Kaoru thought as he looked up with concern in his eyes. While rain itself was a huge boon for him providing a powerful source of water, on the sea, it was useless. And heavy rain would create waves, making it troublesome even for Kaoru.
he thought, shifting his gaze ahead to the dim lights shining from campfires and torches in the distance, flickering like fireflies.
“When we arrive where the ships are docked, don’t make a move. Wait for Lady Maki and the rest to start fighting Kumo’s forces and distract them. Only then should we sink the ships,” one of the Takimura nin instructed the others. Everyone was tense. If they were discovered before the main force attacked Kumo, they’d be killed immediately.
Kaoru was accompanied by a mix of Ao’s and Takimura nins. He had insisted on bringing shinobi from Ao’s forces, wanting to leave as many Takimura nins with Maki as possible. His mission was to sink the ships not fight Kumo, and if he were discovered, a few more Takimura nin wouldn’t make any difference. He’d rather leave them with Maki, who would likely need their help more.
“When we get close enough, I’ll move alone. Just maintain a safe distance and come only if you see that I’m in trouble,” Kaoru warned them. He could move easily on water and the rest would only slow him down as the waves were already getting stronger.
The shinobi exchanged uneasy glances. This wasn’t what they had discussed. According to the plan, they were supposed to stay with Kaoru the entire time. But if this was more comfortable for him, what could they do?
“Alright, but please be careful,” said the shinobi with the most domineering aura as he slowly paddled, pushing the boat closer to the docks.
As they got close enough to the ships, Kaoru pulled out a blue fuinjutsu seal and inserted his chakra into it. It was a seal made by Yko Uzumaki, consisting of two identical seals connected to each other. If one was destroyed by inserting chakra into it, the other would also burn. It was a neat trick to signal an ally, and right now, Maki was holding the other one.
<<<>>>
As soon as the seal burned, Maki gave the signal to her squad to charge. There were four hundred shinobi with Maki, more than half of them from Kiri and led by Hakare Hozuki himself. Even if Yagura’s forces wouldn’t mind if the shinobi loyal to Takimura and Ao died, this wasn’t the right time for such losses. The chances of defeating Kumogakure were already slim, and further weakening their forces would be an unnecessary risk.
Maki and her 400 nin had been staying a safe distance away from the island. They didn’t know how far Kumo’s sensors could detect them, so they tried to stay as far away as they could afford. Now, they were getting closer using boats, with every single shinobi erasing their chakra signatures, becoming practically undetectable. Unless Kumo used some advanced method, a normal sensory field wouldn’t be able to detect Maki and her four hundred shinobi.
The moment the boats got close enough, Maki flickered forward and the others followed.
Maki thought, giving a signal. Everyone decreased their speed, focusing on stealth.
Just as they landed on the shore and were about to blend into the darkness, a blade flashed in front of Maki. She barely managed to dodge it as it pierced the ground.
From the shadows, a deep, rhythmic voice echoed:
"Yo, yo, did you expect to sneak on us, you fools?
Think you’re slick, but you’re just a bunch of tools!”
every single shinobi from the land of water shared the same thought.
Maki immediately scanned her opponent. He was a man around the same age as A, with a similar build and features. His dark skin contrasted with his white hair, which was slicked back. He wore a sleeveless black shirt, showing off his muscular arms. His confident grin and relaxed posture made it clear he was no ordinary shinobi.
He was clearly the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, there was no doubt about that.
Maki analyzed.
“Quickly, charge and target their provisions! Set as many tents on fire as you can. Go!” Maki ordered her shinobi, preparing to engage B herself. However, one shinobi remained behind as the rest of Maki’s forces flickered following her command.
“Lady Maki, it’s better if I fight him,” Utakata said, stepping forward slowly. His expression was calm and neutral, but his eyes were focused.
“Are you sure? He’s a perfect Jinchuriki,” Maki said, unsure of Utakata’s strength. She thought B was stronger than his brother, which was why she had decided to face him herself.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“I’d rather fight a fellow Jinchuriki than the Raikage. Besides, I prefer facing one person alone rather than fighting with allies nearby. I’d have to control my power then,” Utakata replied in a steady voice.
Seeing how confident and determined Utakata was, Maki nodded and flickered away to join the rest of her forces.
As soon as Maki left, B smirked and pointed at Utakata, his voice dripping with playful mockery.
"Yo, yo, Six-Tails fool, you think you’re cool?
I’m the Eight-Tails beast, you’re just a pool,
Time to teach you why I’m the king of this duel!"
Utakata’s face fell.
But his thoughts were interrupted when B suddenly exclaimed out of happiness and pulled out a small notebook. For a moment, he was completely absorbed in writing something down, murmuring words under his breath. Utakata was so shocked that he didn’t even attack.
