"Ice Release... it's quite effective against ordinary people, but unfortunately, it's useless against those guys."
Kyōichi sighed.
Ice Release was powerful, yet it remained within the realm of ordinary jutsu. It lacked the world-defying, fate-altering capabilities of the Kaguya clan's Kekkei Genkai, nor did it possess the overwhelming destructive force of Particle Style.
At best.
It was better than nothing!
He twirled an ice blade in his hand. With a thought, three or four more ice blades materialized in the air.
These were just basic applications.
To be honest, their utility was limited. For Kyōichi, the greatest value lay in cloaking his body in ice armor—this way, he'd have some defense against Lightning Release users.
As he stepped outside, he saw a crowd of shinobi gathered around a tent.
They were all studying a scroll.
The Hidden Mist Technique and the Silent Killing Technique were among Kirigakure's foundational skills. Who wouldn't want to learn a thing or two to protect themselves?
Unfortunately.
Shisui and the other two had no Water Release abilities, so they could only sigh wistfully and focus on studying the Silent Killing Technique. Shisui, being small and agile, quickly squeezed through the crowd to skim the contents.
By the time Kyōichi stepped out, Shisui was already reciting the contents to the others.
Might Guy was among them.
However.
After listening, he scratched his head.
"Guy, did you understand any of that?"
Ebisu whispered.
"Nope. I don't think this Silent Killing Technique is practical. We don't even know the Hidden Mist Technique, do we?"
Guy, of course, had no concept of "whispering."
Genma Shiranui facepalmed, utterly exasperated—
These two idiots were actually his teammates!
"You're not supposed to learn it. What Sensei wrote isn't about how to use it, but how to defend against and counter it, so we don't get killed by experts of this technique."
Kurenai said.
As the only kunoichi in the two teams, no one dared to argue with her. They all nodded in agreement.
After she finished, she noticed Kyōichi approaching.
She quickly stood up, brushed off the dust, and grinned. "Sensei, do you think I'm right?"
"Right, right!"
Kyōichi smiled.
The eastern front had few shinobi, but most were seasoned. The handful of genin here were these six.
However.
For this mission to Kirigakure, he planned to take them along.
So.
"Train hard. This mission is relatively simple, and you haven't experienced the brutality of the battlefield yet. I'll take you to experience it soon."
"Yes!"
Shisui was both excited and nervous.
Even the mighty Seven Ninja Swordsmen had fallen on the battlefield, let alone them.
On the battlefield, family names and titles meant nothing.
Only strength mattered.
The others also realized what was happening—Kyōichi was going to take them to the battlefield!
"Y-You're not joking, right…?"
"I never joke. Keep it up!"
Kyōichi patted Ebisu on the shoulder.
The boy's face fell.
However.
For the next few days, Kyōichi didn't make any moves—
Might Duy hadn't fully recovered yet.
Duy was a deterrent.
Kyōichi believed that once Hōzuki Mangetsu returned and explained the situation, the Kirigakure shinobi would understand Duy's strength.
At the same time.
These days also gave Kirigakure time.
What if he attacked and Yagura hadn't returned yet?
That would truly escalate into an all-out war.
Kyōichi had no intention of wiping out Kirigakure's forces. He was counting on Yagura to lead his men to stab the Raikage in the back. Killing them all would only provoke a counterattack.
Inoichi's intelligence gathering continued, and today they uncovered something that surprised Kyōichi—the eighth person who had accompanied the Seven Swordsmen was named Ao.
It was unlikely to be a coincidence.
The probability was too low.
Moreover, based on the description of his appearance from the memories they extracted, it was probably the same Ao who later obtained the Byakugan.
Unfortunately.
This time, he didn't get his Byakugan. Instead, he met Kyōichi's blade. The worst part was that Kyōichi killed him without even remembering who he was.
Similarly.
Of the two corpses, one was a member of the Seven Swordsmen, and the other was an ordinary shinobi. Clearly, Ameyuri Ringo held more value.
Thus,
Even Inoichi didn't bother with Ao.
What a tragedy!
Of course.
Kyōichi only felt a slight pang of regret, and even that was more like crocodile tears.
He was glad Ao was dead. Why would he feel sorry for him? Besides, Ao's abilities were mediocre. Even with the Byakugan, he couldn't see chakra points, let alone figure out the Hyūga's Gentle Fist techniques.
In comparison, Shira had managed to develop his techniques without the Byakugan...
The difference was clear!
It was best that such a waste was gone.
Over the past few days, Konoha had been studying the Hidden Mist Technique and the Silent Killing Technique. While treating Might Duy's recovery, Kyōichi also healed the injuries of three Swordmen.
The intelligence gathering was almost complete.
But they still had value—
Once Kirigakure agreed to peace talks, these three could be used as bargaining chips.
After all, the Sandaime Mizukage had invested much in them.
Four days passed.
Might Duy's body had fully recovered.
Under the signal flare, all the shinobi gathered, and two pre-prepared ships docked at the shore.
"Kyōichi-sama, maybe we should bring more people?"
Inoichi was a bit worried.
Kyōichi was only taking two-thirds of their forces, but the problem was—
He would likely be facing a significant portion of Kirigakure's shinobi.
"No need. This number is enough. If Kirigakure really wants to fight, I'll handle it."
