One Person Is Enough

The Water Country, forty-seven miles northwest of Kirigakure.

The underground fortress, codenamed "Blood Tide," is located 60 meters below sea level.

This military fortress, which has been excavated since the time of the Fourth Mizukage, has hundreds of oil lamps embedded in its rock walls, their flickering flames casting a dark red glow on the water stains on the dome.

The air was thick with the smell of rust and alcohol. More than three hundred missing-nin crammed into the central hall, Ninja Blade on the table, smashing wine bowls on the ground, and shouting battle cries that shook the dome to dust.

"Tomorrow!"

In the central seat, an old man with a face full of scars suddenly smashed the stone table in front of him.

Pebbles flew everywhere, one of which pierced the cheek of the person next to him. The person covered his face but dared not utter a sound.

Kazo – Captain of the third assassination squad from the old Blood Mist Era, an A-rank missing-nin.

"That bitch Terumi Mei served as Mizukage for three years, and look what she's done to Kirigakure!"

He picked up a jar of wine and took a swig, the murky liquid trickling down his chin and into his collar. "They've banned the killing trials, and they've even docked so much of our bounty—she's trying to kill us!"

The surrounding missing-nin echoed in unison, their blades slamming against the stone table in a rhythmic beat like war drums.

Deep within the hall, on six high-backed stone chairs, five other leaders each occupied a corner.

Some people closed their eyes to rest, some wiped their Ninja Blade, and some stared at the map of Kirigakure on the table, scratching deep marks on the location of the Mizukage Building with their fingernails.

"Everyone, assemble before dawn."

Gikazo his wine bowl, "Break into the Mizukage Building and slaughter all her men--"

He hadn't finished speaking.

All the oil lamps flickered at the same time.

It's not the wind.

It's a vibration.

From the direction of the fortress entrance, through a 300-meter-long passageway, past two iron gates, and through four layers of rock walls—the vibrations were palpable.

The hall was silent for half a second.

Then the second one came.

"Boom--!!"

The fortress gate, cast in fine steel, along with its three-ton bolt and hinges embedded in the rock walls on either side, looked as if it had been struck by an invisible giant hand.

The door flew off.

It wasn't knocked away.

The entire door detached from the frame, carrying the rubble on both sides, and flew horizontally out along the central axis of the hall.

More than three hundred people watched as the iron gate swept overhead.

Some people didn't have time to lie down.

The iron gate flew past the crowd and crashed into the rock wall at the deepest part of the hall, turning six missing-nin standing in the back row into a bloody pulp.

Gravel fell, smoke and dust rose, and the blast extinguished a third of the oil lamp.

Inside the hall, cries, curses, and the sound of swords being drawn created a chaotic scene.

Then—a person emerged from the smoke and dust.

Her golden hair stood out starkly in the dim light.

His left hand was in his pocket, and his right hand held a broken missing-nin sword that he had picked up from the ground. The tip of the sword dragged on the ground, making a grating metallic scraping sound.

Twelve years old.

He's about 1.8 meters tall.

Blue eyes swept across the hall, as if taking inventory of goods on a shelf.

"Which one is called Gikazo?"

The sound wasn't loud, but the entire hall fell silent.

More than three hundred pairs of eyes were fixed on the blond boy at the entrance.

Some people's hands were trembling, while others had already formed hand seals, Water Release Chakra gathering in their palms.

Gikazo stood up from the stone chair, his scarred face contorted in pain: "Where did this brat come from—"

I'm asking you a question.

Naruto interrupted him.

With a flick of his right hand, the broken sword flew out of his grasp.

No one could see the trajectory clearly.

There was a muffled thud—the broken sword pierced the back of the stone chair behind Gikazo, the blade sinking three inches into the stone.

The tip of the knife was less than two fingers' width from the back of Gikazo.

The second half of Gikazo in his throat.

The two guards behind him collapsed to the ground, their crotches soaked.

"Oh, I found it."

