Chains Linking Ships, A Clash of Mental Power

At this moment, three hundred medium-sized fishing boats had been fully refitted into three hundred warships.

Uzumaki Shori gazed upon the assembled forces.

"Assembly complete! Board the ships, set sail!"

The Uzushio Ninja of the Land of Whirlpools lined up in perfect order to board the warships.

Riding the wind and breaking the waves, they hoisted their sails and set off!

As the Second Uzukage, Uzumaki Shori led the Uzushio Ninja into battle.

Elder Keimei and the various squad leaders headed toward their respective vessels.

There was one warship noticeably larger than the rest, which housed the command center for the entire fleet.

Only Tsunade remained gathered by Uzumaki Shori's side.

Uzumaki Shori instructed the communication ninja to issue the orders.

"Look at the war map model; the war must absolutely not extend to the mainland of the Land of Whirlpools."

"Fighting Kirigakure on the open sea is also disadvantageous for us."

"There are two small islands located between our positions. Father, you lead everyone to deploy there first. Deploy eight hundred of the twelve hundred rocket launchers across the two islands."

"I will lead the warships from two different directions in two waves, firing four hundred rockets to inflict casualties on their ninja and damage their hulls."

"This area lies right between the two sides; the maritime terrain is complex and the region is vast."

"Without supplies, they cannot reach the Land of Water or the Land of Whirlpools, so we can force them to head to the small islands to regroup."

Having pondered these tactics for three days, he felt a slight heaviness in his heart now that the arrangements were set.

He took a deep breath, left the command center, and observed the sea conditions from the deck.

Tsunade walked up beside Uzumaki Shori and spoke.

"I will also join you in executing the raid mission; with me there, I can protect your safety."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the calm sea began to change.

Waves surged upward, causing the warships to tilt at a sixty-degree angle.

The once-placid sea had changed in an instant; these warships, converted from medium-sized fishing boats, were still struggling to withstand the onslaught of the ocean.

He grabbed Tsunade's hand and ran back to the command center.

They were still half a day's journey from their destination.

"Pass the order down: use chains to secure every ship to make them more stable and resist the waves."

The communication ninja responded immediately, forming hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Telepathic Communication Technique."

This method was a simulation of the Mind Transfer Technique, used solely for communication.

Elder Keimei received the order and immediately rushed to the deck, watching as the three hundred ships drew closer together, picking up chains to link them.

Just as the connections were made, a massive wave swept toward them.

With the chains linking all three hundred warships, the entire fleet tilted in unison.

Uzumaki Shori sensed danger; he let go of Tsunade and told her not to go out, then hurried to the deck and formed hand seals.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"

Chakra gathered in his throat before he expelled a massive curtain of water to hold back the wave.

The two forces canceled each other out, and the waves gradually subsided.

The Uzushio Ninja watched the Second Uzukage with adoration.

Jiraiya wiped away a cold sweat.

"Orochimaru, this is an unlucky start. We almost had to swim back before we even began the fight."

Uzumaki Shori recovered his chakra, having broken into a cold sweat himself.

He turned to find Tsunade looking at him with concern.

He waved his hand to signal that he was fine.

The warships had nearly been overturned by the waves, and the recoil from the rocket launchers also needed to be addressed.

He turned and ordered the communication ninja to pass the word down.

"The connecting chains do not need to be undone. Divide them into three parts; one will follow me, and the other two will head to the two small islands respectively."

"Uzumaki Shori, come take a look."

Tsunade pointed toward the two small islands ahead.

Uzumaki Shori took a deep breath and relayed the orders.

"Sensory ninjas, activate the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and keep a constant watch for large Kirigakure warships. The other two teams are to proceed to their designated locations."

"Tsunade, are you really coming with me? There is no telling what kind of danger we might encounter."

"Don't you worry. If we run into danger, I can still save your life. Grandma Mito taught me the 'Reverse Summoning Technique'; it's a great way to protect myself when things get dangerous."

Tsunade rolled her eyes at Uzumaki Shori and spoke to him.

The sensory ninjas squeezed their eyes shut, their mental energy tethered to their sensory chakra, allowing them to monitor targets within a radius of several dozen kilometers.

Suddenly, ten black specks began to grow larger.

The ten large warships of Kirigakure had appeared.

Suddenly, a mouthful of blood sprayed from a ninja's mouth.

Seeing this, Uzumaki Shori hurried forward.

"Lord Uzukage, the enemy is thirty kilometers away. I tried to scout the interior of the ships, but I was discovered by an expert on their side. Now, I can only observe the movement of the ships from the periphery."

"The enemy has discovered us; we need to change tactics. Communication ninja!"

"Our chains are to be detached and dispersed to the designated locations. Focus both rocket launchers on a single ship."

"After the recoil from the rocket launchers, abandon the warship and head to another."

"Sensory ninjas, continue to track them. Wait at the ten-kilometer mark for my command."

"I must find out exactly what kind of experts they have."

"Tsunade, stay on guard. I am going to test my strength against their expert."

With that, Uzumaki Shori sat cross-legged on the ground, activated Body Control, concentrated his chakra, and formed hand seals.

"Sensory Ninjutsu: Mind's Eye of the Kagura."

His mental energy, attached to his sensory chakra, flew out to the thirty-kilometer mark.

He locked onto his targets; the ten large Kirigakure warships appeared before him.

Taking a deep breath, he dove in to probe.

His mental chakra wove between the hulls of the ships.

The Mizukage sensed another surge of mental chakra intruding.

He closed his eyes and focused.

His own mental chakra surged out from his body.

The two forces clashed and entangled.

The Mizukage's mental chakra was more aggressive, launching an assault laced with genjutsu.

Uzumaki Shori, however, was there to gather intelligence, so he avoided a direct fight, parrying the Mizukage's genjutsu attacks.

He activated Body Control, dampening his sense of smell and hearing while amplifying his perception and chakra control.

He darted around, gathering information.

As his Body Control deepened, his control over his mental chakra grew stronger. He condensed it into a solid form and slammed it into the Mizukage's mental chakra.

He then retreated rapidly.

Inside the warship, the Mizukage's eyes snapped open.

The pain from the collision with the opponent's mental chakra only made his signature mustache twitch with a grin; his entire being was ignited with excitement.

"A sensory ninja just infiltrated the warship. To think the Land of Whirlpools would actually take the initiative to attack."

Suikazan Fuguki did not dare to look the Mizukage in the eye.

"Lord Mizukage, please grant me the great blade Samehada. I will act as the vanguard to test the enemy's strength. I will leave the strong ones for you to handle."

"Don't even think about Samehada. I will be the one to use it to deal with those people from the Land of Whirlpools."

Hozuki Gensei was shrewd; the Uzumaki Clan was famous for their massive chakra reserves, and Samehada held a significant advantage against them.

He gritted his teeth as he spoke.

He hadn't forgotten the ambush from last time.

He hoped they would die at the hands of the Uzumaki Clan.

Suikazan Fuguki had no choice but to seek help from the Mizukage.

Hozuki Gengetsu had no interest in such matters at all.

He waved his hand, dismissing the request.

"Sensory ninjas, find me the Uzushio Ninjas of the Land of Whirlpools."

The mental chakra returned to the command room, and Uzumaki Shori deactivated his Body Control, his bodily functions returning to normal.

Uzumaki Shori smiled at Tsunade and said:

"The personnel in Kirigakure are exactly as our intelligence reports suggested."

"Our chances of victory have increased a little more."