Chapter 111
2-in-1-chapter
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The western side of the unnamed island was originally a stretch of tidal flats. After arriving, Kirigakure shinobi gathered multiple Water-natured earth release users to reshape the surrounding terrain using Earth Release techniques, transforming the area into an artificial port to facilitate access. From here, they could directly strike the eastern coastline of the Land of Fire.
"A barrier?"
Uchiha Rēn stood calmly on the deck, gazing at the unnamed island ahead.
Beneath the clear sky, rising smoke trailed into the air from the island amidst the vast ocean. Within the scope of the Sharingan's vision, a vague, illusion-like barrier enveloped the entire island. It was clearly a traditional sensory barrier—completely lacking in defensive strength, focusing entirely on heightened detection.
Infiltrating the island without triggering the barrier would be nearly impossible.
"So…"
Rēn turned and looked back. "Who's going first?"
This question clearly sparked internal conflict—a typical Uchiha internal quarrel. The eager clan members nearly broke out into a fight amongst themselves before the battle with Kirigakure even started. In the end, every participant without exception received a harsh scolding, leading to an unexpected person taking the lead.
Yagura Karatachi went in first.
This wasn't a joke—the Fourth Mizukage truly acted first. He approached underwater, passing silently through the familiar barrier—one he could bypass with his eyes closed. With just a few punches and kicks, he took down the sentries.
The fallen Kirigakure shinobi had the bones in their forearms and legs broken.
Effectively, they lost all combat capability—reduced to helpless prey.
In Yagura's view, breaking a few bones and requiring a few months of rest was still better than being butchered like pigs by Konoha shinobi. If possible, he hoped to end the war without unnecessary casualties. But even he knew such hopes were delusional.
When has war ever spared lives?
After eliminating three squads of Kirigakure shinobi, Yagura couldn't stay hidden for long. The village hadn't weakened to the point of being utterly helpless. The loss of communication with the forward sentries immediately raised alarm. Without hesitation, a kunai tagged with an explosive tag was thrown—
The explosion was the clearest signal.
"You fools!"
Yagura's anger flared.
So eager to die?
His attacks grew even more ruthless. The Kirigakure ninja who had thrown the kunai had all four limbs broken by Yagura.
The "Village Hidden in the Bloody Mist" gained its name under Uchiha Obito's manipulation of Yagura—but this baby-faced Mizukage was never a gentle soul to begin with. In fact, it was more surprising that someone like Chōjūrō ever emerged from a place like Kirigakure.
Before Uchiha Obito ever controlled him, Yagura already ruled with an iron fist. His cute appearance and gentlemanly mannerisms were only a surface disguise. In essence, Yagura, like his predecessors, was ruthless.
Soft-hearted men had no place in Kirigakure.
"You… you…are Lord Mizukage?"
The fallen Kirigakure shinobi was a hardened soldier. Even with broken limbs, he didn't faint. Seeing Yagura unmasked in front of him, he was so shocked he nearly lost his ability to think. As a sentry, he was a sensory-type shinobi.
Others might suspect some Transformation Jutsu trickery.
But relying on close-range chakra detection, he confirmed Yagura's identity.
This was the real Mizukage!
Transformation Jutsu might alter appearance, but it couldn't change someone's chakra signature.
"Lord Mizukage… What is going on? Why are you with Konoha shinobi?" The moment he saw Konoha shinobi appear beside Yagura, the man was completely dumbfounded. His own Mizukage was colluding with Konoha shinobi in an ambush on their own base?
Wait…
If he remembered correctly, Lord Mizukage had supposedly been on the island this whole time. But this Yagura's chakra presence was unmistakable—he didn't look like a fake at all…
"No time for chatter. If you don't want to die, lie there quietly. You'll get a chance to learn the truth later." Yagura stepped past the shinobi at his feet and swiftly advanced into the island's interior.
But—
This wasn't a one-man show anymore.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!"
Uchiha Akitarō stood at the forest's edge, unleashing a mouthful of scorching flames. The massive fireball burned through a swath of forest, incinerating several Kirigakure shinobi hidden among the trees. This was just the beginning. Even when facing water-style masters like those of Kirigakure, the Uchiha, known as fire specialists, showed no hesitation.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique."
