The border of the Land of Whirlpools was shrouded in thick fog.
Only several streaks of blood could vaguely be seen suddenly blossoming within the mist.
"...What was that sound?"
The young guard, who had been dozing off, suddenly jolted awake and sharply looked around.
But that also exposed his opening. Before he could recover, that fleeting moment of vulnerability proved fatal.
Sshk!
As a snow-bright cold glint flashed past, the red-haired man's head flew into the air.
The young guard's body and head separated cleanly, while another man was instantly sliced into chunks of mangled flesh.
Blood burst forth in an instant, splattering in every direction.
It revealed taut threads stretched through the fog, dripping blood beneath the moonlight.
"Are these guys not a little too slow?"
Following the path of the steel wires, Kushimaru Kuriarare emerged, curling his lips into a sinister grin. "To be honest, this is my first time taking part in an extermination operation. Why does it feel so much easier than I imagined?"
After saying that, he looked around, seemingly waiting for a response.
On the trees around him, dark figures crouched and stood.
Dim moonlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting shadows over them as their ghostfire-like eyes watched the distance.
"Cut the nonsense, Kushimaru Kuriarare. They haven't experienced war in decades!"
As the words fell, an exceptionally tall figure stepped among the Kirigakure Ninja. His orange hair reached his waist, fluffy bandages wrapped around his neck, and green stripes were painted across his cheeks.
It was none other than Suikazan Fuguki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and wielder of the Greatsword Samehada, serving as the captain of this advance team.
"The border guards have been dealt with. It's time to prepare to infiltrate the capital."
With Samehada wrapped in cloth on his back, he bared a mouthful of shark-like teeth and said, "Those bloodline ninja are the true main force of this operation. Our advance team has only one task."
"This invasion is a blitzkrieg. If we drag things out too long, too many unforeseen variables will come into play. The Uzumaki Clan cannot be underestimated, and Konoha may send reinforcements."
"So we must act quickly. Before the Land of Whirlpools notices anything unusual, Nakayoshi will use Dark Release to open a gap in the barrier, then find and destroy its core. Those bloodline ninja will follow afterward."
On the tree beside him, a fat man wearing a ninja cap, red glasses, and a string of red prayer beads around his neck nodded.
"The Uzumaki Clan's barrier has not been replaced in nearly forty years. It is already riddled with flaws. Please place one hundred percent trust in my Dark Release."
The fat man called Nakayoshi spoke with firm conviction, appearing even more simple and honest among this group of lunatics.
But as the possessor of the Kekkei Genkai, Dark Release, he could directly convert other people's ninjutsu into Chakra and store it within his own body. Temporarily breaching the Land of Whirlpools' barrier was no difficult task.
"According to the plan, after the barrier is destroyed, Raiga Kurosuki and Munashi Jinpachi will take the lead and cause a disturbance."
Suikazan Fuguki raised his head and looked at the two figures sitting cross-legged on the tree. "No problems?"
"Whatever." Munashi Jinpachi glanced at the man beside him, his tone full of mockery. "As for whether anyone besides me survives, that has nothing to do with me."
"I have no objections." Beside him, the man with long green hair and bandages wrapped around his upper body replied, "I will send them to their graves with the strongest lightning."
One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Raiga Kurosuki, wielder of the Lightning Blade: Kiba.
His Lightning Blade: Kiba was the fastest blade infused with lightning, capable of generating lightning and unleashing incomparably powerful force.
"Very good!"
Suikazan Fuguki bared his sharp teeth in satisfaction and said coldly, "This is our first time working together on a mission. How much credit each of you earns depends on your own ability."
"But before we break into the Land of Whirlpools, I hope there will be no internal discord... Oyakishiro Go, do you understand what I mean?"
As he spoke, he kept his eyes fixed on the out-of-place man leaning against a tree, wearing triangular sunglasses. The warning and threat in his voice were undisguised.
"Relax, I have professional ethics."
