A huge horror descended, causing Toroi to tremble with sweat dripping down his face.
"What the hell!?"
There was only one thought in his mind.
In the thick white mist, it wasn't a 'lantern' at all, but the eyes of some kind of huge creature. It stretched out its tongue. It looked like a snake's tongue. The dense mist around was dispersed by the giant snake's movement, finally revealing the true face of the creature to Toroi.
It's blue transparent body allowed a clear view of the giant snake's internal structure, resembling a boa constrictor formed by the convergence of water. Inside the blue transparent giant snake were two large square shurikens—precisely the ones Toroi had thrown earlier.
"Damn it!"
Suppressing the terror in his heart, Toroi cursed under his breath. When faced with such an abnormal creature, his first instinct was to escape. Judging from the creature's characteristics, his magnet release was useless against it. He felt a powerful pressure beyond common sense, causing every hair on his body to tremble and stand on end. That was an emotion derived from the depths of his heart—fear.
As Toroi jumped backward, the giant snake stretched its body over the sea, swinging its tail violently, crashing against Toroi. Violent waves erupted on the sea surface, shattering the boat into pieces of wood, floating on the sea and drifting away.
"Cough!!"
Toroi emerged from the sea, covered in blood, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He looked at the giant snake with terrified eyes, meeting those cold, emotionless blood-red pupils, he trembled again. He couldn't continue like this; he had no defense against this huge creature. It could generate power not weaker than a powerful water release by merely rolling its body in the sea.
On the sea, it was his enemy's domain. Confusedly thinking about how to escape or fight the giant, Toroi saw a long dark shadow under his feet.
"Damn!" Toroi jumped again, trying to evade the attack.
The giant snake's tail rose from the sea, sweeping away the sea water and white mist, landing accurately on Toroi's back. Letting out a heart-piercing scream, Toroi's body fell into the sea, and the rolled-up waves swallowed his injured and blood-stained body.
The giant snake glanced at the sea's surface. In the distance, fierce lightning flashed, Ringo was battling the remaining Kumo ninjas. She was crushing her opponents, there was no need to worry about her victory.
Soryu twisted its head, its huge body silently diving into the sea. The two blood-red eyes glowed like phantoms, hazy bubbles spreading in the sea as it swam towards Toroi Above this sea, it was entirely its domain.
Facing Toroi, sinking into the deep sea, Soryu mercilessly opened its huge mouth, swallowing his seriously injured body in one bite. By the time it swam out from the sea's bottom, the dense fog on the sea surface had dissipated. Ringo walked over slowly.
The battle there had also concluded. None of the dozen or so Kumo ninjas was a match for her, she eliminated them effortlessly.
Soryu stuck out its tongue, and a file bag rested on its tongue. It was the possession the Kumo ninjas obtained from the Blood Mist. Ringo took the file, which contained information about the Kiri ninjas. As she opened it, her brows furrowed, intensifying the murderous look in her eyes.
Many of the ninjas recorded were her old acquaintances, not just Anbu, but the rest of the village's ninja information had been leaked. Fortunately, she had come to chase. If this information reached ninjas in an outside village, it would be a huge blow to Kiri.
"Then we just need to wait for Yagura's actions. I hope there won't be any more troubles there." Ringo sighed.
If Kirigakure continued to face such challenges, it would inevitably continue to become the weakest of the five major village.
Soryu was indifferent to Ringo's concerns. It swam back into the sea, heading towards the Land of Lightning. The Kumo nins had been wiped out, and Kumogakure's senior management would not stay indifferent. A search force would likely contact Kirigakure again. Its next task was to block the Kumo ninjas heading to the Land of Water in the southern waters of the Land of Lightning.
To prevent Kumo from getting involved or else another accident might occur.
.....
"Kumo seems to be ready. Once the resistance forces in the village are cleared, it will be Konoha's turn to establish the prestige of the Kage for me, the future Mizukage."
Im a tall water tower in Kirigakure, Fuguki spoke. He merely stood there exuded a powerful oppressive force.
"But, is this really a good idea? LettingKuml know about the ninjas in our village?" Junin frowned. Honestly, he felt Fuguki was too headstrong, despite having one of the best strengths among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. He didn't particularly like Fuguki's character.
"I'm also thinking about the village too. If the rotten Third continues to govern the village, the village's future will be doomed. Those who don't obey us can be wiped out. Kill the leader, and the rest will fall in line." Fuguki declared, a cruel glint in his eyes.
"Anyway, we can kill them when the time comes, right?" Jinin revealed a bloodthirsty grin. His reason for joined forces with Fuguki was more about enjoying the sensation of smashing people to death with his weapon. . As for other things, he really didn't want to deal with them. He found politics far too troublesome.
"Is Juzo still unwilling to contact us?" Fuguki acknowledged from the beginning that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. weren't working together. However, he wanted to recruit powerful ninjas from the village as his minions.
The wielder of Kubikiribocho, Biwa Juzo, being his mext target.
