Chapter 73: Arrival in Kirigakure! So You’re a Fruit Ninja, Huh? Trying to Scare Me?
A few days later, they reached the border of the Land of Fire.
At the port, a boat awaited them, prepared by Konoha ninjas.
It was a long sea journey to the Land of Water, and without a boat, Shisui and Itachi would be exhausted from chakra depletion long before they reached their destination.
After half a day's travel, they passed a desolate island.
It was the remains of the Land of Whirlpools, once vibrant and thriving, now a silent wasteland.
In the war, the Uzumaki Clan had been slaughtered, leading to the nation's downfall.
"Look at that barren island…"
"Without protection, villages—and even whole nations—can fall to ruin."
Kazuya's voice was quiet.
Shisui nodded in agreement. "True. The village is the nation's pillar. If it falls, the country falls as well. Kazuya-senpai, you see things!"
Kazuya chuckled. "Yes, we must protect our village. Only by doing so can our families, comrades, and descendants find peace amid the chaos."
Itachi looked thoughtful, pondering Kazuya's words.
Kazuya noticed and left it at that, not eager to give a grand speech.
After all, he was just conditioning these two Uchiha "exp loot bags" for future use!
As they neared the Land of Water, they saw the faint outline of land on the horizon.
"There it is!" Shisui pointed toward the barely visible landmass.
He had fought in the Konoha-Kirigakure front during the Third Great Ninja War, so he was familiar with the area.
"Yes."
Kazuya's gaze turned pensive.
The Land of Water…Kirigakure.
I wonder if the Kaguya Clan, including Kimimaro, still exists…
There were treasures aplenty in Kirigakure.
The Kaguya Clan, the Hozuki Clan, the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, Kisame Hoshigaki—plus the future Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi.
With any luck, he'd gather plenty of valuable skills and traits from them.
Despite how close it looked, the shoreline was still several hours away by boat.
Finally, they reached land.
At the dock, a squad of Kirigakure ninjas awaited them.
Their leader, a large, orange-haired man with sharp teeth, looked imposing and fierce, emanating an intimidating presence.
Kazuya smirked at the sight.
"You think you can scare me, Hōzuki Yagura? Please. You couldn't even handle Might Duy, a low-ranked Konoha ninja. Go wash up and get some sleep."
Among the Mist shinobi surrounding Hōzuki Yagura, there were many unfamiliar faces, likely just background characters from the original storyline. Yet two of them stood out, immediately recognizable.
One was Ao—the only shinobi here with a Byakugan.
The other was the future Fifth Mizukage herself—Mei Terumi.
[You collected 100 Chakra Points][You collected 100 Chakra Points]
[You collected 50 Battle Experience Points]
[You collected 30 Water Release Talent Points]
[You collected 20 Water Release Talent Points]
In the blink of an eye, several golden orbs shot toward Kazuya.
As Kazuya, Itachi, and Shisui came ashore, Hōzuki Yagura, the leader, approached them. His usually sinister face wore an unusual, almost friendly smile. "Welcome to the Land of Water, emissaries of Konoha. I am Hōzuki Yagura from the Mist Village Intelligence Division."
Kazuya: "…"
Itachi: "…"
Shisui: "…"
What on earth?
It felt bizarre—like a chainsaw-wielding killer suddenly humming a lullaby at you. Creepy didn't even begin to describe it.
"Konoha's Head of ANBU—Yohara Kazuya," Kazuya introduced himself with a smile.
It seemed that in the upper echelons' political maneuvers, the Mist Village had made considerable concessions. Otherwise, these "bloody-mist" bred killers would not be acting so friendly.
Could it be…
Was the Bloodline Purge already underway?
Or was it that the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had risen to power too hastily and still lacked stability?
Kazuya's eyes narrowed as several thoughts flashed through his mind. However, before he could say anything more, the expressions of the Mist ninjas around them had already changed.
Yohara Kazuya!?!
Wasn't this the infamous ANBU from the main battlefield who singlehandedly defeated two Cloud Jinchuriki?!?
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Even Mei Terumi's beautiful eyes held a glint of alarm. She recognized him immediately.
Yohara Kazuya—the same ANBU who almost killed her during that operation in the Land of Fire!
Though these Mist shinobi weren't ordinary characters, and they kept their faces neutral, they couldn't entirely hide their complex emotions.
"Then…" Hōzuki Yagura spoke again, gesturing. "Please, follow us."
"Alright." Kazuya nodded, following the Mist shinobi toward the direction of the Mist Village.
Beside him, Itachi remained oblivious, but Shisui's expression shifted. He'd faced Mist shinobi before, and they'd never been this calm and polite. The change was striking.
As expected… the senior Kazuya's presence and aura alone were enough to make these brutal Mist shinobi act like sheep.
Soon, they entered the Hidden Mist Village. Unlike the sunny atmosphere of Konoha, the Mist Village was perpetually shrouded in thick clouds, with rain falling nearly half the days of the year.
The air was damp, and uncomfortable, yet perfect for Water Release users to unleash their full potential. No wonder that, for years, few shinobi from other nations dared to penetrate the Mist Village.
After they entered, Kazuya and his team were escorted to a luxurious estate reserved for foreign emissaries.
As they made their way through the village, Kazuya noticed that both the villagers and shinobi wore smiles, looking relaxed and even cheerful.
Gone was the dark, oppressive atmosphere of before.
"So…" Kazuya murmured to himself. "Looks like the Fourth Mizukage Yagura has made quite the impact."
At that moment, a knock sounded at the mansion door.
Before Kazuya could respond, Shisui opened it, as usual. Moments later, a familiar figure entered the room.