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Chapter 64 - Battle of the Land of Water border (1)

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Where should Yukina go after the Fourth Ninja War?

Bleach 111

Cultivation world 143

This poll will be open until I finish writing the 3rd ninja war saga

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Five days later.

Yukina stood calmly in a broad clearing near the Kirigakure Main Border Security Base. Before her gathered the other apprentices of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—Zabuza, Mangetsu, Ameyuri, Taichi, Oda—and a boy dressed in Kirigakure chunin attire: Jito Hiroshi.

Jito, is Kushimaru Kuriarare's apprentice, he had a slender frame, his short blond hair contrasting sharply with his pale skin and vivid blue eyes.

Currently, he wore a bloodthirsty smirk directed at Yukina.

Not far from them, numerous chunin, genin, and even a few jonin observed the show down between the apprentices of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen with keen interest. Among the onlookers were Mei, Yagura, Koko, and several other geniuses from Kirigakure's noble clans.

At that moment, Zabuza's annoyance was clear as he looked at Yukina and questioned.

"Yukina, you really want to take on all of us at once? We'll crush you without breaking a sweat. You've gotten way too arrogant."

A giggle slipped from Yukina at Zabuza's words, and she shot back her response.

"Zabuza, come on—none of you have ever beaten me in a spars, so why the hell are you acting so proud?"

When Zabuza and the other five heard this, their eyebrows twitched in annoyance, but the bystanders couldn't help chuckling at Yukina's words.

Yukina then looked seriously at all six before speaking again.

"The reason I want to spar with all of you is simple: recently I've invented a new sword art, and I need test it."

"By sparring against all of you, I will know whether my new sword art is truly ready to be used in the battlefield."

The apprentices of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen eyed Yukina with interest after hearing her words and Jito unsheathed his slender katana and laughed with manic glee.

"Hahaha, Yukina-chan! Let's see this new sword art of yours. If we manage to beat you, you will have to go on a date with me when we get back to the village."

When the boys around Yukina's age heard Jito's words, their eyes practically shot daggers at him, Mangetsu and Zabuza glaring the hardest.

Yukina giggled at what Jito just said and replied, 'Fine by me. If you guys manage to defeat me, I'll go on a date with each one of you.'"

When Koko heard this, her face turned a deep crimson, and she yelled at Yukina.

"Yukina-chan, are you out of your mind? You can't possibly date all of them!"

Yukina turned to Koko, her expression blank, and said with a straight face.

"Why not? I'm only nine years old. It's not like I'm going to sleep with them—I'm too young for that. It's just a normal date; it's not a big deal."

Koko and the other young Kunoichi blushed at Yukina's blunt reply, while all the males listening erupted into loud laughter.

The apprentices of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen smiled widely at Yukina's response—everyone except Ameyuri, who fixed her gaze on Yukina and asked.

"What about me, Yukina-chan? I am a girl. I am not interested in going on a date with another girl."

Yukina paused for a moment, considering her reply before speaking.

"I'll owe you a favor instead of a date. How does that sound, Ameyuri-chan?"

Ameyuri smiled with satisfaction at Yukina's response. Then, in unison, all six unsheathed their weapons, encircling her as they charged from every direction.

Seeing this, Yukina closed her eyes, took a deep breath, bent her knees, and let the tip of her katana touch the ground.

"WHOOSH."

Suddenly a large amount of water burst out from thin air and coated her katana, and then Yukina started spinning around at a high speed.

The onlookers gasped, eyes widening, as a massive surge of water erupted from thin air, coating her katana.

"Water Sword Art: Explosive Water Ring Shield."

In the next moment, a compressed ring of water spiraled around Yukina. As Zabuza and the others swung their weapons at her, the ring erupted, unleashing a powerful shockwave.

"BOOM."

"SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH."

The explosion of the water ring sent Zabuza and the others flying in every direction, leaving everyone watching staring at Yukina in sheer amazement.

Struggling to stand, Zabuza spat blood from his mouth and yelled at Yukina in frustration.

"What the hell was that, Yukina? I've never seen ninjutsu like that before."

The remaining seven ninja swordsmen apprentices also struggled to their feet, wiping the blood from the corners of their mouths.

Yukina smirked at Zabuza's question and replied.

"This is my new sword art I've invented. I call it the Water Sword Art—a fusion of Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu."

Yukina's words left both the onlookers and the seven ninja swordsmen apprentices in awe.

The seven ninja swordsmen apprentices quickly regained their composure, assumed their stances, and prepared for another clash with Yukina.

Yukina smiled when she noticed that none of the six were charging at her like before. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and once again, water burst from thin air, coating her katana.

She spun once more, sweeping her katana in a flawless, circular arc.

"Water Sword Art: Full Circle Water Sword Flying Slash."

"SWISH."

A massive, razor-sharp circular water slash hurtled toward Zabuza and the others at incredible speed.

