"How can I generate the Sword Saint Entry as quickly as possible?"
As he walked, thoughts raced through Isshin's mind.
Jōnin and Sword Saint represented the fourth stage of advancement in the shinobi and swordsman career paths respectively.
The depth and breadth of external recognition required for both should be roughly comparable.
Back when Shinichi's original body advanced to Special Jōnin, he had already laid the groundwork through self-promotion, purchasing trending headlines across the ninja world, and with the various hidden villages quietly adding fuel to the fire behind the scenes.
The news of "Ten Years Old! The Youngest Jōnin in Konoha History" spread across more than half the ninja world. Public awareness had already accumulated like a reservoir filled to the brim, waiting only for the floodgates to open.
As a result, the moment Shinichi officially became a Jōnin, the Jōnin career Entry appeared instantly on his panel.
Isshin, however, did not enjoy the same advantage.
The influence of the Land of Iron was largely confined to the samurai class and neighboring regions. It was nowhere near as attention-grabbing as Konohagakure, the foremost of the Five Great Ninja Villages. Meanwhile, the title of "Youngest Jōnin in History" was exactly the sort of story that could dominate newspaper headlines across nations and become the talk of every street corner.
As for the title of National Swordsmanship Tournament Champion, to the vast majority of people in the ninja world—especially shinobi and civilians far removed from samurai culture—it was probably only slightly more significant than hearing that some small village had appointed a new Jōnin.
Even if he won the championship and was officially granted the title of Sword Saint by the Land of Iron, the scope and depth of recognition he gained would likely still fall short of what his original body had received back then.
Therefore, relying solely on the tournament itself and its aftermath would probably not be enough to generate the Sword Saint Entry immediately.
"Looks like I'll have to help promote myself."
Shinichi himself had already become one of the central figures stirring the tides of the Third Shinobi World War. His reputation was at its peak, and any news connected to him spread rapidly.
More importantly, last year, Shinichi and his clone Isshin had publicly made a promise before countless witnesses regarding who would become the strongest in the ninja world in the future. At the time, the two had appeared evenly matched, leaving a deep impression on many people.
That could definitely be used as a publicity angle.
Not much time had passed since then. Most people would never imagine that Shinichi's strength had advanced so dramatically over the past few months. There was a good chance they still assumed Samurai Isshin and Higashino Shinichi were on roughly equal footing.
As long as the right public narrative was created and the topic was allowed to gain momentum, he could leverage Higashino Shinichi, currently the hottest name in the ninja world, as a gateway into the awareness of a much broader audience.
Especially among the upper echelons of various nations, intelligence operatives, and powerful individuals who closely followed strong warriors and developments on the battlefield.
Under those circumstances, the efficiency with which his clone gained the recognition necessary to advance to Sword Saint would increase dramatically...
"Isshin-san, we've heard that you once made a promise with Konohagakure's Higashino Shinichi to determine who would become the strongest in the ninja world in the future. Do you still believe you're qualified to make such a claim?"
"The strongest in the future ninja world? I don't believe there's anyone whose name deserves to be placed ahead of mine."
What was this, some ninja-world LeBron?
The sense of déjà vu was bizarre.
Isshin silently mocked himself, suppressing the random thought. Instead, he found himself eagerly anticipating what kind of surprise the upcoming purple Entry draw would bring once the Sword Saint Entry finally materialized.
...
Meanwhile, behind the Land of Waves stood a small island perpetually shrouded in dense mist.
The island was so obscure that it did not even appear on maps.
Recently, the fog surrounding it had grown even thicker. Anyone who approached and looked closely would discover layer upon layer of warning traps and barrier formations covering both the island itself and the surrounding waters.
This was none other than Kirigakure's top-secret forward command center and primary logistics hub for its southwestern offensive.
Contrary to what most people expected, Kirigakure had not placed its command headquarters and most important supply depots on the main island of the Land of Waves, closer to the front lines.
Instead, they had hidden them on this rear satellite island.
The entire deployment was arranged in a fan-shaped formation.
At the front, the main island of the Land of Waves and several strategically important satellite islands served as anchor points for Kirigakure's primary combat forces.
Like outstretched claws, they faced the long coastline of the Land of Fire.
At the rear, the command center remained hidden at the center of the fan-shaped defense, maintaining efficient and highly secret communication channels with every forward outpost.
Any enemy attempting to strike directly at the headquarters and logistics base would first have to penetrate the multiple defensive lines in front, making it extremely likely that the warning network would detect them well in advance.