Kyōichi wasn't being arrogant.
If he and Might Duy teamed up, while wiping out Kirigakure's forces would be impossible, but holding them off while the others retreated was entirely feasible.
They could even escape unscathed.
So there was no need to worry.
Inoichi couldn't persuade him, so he could only watch as they boarded the ship.
The ship set sail.
The vessel was filled with shinobi. If Kirigakure tried to sabotage it, it wouldn't matter much. At worst, they could abandon the ship and flee, though it would cost them more chakra.
A few kilometers out, Kyōichi encountered a headache.
Soon after departure, Kyōichi faced an unforeseen headache:
Might Duy and his son got seasick!
Unbelievable!
"Bleh——"
The two of them were vomiting violently.
The sound of retching was contagious, and it made the atmosphere quite unpleasant.
Kyōichi rubbed his temples.
These two...
"Duy-senpai, Guy, why don't you two run across the water? You know how to water-walk, right?"
"O-of course!"
"Okay!!! Let's go! The Blue Beast of Konoha is back!"
Might Guy charged ahead.
Splash.
He jumped into the sea and dashed across the water, clearly in a different state now.
Baffling.
Kyōichi watched as the father and son ran off into the distance.
"That far? They're going to run all the way?"
"Don't worry. Those two can run much farther than you think."
Kyōichi wasn't concerned at all.
He didn't plan to reach their destination in a single day. He'd factored in rest stops—like Kirigakure's former outpost
A few hours later.
They arrived at Kirigakure's former outpost.
The Kirigakure shinobi had already abandoned the place, and most traces had been destroyed, leaving no important clues.
They traveled in stops and starts.
A day later...
"Kyōichi-sama, I've spotted Kirigakure shinobi. About four squads, on an island four kilometers northeast. We must be getting close."
"Perfect. Let's move."
Kyōichi dashed forward, with Asuma, Shisui, and the others close behind.
Aside from Kyōichi and Shirakumo Hayate's squad, Hyūga Fuji also quickly followed. The rest stayed on the ship, advancing with the main force.
Before long.
The Kirigakure shinobi also noticed them.
"Captain, the Konoha shinobi are here again!"
"Stay calm!"
Shimokawa Kazuhiro fired two signal flares.
"Fight?"
"If we retreat any further, they'll reach our main base."
Shimokawa Kazuhiro said.
Konoha was pushing them to the brink. How could they retreat?
In the rear.
Seeing the signal flares, Yagura shouted and led three or four squads to move out.
He had anticipated this.
After all, with four or five people missing in action, it was likely that the outpost's location had been compromised.
So, a few days ago, he had transferred some members of the Yuki and Hōzuki clans here.
When nothing happened for a few days, he sent them back—
After all, the Yuki and Hōzuki clans were unruly and didn't follow orders well. Keeping them at the outpost would have been a disaster.
However.
After a few days, Kyōichi had arrived.
He had been careless!
Yagura cursed inwardly and quickened his pace.
Before long, he saw thick mist rising from an island in the distance.
"Yagura-sama, this doesn't seem to be our Hidden Mist Technique."
A sensory ninja urgently reported.
The chakra felt foreign.
Yagura's face darkened.
Of course, he knew!
If he had to guess, this was Kanda Kyōichi's chakra signature.
This Kanda Kyōichi...
Damn him!
It had only been a few days!
Not only had he mastered the Hidden Mist Technique, but he had also reached a level where he could overpower their own Hidden Mist Technique.
It dredged up bitter history—
According to the elders, long ago, the most renowned Water Release user wasn't from Kirigakure, but the Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Now, Yagura understood how they must have felt.
Damn it!
————-
On the small island.
Kyōichi's mist had enveloped the enemy's fog. Moreover, dozens of explosive tags floated in the air around the island, trapping the four squads of jōnin inside.
"Attack."
"Yes!"
Though Asuma and the others were apprehensive, they didn't hesitate to charge forward upon hearing the order.
The thick mist was the best cover.
But at the same time.
As the side unfamiliar with the mist, Asuma and the others didn't have much of an advantage. However, within this chakra-infused mist, it was Kyōichi's domain.
A voice echoed.
"Throat, spine... eight vital points. Which one should I strike next?"
"What?"
Kazuhiro scowled, fury rising.
This Konoha bastard!
Did he think that just because he had learned their Hidden Mist Technique, he could replicate their Silent Killing Technique?
How arrog—
Before he could finish the thought, he suddenly felt a chill from behind.
The next moment.
A sharp pain shot through his neck. He looked down.
Blood sprayed.
Not just him—another jōnin had also been struck. But while the other jōnin had been hit once, Shimokawa had been immobilized by ice shackles around his feet. A water spear formed by Kyōichi's blade pierced his heart.
Two jōnin used Great Breakthrough.
But.
Their Wind Release dispersed the mist for a moment, only for it to close back in within seconds. In that brief window, they didn't even catch a glimpse of their enemy.
This was the true Silent Killing Technique!
No sound, no sight—only the deaths of their comrades.
"Damn it! Retreat, now!"
The remaining shinobi were filled with fear.
For the first time, they felt the terror of the Hidden Mist Technique and the Silent Killing Technique. wielded not by them, but Konoha.