"He isn't interested in our affairs and he has no interest in participating in the village's power struggle. He's leading his group on border patrol and will return after the Fourth Mizukage selection meeting." Jinin answered.
"What a gutless guy. Well... forget it, even someone like him will come in handy sooner or later. It's a pity that Nuibari and Shibuki were taken away by that Konoha's rogue nin Hyuga Ayane, and their whereabouts are unknown. Otherwise, we could add two powerful combat forces here." Fuguki lamented.
"Kushimaru and Jinpachi? Those two are no longer the 'ruthless duo.' They chased after a sick person, got killed, and their sword was taken. It really is an embarrassment for the Seven Swordsmen reputation." Jinin sneered disdainfully.
"Anyway, they were also our companions. Compared to the missing swords, Hiramekarei held by the Hozuki clan is a good target. I plan to make my subordinate Kisame the future wielder of the sword. His chakra is large, making him suitable for that sword." Fuguki spoke, glancing at the boy behind.
Kisame - Dark blue hair, a shark-like face, a tall and strong physique.
"Oh? You mean this brat? Is he as powerful as you say? Is he qualified to be on an equal footing with me? You're sure he's not a third-rate bastard who can become a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen." Junin scrutinized the boy called Kisame suspiciously.
"Don't underestimate Kisame. Although he's young, he has great potential for the future. He's more than capable of wielding Hiramekarei." Fuguki said expressing his confidence in his subordinate.
"Hmph, it's your business the. I still doubt the brat could be that powerful." Junin was skeptical of someone so young joining the ranks of Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Jinin recalled Ameyuri Ringo who joined the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in her teens, showcasing incredible power in lightning release and Kiba. Her destructive capabilities ranked among the top three among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. If she had grown a few more years, she might have become the strongest of the Seven, unfortunatelyshe died in an internal political struggle. When people thought of her, they will only remember that she was a Lightning release genius who died of a serious illness. These dark histories will only sink forever.
"There's one thing you should know. The Hozuki clan is the previous Mizukage's family. It would be best to not offend them as much, especially at this crucial moment." Jinin spoke while leaving the tower.
"Hmph! He's still as unsociable as always, but with that, he isn't a threat to me. He's truly a simple-minded guy."
Even though Fuguki complained about Jinin's character, he didn't mind cooperating with someone like him. Idiots without a very bright mind were the easiest to control. If every collaborator were as smart as a monkey, that would be the last thing he would want to see. The more idiots like him, the better.
"Is this really a good idea?" Kisame, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
"What do you mean, Kisame?" Fuguki asked rhetorically.
"Cooperating with Kumogakure."
"Don't worry; the information given to them is all about the ninjas who are hostile to me. I won't be so stupid as to give them information about my important subordinates. As long as the opposition force is leaderless, it will be enough. By that time, it will be easier to control the lower ninjas."
Fuguki didn't notice the strange look in Kisame's eyes as he continued spoke.
"Really?"
"That's right. Didn't you say you worshipped the Seven Ninja Swordsmen before you decided to serve under my command? When I become the Fourth Mizukage, I will negotiate with the Hozuki Clan and ask them to give you Hiramekarei for your use, fulfilling your long-cherished desire to hold one of the swords. At that time, you will become my right-hand and we will govern the village together." Fuguki stood on the high ground of the tower, looking down at the entire Kiri.
'No... not like that,' Kisame thought silently in his heart, vetoing Fuguki's evaluation of him. Fuguki never understood his heart at all. The reason he worshipped the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and wanted to join them wasn't because he wanted to become a ninja who followed the interests of the betrayed village. It was because the Swordsmen were the face of Kirigakure, heroes who have made countless contributions to the stability of the village, so he yearned to be such an existence.
And Kisame hoped that one day he will become a hero who protects the village like them. But..... Fuguki's current choices was undoubtedly a betrayal of the village. A "traitor" of the village. The feelings he once had for following the Seven Swordsmen had gradually disappeared, and he had even began doubting if it was really right for him to follow someone like Fuguki?
He originally thought that the Blood Mist faction only represented the extremist forces within the village, and their essence was hoping that the village would become more powerful... However, he couldn't agree with what Fuguki was doing now.
Even so, Fuguki was still his leader. Kisame was filled with doubts and confusion about his own existence. In any case, betraying people from your very own village was mpossible to call 'correct.'
...
Kumogakure, a village built between towering mountains, filled with clouds and mists; the sky always echoed with dull thunder.
In the office of the Raikage Building came the surprised voice of the Fourth Raikage:
"What? Toroi's team in contact with the Kirigakure lost contact? What's going on!?"
"Sorry, Raikage-sama, we are also wondering about this problem. Toroi's team left the village for five days now and they haven't sent a reply yet. They should have returned two days ago." The ninja who reported this shook his head helplessly, stating that he didn't know why the team hadn't returned.
"Could it be that the Kirigakure playing tricks? They made a deal with us on the surface, and then they backstab us?" The Fourth Raikage speculated.
"It can't be concluded from this, Raikage-sama."
