"I want you to take a small squad and covertly move to the waters near the ruins of Uzushio."
As he spoke, Rasa pulled out an intel scroll and handed it to Pakura.
She accepted it and began reading the text recorded on it.
Her chest pushed proudly against the fabric of her sleeveless top, and her long green hair was casually pinned up with a hairpin, with only a few orange-tinted strands falling from her temples to brush lightly against her cheeks.
In terms of appearance, Pakura was stunning—a true beauty.
But her expression carried a sharp, valiant edge, the look of a woman who spoke bluntly and acted decisively.
She skimmed through the intel quickly—sharp as ever, she immediately grasped Rasa's intent.
When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits.
For Suna, struggling as it was, this was the best strategy.
"There must be no failure. Understood?"
Rasa spoke again.
Whether it was children, wives, or so-called "heroes of Suna"—none could be allowed to jeopardize the village.
"Understood, Kazekage-sama. I'll personally choose the squad and make sure the mission is completed," Pakura replied in a low, steady voice.
As she turned to leave, her hair swayed gently with the motion.
Rasa watched her retreating back, eyes flickering.
Sending Pakura was a sign of confidence in her strength and influence—enough to command respect in the village.
It was also a way to use her… and keep her in check.
Her rising fame as "Pakura of the Scorch Release" was not entirely a good thing for him as Kazekage.
The intel had already confirmed that Orochimaru was commanding the Konoha forces. Caution was warranted.
...…
At the same time, on a jagged, rocky island dozens of miles off the Uzushio coast, the sea mist had thickened.
Within the fog, silhouettes of Mist shinobi came into view.
Unlike other villages' ninja, they all carried a faint, lingering smell of blood.
At their head stood a middle-aged man, his face showing the first hints of age, but his eyes as sharp as a hawk's—Gokurō.
He stood with his hands behind his back atop a massive reef, staring out over the mist-wrapped horizon.
For Mist shinobi skilled in Water Release, running at full speed over the sea was as easy as sprinting on land.
From here to Uzushio's ruins, at full pace, was only about eleven or twelve hours.
And beyond that hazy line ahead lay the Konoha defensive line they were meant to smash.
"Gokurō-sama, my sensing confirms a large number of Konoha shinobi massed up ahead," said a chubby ninja in a hat and red glasses, with blue markings on his face, stepping forward.
"Nakachi, what about the Byakugan?" Gokurō asked, looking back at him.
Nakachi was one of Kirigakure's top sensory ninja.
His senses were sharp enough to detect the tiniest traces of chakra. In the past, he'd accurately predicted enemy movements based on sensing alone.
Mist may not have any Byakugan, but sensories were indispensable in every village.
They had plenty of talent in that department.
"Hmm… not many Byakugan signatures. Fewer than fifteen. I can't distinguish main house from branch, but most of them should be branch Hyūga," Nakachi answered, the red prayer beads at his neck shifting as he spoke.
"I see…"
Gokurō thought of Ao.
Rumor said he'd encountered main-branch Hyūga while equipped with their precious red eye bloodline.
And still failed.
No one knew whether he'd died at the hands of the White Fang's son or his comrades.
His corpse had been destroyed beyond recognition—head and brain ruined.
Done by someone very cautious.
In wartime, most people worried more about running and reporting than burning time to mutilate a body.
From Mei's oral report, Kiyohara was the most likely culprit.
"What about the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Gokurō asked.
"They're still moving along the planned route and should reach the meeting point about a day after us," Nakachi said respectfully.
The leadership was taking this mission very seriously—seriously enough to gather the Seven Ninja Swordsmen from their separate fronts.
The plan was to turn them into an unstoppable spearhead—smash through Konoha's Uzushio line in one blow and charge into the fertile heart of the Land of Fire.
Once that happened, the other countries would no doubt swarm the carcass, tearing off their share.
"Good," Gokurō nodded.
"Zabuza, this mission is no joke. Don't pick fights with your comrades again. Mei, you need to stop dwelling on the last mission's failure," he said, looking at Momochi Zabuza and Terumi Mei.
They weren't from the same squad, but this operation had temporarily placed them in the same unit.
Kiri had assembled a lot of shinobi this time, and planned to invade Uzushio from multiple routes.
The terrain there was critical—take it, and Mist's supply line would be secure, opening a clear route onto the mainland of Fire Country.
"I know," Zabuza replied.
His face was bandage-wrapped, arms folded, giving a small nod.
"Good."
Gokurō nodded.
Zabuza, after all, was the one who'd killed all his classmates during graduation… an extreme shinobi.
"With the last failure fresh in my mind, I won't let this mission fail," Mei said firmly.
Last time, they hadn't accounted for Kiyohara—Ao had been forced to stay behind.
By the time she got back, all she'd heard was that Ao had fallen in battle.
It left a thorn in her heart.
Unlike the rest of the paranoid Mist shinobi, Mei had a dream—to reform the "Village of the Bloody Mist," to bring Kiri back to normal.
To build bonds of comradeship instead of betrayal.
And it would start with this mission.
At the same time, she found herself looking forward to seeing Kiyohara again.
This time, she was determined to wash away the shame of their last encounter and prove her strength.
...…
The next morning.
The sea fog hadn't fully dispersed yet. Kiyohara's squad and Kakashi's squad followed their usual patrol routes, checking blind spots along the perimeter.
Suddenly, Pakkun, who had been trotting quietly along, stopped dead.
His wet nose twitched sharply. The other hounds grew visibly uneasy, letting out low whines.
"Something's off…"
Pakkun looked up, his small face under the hat suddenly serious.
"Kakashi, the smell in the air's messy… sea salt, and something else… faint, hostile chakra residue. I don't recognize it, but it's there," he said.
"Can you pinpoint direction and numbers?" Kakashi asked quietly.
Pakkun and the others sniffed harder.
Eventually, Pakkun spoke:
"The sea breeze has scattered most of it. I can't get an exact count, but there are at least two squads. Direction… toward the old port ruins on our flank."
"The side port…"
Kakashi's mind flipped through the defense map.
That spot had complex terrain and was hard to hold—so they'd stationed fewer troops there.
If elite Mist shinobi slipped through, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"We need to sound the alarm and intercept them. Now," he said.
Kiyohara tightened his grip on his sword, feeling his chakra circulate.
So it's finally here.
Perfect.
A real fight to test his strength.
If he wanted a summoning contract, there were usually three paths:
One: inherit one from a teacher.
Two: tame a beast by himself.
Three: pay for one.
On the Summoning Beast Island, for example, many summons originated there.
The anime even mentioned Uzumaki Honoka—a surviving Uzumaki living there.
Money… I'm broke again, Kiyohara thought.
He wanted a summon badly, but his wallet said otherwise.
For now, he'd have to hope the enemy were carrying some very high-quality gear he could "liberate."
~~~
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