Let Whitebeard Experience the Terror of the Bloody Mist! Kirigakure's Grand Assembly! (Part 1)
...
"Damn it! That Whitebeard—this sea pirate who doesn't know his own limits—just has no respect for our Kirigakure Shinobi Village!"
From inside the Mizukage's office comes an angry roar.
Even though Yagura Karatachi's Bloody Mist policy is widely despised, there are still some ninja who profit from it.
Many have grown their clans under the Bloody Mist policy.
Those people usually become staunch supporters of Yagura.
The one speaking now is a Jonin from Kirigakure, the head of a shinobi clan.
Though strands of gray show in his hair, his face is flushed with anger.
"That guy completely disregards Lord Mizukage! He killed Kurosuki Raiga and that merchant Tomoto Aomizu, and seized the shipyard… We were just about to move against him to settle our accounts.
"And then, unbelievable—he's actually coming straight for us! Arrogant, beyond arrogant!" Grinding his teeth, he proposes, "Lord Mizukage, I suggest we head out at once and kill Whitebeard. We can't allow a pirate like him to set foot here.
"Otherwise, Kirigakure will lose all face! We should kill him before he gets anywhere near the village so the ninja world realizes that the Bloody Mist is not to be trifled with!"
Such a radical suggestion faces no opposition.
If this were Konohagakure, at least five or six people would have challenged him.
But in Kirigakure, nobody does.
"But our forces aren't all assembled," another Kirigakure Jonin says, glancing around. "A few of the bloodline families seem unwilling to respond to the summons."
"Hmph!" someone snorts. "Those freaks with their bloodline limits should all be wiped out! Not only are they disloyal to the village, they're all unstable elements.
"Keeping such monsters in the Land of Water brings nothing but trouble to Kirigakure."
"Hey, let's not talk about that right now!" someone else says, and the topic returns to Whitebeard.
"Lord Mizukage, please give the order!!"
Everyone turns to look at Yagura Karatachi.
It's hard to believe this boyish figure is the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure,
Also a perfect Jinchuriki.
He sits with hands clasped, elbows on the desk, chin resting on his wrists.
His voice brims with murderous intent: "Attack at once. We'll intercept Whitebeard! It appears Kirigakure's quiet stance in recent years has led the shinobi world to forget how terrifying the Bloody Mist can be. Today we'll remind them of Kirigakure's might!"
"Yes, Lord Mizukage!!!"
Many people here distrust Yagura, but at this moment they can't object.
After all… Whitebeard killed one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and four other Kirigakure ninja as well.
He also killed a merchant partner of Kirigakure.
In this situation,
No one can argue with Yagura's decision, though more than a few sense a bad omen.
"Lord Genji, don't you have anything to say?"
Ao turns to address the hunched old figure known as Genji.
He whispers, "If we confront Whitebeard head-on, the village might lose a lot of people. After all, if Mei Terumi's attempt to recruit him had failed, Whitebeard wouldn't be marching on the village… or if it succeeded, he wouldn't be doing this."
Genji holds a special status in Kirigakure's upper echelons—
He has served under the Second Mizukage, Third Mizukage, and Fourth Mizukage,
The village's oldest, most venerated elder.
Genji shakes his head.
"Let it be," he whispers, hardly more than a breath only Ao can hear. "Yagura is Mizukage. I can't stop the orders he issues."
Ao falls silent.
He sighs. "So it's going to be a direct clash with the man who destroyed an entire ninja village. I just hope not too many die, or the village's power might be cut by several more degrees."
Off in the corner, Juzo Biwa gazes indifferently at the many Kirigakure ninja—some boiling with murderous excitement, others each with their own schemes.
He murmurs to Zabuza beside him, "If you want to stay in the village for something big, keep an eye on those who say nothing. They're likely to be your allies."
"Heh… I've no use for a bunch of fear-ruled weaklings. In the future, they'll only hold me back," Zabuza says, sneering.
"Hmph, you…" Juzo shakes his head helplessly. "Try swallowing that arrogance a bit?"
"Until the day I die."
Zabuza grins savagely.
Then, feeling a stare from the right, he notices a tall, peculiar man looking their way.
"Hoshigaki Kisame!" Zabuza licks his lips.
Kisame then turns his eyes aside.
He doesn't speak.
"Let's go," Juzo says, patting Zabuza's shoulder. "Time to kill Whitebeard."
…
Time passes.
"I wonder if the beast I sent out arrived back in time, or if the coup plan is forced to start early," Mei Terumi thinks to herself as they rush through a forest outside Kirigakure.
She and Whitebeard, along with their companions, are now very close—at most a single day's travel from the village.
The forests of the Land of Water are nothing like those around Konohagakure.
They're full of mist, moisture, and that constant dankness, plus a faint moldy smell in the air.
Most of its wildlife consists of snakes and insects, and thorny vines abound.
