A droplet of water gathered at the tip of Yagami's finger. Without weaving a single sign, the droplet shot out with a sharp crack, punching clean through a nearby rock.
Yellow Dog's eyes flashed with a hint of envy.
"The Water Pistol Jutsu... an hand signless technique. Excellent. Spread the word that Mangetsu Hozuki leaked the clan's secrets before he died. We need to strike at the Hozuki clan's most vulnerable point—their pride and their standing within the Mist."
Despite the envy, Yagami knew Yellow Dog wouldn't try to steal it. Shinobi were fanatically protective of their personal jutsu data. If a ninja learned the Great Fireball Jutsu, they'd secretly wish they were the only ones in the village who knew it. Probing into another ninja's or clan's secret techniques was considered a hostile act.
With Yagami's current strength, anyone harboring ill intentions toward him would have to think twice. "Copper Fox of the Anbu" was a name that carried significant weight now.
Yellow Dog was in Whirlpool to secure his own promotion to Vice Minister; the better Yagami performed, the higher Yellow Dog rose.
"Fox," Yellow Dog said, "Since you successfully captured the Twinsword: Hiramekarei, I am filing for an S-class mission reward on your behalf. For the next phase, you will carry the sealed Twinsword and move slowly along the coastline. I will lead the entire battalion in setting up an ambush. We're going to kill some of the Mist's heavy hitters. There must be plenty of geniuses in the Mist—both Hozuki and otherwise—itching to inherit that blade. Every one we kill is a notch on our belts."
Yagami was inwardly thrilled. His sixth S-class mission reward was secured.
...
Far out on the waters off the coast of Whirlpool, five large warships sailed in a loose formation. A soaking wet figure climbed onto the deck of the largest vessel. The surrounding Mist ninja bowed their heads, not daring to utter a word.
Kushimaru Kuriarare's cruelty wasn't reserved for enemies; any villager who crossed him met a grisly end. He headed straight for the second floor of the pagoda-like deck structure.
Upon entering the cabin, he saw Elder Genji sitting on the central platform. Since the death of the Third Mizukage, Genji had been the de facto administrator of the village. He wanted the title of Mizukage, but the Great Clans refused to concede. Who knew how long the old man would live? If Genji hung on for another few decades, the clans would never get their turn at the seat of power.
Kushimaru glanced at the clan heads sitting in the front rows. Genji had declared that whoever performed best in the Whirlpool war would become the Fourth Mizukage—a blatant move to use the war as a meat grinder for the clans' strength. As one of Genji's men, Kushimaru relished seeing the clans struggle.
Passing several Jonin and clan heads, Kushimaru reached the front. "Elder Genji! Mangetsu Hozuki is dead. The Twinsword: Hiramekarei has been seized by the Leaf!"
"What!" Mangetsu's father, Getsu Hozuki, the clan head, stood up instantly. "Impossible!"
He immediately summoned a half-human-tall scroll and unrolled it. Seven kanji characters representing the Seven Swords were written upon it. The characters for the Longsword, Decapitation Carving Knife, and Blunt Sword were dim—a symbol of the clan's concession to the village. He wove a sign and slammed his palm onto the character for "Twin."
A puff of white smoke appeared, but when it cleared, nothing happened.
The heads of the Kaguya, Karatachi, and Terumi clans watched the stunned Getsu Hozuki with cold, indifferent eyes.
The Twinsword had not appeared. Mangetsu had lost it.
"Lord Getsu, perhaps you shouldn't have given such a legendary blade to your second son just because he was your child," the Kaguya clan head sneered. When no one joined in his mockery, he looked around in confusion. Usually, the Karatachi and Terumi clans jumped at any chance to attack the Hozuki. Why were they silent today?
Genji glanced at the Kaguya head. 'That fool... his brain is made of mud.'
Genji turned back to Kushimaru. "Tell us every detail. Do not leave anything out."
Kushimaru recounted the events: "Mangetsu and I encountered an isolated Leaf squad on the coast. A platoon of Anbu intervened. Most of them were average, but their leader was Copper Fox—the one who made a name for himself in the Land of Rivers. Mangetsu told me to circle around and kill the regulars while he handled the Fox. But before I could finish the job, the Fox appeared carrying the Twinsword. He wasn't wounded, and his clothes weren't even wet. It was as if he had defeated Mangetsu with zero effort. I retreated immediately to report."
"Copper Fox..." Genji murmured. He recalled the intelligence. The Sand front command had issued a specific warning about a Leaf Anbu with an "Absolute Defense" that rendered standard attacks useless.
Genji declared, "I am issuing an S-class mission. Three Jonin will be selected to retrieve Hiramekarei. The one who performs best will be the successor to the Twinsword."
Getsu Hozuki, having recovered from his shock, was incensed. "Successor? Elder Genji, the inheritance of Hiramekarei is a Hozuki clan matter! The village has no business issuing missions for it!"
Genji countered calmly, "A blade as vital as Hiramekarei was lost because your clan couldn't produce an elite capable of holding it. This is a disgrace to the Hidden Mist. Naturally, the village will take over. However, out of respect for your clan, two of the three Jonin will be recommended by the Hozuki. The third will be my appointee. If your candidates fail to perform, you cannot blame me. The Leaf is at its weakest, having fought the Cloud, Stone, and Sand. If we cannot secure our share of Whirlpool now, when will the Mist ever prosper? Every clan and every ninja must fight for the victory of the village. If the Hozuki hold us back, don't expect the village to be merciful."
Getsu wanted to snap back that Genji shouldn't speak with the authority of a Mizukage, but the words died in his throat. A Fourth Mizukage had yet to be chosen, and Genji had continued and intensified the "Bloody Mist" policies of the Third. Backed by cruel Jonin like Kushimaru and Juzo Biwa, Genji was not a man to be trifled with.
Getsu Hozuki relented, thinking that as long as the clan sent two Jonin, the odds of the sword returning to the Hozuki were high.
'Damn that Copper Fox,' Getsu thought. 'When we catch him, I'll soak him in the Hozuki's secret fluids until even his bones melt away.'
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666