Even if some lucky survivors somehow broke through the outer layers, they would quickly find themselves trapped between reinforcements rushing back from the front and the command center's own defensive forces, making it nearly impossible to pose a genuine threat.
Conversely, the headquarters could oversee the front-line situation as effortlessly as moving its own limbs, while safely receiving supplies from the Land of Water and secretly redistributing them to the front.
Such cautious—some might even say excessive—logistical defenses were clearly a direct response to Shinichi's lightning-fast deep-strike raid behind enemy lines during the Konoha–Kumogakure war.
That operation had shocked the entire ninja world and forced every hidden village to reevaluate the security of its logistical systems.
Kirigakure, which was preparing to confront Konohagakure head-on, was naturally no exception.
Inside the command center, Karatachi Yagura stood quietly before an enormous map, expressionless as his gaze swept across the various strategic points.
"Yagura!"
A rough, hoarse voice filled with impatience shattered the silence.
The speaker was a burly middle-aged man with a rugged face and a striking vermilion-red dot painted above each eyebrow.
"How much longer are we supposed to wait? I've been rotting away in this godforsaken place so long my bones are about to rust!"
The man glared at Yagura.
"You little brat, do you even have the guts to fight? If you don't, then step down already and hand the position of commander over to me!"
Just as his words fell, another cold and composed voice immediately rebuked him.
"How presumptuous, Umemaro! Yagura was personally appointed by the Mizukage-sama as commander of the front lines. How dare you spout such nonsense and make reckless remarks here?!"
The one who spoke was a beautiful and gentle-looking "woman"—Yuki Hiro, the current clan head of the Yuki Clan, one of Kirigakure's three great noble clans.
The Yuki Clan was renowned for its Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. Most of its members possessed strikingly beautiful and refined features, often making it difficult to tell whether they were male or female.
At that moment, Hiro's delicate face was frosted with anger, clearly displeased by Umemaro's remarks.
"Yuki Hiro!"
Umemaro spun around and glared at him, raising his voice even further.
"Don't try throwing the Mizukage's name around to pressure me! If my father hadn't died fighting alongside the Second Mizukage back then, and if I hadn't been too young at the time, how would your Yuki Clan's Yuki Ren have gotten the chance to pick up the Mizukage position—"
His words came to an abrupt halt.
His body suddenly stiffened.
More than a dozen streams of water gleaming with a chilling light had silently wrapped themselves around his limbs and torso at some unknown moment, like living venomous serpents. Every major joint in his body was locked in place.
Water Release: Water Whip!
With a stiff neck, Umemaro slowly turned his head.
His gaze locked onto Yagura, who remained standing with his back toward him and appeared never to have moved at all.
The killing intent radiating from Umemaro was so intense it almost seemed tangible, spreading through the air.
"Yagura! You—!"
"Clan Head Kaguya, mind your words."
Yagura's voice remained calm.
He did not even bother turning around. He merely raised a finger slightly, and the dozen streams of water loosened like obedient living creatures before silently falling to the floor.
"The Mizukage-sama's name and decisions are not ours to discuss recklessly."
Just as Umemaro's expression twisted with fury and he was about to explode, Yagura finally turned around.
There was not the slightest expression on his youthful face.
His violet eyes calmly met the other's gaze.
"Since Clan Head Kaguya is so eager for battle..."
As he spoke, his finger settled on a location on the map.
It was a crescent-shaped bay along the southeastern coast of the Land of Fire, marked White Sand Bay.
"Then five days from now, at dawn, I would like you to lead the Kaguya Clan's elite forces in a landing operation here. If you encounter any Konoha shinobi during the operation, kill them all without exception. After securing the landing site, remain in place and await further instructions from headquarters."
Yagura had no intention of assigning any supporting units to Umemaro.
Everyone in Kirigakure knew that most members of the Kaguya Clan were born battle maniacs—bloodthirsty and obsessed with combat. Even those few who were not would quickly become so under the clan's influence.
Once these people got carried away in battle, they recognized neither friend nor foe.
No other force in Kirigakure could keep pace with them.
As a result, they were usually deployed independently while other units provided support from the flanks.
"Well? Clan Head Kaguya?"
At those words, everyone's gaze turned toward Umemaro.
In particular, the current head of the Hōzuki Clan, Hōzuki Hangetsu, and Suikazan Fuguki, leader of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, folded their arms and watched with obvious amusement.
Umemaro shot Yagura a vicious glare.
