"Lord Raikage, should we really not speed up?" a Kumo-nin frowned and said, "If Konoha and the others..."
"Relax." The Third Raikage crossed his arms over his chest and said calmly, "Let's wait a couple more days. If Konoha and the others succeed by then, we will accelerate."
To get a share of the spoils. If they don't succeed...
"We will turn around and return to the village."
And then figure out what to do.
Besides, the Land of Whirlpools...
Hasn't offended them. Why would the Hidden Cloud Village unnecessarily involve themselves?
The main focus right now is Konoha and the legendary swords of the Hidden Mist Village. If the Hidden Cloud Village doesn't obtain them...
The situation among the Five Great Ninja Villages will inevitably become problematic.
So...
As the Kage of the Hidden Cloud Village, he must be prepared.
After all, not everyone is as foolish... ahem, as kind and peace-loving as the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
That ninja sword is far too dangerous...
If someone truly awakens the sword's spirit, it will surely ignite a full-scale war.
And then...
What path should the Hidden Cloud Village take?
"Understood." The Kumo-nin nodded and said, "In that case, I will send some Anbu to investigate the situation at Konoha and the Hidden Mist Village."
...
"Stop!!"
Hearing the sudden silence from the three great ninja villages, Yuki Kiyoi quickly waved his hand to halt the advancing fleet, muttering, "What's going on?"
Especially that blinding flash of firelight just now...
It made him feel extremely uneasy.
"Lord Mizukage." The Mizukage's assistant, seeing the Mizukage suddenly stop the fleet, hurried forward and asked, puzzled, "We are about to make landfall. Why stop the advance?"
Although it seems like Raiga and the others on the shore are being held back...
The current artillery fire is nothing to them.
They should definitely be able to land soon and strike directly at the heart, avenging the humiliation of that year.
However...
"The Land of Whirlpools is not that simple." The Mizukage frowned and said calmly, "Although the five great villages currently have the advantage, we must not let our guard down."
He did not want to repeat the mistakes of the Second Generation.
But...
Yuki Kiyoi looked at the Seven Ninja Swordsmen on the shore...
If they didn't land soon, this great opportunity might be lost.
Moreover, the two traitors, Pakkun Jūzō and Hoshigaki Fuguki, were right there. As the Kage...
How could he just stand by and watch?
But the Kiri-nin behind him...
The Hidden Mist Village could not afford another mishap.
Just then...
"Well, if it isn't the Hidden Mist Village, so poor they can't even afford to ransom their own ninja?"
A teasing voice suddenly sounded on the fleet...
"Whoosh!!"
Yuki Kiyoi quickly turned to look at the red-haired young man who had suddenly appeared on the deck, frowned, and said, "The Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools!!"
Why did he appear here so suddenly?
Could it be...
"Konoha and the others..."
"It's already over." Uzumaki Jun nodded and said, "Did you see the fireworks just now?"
"They were to celebrate the war ending early."
"..."
So it was true...
Yuki Kiyoi fell silent, staring coldly at Uzumaki Jun...
"If the Hidden Mist Village announces its surrender now..."
"Impossible." Jun shook his head, his gaze calm as he looked at the Mizukage, and said flatly, "Starting a war..."
"Ultimately requires paying a price."
If you just yell "stop fighting" when you're at a disadvantage and suffer no losses, then...
Wouldn't the entire ninja world be in chaos?
So...
Konoha set a bad precedent.
"Lord Mizukage." The Mizukage's assistant stepped forward, pointed at Uzumaki Jun, and roared, "Don't believe him. He must be lying. How could a mere Land of Whirlpools withstand the five great villages?"
It was absolutely impossible.
That was Konoha, the Hidden Stone Village, and the Hidden Sand Village.
How could a small Land of Whirlpools possibly resist them?
However...
"Heh." Uzumaki Jun chuckled coldly and said, "Whether it's a lie or not, you'll find out soon enough."
For now...
"All of you, stay here!"
As soon as the words fell...
"Ice Release Secret Technique: Demonic Mirror Ice Murder." The Mizukage launched the first attack, shouting loudly, "I'll hold him off. Everyone else, retreat!!"
