"Keep guiding me."
Kiyohara spoke calmly.
His voice sounded right beside Hyuga Ginka's ear, his warm breath brushing lightly against the edge of her ear.
The very next second, Ginka suddenly felt the ground beneath her vanish.
Her field of vision rose sharply into the sky.
The voices of Guy and the others rapidly faded away, replaced by the roaring sound of the wind and the suddenly vast heavens above them.
Instinctively, she grabbed onto Kiyohara's arm.
Looking down from the air, the deep blue sea reflected the sunlight like shattered silver, while the distant island resembled a piece of dark green jade embedded within the endless ocean.
Under the vision of the Byakugan, however, the island looked entirely different.
The chakra signatures scattered across it shone clearly like fireflies in the darkness.
Ginka forced herself to calm down as veins bulged faintly around her eyes.
"Now that we're closer… aside from the twenty or so shinobi outside the island, there are also around ten more underground inside the base."
Her voice was torn apart somewhat by the fierce wind, but Kiyohara still heard every word clearly.
"What about jonin?"
"There should be eight."
Ginka paused briefly before answering.
Kiyohara nodded.
While holding her suspended in the air, he raised his right hand and threw a kunai toward the ship behind them.
Meanwhile, he himself continued flying forward with Ginka in his arms.
Thunk.
Kakashi noticed the kunai embedded into the hull of the boat. After pulling it out, he saw the markings engraved onto it.
Among shinobi, simple symbols often carried different meanings.
The symbol Kiyohara used meant that he would go ahead first while the others should hurry over.
Standing on the small boat, Kakashi gave a slight nod and rested one hand on the hilt of his shinobi blade.
"Kiyohara wants us to move in."
Kakashi said.
He glanced at the boat beneath them.
But at their current speed, getting there would probably take too long.
"I have a way to speed us up."
Rin and Kurenai spoke at the same time.
The two girls exchanged a glance.
Rin spoke first.
"I can stir up waves nearby and use them to push the boat faster."
Hearing that, Kurenai nodded slightly and added:
"I can use Wind jutsu to fill the sails. If we work together, our speed should increase a lot."
The two immediately got to work.
One used Water jutsu to agitate the surrounding seawater, while the other created powerful currents of wind that caused the sails to snap and billow violently.
The small drifting boat instantly surged forward toward the direction Kiyohara had flown.
Guy tightly grabbed the edge of the boat. The sudden acceleration nearly threw him straight into the sea.
Kakashi watched the busy pair thoughtfully.
After thinking for a moment, he realized he also knew a method of increasing the speed.
"Rasengan."
This was a technique Kakashi had copied from Kiyohara.
Of course, the true creator of the jutsu was Minato.
Kakashi had witnessed the Rasengan many times from both Kiyohara and Minato.
It was simply too chakra-intensive, so the old Kakashi rarely used it.
But if he placed a Rasengan at the stern of the boat, it could basically function like a propeller.
Thus, Kakashi crouched at the rear of the boat and extended his hand.
A pale blue sphere of chakra condensed in his palm.
Whoosh!
Accompanied by the sound of the Rasengan violently churning the seawater, the boat accelerated once again.
Like a stone skipping across water, it shot rapidly over the ocean surface.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Kiyohara was already approaching the island.
The outline of the island rapidly expanded in his vision.
It was a typical volcanic island.
A raised hill stood at the center, covered in dense tropical vegetation, while the coastline was jagged and filled with black reefs.
Just as Kiyohara came within less than a hundred meters of the island, a shrill alarm suddenly rang out from the watchtower.
"Enemy attack!"
The Mist shinobi's shout was scattered by the sea breeze, but their reactions were anything but slow.
Three Mist shinobi leapt from the top of the tower simultaneously, their hands rapidly forming seals.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Massive waves surged upward like a tidal current and crashed toward Kiyohara in the sky.
Seeing this, Kiyohara felt that these shinobi were fairly capable.
Although they were only chunin, they were clearly elite among chunin.
Obviously, Kirigakure had not stationed ordinary cannon fodder here.
However, Kiyohara did not slow down in the slightest.
Because in his eyes, these chunin had already become nothing more than speed bumps.
Everyone was trying hard to survive.
Kiyohara could only say one thing.
If they had complaints, they could take them up with his Fire Release.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation."
The moment he exhaled, a crimson inferno poured from his mouth.
The sea of flames stretched over ten meters wide and extended dozens of meters outward.
