"Ah… so that's the Eight Gates."
Perched on a high vantage point near the port, Toshiro surveyed the battlefield from afar.
Though he had no intention of intervening personally, he couldn't just ignore what was unfolding before him.
"Mimura, take careful notes. This one is worth investing in."
Guy had proven himself. If he showed such potential, then Toshiro had no qualms about training him properly.
"Also, how is the preparation of the vessels coming along?"
Not particularly concerned with the Kiri ninja's strategic withdrawal, Toshiro instead turned his focus to the real issue at hand—securing transport.
"We've gathered a few ships," Mimura reported, his tone laced with concern. "But time is tight, and there aren't enough to ferry everyone to the Land of Water in a single trip."
He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "At most, we can transport about a thousand people at a time. The problem is that when the Kiri ninja retreated, they took most of the seaworthy vessels with them."
As the commander on-site, Mimura had been meticulous in executing the Hokage's orders, but there was no changing the reality—the Kiri ninjas had ensured that most of the usable ships were taken.
The ones they had now, capable of carrying a thousand at most, were only available because the Hokage had foreseen this and arranged for them to be relocated in advance.
"More than a thousand?" Toshiro muttered, slightly dissatisfied with the number. Still, he had no intention of backing down.
"Select a thousand elite troops. The rest will remain here."
This time, he was determined to put an end to the Kiri ninja's constant interference.
For too long, they had relied on their geographical advantage—raiding the mainland when it suited them and retreating to the sea when the tides turned against them.
The Land of Fire had suffered enough from their tactics.
"Hokage-sama… Taking just a thousand men to the Land of Water… isn't that a bit… risky?"
Meimura hesitated, carefully choosing his words. He had initially wanted to say "reckless," but reconsidered and softened it to "risky."
"Yes, Godaime. This victory should be enough—perhaps it's time to stop here?"
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had remained mostly silent until now, decided to speak up.
"After today's crushing defeat, I believe the Kiri ninja will think twice before acting rashly again."
He still found it somewhat awkward to refer to Toshiro as Hokage, so he stuck to addressing him as Godaime.
Toshiro, however, remained unfazed.
"Sarutobi-san, you're not thinking correctly. This war isn't just about defeating Kiri—it's an opportunity for Konoha."
His red Sharingan eyes gleamed as he glanced over the gathered commanders.
"If we display the true strength of Konoha in this war, it won't just be the Kiri ninjas who take notice. The surrounding nations—our so-called 'allies' and rivals—will think twice before testing our resolve."
As the saying goes, a new leader must make an impact upon taking office. As the Fifth Hokage, Toshiro had barely assumed his position when the Kiri ninja staged such a grand provocation—almost as if they were testing him.
If he chose to withdraw now, it would only invite further challenges from neighboring nations.
"That may be true, but won't this only deepen the cycle of hatred?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen still harbored reservations about Toshiro's decision to march into the Land of Water. However, at this point, he could only try to reason with him.
There was little choice. Toshiro was now Hokage, while he was merely the leader of the Sarutobi clan.
The only reason he was standing here, conversing as an equal, was because Toshiro still acknowledged his wisdom. Otherwise, he would have been relegated to the battlefield, fighting alongside the other shinobi—little more than another casualty waiting to happen.
"My goal isn't to slaughter anyone."
Toshiro's tone was casual but firm, his crimson eyes unwavering.
"Of course, there is some risk involved. That's precisely why I'm only taking a thousand men."
He turned to face the retreating Kiri ninja forces in the distance.
"Right now, the Kiri ninjas believe they have won a significant victory. This is the moment to press forward, to seize the initiative. If we let this opportunity slip away, dealing with them in the future will be far more difficult."
The decision to bring only a thousand troops was partly due to the limited number of ships, but there was another crucial reason—managing a larger force would be far more difficult.
Moreover, this was the perfect moment to act. With the Mizukage lost and internal strife gripping the Kiri ninja, Konoha had a rare opportunity. If they didn't take advantage of this instability now, the eventual election of a new Mizukage would only reignite hostilities.
It was far better to press forward and force them into a peace agreement while they were still vulnerable—securing Konoha's future and sparing him from further headaches.
"Hokage-sama, the Kiri ninja are retreating. Should we pursue them?"
Mimura, seeing that the Hokage had made up his mind, no longer attempted to dissuade him. Instead, he focused on the immediate tactical situation, observing the enemy's withdrawal.
"No need," Toshiro responded firmly. "Have our forces regroup and rest for half a day. After that, we set sail for the Land of Water."
Time was their most valuable asset now. With a significant portion of the Kiri ninja forces still scattered across the waters near the Land of Fire, Konoha could exploit the weakened defenses of Kirigakure itself—striking directly at the heart of their enemy while they were most vulnerable.
"Go down and make the arrangements. You will remain here to guard this position."
"Understood!"
…
That night, more than a dozen large ships sailed steadily across the vast sea.
"Lady Mei, shouldn't we continue harassing them?"
Trailing several kilometers behind the fleet, a small unit of fewer than a hundred Kiri ninja followed cautiously. Among them, a man wearing an eyepatch glanced at Mei before voicing his concern.
