Chapter 373: In the Mist

Chapter 373: Chapter 373: In the Mist

Hyuga Kagami’s attitude toward Kirigakure was similar to Madara’s and Obito’s.

Although the Land of Water stood isolated overseas, its territory was by no means small, and its overall size was no less impressive than that of the other major nations. Moreover, with the Land of Water surrounded by sea on all sides, moisture was abundant and dense fog blanketed the country throughout the year. This made the entire Land of Water a natural home field for Kirigakure shinobi skilled in Water Release and well-versed in the Kirigakure’s Assassination Techniques.

Around the Land of Water, Kirigakure shinobi could often exploit the environmental advantage to fight and defeat forces that greatly outnumbered them.

In the original timeline, Kakashi’s battle with Zabuza in the Land of Waves, near the sea, was a perfect example.

At the time, Kakashi, known as Konoha’s "Copy Ninja," was already a genuine elite jōnin of the village. Even across the entire shinobi world, there weren’t many jōnin capable of defeating him. In terms of actual strength, he was unquestionably above Zabuza.

Yet when he fought Zabuza in an environment perfectly suited to the Kirigakure’s Assassination Technique, Kakashi was clearly forced onto the defensive and nearly lost his life.

From this alone, it was obvious just how significant—almost absurd—the increase in combat power Kirigakure shinobi received in moisture-rich environments when they were proficient in Water Release and Kirigakure’s Assassination Techniques.

Hyuga Kagami, who possessed a Water Release clone himself, understood this particularly well.

When controlling his Water Release clone, fighting near a readily available water source and fighting somewhere without one were two completely different experiences.

Therefore, even with twice Kirigakure’s military strength, invading the isolated Land of Water from overseas would still be an extremely difficult undertaking.

The number of Kekkei Genkai clans and secret-technique clans within Kirigakure was no less than Konoha’s. In terms of accumulated foundations, Kirigakure could be said to rank second only to Konoha among the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Its strength was formidable.

Back then, the Land of Whirlpools, home of the Uzumaki Clan, had been destroyed precisely because it bordered the Land of Water and could potentially serve as a springboard for Konoha to invade the Land of Water. Kirigakure had taken the lead in gathering several shinobi villages that coveted the Uzumaki Clan’s sealing techniques, and together, they had destroyed the Land of Whirlpools within just a few short days.

One had to understand that the Uzumaki Clan possessed powerful life forces comparable to the Senju Clan’s Sage Bodies, as well as sealing techniques capable of restraining even Tailed Beasts. They were by no means an easy target in the shinobi world.

Yet the allied forces, with Kirigakure serving as their main fighting force, had broken through the Land of Whirlpools so quickly that Konoha hadn’t even had the opportunity to send reinforcements.

That alone showed just how terrifying Kirigakure shinobi were in coastal regions.

Therefore, even if Konoha mobilized everything it had, there was no guarantee it could defeat Kirigakure in a one-on-one war.

Furthermore, the balance of power on the shinobi continent was extraordinarily complicated. The four great shinobi villages kept one another in check, and none of them truly dared to gamble everything by committing all of their forces to an invasion of the isolated Land of Water.

The reason Uchiha Madara had ignored Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure and specifically chosen Kirigakure for infiltration was precisely because of Kirigakure’s uniquely advantageous geography.

When advancing, it could keep watch over the shinobi continent.

When retreating, it could firmly defend the Land of Water.

Once a Shinobi World War erupted on the mainland and the four great shinobi villages began fighting among themselves, Kirigakure could simply wait for an opportunity and choose its target.

As long as Kirigakure’s leadership remained rational, the village’s gradual rise in power was almost inevitable.

And reality had proven exactly that.

Even after two generations of continuous infiltration and sabotage by Madara and Obito spanning more than twenty years, Kirigakure’s Kekkei Genkai clans had been nearly wiped out, its secret-technique clans had suffered devastating casualties, and the elite Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had either died or defected. Recently, even the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, Utakata, had deserted the village.