Uchiha Hokuto leapt into the air, raining fire down like a storm.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough."
Uchiha Chihaya followed with a Wind Release technique.
Wind fueled the flames.
In an instant, the fire surged like a tsunami.
Brilliant flames burst forth through the forest. The Uchiha jōnin showed no intention of staying back—every single one of them charged to the front lines.
They unleashed their burning battle spirit—
Fiercely, relentlessly,
Without restraint.
Though the older Uchiha who had endured battle and scars might grow weary of the battlefield, the younger generation was the opposite—they were eager, desperate to step onto the battlefield and prove their strength, to boast of their power before the world. Not even death itself could stop the Uchiha from throwing themselves into battle, one after another!
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"Konoha shinobi, confirmed!"
Receiving this predictable report from a comrade on the front lines, Hōzuki Mangetsu's expression shifted. The mocking smile that had hung on his lips disappeared. What remained on his face was only the cold, brutal intent of an autumn frost. His violet eyes, bright as stars, turned frigid like the dead of winter.
"Zabuza, Kisame, Ameyuri—hunt begins."
The four of them formed a squad.
This team hadn't been assigned by higher authorities. Rather, after each of them had gone through multiple sets of teammates who died, the geniuses had naturally gathered together. Only geniuses could keep up with other geniuses. Those without talent who tried to follow inevitably ended up abandoned.
"Mangetsu, stop giving orders. I don't need you telling me what to do," said Momochi Zabuza with hostility.
His ambition was to become Mizukage and change the Kirigakure that disgusted him.
"I was just making a comment. Our team doesn't even have a captain yet, right?" The bloodthirsty smirk returned to Hōzuki Mangetsu's face.
Hoshigaki Kisame remained silent. Their team still had no designated leader because of the ongoing rivalry between Mangetsu and Zabuza. As for himself, he always remembered the teachings of Lord Fuguki Suikazan: to be a competent shinobi was enough.
They left the camp, heading west toward the island's explosions and firelight.
The mist, unnoticed at first, had spread. Hidden Mist Technique was practically the signature technique of Kirigakure shinobi and one of the village's hallmarks.
The technique itself wasn't especially difficult—any above-average Chūnin could use it. What made it iconic was its synergy with Silent Killing Technique.
The thick mist stripped enemies of their most reliable sense—sight—while silent assassination eluded their hearing. When a person was reduced to a blind, deaf target, they were little more than meat on the chopping block.
The Hidden Mist Technique and Silent Killing Technique complemented each other like coffee and milk—a flawless combination.
Together, they enhanced each other's power.
In the moment it took Mangetsu's eyes to flick around, Momochi Zabuza had already vanished from view. Even the prodigy of the Hōzuki clan had to admit that Zabuza's mastery of Silent Killing surpassed his own.
All four members of their team were regarded as geniuses within the village.
Mangetsu's greatest weapon was the Hōzuki clan's secret techniques. Within the clan, he was seen as a talent who might one day catch up to the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu. Kisame, from a lesser-known clan, had risen through sheer mastery of Water Style. Ringo Ameyuri didn't even need an introduction—she wielded the Thunder Blade: Kiba and was a genius of Lightning Release.
As for Momochi Zabuza,
In direct combat, he probably wasn't a match for Mangetsu, Kisame, or Ameyuri. But the reason he stood among them as a peer—and earned the title "Demon"—was because his Silent Killing Technique was the strongest in all of Kirigakure.
After defeating the prior generation's foremost Silent Killing specialist in a one-on-one duel, Zabuza had rightfully claimed the title of Kirigakure's top assassination expert.
If Zabuza were given the opportunity to assassinate any of the others, perhaps only Mangetsu, using his clan's secret jutsu, could survive. Ameyuri, who preferred direct attacks, would certainly fall. As for Kisame... it was a shame he hadn't inherited the great sword Samehada from Fuguki Suikazan.
Had he obtained Samehada, Kisame would have been even more powerful.
