A few days passed.
A little kid who seemed to have just graduated from the Kumogakure Village ninja school not long ago was sneaking through a steep mountain forest path.
He would occasionally look back at the situation behind him, and when he saw that no one was following him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Damn it, there are no adults in the village, those guys, they can't find my sister at all!"
This little kid is Samui's younger brother "Atsui", he has light golden hair and white skin.
In addition to a pair of turquoise eyes, his features are somewhat similar to his sister, but the two have very different looks.
His sister Samui is a well-known iceberg beauty in Kumogakure Village, but Atsui, as a younger brother, has a face that is completely forgettable at first glance.
"Hmph, it seems that I can't count on them, I have to count on myself."
Atsui has been away from the village for several days, and all the way, he was worried that he would be caught and taken back.
Now it seems that the ninjas in the village are really not very good.
He ran so far and they still haven't caught him back.
"I remember... a while ago, I accidentally heard my sister say that she was going to the Land of Thunder's Muku Town to perform a ninja mission."
Atsui held a map he bought two days ago in his hand, he muttered, "This should be the right way"
Just as he was looking at the map with his head down, a sudden sound from the front scared him.
"Hey, the person ahead! If you don't look up and pay attention to the road, we're going to collide!" The voice sounded young and childlike, perhaps even younger than Atsui.
Atsui quickly stashed the map into his pocket and hurriedly raised his head. The scene before him left him utterly stunned.
In front of him were several individuals: three children younger than him, a slightly older girl, and two adults.
Atsui widened his eyes in disbelief.
Because he saw a towering giant.
This "giant" stood amidst the steep mountain forest, even taller than some of the surrounding trees. Its exaggerated size left him awestruck.
"Y-you... Who are you?" Atsui couldn't help but swallow nervously. This was the first time he had left Kumogakure Village.
He never expected such an extraordinary existence beyond the village.
He had never heard of anything like this before!
Could there really be a race of "giants" in this world?
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" Upon hearing the question, Naruto perked up. He grinned and introduced himself enthusiastically, "I'm a pirate! The captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division, and the man destined to surpass the Hokage!"
Naruto continued to introduce the others on his side: "This guy is Uchiha Sasuke, and there's Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Izumi, and Hyuga Hinata."
"Most importantly—this is our Whitebeard Pirates' captain! Edward Newgate! Also known as 'Whitebeard'!"
As for the Kumogakure Village Anbu, Naruto didn't bother introducing him.
Hearing Naruto's spirited introduction, Atsui's eyes widened even further. "White... Whitebeard Pirates?!"
Although Atsui wasn't aware of giants in the ninja world, he had heard of the Whitebeard Pirates' reputation.
"So you're the Whitebeard Pirates? And he..." Atsui nervously swallowed, "He's the one with a bounty of 100 Million?"
"Huh? You knew Pops?" Naruto looked surprised. "We've traveled through many towns on our way here, but the ordinary people in the Land of Thunder don't seem to recognize us."
At this point, Sasuke chimed in, "Naruto, this guy clearly isn't an ordinary person. Haven't you noticed the ninja tools pouch strapped to his thigh?"
Sasuke scrutinized the stranger. Analyzing calmly, he said, "If I'm not mistaken, you're a Genin from Kumogakure Village, right?"
Atsui fell silent, essentially confirming Sasuke's guess.
"Oh?" Naruto's interest piqued. "A Genin from Kumogakure Village? Capturing him should be worth quite a sum, maybe a few hundred thousand ryo?"
The bound Kumogakure ninja didn't know what to say.
If he remembered correctly, this kid was Samui's younger brother—what was his name again?
This kid showing up alone here... Could he be searching for his missing sister?
Now they were both caught by the Whitebeard Pirates.
And Atsui quickly realized the situation.
He nervously drew a kunai. "You want to capture me? I'm a Genin from Kumogakure Village, a top graduate from the ninja academy. I'm not just some..."
"Sharingan!!!" Sasuke's eyes suddenly opened wide.
A Sharingan Genjutsu was instantly cast into Atsui's mind.
Atsui's face turned blank.
Who knows what he saw in the Genjutsu.
His eyes rolled back.
And he passed out.
"500,000 in hand." Sasuke's dual Tomoe Sharingan returned to normal, a cool expression appeared on his face as he smirked, "Is this a Genin from Kumogakure Village? Is this the outstanding graduate of Kumogakure Village? Tsk, nothing special!"
"Gurarararara!"
Seeing his son doing something only a pirate would do, Whitebeard immediately laughed heartily, "You're getting more and more skilled! You silly son!"
When Atsui slowly woke up, he found himself tied up.
And he found that he was tied up with a dark-skinned person, who was obviously from the Land of Thunder at first glance.
Wait, when was he captured?
Atsui's eyes widened.
He tried to struggle, but he was bound by a thumb-thick steel rope. Even the Kumogakure Anbu couldn't struggle, let alone a child like him.
"Damn it, what are you trying to do? Let me go!"
Atsui shouted.
