On an island not far from the coast, dense fog shrouded the land, making it difficult to see what lay within. Beyond the ring of mist encircling the island and a stretch of forest stood a well-ordered, heavily guarded camp large enough to accommodate thousands.
This was the Frontline Camp from which the Mist Ninja launched their attacks on the Land of Fire. It was the command center for the thousands of Mist Ninja on the battlefield. Orders issued from here directed the movements of over a thousand Mist Ninja as they clashed with Konoha's shinobi across the battlefields.
Today,
the atmosphere in the camp was especially oppressive, mirroring the leaden gray clouds overhead. Most of the Mist Ninja wore nothing but numbness and gloom on their faces.
The campaign against the Land of Fire was going very poorly. They had been utterly unable to break through, let alone defeat, the defensive line Konoha's shinobi had established along the eastern coast. The occasional breakthrough at one point or another had proved fleeting; once Konoha reinforcements arrived, the Mist Ninja had been driven all the way back.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had once penetrated to the outskirts of Konoha, only to run into a Konoha Genin. That Genin killed four of them on the spot, and only three managed to escape.
Afterward, the Fourth Mizukage had entered the fray in person, but Orochimaru, one of the Konoha Sannin, had joined the battle and fought him to a standstill. In the end, when the little monster Uchiha Shisui arrived, the Mist Ninja had no choice but to retreat.
The only feat worth bragging about was Ao's theft of a Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan. It gave the Mist Ninja something to console themselves with and helped them muster a little confidence, so they wouldn't lose heart completely.
But honestly, that small measure of confidence couldn't withstand much wear. Every operation they had planned lately had run into a brick wall and come back empty-handed, making the camp's atmosphere more oppressive by the day.
"Let's retreat!"
At last, someone was the first to suggest a retreat.
As soon as he spoke,
the tent fell silent. No one objected. They looked at one another, taking in the similarly somber faces around them, then turned as one toward the slight, short figure seated in the place of honor.
"Why are you all looking at me?"
The figure in the seat of honor spoke.
He had green hair and purple eyes, and was short and childlike, looking no older than twelve or thirteen. In reality, though, he was already in his twenties—and the recently appointed Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure, Karatachi Yagura!
He surveyed the others. Some had lowered their heads in silence; others wore blank expressions. No one answered the Fourth Mizukage's questioning gaze. He kept looking until his eyes settled on the man who had first suggested retreat.
The middle-aged man had a refined face and jade-green eyes. He glanced around at his colleagues and sighed helplessly before meeting the Fourth Mizukage's gaze head-on. His words were resolute:
"Mizukage-sama, the situation has more or less stabilized. Turning things around would be extremely difficult. In my view, there's no point in continuing to endure this. I suggest we retreat as soon as possible. While Konoha isn't yet prepared to counterattack, we can withdraw to the village without trouble, build up our strength, and wait for another chance to set foot in the Land of Fire."
His voice was sincere and his manner earnest. He had spoken entirely from the village's point of view.
"Clan Head Terumi's recommendation is to retreat. What does everyone else think? Should we stay and fight or leave?" Once the green-eyed man had finished, Karatachi Yagura turned to the others who had remained silent and asked.
Just then,
the middle-aged man seated directly across from Terumi, with long reddish-brown hair and a resolute face that inspired awe even when he wasn't angry, came out firmly against the idea. "I don't think it's time to give up yet."
"Jonin Kirishima!"
Karatachi Yagura looked at the man and furrowed his brow. "Do you think we still have a chance to turn things around?"
His question made many people present realize something. The Mizukage also thought it would be difficult to reverse the situation and was inclined to retreat.
The trusted supporters who hadn't known where the Mizukage stood finally felt reassured. One after another, they prepared to speak in support of Clan Head Terumi's proposal to retreat.
However—
Kirishima Jonin spoke up. "Mizukage-sama, Konoha has fought major battles against the Sand Ninja, Iwa Ninja, and Kumo Ninja. They won every time, but there's no doubt they've been badly weakened. Now the Kumo Ninja in the northeast, who suffered relatively little damage, are stirring again, tying down a great deal of Konoha's forces. This is the best opportunity we're going to get!"
"Kirishima Shinya, don't spout nonsense here. Konoha may be badly weakened, but even in that state, they've used this one defensive line to keep us pinned along the coast. How exactly do you plan to take advantage of this so-called best opportunity?"
Clan Head Terumi challenged him without the slightest courtesy.
If the man across from him had been the head of the Kirishima Clan, he would naturally have spoken politely. But Kirishima Shinya wasn't the head of the clan—he was only one of its Jonin. Even if he was the leading heir to the position, until he actually took over, the mere status of heir wasn't enough to make Terumi mind his tone.
Kirishima Shinya didn't answer. He once again surveyed everyone in the tent, making sure no unimportant outsiders had slipped in, then smiled and said, "I had someone bring the Shark Gourd Jar here!"
"What?"
Across from him, Clan Head Terumi sprang to his feet and glared at Kirishima Shinya. "Kirishima Shinya, have you lost your mind?"
Karatachi Yagura frowned as well.
The Shark Gourd Jar was a special ninja tool owned by the Kirishima Clan. It was said to have been forged hundreds of years ago by a powerful member of the Uzumaki Clan, and could be used to seal a Tailed Beast.
The Three-Tails, one of the two Tailed Beasts currently held by Kirigakure, was sealed inside the Shark Gourd Jar.
In theory, the village should have been in charge of such an item. But every household had its own troubles. Konoha had the Uchiha Clan, a ticking time bomb, and Kirigakure had its own problems too.
Kirigakure simply had too many powerful, influential clans.
The Kirishima Clan had inherited the Kekkei Genkai Boil Release, and its strength was immense. Worse still, the First had come from the Kirishima Clan. In a sense, the Kirishima Clan had founded Kirigakure, and wielded unparalleled influence within the village.
The Shark Gourd Jar had always belonged to the Kirishima Clan. Though successive Mizukage had coveted the powerful tool and felt it should be under the village's control, neither the Second nor the Third had been able to bring themselves to demand it—not to mention Karatachi Yagura, the newly appointed Fourth Mizukage.
"I haven't lost my mind. I'm perfectly clearheaded. Orochimaru has made the defensive line in front of us as impregnable as an iron fortress. But if Konoha is attacked by a Tailed Beast, do you think the line blocking our way will remain so unbreakable?"
Kirishima Shinya grinned, his smile savage.
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