Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 188 The Vanguard of the Two Villages

The night was as dark as ink, and thick, dark clouds obscured the crescent moon in the sky. Only a few sparse stars struggled to peek through the gaps in the clouds.

On the southern coastline of the Land of Whirlpools lies a rocky beach rarely visited by humans.

Two jet-black raiding ships, like two shadows peeled from the night, silently sliced ​​through the last wave, their bows gently embedding themselves in the damp sand.

There were no loud noises, only the soft, rustling sound of the boat's hull rubbing against the gravel.

The next moment, dozens of figures jumped off the ship.

Half of them, with their rough and powerful movements and undisguised presence, were ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village.

The other half of the figure, like water vapor blending into the night, moved so gently that it made almost no sound; it was a ninja from Kirigakure.

Two groups of people stood distinctly on the beach, separated by a subtle distance, silently confronting each other, with an odd tension permeating the air.

"Tap tap—"

Ryourai Sōgetsu of Kumogakure set foot on this unfamiliar land.

He took a deep breath, the moist, salty air filling his lungs, a stark contrast to the dry air of the Land of Lightning, filled with the scent of rocks and lightning.

"call……"

Zuo Yue exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling the solid ground beneath her feet, and a look of warlike excitement appeared on her face.

"This is the Land of Whirlpools, famous for its sealing techniques."

His loud voice broke the silence of the place, drawing disapproving glances from several Hidden Mist ninjas.

"This is my first time here, and it's quite nice."

Zuo Yue twisted his neck, his joints cracking as if he were surveying a new hunting ground that he was about to conquer, rather than admiring the scenery.

His gaze shifted to the man behind him, who was as cold as an iceberg.

"By the way, Haiyue."

Zuo Yue grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

"When did your Kirigakure spies infiltrate the Land of Whirlpools?"

A cold, indifferent figure silently passed by him without even glancing at him.

Ghost lamp and sea moon.

Those eyes, hidden in the shadows, remained completely still.

He merely scanned the surrounding dense woods with indifferent eyes, confirming the seclusion of the place.

"secret."

Hozuki Kaigetsu uttered two words, his voice sounding as if squeezed out from a crack in the ice, devoid of any warmth.

"In short, you don't need to worry about the barrier."

"cut."

Zuo Yue grinned and touched the huge, broad-backed sword on his back, making a slight metallic scraping sound.

"Hehe, making it all so mysterious."

He didn't press the matter further.

Knowing that these guys who manipulate water and mist are all secretive at heart, you can't get anything out of them by asking.

"Wow!"

A clear and melodious voice, carrying a touch of innocent and delightful surprise.

Hozuki Shio opened her big, bright eyes and looked around curiously.

Looking up at the sky, the few stars that were trying to twinkle seemed brighter than the moon over Kirigakure.

"The scenery here is really beautiful!"

She exclaimed sincerely, her face full of wonder.

"It's much better than our village. It's all foggy over there, everything looks gray and hazy, it's so boring."

Zuo Yue laughed again upon hearing this. Hozuki Kaigetsu's younger sister was indeed adorably straightforward.

"Haha, that's true."

Hozuki Kaigetsu ignored his sister's sentiments. He simply walked quickly to the edge of the forest, squatted down, picked up a bit of soil with his fingers, and gently sniffed it.

Then he closed his eyes again.

Listen carefully to the rustling of leaves in the wind and the faint chirping of insects in the distance.

A moment later, Hozuki Kaigetsu stood up and confirmed that the place was remote, with dense forests and abundant vegetation, making it easy to hide and indeed the best landing spot.

He turned around and gestured for everyone to move forward.

As per the plan agreed upon beforehand on the flagship, Zuo Yue and Hozuki Kaigetsu each selected several ninjas from their respective teams.

"You guys stay here and keep an eye on the ship."

Zuo Yue gave instructions to several Cloud Village ninjas while making a subtle hand gesture.

"Remember, this is our escape route; we cannot afford to make any mistakes."

"Yes, Lord Zuo Yue!"

The Cloud Village ninjas understood the meaning and nodded in agreement.

Hozuki Kaigetsu simply gave a signal with his eyes, and the few Kirigakure ninjas he had chosen immediately understood and began to guard the raiding ship closely.

Having arranged their escape route, Zuo Yue and Hozuki Kaigetsu exchanged a glance. Although their eyes still held a hint of wariness, they reached a temporary understanding.

"Walk!"

Zuo Yue let out a low shout.

The three then led the remaining main force, taking advantage of the cover of night, and like arrows released from a bow, quickly rushed into the depths of the forest.

Their target was the heart of the island—Wochao Village.

Soon, the beach returned to tranquility.

Only the tireless waves crashing against the rocks remained, making a splashing sound.

The main force had long since disappeared into that deep, seemingly all-consuming forest.

On the coast, only two raiding ships and a dozen or so Cloud Village and Mist Village ninjas remained to guard the area.

A sea breeze blew, and for a moment the atmosphere became awkwardly silent.

"Phew, the air is pretty good."

One of the Hidden Mist ninjas on guard duty, probably feeling the atmosphere was too oppressive, stretched and casually remarked something.

He just wanted to break the silence.

However, these words took on a different meaning when they reached the ears of a nearby Cloud Village ninja.

The Cloud Village ninja was also tall. He glanced sideways at the Mist Ninja and spoke in a tone that was a mixture of mockery and pity.

"Heh, your village is shrouded in fog all day long, I don't know how you all manage to endure it."

"I doubt you can even see the sun much, it certainly fits the word 'dark'."

These words were like a spark that instantly ignited a powder keg.

The Kirigakure ninja who was stretching froze, slowly turning his head. His previously relaxed face was now icy cold.

"What did you say?!"

Clang!

The ninja sword at his waist was drawn half an inch from its sheath with a crisp grinding sound.

"Are you looking for death?"

Upon seeing this, the Cloud Village ninja not only did not restrain himself, but laughed even more contemptuously.

"What? Did I touch a nerve?"

"A bunch of shady characters."

The other Cloud Village ninjas also surrounded them. Now that they had the opportunity, they naturally went all out, their words filled with contempt for the Hidden Mist Village's style of doing things.

"asshole!"

"You bunch of idiots who only know how to use brute force!"

"Try saying it again!"

The Hidden Mist ninjas were also thoroughly enraged, drawing their weapons and confronting the Hidden Cloud ninjas.

The group quickly split into two camps, glaring at each other, the air thick with tension.

The Cloud Ninja who started the trouble felt a surge of pleasure as he looked at the Mist Ninja trembling with rage opposite him.

They must understand who is in charge of this operation! And whose fist is harder!

He wanted to use this method to etch the rules of Kumogakure into the very bones of these Kirigakure ninja.

"What? You want to fight?"

The Cloud Village ninja took a step forward, and tiny blue arcs of electricity began to flicker on his sword, emitting a crackling sound.