Chapter 232: Converging Forces

"Getting closer…"

Shisui Uchiha halted his steps, the crimson Sharingan in his eyes slowly revolving, the three tomoe spinning as he observed the immense chakra barrier enveloping the entire Kirigakure from above.

Even this super large-scale barrier meant to sense the presence of an entire village couldn't block Shisui's dojutsu.

"Enough with the chatter," the white-haired girl beside him leaped over, her tone unceremonious:

"With all this fog, even a blind person would know we're close. Why are you still staring with those eyes of yours? Turn it off, aren't you wasting chakra?"

"At least give me some respect. I'm still your superior, Ruri."

"Call me Captain Ruri outside, but privately, anything goes. Isn't that what you promised when I became the captain of the Second Division of the Anbu?" Ruri tilted her head, cornering Shisui against a tree in a rather aggressive manner, "Or do you want to go back on your word?"

"No…" The fragrance of the girl filled his senses, making the short-haired young man blush slightly as he turned his head to the side in resignation.

"Watch your behavior, such actions are dangerous. If we get into a fight with the Kirigakure forces soon, I might not be able to concentrate."

"I can't believe you're using that serious tone to tease your female subordinates. It seems our Shisui is all grown up…" Ruri backed off with a playful smile, "Has Fugaku-sama mentioned anything to you about the engagement?"

"No. Being the head of the Anbu is... How should I put it? From my sensei to the Fifth Hokage, and now me, every one of us has been so busy we barely have time to think. The opportunities for the clan head and me to communicate are limited."

Shisui paused, his Sharingan's vision being so sharp that even though the moonlight was obscured by clouds, he could still see Ruri clearly.

The girl was fifteen, an age when she was blossoming like a flower. Her white hair flowed down to her hips, her skin softer than velvet, and when she was expressionless, she appeared cool and untouchable. But her playful, teasing demeanor always made hearts race.

"And… and…" The boy's face grew warm as a rush of emotion overtook his rationality, and he momentarily set aside the responsibilities of the Anbu Commander, his voice trembling slightly:

"And, Ruri, I…"

Swoosh—

A sudden sound cut through the air, forcing Shisui to swallow his words.

"Shisui-niisan, Ruri-senpai." Itachi Uchiha arrived, standing beside Shisui:

"I checked the area, no ambushes nearby."

"…Itachi, when did your Shunshin no Jutsu get this fast?"

"Shisui-niisan, after your guidance last time, I made a breakthrough with the Shunshin no Jutsu."

Ruri giggled, covering her mouth and winking at Shisui before turning her gaze to the distant Kirigakure, twirling a kunai in her fingers.

Shisui, frustrated, scratched his head but couldn't bring himself to be angry with Itachi, so he made some casual small talk.

A few minutes later, the vanguard forces began to arrive, and soon, more elite shinobi breached the borders of Shigeru Mountain, appearing before Shisui and the others.

"Well, this should be enough for now." Shisui counted the heads, deciding to begin the attack immediately.

"The Commander's orders are to step into Kirigakure before dawn. Let's do better than that—within the hour, locate the Sixth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, the Kaguya Clan Head, Goro Kaguya, and Elder Genji. Report their positions to me. Inuzuka, you and your clan will handle this task. Oh, and…" Shisui directed his gaze to a certain spot:

"Sae, you're also the main force in searching for the Kirigakure high command. Show them the power of the Byakugan."

A nine-year-old boy lifted his head, his voice light:

"Yes, Commander."

No one mentioned that Sae Hyuga's fingertips were already digging into his palms, nearly drawing blood.

But despite his internal turmoil and pain, he did not utter a word about the existence of those Byakugan eyes.

"Then, let's begin. It's time to end the history of Kirigakure." Shisui took a deep breath, the tomoe in his Sharingan slowly rotating as he led the charge towards Kirigakure.

Konoha shinobi adept in Earth Release flanked Shisui on both sides, with the Uchiha elite concealed behind them. Meanwhile, expert shinobis like Ruri Mochizuki and Itachi Uchiha moved in the shadows, acting independently.

After a year and a half of war between Water and Fire, Konoha and Kirigakure had become very familiar with each other, having already developed strategies targeting each other's strengths. At this stage, it was a contest of pure endurance. Konoha was extremely confident in this regard and claimed they would step into Kirigakure before dawn, not just empty words.

However, just as Konoha's vanguard forces approached within three hundred meters of Kirigakure's outskirts, an unexpected situation arose.

Kirigakure didn't employ their signature combined Water Release to stop Konoha. Instead, they allowed the Konoha forces to approach, remaining huddled within their village, with the gates tightly shut.

"What's going on…" Shisui frowned, wondering if the enemy had already given up resisting?

He had a nagging feeling something was wrong. Just as he was about to halt his advance, his Sharingan caught sight of a spark.

A massive explosion echoed through the outskirts of Kirigakure. The firelight barely missed Shisui's cheek, carving a golden-red trail on the ground before igniting a blazing inferno in the distant forest.

"What high temperatures… Is it Lava Release?" As a top expert of the Uchiha clan, Shisui was extremely familiar with Fire Release and immediately recognized what it was.

He never imagined that Kirigakure's last resort to protect the village would be explosive flames!

The average quality of Konoha's vanguard forces was extremely high. As the firelight reached the forest, they had already formed their formation, with kunai directed outward, Sharingan spinning, parasitic insects flying, and ninken growling, instantly entering combat mode.

From the depths of Kirigakure's barrier, numerous figures began to emerge. Leading them was Mei Terumi and the high command of Kirigakure, followed by fully armed shinobi. Trailing behind them was a group of creatures never before seen in the shinobi world.

They roughly resembled human beings, walking upright on two legs, with red skin emitting steam—intense heat radiating from their bodies, causing dense water vapor to rise!

Shisui squinted his eyes, staring intently at those humanoid creatures. The chakra within them was chaotic, unlike the orderly flow found in shinobi, more like dough forcibly kneaded together. But one thing was clear: these creatures possessed formidable destructive power.

"Fifty-two in total… Mizukage, is this your trump card?" Shisui drew his short blade, the edge scraping against the sheath, making a sound as if it thirsted for blood. The Konoha shinobi behind him tensed up in response to his action.

"If this is all you have, it's not enough."

Before his words could even reach the ground, Shisui Uchiha vanished into thin air, his Shunshin no Jutsu activated, and in an instant, he appeared beside Mei Terumi.

The principle of "capture the leader first" was well known, and everyone knew that the Sixth Mizukage, possessing two kekkei genkai, was a "long-range artillery." Utilizing speed and the Sharingan's insight to decapitate Mei Terumi was the most crucial task Shisui had come to accomplish!

(End of Chapter)