With Yukina
Like a shadow, Yukina used her silent killing technique and slipped into the mist that Kirigakure shinobi were maintaining.
She glided through the mist in perfect silence, her katana ready in her right hand and a kunai poised in her left.
Hidden within the thick mist, Yukina silently slit the throats of Konoha shinobi, leaving bodies to fall in her wake.
"THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD, THUD."
One after another, Konoha shinobi fell lifeless, their throats cut cleanly by Yukina.
The sound of lifeless bodies striking the ground echoed in Fugaku and Himari's ears. Fugaku's Sharingan spun out of control, fueled by burning rage and hatred.
At that moment, Fuguki silently appeared behind Fugaku and swung Samehada. A sudden surge of instinct screamed in Fugaku's mind. He twisted aside at the last instant, narrowly avoiding the massive blade.
A low growl escaped Fuguki's throat as he missed his chance to kill Fugaku, he quickly withdraw back hid himself in the mist.
Himari's Byakugan flared, veins pulsing around his eyes as he searched desperately for the Kirigakure shinobi. However, the dense chakra in the mist distorted his vision, making it impossible to see clearly.
All of a sudden, he twisted around, the executioner's blade slicing past where his body had been a heartbeat earlier.
'This mist is turning into a death trap. We must retreat at once and devise a counter-strategy.'
After making up his mind, Himari gave a loud order to his subordinates.
"All Konoha shinobi retreat."
All Konoha shinobi swiftly shunshined away from the battlefield, and Yukina's tension melted away as she detected their retreat.
As the mist gradually lifted, the Kirigakure shinobi erupted in cheers, having successfully pushed the Konoha shinobi into retreat.
Fuguki ignored his subordinates' reactions.
"Start sealing all the corpses and move the injured to the medical bay."
Upon hearing Fuguki's order, the Kirigakure shinobi acted without hesitation: one team sealing the corpses, another tending to the injured and carrying them toward the medical bay.
Satisfied with how quickly his subordinates carried out his command, Fuguki gave a nod and walked over to Yukito.
"Everything went according to your plan—I'm genuinely impressed."
Yukito let out a soft chuckle and shook his head.
"Our plan succeeded only because Konoha underestimated us. We must remain cautious; next time, they won't make the same mistake again."
"It's only a matter of time before they send some of their S-rank shinobi. We must stay on guard and report this development to Mizukage-sama."
With a solemn nod, Fuguki asked.
"So, what should we do?"
Yukito shut his eyes for a heartbeat. Upon opening them, a sly smirk curved his mouth.
"We will stick to our strategy. My summons are currently scouting the routes Konoha might take to deliver their supplies. We will wait patiently for their report."
"Meanwhile, we should report back to Mizukage-sama and inform him that he may need to intervene personally if Konoha deploys their S-rank shinobi."
"While you could take on an S-rank shinobi, Fuguki-sama, I'm concerned Konoha will dispatch more than one."
Fuguki's pupils constricted, his eyes narrowing as he processed Yukito's words.
"Yukito, with all seven Ninja Swordsmen present in our regiment, I think we can take on the Konoha S-rank shinobi without Mizukage-sama's aid."
Yukito's eyes flickered with intensity at Fuguki's answer before he spoke.
"Fuguki-sama, war is never predictable. While the might and renown of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen are formidable, we cannot rely solely on them; we must prepare for every possible twist the battlefield may present."
A small smirk appeared on Fuguki's face as he listened to Yukito, and he nodded approvingly.
"Very well. I'll leave the battle report to you, Yukito. Let me know if you need anything else moving forward."
Yukito gave a small nod to Fuguki, and together they made their way to the main base.
______
Next day
Kirigakure
The Mizukage's office
Kaito unrolled the scroll sent by Yukito, revealing a complete account of their recent battle against Konoha, predictions of their next moves, and a strategic plan to counter them.
Kaito chuckled softly after reading the scroll and handed it to his advisers.
The scroll's contents left the two advisors frowning. Emiko glanced at the third Mizukage and asked aloud.
"Kaito, since you're the village's only S-rank shinobi at the moment, stepping onto the battlefield now would be far too risky."
"At the moment, you are the only one capable of stopping Riku if he goes on a rampage."
Kaito smiled and he tossed a sealing tag towards Emiko.