His chest rose and fell several times, but in the end he restrained himself.
"Fine! I'll take the mission!"
With that, he ignored everyone else, turned around, and strode out of the command center.
His footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Only after he had left did Yagura return his attention to the map.
His finger moved to a stretch of coastline on the left flank as he began issuing orders to the others.
"Clan Head Yuki Hiro, five days from now, I would like you to lead the Yuki Clan's elite forces and the accompanying units in a landing operation within this area. Establish a defensive line and gradually advance inland, tying down Konoha's forces on the left flank."
"Suikazan Fuguki, you and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen will serve as the main assault force supporting Clan Head Hiro. Your responsibility will be eliminating Konoha outposts and reconnaissance units along the route."
"Clan Head Hōzuki Hangetsu."
Yagura's finger shifted to the right side of the map, pointing to another bay not far from the Kaguya Clan's designated landing site.
"Five days from now, I would like you to lead the Hōzuki Clan's elite forces and the accompanying units in a landing operation from this location. Your mission will be to establish an advanced position on the right flank and..."
He paused briefly, his tone growing slightly heavier.
"Do your best to support the Kaguya Clan's operations. After their landing is complete, you will be responsible for establishing contact with them and relaying headquarters' subsequent combat orders."
After issuing those instructions, Yagura fell silent for a moment.
His gaze eventually settled on the center of the map.
There, directly facing Kirigakure's army, stood a city named Rinkai City.
The strategy he had arranged was one Kirigakure excelled at.
Their forces would be divided into two or more tactical groups and launched from different directions in converging assaults against the enemy.
This method effectively dispersed the enemy's defensive firepower, reducing the resistance and casualties associated with frontal assaults before eventually closing the encirclement and trapping the enemy completely.
And the timing—five days from now—was precisely the date Kirigakure and Sunagakure had secretly agreed upon for their general offensive.
Five days later, Kirigakure would launch a major assault from the southeastern coast, while Sunagakure simultaneously applied pressure from the southwest.
The eastern and western fronts would strike together.
A joint assault against Konoha!
"When the time comes!"
Yagura raised his eyes.
A sharp glint flashed through his violet pupils.
"I will personally lead the headquarters' main force and advance alongside all of you."
His finger slammed down on the location of Rinkai City.
"We will annihilate every last Konoha defender there!"
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone in the command center answered in unison.
A murderous atmosphere filled the room before the officers dispersed to carry out their assignments.
After they had all left, Yagura once again lowered his gaze to the map.
He knew very well how highly the Mizukage valued him.
The Mizukage even intended to cultivate him as a future successor to the position.
That was why he had entrusted him with full authority over this crucial southwestern war against Konoha.
It was a vital opportunity to build prestige and establish his standing.
This battle had to be won cleanly.
It had to be won decisively.
Only then could he live up to the Mizukage's expectations and guidance, solidify his position within the village, and pave the way for his future.
Looking at the markers and positions displayed across the map, a name suddenly surfaced in Yagura's mind.
Higashino Shinichi.
A genius boy who had burst onto the stage like a bolt of lightning shortly after the outbreak of the war, rising rapidly and repeatedly achieving miraculous victories that left the entire ninja world astonished.
For most people in today's ninja world, their feelings toward him were a mixture of shock and fear.
Fear of the overwhelming power and terrifying rate of growth that seemed utterly incompatible with his age.
Yagura, however, was somewhat different.
Over the past several days, he had gathered a vast amount of intelligence and analysis regarding Higashino Shinichi.
What interested him was not the boy's personal strength or talent.
Rather, it was the strategic thinking and command ability hidden behind those accomplishments.
In particular, the lightning-fast guerrilla campaign deep within the Land of Lightning that had thrown Kumogakure's rear areas into complete chaos.
The precise predictions, daring penetrations, concentration of superior force at critical points, skillful exploitation of intelligence, constant creation of confusion, and the ability to achieve maximum results at minimal cost—
Yagura had studied those methods over and over again.
At this moment, he genuinely hoped that this opponent named Higashino Shinichi would appear on the southeastern front.
He wanted to face him across the sea and test himself against him directly.
To truly clash with such an opponent on the levels of strategy and tactics would likely be a fascinating experience.
However, Yagura was not certain whether the other man would actually appear.
After all, Shinichi possessed exceptionally advanced medical ninjutsu.
And on the southwestern front, where Konoha was facing Chiyo of Sunagakure, top-tier medical shinobi were needed more than anywhere else.