The temperature was so terrifying that the surrounding air visibly distorted.
Everywhere the flames passed, seawater instantly evaporated into towering white steam, and the incoming tidal waves were vaporized the moment they touched the fire.
"Retreat!"
The Mist chunin cried out in terror.
The shinobi at the front attempted to escape with the Body Flicker Technique, but his speed was nowhere near enough to outrun the expanding inferno.
The scarlet flames swept over him.
He did not even have time to scream before his entire body was burned into charred black carbon beneath the extreme heat.
The other two were slightly slower.
Though they avoided the direct impact, the searing temperatures at the edge of the flames still scorched their skin and lungs.
They collapsed onto the ground screaming in agony, rolling back and forth in pain.
In Kiyohara's hands, Fire Release was not some harmless technique that never killed anyone.
Kiyohara landed steadily on the shore.
The tips of his feet touched the sand so lightly that not even a trace of dust rose into the air.
He released the arm wrapped around Hyuga Ginka's waist.
The girl staggered half a step before regaining her footing, an unnatural redness spreading across her pale cheeks.
Of course, it was not shyness.
It was because the terrifying residual heat from that Fire Release had nearly roasted her alive.
"So hot…"
Ginka could feel just how horrifyingly high the temperature of Kiyohara's fire jutsu was.
"Continue reporting information."
Kiyohara said.
By now, Ginka had already accepted the fact that she was basically just an intelligence support specialist.
Forcing herself to ignore the burning sensation on her face, she activated the Byakugan once more, seeing through the dense jungle and rocky terrain.
"Three hundred meters directly ahead, five shinobi are gathering together. They're planning to use combined Water Release techniques—inside the cave on the left side, two people are preparing explosive tag traps—there's another shinobi hidden in the treetops on the right side, and he's about to throw hidden weapons."
"Not bad."
Kiyohara was very satisfied with Hyuga Ginka.
An ordinary person would probably still be standing there in a daze.
After all, they had traveled from the ship to this island in almost no time at all.
In the next instant, Kiyohara moved so quickly that multiple afterimages appeared across the beach.
The Mist shinobi hidden within the treetop on the right had just locked onto Kiyohara's figure when, in the blink of an eye, the target vanished.
The next moment, a chill ran across his neck.
A kunai pierced straight through his throat from behind.
Inside the cave, the two Mist shinobi heard the sound of their comrade collapsing.
Without hesitation, they detonated the explosive tags they had prepared beforehand.
Boom!
The cave collapsed amid a thunderous explosion as shattered rocks flew everywhere.
Yet after the dust dispersed, the two shinobi discovered in horror that Kiyohara was already standing outside the cave.
He had never entered it at all.
The two Mist shinobi saw the slowly rotating Sharingan within Kiyohara's eyes.
What they had seen earlier had merely been an illusion.
But when had they fallen under genjutsu?
"Water Release: Water Bullet Techni—"
One of the Mist shinobi froze halfway through his hand seals.
Kiyohara's right hand pressed lightly against his chest.
There was no visible force behind it, merely a casual push.
Yet hidden within that seemingly gentle movement was terrifying power.
The Mist shinobi was blasted backward instantly, crashing heavily into the rock wall behind him.
His chest caved inward as blood sprayed from his mouth.
The other shinobi turned and tried to flee.
Kiyohara did not even bother looking at him.
He simply waved his left hand casually behind him.
Three shuriken flew outward.
They collided against each other midair, changing trajectories before the final one embedded itself directly into the fleeing shinobi's back.
Hyuga Ginka followed behind Kiyohara, her Byakugan capturing every scene clearly.
Her breathing became uneven.
Not because of exhaustion.
But because of shock.
So this was Kiyohara's true strength?
That effortless composure… the calmness with which he killed people as casually as cutting grass…
If she absolutely had to describe it, then what Ginka felt from him was something strangely elegant.
Battlefield rose?
For some reason, that thought suddenly appeared in Ginka's mind.
"Watch out!"
Ginka suddenly shouted.
In the jungle ahead, several Mist shinobi had finally completed their combined Water Release technique.
It was a fusion of "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique" and "Water Release: Water Prison Technique."
An enormous amount of seawater was forcibly drawn up from the shoreline through chakra, forming a gigantic sphere of water over twenty meters in diameter.
Inside the sphere, the water rotated at terrifying speed, creating horrifying suction and crushing force.
"Trap him!"
