The earthen wall crumbled.
The island's situation was laid bare before Yagura.
All four jōnin were dead.
Ten chūnin remained alive, but their enemies...
Six children?
Yagura fell silent.
Even the children of Konoha are this strong now?
"Then... I hope your village will show some sincerity next time, so I don't have to personally pay a visit."
Kyōichi spoke as he swung his blade.
Wind Release chakra, condensed into a pale blue hue, instantly transformed into a seamless sword aura, sending a cloud of dust billowing.
The island rumbled.
When the dust settled.
The Konoha shinobi had already left. Only the Kirigakure shinobi remained on the island. Three steps ahead of Yagura, a narrow fissure stretched over a dozen meters, plunging one to two meters deep.
Yagura stared at the ground, momentarily speechless.
So fast!
Such formidable swordsmanship!
"Nakayoshi-san, could you absorb that sword technique earlier?"
Yagura asked gravely.
"Possible."
Nakayoshi nodded, but after a moment of consideration, shook his head. "But his speed was too great. I might not react in time."
"Indeed!"
That blinding speed.
Yagura said nothing more.
Though not close to Nakayoshi, he knew this Sandaime Mizukage's confidant and his abilities were well-known among most jōnin.
If even he...
Moreover.
There was that Might Duy - terrifying explosive secret techniques, ninjutsu that Samehada couldn't absorb.
They truly were no match for Konoha.
"Yagura-sama, Konoha's forces in the eastern border are definitely limited. If we really fight them to the end, our defeat might not be absolute."
Nakayoshi said after closing his eyes to sense momentarily.
"But losses would be catastrophic. You saw it yourself—even the Konoha Military Police Force has arrived."
The Uchiha.
Although their Fire Release was countered by Kirigakure's techniques, the Uchiha's prowess extended beyond flames. Lightning Release and genjutsu were also their specialties.
Yagura stepped over the narrow sword scar and walked toward the ten chūnin.
These ten chūnin were thoroughly frightened.
When Kyōichi left, he had also slashed their forehead protectors with his sword. Now, each forehead protector bore a sword mark—
This meant that Kyōichi could have easily killed them just now.
"Too terrifying! Too terrifying!"
The ten muttered incessantly.
Yagura frowned.
Kneeling, he attempted communication, but most remained mentally fractured. Only the three who'd trapped themselves in Water Prison Jutsu under Might Guy's pressure retained some coherence.
"What exactly happened? How did Shimokawa and Hiro die?"
"Unknown... White mist everywhere... No sound... No chakra sensed... Couldn't locate him... Then he started toying with us!"
One chūnin shouted hoarsely.
And another.
"Throat... spine... eight vital points... Which should I strike next?"
"...."
Yagura inhaled sharply.
The chūnin's trauma defied imagination, but their state spoke volumes - utterly broken, especially by the final forehead protector desecration.
He stood there for a long time before finally sighing, "Take them back. Have the medics treat them."
"Yes!"
The men were carried away.
Yagura remained silent for a long time.
He had just examined the six dead bodies and found that the fatal wounds were precisely at the vital points mentioned earlier. Reconstructing the scene in his mind, he could fully understand the feelings of those ten chūnin.
Torture, humiliation.
Kirigakure's proud techniques and skills seemed even stronger and more terrifying in the hands of their enemies, and they were utterly powerless against them.
Not that there was no way at all.
If it were the Shikotsumyaku of the Kaguya clan, they might not have been so afraid of Kyōichi, as their bones possessed incredibly strong defensive and countering abilities.
Yet.
Could he be certain Kyōichi had shown his full capabilities?
The unknown terrifies most.
As Yagura pondered, a messenger bird used by Kirigakure's Anbu descended from the sky. He was momentarily stunned but quickly whistled to call the bird over.
A message was tied to its leg.
It read...
"Orochimaru has left Konoha, heading east. Purpose unknown."
The time was one day ago.
Orochimaru?
Yagura's breathing became slightly erratic.
Kyōichi and Might Duy already posed massive threats. With Orochimaru added... Konoha's mobilization seemed imminent.
They were serious!
For a moment, he felt lost. But after calming down, Kyōichi's words resurfaced in his mind.
Three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
And...
If you can't solve the problem, eliminate those who raised it.
If all else failed, Perhaps that remained the final option
"Nakayoshi-san, I'll return to the village. Have everyone here stay on the island and not disperse. If you detect Konoha approaching, retreat to the Land of Water with the others."
"Understood!"
Chūkichi hesitated for a moment but finally nodded in agreement.
In such a critical situation, decisive action was indeed necessary. Whether it led to "peace" or "all-out war," it was better than being indecisive.
At sea.
Konoha's ships were drifting back.
Might Duy and Might Guy were vomiting violently, completely devoid of their earlier imposing demeanor. Especially Might Guy, who had already opened three Gates and was physically weakened, now had to deal with seasickness...
"Kyōichi-sama, are they alright?"
