Seagulls soared in the sky, and an eagle cast a fleeting shadow as it flew across the sea.
The ship creaked as it approached the beach. Crabs scurried, leaving a trail of tiny footprints in the sand, hurriedly retreating into the nearby hibiscus bushes.
A boot stepped from the deck onto the beach.
Followed by more boots, perfectly synchronized.
By the time Tsunade led the Konoha forces to land in the Land of Waves officially, the two figures that Neji had identified as Kirigakure “scouts” had vanished.
All that remained was an irregular, seaweed-covered greenish-brown rock with bold red writing:
“Beyond this marker, abandon hope of survival!”
“Hah, that’s amusing. It’s Kirigakure planning to invade Konoha, but this makes it look like the Land of Waves is their territory, and we’re the invaders,” Special Jonin Genma Shiranui remarked, chewing on a blade of grass with a hint of sea breeze, tracing the fresh inscription on the stone with a cold smile.
“It’s indeed strange; it doesn’t sound like Kirigakure’s style,” Special Jonin Raido Namiashi noted, finding the warning peculiar. Kirigakure was far to the southeast, so why would they inscribe such a territorial warning here in the Land of Waves?
—Hmm?
Wait a second.
Feeling something off, Raido turned his gaze to a group of shirtless local fishermen who had stopped mending their nets and were staring dumbfounded at the Konoha ninjas disembarking from the ship.
Raido realized.
It had to be the local residents of the Land of Waves who left this message.
“What are you looking at?” Genma followed Raido’s gaze and frowned. “Are those people a problem?”
“No, just that we’re not exactly welcomed here,” Raido hesitated, not revealing his suspicion that the stone carving might be from the locals.
Regardless, this was a poor, insignificant country caught between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, with only fifty thousand residents and not a single ninja. It was unfortunate enough to be chosen as the battleground between Konoha and Kirigakure.
If other Konoha ninjas learned that some locals harbored hostility towards them and left a provocative message, any restraint some might have felt to spare innocent lives would likely vanish.
Someone in this small country sensed the impending disaster, hoping to scare them off with this warning.
But they clearly didn’t understand that in this world of the strong preying on the weak, showing defiance only invites harsher retribution.
Raido chose to leave the stone untouched. Some bitter lessons had to be learned firsthand.
As more Konoha ninjas disembarked, a Jonin ordered the local residents to leave after noticing the stone inscription.
“What are you staring at?”
“Get lost, now!”
Intimidated by the ninjas, the helpless fishermen clutched their tattered nets and hurriedly fled through the hibiscus bushes like crabs, disappearing from sight.
…
Elsewhere.
“No signs of Kirigakure ninjas yet,” a Konoha sensory ninja reported to Tsunade after scouting around.
“What about you?” Tsunade asked Neji, who had also returned.
“Nothing,” Neji shook his head. The island was large, and his Byakugan’s range wasn’t extensive enough.
“Don’t rush. Keep searching. We’ll set up camp first,” Tsunade ordered. Though she needed a swift battle, caution was paramount.
Under Nara Suzaku’s direction, over two hundred Konoha ninjas began relocating to the designated cliffside camp.
Within half an hour of setting up camp, a ninja from the Inuzuka Clan brought news:
“We’ve found the Kirigakure forces. They’re on the northern part of the island, shrouded in heavy mist with Kirigakure ninjas guarding the area. They drove us back.”
“Good. Don’t engage. Continue monitoring them,” Tsunade instructed.
“The mist is thick, blocking our sensory abilities. Can we bring Neji over?”
Hmm?
Tsunade frowned at the Inuzuka ninja’s suggestion.
She glared at him, eyes blazing with restrained anger, but ultimately rejected the idea decisively:
“That’s too dangerous. I don’t need you to see through the mist, just stay on the outskirts and report their movements.”
The Inuzuka ninja didn’t argue further, merely glancing at Neji before leaving with his ninja hound.
“These people have no sense. Don’t worry, Neji, Tsunade-sama will protect you,” Shizune said indignantly.
Seeing Neji’s confused expression, Tsunade sighed and explained:
“That Inuzuka ninja is the only one from his clan who volunteered to join us in the Land of Waves after hearing you’d be here.”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.
After the Third Hokage proposed that the most meritorious candidate would become the next Hokage, the Inuzuka Clan, and the Aburame Clan backed their own candidate, now leading forces on the western front against Iwagakure. Most of their clansmen supported this candidate with all their resources.
But this particular Inuzuka ninja, Inuzuka Tsu, instead of following their chosen candidate, had come to the Land of Waves, likely to use Neji to track down Neiki or perhaps even to harm him.
Hearing this, Neji clenched his fists.
The Inuzuka Clan’s hatred for Neiki hadn’t dissipated, only shifted to Neji. Given their losses during Neiki’s rebellion, they felt justified in their animosity and didn’t bother hiding it. Even Tsunade had little power to mitigate this justified hostility.
