"Is Fuguki Suikazan that strong?" Minato and Nawaki asked, curious as to why Xin had singled him out.
"He's just a big guy," Xin shrugged. "Nothing special, but I want his weapon. If we cross paths, don't even think about fighting him-he's mine."
Fuguki Suikazan was as strong as a high-ranking jonin, but Xin didn't consider him much of a challenge. In fact, none of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen really impressed him; it was their swords that had piqued his interest.
If they didn't cross paths, so be it. But if they did, Xin would take their swords without hesitation.
And it wouldn't be hard to justify. Attacking the Fire Nation's shipping lanes? That was a death wish. They wouldn't even need an excuse to retaliate. Konoha could take their swords, and if the Mist Village wanted them back, they'd have to come begging.
Or, more likely, they'd try to negotiate some kind of trade. But that was boring.
So, Nawaki thought to himself, if Xin's claiming Suikazan, and Minato's taking Mangetsu,
that leaves the other five for me, right?
"Hehehe..." Nawaki started laughing to himself, already imagining his victory.
Minato leaned over to Xin and whispered, "Is he going to be okay?"
"He'll be fine," Xin replied calmly. "At worst, he'll get beaten up. Nothing too serious-just enough to teach him a lesson."
If things went according to Xin's plan, Nawaki would definitely get his ass kicked by the five remaining Swordsmen. He had a habit of getting too cocky, and the only way to cure that was a healthy dose of reality.
Once they finished eating, the trio continued on their way, reaching the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire a day later.
"Welcome, sir," The commander in charge of the coastal defenses greeted them warmly.
"Recently, ships leaving the Land of Fire have been attacked near the borders of the Lands of Craftsmen and Hot Water, especially in the latter," the commander explained.
"Is it confirmed that the Mist Village is behind the attacks?" Xin asked, studying the map.
The squad captain nodded and explained, "According to the intelligence we've received from the outpost near the remains of Uzushio, the attackers are definitely from the Mist Village. The ships were attacked after being shrouded in a thick, heavy mist."
Although Mist Village was nearby, Nawaki couldn't help but speculate, "It might be Cloud Village pulling something sneaky. They're notorious for their dirty tricks."
Cloud Village did have a reputation for underhanded tactics, and they weren't above framing others for their deeds. But the thick mist pointed more towards Mist Village's involvement.
"I understand. Our team will cover the shipping lanes near the Land of Hot Water, and another team can handle the routes to the Land of Craftsmen. Does that sound good?" Xin asked, looking at the map.
It wasn't practical for one team to guard both routes. They had to choose one, and since most incidents were happening near the Land of Hot Water, that's where they'd focus their efforts. Only by hitting back hard could they make the enemy retreat and pull back their claws.
Given its isolation across the ocean, intel on the Mist Village was limited. As the squad settled aboard their ship, Nawaki flipped through the mission reports over and over before voicing his confusion.