Three weeks later.
It has been three weeks since the Sunagakure troops withdrew from the Land of Water's border. The once-tense frontline now lies eerily quiet, the sounds of battle replaced by the whisper of the wind over empty battlefield.
Following the battle against the Sunagakure forces, the Mizukage acknowledged Yukina's outstanding performance by promoting her to chunin and granting her 2,500 contribution points.
When Yukito and the others learned that Yukina had fought not only the Third Kazekage's nephew but also an entire squad of Sunagakure ANBU, they were left speechless.
The site where she had separated from the main force was a grim spectacle—blood stained the earth, the corpses lay scattered across the ground, and the cold wind carried the metallic scent of blood. It was hard for them to believe that one person alone had wrought such devastation. As they silently gathered the fallen, a chilling realization set in—Yukina's strength and ferocity in the battle were far beyond what they had imagined.
Right now, away from the camp, Yukina was standing on water, her eyes closed in deep concentration. Her fingers formed the Ram seal as faint ripples of chakra stirred the around her..
Globes of water the size of an adult's skull hovered around Yukina, glimmering faintly under the light. Each sphere pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow, reflecting her precise control over chakra and the calm intensity of her focus. The water twisted and shimmered with every subtle movement of her fingers.
A light breeze stirred her hair, yet the globes remained perfectly still in the air—silent proof of her growing mastery over her water affinity.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps drew near, and Zabuza's voice called out to her.
"Yukina, we're being summoned to the main tent."
"SPLASH, SPLASH."
At Zabuza's words, Yukina let go of the ram seal, and the floating water globes tumbled into the lake below.
Yukina turned around and she began making her way back to the camp with Zabuza following close behind.
____
In the main tent.
When Yukina and Zabuza entered the main tent, she saw half of the Kirigakure shinobi stationed at the Land of Water border, including the apprentices of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen present.
Yukina was confused when she saw so many Kirigakure shinobi present. She looked at Hebiki and the others, waiting for him to explain why they had all been summoned.
After five minutes, Hebiki looked at them and said.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why you were summoned, so I'll get straight to the point."
"You have all been reassigned to a different troop, the troop that you will be assigning to will be under the command of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Lord Mizukage has declared that the time has come to invade the Land of Fire and seize its fertile lands."
Upon hearing Hebiki's words, everyone present erupted into loud cheers.
Hebiki smirked as he observed the high spirits of everyone in the main tent.
He then continued, "Yukito-dono and Zangetsu-dono will lead you to the meeting spot with the troop that led by the seven ninja swordsmen that lord Mizukage had prepared."
"After you have been fully integrated into your new troop, the invasion will commence."
"You will be departing in one hour. Prepare yourselves well. You are dismissed."
Yukina wore a crazed smirk as she and her comrades bowed to Hebiki before exiting the main tent.
She then said to herself, 'This is going to be so much fun! Soon, I'll be facing Konoha shinobi. I wonder just how strong they are—they should be stronger than the Suna shinobi I faced, since Konohagakure is the strongest hidden village in the Elemental Nations.'
'I really should thank whoever killed me in my previous life. If I hadn't died back then, I would've never experienced how fun is my new life is.'
_____'
At the same time
In Kirigakure
The Mizukage's office
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen stood before Kaito and the two elders. He looked at each of them seriously and said, "According to Yukito's analysis, when your troops invade the Land of Fire, you will be facing the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga clan, and several civilian-born shinobi in battle, as the other Konoha clans are deployed on different fronts."
After they all nodded to Kaito, he tossed a scroll to Fuguki. Catching it with ease, Fuguki asked, "What with the scroll Mizukage-sama?"
Kaito smirked and answered Fuguki's question.
"There are sealing tags stored inside the scroll. These tags are called Genjutsu Nullifying Seals. Simply put, as long as those sealing tags are active, you'll be immune to genjutsu."
Shock flashed across the faces of Fuguki and the other Seven Ninja Swordsmen as Kaito went on.
"However, keep in mind that you'll need to recharge these tags with chakra to continue using them. These sealing tags are a crucial tool in our battle against Konoha specially when facing Uchiha clan shinobi and their accursed eyes, so take good care of them and never let them fall into Konoha's hands."
The seven ninja swordsmen nodded to Kaito, who tossed another scroll to Fuguki.
"All the information you need on how to use the Genjutsu Nullifying Sealing Tags is recorded in this scroll."
At Kaito's words, Fuguki and the rest of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen smirked, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Kaito paused for a moment then said.
"According to Yukito, if we manage to suppress the Uchiha clans on the battlefield, that monkey will definitely join the fight — and when he does, I'll settle the score with him once and for all."
"He'll pay for humiliating us in the last war."
The seven ninja swordsmen narrowed their eyes, hatred burning in them at the memory of their defeat in the last war.