A truly harsh environment.
But that's normal.
Among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, only the Land of Fire is "normal."
Its climate is pleasant, with no extreme weather. That's why all the other villages see it as a tempting prize.
If Konoha's power wasn't so strong,
The entire country would have been carved up long ago.
"This kid's no joke," Mei thinks, glancing back at Naruto. "He's not relying on anyone else to help him keep up."
Yes,
Naruto is running on his own.
Once he sheds his weights, his speed is shockingly high!
His stamina is incredible, too.
"Is he really just six years old?" Mei wonders, because his stamina and speed seem more like a sixteen-year-old—one of the elite.
"Hey, kid, aren't you tired?"
She can't contain her curiosity and asks, "You've been running at full speed for so long, and you're just six!"
"Because that's nowhere near his limit."
Naruto hasn't answered yet—Kakashi does it for him. "When Naruto was carrying eight hundred pounds of weight, he ran a hundred meters in four point five seconds."
Mei's pretty eyes widened.
Eight hundred pounds?
Four point five seconds for a hundred meters?
Maybe not shocking for an adult specializing in taijutsu, but Naruto is obviously not an adult.
"Even though it may seem abrupt, and asking might not help… I still want to know: Kirigakure's manpower—how many ninja do you have in the village right now?"
Kakashi says, "Having some basic intel, at least, gives us a rough sense."
Mei is silent for a moment.
She replies, "After you killed Kurosuki Raiga, the Fourth Mizukage began summoning ninja back. Over these days, plus those already at the village, the total definitely won't be under five hundred!"
Mei can't help sighing.
If Kirigakure was still at its peak, that five hundred would be multiplied tens of times.
Unfortunately…
Kirigakure has long fallen into decline.
"Over five hundred?" Kakashi's eyelids twitch, feeling like he's on a suicide mission with Whitebeard—and dragging Naruto along, too.
But remembering Whitebeard's ridiculous power,
It might not be impossible to overturn Kirigakure.
If Shisui wants to repay Whitebeard, he'll probably also fight on Whitebeard's side, "helping the wicked," so to speak, in the assault on Kirigakure.
Kakashi recalls that "Green Demon,"
Shuddering at the thought.
Yes, they are terrifyingly strong.
He figures he might have to remove his Konoha forehead protector, so that he's temporarily not a Konoha ninja. If he's forced to ride this pirate "ship," at least Konoha won't get dragged in.
"Huh? What's going on?" Suddenly, Kakashi notices Whitebeard has stopped moving.
"What's wrong?" Mei also halts.
Turning back to look.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard stands there like an iron tower, pressing Murakumogiri into the earth. He smirks, his keen eyes seeming to pierce the forest mist. "Looks like we won't need to go to Kirigakure after all."
...
Let Whitebeard Experience the Terror of the Bloody Mist! Kirigakure's Grand Assembly! (Part 2)
...
"Huh?" Naruto hasn't caught on yet. Scratching his head, he looks confused. "Dad, why aren't we going?"
Kakashi quickly grasps the situation.
His eyes narrow. "Kirigakure acted first! Whitebeard-sama must have sensed something off!"
He looks at Mei.
She stares back blankly.
"It's nothing to do with me!"
Mei hastily explains, "I sincerely want to ally with Whitebeard-san. The messenger beast I sent only reported to those I trust, and it might not even have reached Kirigakure yet.
"I swear on my life, I absolutely didn't betray the Whitebeard Pirates! I, Mei Terumi, always act openly—never selling out my allies!"
Kakashi believes Mei isn't lying.
Which means their group's movements must have been spotted by Kirigakure scouts, prompting the village to strike first.
"That's troublesome," Uchiha Shisui murmurs, leaping onto a tree. He keeps a wary eye on the surroundings, hand drifting to the handle of the ninja blade at his waist.
He says gravely, "If we attacked Kirigakure in their own territory, they might hold back to avoid damaging their village. In that scenario, we'd have the advantage. But once the battlefield is out here in the wilderness, the Blood Mist ninja will stop at nothing—no fear of consequences."
Uzumaki Fushi puts Karin behind her, giving her a kunai.
She speaks seriously to Karin, "Karin, observe the enemy carefully. Calm yourself, and use your innate Kagura Mind's Eye!"
"Yes, Mom!" Karin nods firmly.
"Kagura Mind's Eye?" Kakashi reacts with surprise, looking over at Karin.
He recalls how his teacher's wife also knew that technique.
He sees the red-haired little girl close her eyes, as if focusing on something, chakra rising around her.
It's not huge, but the ripple is visible. He marvels at the Uzumaki clan's natural gift.
"So…so many bad guys!!!"
As her Kagura Mind's Eye opens, Karin's face turns pale. Still, she holds on, describing what she "sees": "Dad, Mom… so many bad people!"
