The Curtain Rises

"Hey, Raiga Kurosuki, have you heard? We're carrying out a secret mission tonight."

Suikazan Fuguki, who had just been urgently recalled from his leave, was chatting idly with his companion, feeling a bit puzzled.

"I just received the message, same as you. But since the order came directly from the Mizukage himself, we just have to follow it." Ever since returning from the Land of Rain two months ago, Raiga Kurosuki had grown increasingly accustomed to the comfortable life in Kirigakure.

It wasn't that the environment in Kirigakure was particularly harmonious, but given Raiga Kurosuki's strength and status within the village, he could have lived a carefree life forever.

The baffled Suikazan Fuguki turned his attention to another companion.

"What about you? Biwa Juzo, I hear the Fourth Mizukage thinks highly of you. Do you have any new information?"

Not to mention the other two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen Trio, even Biwa Juzo himself had noticed that the Mizukage's attitude toward him had changed recently; his words were filled with hints of trying to win him over.

But as an elite member of the Kirigakure Anbu, wasn't Biwa Juzo already part of the Mizukage's direct forces?

"Don't talk nonsense. The Mizukage treats everyone equally. I only heard that a new Mizukage Advisor has appeared by his side..."

Biwa Juzo stopped mid-sentence, as the Fourth Mizukage and that very advisor were standing not far in front of them.

"Are all personnel in position?"

Not far from the Kaguya Clan compound, the Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura and the masked Shimura Danzō were inspecting the assembled troops.

"Reporting to the Mizukage and the Advisor, our regular troops have sealed off all streets within a five-hundred-meter radius; no one is allowed to approach. To avoid any complications, the main force for this operation consists entirely of our Kirigakure Anbu members, ensuring that no information leaks during the execution of the mission."

As the Anbu captain, Karatachi Suirō was reporting the progress to the two power brokers of Kirigakure.

In Kirigakure, almost all high-ranking officials knew that the Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, had brought in a mysterious person claiming to be Uchiha Madara to serve as his advisor.

Everyone held a skeptical attitude toward the sudden appearance of a legendary figure who should have been dead for over forty years.

However, this "Uchiha Madara" possessed Kage-level strength, and combined with that pair of Sharingan, aside from the Fourth Mizukage and Three-Tails Jinchūriki Karatachi Yagura, almost no one dared to claim they could defeat "Uchiha Madara" in a one-on-one duel.

Unfortunately, it just so happened that Karatachi Yagura was also on "Uchiha Madara's" side.

And so, everyone very tactfully accepted this fact.

"Then let us begin," Karatachi Yagura said, shifting his gaze to the trio of Biwa Juzo.

"This operation will be led by the three of you."

Only at this moment did the three members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen Trio realize that the secret mission tonight was actually to assault the Kaguya Clan compound.

Even the Anbu members only knew there was an important mission tonight and had been fully mobilized.

But they had never imagined it would be such a specialized task.

As a clan that had existed since the founding of Kirigakure, the Kaguya Clan had once made outstanding contributions to the village.

On the battlefield, relying on their superior physical talents and fearless fighting spirit, the Kaguya Clan were the most reliable allies, often becoming a nightmare for their enemies.

Yet outside the battlefield, the Kaguya Clan's impulsive and manic personalities were often despised by everyone; no one wanted their allies to be a group of political idiots who only knew how to fight, inviting unnecessary trouble for no reason.

One had to know that the hidden daggers of politics were often more lethal than those on the battlefield.

In this regard, the awkward situation of the Kaguya Clan in Kirigakure was remarkably similar to that of the Uchiha Clan in Konoha.

"Even so, putting the Kaguya Clan on the battlefield where they excel is one thing, but why exterminate them?" This was the common thought among the Anbu members present.

This was also the question in Shisui's heart before he died in his previous life.

However, doubts remained doubts; no one was foolish enough to voice this thought to their faces.

Offending both the Mizukage and the Mizukage Advisor at the same time—how would that make them any different from the Kaguya Clan?

"Yes, Mizukage-sama." The Seven Ninja Swordsmen Trio quickly accepted the mission.

"The first squad follows me, the second and third squads follow Biwa Juzo and Raiga Kurosuki, and the fourth and fifth squads will disperse after entering the Kaguya compound to provide support." As the member with the highest seniority and longest service among the trio, Suikazan Fuguki had the authority to issue orders when the Anbu captain, Karatachi Suirō, remained silent.

"Move out." Under the command of Suikazan Fuguki, the Kirigakure Anbu members charged toward the Kaguya Clan compound.

"You stay here and guard against any other factions coming to cause trouble. I will follow them inside to ensure the mission ordered by the master is completed." After the others left, Danzō instructed Karatachi Yagura.

Under Shisui's arrangement, the illusion-controlled Karatachi Yagura could also obey Shimura Danzō's commands.

As for Danzō himself, he indeed had more important matters to attend to.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" Although the Kaguya Clan's political intuition was nearly zero, their combat awareness was truly impeccable.

While Suikazan Fuguki was still a hundred meters away from the Kaguya compound, the clan's outer sentries discovered their movements and immediately sounded the alarm.

"Quick, don't stop, keep up." Although the plan to catch the Kaguya Clan off guard had failed, Suikazan Fuguki's rich combat experience proved useful at this moment. As the commander, Suikazan Fuguki did not panic, instead leading the Anbu to continue their approach.

"Suikazan Fuguki, Biwa Juzo, and Raiga Kurosuki, what is the meaning of this?" The Kaguya guards who arrived upon hearing the alarm shouted angrily after seeing the identities of the intruders.

"Ignore them, we are close enough, prepare the first wave of ninjutsu," Suikazan Fuguki commanded.

Unlike small-scale duels, in large-scale ninja troop operations like this, individual strength often did not play an absolute role; team coordination and a good combat rhythm were the main themes of large-scale warfare. At this moment, Suikazan Fuguki's rich combat and command experience came into play.

"Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave." Suikazan Fuguki, charging at the front, started with a large-scale Water Style ninjutsu. The waves, crashing like a violent tsunami, instantly submerged the outer walls and defensive fortifications of the Kaguya compound, while also creating favorable conditions for the subsequent troops to unleash their own Water Style ninjutsu.