’ He couldn’t understand B’s actions. However, everything became clearer when B tucked the notebook back into his breast pocket and charged.
The fight between the Six-Tails and Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had begun.
<<<>>>
Kaoru stood in the boat, his eyes shining faintly. He had activated his Suijingan and was analyzing the movements of the Kumo shinobi. They walked methodically, torches in hand, patrolling. Unlike the stealth missions Kaoru had been on before, this time his opponents were highly trained ninja who didn’t neglect their responsibilities.
thought Kaoru, impressed by Kumo shinobi. No one in their right mind would risk angering the Raikage.
Then, Kaoru’s eyes narrowed as he noticed the Kumo shinobi’s movements becoming chaotic. They were quickly running toward the center of the island, where the camp was.
he realized and turned to his fellow shinobi.
“I’ll be moving first. Please don’t come unless it’s necessary,” he warned them one more time before flickering away. The salty, moist air felt cold on his face, making him slightly uncomfortable.
Kaoru resolved himself as he approached the first ship. It was a standard wooden vessel, designed solely to transport people and cargo. It wasn’t durable or fancy, but it served its purpose.
It didn’t take him long to come up with a plan. Instead of destroying the ships one by one, he decided to puncture each ship in several areas with thick, high-density tentacles from below. He would leave the tentacles in place for a while, move to the next ship, and repeat the process. Once all the ships were held by the tentacles, he’d remove them simultaneously, letting the water flow in and sink the ships all at once.
Kaoru thought. He planned to destroy the ships and slip away quickly. He needed to be fast so that Maki wouldn’t have to fight the Raikage and B for too long.
He moved closer to the ship as his eyes glowed brighter.
Kaoru thought as several dark blue tentacles formed under the ship. They slowly but precisely pierced the hull. Kaoru then adjusted the shape of the tentacles to seal the holes, preventing water from getting inside.
He flickered toward his next target in a hurry, in a difficult fight like this every second mattered.
<<<>>>
Maki quickly caught up with her army, but they were already engaged in battle. Kumo was disorganized. Despite B discovering their sneak attack, he hadn’t had time to alert the others. So, when Takimura’s and Kiri’s forces reached the camp, Kumo had no idea the attack was coming.
Maki thought. Even though they had brought only elites, Kumo’s numerical advantage was too significant to ignore and they didn’t lack elites either.
thought Maki, instantly expanding her sensory field to locate A. It didn’t take her long to sense his presence.
’ Maki was impressed. She hadn’t paid close attention during the negotiations, as she hadn’t been using her sensory field when A attacked Kisame. But now, as she prepared to confront A, she thought that he was stronger than Yagura, or at least stronger than Yagura who was missing an arm and was not in his Tailed Beast form.
she thought, her eyes shifting to what could only be called fierce, as her chakra also flared, proving she wasn’t lacking in that area either. Maki flickered toward A, activating Predator’s Pact mid-air.
she thought, as she landed beside A.
For a moment, the entire battleground froze as the two strongest shinobi from each army prepared to clash. A’s face darkened briefly, but it only lasted a fraction of a second before he smirked.
“I didn’t want to fight you. In any other situation…” A’s words were cut off by Maki’s laugh as she returned the smirk.
“Is that why you decided to invade the Land of Water, which happens to be my home?”
Maki didn’t let the Raikage answer as she charged, Samehada ripping off the bandages that had covered it just seconds ago.
Maki thought as she swung her massive blade, aiming for the Raikage’s shoulder.
A’s eyes widened in shock. Maki’s current speed was nowhere near what she had shown during the negotiations when she faced Mangetsu.
A thought as he braced himself for impact. Samehada’s shark-like scales shivered in thrill. It wanted to taste the chakra of a powerhouse. This was one of the main reasons Samehada enjoyed having a powerful owner - an endless source of tasty and potent chakra.
The blade indeed absorbed the Lightning Cloak, surprising the Raikage once more. The signature technique he was so proud of was disrupted by a mere blade. It hurt his pride, but not as much as what followed. The impact and shockwave from Maki’s attack were so strong that A couldn’t maintain his balance. He was sent flying, destroying several tents and trees on his way before finally landing.
“Did Lady Maki just defeat the Raikage with one attack?” Takimura shinobi marveled.
“Was Lord Raikage defeated that easily?” Kumo and Kiri shinobi felt a wave of dread. Maki was far more powerful than anyone had thought.
However, Maki didn’t lose focus, not even for a second. The Raikage would never go down that easily. Through the dusty mist, she could see a silhouette covered in lightning standing up.
The fight was just beginning.
Don’t forget to follow, give a rating (If you haven’t yet), and comment to help the story reach more readers.
Discord
UPDATE: I’m offering up to 20 early chapters!