The smoke from the bloody battle in the Shattered Rock Zone had yet to fully clear from the battlefield, but the shock it caused had already spread like a massive stone thrown into a still lake, sending ever-widening ripples through the turbulent waters of the shinobi world.
Naturally, Konohagakure was the first to receive the battle report.
The brief report, carrying a faint trace of salty sea air and delivered by a hawk through encrypted channels, was solemnly placed on Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk by an ANBU member.
The Hokage, still in his prime and widely known as the "Ninjutsu Professor," had been working through the heavy burden of daily paperwork with a pipe between his lips.
At first, he paid it little mind. Small clashes on the eastern front were commonplace.
But when he unrolled the scroll and read its concise yet weighty words, his fingers paused around his pipe. A flicker of unmistakable astonishment crossed his deep eyes before giving way to profound satisfaction.
The report stated clearly: Hatake Sakumo's squad had encountered a carefully prepared ambush in the Shattered Rock Zone on the eastern coast, laid by Raiga Kurosuki and Munashi Jinpachi of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, five ninja blade candidates under their command, and five jonin-a total of twelve enemies.
After fierce fighting, our forces achieved the following results at the cost of serious injuries to three genin: four ninja blade candidates and five Kirigakure jonin killed in battle; Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist official member Munashi Jinpachi critically wounded (near death, rescued by a companion who risked his life), one candidate severely wounded (even if saved, likely to suffer a decline in combat strength); Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist official member Raiga Kurosuki driven off (minor injuries).
During the