Yet Kirigakure’s strength still could not be underestimated.

Even excluding the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, who had become Obito’s puppet, the village still possessed a group of elite shinobi such as Mei Terumī and Ao.

Mei Terumī in particular, who possessed the dual Kekkei Genkai of Lava Release and Boil Release, was a genuine Kage-level powerhouse. In the original timeline, she had delivered an impressive performance during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

If no one else interfered any further, perhaps Kirigakure’s accumulated foundations wouldn’t truly be exhausted until decades later, when Chōjūrō became the Sixth Mizukage.

In Hyuga Kagami’s view, Madara and Obito’s method of infiltrating Kirigakure, creating chaos from within, and using internal conflict to drain the village’s foundations and war potential was absolutely correct.

Therefore, during this operation, even if he removed the Fourth Mizukage from Obito’s control, he would still find some other way to further weaken Kirigakure’s strength—just as he had done by taking Gaara away and weakening Sunagakure.

Lost in thought, Hyuga Kagami returned home.

This mission to Kirigakure was certain to involve a great deal of fighting, and he might even have to face a Jinchūriki. Therefore, using his Fire Release clone was the best choice.

First, intense battles would allow him to further acclimate himself to the Fire Release clone, accelerating the process of bringing his spirit and the clone into perfect synchronization.

Second, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan possessed by his Fire Release clone had a certain suppressive advantage against Jinchūriki, allowing him to handle them with far greater ease.

If he used his true body instead, he would inevitably have to resort to Tenseigan Chakra Mode. But Tenseigan Chakra Mode was simply far too conspicuous. Using it casually carried the risk of exposing his identity.

After packing his belongings, Hyuga Kagami headed toward the Uchiha Clan district.

Shisui, who had become the captain of ANBU Team 11, was currently away from the village on a mission. Thus, the person Hyuga Kagami had come to find in the Uchiha district was Itachi.

At a training ground near the edge of the Uchiha Clan district, Hyuga Kagami found Itachi practicing shurikenjutsu together with his younger brother, Sasuke.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Itachi flipped through the air before landing steadily on the ground.

Around him stood eight targets.

Embedded squarely in the center of every single one was a shuriken, each still trembling faintly from the impact!

Sasuke stared blankly around at all eight targets, his eyes practically sparkling as he looked at Itachi.

"Big Brother! Big Brother! I want to learn that move too! Hurry up and teach me!"

Itachi gently rubbed Sasuke’s head and smiled.

"That throwing technique I just used requires the Sharingan. So I’ll teach it to you after you awaken your Sharingan."

Sasuke immediately pouted.

"The Sharingan again? Isn’t there any advanced throwing technique that doesn’t require the Sharingan?"

Among those of his generation, Itachi’s talent could only be rivaled by Shisui.

Compared to him, ordinary Uchiha who had awakened the Sharingan were little more than mediocrities. So for Sasuke, who hadn’t even awakened the Sharingan yet, facing Itachi filled him with both admiration and frustration.

Hyuga Kagami had experienced that same feeling back when he attended the Ninja Academy with Kakashi.

That feeling when you could rack your brains trying to master a technique and still fail, while someone else could casually practice it a few times and completely grasp it...

It really wasn’t pleasant.

Looking sympathetically at Sasuke, Hyuga Kagami sighed inwardly.

"This kid really has it rough..."

Anyone compared to Itachi would appear painfully ordinary.

Sasuke’s talent wasn’t bad at all. He had simply been unfortunate enough to have Itachi as his older brother, which made him seem mediocre by comparison and caused his father, Fugaku, to pay him relatively little attention.

At that moment, Itachi brought Sasuke over to Hyuga Kagami and asked, "Senpai, what brings you here?"

Hyuga Kagami smiled. "I didn’t interrupt your training, did I?"