Konoha's leadership would likely prioritize sending him there.
At the thought, a complicated emotion rose within Yagura—a mixture of anticipation and regret.
Anticipation at the possibility of crossing swords with such an opponent.
Regret at the possibility of missing that opportunity altogether.
...
Elsewhere, a furious Kaguya Umemaro strode back to the Kaguya Clan's temporary encampment.
Inside the tent were nothing but burly men who wore their hair in topknots and bore the same distinctive vermilion-red marks above their eyebrows as he did.
Every single one of them radiated an intense aura of violence.
"Clan Head! How did it go? What did that little pretty-boy Yagura say?!"
The moment he entered, a Kaguya clansman bellowed impatiently.
The others immediately crowded around as well.
"Five days from now! At dawn!"
Umemaro grinned, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth.
"At White Sand Bay! I'll take all of you out for a proper feast! We'll show those soft Konoha weaklings what the Kaguya Clan is truly capable of!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"About damn time! My bone blades have been hungry for blood for ages!"
"Kill! Rip their intestines out and wrap them around their necks!"
"Tear them apart! Pull out every last one of their bones!"
"And don't forget to break those bones one segment at a time! That's the best sound of all!"
"Who cares if they're shinobi or civilians? Kill every single one we run into! Leave no survivors!"
"Kill!"
"KILL!!"
"KILL!!!"
The Kaguya clansmen immediately erupted into savage laughter and thunderous roars.
The killing intent filling the tent was so dense it seemed almost tangible.
The smiles plastered across their faces were downright horrifying.
Watching his clansmen in such a bloodthirsty, eager state, the irritation Umemaro had felt toward Yagura vanished completely.
In its place came boundless anticipation for the coming war.
In this battle, he would earn unparalleled glory!
He would show all of Kirigakure—
No!
He would show the entire ninja world—
Who the true strongest was!
Among Kirigakure's Three Great Clans, the Hōzuki Clan had produced a Mizukage.
The Yuki Clan had also produced the current Mizukage.
By that order, the next turn should naturally belong to the Kaguya Clan.
To him, Kaguya Umemaro.
Once he ascended to the position of Mizukage...
Then Yagura—
No!
All those who opposed him.
That pretentious brat Yagura.
Those self-important fools from the Hōzuki and Yuki clans.
In short, anyone who dared oppose him or stand in his way—
He would simply kill them all.
Their blood and bones would become the steps leading up to Umemaro's Mizukage throne.
As that vision formed in his mind, the grin on his face became even more savage and terrifying.
He turned his head and looked southwest, toward the Land of Fire.
"Konoha shinobi..." he muttered softly, his voice dripping with cruel delight.
"Cry."
"Scream."
"And then die obediently."
"Your blood and your wails... will serve as the first gift celebrating my future ascension to the position of Mizukage."
...
Meanwhile, outside Konoha's southeastern front-line command headquarters.
Shinichi had just handed the detailed tactical document explaining the Elastic Defense System to Koharu and learned from her which sector he would be responsible for defending.
After leaving headquarters, he had only taken a few steps before suddenly stopping.
A thoughtful look appeared on his face as he raised his head and gazed out toward the boundless sea stretching into the horizon.
"Shinichi-kun? What's wrong?"
Beside him, Uchiha Fugaku, who had also just received his assignment and was leaving headquarters alongside him, slowed his pace and asked.
According to Koharu's deployment plan, Shinichi and Fugaku were responsible for the left flank of the main camp's defensive sector—the northern sector.
(From Kirigakure's perspective across the sea, this was the right flank.)
Shinichi would personally lead the forces defending White Sand Bay, one of the most critical predetermined battlefields and one of the locations most likely to come under attack.
Meanwhile, Fugaku would defend another important stretch of coastline slightly farther away, forming a mutually supporting horn formation with Shinichi on the flank.
Both defense zones were locations Shinichi had identified in his analysis as highly probable landing sites for Kirigakure's invasion force.
They were of critical importance.
Between their sectors, as well as along the broader coastline, numerous reconnaissance teams and observation posts composed primarily of Hyūga and Uchiha shinobi formed a tightly woven early-warning network.
If either side came under attack, reinforcements from the other could arrive within a day.
Elite vanguard units composed entirely of jōnin could enter the battlefield in as little as half a day.
As for powerhouses on Shinichi and Fugaku's level, their response time would be even faster.
"It's nothing."
Hearing Fugaku's question, Shinichi withdrew his gaze from the sea and smiled faintly.