Mist Village.
The Third Mizukage ground his teeth as he spoke words that could throw the entire village into chaos.
He would never admit to saying any of this outside the elder's residence.
"Then send them to the front. Every loudmouth who's been causing trouble—pack them all off to the battlefield. Once enough of them die, things will quiet down fast."
The elder's voice was quiet, but it carried a cold, merciless edge. To him, human lives were no more important than ants on the road—easy to crush underfoot without a second thought.
The Mizukage felt a rush of satisfaction. This was exactly what he had wanted to do. The only reason he had come to consult the old man was because the stakes were too high to act without support.
"I was thinking the same thing," he said. "I plan to lead this force myself. I'll use the clan ninja to secure real gains for the village—no matter what it takes.
With me gone, though, the village will need someone to hold things together. Elder, I'm asking you to watch over things here while I'm away."
The elder studied him for a long moment, then gave a slow nod.
"Helping you keep the village steady isn't a problem. But listen to me, Third—you need to be careful. Leaf crushed our forces in days and took out both the Kaguya and Ghost Lantern clan heads. They're not to be underestimated. Don't get cocky and end up losing more than you gain."
The warning was seasoned and blunt, the kind only someone who had lived through the era of Hashirama and Madara could give. The elder knew better than most that certain shinobi existed who could turn entire battlefields by themselves.
The Mizukage only heard the first half. The caution about Leaf's strength went in one ear and out the other.
Within hours the village was moving. The three great clans, plus the Mizukage's personal guard, formed another thousand-strong force. In record time they were marching toward the front lines.
Mist's large-scale mobilization didn't stay secret for long. Intel reached Tsunade's camp almost immediately.
She finished reading the report aloud to the assembled leaders and set the scroll down.
"You all heard it. Thoughts?"
"Any reinforcements coming from the village?" someone asked.
"None right now. You saw how stretched things were when you left. If there were spare bodies, the clans wouldn't have had to send people in the first place."
The answer killed any lingering hope. The mood in the tent dropped.
"What about supplies?" another voice cut in. "Our medical stock and combat gear are already halfway gone, and the village still hasn't caught up on resupply."
Nara Shikaku spoke up from the logistics side. "Supplies should arrive tomorrow. The village isn't short on materials—just manpower."
Tsunade turned to Taiichi. "Did you find their new camp?"
Taiichi nodded. "Yesterday. It's a long way out—sixty kilometers from the coast."
Fugaku frowned. "Any islands nearby we could use as a staging point?"
Everyone's attention sharpened. They understood what he was really asking: hit Mist hard again before their reinforcements arrived and erase their numerical advantage.
All eyes swung to Taiichi.
He scratched the back of his head. "They picked their spot well. The nearest usable island is still fifty kilometers away."
A collective sigh went around the tent. Fifty kilometers on open water was a nightmare. Even elite chunin would burn through most of their chakra just getting there. They'd arrive half-dead and useless for a fight.
Tsunade leaned forward. "Taiichi. Can your Ice Release make a floating platform big enough for a thousand people to rest on?"
The question lit the room up again. Every head turned toward him.
Taiichi froze mid-scratch, eyes widening as the idea hit him.
A thousand people. One square meter each. A circle with a twenty-meter radius would do it. Not that big, really—just a lot of chakra.
With the massive reserve in his Yin Seal, that wasn't a problem.
He grinned. "Yeah. That's actually doable. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Commander, your head for this stuff is seriously good."
Tsunade gave him a flat look, but the corner of her mouth twitched. The tension in the tent eased as people started seeing a real path forward.
"Good," she said, standing. "No point wasting time. Assemble a thousand shinobi. We move after lunch. Fugaku, Hiashi—you're leading this one. Bring everyone back."
"Yes, ma'am!" the group answered in unison.
The thousand shinobi moved fast. After a quick meal they set out across the water toward the Mist camp.
Even a force that size looked small on the open ocean. From a distance they were barely visible specks on the blue.
Taiichi ran at the front, deliberately holding his speed down so the people behind him didn't burn through chakra too quickly.
Even so, when they were still more than ten kilometers from the target island, some of the shinobi were already flagging.
Taiichi raised a hand and brought the entire column to a halt.
Fugaku stepped up beside him. "We resting here?"
Taiichi nodded. "Yeah. A lot of them are running low. Pushing further will just make recovery take longer."
He flashed forward fifty meters ahead of the group, chakra already surging. His hands flew through seals.
Ice Release: Ice Crystal Continent.
A visible wave of killing cold exploded outward from him. The seawater beneath his feet froze instantly, spreading in a perfect circle. Within seconds a solid platform ten meters across had formed. He kept feeding chakra into it until the floating island reached a clean twenty-meter radius.
"Alright, everyone up!" he called. "Rest while you can."
The shinobi stared for a second, then started climbing onto the ice. Most of them shivered the moment their feet touched it—Taiichi's Ice Release was still Ice Release, even when he was being gentle.
A few curious ones immediately started testing the surface. One overly enthusiastic taijutsu specialist kicked it hard enough to leave a small crater. The ice held firm.
Taiichi watched with amusement from the edge. "It's only half a meter thick above the water, but there's almost two meters below the surface. I'm reinforcing it constantly. A normal jonin's taijutsu isn't breaking this."
That explanation calmed the worried looks. Even a couple of jonin gave it experimental kicks just to be sure.
Hiashi stepped forward and raised his voice. "That's enough sightseeing. We're here to fight, not vacation. Eat your soldier pills, recover your chakra. One hour, then we move on the Mist camp."
The group snapped into motion. People sat down, popped soldier pills, or closed their eyes to meditate.
Fugaku walked over, glancing at the gently bobbing ice island. "We're just floating out here. Won't the current carry us away?"
Taiichi shook his head. "I've got water currents wrapped around the edges. The whole thing's anchored in place."
Hiashi activated his Byakugan for a quick look and confirmed it. Thin streams of chakra-controlled water were holding the island steady against the waves.
"Impressive control," Hiashi said quietly. "I don't think anyone else in Konoha could pull this off so cleanly."
Taiichi waved it off and changed the subject. "So, what's the plan once we reach their camp? You two have anything in mind?"
Fugaku and Hiashi exchanged a look.
"Daylight attack on open water," Fugaku said. "Stealth isn't an option. We'll have to go in hard."
Hiashi nodded. "Unless you've got a better idea?"
Taiichi's grin turned sharp. "Actually, yeah. My Water Release is pretty strong too."
Both clan heads looked at him, waiting.
"I can smash their defensive barrier straight through," Taiichi said. "Give me the signal and I'll turn their nice safe camp into a very wet problem."
Fugaku and Hiashi's eyes lit up. A direct assault on a fortified position would cost them heavily. Removing the barrier first changed everything.
An hour later the thousand shinobi were back on their feet, chakra restored and ready.
Taiichi raised his hand. The entire force surged forward as one, the ice platform dipping slightly under the sudden movement before he dispersed it.
They raced across the water toward the distant island.
When the target came into view on the horizon, Taiichi raised a fist and brought everyone to a stop.
Fugaku and Hiashi moved up beside him.
"Your show now?" Fugaku asked with a small smirk.
Taiichi's grin widened. "Watch and learn."
He released the Yin Seal. Black markings spread across his face, neck, and arms as the stored chakra flooded his system. He reined it in immediately, keeping the overflow under control.
Then he flashed forward a hundred meters ahead of the group and began forming seals—slow, deliberate, pouring as much chakra as possible into each one.
Two seconds later the final seal locked.
He slammed both palms onto the sea.
Water Style: Great Waterfall Wave.
The ocean beneath him churned, then exploded upward in a roaring geyser. The column of water lifted him skyward as it grew—ten meters, twenty, fifty, a hundred meters high.
Taiichi kept feeding chakra into it, forcing the massive wave to spread wider even as it climbed. When it reached the absolute limit of what he could control, he gave it one final push, directing the entire towering mass of water straight toward the Mist-held island.