Juzo's expression twisted with disbelief and suspicion.
"Konoha sent their Jinchūriki? Or is the Hokage himself coming here? Who the hell carries that much chakra?"
The weight of his words settled over the room like a storm cloud. Every Jonin present tensed, their bodies instinctively shifting into alert posture. Alarm was written on every face.
One of them looked directly at Juzo. "What do we do now?"
Juzo didn't answer immediately. His mind was racing, but his voice remained steady.
"If this chakra monster also has the skill to match their reserves, then we're in real trouble. Running would only scatter us and lead to needless deaths. That kind of power could hunt us down one by one."
He paused, then continued, voice firm.
"But if it's someone with huge chakra and no control or technique to match it—then we crush them before they become a threat. Either way, we don't split up."
He looked around the room, gaze sharp and commanding.
"We gather everyone. Now. Form up as one force. Set up at the village's eastern edge—the direction they're coming from. We meet them head-on. That's our only option."
No one argued. The authority in Juzo's voice cut through any hesitation.
"Move. Now!" he barked.
The room erupted into coordinated action. The Jonin moved quickly, disappearing one by one to rally the others. Outside, orders were already echoing through the village as Kirigakure forces scrambled to assemble.
Juzo turned to the sensory ninja. "Lead the way."
The Chunin nodded, then took off at full speed. Juzo followed right behind him, his massive sword strapped across his back, his eyes locked on the horizon.
---
As they neared the outskirts of Yu Village, Tomiko—still running alongside Frosty—glanced up at Shanks.
"We're less than a mile away," she said, her breath slightly ragged. "What's your strategy?"
Shanks didn't hesitate. "Just one. Fight them head-on."
She blinked, stunned. "Are you serious? That's suicide! You'll be walking right into their kill zone."
Shanks's face remained calm, composed. "They already know we're coming. Their sensory ninja must have picked us up. They're regrouping now to ambush me at the village entrance. Stealth isn't an option anymore. If they were unaware, I might've tried something quieter. But now? Direct confrontation is the only path."
Tomiko's expression shifted as realization set in.
"Damn it… You're right. I forgot they have a sensory unit posted here. I should've accounted for that."
Shanks didn't respond. He didn't need to. From the fluctuation in her emotion, he could tell—Tomiko wasn't lying. She had genuinely overlooked it.
Moments later, they arrived just outside the village gate. Shanks patted Frosty's back gently, and the massive white tiger came to a halt several meters from the entrance. Shanks dismounted with practiced ease.
He stood there, silent for a moment, eyes fixed on the looming gate and the buildings just beyond it.
Then he spoke, voice steady and loud enough to carry.
"No point in hiding. I know you're there—hundreds of you, crouched behind these walls, waiting in the buildings flanking the path inside."
He took a step forward.
"I can sense you. You don't need to waste your energy playing games. Come out."
Then he turned slightly toward Tomiko, his gaze serious.
"You should fall back. You're low on chakra. You used too much just getting here. You're in no shape to fight."
Tomiko stiffened at his words. Inside, irritation sparked.
Oh, now you notice I was drained? After making me run the entire way while you rode that giant tiger?
But she bit back the comment, keeping her face neutral. She knew he was right. And this was not the moment to argue over pride.
"Okay," she said simply, and took several steps back, retreating to a safer distance.
Shanks remained where he was, standing tall and still just outside the gate of Yu Village—his sword at his side, his aura unwavering.
Waiting.
And ready.
From behind the village walls, Juzo Biwa observed everything.
He watched Shanks dismount, felt the tension in the air as the boy calmly challenged an unseen army, and in that moment, Juzo understood the truth behind the sensory report.
So that's it, he thought. That overwhelming chakra isn't from a Jinchūriki or the Hokage… It's from an Uzumaki.
It made sense. The Uzumaki were infamous for their monstrous chakra reserves. And judging by Shanks's composure and perceptiveness, he wasn't just a brute force type—he had sensory abilities too. Otherwise, how could he have pinpointed the positions of so many hidden shinobi?
Juzo clenched the handle of his massive blade and leapt into the air with practiced ease. The weight of Kubikiribōchō didn't slow him down. He landed atop the village gate with a heavy thud and drove the sword's edge deep into the wooden platform beside him. The impact cracked the surface beneath his feet.
He stood there, looming above Shanks like a dark omen, his eyes cold and sharp with confidence.
Looking down at the young Uzumaki, Juzo called out with an edge of mockery in his voice.
"I figured that Uchiha brat might've run off to drag back reinforcements from Konoha. But instead, she shows up with someone from the Uzumaki Clan?"
He scoffed and gave a smug grin.
"Why crawl out of hiding now? You could've lived a little longer skulking in the shadows. So what—did you come here to play hero? Or do you just have some kind of death wish involving Kirigakure ninja?"
Juzo let out a dry laugh, sharp and arrogant.
"Ha! Hahaha… What, are you hoping to make a name for yourself before we cut you down?"
His voice echoed off the walls of the village, the laughter rippling through the silence like a challenge.
But Shanks didn't flinch.
As Juzo stood tall atop the Yu Village gate, more movement followed behind him.
From the shadows, nearly half of the hidden Kirigakure shinobi emerged. Dozens of them—Jonin, Chunin—stepped out of their ambush positions. Blades, kunai, and massive cleavers caught the sunlight as they lined the village walls like a dark wave, their eyes fixed on the lone figure standing outside.
The tension in the air grew thick, but the mood shifted when Juzo's mocking laugh echoed once again.
The other ninjas joined in—laughing, jeering, grinning with the kind of confidence only numbers could give. But this wasn't just arrogance. Juzo's mockery had a purpose. He wasn't careless enough to underestimate someone like Shanks. The laughter, the provocation—this was a strategy. Psychological warfare. Push the enemy to lash out first, catch them mid-move, create an opening.
Juzo's eyes never left Shanks.
But Shanks didn't fall for it. Calm as ever, he slowly drew his sword, the metal gleaming in the daylight as it left its sheath with a soft hiss.
"I came out of hiding for cash," he said, voice flat but cutting. "Then I heard there was a bounty on some fish."
There was a pause—just long enough for the insult to register.
He nodded toward the crowd on the walls.
"On my way here, I already caught and cleaned thirty of them. And then I hear Yu Village is packed with the rest of the school." He smiled slightly. "Sounds like I struck the jackpot, don't you think?"
Laughter from the walls died instantly.
Juzo's face hardened. The cold glint in his eye sharpened into something darker—controlled fury. Hearing that this lone Uzumaki had already killed thirty of his men wasn't just unacceptable. It was a challenge to his leadership, his reputation, his authority.
His grip on Kubikiribōchō tightened.
The air shifted again—from mockery to menace.
----
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