Zabuza and the others raised their weapons just in time, struggling to block the razor-sharp water slash.

"CLANK."

The sheer force of the circular water slash sent all six of them stumbling backward over a meter.

Yukina gave Zabuza and the others no time to catch their breath; her katana, still coated in water, whipped through the air with incredible speed and relentless ferocity.

"Water Sword Art: Mini Piercing Flying Triangular Swords."

"SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH, SWISH."

Small, razor-sharp water triangles streaked through the air toward Zabuza and the others at breakneck speed.

Zabuza and the others couldn't dodge in time; the small, sharp water triangles were too fast, and they just barely managed to block the circular water slash Yukina had sent flying at them moments before.

"PU, PU, PU, PU, PU."

"SPLASH."

"SPURT, SPURT, SPURT, SPURT, SPURT."

All of them were pierced by the fast, sharp, water-shaped triangles, spitting blood from their mouths—except Mangetsu, who dodged the attack using his Hydrofusion Kekkei Genkai.

Zabuza and the others sank to their knees, gasping for breath, while Yukina remained firmly standing in place."

Everyone was amazed by Yukina's new sword art that she had invented. Mei then turned to Koko and Yagura, who were standing next to her, and spoke.

"Have you two noticed? Yukina-chan hasn't moved from her spot since the spar began."

When Koko, Yagura, and those nearby heard Mei's words, their eyes widened, and they turned to look at Yukina in awe.

Yukina then sheathed her katana and addressed Zabuza and the others.

"Let's stop this spar for now; we will spar again later."

Zabuza, Taichi, and Oda bristled with anger at her words, and Zabuza shouted furiously at Yukina.

"Are you looking down at us?"

Yukina shook her head at Zabuza's words before replying.

"No, I am not looking down on any of you. The reason I decided to stop our spar is that I realized my new sword art isn't ready to be used in the battlefield yet. I need to refine my water release further before using this sword art in actual combat."

Everyone was surprised when they heard what Yukina said.

She then turned and walked away, while waving to Zabuza and the others.

Koko quickly chased after Yukina, with Mei and Yagura following close behind.

Zabuza clenched his fist alongside Oda, then stood and began walking away while muttering under his breath.

"Damn you, Yukina! No matter how hard I train, you always stay one step ahead. I will never give up—if my current training isn't enough, I'll double it… or even triple it."

Mangetsu smiled as he watched Yukina leave, then leaned against the tree trunk and closed his eyes.

Seeing Mangetsu completely relaxed and unconcerned, Jito couldn't hold back and yelled at him.

"Mangetsu, where's your pride? We were defeated by Yukina so easily, and here you are, just relaxing without a care. It makes me sick."

Mangetsu chuckled at the remark, opening his eyes to watch the crowd disperse, leaving one by one.

He then turned his head towards Jito and said.

"Yukina is different, Jito. She's a true genius in shinobi arts, and she could have been even stronger if she had agreed to join the Hozuki or Yuki clan when Zangetsu-sama and Yukito-sama invited her."

Jito and the others leaned in, listening closely as Mangetsu continued.

"While it is true that Yukina-chan is currently Fuguki-sama's apprentice, do you think Fuguki-sama can offer her the same resources she would have received had she joined the Hozuki or Yuki clan?"

Hearing Mangetsu's words, Jito and the others could only remain silent.

Jito growled angrily at Mangetsu and yelled.

"So, are you giving up now Mangetsu? You have lost all my respect."

Mangetsu chuckled when he heard Jito's words and replied.

"Of course not, you fool. I take pride in being Goro-sama's apprentice and the genius of the Hozuki clan."

Jito and the others couldn't help but smile at Mangetsu's words.

With a steady breath, Mangetsu rose and strode away, his eyes alight with fierce determination.

'Yukina-chan, you're truly amazing—but beware, I won't be far behind. If you slack off, I might surpass you!'

After Mangetsu departed, the remaining seven ninja swordsmen apprentices scattered in different directions.

_____

At the same time.

In the Border Security Unit main tent.

Within the main tent, Hebiki, Shiro, and Kira gathered in calm conversation, reflecting on Kaito's message from a few days ago.

Seated before them were the patrol captains, listening attentively to their discussion.

The atmosphere within the tent shifted at once as Yukito entered, accompanied by Zangetsu, Jun, Kensei, Kaza, and the elite shinobi of the Hozuki, Yuki, and Kaguya clans.

When Hebiki saw Yukito and the others, he smiled, stood up, and started greeting them.

"Welcome to the border, Yukito, Kaza, Zangetsu—I'm relieved to see you all arrived safely."

With a smile, Yukito inclined his head respectfully toward Hebiki and said.

"Thank you Hebiki-dono. I will skip with the pleasantries because our spies report that Suna troops are already advancing toward our borders."

As the words echoed, a grave silence fell—Hebiki and the others'eyes turning solemn.

Yukito looked seriously at Hebiki, Shiro, Kira, and the patrol captains before continuing.

