Evening, July 13, Year 43 of Konoha. The sun was setting, and night was about to fall.
After two days of travel, the Anbu squad led by Shimizu had arrived at the tri-border of the Land of Fire, the Land of Rain, and the Land of Rivers. Following careful planning and several hours of preparation, they decided to enter the mission area after nightfall.
"All supply caches have been placed according to plan. We'll move in light. After 9 p.m., we enter the target area. We withdraw at 4 a.m. and regroup here," said the ninja wearing a white cat mask with red markings on the forehead and cheeks, dressed in a black hooded cloak.
This was Shimizu Uzuki's Anbu attire.
"Understood!" ×3
"Gray Hawk will take point. Keep the Byakugan active the entire time. Don't worry about chakra consumption. Avoid all suspicious targets. Tonight, we will not engage anyone proactively."
The ninja wearing the purple-striped dog mask nodded. "Understood." He was a member of the Hyuga clan.
"Starfire, second position. Support Gray Hawk from behind," Shimizu ordered methodically.
"Roger. Mission will be completed," replied the clown-masked ninja.
"Storm Fox, third. Watch Starfire's rear. Signal immediately if anything happens. I'll cover the rear and ensure your safety."
"Yes, Captain." The fox-masked female ninja was a medical specialist.
"Tonight's objective is simply to determine how many suspicious ninja are active. We only gather information. Avoid combat if possible. Do not alert the enemy."
Originally, Shimizu intended to spend the first two days observing how many ninja were operating in the area. Yet for two entire nights, they hadn't seen a single shadow.
It wasn't that he doubted Gray Hawk's Byakugan. Could it be that the other side had already ceased activity?
If so, then on the final day they would have no choice but to search openly for traces. If a significant number of ninja had operated here, it would be impossible for every single one of them to erase all signs—after all, not all were jonin.
Sure enough, on the afternoon of the third day, they found traces.
Gray Hawk made a sudden stop signal.
"Captain, there are ninja tracks here," he explained quietly. "A few kilometers ahead, there are many such traces. Looks like a group of chunin and genin—no fewer than two squads."
"That's strange. There are no traces in the surrounding areas, yet this region clearly shows two squads of chunin and genin? Are all the other teams composed entirely of jonin and elite chunin?"
"Rather than a flaw… it feels like deliberately exposed tracks."
Shimizu possessed extremely sharp combat instincts.
"It feels like fishing. And we're the fish."
"Captain? Then what should we do?" Gray Hawk asked. He was the most frustrated of them all—after two and a half days of nothing, this was the first discovery, and it was so obvious it felt like bait laid out for them. After the captain's analysis, it clearly smelled of trouble.
"We can't just return and report without confirmation. Gray Hawk, follow the tracks. Be ready for combat at any moment. The rest of you, spread out in battle formation. If something happens, follow the contingency plan."
"Yes!" ×3
"Something happens" meant encountering an enemy they couldn't defeat. In that case, according to plan, Gray Hawk, Starfire, and Storm Fox would retreat separately toward the three supply points and follow predetermined routes back to Konoha.
Shimizu would remain behind to cover their escape.
That was the duty and resolve of a captain.
In battle formation, Shimizu acted as the vanguard spearhead. Starfire took the right flank. Storm Fox guarded the left. Gray Hawk stayed mid-rear, using the Byakugan to relay enemy positions.
After advancing in this formation for about ten minutes, they reached the edge of a forest. Several hundred meters ahead lay a lake, and not far beyond it—a waterfall.
"The tracks end here," Gray Hawk said.
So they entered the water?
Impossible.
Shimizu carefully studied the terrain. The disappearance of tracks meant they must have taken a water route. But where could that lead? Downstream along the river? Upstream?
Upstream led to the waterfall.
He examined the waterfall more closely and finally sensed something off. For water falling from that height, the splash on the lake surface seemed too small.
"Gray Hawk, take a closer look at that waterfall. Carefully."
"Yes!"
What could possibly be wrong with a waterfall?
Since the captain emphasized it, Gray Hawk concentrated a large amount of chakra and meticulously executed the order, refusing to miss even the slightest anomaly.
"…There seems to be a cave behind the waterfall?" Gray Hawk said uncertainly. "If I move closer, I can see more clearly."
"Advance." Shimizu gave the order decisively.
Gray Hawk's Byakugan had a forward observation range of about 1,600 meters. That meant within that radius, he could see through obstacles clearly. Even among the Hyuga clan, that was an exceptionally impressive range. The current Hyuga clan head likely only had a range of around 2,000 meters.
"I see it clearly now! It's definitely a cave—and there are obvious man-made traces. The waterfall above strikes the top of the cave, weakening its impact. It's designed to make entry and exit easier."
"No one inside?" Shimizu asked, puzzled.
"No."
"Let's go take a look."