Naruto twisted his neck, and his cervical spine made a crisp cracking sound.

"I heard you guys are going to smash up the Mizukage Building tomorrow?"

He strode forward, his shoes crunching over the pebbles and bloodstains on the ground, his steps leisurely as if he were strolling through the streets.

"You've got some nerve."

The more than three hundred missing-nin finally realized what was happening.

Kill him!!!

Gikazo roared as he retreated.

Crowds surged.

The thirty-odd missing-nin in the first row simultaneously Hand Seals.

"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Water Release: Great Waterfall!"

A massive torrent of water converged from more than thirty directions, forming a colossal wave of hundreds of tons of water in the center of the hall. With an impact force powerful enough to tear rocks apart, it crashed down on Naruto.

Naruto stopped in his tracks.

I looked up and glanced at the wall of water above me.

"Is that all you've got?"

He lifted his right foot.

Step on it.

"Bang--!!!"

The floor of the hall exploded from the ground beneath his feet.

The shockwave spread outwards at a visible speed, causing stone slabs to fly and the air to be compressed into white, ring-shaped ripples.

The wall of water overhead shattered the moment the shockwave arrived.

It wasn't bounced away.

It's a breakdown at the water molecule level.

Hundreds of tons of water instantly transformed into a fine mist that evenly sprinkled throughout the entire hall.

It was like a rain shower.

More than 300 missing-nin were thrown to the ground by the shockwave. Some crashed into rock walls, some were pinned down by their comrades, and some broke three or four ribs the moment they hit the ground.

Naruto stood still.

A layer of water mist covered her body, and her golden hair was wet and stuck to her forehead.

He swept his wet hair back, revealing three fox-whisker-like lines on his forehead.

The blue eyes shone frighteningly bright through the mist.

Three hundred and ninety-two.

He gave a number, and a smile crept onto his face.

"Six of the stronger ones, forty-seven of the average ones, and the rest are just small fry."

Gikazo scrambled to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You... what kind of monster are you—"

"From Hidden Leaf."

Naruto pulled his left hand out of his pocket and flexed his wrist.

"I am the husband of your Mizukage."

There was a three-second silence when those words were spoken.

Then Gikazo's face contorted.

Fear overwhelmed by rage, he whirled around to the leaders seated on the five stone chairs behind him. "What are you all standing there for?! Let's all attack together!!"

Five figures sprang up from the stone chair.

Six streams of Chakra, Jonin level, erupted simultaneously, extinguishing all the remaining oil lamps in the hall.

In the darkness, only six pairs of eyes gleaming with murderous intent remained, and--

A pair of azure blue ones.

Naruto smiled.

The teeth were dazzlingly white in the darkness.

"Come on!"

He clenched his right fist, and his knuckles made a series of cracking sounds.

Something in the air was heating up—it was the scorching golden light emanating from beneath his skin.

"Let me show you something!"

"Look what Uzumaki is."

Outside the lobby.

Three hundred meters away, behind a dead pine tree.

Terumi Mei, wrapped in a dark red battle robe, crouched behind a tree trunk.

Its emerald green eyes were fixed on the fortress entrance that had been blasted open on the ground.

The ground is shaking.

One time.

Another one.

The muffled thud coming from deep underground sounded like some giant beast turning over.

Her hand was pressed against the ground, and she could feel the tiny pebbles in the soil bouncing with each shockwave.

Genji squatted behind her, his old face full of complicated expressions. "Lord Mizukage... why don't you go back first--"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Terumi Mei's voice was very soft.

She stared at the entrance.

Another loud bang came from underground, louder than the previous ones.

A crack appeared in the ground, and hot air rushed out from the crack.

Terumi Mei's breathing quickened.

--This guy... he really went in all by himself.

--Four hundred people.

Six Jonin.

--one person.

She bit her lower lip, her emerald green eyes swirling with something she couldn't even explain herself.

It's worry.

Still—looking forward to it.