With a single sword strike, Mochizuki Hui had effortlessly killed Hayakawa Bo.
The scene was so terrifying that the two remaining chunin from the Hidden Moon Village, who were barely holding their ground, were overwhelmed with fear.
In their panic, they exposed fatal weaknesses, allowing Sakumo Hatake and Takahara to swiftly eliminate them.
"That was incredible, Captain! According to the intel, Hayakawa Bo was an elite jonin!" Takahara exclaimed excitedly after dispatching his opponent, his gaze toward Mochizuki Hui filled with newfound respect.
Even though Mochizuki Hui had introduced himself as an immensely skilled and versatile young ninja, witnessing him take down an elite jonin in a single blow was a shocking experience.
"It wasn't that difficult. He let his guard down, thinking I was just an ordinary swordsman without any ranged abilities," Mochizuki Hui said casually as he leaped down from the tree. He showed no sign of excitement, as if he had just taken down a mere genin rather than an elite jonin.
"No, even though he was careless, an elite jonin's reaction time is incredibly sharp. That you killed him in one strike... it's mostly thanks to your exceptional swordsmanship, right?" Sakumo Hatake marvelled, deeply impressed. After so many years, he had once again witnessed Mochizuki Hui's deadly precision—a single attack that resulted in instant death.
Both times, the strike had been nothing short of breathtaking.
"It's not just the swordsmanship," Lightning chimed in with a knowing smile. "When you're on missions with Mochizuki Hui, you're going to witness a lot more surprises."
Having worked with Mochizuki Hui the longest, Lightning had long since learned that this young ninja was a prodigy, constantly defying expectations with his brilliance.
"Alright, let's clean up the battlefield. The situation in the Moon Nation is nearing its end, but I have a feeling there are more missions ahead," Mochizuki Hui remarked, signaling the others to begin tidying up the site.
Meanwhile, it wasn't just Mochizuki Hui and his squad who were on the move—other ANBU members were also carrying out targeted assassinations of the key figures within the Moon Nation.
At the same time, Mochizuki Hui's team, disguised as Hayakawa Bo, relayed a message to the Moon Nation's Daimyo and general, falsely informing them that they had successfully contacted the Konoha ninjas and were ready to launch an attack on the Hidden Tree Village.
Upon receiving this message, the Moon Nation's Daimyo and general made an official announcement to the public, claiming that they had secured the assistance of the Fire Nation by offering territory in exchange.
They declared their intent to destroy the Tree Nation, further stating that the Fire Nation's forces, along with Konoha's ninja, had already entered the Moon Nation's territory. They warned surrounding nations not to interfere, lest they be caught in the crossfire.
This proclamation sent shockwaves through the region. The Tree Nation was filled with fear, while the neighboring small nations were equally astonished. None of them had anticipated that the Moon Nation would devise such a cunning plan, secretly allying with the Fire Nation.
But before these small nations could fully comprehend the situation, events took an even more dramatic turn.
On the very day the Moon Nation announced its alliance with the Fire Nation, the Tree Nation launched a surprise attack. Before the Fire Nation's forces could officially enter the battlefield, the Tree Nation's army decisively crushed the Moon Nation's military, defeated the ninjas of the Hidden Moon Village, and killed the Moon Nation's Daimyo.
The Tree Nation promptly declared the Moon Nation's destruction.
The abruptness of this event stunned everyone. Up until that point, the war between the two nations had been marked by only minor advantages for the Tree Nation, yet this sudden assault had resulted in the Moon Nation's complete obliteration!
Following the Moon Nation's downfall, the Tree Nation immediately sent emissaries to the Fire Nation to negotiate peace.
They even offered to transfer the territory and population that the Moon Nation had promised to the Fire Nation as part of their earlier agreement. The Tree Nation was even willing to cede half of the Moon Nation's land to appease the Fire Nation.
But it was too late. The Fire Nation, citing the destruction of its ally, the Moon Nation, as justification, declared war on the Tree Nation.
Faced with one of the Five Great Nations, the Tree Nation stood no chance. Moreover, Mochizuki Hui and the ANBU were already inside the Tree Nation, sowing chaos from within.
And so, to the astonishment of the surrounding small nations, and before the Land of Earth could even react, the Fire Nation swiftly annihilated the Tree Nation.
The Fire Nation then seamlessly annexed both the Moon Nation and the Tree Nation, absorbing their lands into its own.
This sudden expansion left the Land of Earth in a state of panic. Fearing that the Fire Nation might take advantage of its momentum to invade their territory, the Land of Earth hurriedly prepared to deploy troops to its borders.
But before they could fully mobilize, they realized that the Fire Nation's army had already withdrawn, leaving only a small garrison at the newly established border. There appeared to be no intention of further conquest.
This unexpected withdrawal left the Land of Earth perplexed.
However, as they investigated further, the truth began to emerge. The Land of Earth's intelligence operatives discovered that mysterious ninjas had been causing upheaval in several small nations, engaging in acts of sabotage and political subversion.
Before they could identify the origin of these mysterious forces, yet another small nation was overthrown, this time by one of its neighboring countries. After the conquest, the Fire Nation appeared once again, stepping in to claim the newly acquired territory.
The puzzle pieces finally fell into place.
While the Fire Nation's actions were publicly justified and carried out under the guise of righteousness, it became clear to the other Four Great Nations that the Fire Nation was methodically annexing the surrounding small countries.
The identity of the mysterious ninja forces became apparent as well—Konoha's ANBU.
Once the truth dawned on them, the other Four Great Nations delved deeper into their investigations and discovered a troubling pattern.
Every small nation that had been targeted was either aligned against the Fire Nation during the previous war or had shown inclinations to oppose the Fire Nation in the future.
The Fire Nation was systematically eliminating potential threats.
Moreover, the small nations that were being annexed occupied strategically valuable locations—territories that were easy to defend and difficult to attack.
By securing these areas, the Fire Nation was ensuring that in any future war, the other Great Nations would be unable to quickly breach its borders, unlike in the previous Shinobi World War.
"Quickly! Deploy the ANBU and seize control of those small nations!"
Realizing Konoha's intentions, the other Great Nations couldn't remain idle any longer.
However, they didn't deploy their main armies to directly invade the small nations, as that would likely drive the smaller countries to seek refuge with the Fire Nation. Additionally, any overt military action could lead to the smaller nations forming an alliance against the Great Nations, and possibly trigger the outbreak of the Second Shinobi World War.
Instead, the other four nations followed Konoha's lead, sending their own ANBU units to secretly intervene and destabilize the small nations.
Thus, while the surface of the shinobi world seemed calm, beneath the tranquil facade, a storm was brewing.
If the First Shinobi World War had been a straightforward clash between the Five Great Nations, this new conflict was shaping up to be a shadow war—a covert battle between the ANBU units of the Five Great Villages.
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