East Sea.
Under the blazing sun, even the ocean appeared calm and undisturbed.
A young ninja wearing black-rimmed glasses was sprinting across the surface of the water at full speed.
Behind him, a one-eyed ninja led several masked Anbu in relentless pursuit.
"Chōjūrō, Terumi Mei and Zabuza have plotted rebellion. By now, they've probably already been killed by the Fourth Mizukage. I advise you not to do anything foolish."
"If you surrender obediently, you might still have a chance to live."
Hearing the shout, Chōjūrō didn't even turn his head. "Senior Ao, you and Mei have a close relationship. Why not just stay out of this?"
"Once we overthrow Yagura's rule, I'll personally ask Lady Mei to reward you generously."
Ao let out a cold snort. "Stubborn fool."
The chase continued across the sea until an island gradually came into view ahead.
Seeing the island, Chōjūrō felt a wave of relief.
That should be the old Uzushio island. There must be Konoha ninja stationed there—I'm saved!
Ao also realized they were no longer within Kirigakure's sphere of influence. Without hesitation, he formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"
A massive shark surged forward at incredible speed, lunging toward Chōjūrō's back with its jaws wide open.
Forced to avoid being bitten in half, Chōjūrō had no choice but to turn around.
"Hiramekarei—Release!"
Boom!
With the power of the twin blades Hiramekarei, the water-formed shark was instantly shattered.
But that brief pause was enough—Ao and the Anbu had already surrounded him.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
On the sea, Water Release techniques were greatly enhanced.
With minimal chakra, one could unleash devastating jutsu.
Chōjūrō formed hand seals. "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Four walls of water rose around him, blocking all incoming attacks.
Two Anbu seized the opportunity to close in, their blades gleaming with cold killing intent.
"Hiramekarei—Blood Mist Sword Style: Bone Extraction!"
The previously fused Hiramekarei split into twin blades. Dozens of piercing strikes shot forward, stabbing directly into the joints of the Anbu in front.
In the next instant, Chōjūrō slid rapidly across the water, driving both blades straight into the chest of the other Anbu.
Slash!
In just a moment, two Anbu fell dead at his hands.
Seeing this, a trace of wariness appeared in Ao's eyes.
He hadn't expected that even someone like Chōjūrō, once proficient with the ninja swords, could wield such power.
While Ao was still considering his next move, Chōjūrō had already taken out a signal flare.
Bang!
Even in broad daylight, the flare burst into a brilliant display in the sky.
Ao didn't hesitate—he turned and fled immediately.
He had no idea how long it would take to kill Chōjūrō. If Konoha reinforcements arrived during that time, things would get troublesome.
The reason he had survived this long was his caution, far beyond that of others.
Watching Ao and his men retreat, Chōjūrō finally let out a long breath of relief.
The next second, his vision went black, and he collapsed unconscious.
When he woke again, he was already in a clean and tidy room.
Chōjūrō suddenly sat up, asking before the ninja beside him could speak, "How long was I out?"
"Just over half an hour. You were just a bit exhausted—we gave you some nutrients."
"You're from Kirigakure, right? Why do you have our village's distress signal? And why did you come here—"
Before the question could be finished, Chōjūrō cut him off. "My name is Chōjūrō, personal guard to Lady Mei. I have urgent intelligence to report to Lord Yuzuru!"
Hearing this, the ninja didn't dare delay and hurried to the communications room to contact Konoha.
Thanks to the infrastructure built by Yuzuru, even on a remote Uzushio island, it took less than five minutes for Chōjūrō to connect with him.
"Lord Yuzuru, Lady Mei and Senior Zabuza's plan was discovered in advance by Yagura. They are now in grave danger. Please, go to Kirigakure and save them!"
Chōjūrō explained everything as quickly as possible.
From the other end of the line came only a calm reply: "Understood."
The voice was steady, but it brought Chōjūrō an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
"Please get me something to eat!"
————
————
Chōjūrō was devouring his meal at the table when a figure silently appeared before him.
Seeing Yuzuru, Chōjūrō was so startled he nearly choked to death.
"L-Lord Yuzuru…"
He instinctively glanced at the time—barely five minutes had passed.
Chōjūrō sucked in a sharp breath in shock.
Five minutes… to travel from Konoha to here…
That kind of speed… was terrifying.
Yuzuru was already used to such reactions and said nothing.
He simply spoke calmly, "Finished eating? If you are, we'll depart."
Chōjūrō straightened unconsciously and declared loudly, "Ready for battle at any time!"
Yuzuru chuckled softly and shook his head. "Let's go."
Not understanding why he laughed, Chōjūrō lowered his head and followed.
When relocating the Kaguya clan and the Yuki clan before, Yuzuru had left a Kamui mark in Kirigakure.
So without much effort, he brought Chōjūrō directly above the village.
"Lord Yuzuru, three days ago, Lady Mei secretly met with her subordinates. But somehow, Yagura received intelligence and surrounded them all."
"Following Lady Mei's instructions, I escaped through a secret passage immediately."
"I don't know the current situation, but it's probably not looking good…"
Yuzuru frowned. "Why didn't I receive a messenger crow?"
Chōjūrō sighed. "There was a traitor among us. The crow Lady Mei summoned was killed before she could react."
"The meeting place connects through a secret tunnel to a base on the western side of Kirigakure. I think Lady Mei might retreat there."
Yuzuru nodded, landed in an empty area, and lightly tapped the ground with his finger.
In the next instant, his chakra sensing technique spread out, mapping the entire Kirigakure in his mind.
In just a moment, he opened his eyes again.
"Found them!"