By December, several light snowfalls had already covered the Land of Lightning.
While it wasn't as extreme as the Land of Iron, where winter blanketed everything in ice and snow, the temperature here was still considerably lower than in the Land of Fire. Under normal circumstances, no one would choose to wage war during this season—unless they had no other choice.
But shinobi weren't ordinary people.
With the existence of chakra, even freshly graduated genin could endure most extreme weather conditions with ease. For that reason, neither the Third Raikage, A, nor the other high-ranking officials of Kumogakure had ever considered the weather a hindrance to their operations.
Braving the icy sea breeze, a team of eight shinobi—including Yamanaka Shinno and his four-man squad led by Toroi, along with another standard squad led by a jōnin—set sail from the southeastern port of the Land of Lightning.
Their mission was to scout the islands along the sea route leading to the Land of Water. Over the span of more than ten days, they combed through every island within the Land of Lightning's territorial waters before finally entering the Land of Sea. Their destination: Rito Island, a strategically positioned landmass near the Land of Water.
The Land of Sea sat between two great nations: the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water. If war were to break out between Kumogakure and Kirigakure, unless one side managed to launch a direct invasion into the other's homeland, the Land of Sea would inevitably become a battleground—much like how the Land of Rain had suffered during the Second Shinobi World War.
And Rito Island, due to its crucial geographical position, would become a contested stronghold for both sides.
As their ship neared Rito Island's port, about a nautical mile away, a chūnin stationed at the lookout spotted something concerning—a warship belonging to Kirigakure hidden among the many vessels docked in the harbor.
Upon hearing the report, Yamanaka Shinno, who had been eagerly waiting for the enemy to show up, finally let out a small sigh of relief.
Rito Island was the final stop on their mission. If they didn't encounter any enemies here, he was half-tempted to play the role of the enemy himself just to wrap things up.
Glancing at his comrades, who were already using the Transformation Jutsu to disguise themselves as sailors and fishermen, Shinno discreetly formed a hand seal, activating a sensory jutsu while simultaneously transforming his own appearance.
His sensory field extended over a ten-kilometer radius, capable of detecting chakra signatures up to five kilometers away. As his chakra swept across the port, he detected fifteen distinct chakra signatures—an unexpected number that made him raise an eyebrow in interest.
Staring at the bustling port in the distance, Shinno leaned against the ship's railing, a smirk forming on his lips.
Of the fifteen chakra signatures, fourteen were unfamiliar. But the last one…
It was unmistakable.
Dark, ominous, blood-soaked.
There was no doubt about it—this was the same Blood Dragon Eye user who had ambushed Nii a few weeks ago!
"Blood Dragon Eye, huh? Tch—"
Shinno's gaze flickered toward the scroll containing a sealed Sharingan, secured within his chest pouch. His fingers twitched slightly with anticipation.
Their journey to Kumogakure hadn't yielded much. If he didn't bring back a little souvenir, this whole trip would feel like a waste.
...
The ship finally docked in an empty berth at the port.
With their plans already laid out, the team disembarked under the guise of common sailors, leaving behind only two chūnin to guard the vessel. As they moved toward the town behind the port, Shinno kept his senses sharp, scanning their surroundings.
The port was bustling with activity—dozens of men, dressed as sailors and laborers, were busy loading and unloading cargo. At a glance, everything seemed normal.
Yet, an eerie presence lingered in the air. A faint, sinister chakra cloaked these civilians, tainted with the distinct aura of the Blood Dragon Eye's Yin Release.
As Shinno's group passed by, a few of these individuals stiffened almost imperceptibly. A hidden red gleam flashed in their eyes, and some subtly shifted their positions, inching closer to the team.
One burly man, carrying a wooden crate, suddenly lost his balance and staggered toward Toroi, as if he had tripped by accident.
"Something's off!" Toroi's sharp eyes scanned the area, his voice low and urgent.
In an instant, he sidestepped the falling man, creating distance between them. The rest of the team instinctively followed suit, leaping back to form a defensive stance.
However, the burly man didn't explode into an attack. Instead, he hurriedly apologized while scrambling to pick up his fallen cargo.
Clearly, whoever was pulling the strings behind the scenes wasn't ready to reveal their hand just yet.
But patience wasn't a trait shared by everyone.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from behind them.
Shinno's ship, the very vessel they had arrived on, was obliterated in a fiery blast. The shockwave sent debris flying, shattering the calm surface of the water.
From within the rising smoke, a Kirigakure shinobi emerged—his head wrapped in cloth, face concealed behind a white mask, wielding an enormous, bizarre sword.
The massive blade swung through the air, effortlessly cleaving through the two chūnin who had been guarding the ship. Before they could even react, another explosion erupted, and their bodies were blown apart, their severed limbs scattering into the sea.
SPLASH!
A thin steel wire slithered out of the water like a viper, threading through the mangled remains of the fallen shinobi. The wire tightened in an instant, tearing their bodies into pieces, staining the ocean red.
Shinno narrowed his eyes in annoyance.
"Hmph. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, huh? Explosive Blade: Shibuki and Long Blade: Nuibari… What a joke."
Of all the seven swords of Kirigakure, he only considered Samehada truly valuable. Thunder Swords: Kiba, Twin Swords: Hiramekarei, and Executioner's Blade were at least somewhat respectable.
But Nuibari, Kabutowari, and Shibuki? Complete garbage.
One was just a glorified giant sewing needle. Another was a ridiculous hammer-axe combo that supposedly could break any defense. And Shibuki? A sword that exploded? What kind of nonsense was that?
Blowing up immortals? Yeah, sure. Konan had used six billion paper bombs and still failed to kill her target. But somehow, this sword was supposed to do the job?
Ridiculous.
...
A figure clad in an ANBU mask and a wild, spiky haircut emerged from the bloodied water, carrying Nuibari on his shoulder.
"Hehehe… Magnetic Release user Toroi, huh? I heard you're the nemesis of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
(T/N: Toroi is a real canon character, and he does have Magnetic Release.)
The eerie voice of Kuriarare Kushimaru sent a chill through the air as more figures appeared. Twelve shinobi, all wearing Kirigakure forehead protectors, surfaced one by one.
With two members of the Seven Swordsmen, three elite squads, and the hidden Blood Dragon Eye user, the enemy force vastly outmatched them in terms of sheer numbers.
The situation was clear—this was about to become a bloodbath.
Toroi clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Calling me your nemesis is a stretch. But against you guys—who rely entirely on your weapons—I probably won't need to try too hard."
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned several magnetized shuriken from a storage scroll.
Shinno crouched slightly, reversing his grip on a kunai.
"When the time comes, be ready to break through. Nigai, don't be reckless."
Nigai, the young jōnin, hesitated before glancing at Toroi.
Toroi gave a barely perceptible nod.
A lump formed in Nigai's throat.
Brother…
Didn't you just say this fight wouldn't be hard?
If Shinno hadn't spoken up, I would've charged in already!
Toroi's dead-fish eyes held a hint of exasperation.
Kid, do you even understand the art of trash talk?
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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