One of the Mist jonin sneered viciously.
"Inside the Water Prison, even if you're an Uchiha, you sti—"
His voice abruptly stopped.
Because Kiyohara had never been trapped in the first place.
At the exact moment the gigantic water sphere formed, Kiyohara's figure appeared directly in the center of the five Mist shinobi formation.
They had not even seen how he broke through the Water jutsu blockade.
In truth, Kiyohara had not broken through at all.
At the instant before the combined ninjutsu fully completed, he simply moved through the gap between the five shinobi at a speed beyond what the naked eye could capture.
As his chakra reserves increased and his body became stronger, the repulsive force Kiyohara could unleash also became greater, naturally allowing him to propel himself even faster.
Then he used Uchiha-style taijutsu.
Several Hidden Mist shinobi were blasted flying almost simultaneously.
Some crashed through trees.
Some slammed into rock walls.
Others were thrown directly into the sea.
They did not even have time to scream before losing consciousness.
Kiyohara stood amidst the wreckage and casually shook his wrist.
Sure enough, compared to fists and kicks, he sometimes preferred using blades.
Because this way, blood was less likely to splatter onto his body.
"Oh my, so you're the brat who's been making quite the name for himself lately."
Fuguki Suikazan walked over with Samehada strapped to his back while Kiyohara quietly observed him.
Fuguki possessed long orange hair that reached all the way to his waist.
His teeth were unusually sharp as well.
Kiyohara noticed that many Mist shinobi had similarly pointed teeth, making him wonder whether it was the result of the Land of Water's unique environment.
His neck was wrapped in thick bandages, while green stripes were painted across his cheeks.
As Kiyohara examined Fuguki, Fuguki was also examining Kiyohara.
His first impression was handsome.
No.
Young.
The more Fuguki looked at Kiyohara, the younger he seemed.
As for the beautiful Hyuga Ginka standing beside him, Fuguki completely ignored her.
In Fuguki's eyes, Ginka was just insignificant trash.
The only person truly worthy of attention was Kiyohara alone.
Meanwhile, while Kiyohara was clearing out the coastal defenses, the small boat carrying the others had finally arrived near the island.
Only a few dozen meters remained before they reached shore.
Guy was the first to leap onto the coastal reef, his green training suit fluttering violently in the sea breeze.
He took a deep breath and crossed his hands before his chest.
His aura erupted again and again until finally.
"Sixth Gate: Gate of View— Open!"
Green vapor burst out from every pore of his body.
Guy's skin turned bright red as his muscles bulged explosively.
Yet an incomparably radiant smile bloomed across his face.
It was the pure joy of battle.
"Youth means charging forward without hesitation!"
Before his words had even finished, he transformed into a streak of green lightning and charged into the jungle, moving so fast that a white trail split across the sea surface behind him.
Kakashi followed immediately afterward.
He concentrated chakra beneath his feet, creating ripples across the water with every step.
Rin and Kurenai arrived last.
The moment they landed on the beach, Rin pressed both hands against the ground.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A circular wall of water rose from the earth, forming temporary cover for the two girls.
Kurenai closed her eyes as chakra spread outward like a spiderweb.
She was sensing the surroundings for hidden ambushes.
"Fifty meters to the left. Three enemies are approaching."
Kurenai suddenly opened her eyes.
Rin nodded and quickly changed hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
A sphere of water condensed from the air and shot toward the direction Kurenai indicated.
Cries of alarm and explosive collisions of ninjutsu echoed from within the jungle.
But soon afterward, three Mist shinobi burst through the water projectile and charged toward them.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Kurenai exhaled a powerful whirlwind that destabilized the Mist shinobi's footing.
Seizing the opportunity, Rin swiftly pulled out three specially crafted senbon needles from her shinobi pouch and flicked them with her fingers.
The senbon curved through the air and pierced the shoulders of the three enemy shinobi, preventing them from properly lifting their arms to form seals.
Trying to perform hand seals one-handed drastically reduced efficiency.
"Looks like they don't need our help."
Kakashi's voice came from the side.
He and Guy had already cleared out the surrounding enemies and now stood atop the trunk of a broken tree.
The green steam around Guy's body was slowly dissipating.
The Sixth Gate placed tremendous strain on the body and could not be maintained for long.
"Where's Kiyohara?"
Rin asked.
Kakashi pointed toward the center of the island.
"He went that way. Hyuga Ginka is with him."
The moment he finished speaking, violent waves of chakra collision erupted from deep within the island.
