Rin's question instantly drew everyone's attention to the one thing even Shiki had overlooked.
"Um… where's Kakashi?"
Kushina blinked, then frowned as she looked around.
"Kakashi?" she repeated, cracking her knuckles. "That kid disappeared a while ago. I figured he was just off slacking somewhere again."
Her brows twitched.
"But when he gets back, I'm definitely smacking him for this."
Kurenai, however, didn't look nearly as at ease. Her brows drew together slightly as her eyes swept over the area.
"…Even for Kakashi, this is too long. He wouldn't just vanish without a word. Something feels wrong."
The unease in her voice made Rin's heart skip a beat. Almost without realizing it, she clutched the hem of her sleeve tightly.
"Y-You don't think… something happened to him, do you?"
Shiki, who had been silent until now, suddenly seemed to realize something. His Observation Haki spread out at once.
In an instant, his perception blanketed the entire Land of Demons.
But Kakashi wasn't present anywhere.
The result made Shiki's expression darken slightly. For someone usually so laid-back, the faint irritation in his eyes was rare—he already had a rough idea of what might have happened, and it didn't sit well with him.
Without hesitation, he pushed his Observation Haki to its limit. His perception expanded even farther, stretching beyond the Land of Demons…
Yet there was still no trace of Kakashi.
A rare hint of irritation flickered across his face.
"…He's not here."
The moment those words left his mouth and seeing the expression he wore—Rin's face turned pale.
"N-Not here…? What do you mean, Shiki-sama?"
Shiki lowered his gaze, and the casual ease that usually surrounded him vanished completely.
He had kept most of his attention on Rin the whole time, assuming Kakashi was close by or simply late.
But now, it was painfully obvious—he'd been played. This time, because of his presence, the target had shifted from Rin to Kakashi. And that was the part Shiki couldn't make sense of.
"…So that's what they did."
Kushina's expression changed at once.
"What happened?"
Shiki didn't answer right away. He only looked ahead, his voice turning hard.
"Something annoying."
"We're leaving. Now."
The urgency in his tone made even Kushina swallow the rest of her words.
But Rin couldn't.
"S-Shiki-sama…" Her voice trembled as she grabbed his hand without thinking. "Kakashi… what happened to Kakashi?"
Shiki glanced at her, then answered bluntly.
"Kakashi may have been taken."
Rin's fingers tightened around his hand.
"I searched the entire Land of Demons," Shiki said, his face grim. "He's nowhere."
What Shiki didn't say was that this could also be a trap.
They might be trying to pull a Gojo on him.
Use Kakashi to make him panic, force him to rush off on his own, and the moment he left Rin's side, snatch her away instead.
That was the only reason Shiki didn't immediately head for the place Madara was most likely hiding.
He couldn't leave Rin and Kurenai exposed.
And taking them with him wasn't much better, either.
Shiki had absolute confidence in his own strength, but Black Zetsu and Madara were the kind of bastards who didn't fight fairly. He didn't believe either of them could truly threaten him head-on in his current state…
But if they used Rin or Kurenai to create an opening, that was a different matter.
So the best option was obvious.
Take Rin and the others back to Konoha first.
Then settle the score.
Shiki had originally planned to let things play out a little longer.
Now?
Now he was thinking about killing every last one of them.
This was a lesson.
And he had no intention of forgetting it.
"N-No…" Rin shook her head weakly, her voice catching in her throat. "How could that happen…? Who would even do something like that…?"
Her head lowered, shoulders trembling.
The worst possibility had already started creeping into her mind.
No… no, please… Kakashi…
Please don't let anything happen to him…
Then suddenly, she looked up and grabbed Shiki's hands with both of hers, holding on so tightly it was almost desperate.
"Shiki-sama… please…" she pleaded, tears spilling down her face. "Please save Kakashi… I-I'll do anything…"
She was crying openly now, but still clung to him stubbornly, like he was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.
Kurenai stepped in at once.
She pulled Rin gently into her arms and began patting her back.
"Rin," she said softly, "calm down."
Then she looked at Shiki.
Her eyes said everything.
'Say something, Shiki-nii.'
Shiki gave a small nod and said firmly.
"He's not dead."
"If they took him, then that means Kakashi is still useful to them."
"And if he's alive, I'll bring him back."
"Don't worry. Shiki-nii will definitely save Kakashi-kun. You just have to believe in him."
Hearing those words, Rin's expression eased slightly.
Kushina crossed her arms, though the anger in her eyes had turned cold.
"Tch. Whoever did this has guts."
Then she looked at Shiki.
"So what's the plan?"
"We're going back to Konoha first," Shiki said without hesitation. "I'll handle the rest myself."
Then he turned toward Shion.
"If there's nothing else, we're leaving."
Shion hurriedly shook her head.
"N-No, Shiki-niisama. You've already done so much for us." She bowed quickly, her voice full of guilt. "I'm the one who caused trouble for all of you. I'm really sorry…"
Then, after hesitating for a second, she looked up again.
"But… next time, please come visit again. I'll make sure to thank you properly."
Shiki's expression softened a little.
"If I'm free, I will."
The next moment, he raised a hand.
The ground beneath them began to rise.
Kushina's eyes widened.
"Woooah—!" She nearly lost her balance before catching herself. "You can do this too?! Flying?!"
The irritation from earlier vanished from her face for a second, replaced by pure excitement.
Then she immediately elbowed him.
"Oi! Why didn't you use this sooner? Do you know how cool it would've been to fly around the ninja world?!"
Shiki gave her a flat look.
"In your dreams."
With a flick of his finger, the floating platform shot into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, they became nothing more than a tiny speck in the distance.
Shion stood there, staring upward without blinking.
Only after Ashiho appeared quietly at her side did she finally lower her gaze.
"Lady Shion," Ashiho said gently, "we should return as well. There will likely be unrest, and the people will need you."
Shion stayed silent for a moment, then nodded.
"…You're right."
Ashiho glanced at the sky and sighed.
"Don't worry. I'm sure Shiki-sama will be fine."
Shion's fingers curled lightly at her chest.
Then she gave a small smile.
"I know," she said softly. "I just hope… he visits again soon."
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters and R-18 Content!
--------------------------------------
Update schedule: 7 chapters/week
Every 300 power stones = 1 Extra Chapter
By voting with [power stones], you can easily get double the number of chapters.