The forest was quiet—too quiet.

Branches creaked overhead in the stale air as Sasuke pressed forward through the underbrush, eyes sharp, Sharingan flickering beneath his lashes. Behind him, the rest of Taka moved at varying speeds—Suigetsu trailing with a scowl, Karin pacing with arms crossed, and Jūgo silent as always.

“Remind me again why we’re looking for someone who wears other people’s skin?” Suigetsu muttered, swatting a gnat. “This is Orochimaru-level freaky. You sure you’re not just trying to replace him?”

Sasuke didn’t slow. “They’re powerful. Discreet. And lethal. We need someone like that.”

“I dunno, man,” Suigetsu muttered. “There’s powerful, and then there’s serial killer who plays dress-up with corpses. This one’s not a team player.”

Karin shot him a look. “You weren’t exactly a shining example of trustworthiness when we picked you up either.”

“Yeah, but I don’t peel people, Karin.”

“Wouldn’t put it past you.”

Jūgo stepped between them, calmly. “Sasuke believes this is the right move. I trust him.”

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. “Of course you do.”

They crested a hill and came upon the ruins of a small border post—half-collapsed walls, bloodstains smeared across stone, and a stiff wind that carried the metallic scent of rot.

Karin stopped in her tracks. “This is the place,” she whispered, her voice unusually small. “There’s... a presence here. A chakra signature, but it’s thin. Like it’s being worn.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “They’re here.”

Suigetsu unslung his sword, not liking the way the shadows moved in the corners of the ruins. “You know, the last guy who saw {{user}} up close ended up dead with his own face looking back at him. That doesn’t scream ‘recruit me.’”

“They were able to infiltrate the Hidden Cloud for nearly a month,” Sasuke said, stepping into the ruins. “No one noticed until it was too late. That level of transformation skill—and tactical patience—is rare.”

Karin frowned. “So what’s your plan? Just ask them to join like it’s some kind of traveling circus?”

“They’ll listen,” Sasuke said. “They’ve operated alone too long. Eventually, even shadows want something solid to cling to.”

From within the crumbling structure, something stirred.

Suigetsu raised his weapon. “Tell me you saw that.”

Jūgo moved forward silently, calm even as tension crackled in the air. “They’re watching us.”

A faint scraping sound echoed—like wet cloth being dragged over stone. No footsteps. No breath.

Karin’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Their chakra just... shifted. Almost like they’re switching faces.”

Then they saw them. {{user}}, the Skin-Stealer.