"Hm? Shiken sent a message."
Inuzuka Ryoha picked up the letter and read it.
"There's a big fish by the sea. Come quickly."
"Let's go, Rinko. Time for us to stretch our legs."
"Mhm."
The lovey-dovey couple set off toward the coast of the Land of Lightning to catch a big fish.
...
Along the coastline of the Land of Lightning—
"What is that?"
Mei Terumi stared at the two battlefields ahead in shock.
One was where the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails were fighting.
The other was where two colossal stone giants were battling each other.
Could this really be a fight they were supposed to participate in?
Wasn't ninja combat supposed to be something like—
You slash me once, I slash you once.
You cast a jutsu, I cast a jutsu.
But what the hell was all this?
This was exactly why isolationism was a terrible idea. The Hidden Mist Village had already begun falling behind the times.
"Calm down, Mei Terumi."
The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, wore a childish face, but his expression was incomparably serious.
The Tailed Beasts didn't bother him much.
The Hidden Mist had possessed one before as well.
It had simply been killed.
Give it a few decades, and another would appear.
But those two stone giants...
Those were genuine ninjutsu.
And as far as he knew, the Hidden Mist didn't have anything remotely like that.
The Second Mizukage seemed to have possessed a technique called Steaming Danger Tyranny.
After returning, he would have to search the Hōzuki Clan archives.
The ninja world was already entering a completely different era.
"Yo, so you two are the legendary big fish?"
Inuzuka Ryoha and Inuzuka Rinko appeared before the Mizukage duo.
"The Inuzuka couple from Konoha."
Yagura's expression grew even more solemn.
He knew very well that the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had suffered badly at the hands of this husband-and-wife pair.
"Baby-face, little sister-in-law, what are you two doing here? This is Cloud Village territory. Hidden Mist isn't exactly welcome here."
Damn it.
You know this is Cloud Village territory too! Then what are you Konoha people doing here?
Wait.
Were they missing something?
"You bastard! Who are you calling baby-face? I'm ten years older than you, understand?!"
Yagura exploded in rage.
"Baby-face" was his forbidden phrase.
Being unable to grow up was one thing.
Being unable to grow taller was another.
...
"Inuzuka bastard, don't ruin my reputation! I'm still single!"
Mei Terumi spoke with absolute seriousness.
Though she desperately wanted to get married.
If Ryoha's "little sister-in-law" comment spread and she didn't clarify things—
She'd become even harder to marry off.
A first marriage and a second marriage were completely different things.
Just like a first love and any relationship afterward.
"Really? Uchiha Kamito stayed in Hidden Mist for so long and still didn't win you over?"
Ryoha looked utterly unconvinced.
He simply refused to believe Kamito had spent all that time in Hidden Mist just to kill Jūzō Biwa and bring Kisame Hoshigaki back.
That wasn't Kamito's style.
"Ryoha, it's fine. Besides, Mei Terumi isn't exactly that pretty. It's normal for Kamito not to be interested."
Rinko comforted him.
That single sentence nearly made Mei explode.
If they wanted to fight, then fight.
Why were they talking nonstop?
"Win you over" wasn't exactly a pleasant phrase.
But "not interested" somehow sounded even worse.
"You two can both die!"
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
A massive amount of acidic mist poured from Mei's mouth, blanketing the entire area.
Yagura immediately used Water Body Flicker to retreat.
The acidic mist began corroding Ryoha and Rinko.
Sizzle—
The sound echoed continuously.
The skin on their bodies began undergoing strange changes.
Blood started seeping from countless wounds.
Seeing her attack succeed, Mei couldn't help feeling pleased.
"Hmph. That's what you get for having such filthy mouths. Die under the corrosion of my Skilled Mist Technique."
"Coral Palm."
Yagura swung the staff behind him, knocking away Ryoha, who had suddenly appeared beside Mei.
"Pay attention. Don't get carried away. This is war."
"Y-Yes, sir."
A chill ran down Mei's back.
Cold sweat poured from her forehead.
Just moments ago, Ryoha's claws had nearly slit her throat.
Inuzuka bastard, didn't you just call me your sister-in-law?
Is this how you treat your sister-in-law?
(Ryoha: ??? Did I hear that wrong? Weren't you denying it earlier?)
Meanwhile, Ryoha stared at the coral rapidly spreading across his body.
"What a strange technique. It's turning my flesh into coral. What's the principle behind this?"
He began tearing the coral from his body.
Yet new coral immediately grew back.
"It's useless. Once you're hit by my Coral Palm, death is your only outcome. Unless you don't mind cutting away every piece of flesh on your body."
Yagura smiled.
He even offered the suggestion with remarkable "sincerity."
"Cut it away, huh? Thanks for the reminder."
Ryoha moved without hesitation.
His left arm transformed into a claw.
He sliced away a huge chunk of flesh from his chest and abdomen.
His right arm.
His left calf.
His entire right leg.
All of them were cut off as well.
After doing all that—
Without enough limbs left to support himself, Ryoha collapsed helplessly onto the ground.
Yagura and Mei both stared in stunned disbelief.
Mei: A lunatic. He's an absolute lunatic. His friend must be one too. There is no way I'm marrying his friend.
Yagura: You actually did it?!
"No matter. You'll die anyway. Now that you're crippled, you've probably learned what it means to be worse off alive than dead. I'll do you a favor and send you on your way."
Yagura slowly walked over.
Raising his staff, he thrust it downward.
"In your next life, it's better to die quickly than live as a cripple."
"You should save those words for yourself."
"What?"
Ryoha suddenly flipped over.
In an instant, he seized Yagura's arms and pinned him beneath his body.
Yagura turned his head—
Only to discover strange white markings covering Ryoha's face.
White smoke rose from his body.
His injuries were rapidly regenerating.
"Damn it! Everything just now was an act, wasn't it?!"
"Heh heh."
Ryoha grinned.
The meaning couldn't have been more obvious.
Yep. I was fooling you, idiot.
"In the depths of the northern sea of the ninja world lives a giant serpent. It lies motionless upon the seabed, showing no signs of life. Countless small fish come and tear at its flesh, but the serpent never reacts. Then one day, a big fish can no longer resist taking a bite as well. The serpent suddenly awakens and swallows it whole in a single gulp. Afterward, it returns to stillness, as though dead once more."
"Baby-face, I don't think you're escaping today."
Yagura struggled desperately.
But how could his strength compare to Ryoha's while in Sage Mode?
Unable to break free, he turned toward Mei.
Yet Mei was already being steadily pushed back by Rinko, whose body was wrapped in white energy.
"Could it be..."
"That today, I, Karatachi Yagura, am destined to die?"