Soon, the four of them passed through the waterfall and arrived at the cave entrance. It was clearly an artificially excavated cavern. But when had it been created? What was its purpose? And which faction had dug it out? From Gray Hawk's observation, the cave's size was no smaller than the Hokage Office Building.
That was no small project.
"Starfire, guard the entrance. Storm Fox and Gray Hawk, come inside with me. We'll finish searching within fifteen minutes. Set explosive tags as we go. If the three of us don't return on time, Starfire, follow the original plan. Also, if something happens outside, notify us with explosive tags."
"Yes!" ×3
Inside the cave, the three quickly split up and began searching at top speed. Suddenly, Shimizu noticed some fine sand left on the ground. He crouched down and rubbed it between his fingers.
This was the effect of a ninjutsu.
"The Land of Wind?"
A sudden realization struck him.
This cave—judging from its design and environment—was clearly not meant for habitation. It was for stockpiling supplies.
And supplies filling a structure the size of the Hokage building? How much would that be?
This was a military storage depot.
Given its location and scale, the target of any impending war clearly wasn't the already unstable Land of Rain, nor the defenseless Land of Rivers.
It could only be the Land of Fire.
War.
It felt like thunder crashing in his mind.
Boom!
The sound of an explosive tag detonating came from the cave entrance.
Something had happened to Starfire!
Shimizu rushed to the entrance at top speed. His pupils contracted.
Two squads of ninja had already appeared at the cave mouth. Starfire was kneeling on one knee.
He was a genuine Konoha jonin—yet the battle had been decided in less than a minute?!
"Captain… they're Sand ninja!" Starfire clutched his abdomen with his left hand. It was clearly a severe wound. Even retreating seemed difficult.
Gray Hawk and Storm Fox arrived at the entrance as well. Gray Hawk activated his Byakugan and scanned the distance.
"Captain… three more squads are approaching from 1.5 kilometers away…"
At that distance, they would complete the encirclement in just over a minute.
"Storm Fox, treat him. Gray Hawk, provide support. I'll hold them off. Prepare to retreat!"
"Yes!" ×2
"You alone think you can hold off eight of us? What a—"
Before the leading Sand ninja could finish speaking, Shimizu had already completed his hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
A high-level Water Release technique. In an instant, a massive wave surged forth like a tidal sea. The water first spiraled around Shimizu, then crashed toward the enemy, with both offense and defense controlled entirely by the caster.
Faced with the sudden torrent, the eight Sand ninja were forced to retreat temporarily.
Taking advantage of the opening, Storm Fox rushed forward to treat Starfire, while Gray Hawk guarded them both, Byakugan blazing, vigilant against sneak attacks.
"Second squad, kill those ninja over there. First squad, with me—deal with this one—"
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A towering cylindrical wall of water erupted from the ground, spinning upward and trapping six Sand ninja and Shimizu within.
Normally, this technique created near-perfect defense. The volume and duration could be adjusted at will—a highly effective B-rank defensive ninjutsu.
But here, Shimizu used it as a barrier to block the Sand ninja's path—reducing Gray Hawk's opponents to just two.
Even though he himself now faced six.
"Kill him!"
Naturally, their objective was to eliminate Shimizu first.
At such close range, two of the Sand ninja still chose to form hand seals and launch ninjutsu.
Body Flicker Technique!
In an instant, Shimizu appeared behind one of the ninja who was about to complete his seals. Though the technique was nearly finished, Shimizu's blade pierced straight through his heart.
"?!" From the dying Sand ninja's perspective, Shimizu had vanished for a split second—and then a sword suddenly protruded from his chest.
The first Sand ninja fell.
"How is that possible?!"
The same thought flashed through the minds of the remaining five.
So fast?!
Without pause, Shimizu was already behind the second caster. That ninja sensed the danger and activated Body Flicker in advance.
But it wasn't fast enough.
Shimizu executed consecutive Body Flickers with almost no interval between them.
In the very next instant, Shimizu appeared behind the Sand ninja again.
The man who had just narrowly escaped death didn't even have time to breathe in relief before crimson blood sprayed into the air.
"Is… that my blood?"
That was his only thought before his eyes lost focus and he collapsed.
"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"
The Wind Blade was an A-rank Wind Release technique that gathered rapidly rotating wind in the user's hand like a sword—extremely lethal.
The Sand ninja leader launched his first attack. But before it could even graze Shimizu's black cloak, Shimizu's Body Flicker carried him behind a third Sand ninja.
"Mita! Watch out!"
The third ninja, named Mita, had already grown wary of Shimizu's ghost-like speed.
Substitution Technique!
Shimizu's blade struck—but the Sand ninja turned into a puff of smoke. At the last second, he had used Substitution to escape the fatal blow.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Another Sand ninja exhaled a powerful gust. The technique expelled a whirlwind from the mouth to blow back enemies, mainly for suppression rather than damage.