After a brief hesitation, he finally asked, "Now that we're at sea, we have a significant geographic advantage. Wouldn't it be reckless to just let them sail toward the Land of Water unchallenged?"
The same question lingered in the minds of the other Kiri ninjas. They stared at the faint, flickering lights of the distant fleet with grim expressions.
The sheer audacity of these Konoha ninja—pursuing them onto the open sea—was infuriating. Did they truly believe the Kiri ninja were nothing more than helpless prey?
"We already tested their defenses," Mei Terumi said, her voice calm yet firm. "Their vigilance is extremely high, and more importantly, the Fifth Hokage himself has taken action. Our chances of success are slim at best."
With a sigh, Mei Terumi's expression grew complex.
"I never expected a Hokage to have such an absurd mastery of Water Style."
Recalling the sheer power of the water jutsu their opponent had unleashed during their initial skirmish, she still found it difficult to believe.
A Hokage, excelling in Water Style to this extent? How are we Kiri ninjas supposed to maintain our reputation?
"We can't just stand by and do nothing," Momochi Zabuza muttered, narrowing his eyes. "What if we circle back and target Konoha's garrison forces?"
"Since they've launched an attack on our village, they must have taken a large portion of their elite troops with them. If we regroup and strike at the remaining Konoha forces, we can at least relieve some of the pressure on the village."
Despite his disdain for the higher-ups of Kirigakure, Zabuza still harbored loyalty toward the village itself.
Originally, their plan had been to lure Konoha's forces out to sea and crush them in their element, teaching them the true power of the Kiri ninja.
But after witnessing the brutal fate of the few who had dared to test the Hokage's strength, he glanced at his remaining comrades. With a reluctant shake of his head, he dismissed the idea as nothing more than wishful thinking.
If they had more people, the situation might be different. With a larger force to divide the enemy's attention, there would at least be a sliver of hope.
"It's possible in theory, but our numbers are far too small."
Mei sighed once more. Even the most skilled cook cannot prepare a meal without ingredients.
"Aren't there still Kiri ninja who were sent to take refuge on hidden islands? If we rally them, we'd have enough numbers to pull this off!"
Although Mei Terumi had dismissed the idea, Zabuza was not ready to back down. From his perspective, enlisting those scattered forces—even as expendable assets—would not only increase their chances of breaking through Konoha's remaining forces but would also serve to harass the enemy, forcing the Fifth Hokage to proceed with greater caution.
"No."
Mei's response was immediate and unwavering.
"The cost in lives would be too high. Most of those people don't even have proper weapons, and they're already struggling just to survive."
"Sending them to attack the Konoha forces would be no different from sending them to their deaths."
It wasn't just about weapons. Those who had taken refuge on the islands were barely scraping by, lacking supplies, medical aid, and even basic sustenance. Expecting them to fight under such conditions was nothing short of cruel.
"Neither this nor that!"
Zabuza's patience wore thin after Mei repeatedly rejected his proposals.
"So what do you suggest we do then? We can't just sit here and do nothing!"
Mei remained silent, unwilling to offer an immediate answer. However, no matter what, she would not allow the ninjas who had taken refuge to be dragged into the fight.
In her eyes, the Kiri ninja had already lost this battle, and their casualties were staggering.
Those who had escaped were the future of the village—its foundation. If they suffered further losses, the time required for the village to recover would stretch indefinitely.
From a long-term perspective, such a move was reckless and unsustainable.
"Well… I have a suggestion."
As Mei Terumi deliberated, a deep voice broke the silence. The towering figure of Hoshigaki Kisame stepped forward, a hint of amusement on his face.
"I've gathered a group of sharks that can ferry us back to the village. Their speed should match or even surpass that of the Konoha fleet."
For Kiri ninjas, traversing long distances across the sea was second nature, much like how Konoha's shinobi moved effortlessly through the treetops.
His summoned creatures wouldn't need to carry them the entire way—only providing a place to rest when exhaustion set in.
With their collective strength, even if they encountered natural disasters like storms or rough waters, survival wouldn't be a major concern.
Mei's gaze sharpened as she looked at the man before her.
"You are… Hoshigaki Kisame."
With his distinct skin tone, towering frame, and sharp yet piercing eyes, Mei Terumi immediately identified the man before her.
Hoshigaki Kisame.
His reputation within Kirigakure was far from stellar, which was precisely why she had assigned him to the rear guard.
As Mei deliberated with her subordinates on how to reach Kirigakure before their pursuers, elsewhere, inside the cabin of a Konoha vessel, Toshiro sat engrossed in an ancient scroll.
"The Nidaime truly mastered the art of Water Release!"
As Hokage, he had unrestricted access to Konoha's vast archives. Knowing he would be facing the Kiri ninja, he had brought along the Second Hokage's comprehensive scrolls on Water Release jutsus.
Turning his gaze toward Hizashi, whose Byakugan veins stood out around his temples, Toshiro asked with growing anticipation,
"Hizashi, those Kiri ninjas—have they given up on pursuing us?"
His eagerness was evident.
These Kiri ninjas were truly disappointing. He had been waiting for them to take the bait, but instead, they had hesitated.
Hizashi, noticing the expectancy in Toshiro's expression, deactivated his Byakugan and bowed respectfully.
"Hokage-sama, it appears the Kiri ninjas have withdrawn."
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