"Use this sealing tag to suppress the Six-Tails' chakra during a rampage. You two can head to Kensei to collect the sealing array I instructed him to prepare; he just reported that it's complete."
"With both the sealing array and this tag, Riku should no longer be a concern."
Haruto and Emiko nodded, though concern lingered in their eyes. Kaito smiled reassuringly.
"You two should relax. The Uzumaki clan's Fuinjutsu has been fully incorporated into our village security, many of our shinobi hadn't been deployed to the battlefield, and our Jinchuriki are easier to control than in the past."
"If I join the battlefield right now our village will still remain safe."
Though uncertainty lingered in their eyes, Haruto and Emiko eventually nodded to Kaito.
Kaito looked at his advisors with eyes full of amusement and continued.
"Besides, I completely trust Yukito's vision. Ever since he took over as head of Kirigakure's intelligence division, he has never let us down. I see no reason to doubt him now—don't you agree?"
Emiko sighed upon hearing this and gave Kaito a nod.
"I agree with you, Kaito, but we can't forget about the Yuki clan rogue elders. If they side with the other villages in this war, especially Konoha, it could spell serious trouble for us."
"There's been no word of their whereabouts since they left the village."
Kaito narrowed his eyes and gave a solemn nod.
"I know. We'll deal with the traitors when the time is right. They can't stay hidden forever. Until then, this war remains our priority."
"I want both of you to reposition the troops following Yukito's strategy immediately. I'll leave the village in your hands."
Haruto and Emiko let out a deep sigh, then gave Kaito a resigned nod.
Without uttering any more words, Kaito took three scrolls from his drawer and stepped out of the Mizukage's office.
________
At the same time
In Konoha
In the Hokage's office
The atmosphere in the Hokage's office was heavy with tension. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, wore a dark expression as he absorbed the report from Fugaku and Himari.
In the room, Hamura, Koharu, and Danzo were seated, each wearing a dark, foreboding look.
Hiruzen inhaled deeply from his pipe, steadying his nerves, before turning to Koharu.
"How is Jiraiya's regiment holding up against Suna?"
Koharu looked at Hiruzen and replied.
"They are at a stalemate. The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, proved highly skilled with his Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai. According to the report, he was able to hold off Jiraiya, while the One-Tail Jinchuriki is wreaking havoc among our troops."
"But thanks to Jiraiya expertise Fuinjutsu he was able to hold of the one tailed Jinchuriki."
Hiruzen exhaled heavily, closing his eyes for a heartbeat. Upon opening them, his gaze was sharp, filled with determination.
"I have no other option. I must enter the battlefield."
Hearing that, Danzo's eyes pinched with intensity, and he slowly got to his feet.
"No, Hiruzen. I and my Root will enter the battlefield. We will handle Kirigakure."
Hiruzen, Koharu, and Hamura exchanged surprised glances as they looked at Danzo.
"Are you sure?"
Danzo scoffed upon hearing this.
'This is my chance to claim the Sharingans. I won't allow you to ruin it, you monkey.'
Danzo looked Hiruzen squarely in the eyes and spoke.
"Those Kirigakure bastards slaughtered my best Root agents. They'll pay. I may not be as strong as I once was, but I'm still an S-rank shinobi."
"Don't worry about Kirigakure, Hiruzen. My Roots and I can handle them; you should stay in the village to lead and respond to anything unforeseen."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on Danzo.
"What's he plotting? Why is he so eager to enter the battlefield? This isn't like him."
He let out a soft sigh and shook his head slowly.
'It doesn't matter—he's right. I need to stay behind and guide the village; now isn't the time for me to join the battlefield.'
After making up his mind Hiruzen looked seriously at Danzo and said.
"Listen carefully, Danzo. I don't care what you're plotting, but Kirigakure is your responsibility. We cannot afford to fight a war on four fronts. Am I clear?"
Danzo smirked arrogantly at Hiruzen and nodded.
"Relax, Hiruzen. Kirigakure only caught us off guard with their strategy. Now that I'm on the front lines, everything will be settled. I'll force them to retreat—just wait for the good news."
Without a word, Danzo spun on his heel and exited the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on the office door.
''Danzo, what are you scheming? You must have some ulterior motive for going to the battlefield, but I don't have time for this right now. I'll deal with this after the war.'
________