A young girl, Mabui spoke. Although fifteen years old, she's already one of the best Chunin in the village. Not only has she learned Kumo's secret space-time ninjutsu, but she's also good at assisting management. Recommended by Dodai, she serves as the personal secretary of the Fourth Raikage and advises the Fourth Raikage.
"If it isn't for Kirigakure, how could Toroi's team disappear? Moreover, only we and them know about this cooperation."
"I don't rule out this hypothesis, but if we really want to know the truth of what happened, let's look at it from both ways. Continue sending people to contact that Fuguki, and we'll try to investigate the reason for the disappearance of the team."
However, Mabui didn't have any expectations about investigating Toroi team.
Although the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water were separated by only one sea, this sea's a rare uninhabited area, making any investigation extremely difficult. If they disappeared there, it would probably become an unsolved case.
"In this case, let the other team make contact with Fuguki."
The Fourth Raikage thought about it and found it feasible. Even if they wanted to investigate, they had to find out the reasons and collect information slowly to find out the specific reason for Toroi's disappearance.
"By the way, we can't forget to keep an eye on Konoha, especially the Yellow flash. You must be careful. I'll leave the rest to you, Mabui." The Fourth Raikage said solemnly.
"Yes, Raikage-sama."
Mabui nodded. Although she recently started with this job, she already adapted to the position.
....
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days had passed – October.
Itachi strolled through the Uchiha clan, cradling a baby in his arms, his face adorned with a soft smile. In July, his mother, Mikoto, gave birth to a healthy younger brother..The baby he held now.
His younger brother's name was Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke.
He was named after the father of the Third Hokage, Sasuke represented the earnest expectations of his parents for their child to become a great ninja.
After becoming an older brother, Itachi felt that a certain emotion in his heart was suddenly lit up, It was different from the family affection he felt for his parents. It carried a unique sense of responsibility to protect his younger brother and fulfill the role of a real elder brother.
To fulfill this role, Itachi understood he needed to become stronger. Only through strength will he be able to protect everything. His aspiration was to become Hokage and change the world's pessimistic perception.
However, today was about spending time with his younger brother.
"Sasuke..."
Itachi gently stroked Sasuke's flushed cheeks, smiling affectionately. Then, he sensed someone approaching.
"Are you... Itachi?"
Itachi turned his head and saw a face as immature as his own. It was a girl with long black hair and teardrop moles under the corner ofher eyes.
Uchiha Izumi.
"Sure enough it's you. Do you remember me?"
Izumi sounded happy, and a sweet smile spread across her face.
That day Itachi defeated many of them with a stone, which left a deep impression in her memory. Especially when he's the son of the clan head. Although he hasn't yet entered the academy, the name of genius has been faintly spread within the clan.
"Sorry, I'm not interested in ninja games."
Itachi thought Izumi was here to invite him to play some ninja game, so he refused directly without any hesitation. For him, if he had time to play ninja games, it was better to spend time on his training and improving his own strength. The so-called ninja game, besides being a waste of time, he couldn't think of any other important meaning.
"Itachi, you're not good at communicating with people."
Izumi didn't get angry but smiled.
"Because it's not necessary."
"It's not necessary? How could it be unnecessary? Isn't it important for everyone to have fun together?"
Izumi couldn't understand Itachi, who deemed such activities a waste of time.
"I just think it's a waste of time."
"But, Itachi, you're already very strong. I usually watch you train alone in the forest. Isn't that so boring?"
"No, working hard to improve myself is something I feel happy about."
"But, Itachi, you are already very strong."
"No, it's not enough."
Far from enough.
Training was hard and tiring, and his body would be exhausted, but thinking about the hell of the ninja battlefield, he believed his power was insufficient. Itachi aspired to become a ninja superior to all others, using his strength to prevent more wars.
"I see."
Izumi thought for a while, thennodded in understanding. Since he felt that he's happy training alone, it would be rude for her to continue entangling in such topic.
She then noticed Sasuke in Itachi's arms and commented, "Is this your sister, Itachi? So cute."
"He's not my sister, he's my brother."
Itachi corrected her wrong naming, Izumo's face turned red.
"Is that so..., I thought he was a girl like me. Well, can I give him a hug?" She looked over with expectant eyes.
Itachi hesitated for a moment, and when he was about to hand Sasuke to Izumi, suddenly Sasuke's face twitched, and he burst into tears, as if he was very reluctant to be in contact with other people..
"Sorry, it seems Sasuke doesn't like you very much. There is nothing else, I'll be leaving first. Goodbye."
With that, Itachi left, leaving Izumi behind.
'What a strange girl.' Itachi thought to himself.
Later, Itachi considered the encounter an insignificant episode, soon forgetting about it. Uchiha Izumi didn't hold any particular significance in his memory.
After dinner, with both his parents out, only Itachi and Sasuke remained at home. Seated in the corridor, bathed in the moonlight, Itachi cradled his brother while admiring the night sky.
Soon, a refreshing night breeze brushed Itachi's cheeks, carrying a hint of warmth. Puzzled, Itachi looked up at the moon, its pale and eerie light still shining brightly in the night sky.