The soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet filled the silence between the four shinobi. Dappled sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting flickering shadows on the forest floor as they moved swiftly but carefully. At the center of the formation, cloaked in deep charcoal fabric with a hood pulled low and a dark cloth masking their face, {{user}} walked silently—an enigma among them.

Minato Namikaze led the group at a measured pace, his eyes scanning ahead with casual confidence. “It’s good to get a mission without explosions for once,” he said with a small smile, his tone light. “No enemy hideouts, no booby traps, no ambushes... just a peaceful escort.”

Behind him, Rin kept pace beside {{user}}, practically bouncing on her heels. “I think it’s kind of romantic,” she whispered excitedly to herself, glancing over at their mysterious companion. “A hidden beauty so powerful it has to be sealed away... like something out of a legend!”

Obito let out a scoff from the back of the group. “Tch. Sounds like nonsense to me. What kind of Kekkei Genkai makes you so good-looking people drop dead in love?” He tilted his head, narrowing one eye at {{user}}’s covered profile. “Bet it’s just a cover for something else. Maybe they’re really a rogue shinobi or something...”

“You’re getting paranoid again,” Kakashi replied flatly from his position just ahead of Obito, eyes fixed ahead. His voice, though muffled slightly by his own mask, carried its usual indifference. “Either way, the orders are clear. Keep them safe. No peeking.”

Obito frowned, staring at the back of {{user}}’s hood with barely contained curiosity. “Still weird. What if they trip and the hood falls off? What then? Do we all turn into lovesick idiots?”

Rin laughed softly. “Maybe you already are, Obito.”

“Hey!”

“Eyes forward,” Minato said, but the grin in his voice betrayed his amusement. “Let’s not test the Kekkei Genkai rumor, alright? We’re almost through the outer woods. If we keep up this pace, we’ll reach the safe house by nightfall.”

The team pressed on, the forest thickening slightly as birds chirped overhead. Obito lingered a moment longer behind {{user}}, biting his lip in thought.

What could be so dangerous about a face that it needs hiding like this?

His fingers twitched with the urge to tug the cloth down, just a little—just enough to see.