But for the Sand ninja, simply interfering with Shimizu's high-speed movement was enough.
Within this confined space, once his mobility was hindered, he would lose his decisive speed advantage.
And the defensive radius of the Water Formation Wall was limited—restricting Shimizu's maneuvering space. If his speed was suppressed, his disadvantage would be magnified infinitely.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!"
Seizing the instant Shimizu was restrained, another Sand ninja completed his technique. Several compressed wind projectiles shot from his mouth toward Shimizu.
"Wind Release: Wind Blade!"
The leader attacked simultaneously. Their coordination flowed seamlessly—this was the level of teamwork only a squad forged through years of cooperation could achieve.
"Leaf Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon!"
This was an ultimate secret technique of Konoha swordsmanship created by the Second Hokage. A deadly move capable of killing in a single strike.
The user created three afterimages—not Shadow Clones, but illusion-like projections—and launched simultaneous surprise attacks. While the opponent reacted to the phantoms, the real body observed for a blind spot and delivered the finishing cut. A lightning-fast attack impossible to evade.
It had been taught to Shimizu by his teacher, Maruboshi Kosuke.
In that split second, Shimizu completed a clone technique, Body Flicker, and a lethal sword strike simultaneously.
Even at such a critical moment, he didn't merely dodge.
He still chose to kill the Sand ninja who had escaped his previous fatal strike with Substitution.
The Sand ninja's Vacuum Sphere and Wind Blade passed cleanly through Shimizu's three phantoms.
Only then did they realize—
He was no longer there.
"When did he—?! Damn it!"
The spun around, but he was too late.
Shimizu's blade cleaved through Mita's right arm.
"This…" The leader's shock was beyond measure.
From the moment Shimizu cast his first Water Release technique until now, less than forty seconds had passed.
Two veteran chunin dead.
One jonin's right arm severed.
Such terrifying combat power—
Was this really just a Konoha Anbu?!
"Treatment complete! Starfire can move!" came the voice of the medical ninja, Storm Fox.
Without hesitation, Shimizu dispelled the Water Formation Wall. Maintaining a B-rank technique continuously consumed a tremendous amount of chakra.
"Retreat!" Shimizu ordered again.
On the other side, Gray Hawk, still entangled with two Sand ninja, decisively disengaged. The three Konoha Anbu moved toward the cave entrance simultaneously.
"Stop them!" the Sand ninja shouted.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of violent, continuous explosions from inside the cave—the planted explosive tags detonating.
Amid the chaos, one Sand ninja saw a streak of blue light rushing toward him at terrifying speed.
"Saru, watch out!"
But the ninja called Saru heard nothing.
His ears were filled with a shrieking sound like a thousand birds crying.
His vision was swallowed entirely by blue lightning.
"Is this… a ninjutsu?!"
That was his final thought before death claimed him.
"Everyone, get out of the way!" the leading Sand ninja roared.
The Sand ninja who had been about to intercept the Konoha Anbu scattered to the sides at once, hastily clearing a path to survival.
Carrying that unstoppable streak of blue lightning, Shimizu carved out a route of escape for his three subordinates.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
A massive torrent surged toward the remaining Sand ninja. They had no choice but to avoid its edge once more and retreat to a distance. Shimizu turned back and cast this A-rank technique again to prevent pursuit, buying as much time as possible for their withdrawal.
"Damn it!" The leader was furious.
From the moment they discovered the Konoha squad, they had carefully lured them deeper step by step, finally trapping them inside the cave. Two complete elite squads—after severely wounding one opponent—had achieved what seemed like a dream opening. It should have been a great accomplishment.
Yet it had been overturned by a single enemy.
How humiliating.
He immediately issued orders:
"Ikegaya, stay behind and look after Mita. Inform Commander Sandai that we need his sensory unit to track the Konoha Anbu. Tell him to dispatch the 5th Division stationed here to reinforce us. Also notify the Anbu Second Division at Outpost No. 2—tell them we've hooked a big fish and need their assistance.
Until everyone has assembled, we will not act rashly. But Outpost No. 1 must absolutely not be exposed! We cannot let a single Konoha ninja escape! The rest of you, with me!"
"Yes!" the Sand ninja responded in unison.
The leader's name was Daro, a Sunagakure jonin around thirty years old. The two squads under his command consisted of three jonin and five chunin—two full elite teams.
Yet in less than a minute, three chunin had been killed and one jonin had lost his right arm—all at the hands of a single man.
Just recalling the scene sent a chill down Daro's spine. If it had been him facing that final unknown blue lightning technique head-on, he would have died as well.
But someone capable of using such a powerful jutsu could not possibly be a nobody in Konoha.
Capturing him would be a monumental contribution to the village.
"The rise of the Sunagakure begins here!"