Itachi shook his head.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was still somewhat dejected. He kept his head lowered as he idly kicked a pebble near his feet.

Hyuga Kagami gave Itachi a meaningful look, then turned and walked alone toward the small forest nearby.

After saying a few words to Sasuke, Itachi quickly followed.

Once they were inside the forest and Hyuga Kagami had confirmed that no one was spying on them, he explained in detail the mission the Third Hokage had assigned him.

For Hyuga Kagami, since this mission might involve assassinating the Fourth Mizukage, bringing along Itachi—the very person who had once defeated the Fourth Mizukage in the original timeline—couldn’t have been more appropriate.

There was also the matter of genjutsu.

Hyuga Kagami estimated that his own proficiency in genjutsu probably wasn’t enough to control a jōnin-level shinobi. Therefore, he needed either Itachi or Shisui to accompany him.

After listening to Hyuga Kagami’s explanation, Itachi pondered for a moment before saying, "Shisui and I have discussed this privately as well. There’s a very high possibility that Kirigakure has been infiltrated by the Akatsuki. If Kirigakure really has become an accomplice of the Akatsuki, then Konoha will be caught between enemies on both fronts. So Lord Hokage’s arrangement is absolutely correct."

Hyuga Kagami said, "I’ll need your assistance for this operation."

"No problem."

Itachi agreed without the slightest hesitation. Whenever the safety of the village was involved, both he and Shisui placed it above everything else.

Hyuga Kagami leaned close to Itachi’s ear and whispered a few words before asking, "Can you handle that?"

Itachi thought for a moment, then gently nodded.

"Yes. If I leave right now, I should have enough time."

Hyuga Kagami patted Itachi on the shoulder and warned him, "Be careful. The Akatsuki’s current movements are unknown, and we can’t rule out the possibility that they’re already in Kirigakure. So no matter what happens, prioritize your own safety."

After assigning Itachi a task, Hyuga Kagami informed the members of Team 7 about their upcoming mission, then returned home.

Early the next morning, Hyuga Kagami’s Team 7 left the village through one of the side gates.

All four members of the team were rising talents, and even the weakest among them possessed the strength of a Special Jōnin. As a result, they traveled extremely quickly, reaching the eastern coast of the Land of Fire in less than three days.

Pointing at the map spread out on the ground, Hyuga Kagami said to the members of Team 7, "Our current location is the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. From here onward, we’ll need a ship to continue our journey."

Yūgao asked, "Captain, how are we going to board one?"

Hyuga Kagami replied, "Every passenger ship and merchant vessel traveling to the Land of Water is inspected by Kirigakure shinobi. It’ll be difficult for us to slip past their inspections unnoticed.

"So my plan is to secretly board a fishing vessel heading toward the waters surrounding the Land of Water. Once the fishing boat gets close enough, we’ll abandon the ship and infiltrate the Land of Water covertly from the sea."

Kurenai frowned slightly. "Even if the fishing boat gets close to the waters of the Land of Water, there’ll probably still be a considerable distance between us and the coast. Wouldn’t crossing the sea like that be too dangerous?"

Hyuga Kagami nodded. "There’ll inevitably be some danger, but this is the only way we can infiltrate the Land of Water without being detected."

After hearing Hyuga Kagami’s explanation, Hayate and Yūgao both nodded.

As long as the weather wasn’t exceptionally severe, once they reached the waters near the Land of Water, infiltrating the country by crossing the remaining stretch of sea wasn’t actually all that dangerous.

As Hyuga Kagami rolled up the map, he instructed them, "We’ve already entered Kirigakure’s sphere of influence, so everyone needs to stay alert. We’ll make camp here tonight and look for a fishing boat to cross the sea tomorrow."

At Hyuga Kagami’s command, Kurenai, Hayate, and Yūgao immediately got to work.

All of them were trained ANBU members. Basic procedures such as setting up warning traps and observation posts didn’t require any unnecessary instructions from Hyuga Kagami. The three of them quickly arranged everything in an orderly fashion.

