The moment Kaito's voice fell, the wooden boat beneath his feet gave a faint sway.
Conversation halted.
The thick mist swallowed the world in silence once more.
Then—
"Truly unexpected."
A lazy, mocking voice drifted through the fog.
"Konoha actually sent a jōnin disguised as a genin. Has our plan already been compromised?"
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Soft ripples spread across the water as someone approached, step by step, their silhouette gradually materializing.
Once Hōzuki Chō released the concealment technique shrouding his body, everyone finally saw him clearly.
"Kirigakure ANBU!"
Kurenai stiffened in shock.
Her fingers tightened around her kunai until her knuckles whitened.
"Why… why would Kirigakure's ANBU appear here?!
Are you planning to declare war on Konoha?!"
The others paled—all except Kaito, who wore a deliberately strained expression while his eyes quietly scanned the surroundings.
He was checking for the presence of a second Mist shinobi.
"Seems you really don't know," Hōzuki Chō said calmly.
Inwardly, he let out a subtle breath of relief—but he kept his tone cold and detached.
"Kirigakure has already allied with Uzushio.
So…"
His voice stretched mockingly, eyes turning razor-sharp.
"You Konoha shinobi are no longer of use."
"Before you die, I'll share a little bonus information."
"Ignoring Mizukage-sama's achievements would be rude, so…
we've successfully acquired the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques."
"Oh—"
"And the new Three-Tails jinchūriki?
An Uzumaki, now proudly serving as a Mist-nin~"
A cold, low chuckle rolled out.
The Konoha shinobi's faces drained of color.
Even Kaito felt a moment of shock—
If it were true, it would explain why Uzushio "fell" and why Konoha "couldn't spare forces" in canon.
But then—
The new jinchūriki is an Uzumaki?
Instantly, Kaito snapped back.
That's a lie.
He reeks of lying.
"You expect us to believe that based on your nonsense?" Kurenai retorted.
She was half-skeptical, but Kirigakure navigating past Konoha's sea outposts and lying in wait was itself… alarming.
Kurenai stepped off the boat, standing firmly atop the water's surface.
"I'm giving the final retreat order."
This time she didn't bother hiding it behind excuses.
"Kirigakure ANBU are out of our league.
Genma! Ryūun! Cover each other and fall back!"
"Yes, ma'am!" ×2
Ryūun gritted her teeth and moved to take over rowing duty, believing Genma and Kaito could protect her.
On the other boat, Might Duy volunteered to row, Nawaki covering him.
—The two trembling boatmen clearly weren't capable of rowing anything anymore.
"In front of me, planning your escape?"
Hōzuki Chō smirked.
"How amusing."
He formed a one-handed seal.
"Secret Art: Hidden Mist!"
This time, the kanji for "Hidden" pulsed.
Kurenai's vision warped—
The ANBU's lower body dissolved, then his upper body—
until he melted seamlessly into the mist, vanishing completely.
"Damn it! Where?!"
Sweat poured down Kurenai's temples.
As a genjutsu specialist, she was at a natural disadvantage—
Mist shinobi were her worst matchup.
Whsssh—
A kunai sliced from behind.
A spark of red flame ignited beside her as Kurenai snapped to attention, dropping low to dodge a sweeping slash. She countered instantly—driving her kunai forward.
Splurt!
The sound of tearing flesh filled her ears—
But something was wrong.
There was no scent of blood.
No warmth.
No resistance of real muscle.
She abandoned the kunai immediately and flickered backward with Body Flicker.
Two kunai stabbed into the water where she had stood a second ago, forming small ripples.
The ANBU's body liquefied into a puddle and fell back into the ocean.
A Hōzuki.
Water Transformation.
Worst possible matchup.
"Kurenai-sensei, don't let your guard down."
Kaito called from the stern, eyes narrow.
Just hold on until I confirm they're safe… then I'll switch identities and handle this.
Meanwhile, Hōzuki Chō clicked his tongue from somewhere deep inside the mist.
"So the jōnin sensed the attack. Even if he can't see me, he can still respond the moment I strike. Tch."
"But still…"
He smirked.
"This jōnin's level isn't very high."
"I can kill him all the same."
"And I can't let the others escape too easily.
If they bring border reinforcements, things get messy."
"Water Clone Technique!"
Tap. Tap.
A faint splashing sound.
"There!"
Kurenai didn't hesitate. She hurled a kunai wrapped with a black-and-white charm toward the water clone.
"Tch. As expected from a jōnin—you reacted instantly."
The clone nodded. "Understood."
It dove into the fog, sprinting toward the rear—toward the retreating group.
As the clone moved, the real Hōzuki Chō made another hand seal.
"Water Instantaneous Body Technique."
The ocean was his kingdom.
No ordinary shinobi dared fight a Mist-nin on the sea.
A sudden burst of speed—and he vanished.
BOOOOM!!!
A violent explosion shattered the mist.
Red light flared through the white haze.
"UNCLE KURENAI!!"
"Sensei!!"
Ryūun bit back her sobs, rowing with shaking arms, tears streaking down her cheeks.
Genma's face was twisted with silent grief.
Against a jōnin-level assassination specialist… they were powerless.
"Damn it… Sensei won't… he won't die, right?"
Nawaki stared, desperate, seeing nothing but fog swallowing the dying light.
"Believe in Kurenai-sensei."
Even Might Duy—normally a blazing sun of youth—spoke in a low, strained voice as he rowed furiously.
Then—
A large wave surged from the explosion, rocking both boats violently.
Splash!
Ryūun and Genma froze.
No way.
This isn't the Chūnin Exams! Not now!
In front of them, Kaito—who had been leaning forward watching the battlefield—
lost his balance
and tumbled straight into the ocean.
After a long, dramatic moment—
Kaito's head popped back up, drenched as he scrambled aboard.
"Sorry—got too absorbed watching the fight and fell in."
Everyone stared at him.
The grief in their hearts… cracked a little.
Ryūun: "As expected of Konoha's No.1 unpredictable seven-year genin."
Genma: sigh "Honestly…"
Ryūun shouted, "Get up here! We need to reach the border outpost and call for reinforcements!"
Might Duy: "…"
Nawaki covered his face.
"At a time like this… You're embarrassing the village…"
Kaito glanced toward the crimson explosion in the distance.
Then he nodded firmly at Ryūun.
"On it."
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