Hayama nodded and vanished using Body Flicker, while Kyōichi swiftly formed hand seals.
The seawater ahead churned violently, forming a massive Vortex Jutsu that devoured debris and corpses alike.
This was a minor application Kyōichi had devised while researching Water Release: Hard Vortex Jutsu and High-Pressure Water Spiraling Sphere—though niche, it excelled at erasing evidence.
He left a shadow clone to sustain the vortex while his true self retreated.
Though fast, he lacked the Flying Thunder God, so lingering risked leaving traces.
It wasn't that he couldn't escape—it was about avoiding clues.
Ten seconds after he left, Kirigakure reinforcements arrived, staring in horror at the carnage.
A squad of four—jōnin and chūnin—gone?
Even slaughtering vegetables would take longer!
How?!
The scene was a grisly puzzle: mangled corpses, shredded by the vortex's water blades, offered no clues.
The killers had meticulously sanitized the battlefield.
Infuriating!
They'd even had time to clean up—mocking Kirigakure's response speed.
Yet…
They were too late.
Suikazan Fuguki stared blankly, unable to speak for a long moment.
"Wh-what do we do?" A ninja beside him gulped.
WHACK!
Fuguki smacked him. "Report back, idiot!"
His face twisted with fury.
He wanted to pursue, but with no traces and an enemy capable of annihilating elites… recklessness meant death.
Let Yagura handle this.
After all, he's the one vying for Mizukage.
---
When Yagura arrived, he inhaled sharply, suppressing his rage. "Fuguki. Did you sense their chakra?"
"One shadow clone. It was left behind to destroy evidence. Numbers… unclear."
Yagura believed him.
Cold fury hardened his gaze. "Gather the bodies. Scrape for clues."
"Yes, Yagura-sama!"
In truth, Fuguki had already ordered this—but results were pitiful.
Kyōichi's vortex had done its job—corpses were mutilated beyond recognition.
Only scattered slashes hinted at wind-natured blades, but no actionable intel.
Yagura closed his eyes, replaying the silver-haired ninja's ruthless efficiency.
Fast.
Brutal.
The same style.
"I don't know their numbers, but the one who captured Hōzuki Chikage is among them. There's likely another wind-style swordsman—these deep wounds are clearly wind-natured."
Yagura's voice was icy. "We need their intel, or we'll stay passive."
"Easier said." Fuguki grimaced.
Previously, he'd have endorsed sending the Seven Swordsmen.
Now? This enemy could slaughter elites and vanish.
"Dispatch assassins into Fire Country's heartland. Investigate Konoha's rising stars. Exchange intel with Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
Yagura's focus sharpened—then faltered. Why attack transports instead of the island?
Oh no.
"Reinforce the second ship! They're targeting logistics! Secure the new base!"
Too late.
---
Kyōichi's team, guided by ex-ANBU veteran Hayama, stalked Kirigakure's shipping lanes.
"Ships follow set routes to avoid reefs. Track them to find the base," Hayama advised.
"Do we slaughter everyone again?" Inoichi asked wearily.
His mental fatigue dulled his prowess.
"Just sink the ship this time."
Kyōichi smirked.
They located the second vessel.
"Send a clone. We'll bypass it for the base."
Kyōichi's shadow clone slipped underwater, masking its chakra.
Too late, Kirigakure sensors detected it.
"Stop him!"
"He's—agh!"
Water Release: Severing Wave
A High-Pressure Water Column bisected the ship.
Defensive barriers crumpled.
The clone summoned another vortex,
dragging the wreckage under.
As reinforcements arrived, the clone dispersed—its chakra intentionally drained mid-mission to minimize losses.
Panicked, the Kirigakure ninja rushed to defend their new base.
But Kyōichi had already arrived.
Paper Dance: Explosive Tag Storm
A flurry of tagged papers bombarded the island.
The blasts were flashy but harmless—a taunt.
We found you.
By the time Yagura's forces arrived, Kyōichi's team had vanished.
Yagura's pursuit was futile—he saved neither the ship nor the base.
Moments later, Fuguki returned, his face dark.
"Did you catch them?"
"No. They were too fast—couldn't even see how many there were."
Fuguki's pride was wounded.
Tasked with guarding the base, he'd prided himself on his speed—yet this team outpaced him.
Damn it!
"When they destroyed the ship… a shadow clone appeared. Silver hair, masked, carrying a sword—looked like Konoha's White Fang?"
"???"
Where the hell did they dig up the White Fang?!
Yagura froze, then rationalized: The silver-haired ninja wore a mask.
Could he be related to Hatake Sakumo?
But…
"Hatake Kakashi has no siblings, and the Hatake clan only produced the White Fang in decades. Impossible."
"It must be a Senju! This man holds high status in Konoha's eastern front!"
Yagura inhaled sharply.
We must uncover his identity.
Fuguki growled, "What about this base?"
"Abandon it. Relocate."