Within Konoha’s vast, oppressive environment, Neji felt the pressure from all sides. The Inuzuka Clan, spearheading this pressure, created an immense, suffocating atmosphere around him.
If even aligning with one of the Legendary Sannin like Tsunade led to this outcome, what more could he do?
Neji felt lost. He glanced up at the distant, seated silhouette on the hill, thinking it resembled his brother, Neiki.
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
Even now, you come to mind, brother?
However.
Neji hesitated momentarily.
“…What would Neiki do in this situation?”
…
In the temporary command tent.
Led by Tsunade, with her aide Shizune, Nara Clan’s Jonin Nara Suzaku, Akimichi Clan’s Jonin Akimichi Tsunade, Yamanaka Clan’s Jonin Yamanaka Asou, Konoha Sword Style’s Jonin Shirakumo Hayama, trap ninja Tejuno, and all other Jonin-level combatants from the eastern front gathered.
“This intel is from our spy in Kirigakure,” Suzaku said, pointing to the information delivered by a hawk.
“Leading Kirigakure’s forces is their elite Jonin Mei Terumi. Tsunade-sama, you’re familiar with her. She appeared during the Third Shinobi World War. She wields both Lava Release and Boil Release kekkei genkai. Her loyal subordinate, known as the ‘Byakugan Killer,’ is also formidable.”
“But don’t be alarmed. Aside from these two, there aren’t many significant threats among the Kirigakure ninjas. In fact, the quality of Kirigakure’s dispatched ninjas is relatively low.”
To swiftly defeat the Kirigakure forces, Tsunade herself led Konoha’s eastern front, and over two hundred elite ninjas were meticulously selected, nearly depleting Konoha’s remaining defensive forces.
If Kumogakure learned of this and attacked the nearly defenseless Konoha, the village would have no choice but to surrender.
Confident against the equally sized but lower-quality Kirigakure forces, Konoha’s ninjas believed they would win, only considering the extent of their losses and the time required.
After the room’s laughter subsided, Suzaku continued, “The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, and Mei Terumi have opposing views. Yagura favors isolation, while Mei advocates for openness. It’s likely Mei acted on her own by deploying this force.”
“Could we be misled? Kirigakure’s secretive actions, despite having the home advantage, might indicate a trap with Yagura’s reinforcements waiting,” Shirakumo Hayama speculated.
This was crucial. If Mei wasn’t acting alone but with Yagura’s tacit approval, additional reinforcements might be hidden. Whether Kirigakure had two hundred or a thousand ninjas was uncertain.
Suzaku nodded seriously, “It’s possible, but Mei hopes to accumulate achievements through this war to gain the elders’ approval and become the Fifth Mizukage. This isn’t a secret in Kirigakure.”
“Yagura has rarely appeared publicly in Kirigakure, relying on the ANBU for control. The village is outwardly secure but internally fractured. The possibility of misinformation is low.”
“Additionally, the leading candidate for Fifth Mizukage is not Mei but Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki. According to Kirigakure tradition, if he can control his tailed beast like Yagura, Mei has no chance.”
“This further supports the theory that Mei acted alone, needing to defeat Konoha to compete with Utakata,” Suzaku concluded, glancing at Tsunade.
This explanation highlighted Mei’s desperation for recognition and suggested that Kirigakure reinforcements were unlikely. Konoha’s best course
was to advance.
Suzaku believed that war wasn’t caused by a single factor. The Fourth Shinobi World War had both external and internal triggers.
Externally, Konoha’s weakened state after Neiki’s rebellion and the Uchiha uprising made it a target. Every village wanted to ensure Konoha couldn’t regain its former strength.
Each village had unique motives internally. For Kirigakure, the internal division under Yagura pushed Mei to seek power through external victories, using Konoha as a stepping stone to the Mizukage position.
Of course, Konoha had no intention of being her stepping stone.
Tsunade shook her head, feeling the Konoha ninjas were underestimating Kirigakure. She sternly said:
“After Neiki’s incident, we can’t afford to ignore any possibilities. Prepare for the worst. I have a feeling this battle won’t be as easy as everyone thinks.”
All the Jonin felt a chill. Neiki’s name haunted every Konoha ninja, and his chaotic presence was a nightmare for all.
“Now, based on the plan, find any potential Kirigakure reinforcements. If there are none, inform everyone that the battle is imminent,” Tsunade ordered firmly.
“Yes!”
Everyone responded in unison, their killing intent rising.
With several swift movements, the Jonin vanished from the tent.
Tsunade stepped outside, leaving only a few guards. In the distance, an ANBU squad led by Shirakumo Hayama swiftly moved through the banana and leaf forest, their voices echoing:
“Clear a ten-mile radius. Eliminate any suspicious individuals. Leave no one behind!”
“Yes!”
Over two hundred Konoha ninjas crossed the stone marker warning of no survival and advanced into the heart of the Land of Waves, moving steadily northward!
Become a Patron read up to 40 chapter ahead public release ^_^
Please join Discord Server so we can talk ^_^
