The Bloodline Faction's Ninja Force, surrounded on all sides, had already reached the brink of collapse.
The six Swordsmen keenly perceived the low morale and undercurrents of desertion spreading through the ranks. They immediately took decisive action to suppress the unrest, hanging no fewer than fifty severed heads of suspected defectors around the camp as a grim warning.
Otherwise, before the Coalition Force even launched a full-scale attack, the completely encircled Bloodline Faction's Ninja Force might very well collapse before battle ever began.
But everyone knew that suppressing unrest with brutal methods was merely a temporary solution, fundamentally unable to resolve the core issues.
Yet equally understood by all was the fact that only the arrival of the Third Mizukage could reverse the situation of declining morale—and even if the Mizukage himself came to lead, without a sufficient number of ninja accompanying him into battle, it would be difficult for the Mizukage alone to turn the tide.
The Bloodline Faction's Upper-Jonin were fully aware of this.
However, as Jonin Officers bearing heavy responsibilities, certain words often became bound by complex considerations, making them difficult to voice directly.
Therefore, they had no choice but to weave together a series of elaborate, sometimes contradictory "good news," such as "Reinforcements are rushing toward us," "The village has always been with us and never abandoned us," and "The Third Mizukage will personally arrive at the front line to guide our tactics." These carefully crafted lies formed a comforting net of falsehoods, gently wrapping around those Bloodline ninja immersed in despair, hoping these dejected individuals could summon even just a tiny bit of courage!
However, after too much feel-good fluff, people naturally built up resistance—after all, no matter how well-meaning, a lie is still a lie.
As the encirclement tightened further, the Bloodline Faction's Ninja Force, having given up all hope, fell into complete silence. No matter how passionately the Jonin encouraged them, nor how aggressively they threatened or bribed, the lower-ranked ninja remained lifeless and unmotivated.
That was the really scary part.
Although once the Coalition Force attacked, these silent ninja would erupt into violent retaliation, such mindless ferocity was ultimately useless—it frightened enemies but lacked any real strategy, making them easy prey for even light probing assaults. It looked as though these Bloodline ninja were deliberately throwing themselves to their deaths.
"We can't keep dragging this out!"
Inside the tent of the Ninja Force's camp, Raiga Kurosuki emphasized, "Although there's still a desire to die alongside the enemy, if things keep going like this, I'm afraid those guys won't even be capable of sacrificing themselves!"
"We've only got seven days' worth of rations left!"
Biwa Juzo also added.
"How come so much is left?"
Kushimaru Kuriarare had a rather strange focus: "I remember saying just a few days ago that we only had seven days' worth of rations left. How come it's still…"
"There have been quite a few deaths recently, so with total consumption reduced, the supplies last longer now."
"That makes sense!"
Kushimaru Kuriarare pretended to suddenly understand.
Even with everything falling apart, their madness showed no sign of letting up.
Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kushimaru Kuriarare was undoubtedly one of the most certifiably insane.
"Cut the crap," muttered Shimazaki without restraint. "Can't you act serious for once?"
"Serious about what?" Kushimaru tilted his head upward, feigning interest in the canvas roof. "It's too thick—I can't even see the sky!"
"How long are you going to keep this up!" Shimazaki finally snapped, bolting upright with frustration. "We need to talk about real issues! Serious matters!"
"Like when we're all supposed to die?" Kushimaru shot back sarcastically. "Instead of wasting time on nonsense, maybe we should be figuring out how to take as many enemies down with us by drawing upon more chakra!"
"You're way too negative!"
"And you're way too positive!"
And just like that, another round of bickering broke out between them—one of many repeats of the same argument.
Still bickering?
This time, however, a third voice suddenly cut through their exchange.
Instantly, all six swordsmen came to full alert.
Right then and there, the body of the Third Mizukage slowly emerged from beneath the earth near the tent's entrance.
"Honorable Mizukage!"
As if finding their spine at last, the six swordsmen simultaneously dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully before their unexpected guest.
They hadn't ruled out the possibility of the Mizukage arriving, but none expected him to appear like this—right here inside the Central War Tent itself.
Naturally, they weren't fearless—but what held them still wasn't fear, either; it was awe and disbelief.
