Yako extended a finger.
A single droplet formed—
With no hand seals, the Water Iron Bullet shot forward, piercing clean through a nearby rock.
Yellow Dog's eyes gleamed with open envy.
"Water Bullet: Iron Shot, huh? A no-seal technique... Impressive."
Then he smirked.
"Make sure word gets out that Hōzuki Lingetsu leaked his clan's secret art.
We'll hammer that weak point of theirs hard."
Yako didn't worry about him stealing it.
Ninjas guarded their jutsu like treasure.
Someone who learned Great Fireball would act like no one else in the village was allowed to touch it.
Probing into another ninja's technique was a serious offense.
Doing so with intent? That was an act of hostility.
And Yako wasn't exactly weak anymore.
Even if someone did get greedy, they'd think twice before making a move.
The name Copper Fox carried weight.
Besides, Yellow Dog came to the Uzushiogakure front to earn his promotion to ANBU Deputy Commander.
Yako's achievements only helped him reach that goal faster.
"You've secured Hiramekarei," Yellow Dog said. "I'll be putting in the paperwork for an S-rank reward on your behalf.
Next, you'll carry the sealed blade along the coastline.
We'll set an ambush and try to eliminate some high-value targets from Kirigakure."
"There's no shortage of Mist nin who want to inherit this sword," he added. "Whether they're Hōzuki prodigies or village elites, killing them counts as merit."
Yako's heart surged with satisfaction.
His sixth S-rank mission.
—
Far out at sea, five ships cruised side-by-side.
On the largest, a drenched figure clambered aboard.
The surrounding Mist-nin instantly lowered their gazes, lips sealed.
Kurisame Tsurumaru didn't discriminate in his cruelty.
Enemy or ally—anger him, and you paid the price.
He climbed straight to the upper deck.
There, seated on a raised platform, was the Mist Elder—Genshō.
Since the death of the Third Mizukage, Genshō had been ruling behind the scenes.
He wanted the title of Fourth Mizukage, but the major clans opposed him.
Who knew how long the old man would live?
If he clung to power for decades, how would the clans ever put forward their own candidate?
Kurisame glanced at the front row—clan leaders sat in neat lines.
Genshō had declared: whoever performed best in the Uzushio campaign would become the Fourth Mizukage.
It was nothing but bait—meant to bleed the clans dry.
As one of Genshō's men, Kurisame was happy to see them suffer.
He walked past the rows of seated jōnin and clan heads and stood before the platform.
"Elder Genshō! Hōzuki Lingetsu is dead.
Hiramekarei has fallen into Konoha's hands!"
"What?!"
Hōzuki Gekgetsu, head of the Hōzuki clan, bolted to his feet.
He immediately summoned a summoning scroll nearly as tall as a man.
Seven characters were etched into its surface—each representing one of the Seven Ninja Swords.
The symbols for Stitching Needle, Executioner's Blade, and Helmet Splitter were dim—relinquished to the village during an earlier compromise.
He performed the summoning for the symbol (Twin)—the mark for Hiramekarei.
Nothing happened.
Only silence.
All around, the heads of the Kaguya, Tachibana, Terumi, and Mizunotsuki clans watched with cold eyes.
Hiramekarei…
was gone.
Lingetsu had lost it.
"Gekgetsu-sama," the Kaguya clan head sneered.
"Just because Lingetsu was your second son, you handed him one of our most prized blades?"
But no one echoed the mockery.
The Terumi, Tachibana, and others remained oddly quiet.
Kaguya's leader frowned.
He glanced around.
Wasn't this their usual chance to tear into the Hōzuki clan?
Genshō swept a cold glance at the idiot beside him.
'Bone-brained fool.'
"Details," he said to Kurisame. "Everything. Leave nothing out."
"Yes, sir."
Kurisame began.
"Lingetsu and I were patrolling the coastline.
We spotted an isolated Konoha squad and moved to eliminate them."
"Then, a full ANBU unit appeared—led by a jōnin-level commander."
"The squad was average. But the commander… was Copper Fox. The one who made a name in the River campaign."
"Lingetsu told me to fall back and deal with the small fry. He said he'd handle Copper Fox himself."
"But… before I could kill even a few… the Fox returned—with Hiramekarei on his back."
"I saw no wounds. His clothes weren't even wet.
It was like… he had beaten Lingetsu easily. I returned immediately to report."
"...Copper Fox…" Genshō repeated, tapping his fingers.
He recalled the dossier.
Suna's forward base had issued a special directive:
Avoid Copper Fox at all costs.
The Konoha ANBU possessed an unknown absolute defense technique.
Standard attacks were useless. Treat him with caution.
"We'll issue an S-rank mission," Genshō said. "Select three jōnin to retrieve Hiramekarei."
"The one who performs best will become its next wielder."
Gekgetsu, having just recovered from shock, exploded.
"The next wielder? Elder Genshō, that blade belongs to the Hōzuki clan!
It's not up to the village to decide its successor!"
Genshō didn't flinch.
"Hiramekarei is a national treasure.
You gave it to your son, and he lost it. That disgrace belongs to all of Kirigakure."
"Still… out of respect for your clan, you may choose two of the three jōnin."
"If your candidates underperform… don't blame me."
He rose to address the assembly.
"This is our time.
Konoha is exhausted. They've clashed with Kumo, Iwa, and Suna already."
"If we can't secure our share of the Uzushio spoils now, when will Mist ever rise?"
"Every clan. Every shinobi.
Your duty is victory.
And if the Hōzuki drag us down… the village will move on without them."
Gekgetsu nearly snapped.
He wanted to shout:
'Stop speaking like you're the Mizukage.'
But he didn't.
The Fourth Mizukage still hadn't been selected.
And in the meantime, Genshō had only tightened the Blood Mist policy started under the Third.
He commanded ruthless jōnin like Kurisame and Kujō Tōzō.
Crossing him… wasn't wise.
The major clans were locked in a brutal struggle of their own.
Gekgetsu thought carefully.
'If we send two of our best jōnin… Hiramekarei might still return to us.'
That damned Copper Fox…
'Once we get our hands on him… we'll drown him in clan acid until his bones melt away.'