The Land of Hot Water at the Eye of the Storm!

The Land of Lightning!

A four-person squad leaped through the mountains toward the Land of Hot Water.

"Teacher B, what's the mission this time?"

A young girl with a Ninja Blade strapped to her back, red hair, brown eyes, and dark skin asked the figure leading the way.

The man had similarly dark skin, pale yellow hair, black sunglasses and a scarf. A red shimenawa rope was wrapped around his waist, and he carried seven Ninja Blades. He turned in midair, leaping backward as he waved both hands and sang:

"This great guy's invincible, gonna take down the Uchiha, yeah!"

Even leaping backward, he was faster than the three squad members behind him.

He was Killer B!

Not only was he the "B" in Kumogakure's "AB" duo, but he was also the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki. He was already at Kage Level, and his Jinchuriki status made him a powerful Kage-level fighter. On a large battlefield in particular, he was a strategic weapon.

He had received a special mission, which was why he had secretly set out with his three students.

"The target is the Uchiha?"

A tall, beautiful kunoichi with "ambitious curves," blond hair, and green eyes spoke up. She had clearly understood what Killer B was saying.

The stunning woman with the striking figure was Samui, an elite jonin and leader of Team Samui. The dark-skinned girl with red hair and brown eyes was Karui, while the last member of the squad, a dark-skinned boy with a lazy air, was Omoi.

Team Samui's three members were not only Killer B's students, but also Kumogakure's promising young shinobi.

There was just one odd thing about this squad.

Their skin and looks!

Killer B, Karui, and Omoi all had dark skin, while Samui's skin was not only as white as snow but also exceptionally delicate. She looked like she belonged in an entirely different picture.

"Yeah, complete the mission and make a name for ourselves in the Shinobi World, yo! Eight-tailed bastard!"

Killer B pointed both hands at Samui, signaling that she was right.

The information for this mission had arrived through a secret channel. They only knew it had come from Konoha, but couldn't be sure it wasn't a trap. That was why they had sent Killer B with three of his students.

With the Raikage unable to move freely, a powerful Kage-level fighter, one jonin, and two chunin made up the strongest team they could deploy.

The Cloud Ninja believed no trap could take down a team like that.

So neither Killer B nor Team Samui was particularly worried.

Meanwhile, another figure with long black hair and Tomoe-shaped earrings was hurrying toward the Land of Hot Water from the Land of Fields.

The Land of Hot Water had become the eye of the storm.

As for the storm's core, it would also arrive at the Land of Hot Water's border a few days later.

Nearly a week had passed!

It had taken the caravan that long to reach the Land of Hot Water.

They were moving fast enough to cover several hundred kilometers a day. A normal merchant caravan would have taken at least a month to make the round trip.

The technology of the Shinobi World was truly something else.

The truth was, Konoha wasn't that far from the Land of Hot Water. But they had needed to "clear" the trade route along the way, which had wasted some time.

They had fought their way here!

Every bandit they encountered along the road had ended up dead.

As for the lords who charged excessive taxes, White Dove paid them a "visit."

He wasn't willing to flip the table just yet, so he couldn't kill them all. But there was no problem using the Uchiha's "fearsome reputation" to threaten them.

In the past, the Uchiha couldn't leave the village, so people could afford to ignore them. But now that they could venture beyond Konoha, anyone who still refused to show them respect might find themselves taught a lesson.

What about rival merchant companies?

He hadn't touched them.

After all, it was better not to let business competition turn violent. If they played that game, unless they controlled Konoha—the Land of Fire's largest force—they would only provoke people they couldn't afford to offend. Those rivals could simply avoid them and work together to squeeze One Heart Chamber of Commerce out of the market.

He had refrained from acting as long as those merchant companies knew their place. The slaughter of the bandits this time was a warning.

After this "warning," the business environment for One Heart Chamber of Commerce would improve immeasurably.

Now that White Dove had the Uchiha under his control, anyone who dared to be difficult would have a pair of "red eyes" show up at their door to "check their water meter." No one could withstand that.