Although the Third Mizukage's entrance lacked decorum or grandeur, his mere presence within the camp alone was enough proof of his resolve and courage as the leader of a Hidden Village.
"Mizukage, how many reinforcements did you bring?" Biwa Juzo dared to ask.
The Third Mizukage slowly raised a single finger.
"Ten thousand? One thousand?"
The swordsmen guessed eagerly.
Yet the Third Mizukage simply shook his head again, eventually replying with a steady tone: "Only myself."
Though they had secretly suspected the answer, disappointment still flickered across their faces.
He didn't even bring the two Jinchuriki that Mist still had in its possession. Even with the Mizukage's personal presence, there was no way they could tip the scales now.
"The reinforcements were intercepted near the central islands and are unable to push further south past the enemy lines. And the village no longer has sufficient personnel available for recruitment," the Third Mizukage explained calmly. "Therefore, I brought only one thing—courage. The most precious thing of all—the courage to stand and fight until the end."
"Long live Mist!"
The six weary swordsmen responded half-heartedly, lacking any true enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, as the ninja forces from the southern island military base began their march northward, the latest intelligence finally reached Hyuga Soushu's hands.
"The Mizukage is inside the enemy camp."
When he saw the intelligence confirmed repeatedly by multiple Hyuga scouts, Soushu was left speechless, overwhelmed by a storm of conflicting emotions.
The arrival of the Mizukage meant one undeniable thing—
Madara Uchiha—the immortal old monster—was also here.
There was a strong possibility that the Third Mizukage of Mist, including his very movements and torso, was being controlled by Madara Uchiha.
As the saying goes—"Every man has his shadow." Although Soushu's past-life memories had stripped away much of Madara's mystique, he still did not hold a diminished view of his power.
Moreover, it could be confirmed that the remains of the God Tree—better known as the legendary Six Paths Demonic Statue—were most likely already in Madara Uchiha's possession!
The Six Paths Demonic Statue was powerful enough that, later on, Nagato even used it to defeat Sanshouo Hanzo—known as the "Half-God."
Therefore, Soushu couldn't afford to be even slightly careless.
Fortunately, among the powerful fighters currently engaged in battle, there were outstanding experts like Sanshouo Hanzo who specialized in large-scale combat. Also present were numerous renowned warriors from the Ninja World, including Raikage Mū and Tsuchikage Onoki, who would certainly not allow Kirigakure to rise from the ashes again.
After all, the situation had reached a point of no return.
As Coalition Force ninja continued shifting northward and gradually occupied their designated positions, an atmosphere of tense finality grew increasingly thick.
Yet after the appearance of the Third Mizukage within the Bloodline faction's headquarters camp, morale—which had previously sunk to rock bottom—suddenly rebounded with incredible force, reaching a new peak.
Regardless of which faction they came from, the ninja of Kirigakure were naturally ruthless and unafraid of death. However, their earlier despair and passivity stemmed mostly from a lack of hope.
Now that the Third Mizukage had appeared within the camp, despite the absence of any arriving reinforcements beside him, simply facing life and death alongside their village leader was enough to reignite hope among the Bloodline faction ninja, driving them into a frenzy of loyalty and vows of sacrifice.
Just as the decisive moment approached, however, word arrived that Hanzo's interception unit stationed at the central islands had suddenly come under an unexpected attack!
Hanzo's unit was responsible for cutting off the supply routes between Mist reinforcements and the Bloodline faction's army, guarding a strategically crucial sea channel. After recent reinforcements and supplies, his forces had grown back to around two thousand ninja.
With warships patrolling the area and fortified beachheads in place, it seemed nearly impossible for the enemy to break through quickly.
Especially since the interception force included skilled scouts from renowned clans like the Hyuga and Aburame, known for their keen perception, which all but eliminated the chance of a surprise attack. The defensive line—while far from impregnable—was definitely no easy target for ordinary brigands.
Yet just that night, an unexpected storm erupted from the previously calm sea surface!
The patrol ships sailing through the channel were suddenly caught in mysterious whirlpools appearing out of nowhere. Immediately afterward, a strange yet immense surge of chakra welled up from beneath the ocean depths.
"Enemy attack!"
Instantly, coalition ninja raised the alarm!
