Chapter 44: Shadows and Shimmering Light
Though Liumu had heard tales of the "Bloody Mist," witnessing the callous brutality of a Kirigakure shinobi firsthand still sent a chill of disgust and anger through him.
Were it not for the critical mission at hand, he would never have let that human-shaped monster walk away.
"Who's there?!"
On the mound, the shinobi suddenly whipped out a weapon from his waist—a long, needle-like blade—and slashed at the shimmering afterimage Liumu had left behind.
Startled by the swift reaction, Liumu immediately dissolved fully into light, merging with the reflections dancing on the surface of the partially frozen lake.
It's him!
The unique weapon confirmed it.
Longsword: Sewing Needle. Its wielder: Kushimaru Kuriarare.
One of the feared Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. His weapons were the needle-shaped longsword and its companion, a giant sewing needle. In the original history, Kuriarare, along with wielders like Mangetsu Hōzuki, would fall to the might of the Eight Gates-wielding, green-beastied hero, Might Dai.
But now…
Liumu hadn't expected his first encounter inside Kirigakure to be with such a heavyweight.
Kuriarare's perception must be exceptional, Liumu thought, to have noticed my elemental form at all.
Seeing no further disturbance on the lake, Kuriarare, still clutching the wailing infant, stared intently at the spot for a long moment.
Whoosh.
A black-clad figure materialized beside him. The newcomer glanced at the baby. "You found it. Why linger?"
Kuriarare didn't answer immediately. After a brief, tense silence, he departed with the shadowy figure.
Liumu remained perfectly still, still one with the lake's shimmer. He watched as Kuriarare, suspicious, returned to the mound's edge once more, scanning the area. Seeing nothing amiss, the swordsman finally vanished for good.
"That was close," Liumu muttered to himself, committing the location of this lake to memory before streaming away as light to investigate the next potential watery hideout.
Outside Kirigakure, Minato had finished strategically placing his Flying Thunder God kunai and was observing the patrol patterns at the village's main entrance.
It was then that a group of familiar figures appeared—the Kirigakure team returning from the Chunin Exams in the Land of Lightning.
"It's them."
Minato's eyes narrowed. He immediately recognized Haku—Han.
While Han wouldn't recognize Tsunade or the others, she had fought Liumu. If she were to spot him during his reconnaissance, his cover would be blown instantly.
"We need to warn Liumu about this," Minato thought.
Locating Isobu's trail was one challenge. Capturing the beast without alerting the entire village was another matter entirely. While Kirigakure's overall military might might not match Konoha or Kumo's, their unique mastery of Water Release and the formidable combat power of the Seven Swordsmen were forces not even Tsunade and Orochimaru could afford to underestimate.
At the temporary rendezvous point outside the village, Minato rejoined Tsunade. The small slug before her greeted him with a pulse of chakra before vanishing in a poof of white smoke.
"The Konoha exam team has returned to the village safely," Tsunade reported.
"So… the intelligence was faulty?" Minato crouched beside her, his voice low. "Weren't Suna shinobi supposed to ambush our team in the Land of Lightning?"
Tsunade shook her head slightly. "Hatake Sakumo should be in the Land of Winds by now. We'd have to ask him to know the full situation there."
The grudge between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire ran deep. The three Sannin had disguised themselves as Sound ninja to shadow the exam team precisely because of intercepted intel about a Suna ambush. Yet, no Suna-nin had appeared throughout the entire exam, allowing the Sannin to pivot immediately to their Kirigakure mission.
"Any unusual activity on your end?" Tsunade asked.
"Patrol patterns are noted. My markers are in place," Minato confirmed. He hesitated, then added, "I saw the Kiri team from the exams return. They know Liumu. If they spot him…"
Tsunade's expression grew serious, immediately grasping the implication. "I didn't expect them back so soon." She bit her thumb in thought. "We'll address it when they return."
From what Jiraiya had conveyed to Tsunade about Liumu, even he couldn't fully explain the boy's capabilities. The extreme strength and speed displayed in the exams, and now this newly revealed "Light Release" Kekkei Genkai… No one knew what other cards he held.
But…
"He is the disciple of Jiraiya-sensei," Minato's voice, firm and clear, pulled Tsunade from her thoughts.
Contemplating his words, the tension in Tsunade's brow gradually eased, replaced by a faint, resolute smile. "You're right. He is Jiraiya's disciple. He is one of Konoha's own."
Two hours later, Orochimaru and Liumu returned to the rendezvous.
They immediately debriefed the team.
"I marked three lakes within Kiri large enough to conceal Isobu," Liumu reported, unfurling the map provided by Yuhi Makoto with precise annotations. "Locations are detailed here." He finished by scooping up a handful of clean snow to quench his thirst.
Orochimaru gave a slight, approving nod. "The boy's investigative direction was correct. While I did not detect tailed beast chakra in the several black-site prisons I infiltrated, I did discover the training grounds Kirigakure uses to… cultivate their Kekkei Genkai bearers."
"Train? Kekkei Genkai?" Tsunade's eyes hardened. "How can a bloodline limit be trained?"
Orochimaru's expression was grim. He produced a scroll from his robes, its surface stained with dark patches, and laid it before the group.
"They gather children who show potential for bloodline limits, and ordinary children. They then 'cultivate' combat experience through… talent stimulation and forced fratricide."
CRACK!
Two consecutive, sharp sounds echoed as Tsunade's fists clenched, the ground beneath them fracturing. A killing intent so potent it thickened the air radiated from her. "Inhuman!" she snarled.
"Tsunade! Remember the mission!" Orochimaru's voice was a sharp, sibilant reminder.
"I know!" Tsunade growled through gritted teeth. She stood abruptly and stalked away from the group.
Yuhi Makoto, responsible for updating the perimeter maps, had not yet returned. The team was bound to this location for now.
Liumu watched Tsunade's retreating back as she sat alone under the cold moonlight, her posture rigid. He sighed softly, then walked over and settled quietly beside her. After a moment, he pulled a few clean tissues from an inner pocket of his jacket and offered them to her silently.
Tsunade's beloved younger brother and her lover had both been claimed by war. Seeing Kirigakure, still ruthlessly forging child-killers for future conflicts, filled her with a profound, soul-deep loathing for the very structure of the shinobi world.
(End of Chapter)
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