Among all the potential inheritors of the great sword Samehada, Kisame had been the top candidate. His compatibility with the blade was even greater than that of Fuguki Suikazan himself. But at the time, Fuguki was still alive—and Kisame's superior.
Naturally, the blade never came into his hands. After Fuguki was killed in battle, Samehada went missing—until recently, when it was reported to have fallen into Konoha's hands.
Clang.
In the mist, a flash of sparks from clashing weapons.
Zabuza's prized Silent Killing Technique had failed again. Uchiha Shisui, eyes glowing crimson, had intercepted his quiet slash with a short blade. Fortunately for Zabuza, he had already suffered under the Hyūga's Byakugan these past few days. He withdrew the moment his attack failed, avoiding being caught by Shisui.
"Chū chū—big fish spotted!"
Hōzuki Mangetsu grew excited, a bead of liquid suspended at his fingertip.
"Body Flicker Shisui."
Murderous intent welled in Hoshigaki Kisame's eyes as he gripped the hilt of his blade in silence. Just as Mangetsu had said, this was indeed a major target—Body Flicker Uchiha Shisui, the very shinobi even the "Byakugan Slayer" Ao feared. Taking him down here would be a tremendous accomplishment.
No words were exchanged.
In that instant, Zabuza, Mangetsu, and Kisame launched their coordinated assault against Body Flicker Uchiha Shisui.
As for Ringo Ameyuri—no one knew where she had gone. The Lightning Release prodigy disliked and wasn't suited to the stealth and assassination tactics favored by the Mist. What she loved most was breaking through her enemies with the Thunder Blade: Kiba, cutting down lives with her twin blades.
The dense mist was so thick that not even one's outstretched hand could be seen. It shrouded the surrounding grass, trees, and rocks, and even the ground beneath their feet was barely discernible. Even with the Sharingan, one could not fully penetrate this chakra-rich fog. Uchiha Shisui could only see clearly about four to five meters ahead; anything beyond that became vague and indistinct.
However,
This kind of setup didn't mean much to him.
It wasn't his first time dealing with Kirigakure shinobi. He had experienced both the Hidden Mist Jutsu and the Silent Killing Technique before. During the Third Great Ninja War, he had killed several self-proclaimed assassination experts from the Mist. In his eyes, those people certainly had skill, but it was obvious they weren't nearly as formidable as they claimed to be.
Otherwise, the one invading here today wouldn't be Konohagakure.
"Can you tell me your name? The one who attacked just now?"
Shisui held his blade horizontally in front of him, turning his gaze as he searched for traces that might help him locate Momochi Zabuza's position.
"Momochi Zabuza."
A faint, elusive voice echoed in all directions. The Silent Killing Technique, as the name implied, was an assassination technique that erased sound. It involved numerous auditory-based tricks, including this one—making it impossible to pinpoint the speaker's location—one of its hidden arts.
"The Demon Momochi Zabuza?"
Shisui realized.
Just as he and Rēn had made their names known during the Third War, it was only natural that Kirigakure also had geniuses who gained fame in that conflict. " The Demon of the Hidden Mist " Momochi Zabuza was one of the Mist Village's most heavily promoted talents. Due to either luck or manipulation, they had never crossed paths during the war.
This was their first encounter.
"No wonder. Your Silent Killing Technique is the best I've seen among all Mist shinobi. That last strike almost caught me off guard." Though Shisui said this aloud, his wrist suddenly twisted, and his short blade, wrapped in gusting wind, slashed toward his flank.
There was no sound of cutting flesh or bone.
Only the splash of water hitting the ground.
A water clone? How troublesome.
That was Shisui's instinctive reaction, but as he was re-sheathing his blade, he sharply sensed something off—the puddle of water was still moving.
"Water Gun Technique."
Only the upper half of the attacker's body had been outlined in flowing water, but Hōzuki Mangetsu raised his right hand, formed a finger-gun gesture, and fired a high-pressure stream of liquid from his fingertip at Shisui's chest—stronger than any bullet.
This was the killing move Mangetsu had prepared.
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