The campfire crackled in the darkness.
Then—
A cold voice shattered the night.
"Enemy attack! Protect the field medic!"
The dozen squad leaders' expressions changed instantly. They reacted at once, rushing toward the field medic stationed around them.
Yet whether by design or coincidence, Utatane Rikito—who had been positioned at the center of the formation—was left completely unguarded.
His face turned deathly pale.
Normally composed and steady, he now stood frozen under the overwhelming tide of killing intent flooding the battlefield. His mind went blank.
"Shikotsumyaku: Ten-Finger Piercing Bullets!"
A rain of shuriken, kunai, explosive tags—and bone projectiles—descended from the sky, swallowing the campfire in an instant.
A thunderous explosion erupted.
Smoke billowed.
The first screams were cut off almost as quickly as they began.
"Kill them all!"
Dozens of figures with frenzied eyes burst from the forest as thick mist began to spread across the battlefield.
"Damn it—it's Kirigakure!"
"Don't panic! We outnumber them! Counterattack! The Uchiha are still at the front—they'll come!"
That's right.
The Uchiha were still on the front lines. As long as the commotion was loud enough, they would surely notice.
These were seasoned shinobi. They forced themselves to calm down, regrouping by squad and launching a counteroffensive.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Even the weakest among the squad leaders were chūnin, and those who had survived this long had mastered at least a handful of jutsu.
They combined their efforts to disperse the mist—
But the Mist shinobi, though fewer in number, were elite. With chakra reinforcing it, the fog refused to scatter.
"Fools of Konoha—taste this! Water Release: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!"
A Mist shinobi leapt forward, aura surging, lips curling into a savage grin. Forming seals, he slammed his palms down.
An enormous torrent of water burst from his mouth—enough to form a lake—instantly flooding hundreds of meters around them.
"What kind of jutsu is that?!"
"How can the enemy have someone this powerful?!"
The reinforcement force descended into chaos, scrambling atop the water's surface in horror.
This level of technique was beyond anything they had imagined—power they could never hope to attain.
The Mist shinobi who cast it panted heavily. Even for him, the cost was severe.
Normally, such large-scale techniques were avoided in war due to chakra consumption.
But tonight—
They had to end this quickly.
With the water terrain established, the Mist's combat strength surged. Water-style techniques required less chakra in this environment.
Riding the waves, they pressed forward without restraint.
"Water Release: Water Chaos Wave!"
Streams of water burst from all directions, smashing into Konoha's formation and scattering it instantly.
"Water Release: Severing Wave!"
High-speed water blades sliced through the battlefield. Several genin failed to evade in time and were cut down where they stood.
"Charge!"
With Konoha's formation broken, the Mist launched another barrage before closing in for close-quarters combat.
In less than two minutes, the reinforcement force realized something horrifying—
Despite their numerical advantage, they were outmatched.
The two sides weren't even operating on the same level.
"Hold the line! The Uchiha will come!"
Someone roared desperately.
It was their final hope.
Only on the battlefield did they long so fervently for the Uchiha's arrival.
Fortunately, aside from Utatane Rikito, the field medic were well protected. Though some shinobi suffered wounds, healing jutsu quickly restored them.
"Why are there field medic here?" a Mist shinobi muttered in confusion.
What kind of reinforcement unit sent field medic to the front?
"Doesn't matter—kill them!"
They had originally planned to conserve chakra for escape.
That was no longer possible.
"I'll handle it! Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The already turbulent waters roared violently as massive waves surged forward like a collapsing sky—crashing toward the field medic.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Using fire against water—
It was foolish.
But it was also desperation.
The squads guarding the medics unleashed their strongest techniques.
In this environment, however, the Great Waterfall's scale was overwhelming.
The fireball struck the towering wave, releasing only a burst of steam before vanishing entirely.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
The waves engulfed them, scattering the defenders in an instant.
Several Mist shinobi seized the opportunity. As a few field medic struggled to regain footing, blades flashed toward them.
"It's over…"
Despair filled their eyes. Some shut them instinctively.
Then—
Whoosh—whoosh—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal slicing through air and colliding jolted them awake.
"Shuriken?"
"It's the Uchiha—they're here! Our reinforcements have arrived!"
In the distance, dozens of figures bearing the Uchiha crest advanced swiftly in tight formation.
At their head—
Uchiha Shisui.
"Good! Don't let them escape!"
Someone shouted, breaking free from his opponent and regrouping.
"…Wait. Aren't we the reinforcements?"
Another muttered reflexively—though his face lit with relief.
"They're coming from that direction? Why are they behind us?"
There was confusion.
But this was no time for questions.
On the Mist side, morale plummeted.
They had already committed fully. Their intelligence had been flawed—field medic among the reinforcements had delayed them long enough for the Uchiha to intervene.
"Don't panic! I want to see how strong 'Shunshin no Shisui' really is!"
A Mist shinobi stepped forward—kimono-clad, twin topknots tied high, pale eyes rimmed in gray, aura violent.
"Together! Kill him too!"
"Shikotsumyaku: Camellia Dance!"
He ripped an arm bone from his shoulder, forming a blade of bone, and charged at Shisui.
Shisui formed seals.
Four identical figures split from him and surged forward.
The bone blade pierced through—
Passing cleanly through Shisui's body.
"What?!"
The Mist shinobi's eyes widened.
No impact.
"No… clones!"
Grinning savagely, he swept his blade through the other four figures.
All passed through like smoke.
"All fakes? Impossible!"
He swung wildly, refusing to believe he couldn't find the real one.
The five Shisui made no attempt to dodge. They allowed the bone blade to pass through them as they closed in.
Then—
A flash of silver.
A choked gasp.
The Mist shinobi sank beneath the water.
"Retreat!"
A single exchange had ended a bloodline jōnin.
The Mist were reminded once more of the terrifying gap between ordinary shinobi and those with true renown.
Morale shattered.
They had no will left to fight.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"
Flaming shuriken burst from Shisui's hand, darting like fire spirits—striking Mist shinobi from impossible angles.
Moments later, dozens of Uchiha completed the encirclement.
The battle turned entirely one-sided.
Ten minutes later—
It was over.
Dozens of Mist shinobi lay in pools of blood, their bodies sinking alongside the receding waters into the soaked earth.
There were no prisoners.
Not a single one.