Inside the inn, the dim, amber light glinted off the steel surface of a specialized Flying Raijin kunai. Orochimaru stared at the familiar runes etched into the blade, his snake-like pupils narrowing in deep contemplation.
Beside him, the innkeeper stood motionless, eyes vacant and glazed over from a heavy genjutsu.
Earlier, Orochimaru had assumed that Shura intended to temporarily settle the Ice Release child at the inn while they formulated a plan for Kirigakure. He hadn't expected Shura to simply hand him a Flying Raijin kunai and then—right before his eyes—grab the boy and vanish instantly using the Flying Raijin Technique.
"Tsk, tsk... what a truly convenient jutsu. If he can jump from here all the way to the Land of Bears..." Orochimaru licked his lips, his pupils constricting with a mixture of thrill and greed.
That was a distance spanning more than half of the shinobi world!
Just how massive was Shura's chakra reserve?
Even the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju—who invented the technique—or the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—who used it to dominate the Third Great Ninja War—had to use a series of coordinated jumps to travel from Konoha to the front lines.
"Shura... just who are you?" Orochimaru whispered to the empty room, twirling the kunai between his fingers.
While Orochimaru waited in the Land of Water, Menma had already traversed the continent to reach the base in the Land of Bears.
He led Haku toward the residential quarters. Within the snow-covered military zone, two Star Ninjas immediately dropped to one knee.
"Lord Shura!"
"Go find Uzumaki Kasane," Menma ordered tersely.
"At once, my Lord!" The patrollers bowed and hurried off.
This residential area, located east of the capital between the military and administrative districts, housed the core members of the Star Village and Menma's organization. Menma maintained a private residence here as well.
Moments later, Uzumaki Kasane arrived in a hurry.
"Lord Shura!" Seeing Menma with a small child, she greeted him with his title out of professional courtesy.
"This boy's name is Haku. He is a survivor of the Yuki Clan," Menma explained. "His mother was the last of her line. She married a commoner, but when the boy manifested the Ice Release Bloodline Limit, the villagers and his own father branded them as omens of misfortune. They killed his mother..."
Hearing a story so painfully similar to her own past, Kasane's eyes softened instantly. A wave of maternal instinct and sympathy washed over her. She knelt down to Haku's level and spoke gently.
"Hello there. My name is Uzumaki Kasane. You can call me Auntie Kasane."
"Um..." Haku shrank back, hiding timidly behind Menma's legs.
Menma placed a hand on Haku's head and looked down. "This is your home now. Auntie Kasane will take care of you. You must listen to her, understood?"
To ease the boy's suspicion, Kasane activated her Adamantine Attacking Chains. "Don't be afraid of your power. See? Auntie has a special ability too."
A golden chakra chain spiraled out from behind her like a tail, swaying playfully in the air. Seeing the shimmering gold, Haku's eyes lit up. The wall of wariness around him finally began to crumble.
Menma gave the back of Haku's head a light, encouraging nudge. The boy slowly walked forward and allowed Kasane to pull him into a warm embrace.
"I'll leave him in your care. I still have unfinished business," Menma said, trusting Kasane implicitly. He paused, then added, "Clear out a few more rooms. There might be more children with Bloodline Limits coming soon."
"Understood, my Lord." Kasane stood up, holding Haku's hand as she bowed to see Menma off.
Once Menma vanished via Flying Raijin, Kasane looked down at Haku, who looked as delicate as a little white rabbit. Her heart melted. "Let's get you a bath, dear. I have some clothes I bought for Karin that she hasn't worn yet—you'll look absolutely adorable in them."
"You're back?"
In the Land of Water, Orochimaru was standing by the window watching the snowfall. He turned slightly as he heard the ripple in the air. He watched as Menma tucked a kunai back into his pouch.
Strange. I feel like I forgot something... Menma thought as he landed. He felt a nagging emptiness in his mind, but he couldn't pin it down. Probably nothing important.
"Let's go. Time to take a stroll through the Hidden Mist," Menma said, heading for the door.
Orochimaru gave a soft hiss of a laugh, walking alongside him. "I must say, I'm envious. Your Flying Raijin has already surpassed the 'Yondame,' hasn't it?"
Menma didn't answer. He simply maintained a cold silence as they moved toward Kirigakure.
The Land of Water was an archipelago of countless islands. The largest island was a landscape of jagged peaks, winding rivers, and dense forests. The unique maritime climate ensured that the land was perpetually choked by thick fog.
Hidden deep within the western mountains of this island lay the Village Hidden in the Mist.
Soon, the two reached the outskirts. Standing on a high ridge, they looked down at the village now blanketed in snow.
The mountains here have a certain aesthetic... like a Chinese ink painting, Menma noted.
The architecture of Kirigakure was unique, consisting of cylindrical, fortress-like buildings reminiscent of Hakka Tulou houses. Some towers reached over a dozen stories high, looking like stone giants lurking in the mist. At the very center stood a massive red-roofed fortress, its teal brick walls emblazoned with the blue kanji for "Water" (水).
"That is the Mizukage Building," Orochimaru explained, his arms crossed. "Under the tyranny of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, the Bloodline Limit clans have been pushed to the outskirts. Over there is the Kaguya Clan district... there is the Hozuki Clan... and further out, the Hoshigaki..."
"Speaking of which, that boy earlier had the Ice Release of the Yuki Clan, didn't he?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "I recall the Yuki Clan was slaughtered after a rebellion a few years ago."
Orochimaru didn't understand why Yagura had implemented such a high-pressure, self-destructive regime. But Menma knew exactly why.
Obito.
To avenge Rin Nohara, Obito was using his Sharingan to control Yagura, enforcing the "Bloody Mist" policy. He was intentionally stoking the fires of hatred between commoner ninjas and the noble clans, turning the village into a powder keg. When the time was right, he provided the excuse to wipe them out.
First the Yuki, then the Hozuki, and eventually the Kaguya.
These clans were the backbone of Kirigakure's strength. The Kaguya, in particular, were battle-maniacs who served as the village's elite vanguard. Their status in the Mist was comparable to the Uchiha in the Leaf.
It wasn't until Mei Terumi sensed something was wrong and had Ao check Yagura with his Byakugan that the genjutsu was finally broken. But by then, the damage was done. The "Bloody Mist" era created a massive generational gap in the village's power. By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, the only notable Mist ninjas left were Mei, Chojuro, and Ao.
The rest were either rogues like Zabuza, Suigetsu, and Kisame, or those who died young and were reincarnated. Oh, and Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki. He defected too.
By the time the Boruto era rolled around twenty years later, the "New Seven Ninja Swordsmen" would be nothing more than a joke.