"You are one of our Whitebeard Pirate Group's Kumogakure prisoners!" Hinata's soft voice rang out, "We won't let you go!"
Atsui's face crumbled, "I still have to find my sister, I can't be caught by you, let me go!"
"Sister?" Hinata asked curiously, "What's your sister's name?"
Atsui realized that he had let something slip. He wanted to not answer the question, but the girl was too cute.
"...Samui." Atsui quietly said his sister's name.
Hinata's face showed a hint of surprise, then she chuckled lightly.
Atsui gritted his teeth, "Hey! What's so funny about my sister's name?"
Hinata explained, "If your sister is a Jonin from Kumogakure Village, then you've actually found your sister."
"Because..." Hinata kindly reminded, "She is also a prisoner of our Whitebeard Pirate Group!"
Atsui: "???"
...
The Unrai Gorge is an island mountain within the Land of Thunder, surrounded by a continuous range of island mountains. Below are rivers that divide each mountain, each river winding around in numerous bends.
The rivers are very turbulent, and there are many hidden reefs in the water.
Even the locals of the Land of Thunder are reluctant to go to such places.
Because if you're not careful, the river boat will hit a reef and capsize.
"I've been waiting for almost ten days! The enemies you mentioned haven't appeared here yet. Why don't you retreat first, and let me face them alone when they arrive. Yo!" A rhythmic voice sounded from the top of the Unrai Gorge.
You could see a man wearing sunglasses, his muscular body bulging, Killer Bee, negotiating with a Kumogakure Anbu Jonin.
"Killer Bee-sama, we are also following Raikage-sama's orders. If Raikage-sama tells us to leave, we will leave." The Kumogakure Anbu Jonin shook his head and said.
The Anbu Jonin continued, "If the enemies in the dark are indeed targeting the Jinchuriki of Kumogakure Village, they will definitely come knocking. It's just a matter of time."
"Wait, hold on," Killer Bee suddenly pulled out a pen and a small notebook. "What I just said rhymed nicely. I'm going to jot it down and use it in my new song."
The Kumogakure Anbu Jonin's mouth twitched.
He wasn't sure whether he should deflate Killer Bee-sama's enthusiasm—after all, not many people appreciated his rap, and his concerts were always empty!
However, seeing Killer Bee-sama earnestly taking notes, he decided to let it go.
Better not disturb this Jinchuriki's "mood."
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a figure sprinted over from a distance.
It was a Kumogakure ninja who immediately reported to the two in front of him, "About two kilometers west, there's a ship heading this way!"
The Kumogakure Anbu Jonin's expression tightened, and Killer Bee's sporadic writing paused. "Are they really being so brazen? It doesn't quite feel like an enemy... But regardless, notify everyone to prepare immediately! No room for complacency!"
The Kumogakure Village Anbu Jonin promptly issued the order.
...
Meanwhile, on a not-so-large riverboat.
The bound Kumogakure Anbu's expression had shifted dramatically.
He stared incredulously at Uchiha Izumi before him, his tone filled with shock. "How did you pirates know about this place?"
He had no inkling that all the information had been revealed by him.
Uchiha Izumi's Sharingan Genjutsu easily manipulated him.
"Of course, pirates have their ways!" Uchiha Izumi smirked but didn't reveal the truth.
Then she gazed at a nearby mountain peak. "That's the central area of Unrai Gorge, right? It's the largest mountain around!"
She glanced at the visibly distressed Kumogakure Anbu and teased, "The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki from Kumogakure Village lives there, right? The mountaintop provides a perfect vantage point to oversee distant Kumogakure Village. If Kumogakure Village is attacked by outsiders, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki can use Tailed Beast Balls from afar to counter the invaders, isn't that so?"
The Kumogakure Anbu were dumbfounded. How did the other side know such detailed information?
Could a group of pirates really have better intelligence capabilities than some village Anbu?
"I don't know if it's just me, but I have a bad feeling," Kakashi had already stowed away Pakkun.
His masked face carried a hint of seriousness. "Kumogakure Village might have anticipated our arrival."
Kakashi analyzed, "After all, their Two-Tails Jinchuriki has been missing, so they'll definitely sense something amiss. If they broaden their thinking a bit, they'll realize someone is targeting their village's Jinchuriki."
Uchiha Izumi pondered, "So Kakashi-senpai means there's a high probability of an ambush ahead?"
Kakashi nodded. "Our chances of being ambushed are probably no less than eighty percent."
His analysis was based on experience, and this terrain was ideal for an ambush.
Their boat was conveniently situated in the lowest area, surrounded by various mountains. If enemies lay in wait here, they'd face attacks from all directions.
However... among their group, did anyone know more about potential ambushes than Whitebeard?
After all, Whitebeard' Observation Haki could cover an entire island!
And it's a very large island!
If there are people hiding in the dark, and they show malicious intent, Pops will definitely be able to detect it immediately.
"Gurarararara!" Whitebeard grinned, he seemed to see what Kakashi was thinking, "There are indeed ambushes, and not a few! Probably about twenty or so little ninja devils from Kumogakure Village!"