Before long, the night deepened, and the moon climbed high overhead.

"Caw... Caw..."

Suddenly, the cries of a crow echoed through the tranquil darkness.

Hyuga Kagami was leaning against a ruined wall with his arms folded across his chest, seemingly dozing.

Upon hearing the crow’s call, he made no move whatsoever.

Only the corner of his mouth curled upward ever so slightly, revealing the faintest hint of a smile.

Kurenai, who happened to be responsible for the night watch, immediately became vigilant when she heard the crow.

Although it sounded like nothing more than an ordinary crow’s cry, to a shinobi, any sound could potentially be a warning that something unexpected was approaching.

And so, from her observation post, she carefully began scanning the surroundings.

"Huh? Why did it suddenly get so foggy?"

As Kurenai carefully observed their surroundings, she abruptly noticed that the mist around them was growing thicker and thicker.

"Something’s wrong!"

Realizing that something was amiss, she hurried back to the campsite. While waking Hayate and Yūgao, she reported to Hyuga Kagami, "Kagami, something doesn’t seem right!"

Hyuga Kagami wasted no words. He immediately activated his Byakugan and swept his gaze across the surrounding area.

"Prepare for battle. Kirigakure shinobi have spotted us!"

"What!?"

Kurenai and the other two were startled.

Their infiltration mission hadn’t even begun, yet their whereabouts had already been exposed. For the three of them, who were carrying out this kind of S-rank mission for the first time, it was quite a blow.

While they were speaking, the mist outside continued to thicken. Before long, visibility had fallen so drastically that they could barely see their own hands in front of their faces.

At that moment, Hayate activated the Transparent Escape Technique and entered an invisible state, while Kurenai and Yūgao each concealed themselves as well.

The members of Team 7 had been carefully selected by the Third Hokage. When it came to stealth and assassination, they were in no way inferior to Kirigakure’s Assassination Techniques.

Therefore, even in such a situation, none of them panicked excessively.

Clang!

Before long, a crisp metallic collision suddenly rang out from within the campsite!

Amid the stillness of the night, that piercing clash of metal was like the signal announcing the beginning of a great battle.

In an instant—

The sharp whistles of shuriken tearing through the air, the sounds of ninjutsu being unleashed, and the thunderous explosions of detonating explosive tags erupted one after another within the dense mist!

At this moment, Hyuga Kagami had already leaped onto a large tree some distance away. Together with a dark figure beside him, he silently observed the battle unfolding within the dense mist.

The entire battle lasted roughly forty minutes and ultimately ended in Team 7’s victory.

However, the members of Team 7 had by no means emerged unscathed.

Kurenai was the most severely injured. Not only had a Kirigakure shinobi wounded her in the ribs, but she had also been poisoned by one of them, leaving her essentially incapable of continuing to fight.

Yūgao’s injuries weren’t light either. She had suffered multiple blade wounds across her legs and body.

Hayate, who possessed the Transparent Escape Technique, had suffered the least injuries.

However, the battle just now had been exceptionally intense, and Hayate’s body was already frail to begin with. So although he hadn’t suffered any serious wounds, the exhausted Hayate couldn’t stop coughing and seemed to have little combat strength remaining.

As the dense mist gradually began to disperse, Hyuga Kagami returned to the battlefield.

Along the way, he had conveniently killed several fleeing Kirigakure shinobi. Thus, he returned carrying the bloodstained Kusanagimaru in his hand, with quite a bit of blood splattered across his body as well.

At a glance, it looked as though he too had just fought his way through a desperate life-and-death battle.

Sweeping his gaze across the battlefield, Hyuga Kagami said, "Three full squads—twelve Kirigakure shinobi. It seems Kirigakure is already on guard against infiltration.

"For now, the three of you will retreat to the Land of Fire. I’ll carry out the rest of this mission alone!"