"I'll be as brief as possible; because there's a lot of work ahead of us."

After receiving solemn nods from everyone, Yukito moved toward the border map and began presenting his strategy.

"Before reaching the border, I summoned a number of polar bears and dispatched them along every route the Suna shinobi might take to reach us."

"As soon as my summons spot the Suna troops, they will inform us of the size of their forces and how long it will take them to reach our border."

Hebiki and the others nodded in satisfaction at Yukito's words, marveling at his remarkable foresight.

"According to our spies, Pakura of the Scorch Release is leading the Suna troops. We need to take her down immediately. I, along with Zangetsu, Hebiki, Shiro, and Kira, will team up to eliminate her as quickly as possible."

Kensei jumped in, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "Wait just a sec, pretty boy. I'm not letting you have all the fun with this Pakura girl. I've got some new poisons I've been dying to test—on her."

Yukito paused at Kensei's words, then nodded decisively.

"Fine, you may join us against Pakura, but remember—we need to finish her quickly to keep our casualties low. You can experiment on her afterward."

With a crazed laugh, Kensei nodded his head in agreement.

Yukito's gaze then fell on Jun, who sat quietly in the corner he smiled at him and said.

"Jun-san, you are the key to this battle. We need you to take out as many Suna shinobi as possible using the Three-Tails' power. Charge at them head-on—you don't need to worry about attacks from behind; your comrades will cover and support you."

Jun nodded, a small smile playing on his lips at Yukito's words.

Jun, is a man in his fifties, wore the traditional Jonin attire of Kirigakure. His face bore faint wrinkles, and streaks of gray threaded through his otherwise black hair, hinting at the years of experience behind his calm gaze.

Jun has fair skin, a lean, muscular build, and sharp, defined eyebrows. A heavy silver spear rested across his back, hinting at his strength and readiness for battle.

Yukito met each pair of eyes before speaking again. "We will split our main troop into three small forces. Troop A will be charging head on. Troop B will strikes Suna's right flank. Troop C strikes the left flank."

"Since Hebiki-dono, Shiro-dono, and Kira-dono have led our Border Security Unit from the very start of this mission, they will serve as the primary commanders of the three troops, being the most familiar with all our shinobi here out of all of us."

After hearing Yukito's reasoning, everyone present nodded in agreement.

Yukito was satisfied when he saw everyone nod in agreement with his decision. He then handed a scroll to each of Hebiki, Shiro, and Kira, addressing them directly as he did so.

"The shinobi assigned to your troops are listed in these scrolls. I selected them based on their abilities to ensure each troop is well-balanced."

"The three of you need to choose a vice-captain for your troops, someone who can take direct command when we are busy dealing with Pakura."

Hebiki, Kira, and Shiro nodded to Yukito, then they unrolled the scrolls and carefully studied the names written on them.

Hebiki smiled when he saw Kaza's name written in the scroll; he looked at the head of the Kaguya clan and asked.

"Kaza-dono, do you mind becoming my vice captain?"

Kaza shot Hebiki a bloodthirsty smirk upon hearing this and replied.

"Sure, why not? It sounds like fun."

Hebiki chuckled and shook his head at Kaza's reply.

Shiro smiled at Yoshi as he gazed at him and said, "Yoshi-san, I would like you to be the vice captain of my troop. Do you have any objections?"

Yoshi bowed respectfully to Shiro after hearing his words and responded.

"It will be an honor, Shiro-sama."

Shiro nodded in satisfaction after hearing Yoshi's reply.

With a smile, Kira turned to Rangetsu and asked.

"Rangetsu-san, I would like you to be my vice captain, do you have any objections?"

Rangetsu smiled and nodded to Kira.

"As you wish, Kira-sama."

Yukito then clapped his hands together, gaining everyone attention and said.

"Since we have just finished selecting the vice captains for each troop, we should now summon our shinobi and inform them of their assignments so they can be ready to engage the Suna at any moment."

All those present nodded in agreement and began preparing to leave the main base tent.

"PUFF."

Without warning, a puff of white smoke erupted in the main tent, and a little polar bear appeared right by Yukito's side.

The polar bear looked at Yukito and said in his childish voice.

"Yukito-sama, Suna forces are advancing rapidly via the northwest route; they'll reach the Land of Water border in about 40 minutes."

After hearing the news, Yukito gave the polar bear a serious nod and spoke.

"Got it, thank you for your help, Polly. You can head home now."

"PUFF."

Polly bowed his head respectfully to Yukito and disappeared in a white puff of smoke.

Yukito looked at Hebiki, Shiro, and Kira with a serious expression and spoke solemnly.

"We must summon all our shinobi immediately and prepare at once—there's no time to waste."

Hebiki, Shiro, and Kira nodded solemnly to Yukito before exiting the tent, followed closely by the others.

Afterward, they summoned every shinobi available from the Border Security Unit.

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