"Mizukage!!" The Mizukage's assistant was stunned and said urgently, "We are not afraid. With so many Kiri-nin, we can definitely take him down."
"Shut up." The Mizukage roared, "Get out of here now."
However...
"Crack—!"
The ice mirror shattered directly.
Seeing this, the Mizukage's assistant also knew the situation was bad. He quickly shouted to the fleet behind him, "Retreat!!"
"Everyone, retreat!!"
Indeed...
For the Daimyo of the Land of Whirlpools to appear here alone...
He definitely had the confidence.
Could it be...
The Mizukage's assistant stared at him in disbelief...
Did he already possess the power of the God of Shinobi?
But no matter what, these Kiri-nin could not all be left here.
Otherwise...
The village would surely fall into chaos.
He stood firmly by the Mizukage's side with a determined gaze.
As the Mizukage's assistant...
For the sake of the Hidden Mist Village...
He absolutely could not retreat.
And Yuki Kiyoi sighed inwardly. He did not tell his assistant to leave either. He pulled out a sword from his tool pouch...
"Frostmourne??" Uzumaki Jun was immediately stunned, looking at the Mizukage with a strange expression...
What was he trying to do?
Could it be...
"Frostmourne." The Mizukage looked at the ancient sword hilt in his hand, stroked it, and murmured, "A national treasure of the Land of Water..."
Facing this current crisis...
If... if only he could awaken the sword spirit, the Hidden Mist Village would definitely still have a chance.
But...
Frostmourne still showed no reaction.
The Mizukage sighed inwardly. It seemed he was not the one destined to awaken the sword spirit.
As for Uzumaki Jun nearby...
He felt extremely awkward.
Seeing this scene, he felt terribly awkward.
He suddenly felt that Black Zetsu deceiving honest people like this was really...
Too immoral.
What?
The sword belongs to the Land of Whirlpools?
That was true, but...
That fake stone tablet was made by Black Zetsu.
...
"Ahem!" Ameyuri Ringo looked at Pakkun Jūzō, who was holding a kitchen knife in front of him, coughed twice, and said, "I never thought that after all these years, your strength hasn't declined at all."
"Perhaps if you were wielding the Executioner's Blade, you might have given me some trouble."
"But..."
Ameyuri Ringo sneered as he looked at Pakkun Jūzō...
"The ninja world has no room for 'perhaps'."
"It's over..."
"Pakkun Jūzō!"
He raised his own ninja sword and charged forward...
"Traitors..."
"Deserve to die!!"
Pakkun Jūzō gave a bitter smile and looked at the dulled kitchen knife in his hand, sighing helplessly inwardly. He...
Had lost because of the weapon.
Perhaps if he had been wielding the Executioner's Blade...
But as Ameyuri Ringo said, the ninja world had no room for 'perhaps'.
He raised the badly dulled kitchen knife again, intending to block Ameyuri Ringo's ninja sword...
"Snap!!"
The kitchen knife broke directly.
"Have you forgotten what I'm holding?" Ameyuri Ringo laughed loudly, "This is the Blunt Sword: Decapitating Carver, a ninja tool that can smash through any defense..."
Before he could finish...
"Thud!!"
Under Pakkun Jūzō's astonished gaze...
He fell to the ground for no reason.
What's going on?
Faking an injury?
Pakkun Jūzō warily looked at Ameyuri Ringo, who was lying on the ground with his eyes closed. How did he get knocked out?
Then...
"Thud!"
"Thud, thud!!"
Under everyone's puzzled gazes...
All five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen lay down.
Yet no one noticed the forest behind them...
"Let's go." An old man with white hair sitting in a wheelchair said to the black-haired young man pushing the wheelchair behind him, his tone flat, "A bunch of useless fools."
As he turned the wheelchair...
The old man glanced at Shijō, whose body was glowing with a yellow light, and the corner of his mouth unconsciously lifted slightly...
How interesting.
And also...
What exactly does that red-haired brat want to do?
He clearly could end the war quickly, so why has he been dragging it out until now?
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