"I propose that from now on, if we encounter that 'White Blood Demon,' we abandon the mission immediately."
Pushing through the mist, Jūzō Biwa watched Yoru's retreating figure with undisguised terror. Surprisingly, none of the Kirigakure shinobi objected to his reckless suggestion—everyone agreed wholeheartedly. The White Blood Demon's strength was simply too unfathomable. From now on, they'd steer clear of him.
"Konohagakure truly breeds exceptional talents. Every generation produces monstrously strong shinobi."
The Kiri-nin couldn't help but sigh in awe. The Hidden Leaf Village lived up to its reputation as the greatest shinobi village, its foundations unshakable. Before the war, the White Blood Demon had been just an unknown chūnin. Had war not broken out, Konoha might have kept him hidden indefinitely.
"Raiga… you don't think that 'Watermelon Head' was really just a genin, do you?"
Jūzō's voice was uneasy. If the White Blood Demon had once been an ordinary chūnin, then a genin unleashing Kage-level combat prowess didn't seem so far-fetched anymore.
"Now that you mention it… it's possible."
Black Blade Raiga frowned, recalling the green-clad shinobi's unmistakable genin attire. The way the Konoha ninja treated him suggested his rank was genuine.
"Tch…"
Raiga and Jūzō exchanged glances, a chill running down their spines. Their understanding of Konoha's terrifying depth had just been rewritten.
Hearing this, Hoshigaki Kisame (Note: Assuming "西瓜山河豚鬼" is Kisame for consistency with Naruto lore, though the name differs) suppressed a shudder at the memory of the Morning Peacock but forced a composed tone.
"Let's not forget—the White Blood Demon has already annihilated two Suna puppet battalions, over six hundred men. Only Elder Chiyo escaped him. Compared to her, we got off lightly."
Murmurs of agreement rose.
"Surviving at all is a victory."
"Thank the Sage for Kisame-sama's quick thinking. If not for his diplomatic cunning, we'd all be dead."
"Yes, our gratitude to Kisame-sama!"
The surviving Kiri-nin lifted Kisame onto their shoulders in praise. Raiga, whose status rivaled Kisame's, scowled—until Jūzō yanked his sleeve. To Raiga's surprise, Jūzō joined the flattery, heaping glory onto Kisame.
Finally, it clicked.
The Mizu forces were decimated. Someone had to take the blame. Even if the dead Hōzuki Mangetsu (輝夜百战) bore the primary fault, a secondary scapegoat was needed. Among the survivors, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen held the highest rank. If Kisame wanted the spotlight? Let him also take the fall.
But Kisame was no fool. Behind his brutish exterior lurked a fox's cunning—why else would he oversee Kiri's intelligence division? Sensing the trap, he pivoted sharply.
"Think about it… did the White Blood Demon ever intend to fight us?" Kisame mused. "He only turned lethal after we blocked his retreat to Hi no Kuni. He even proposed an alliance against Suna! It was Mangetsu who provoked him!"
The crowd erupted.
"Kisame-sama speaks truth! Mangetsu's idiocy cost us victory!"
"Had we allied with Konoha's Hundred, we'd be feasting in the Daimyō's palace!"
Lies piled atop lies. Some even swore Kisame had repeatedly warned Mangetsu, only to be ignored. Without Kisame's leadership, they'd have been wiped out.
Kisame's gaze locked onto Jūzō and Raiga.
"Well? Was Mangetsu the only traitor… or were there accomplices?"
The unspoken threat hung thick. With the crew united in blaming Mangetsu, opposing Kisame meant becoming the next scapegoat. Reluctantly, Raiga nodded.
"Good. We're all comrades now." Kisame's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Betrayal will be… punished."
Then, the carrot:
"Raiga, your daughter Fubuki starts the Academy soon, yes? Let me mentor her."
Raiga hesitated—but Kisame's intelligence network was valuable. "…Fine."
"Jūzō." Kisame's voice hardened. "You aren't shielding Mangetsu, are you?"
Jūzō scoffed. "That warmonger ruined my chance at palace women and wine. Why would I defend him?"
Satisfied, Kisame ordered full speed ahead to Mizu no Kuni. Every second wasted risked the White Blood Demon changing his mind—and chasing them down on a desert hawk.
Meanwhile, Yoru wasn't pursuing anyone.
Back at the sunken ships, he shrouded the river in a dense Hidden Mist Jutsu. The armored puppets were too bulky for aquatic combat, but Suna's standard models had no such weakness.
The Kiri elites had fled or died in the poison maze. The remaining crew were logistics personnel—weak. Any token jōnin overseers fell swiftly to shadow-clone-controlled puppet assassins.