White Dove had taken control of the Uchiha because he needed their strength to protect his business.

No matter how strong he was personally, he was still just one man, and he couldn't follow the caravan every day. That made the Uchiha the best protectors. Their usefulness alone made the money he invested in them worthwhile.

As long as he could build up One Heart Chamber of Commerce, the money the Uchiha needed was no concern.

After crossing the border into the Land of Hot Water,

"We'll split up here!"

White Dove gave his instructions to the caravan and the two Uchiha squads.

His mission this time was to eliminate an intelligence outpost, not escort the caravan. He had taken on that personal mission to lure out his target, so of course they would split up now.

"Yes, Lord White Dove!" N

The caravan and the two Uchiha squads answered together.

With two Uchiha squads protecting them, there was no need to worry about the caravan running into trouble.

Two jonin and four chunin made a strong team. Unless one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages got involved, they wouldn't run into any trouble.

White Dove took Tekka, Inabi, and Izumi with him, and followed Kakashi's directions to the Cloud Ninja intelligence outpost.

The week on the road had been little more than a chance to relax between missions. Now the real work began.

Without the caravan slowing them down, their speed as shinobi increased by more than a single level.

In just over an hour, they reached the Cloud Ninja intelligence outpost on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water.

It was a small valley surrounded by woods.

"Lord White Dove, the intelligence outpost is over there!"

Kakashi pointed toward the distant valley and reported to White Dove and the others behind him.

"Thanks for the trouble, Kakashi."

White Dove's tone was gentle.

"It's an Anbu's duty."

Kakashi's reply held not a trace of emotion.

He was still sunk in despair and dejection, with no sign of life in him. He was truly the "scarecrow" Kakashi.

"But it's time to finish your other mission, too."

A teasing note entered White Dove's voice.

Now that Kakashi's "guide" assignment was complete, it was his turn to make his move.

He had made sure Kakashi inhaled a special hallucinogenic pollen along the way.

Jixi Pollen!

It was the same auxiliary powder White Dove had used against Danzo. Anyone who had tried it swore by it.

"You..."

Kakashi was an elite jonin who had earned the name "Copy Ninja" in the Shinobi World. That alone spoke volumes about his strength.

He was also the kind of fighter who grew stronger against stronger opponents.

He could fight Zabuza, a mediocre elite jonin, for hundreds of rounds. He could even fight the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Obito, for hundreds of rounds. So White Dove didn't confront him head-on. He went straight for a sneak attack.

"Sharingan!"

White Dove's eyes abruptly turned blood-red, and then his pupils transformed into patterns like Shuriken.

Mangekyo!

White Dove wasn't stupid enough to face Kakashi with ninjutsu and Taijutsu. That would only give his opponent a chance to turn the tables. So he used the Mangekyo right away.

Back in Golden Deer Town, he had only made Kakashi unconsciously alter a few fragments of his memories. This time, he had more to do, so he needed to use the Mangekyo.

Caught off guard by the genjutsu White Dove had carefully prepared, Kakashi fell under its spell without the slightest resistance.

White Dove began weaving his memories.

Kakashi would remember only that they encountered a powerful enemy after arriving at the intelligence outpost, and that everything went black before he collapsed.

White Dove and the others could make up whatever they wanted about what happened afterward.

The higher-ups wouldn't investigate too closely anyway, so the genjutsu didn't need to be airtight or flawless.

A few minutes later,

"All right. Take him away for the surgery!"

White Dove deactivated his Mangekyo, rubbed his eyes, and wiped away a streak of blood.

It hurt. It hurt so much!

His eyes felt as if they were being sliced apart by countless blades.

White Dove hadn't suddenly become powerful overnight. He had already been close to Kage Level, and his Taijutsu was no weak point.

Even so, using the Mangekyo placed an enormous strain on him.

The squad carried the unconscious Kakashi to a flat cave several kilometers away and stopped there.

Whoosh!

Izumi quickly unfolded a portable operating table.

Tekka and Inabi took out the disinfectant and nutrient solution they had prepared in advance.

That was right. Next came the "eye transplant."