The Hidden Mist Village's Situation

Upon hearing Teyano Hisashi's words that Hayakumo Sōma nodded directly and said with a look of satisfaction, "The fact that you still remember these things means your theory is sound."

Then, Hayakumo Sōma changed the subject, saying with a serious expression, "That old beast Shimura Danzō, when he was the leader of Root, he kidnapped children all over Konoha, then sent them to the Root Base to fight among themselves. Out of a hundred children, only ten would survive to the end, and only those who survived could eventually become Root ninjas. This is the so-called Bloody Mist Village Plan."

Upon hearing these words, all the border ninjas' faces darkened, and they said angrily, "If it weren't for Hiruzen Sarutobi Shimura Danzō, Konoha would have risen up long ago!"

Teyano Hisashi was also filled with rage, gritting his teeth as he cursed, "Damn Hiruzen Sarutobi, damn Shimura Danzō are wiped out, it won't quell the hatred in my heart!"

After saying that, Teyano Hisashi on the table, and another loud thud echoed through the wooden room.

Hayakumo Sōma, and her disgust for Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi was genuine.

Hayakumo Sōma, saying, "Danzo's Bloody Mist Village Plan was copied from the Hidden Mist Village ninjas. Therefore, the enemy we will face is the Kirigakure Ninjas, who have no emotions whatsoever. Like the Root ninjas, they are not afraid of death or sacrifice; they only know how to complete missions and are simply killing machines."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression darkened, and they began to discuss among themselves, "Are these Kirigakure Ninjas the same as the Root ninjas? That's terrifying! They're just emotionless machines!"

Teyano Hisashi was also shocked and worried. He said, "So our enemies are all machines like this? Can we hold out until the Fifth Hokage arrives?"

Then Teyano Hisashi's face filled with fear again, and he kept thinking to himself, "If I die here, I'll never be able to return to Konoha. I haven't become Elite Jonin yet, and I don't want to die here."

All the border ninjas couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Knowing they were about to fight against the killing machines of the Hidden Mist Village, they felt a chill run down their spines, unsure of the strength of the enemy they faced, or just how many Hidden Mist ninjas had actually deployed.

Seeing his men growing fearful and terrified of the Hidden Mist Village ninjas, Hayakumo Sōma quickly called out, "Don't be afraid, everyone. The Fifth Hokage has sent a lot of ninja tools. If we still can't win, we can retreat a bit and set up Explosive Tag traps as we go."

Hayakumo Sōma took another deep breath and shouted solemnly, "Even if we unfortunately sacrifice ourselves, the Fifth Hokage will avenge us. Those Hidden Mist Village ninjas will be wiped out by the Hokage, and we will be honored as martyrs. Your families will enjoy a high quality of life and can learn many Ninjutsu in the future. If we don't sacrifice ourselves, the Fifth Hokage will give us an S-rank Mission reward, which will allow us to learn another advanced Ninjutsu."

Hayakumo Sōma shared the information about Hidden Mist Village earlier that morning to make the team members take it seriously and understand what kind of enemy they were fighting. It wasn't meant to undermine their morale; rather, it was to boost their spirits.

Upon hearing these words, all the border ninjas' expressions visibly improved. They recalled the Fifth Hokage's reforms, which involved sweeping improvements to village ninjas, giving them opportunities to learn advanced Ninjutsu, and even allowing them to learn A-rank Ninjutsu if they completed an S-rank Mission.

Teyano Hisashi said with a serious expression, "When I return to Konoha, I will definitely learn advanced Ninjutsu so that I can eliminate all of Konoha's enemies in the future."

Seeing that his words had had an effect, Hayakumo Sōma said earnestly, "Fellow border ninjas, let's have dinner together. After we've eaten, we'll set up Explosive Tag traps and continue patrolling tonight. We will not allow those Kirigakure Ninjas to enter the Land of Fire."

Teyano Hisashi and the other border ninjas shouted, "Understood, Captain Hayashi! We can definitely hold on! Once the Fifth Hokage arrives, it will be our turn to counterattack the Hidden Mist Village ninjas!"

Immediately, a large group of border ninjas followed Hayakumo Sōma out of the wooden hut and headed towards another hut to replenish their strength for the upcoming battle.

On the turbulent sea, a dozen giant ships rocked and swayed on the surface. A strong sea wind whipped at their sails, propelling the massive vessels forward at breakneck speed. The decks of these ships were densely packed with ninjas.

These ships were heading towards the coastline of the Land of Fire. The Kirigakure Ninja board all had indifferent expressions. Even with the swaying of the ships, they moved as if on flat ground, and not a single one of them seemed seasick.

Inside the hold of a giant ship, many voices were discussing something, among which a beautiful voice stood out the most.

Terumi Mei shouted with a serious expression, "Ao, Mangetsu, I think Yagura has gone mad, which is why he issued such an order, letting that fat guy lead the team to invade the Land of Fire. Although Konoha has experienced a coup, it is not necessarily weaker than us."

Looking at the dissatisfied Terumi Mei, Qing said softly, "There's nothing I can do. This is Genji's request. He wants us to cooperate with the Fourth Mizukage for the time being. I suspect that Yagura is under Genjutsu, but with the protection of the Anbu ninjas, I don't dare to use my Byakugan to check him. I just hope that Konoha will back down and agree to our request."

Upon hearing this, Hozuki Mangetsu said very seriously, "This time, with Captain Suikazan Fuguki leading the team and a Jinchuriki accompanying them, defeating Konoha shouldn't be difficult. They just experienced a coup and recently the Nine-Tails Attack out, so their overall strength has definitely decreased a lot. As long as we take a firm stance and make them hand over the murderer who killed the Third Mizukage, and compensate our Hidden Mist Village with a piece of land, that demand shouldn't be difficult."