Coastal Waters, Land of Fire Border
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!" A rogue ninja among the pirates wove seals, summoning a towering barrier of water that intercepted the fiery barrage of Fire Rain from the Cloud ANBU. The flames hissed and died against the liquid shield, protecting the warship's hull. Others leaped aboard, securing the vessel against further damage, their movements precise and disciplined.
The remaining rogue ninja turned their sights on Ye Liangnai's team, launching a coordinated assault. Jutsu clashed with jutsu, a chaotic symphony of chakra and steel, each side countering the other with ruthless efficiency. They're organized—magic against magic, roles clear as day, Ye Liangnai noted, his grip tightening on his katana.
"Move in!" Tian Xin barked, his voice cutting through the din. "Cover the Fire and Water Style squads!" He led Ye Liangnai and the idle ANBU forward, intercepting the rogue ninja charging their allies.
"Time for the hunt, brothers!" The rogue ninja grinned, their eyes glinting with bloodlust as Tian Xin's squad approached. As one, they wove seals, their voices a chilling chorus. "Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
"Jie jie jie! Feel despair in the fog!" A dense, suffocating mist rolled out, blanketing a half-mile radius in seconds. Visibility dropped to nothing, the Fire and Water Style squads' lines of sight severed, the enemy's movements cloaked in the haze.
Tian Xin's voice boomed, steady despite the chaos. "Group up! Don't give them an opening by straggling!" Orui and the others complied, clustering tightly, their weapons drawn, senses straining.
The rogue ninja's laughter echoed through the mist, mocking and confident. "Useless, Cloud scum! In this fog, we're the kings!" one taunted. "No one beats us in Hidden Mist Jutsu. Accept your fate!"
"Give it up!" another jeered. "You won't leave this mist alive!"
Tian Xin ignored the taunts, his tone calm but commanding. "Jolting Swan, you're from Kirigakure. Any way to break this?" Though the fog obscured Ye Liangnai's position, Tian Xin's trust in his proximity was unshaken. Panic wasn't an option—not for a captain.
Ye Liangnai's voice answered, cool and collected. "Two options: take out the casters or use a Wind Style strong enough to blow this mess away. Otherwise, we're stuck in it. But don't sweat it—this is just Hidden Mist Jutsu, not some invincible trump card. Stick together, sync with our sensory ninja, and we can still fight them on even terms."
Tian Xin nodded, issuing orders to pair sensory ninja with combat units. But when it came to Ye Liangnai, an awkward silence fell—he'd drifted too far, isolated in the fog. Of all the times to be alone… Tian Xin's jaw tightened.
As if sensing his captain's hesitation, Ye Liangnai chuckled. "No worries, Captain. I'm fine solo. Let me test their Hidden Mist Jutsu—see if it's got any bite." A sharp whistle of displaced air followed, then his voice, already distant. "Taking the lead, folks!"
Tian Xin cursed under his breath. Reckless idiot. But there was no time to dwell. "Follow the sensory ninja—attack!" he ordered Orui and the others, their silhouettes vanishing into the mist.
The rogue ninja overheard, their voices dripping with scorn. "A Kirigakure traitor in their ranks? Unexpected," one mused. "But knowing the theory's one thing—executing it's another. He's dreaming if he thinks he can outplay us."
"Charging in alone?" another sneered. "Cocky bastard thinks he's untouchable just because he's from Kirigakure. Let's teach him what real Hidden Mist Jutsu can do!"
"Show him absolute power!" a third roared, the group's excitement tinged with fury. "No one disrespects our jutsu!"
Eighty-plus rogue ninja split into sixteen squads, dispersing through the mist to hunt. On the pirate ships at the fog's edge, crews readied for battle, each flanked by one or two sensory ninja. "Wait for my signal to strike," one instructed, and the pirates responded with a unified, "Yes, sir!" Their strategy—mist-bound ambushes backed by shipboard support—had crushed countless foes. They were certain it would again.
Ye Liangnai's Position
"Feel fear? Absolute power?" Ye Liangnai's lips curled into a sly grin, the rogue ninja's boasts ringing in his ears. "Let's see who's scared—and who's crushed."
He raised his hands, whispering, "Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu." A controlled burst of fog—only a tenth of his full power—spread around him, sharpening his senses within the enemy's mist. My turf now.
"Jie jie jie! Running to your death, kid?" Three rogue ninja materialized from the haze, converging from different angles, their blades gleaming. "Die!"
They were certain their three-pronged assault would overwhelm him. Any mistake would invite a relentless onslaught, wearing him down until he broke. But they'd chosen the wrong prey.
Shing! A single arc of icy light flashed, too fast to track. The trio froze, their hands flying to their throats as blood sprayed, each neck sliced open by a gaping wound. "How…?" one gasped, eyes wide with disbelief as they sank into the sea, their bodies swallowed by the waves.
A fourth rogue ninja, lurking nearby, witnessed the slaughter. His breath hitched, a chill seizing him. Four dead in a heartbeat? His body trembled, terror rooting him before instinct screamed to flee. I can't stay alone! He turned, sprinting through the mist.
Ye Liangnai's gaze locked onto him, a predator's smile spreading. "Turning your back on an enemy? Bad move."
Shing! Another flash of steel, and a scream cut short as the ninja collapsed, blood pooling beneath him. One strike, one kill.
"Yutaro's squad—wiped out without a fight?" a rogue ninja stammered, his voice shaking as he sensed the disturbance. "What's with this guy? Something's off!"
"He's moving through the mist like it's nothing!" another hissed. "That's impossible!"
The rogue ninja, hardened killers all, felt a creeping dread. Four dead before the battle even began, felled by a single figure whose ease in their domain defied logic. For the first time, hesitation gripped them, their confidence wavering.