"We have made enough Genjutsu Nullifying Sealing Tags for every ninja in your troops, so give one to each ninja."
Kaito then tossed another scroll to Fuguki.
"Yukito will meet you near Haruko Island. Half of our shinobi stationed at the border will be joining your troops. The meeting spot has been recorded in this scroll. Best of luck."
All of a sudden, Raiga broke into a fit of maniacal laughter and said.
"Don't worry, Mizukage‑sama. I'll show those Konoha bastards how beautiful a funeral can be — I'll blow them into a lightning funeral. I've been perfecting a jutsu to make my finale even more exquisite; Konoha will be the first to witness it."
Annoyance flickered across Fuguki's face, his eyes twitching as he yelled at Raiga.
"Raiga, stop wasting time let's go we have a long journey a head of us."
Raiga sighed and nodded, and then all seven ninja swordsmen shunshined away.
Emiko looked at Kaito and gave a small smile.
"I have to admit, deciding to start producing batches of the genjutsu nullifying sealing tags was a smart move. With them, we'll finally be able to deal with that accursed clan."
Kaito shook his head. "No, it's hard to say. With these tags, we've only found a way to counter the Sharingan's genjutsu. Those who have truly mastered the Sharingan will be difficult to deal with, especially if they've mastered the perception abilities it grants."
Emiko's brow furrowed, mirrored by Haruto , and she asked,
"So, what should we do?"
Kaito smirked and replied.
"Don't worry—I sent Yukito to join the invasion for this exact reason. I've never encountered anyone as intelligent as him. Had I discovered him sooner, all my efforts would have gone into nurturing his potential."
"With his intelligence, I'm confident he will come up with a solution. Meanwhile, I want both of you to keep creating more Genjutsu Nullifying Sealing Tags to be in the safe side wars are always unpredictable."
With a nod, Emiko and Haruto turned and exited the Mizukage's office.
"CLICK."
Once the Mizukage office door shut close, Kaito pressed a Genjutsu Nullifying sealing tag to his chest and performed the Ram hand seal.
Suddenly, the sealing tag glowed bright blue, and Kaito's eyes transformed into the Sharingan.
In the next moment, his Sharingan like eyes shattered like glass, and his eyes reverted to their normal state.
"CRASH."
Kaito glanced around, bewildered, and muttered to himself.
"What just happened?"
______
In a obscure Isolated-looking cave.
In the depths of a dark, shadowy cave, an old man sat silently, his frail frame hunched over and his eyes gently closed. The faint sound of dripping water echoed off the jagged walls.
The old man's face was lined with deep wrinkles, his long gray hair falling over a simple gray robe that hung loosely around him.
The old man was bare footed his two feet were filled with dust.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, revealing two fully matured Sharingan, and in the next second his eyebrows twitched in irritation.
'It seems my pawn was able to break the genjutsu I cast on him,' he muttered in annoyance.
'Not bad. You deserved the title of Mizukage. I underestimated you. I suppose I should have used the Third Kazekage as my pawn instead of you.'
The old man's lips curled into a smirk as the thought crossed his mind.
'Well, it doesn't matter I will just use another pawn and I know the perfect pawn to use for my future plan.'
The old man then looked at the ground and called.
"Zetsu come out."
From the ground, a white humanoid creature emerged, laughing in amusement.
"Madara-sama… what now? Should we try and cast another genjutsu on the Mizukage? The Uzumaki woman is still being held hostage in Kirigakure, and you said she will play a vital role in your future plans."
Madara smirked arrogantly and replied to Zetsu.
"True — but the time for her release has not yet come. She must endure utter despair before she can be molded to my design. First, however, I must obtain my true pawn before we set her free."
Madara calmly reached up, grasped his left Sharingan, and tore it from his skull without a hint of hesitation.
"SQUASH."
He then transplanted it into the Zetsu's eye socket.
"Listen carefully, Zetsu. Since my pawn has slipped free of my control — it's time I find a new pawn."
"I want you to go to the Hidden-Waterfall Village. Its leader will become my new pawn."
"The genjutsu I programmed is far more powerful than the one I cast on the Third Mizukage. He won't even realize he's under its effect. Now, go."
Zetsu was confused and asked Madara.
"Madara-sama, shouldn't I use this Sharingan on one of the Kage instead?"."
Madara smirked when he heard the question and replied.
"It doesn't matter. My goal in controlling the Mizukage was always to drive my true pawn into darkness."
"Now that the Mizukage has broken free from my genjutsu, he'll be more cautious than ever. If my identity got exposed now, executing my true plan will prove troublesome."
Zetsu pondered Madara's explanation for a moment, but Madara grew impatient and said:
"Stop wasting time, Zetsu—go at once. And don't forget to send some of your clones to keep an eye on Obito."
"Hai, Madara-sama."
Zetsu swiftly sank into the ground, disappearing to carry out Madara's orders.
_______