Indeed, Whitebeard only needs to sweep with his Observation Haki, and he can sense which direction people are hiding in.
Hearing this, Hinata hurriedly whispered, "Byakugan! Open!"
Hinata's gaze began to wander around.
The observation range of the Byakugan is a radius of one kilometer. Within this range, all kinds of monsters and ghosts can't hide from Hinata's eyes.
Because the Byakugan can also see through!
"Hinata, what did you find?" Naruto asked curiously, "Where are the twenty or so ninjas that Pops mentioned hiding?"
Hinata first pointed in one direction, then immediately answered, "Naruto-kun, there are seven people hiding on the cliff to the left."
Hinata shifted her direction again, she pointed to the water in front of her, "There are also three people hiding in the water ahead." "That large reef that is exposed is a Transformation Jutsu used by four people; there are nine people hiding on the cliff to the right; there are also two people on the mountain ahead."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "Including the help from the Eight-Tails, there are a total of twenty-five ninjas? I guess they are all not weak ninjas, right? Kumogakure Village really thinks highly of us!"
Naruto was counting on his fingers, "If they are all Jonin, one is ten million... two is twenty million... twenty-five... um..."
Naruto felt like he had encountered a century-old problem.
His ten fingers couldn't count it.
"Idiot Naruto, do you still need to count on your fingers? It's two hundred and fifty million!" Sasuke reminded him with a black line on his forehead, "Were you sleeping when Iruka-sensei taught you math?"
...
On the other side.
"Wait!" The Kumogakure Village ninjas who were secretly observing this ship suddenly noticed a very burly giant on the ship, which made them stare in amazement.
The key is that this giant's appearance is too similar to a man they remember!
"It's Whitebeard!" A Kumogakure ninja lowered his voice and exclaimed in horror, "It's the Whitebeard Pirates!!!"
The only man in the entire ninja world who is so tall is Whitebeard.
They could never mistake him.
"Did the Whitebeard Pirates target our Jinchuriki from Kumogakure Village? If that's the case... all the doubts can be explained."
Which of these ninjas doesn't know about some of Whitebeard's deeds?
They all know that Whitebeard, this man, once defeated a perfect Jinchuriki in the Land of Water's Kirigakure Village.
The Jinchuriki who was defeated and killed by Whitebeard was the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure Village!
That is to say... the Whitebeard Pirates definitely have the strength to capture a Jinchuriki.
The Two-Tails Jinchuriki meeting the Whitebeard Pirates, indeed only has the share of being captured.
This is just a better guess.
One rather ominous speculation is that... Yugito might already be dead at the hands of the Whitebeard Pirates!
"Those despicable pirates! How dare they act so arrogantly! Do they think our Kumogakure Village is like Kirigakure Village, where we have to endure pirate aggression silently?"
A Kumogakure Village ninja clenched his teeth in anger. He wished he could rush out right now and intercept the Whitebeard Pirates.
But his companion immediately held him back. "Hold on, calm down! Besides Whitebeard, there are others on the ship!"
Using binoculars, they recognized several familiar faces aboard the not-so-large riverboat.
Among them was Hatake Kakashi from Konohagakure Village.
"Why would Konohagakure Village get involved?" The Kumogakure ninjas exchanged worried glances. "Could it be that Konohagakure Village and the Whitebeard Pirates have joined forces to target us? What does Konohagakure Village really want? Are they trying to incite the Fourth Great Ninja War?"
This didn't quite match their impression of the relatively weaker Konohagakure!
"They... have hostages!"
Soon, they noticed two bound individuals on the boat.
Carefully examining them through the binoculars, they realized these were Kumogakure Village shinobi!
This situation caught them off guard.
"Despicable, treacherous pirates! Treacherous Whitebeard! Bringing hostages to Unrai Gorge—it's too obvious! We don't need to guess anymore; the disappearance of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki must be related to this Whitebeard Pirates!"
But just then, a hearty laughter echoed through the sky.
The voice from Whitebeard reached every Kumogakure ninja's ears.
"Listen up, you bunch of Kumogakure Village ninja brats! Instead of whispering secretly, think about how you'll survive the next moment! Gurara!"
What?
All the Kumogakure Village ninjas paled. They had been discovered?
Impossible!
After all, they had kept their voices extremely low during their conversation!
This must be the pirates bluffing...
Testing their reactions, right?
However... Whitebeard soon demonstrated that this wasn't mere bluff.
He gripped Murakumogiri's hilt with one hand, a hearty smile on his lips. An invisible aura stirred up waves.
As Whitebeard exerted a bit of force, a vibrating light wave appeared on Murakumogiri's blade.
When facing an alleged ambush, the best response was direct, brute force!
Whitebeard had no interest in tangling with a bunch of ninja brats.
Time for the pirates was also time!
"Gurararararara!" Accompanied by Whitebeard's hearty laughter, he raised Murakumogiri and thrust it toward the atmosphere ahead.
With a sharp "crack," the air split instantly!
A raging shockwave erupted!
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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