace. Not a single footprint marred the snow-covered ground or tree trunksāthis was a technique of precise chakra control, akin to walking on water without sinking. It consumed chakra, but it was essential for evading detection. This anti-surveillance skill was second nature to Miao, honed during his previous life as an assassin who meticulously erased any evidence of his actions after completing a mission.
Originally, Miao had planned to find Haku immediately. However, during his earlier battle with the Mist ANBU, he had exhausted too much chakra, causing the shadow clone accompanying Haku to dissipate. Based on the feedback from the clone, he knew that Haku had fled with him to a remote town. Unfortunately, Miao had no idea where that town was located. Though he had been born and raised in the Land of Water, he had never ventured far beyond his village. The farthest he'd ever traveled was to the nearest marketplace, and searching blindly would be both time-consuming and riskyāit could easily expose his location.
More importantly, what good would finding Haku do? He currently lacked the strength to protect her. In this shinobi world, only immense power could ensure one's safety. If Haku stayed with him, not only would her safety remain uncertain, but she wouldn't grow stronger either. At his current level, Miao's abilities were mediocre at bestāhe was nearing upper-jÅnin standards, but his experience, techniques, chakra reserves, speed, and reflexes were all lacking. Without proper guidance, Haku would merely waste her potential by staying with him.
According to the original story, Haku would eventually meet Zabuza Momochi, an elite jÅnin known as the "Demon of the Hidden Mist." Zabuza was a ruthless and powerful shinobi who specialized in water-based techniques. Under his tutelage, Haku, a prodigy with a kekkei genkai, would flourish rapidly.
Even though Miao had awakened the Eternal MangekyÅ Sharingan, he still couldn't match up to Zabuza. Elite jÅnin were no ordinary opponents. While Miao possessed the Eternal MangekyÅ, he hadn't fully mastered its abilities yet. Moreover, using it drained chakra at an alarming rate, far surpassing the demands of a regular three-tomoe Sharingan. His current chakra reserves simply couldn't sustain prolonged use.
Compared to a renowned shinobi like Zabuza, Miao was nothing more than a novice. In terms of combat experience, ninjutsu application, physical strength, speed, reflexes, and chakra capacity, Miao was vastly outmatched. Unless Zabuza made a fatal mistake, Miao stood no chance against him.
Though Miao had been an exceptional assassin in his previous life, the assassins of that world paled in comparison to the shinobi of this one. Assassins operated under different constraints and fought on an entirely different level. For instance, a shinobi could leap onto a tree fifty feet tall in a single boundāsomething no assassin could achieve. The capabilities of shinobi defied conventional logic. Miao understood that if he relied solely on the skills and mindset of an assassin, he would be dead within moments. At best, he could draw upon some of his past experiences and adapt them to this world.
Miao had already abandoned the idea of searching for Haku. According to the original story, Zabuza would die early in the narrative while in the Land of Waves. With this in mind, Miao resolved to intervene when the events unfolded. By then, he hoped to possess sufficient strength to save Zabuza's life and repay him for taking care of and training Haku.
As for Kakashi's Team Seven, Miao felt no particular interest. This world was no longer the same as the one depicted in the mangaāit was a living, breathing reality. Every individual's fate should be determined by their own choices rather than following predetermined plotlines. Anything could happen, diverging from the original story. In the manga, certain characters were protagonists because their fates were scripted. But in this real world, destiny was something each person forged for themselves.