"They're over there!!!"
She points ahead.
Mei squints. "So this red-haired girl is a sensor ninja? Such powerful perception! There really is no ordinary person in the Whitebeard Pirates."
Following Karin's finger,
Mei mutters, "That direction leads to Kirigakure."
Her face tenses. "This is bad… Might I have to fight my own village's ninja?"
"Little girl, how far?"
Mei immediately asks.
"Six hundred meters…" Karin corrects herself. "No, five hundred fifty… only five hundred… no, it's not even five hundred now!"
She gasps, opening her eyes.
She collapses to the ground, exhausted, panting for air.
"So-sorry, Dad. This…this is my limit." Karin apologizes to Whitebeard.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughs heartily, showing not the slightest dissatisfaction. "Well done! You truly are my daughter! With your talents, you'll become a famous pirate on the seas! Don't sell yourself short, foolish daughter!"
A tired brightness returns to Karin's eyes.
"Mm!!!" She looks at Whitebeard full of adoration.
"Less than five hundred meters away. No time to set traps. Clearly they don't intend to let us." Kakashi says grimly. "Could the Blood Mist ninja, known for assassination, really choose to fight us head-on?!"
"It's possible," Mei says, her face troubled. "The Fourth Mizukage is getting harder to read. Anything can happen. At this point, I can only fight with everything I have."
Her killing intent flares. "The only way to break through is to capture the Fourth Mizukage— or kill him!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, faint swishing sounds come from the distance.
Following the noise, they see shapes in the mist-shrouded forest—countless silhouettes.
Some are only a dozen meters away, some a few dozen, at most a hundred.
Murderous tension spreads through the forest.
Standing among them is the small-statured Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage himself. Deep in his eyes flickers a trace of imperceptible red light. He murmurs something only he can hear: "Whitebeard…"
Within his voice… there's not just his own.
He curls his lips. "Let's see if a man like you can throw the entire Kirigakure into chaos. You who defeated Orochimaru and Sasori—don't let me down! Let me see your real worth!"
He speaks in a low tone, heard by no one else, not even the nearby Kirigakure Anbu.
At this moment, everyone's gazes are fixed on Whitebeard.
Kirigakure has assembled a great many shinobi—
Sweeping the forest, hundreds of them, including Yagura, Ao, Kisame, Zabuza, Juzo Biwa… famed figures of the shinobi world, plus many lesser-known but competent ones.
Silhouettes flit through the woods, swirling around.
In mere seconds,
Whitebeard's group is encircled from every side. The forest throbs with lethal intent.
"Whitebeard!"
Yagura leaps down from a tree.
This time, his voice is crisp and sonorous— laced with undisguised killing intent. "You killed four of our Chunin, took out a Seven Ninja Swordsman— yet you still dare remain in the Land of Water, and now you've come near Kirigakure? How brazen!"
"Hmph! Our Kirigakure is no Kusagakure!"
Each sentence he utters is unlike his usual self. Those who know him well might feel he's a stranger now.
"And you, Mei Terumi!"
Yagura fixes his gaze on Mei, whose face is filled with conflict standing beside Whitebeard. He says coldly, "Never thought you'd turn missing-nin, guiding the enemy's way. You disappoint me!"
He claims "disappointment" but doesn't sound so. Without investigation or questions, he simply labels her a traitor.
Mei: "…"
"That's Mei?" Ao in the Kirigakure ranks is stunned, looking at her in disbelief. "She couldn't have succeeded? Then why is she with Whitebeard? Wait, does that mean she succeeded? Then why bring Whitebeard here?"
He's caught off guard.
He can't make sense of it at all.
"Hang on! Those two…?" Ao, having removed his eyepatch, sees with his Byakugan. The foggy forest of the Land of Water doesn't hinder him as much.
"They look familiar…"
He spots Kakashi and Shisui, though both have removed their Konoha forehead protectors, so he's not entirely certain.
But…
"That's a Sharingan?!?"
Ao notices Kakashi's single Sharingan eye, which can't be deactivated.
It's him!
Hatake Kakashi!
Ao is shocked.
What is going on? Not only is Mei not following any prearranged plan, she's even brought Whitebeard plus Konohagakure's Hatake Kakashi along with her?
And how does she even know Hatake Kakashi?
If that's truly him, the other man who looks so familiar is probably Uchiha Shisui, the Body Flicker…?
"Hiss!"
Ao sucks in a breath.
But just then, Yagura Karatachi speaks again, forcing Ao to shelve his thoughts.
"Apparently, the ninja world has forgotten the terror of the Bloody Mist."
Yagura's voice echoes around every Kirigakure ninja.
"Then let's use the so-called 'Nation-Destroyer' with a hundred-million bounty as a sacrifice. Let the ninja world once again feel the fear Kirigakure can bring!"
"Attack! Kill Whitebeard!!!"