"It's just seasickness. They'll be fine."
Kyōichi shook his head.
When he watched the anime, he hadn't believed that someone as athletic as Guy could get seasick. But now, seeing it firsthand, it seemed to be deeply ingrained in their genes. The father and son weren't just similar—they were exactly the same.
Kyōichi's medical ninjutsu was considered second only to Tsunade's in the village, so
Hayama relaxed slightly upon hearing his assessment.
On another ship,
Uchiha Fugaku gazed at the waves,
visibly troubled.
"Clan Head."
"Yashiro, sit."
Fugaku smiled faintly.
Yashiro nodded and sat down, glancing at the neighboring ship.
This ship only had members of the Military Police Force, and it was quite a distance from the other ship.
He lowered his voice and said, "Clan Head, do you really think... we should align ourselves with them?"
"Hmm?"
Fugaku's expression shifted slightly but quickly returned to normal. He glanced at Yashiro, "What alternatives remain?"
"But!"
Yashiro's face showed urgency, but then he recalled Kyōichi's techniques.
The Hidden Mist Technique.
Blinding fast speed.
And his swordsmanship, Water Release...
To put it bluntly.
Kyōichi was almost like that man, as if he had "anti-Uchiha" written all over him.
He truly couldn't think of a way to counter Kyōichi.
Fugaku frowned and sighed softly, "I understand the clan's reservations. But reality demands compromise. Moreover, the village's attitude has shifted this past year."
"That's true, but... it's only two."
Yashiro naturally knew what he was referring to.
Shisui and Obito.
One was under Kyōichi's tutelage, the other under Minato's. And now, Kyōichi seemed to represent Tsunade's faction, while Minato represented Jiraiya's.
This was the Hokage faction extending an olive branch.
But they still felt it wasn't enough.
Yashiro wasn't the only one who felt this way.
Fugaku glanced at him and said, "Two is already good. Let's wait. When that person takes the position, we'll negotiate anew."
The village's political winds blew clear.
For some reason, Orochimaru had gradually stepped away from many of his positions recently. With Tsunade's return, Konoha's shinobi had quickly gathered around her at an astonishing speed.
As Shisui's reports indicated -
Tsunade's succession approaches.
Each Hokage had their own policies. Perhaps when Tsunade took over, things would change.
Judging from the situation on the eastern front, Kyōichi and Tsunade's style was completely different from the Sandaime and Danzō's.
Perhaps.
It was time to have a proper talk with Shisui.
...
Mount Nagano.
With Kyōichi absent, Yamanaka Inoichi didn't dare relax for a moment, fearing that with so few people left on Mount Nagano, the enemy might launch a sneak attack.
However.
After waiting for a while, no enemies came. Instead, someone he hadn't expected arrived.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
"At ease, Inoichi. We're old friends. No need to be so formal."
Orochimaru chuckled softly, then sat down on his own.
At that moment, it was as if he were the one in charge here.
The Sannin's aura effortlessly dominated the space.
Inoichi said, "Orochimaru-sama, Kyōichi-sama is away confronting Kirigakure. If you're looking for him, you might have to wait a while."
"Precisely why I came."
Orochimaru's tongue flicked. "Kirigakure's message hawk reached Yagura hours ago. My presence... accelerates decisions."
Shikaku's eyes widened slightly.
So the Sannin came to intensify pressure.
"Kyōichi's gambit seems rash to the old guard, but I find boldness... refreshing."
The Snake Sannin's golden eyes glinted, licking his lips.
"If we can force them to surrender, it would indeed be the best outcome right now."
Shikaku nodded.
If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have agreed to Kyōichi's plan to go and intimidate them.
Kirigakure was indeed not weak.
But among the Five Great Nations, Sunagakure was last, and Kirigakure was second to last. In some periods, the two were even evenly matched.
Now, with six of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen dead and six swords lost, continuing the fight would result in losses that Kirigakure simply couldn't bear.
He was about to say more when he sensed several chakra signatures entering his range.
The main force had returned.
In fact.
Not only had they detected Kyōichi, but Kyōichi had also sensed Orochimaru's arrival. At first, he was a bit surprised, but he quickly understood the reason.
Orochimaru had come to add pressure.
With just himself, Might Duy, and the Military Police Force, they could certainly put significant pressure on Kirigakure, but forcing them to surrender quickly would still be difficult.
With Orochimaru here, it was a different story.
The Sannin.
Although the origin of this title was somewhat shameful, by now, few knew its true roots. When most people mentioned the Sannin, they thought of three powerful shinobi who dominated the battlefield.
The deterrence they had built over the years was not something Kyōichi, a relatively unknown Konoha jōnin, could match.
"I'll head back first. You all can come slowly."
Kyōichi said to Hayama.
With a single Body Flicker, he disappeared into the forest.
"Welcome back, Kyōichi-kun."
Orochimaru's rasp echoed through the mountain pass as Kyōichi materialized.