"I need you to lead a black-ops squad to the sea area near the Old Site of the Land of Whirlpools."
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, handed an intelligence scroll to the woman standing before him.
Pakura.
She wore a backless, sleeveless combat tunic that highlighted her athletic build. Her green hair was tied up with a simple pin, orange strands framing her striking, resolute face. She was the "Hero of the Sand," beautiful and deadly in equal measure.
Pakura unrolled the scroll. Her eyes scanned the text.
She was sharp. She immediately understood Rasa's intention.
'When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits.'
Suna was losing the war of attrition against Konoha. If Konoha and Kiri destroyed each other over the Whirlpool island, Suna could sweep in and claim the spoils, or at least relieve the pressure on their own borders.
"Failure is not an option," Rasa said coldly. His voice held no warmth. To him, children, wives, and "heroes" were just assets to be spent for the Village.
"Understood, Lord Kazekage. I will select the personnel immediately."
Pakura turned and walked out, her posture rigid with duty.
Rasa watched her go, his eyes narrowing.
Sending Pakura was a tactical necessity, but it was also a political maneuver. Her reputation as the wielder of Scorch Release was growing too fast. The villagers worshipped her. A Kazekage could not abide a rival in popularity.
'If she succeeds, Suna prospers,' Rasa calculated. 'If she dies... a threat to my administration is removed. Win-win.'
An isolated reef, dozens of nautical miles east of Whirlpool.
The sea fog was thick, unnatural, and smelled faintly of copper.
The figures of Kirigakure Ninja materialized from the mist. Unlike ninja from other villages, who fought out of duty or nationalism, these men and women radiated a palpable, feral bloodlust. They were the products of the "Bloody Mist" graduation exams.
Standing on the highest reef was Lulang, an older, hawk-eyed Jonin commander.
"Lulang-sama."
A plump ninja wearing red glasses, a unique hat, and blue facial tattoos stepped forward. Chukichi.
Chukichi was an elite sensor. While Kiri lacked the Byakugan, they bred sensors who could feel the ambient temperature of chakra from miles away.
"Chukichi. How many Byakugan users are on the island?" Lulang asked without turning around.
"Less than fifteen," Chukichi reported, fingering the red prayer beads around his neck. "I can't distinguish between Main and Branch families, but standard deployment suggests mostly Branch."
"Is that so..." Lulang muttered.
He thought of Ao. Ao had encountered a Main Family member, had the Red Eye for support, and still died. The corpse had been recovered, but the brain was scrambled to mush.
'A professional did that,' Lulang knew. 'In a chaotic retreat, nobody wastes time destroying a brain unless they have a dangerous secret to hide.'
According to Mei Terumī's debrief, a Konoha Chunin named Kiyohara was the likely killer.
"And the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Lulang asked.
"Advancing along the northern sea route. They will rendezvous with us in twenty-four hours."
Lulang nodded. The Mizukage had authorized a massive strike. The Seven Swordsmen were the tip of the spear. If they broke Konoha's line here, the Land of Fire's soft underbelly would be exposed to a full naval invasion.
Lulang turned to look at the two young prodigies assigned to his vanguard.
Mei Terumī and Zabuza Momochi.
"Zabuza. Stop antagonizing your squadmates," Lulang ordered. "Mei. Stop dwelling on your last failure. We cannot afford mistakes here."
Zabuza, his lower face wrapped in bandages, simply crossed his arms and grunted. He was the "Demon" who had slaughtered his entire graduating class. He respected only power.
"I won't fail again," Mei stated, her emerald eyes hard.
The death of her mentor, Ao, was a thorn in her heart. Unlike the monsters around her, Mei actually wanted to reform the Bloody Mist. She wanted camaraderie. But to get the political power to change the village, she needed war merits.
And she needed to kill the handsome Konoha boy who had humiliated her.
The next morning. The Ruins of Uzushiogakure.
The sea fog was rolling in, thick and gray.
Kiyohara, Kakashi, Rin, Kurenai, and Genma were on patrol.
Suddenly, Pakkun stopped.
The small pug's wet nose twitched violently. The other Ninken whimpered, the fur on their backs standing up.
"Trouble," Pakkun growled, looking up at Kakashi from under his straw hat.
"The salt is heavy, but... there's a stench of chakra laced with killing intent. It's faint, but my nose doesn't lie."
"Direction and numbers?" Kakashi dropped into a crouch.
Pakkun sniffed the wind. "The breeze is dispersing it. At least two squads. Elite level. They are heading toward the abandoned northern harbor."
"The northern flank..." Kakashi cursed softly. "It's a blind spot. The terrain is terrible for defense. If they establish a beachhead there, they can flank the main camp."
"We intercept," Kiyohara said, his hand dropping to the hilt of his Tachi.
He felt his chakra thrumming. The expanded reserves, the fused sword logic, the newly drilled Konoha Body Flicker. The whetstone had arrived.
As they ran toward the harbor, Kiyohara's mind briefly wandered back to the topic of Summoned Beasts.
There were three ways to get one:
* Inherit a family scroll (like the Toads).
* Tame a wild beast (dangerous and time-consuming).
* Buy one.
There were mercenary summons available on Summoning Island.
'Money...' Kiyohara sighed internally. 'I just spent my savings on sword upgrades and Fūma Shuriken. I'm broke again.'
He looked toward the fog where the Mist ninja were hiding.
'Looks like I need to scavenge some high-quality gear today.'
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