The Water Wall fell.
On top of the cofferdam, more than ten Konoha ANBU appeared.
Out on the water before the embankment, over twenty Stone-ninja stood.
Yoru gave the order:
"Fox Squad, Joint Ninjutsu! Begin!"
Four ninja simultaneously used Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bomb.
Four fire dragons erupted forward.
Yoru stood in the center. Two other ninja flanked the Fire-style ANBU and used Wind Style.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Fire Style's weakness was its slow speed, too hard to hit.
But with Wind Style boosting it, both the power and speed jumped a tier.
Under the joint ninjutsu, the four fire dragons instantly swept across a wide area of water.
With Wind Style enhancing it, the flames traveled farther and swallowed many Stone-ninja at once.
The stronger Stone-ninja leapt into the air to evade, but eight or nine were directly incinerated.
The Fox Squad's combo attack took immediate effect.
Yoru thought to himself:
Who says Fire Style can't kill? Look at that, quite a few died.
The airborne Stone-ninja stared in horror. In this narrow canyon, Fire Style was even more devastating.
At that moment, Purple Cat acted and used Mind Body Switch Technique to control the Stone-ninja captain.
It took the captain several seconds to break free. When he regained his body, he was terrified, Konoha's second jutsu was already coming!
"Water Style: Severing Wave!"
A sharp and powerful stream of water shot from Yoru's mouth.
A huge chunk of the canyon wall was sliced clean off; the smooth cut surface sent boulders crashing into the river below.
After sweeping sideways, the Severing Wave bisected over a dozen airborne Stone-ninja in one instant.
Some Stone-ninja even wrapped themselves in stone armor to boost their defense.
But before Yoru's Severing Wave, it was useless.
This death was even more nerve-shredding than being burned alive.
Half-bodies fell into the water, and the smell of blood quickly attracted brainless fish.
The fish thought someone came to bait them.
The Stone-ninja captain also died to Severing Wave. Yoru ordered White Ram to clean up the remaining Stone-ninja, while he jumped onto the riverbank of the Yoshimizu Canyon.
Chisa remained where she was, staring tightly at the Fox ANBU.
That little gesture, pushing up his glasses, was too natural, too familiar. Chisa was starting to suspect she had seen this Fox ANBU before.
Once Yoru reached the shore, his squad went after the remaining Stone-ninja while he searched the surroundings.
Very quickly, he found a coded mark, carved into a wagon.
Konoha had many spies planted in the Hidden Stone. The Land of Fire valued this hydroelectric plant greatly, so ANBU had activated a sleeper agent within the Hidden Stone.
Several wagons were parked beside the power station, citizens from the Capital here to observe the completed foundation.
"Water Style: Severing Wave!"
A water blade shot out, slicing off the roof of one wagon.
Yoru stood atop the wagon and looked down at the merchant inside. He spoke the intel the spy had sent beforehand:
"Keishi, Chairman of the Gold Stone Firm from the Land of Earth, your true identity is the retainer of the Land of Earth's Minister of Finance.
Stone's infiltration unit is doomed. The Minister of Finance of the Land of Fire has arrived in the Capital of the Land of Rivers. He wants to talk to you."
Keishi's eyes filled with terror. Not because of the ANBU's power, but because ANBU had exposed his identity. He thought he was well-hidden in the Land of Rivers.
Yoru dropped into the wagon, kicked the door open, and gestured for him to get out.
Keishi trembled outside, seeing almost all the Stone-ninja dead.
The surviving Stone-ninja saw Keishi and rushed toward him anxiously.
They had been hired by Keishi. Only after he personally witnessed the destruction of the hydroelectric plant would their job be complete.
The four surviving Stone-ninja surrounded Keishi.
Yoru looked at him.
"What? Still planning to resist?"
Keishi shook his head and told the Stone-ninja:
"The mission is over. Don't resist. Konoha already knows everything. Fighting is pointless. Escort me to the Capital to meet the Minister of Finance of the Land of Fire."
The Stone-ninja looked at one another, then at their captain.
He had no choice but to nod.
Yoru glanced around, surprised. A member of White Ram Squad had died.
Even with the advantage, danger was everywhere. One Stone-ninja's last struggle took down one of White Ram's teammates.
Chisa walked up from the embankment.
Purple Cat approached her.
"Miss Koi, the Minister of Finance of the Land of Fire has already entered the Capital. You are requested to meet him immediately."
Chisa looked at Purple Cat's pale-gold hair, her lithe figure, and finally at the eye-holes of her mask, trying to see her expression.
Purple Cat felt speechless. Why did this woman treat her with undisguised hostility?
Chisa said, "Very well. We'll return to the Capital together."
Keishi, the Stone-ninja, the Konoha ANBU, Koizumi Chisa, and the officials of the Land of Rivers all returned to the Capital together.
Chisa moved to the back of the group, walking right beside the Fox ANBU.
"Konoha ANBU, have we met before?"
Yoru replied directly:
"We're on a mission. Do not speak to ANBU."
Chisa hit a cold wall of rejection, yet the voice sounded oddly familiar.
The group entered the Capital's Castle.
Inside the main hall.
The Daimyo of the Land of Rivers sat at the head. To his left was Ida Hatano, the Minister of Finance of the Land of Fire.
Behind Hatano stood Yellow Dog.
When Yoru entered, he stood beside Yellow Dog.
Hatano was fat, wearing silk robes and a gold-lace headdress. He was essentially the Fire Country's Minister of Finance + Central Bank Governor, an extremely powerful position, escorted personally by Yellow Dog.
He was one of ANBU and Root's greatest financial patrons, not only giving them highly paid state missions but also securing special budgets.
This time Hatano came because he was interested in the hydroelectric plant and planned to import the technology into the Land of Fire.
Hatano looked at Keishi.
"So it's you, Keishi. Last time when I met with the Minister of Finance of the Land of Earth, you poured the wine for me."
Keishi bowed quickly.
"Yes, Lord Hatano."
The Daimyo of the Land of Rivers gestured for his younger sister Chisa to sit beside him.
Chisa sat and stared at the Fox ANBU.
Not the Daimyo, not the Minister of Finance, not the ANBU Captain, none of them held her attention. Her mind was entirely on figuring out the identity behind that Fox mask.
Once everyone was seated or standing in place, the Daimyo spoke:
"Today, our honored guest from the Land of Fire, Minister of Finance Ida Hatano, has arrived in the Land of Rivers.
Because of the hydroelectric plant, our country has faced many problems.
Konoha and the Hidden Sand are already fighting in our western territory. I do not wish for the Capital to become unstable as well.
Lord Hatano, please tell us the orders of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire."