Two Sunagakure shinobi struck at the same time, launching twin arcs of blue wind blades—one from the front, one from behind—closing in with a pincer attack that left no room to evade.
Yet in the face of such relentless offense, Shimizu Uzuki seemed utterly unconcerned. As if he hadn't even noticed the lethal strike descending from behind, he drove forward without hesitation, his long sword glowing faintly with a cold blue light as it cut straight toward the enemy in front of him—
A sharp shhk rang out.
A jet of blood burst from the opposing ninja's throat.
At the same moment, the wind blade from behind reached its mark.
Got him! the other Sunagakure shinobi exulted inwardly.
Finally… we've killed this Kono—
Splurt.
Another spray of blood splashed across "Shimizu's" back.
…Wait. Why is there blood?
"Shimizu" slowly turned his head, a mocking smile curling at the corners of his lips.
That smile—
Something about it sent a chill down the attacker's spine. Instinctively, he lowered his gaze… and saw it.
A silver blade, piercing through his own chest.
Wasn't that… the weapon of that Konoha ninja?
But—
Wasn't the enemy right in front of him?
Struggling, he tried to turn his head, desperate to see who had struck him from behind—
But his life was already slipping away.
In the next instant, both bodies collapsed limply onto the rooftop.
Only then, with a soft ripple like water, did the "Shimizu" struck by the wind blade dissolve into a wavering splash—
A water clone.
Too fast.
In less than a single breath, two enemies had been executed in succession.
Shimizu stood amidst the aftermath, his gaze sweeping indifferently across the rooftop. Eleven corpses lay scattered around him—all slain by his blade. Every movement, every strike, had been calculated to conserve as much chakra as possible.
Because tonight…
This battle was far from over.
Every ounce of chakra had to be used with precision.
"Uzuki-senpai is incredible," one Konoha shinobi from Squad Six of the First Battalion murmured from a nearby rooftop, genuine admiration in his voice. "I didn't even see when he used the water clone."
"Forget the clone—I couldn't even track his Body Flicker Technique," another young ninja added with a shake of his head.
"'Shunshin Shimizu'… the enemy's nightmare," a third said quietly.
After repelling this second wave of attacks, the area fell into an eerie calm.
But everyone knew—
This was only the silence before the storm.
Ever since Sunagakure realized that Konoha forces were guarding the Kazekage building, they had already launched two assaults. And the second had been far more organized and deliberate than the first.
"How's the Sixth Battalion doing?" Shimizu asked.
A nearby squad leader, having just received updates, shook his head with a hint of frustration.
Are they trying to empty the entire Kazekage building? Shimizu thought.
More realistically, they were still in the search phase. The classified documents and secret techniques they sought would never be left casually on shelves—those treasures would be hidden behind layers of seals and protections.
Under the cover of night, Sunagakure resembled a monstrous beast lurking in the dark, its jaws slowly opening.
Shimizu could feel it—
Within that darkness, the village was gathering strength.
And when the next wave came…
This battalion of Konoha shinobi would be facing overwhelming numbers.
"Arai," Shimizu said sharply, "if we can't hold them, we fall back into the Kazekage building."
"What?! But how do we escape then?" Arai blurted out.
If Sunagakure surrounded the building completely, they would be trapped with no way out.
"The Sixth Battalion is still inside—we're not leaving them behind. Inform Orochimaru as well—we withdraw together into the Kazekage building," Shimizu continued rapidly, his tone tightening as he sensed danger closing in. "And have Amane set traps at the entrance immediately. Standard explosive tag traps too—throughout the building."
He paused only briefly before adding,
"Every floor except the top—fill them with explosive tags. I'll buy him the time he needs."
A faint, cold smile appeared.
"Let's leave them a little surprise."
"And notify the Seventh and Eighth Battalions—have them ready to support our breakout at any moment."
"Yes, sir!" Arai responded, already moving.
I wonder how the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Battalions are progressing…
Before long, movement stirred at the edge of their vision—shadows shifting, numbers gathering.
"The enemy is approaching!" a Konoha sensor ninja reported.
In an instant, Shimizu expanded his perception.
Three hundred meters ahead—
At least a hundred enemies.
And closing fast.
And the numbers were still rising.
"One hundred thirty-nine… distance: two hundred meters," the sensor ninja continued his report, voice steady despite the tension.
Nearly four times their number.
And yet, no one in Konoha's ranks wavered. They still had absolute confidence—after all, they had twenty full jōnin among them.
"Distance: one hundred meters."
"Fifty meters."
The enemy stopped.
At last, Konoha's forces could clearly see them—every single one wore a mask.
Sunagakure ANBU.
At their head stood an elderly man wearing a peculiar hat, his long, prominent eyebrows impossible to miss.
"Shimizu Uzuki!" the old man called out suddenly.
Shimizu Uzuki blinked in mild surprise, then let out a faint chuckle. "Didn't realize I'd become this famous. To be recognized at a glance, even in the dark…"
But he already knew the real reason.
"Or is it the bounty on my head?" he added lightly, recalling what Orochimaru had once told him—that staggering figure of four hundred million ryō.
"Heh… so even 'Shunshin Shimizu' can joke around," the old man replied leisurely, showing no trace of pre-battle tension. "You're quite different from the Sakumo Hatake, I must say."
He paused, then introduced himself calmly.
"My name is Ebizō."
"How many shinobi remain in Sunagakure?" Shimizu asked.
"And how many of you came?" Ebizō countered at once.
Shimizu smiled faintly. "I'd guess your total forces don't exceed three thousand."
That estimate came from his assessment of Sunagakure itself. Though it was one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, compared to the prosperity of Konoha, it was undeniably barren.
Ebizō's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And judging by your organization… you didn't bring more than three hundred."
Shimizu kept smiling—but inwardly, he couldn't help but curse.
How did this old fox guess that so accurately?
"You know I'm stalling for reinforcements," Ebizō said with a faint chuckle, utterly at ease. "And yet you're willing to indulge me. That must mean you're preparing something of your own."
Indeed.
Amane was, at this very moment, preparing a grand "gift" for them.
Shimizu's smile deepened slightly.
Let's see if you can keep that composure later.
"So what if I am?" he replied calmly.
Then he stepped forward.
"And what if I'm not?"
It was just a single step—
But the atmosphere across the battlefield snapped taut in an instant. The hundred-plus Sunagakure ANBU reacted as if facing a deadly threat, drawing their kunai almost in unison.
"What, already scared?" Shimizu sneered softly.
This time, Ebizō did not smile.
The young man before him felt like a blade drawn from its sheath—its cold edge gleaming with lethal intent.
As the head of Sunagakure's ANBU, Ebizō knew Shimizu's dossier by heart. He had long acknowledged that "Shunshin Shimizu" was extraordinarily powerful—so much so that no one present could truly match him.
But reading reports…
And facing the man himself…
Were two entirely different things.
A bead of sweat slowly formed on his brow.
"You must hate me," Shimizu said evenly, as if stating an undeniable truth.
"Even I can't remember how many of your people I've killed."
"One hundred? Two hundred? Perhaps more…"
The number of Sunagakure shinobi who had died by his hand—
It was a figure that inspired nothing but dread.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shimizu caught a subtle signal from Arai.
Amane had finished.
Slowly, Shimizu raised his left hand.
"Want to kill me?" he said quietly. "I'm right here."
His hand came to rest lightly on the hilt of his sword.
"Come," he added, his voice turning cold.
"Take your revenge."
...
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