Unbothered by Suikazan Fuguki's threat, Oyakishiro Go still wore a playful grin. "The Third has become so terrifying lately. A ninja from the Chinoike Clan like me would have a hard time staying alive even if I went back without cooperating."
At that, Kushimaru Kuriarare let out a scornful snort, but did not say anything he should not have.
As a staunch supporter of the Blood Mist faction, he believed that aside from the four of them from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, none of these bloodline ninja clan bastards should have been included in this mission.
They might as well have brought Jinin Akebino, Chojuro, and Juzo Biwa, those three fools. Though they were not yet proficient with their ninja swords, they would at least have been more trustworthy than that Chinoike Clan fellow.
It would have been even better to send him along with those bloodline ninja brought in later to directly clash with the Uzumaki Clan as cannon fodder.
Those ninja clans had already been scared out of their wits anyway. No matter what the Third ordered them to do, they would only obey meekly.
"Fine. Since there are no objections, we will proceed according to plan."
Suikazan Fuguki nodded, pulled the wrapped Samehada from behind his back, and stared into the distance with cold eyes. "Remember, fleeing the battlefield and betrayal are equally grave crimes. Do not make me personally execute you."
As his words fell, every figure in the fog vanished, silently encroaching toward the distant lights of the Land of Whirlpools.
Meanwhile, within the capital of the Land of Whirlpools, which was also Uzushio Village.
Everything was peaceful and prosperous.
Uzumaki Yoake, the clan head, held his daughter's hand as they sang and danced along with the crowd. People left the dancing procession while others joined it.
As the pair at its center, they were the focus of everyone's attention.
Yoriko had been somewhat nervous at first, but even when she made a mistake, she received only kind laughter.
Before she knew it, guided by Yoake, Yoriko danced better and better, and she gradually became more confident.
Cheers often rang out by her ears, filling her heart with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
"Dad, I really like this feeling."
Yoriko let out a clear, childish laugh, already immersed in the joyful atmosphere.
Uzumaki Yoake also wore a smile. As he spun and danced, a breeze brushed against his face, seeming to carry a peaceful sense of reassurance. His thoughts felt as though they had been carried away by that wind.
But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt someone pat his arm, causing him to freeze.
He instinctively stopped dancing and turned to look behind him, but saw no one there.
"...Look down."
A somewhat stiff voice came from below. Only when Yoake looked down did he realize that the one who had patted him was not an adult.
It was a small boy dressed in a black robe, his eyes covered by a strip of black cloth.
His neat short red hair looked perfectly natural here. No one would find his presence strange, as though he had always belonged here.
Uzumaki Yoake was not surprised either. He merely found the boy unfamiliar, and braced his hands on his thighs as he bent down. "Little guy, whose child are you? Why don't I remember you?"
He could not recall any family with a child who had problems with his eyes.
"Clan Head Uzumaki?"
Looking at the foolish-looking man, Nagato frowned and said coldly, "I can't believe the head of a clan could be negligent to this extent."
"You..." Yoake froze and asked in confusion, "What are you talk—"
"This place will become a battlefield."
Before he could finish, Nagato coldly interrupted him.
Watching Yoake's pupils contract instinctively, he continued, "Go evacuate the women and children."
It was a warning that seemed full of kindness, yet also full of pity.
But who was the one issuing the warning?
What a baffling fellow!
Uzumaki Yoake frowned, about to question him further, when his vision suddenly fell into darkness.
No, the entire Uzushio Village had fallen into darkness!
The air rang with the crackle of electrical arcs, and then every light went out at once.
The splendor of the previous moment still lingered in his eyes, only to be swallowed by a tide of darkness in the next.
"Dad! What's going—"
Yoriko's panicked voice reached Yoake's ears. Before he could utter a word to comfort her, however, he suddenly felt his heart skip a beat. His body stiffened, and his eyes abruptly widened.
BOOM!!
It was as though he heard the sea surging.
A rising scarlet glow reflected in his pupils.
It was like tearing open the silent night, as a thunderous explosion and shockwave swept across Uzushio Village!
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