"Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger, Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique."
The overwhelming Great Fireball directly hit the gasoline bottles in midair.
"Boom."
"Bang, bang."
"..."
Then...
The originally pitch-black bottles instantly turned into a sky-covering sea of flames under the horrified gazes of the Mist ninja.
"Quick, use Water Release to extinguish the flames," the Mist fleet commander urgently shouted. He was shocked, were these people here to destroy the ships? Did they plan to trap them all in the Land of Whirlpools? But he didn't dare let his guard down.
Even for one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages and a maritime power like the Mist Village, assembling another fleet in a short time would be impossible. If the main force was stranded here, who knew what accidents might happen?
But...
"This smell?!"
The scorching flames rolled down like storm clouds.
The Mist ninja stared in horror as the flames drew closer, continuously using Water Release techniques.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
"Boar, Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Boar, Bird..., Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique."
"..."
Yet, even with all the Mist ninja using Water Release, they couldn't extinguish these strange flames.
"These flames..." The Mist fleet commander's eyes widened as he shouted, "Abandon ship, everyone abandon ship now!"
Water Release couldn't put out these scorching flames at all!
"Splash!"
"Splash!"
At the commander's order, everyone began jumping overboard. The heat was unbearable, and the fact that Water Release couldn't extinguish it was terrifying. If they didn't escape now, they'd be burned alive along with the ships.
"Dammit! What kind of flames are these?" The Mist ninja in the water stared in disbelief at the burning ships. It was too horrifying.
"Even Water Release can't put them out. What do we do now?"
"O-over a hundred ships... just gone like this."
These weren't ordinary boats, they were large wooden warships!
Now, not only would the Mizukage be in trouble, but even they, the commanders, would likely be scapegoated. And without ships... damn, wouldn't they all be stranded here?
The Land of Whirlpools had such a sinister plan! To think of such a method—no, wait. The shinobi world recognized two famously reckless clans: their own Kaguya clan and the Uzumaki clan! They refused to believe the Uzumaki clan could come up with such a scheme, let alone these flames...
Could the Uzumaki clan, who primarily trained in Wind and Water Release, even produce flames like these?
The Mist commander suddenly sensed a massive conspiracy looming over Kirigakure.
Was someone targeting the Mist Village?
As the Mist commander frowned in thought...
"Quick, get away!" Suddenly, the Mist ninja began frantically swimming, trying to escape the sea.
"What's going on? What happened?" the Mist commander barked. "Stop panicking! Even if there's an accident, victory will still belong to Kirigakure!"
No matter the situation, they couldn't show the slightest fear. They just had to inform the Mizukage—someone was plotting against them, and they needed a solution fast!
What if it wasn't just Konoha, but multiple villages?
The thought sent a chill down his spine. Were the surrounding villages here not to pick at the Land of Whirlpools' remains, but to take advantage of Kirigakure?
That scheming old fox Hiruzen—what a devious plot!
...
"Achoo, achoo." Hiruzen Sarutobi sneezed and rubbed his nose, muttering, "Seems like I've been too busy lately, not enough rest." He couldn't afford to relax now.
His teacher had entrusted him with this heavy responsibility in troubled times. How could he rest so easily?
He truly failed his teacher, Lord Hashirama, and Konoha!
"Knock, knock."
Hearing the knock, Hiruzen called out, "Come in." Seeing it was his old friend, he immediately straightened up and looked at Danzo seriously. "What is it?"
Danzo, who hadn't yet adorned himself with multiple Sharingan accessories, still wore black clothing, his scarred face making him look like a fierce middle-aged man. He calmly said, "Kirigakure has begun their invasion."
"Ah..." Hiruzen sighed. "Are we really not sending reinforcements? This was a friendship established by Lord Hashirama himself."
"Hiruzen, if Konoha is to have peace, the Land of Whirlpools must be sacrificed," Danzo said firmly. "Only then can the Uzumaki clan merge into Konoha, making the village stronger."
"But Lady Mito..." Hiruzen said reluctantly.
"Lady Mito will understand. We're acting in line with Lord Hashirama's ideals," Danzo replied. "As long as it brings peace to Konoha, that's enough."
"In that case, let's not trouble Lady Mito with this," Hiruzen said with another sigh. "We shouldn't make her worry."
"I told you not to let the Uzumaki clan see Lady Mito, but you didn't listen," Danzo said helplessly. "Lady Mito already knows what we're planning."
"But they're her clansmen," Hiruzen argued. "If we don't let them see her, Lady Mito might..."
Never see them again.
"Lady Mito is already very old," Danzo said, narrowing his eyes. "We need to prepare."
"What are you planning?" Hiruzen glared at Danzo and roared. "We can't disrespect Lady Mito!"
"She's sacrificed too much for Konoha. The village owes her."
"The Nine-Tails," Danzo said flatly. That name alone was enough—his old friend understood immediately. With Lady Mito's advanced age, it was time to prepare a new vessel for the Nine-Tails. The old, worn-out one had to be discarded.
Hiruzen's pupils shrank at Danzo's words. Finally, he sighed, took a drag from the pipe in his right hand, and said resignedly, "I'll handle this matter myself."
"Don't you dare act. I'll speak to Lady Mito personally."
"Hiruzen!" Danzo glared at him in frustration, but seeing his unyielding expression, he could only sigh. "Fine. Have it your way."
"But remember—you are Konoha's light, and I am its shadow. For the sake of the village's safety, there are things I must do."
"You—?!" Hearing Danzo's veiled threat, Hiruzen shouted angrily, "What are you planning?"
"Everything I do is for Konoha!"
...
"Dammit, even the ocean can't extinguish it?" The Mist commander stared in horror at the sea of flames, his face filled with dread. "Is this... the legendary Amaterasu?"
Only Amaterasu was said to be a flame that no water could extinguish. And now, this fire...
It was too terrifying. Where did the Land of Whirlpools even get this? Was it really Konoha? The Mist commander felt a chill in his heart. "It's over. Everything's ruined."
He probably wouldn't survive this. Someone had to take the blame, and as the Mizukage's trusted subordinate, he was the perfect scapegoat. But what could he do now?
How could he send word back to the village? Or...
How was the Mizukage faring? They'd fallen into a trap. The Mist ninja had been tricked—someone was targeting them.
"No, there's still one ship left. One more!"