At this moment, Kiyohara and Ginka stood within a relatively open clearing in the forest.
Their opponent was a massive Mist shinobi.
The most eye-catching thing about him was the giant sword wrapped in white bandages strapped to his back.
Samehada.
One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
Kakashi's expression instantly turned serious.
Although he had witnessed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen being chased down and beaten by Might Duy back then, that was only because the power of the Gate of Death had been overwhelmingly monstrous.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen themselves were absolutely not weak.
"He's the one… who killed my father."
Guy stared at them.
Even with Guy's temperament, rage ignited within him.
At the end of the day, his father had only resorted to using the suicidal technique of the Gate of Death because of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
If not for them, his father would never have died.
Youth would never have ended so quickly.
The more Guy thought about it, the angrier he became, to the point that he nearly activated the Eight Gates again.
Kakashi grabbed Guy's arm, signaling for him not to rush recklessly.
The Eight Gates placed an immense burden on the body, so it had to be used at the right moment.
"You brats from Konoha…"
"Should I call you brave or stupid for barging into this place with only your little group?"
As Fuguki spoke, Samehada trembled slightly on his back.
Through the gaps in the bandages, countless barbs covering the blade became visible.
That thing was not merely a weapon.
It was a living creature.
A monster capable of devouring chakra.
Kiyohara did not respond.
He merely looked at Fuguki quietly.
Ginka stood half a step behind him with her Byakugan fully activated, vigilantly scanning the surroundings for hidden enemies.
"Not talking? Then don't ever speak again!"
Fuguki Suikazan rapidly formed hand seals.
His long orange hair began moving violently despite the absence of wind, every strand standing upright and hardening into sharp steel needles.
"Shinobi Art: Needle Hair Senbon!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Thousands of hardened strands of hair shot toward Kiyohara like torrential rain.
Every single strand carried enough force to pierce steel plates.
This was Fuguki's signature ninjutsu, and many jonin had died beneath this attack.
Kiyohara's figure flickered and instantly evaded the strike.
At the same time, the gold dust inside the gourd at his waist trembled and rapidly formed into the shape of shuriken.
Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shuriken!
Driven by electromagnetic force, the gold dust shuriken instantly sliced through Fuguki's long hair.
"My hair!"
Fuguki was both furious and shocked.
This bastard actually dared to cut off his hair!
But before Fuguki could utter another sentence—
Almost at the exact moment the severed hair scattered backward, Kiyohara's figure disappeared from where he stood.
Fuguki did not even see how Kiyohara moved.
He only felt a horrifying impact strike his abdomen.
Bang!
Fuguki's entire body was blasted backward, smashing through three massive trees thick enough for two people to wrap their arms around before finally crashing heavily into a gigantic reef.
Kiyohara lowered his gaze toward him.
Within those scarlet Sharingan eyes, three tomoe rotated slowly.
"When fighting, don't lose focus."
Kiyohara said indifferently.
Getting distracted because his hair had been cut off was basically handing Kiyohara an opening.
Then Kiyohara looked toward Samehada behind Fuguki.
A living weapon.
Capable of devouring chakra.
Capable of fusing with its master—
Very interesting.
Kiyohara suddenly began wondering whether Samehada could reproduce.
After all, theoretically speaking, Samehada was just a special kind of fish.
As long as it was a living organism, reproduction should normally be one of its functions.
Could it produce a whole litter of baby Samehada?
"Ginka, step back."
Kiyohara said.
"You're fighting alone?"
Ginka asked.
She scanned the surroundings and realized more Mist shinobi were closing in.
Behind them, Kakashi and Guy had already engaged the newly arrived Mist forces.
Rin and Kurenai had also entered battle.
"Yeah. Go support the others."
Kiyohara replied.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
He alone was enough.
Although Fuguki Suikazan was Samehada's first owner, he clearly did not know how to use it as skillfully as Kisame would in the future.
In the anime, even though Kisame only killed Fuguki through a sneak attack, Fuguki had still lost to his own subordinate.
The fact that he failed to react to Kisame's ambush proved his reaction speed was insufficient.
The databooks even stated that Fuguki possessed extremely high vigilance and had always been wary of Kisame.
Yet he was still instantly killed by the sneak attack.
"Samehada would be better off with me than with you."
Kiyohara looked at Fuguki calmly.
"You don't even know how to use Samehada properly, yet you're carrying it around?"
(End of Chapter)