Clang! Clang! KUWANG!!!
Katon Gokakyu no Jutsu !! 火遁・豪火球の術 (Fire release : Great Fireball Technique!)
Suiton: Suijinheki水遁・水陣壁 (Water release: water formation wall)
It did not take long before Kiri and allied forces clashed with full on confrontation. The battlefield was quickly filled with cacophony of screasm and kuanis, shurikens, and jutsus clashing against each other.
Within this chaos filled battlefield, Uchiha clan stood out the most. Controlling the flow of the battlefield with their sharingan. Kiri's water release was indeed impressive; However, they were not able to fully counter Uchiha's sharingan effectively.
Shinichi drew his straight sword and charged towards the Kiri-nin forces. Slicing through both jutsus and barrage of weapons, Shinichi quickly reached a group of Kiri-nin.
"He sliced through my Suiton??!!!"
Hyōton: Tsurara Rendan氷遁・氷柱連弾 (Ice release: Icicle Combo)
While Suiton user, who appeared to be a young Hozuki clan ninja exclaimed in surprise, an old Yuki clan ninja immediately covered for his mistake with his ice release.
A barrage of Icicle senbons launched towards Shinichi from different direction.
Shinichi did not back off and charge with his sword on his right hand, while he formed single hand seals inside his sleeves with his left hand.
Katon: Honohari Rendan火遁・炎針連弾 (Fire release: Flame needle Combo)
Flame needles materialized around him and intercepted the icicles blitzing towards him.
Shinichi's movement wasn't hindered at all. He quickly put Three Kaguya-nin standing in the front in genjutsu with his sharingan and quickly severed their limbs and decapitated their heads in quick succession. Then he shunshined in front of the old Yuki-nin and gifted him a swift upward diagonal slash followed by a quick horizontal decapitating strike.
'An Ice clone….'
Shinichi's crimson eyes quickly darter around the surroundings and quickly scanned the battlefield once more as he noticed that he only struck down an ice clone replacement.
The decapitated old Yuki-nin lost color and turned into a broken ice sculpture, which quickly sublimated into vapor. The heat of Shinichi's blade was so intense that the ice clone almost instantly vaporized upon contact.
Few distance away from Shinichi, the same old Yuki-nin carried a young Hozuki-nin under his armpit spat out a puddle of blood. There was a deep steamy sizzled gash running diagonally across from his lower left abdomen to his right shoulder.
"?!!" 'Did that kid just copy my icicle combo and modified it into fire release? No, that's impossible. Even with sharingan it's to quick. And that sword… is not a normal sword… it felt like a magma was packed inside the blade…'
"Yuki-san! Your wound!"
"Hozuki-kun, calm down. This is war against major hidden village. It is different from small conquest we experienced before. Return to the fleet! I will hold this young Uchiha."
"BUT!"
"THERE IS NO BUT! THIS IS AN ORDER AS YOUR CAPTAIN."
"!!!"
Yuki-nin smiled and patted the young Kiri-nin's head.
"I am old and I was looking for a worthy battlefield to finally reunite with my old friends. Don't make me regret my decision. Become the pillar of Kiri and avenge me in the future."
"Yes! Sensei!"
The Young Hozuki Chunin rubbed his eyes and quickly returned to the fleet.
This wasn't a singular occurrence, but a practice shown by all Kiri ninja teams and squads. Old men past their twilight guarding the youth, educating them, and planting seeds of motivation in forms of hatred and grudge against Konoha and Uzushio.
"You guys aren't serious about this invasion at all."
"?!! What makes you say that Young Uchiha?"
The old Yuki ninja asked with a slightly more serious tone.
"It seems like we have a severe lack of intelligence on Land of Water. Sending majority of the old past their prime to battle with young inexperienced ninjas watching from the back. It is almost like an academy field trip, the best education to foster group of strong warriors… Kiri must not be ready for full on confrontation with Konoha…"
Uchiha Shinichi touched his chin with his left hand in contemplation as he analyzed the battlefield and the situation.
"Mizukage and the next Mizukage candidate acting with other high end combat powers right away… you aren't planning for long term battle at all. Just a quick suffering blow to our troops and forces."
The old Yuki-nin's face was filled with shock and disbelief.
'This Uchiha... If he grows, he will become another figure like Uchiha Madara in the future! He must be killed at all cost, but how?'
"!!!..... Hahaha. You know nothing about Kirigakure. Our main forces have not even arrived yet. The 10,000 troops are just our vanguard!"
The old Yuki-nin stood up and quickly completed multiple hand signs.
Hijutsu: Hyoton: Makyō Hyōshō秘術・氷遁・魔鏡氷晶 (Secret technique: Ice release: Demonic mirroring Ice crystal)
Mutliple sheets of ice crystal mirrors surrounded Shinichi. He tried to use the strongest technique in his possession to kill Shinichi.
Shinichi stared at the reflections of old man in the mirrors.
"It seems like you know more than I thought old man." Shinichi spoke in an ominous tone as the tomoes in his crimson eyes began to spin rapidly. Shinichi turned his sword into a reverse grip and held the hilt with both hands and punctured the ground as he knelt down with one of his knees.
Kenjutsu: Hikenhou : Shinjinkametsu 火劒法-薪盡火滅 (Fire sword law: Incinerate All into Nothing)
Sea of flame instantly engulfed the surrounding terrains. The ice mirrors sublimated into vapor and the surrounding terrain within 20-meter radius of Shinichi were glassed by intense heat. The fire burned everything into nothing, including itself.
All the while, Shinichi controlled his chakra to reduce the affected range and made sure that the old Yuki-nin survived his attack.
"Hu~ Ha~…. Huu~~~ Ha~~"
The old man inhaled and exhaled slowly in pain. His right arm and both legs were incinerated into carbon dust and half of his remaining bodies were scorched into black charcoal.
Shinichi approached him and used mystical palm technique to fix his vocal cord, heart and lung. And added some water down his throat so that he can speak.
Cough! Cough!
"I-I Won't tell you a single thing!"
"…. About five different people made similar statement before you today."
"!!!"
Shinichi spoke in a sinister tone as he forcefully opened the old man's eyes. His sharingan began to slowly rotate.
"Kiri is in its growth phase expanding and improving the village's infrastructures and population. The purpose of this expedition was for young ninjas and geniuses of Kiri to gain valuable experience against Konoha. Moreover, to pressure Konoha and thwart their growth. As for other strike teams or infiltration squad… I do not know."
The old Yuki-nin spoke with expressionless eyes.
"I see. It seems like Kiri is only here to spread Konoha's forces even more. Their goal shouldn't be Uzushio or Three Tails yet. But once the Kiri grows and properly matures… it may be different in the future."
KUAAAAAAA!!!!!!
Shinichi quickly turned his head and looked at a yellow skeleton figure rampaging in far distance.
"Father!"
Shinichi threw a kunai to put an end to the Old Kiri-nin and quickly shunshined towards Susanoo.