However, even so, such a tidal vortex resembling a natural disaster was beyond human capacity to prevent or control. Although the fleet swiftly turned course upon noticing the anomaly, two vessels were mercilessly swallowed by the whirlpools, and only a few quick-witted, relatively skilled ninja managed to escape with their lives.
And this wasn't over yet!
Shortly afterward, something massive, red, slick, and grotesquely fat emerged from the water—a giant intestine-like creature!
And it was still constantly moving, as if digesting something!
Even Sanshouo Hanzo and the entire Coalition Force felt their spines chill at the sight!
It wasn't until this moment that the Hyuga scouts finally spotted the enemy's trail after intense observation.
"Under the sea, there are nothing but Mount Myoboku's ninja frogs!"
Just as the Hyuga ninjas were issuing warnings simultaneously, suddenly the ocean floor flashed momentarily, as though some strange light had splashed underwater.
"My eyes!"
The Hyuga ninjas who had been observing with Byakugan immediately cried out in pain, covering their eyes which had been severely irritated, tears streaming nonstop.
The Byakugan had long been a hated tool among enemies. Although caught off guard initially and having discovered the formation of the ninja frogs, Jiraiya—who was preparing them for battle—immediately responded by activating Sage Art, unleashing a blinding flash that disabled the Hyuga ninjas' vision.
Though not completely blinded, those affected would be unable to continue reconnaissance during the conflict.
"I originally wanted to lure them into the water... What a pity."
Gamabunta, concealed beneath the waves, muttered as he released a stream of massive bubbles.
"Nothing I can do about it. Those Byakugan kids were just too quick."
Although slightly regretful, Jiraiya understood war was unpredictable. Moreover, his summoned Gamabunta's stomach had thunderously swallowed two enemy warships—an impressive and advantageous opening chapter to the battle.
"It's actually them again..."
Sanshouo Hanzo frowned.
His knowledge about Mount Myoboku was limited; he only felt uneasy upon seeing that strange enormous intestine-like creature.
"All warships are to withdraw from the battlefield immediately. Preserve our vessels at all costs!"
Then Hanzo issued orders: "Suikan teams, all ashore—no one enters the water without my command! Water Release ninjas prepare concentrated attacks, Earth Release units create seawalls. Hold the line and counter once stabilized!"
"Mobile units head north to patrol. Block the southern route to prevent any remaining Mist forces from sneaking southward!"
"Uchiha Clan ninjas will act as General Reserve Force. No action without direct command!"
"Hai!" (Yes!)
The entire Coalition Force responded in unison.
Meanwhile, with the Coalition Force increasing both the strength and frequency of their probing assaults, the Bloodline faction, under the encouragement of the Third Mizukage, launched fiercer counterattacks. Two Kage-level leaders appeared on both flanks of the battlefield to provide support and maintain pressure.
On the left flank stood Third Tsuchikage Onoki, leading an unruly force of roughly three thousand Coalition ninjas from mixed allegiances.
Setting aside Hyuga Soushu's involvement, this conflict truly lived up to its name—the Clash of the Thirds.
After all, besides Third Tsuchikage Onoki, there were also Third Mizukage from Mist and Third Raikage from Cloud present—three out of Five Great Ninja Villages' Kage leaders, all being third-generation village leaders. Undoubtedly, it was a historical oddity worth noting.
However, Onoki's thoughts were elsewhere.
Although Onoki had never directly interacted with the Mizukage of Mist before, his sensor perception gave him a vague feeling—an inexplicable sense of familiarity emanating from the Third Mizukage seated within the Bloodline faction's Ninja Force headquarters.
And it was a familiarity that ran bone-deep.
Yet no matter how hard he thought about it, Onoki couldn't pinpoint where this sensation had come from.
He might've been old, but he knew his memory had never let him down. That's exactly why this strange sense of familiarity baffled him so much.
Meanwhile, seated at the commanding height within the Ninja Force camp, the Third Mizukage also noticed Onoki boldly staring at him.
"It's this brat."
The Third Mizukage snorted in disgust, clearly displeased. "I should've killed him back then! Damn Hashirama for interfering. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to deal with this damn mess now!"
At that moment, Hyuga Soushu personally launched the signal flare indicating a full-scale attack!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
As three red flares shot into the sky, the Coalition Forces launched their full-scale attack as planned.
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