Naruto: Escape From Konoha

Chapter 212: 208: Kumo and Kiri

"You guys aren't very impressive. You can't even last five minutes."

A training ground built in a vast underground, the battle between lightning and sparks ended almost instantly.

In the center of the ground stood a woman with brown-red, flowing hair, holding two special swords designed for chakra conduction. The swords crackled with dense lightning, resembling lightning snakes coiled around them. Around her, a large number of ninjas lay fallen—exactly one hundred people.

These fallen people were surrounded by lightning, which had them paralyzed. Their bodies twitched slightly, indicating injuries that hindered movement, yet their lives weren't in danger.

In a battle lasting less than five minutes, it took an average of three seconds per opponent. The fact that these one hundred people were all genuine Chunin showed how powerful the opponent who had beaten was

One of Kirigakure's ninja swordsmen—Ameyuri Ringo.

Despite publicized news of her premature death due to an incurable disease, she had, in fact, concealed herself in the Land of Demons four years ago. Originally the Lightning release genius, Ringo's secret training over the years had increased her understanding and application of Lightning release, which had improved her strength significantly.

"You effortlessly defeated 100 Chunin without sustaining any injuries, even without Kiba in your hands. It seems your strength has once again progressed. It's quite commendable." Behind her, a voice offered congratulated with admiration.

Ringo turned around and zhe saw Shiraishi standing there. "It's you. He, have you finally agreed to leave the research room?" When she laughed, her sharp teeth were exposed, like a shark eyeing its prey in the sea, sending shivers down one's spine.

Her warlike and passionate gaze gave Shiraishi a headache. Due to her character, she had provoked him more than once, challenging him to a duel.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had good and bad personalities, but they all have one thing in common - they loved battles. It was precisely this passion for fighting that allowed Ringo to stand out among the thousands of ninjas in Kirigakure, and finally becoming the wielder of Kiba with her outstanding Lightning Release prowess. Her accomplishments in Lightning Release were indeed a rare talent.

For a ninja of Ringo's caliber, Kirigakure didn't lavish much praise, but she needed no external validation. Her original strength ranked at the forefront among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, surpassing even the previous wielders of Shibuki, Jinpachi and Nuibari, Kushimaru. After several years of transformation, she might probably be the strongest amongst the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Shiraishi scanned the 100 Chunin on the ground, who were still struggling to stand up one by one. He then looked at Ringo, seemingly relaxed and composed. Ringo breathing slightly heavier, holding the swords. To truly make her fight seriously, at least 300 Chunin would be needed.

An ordinary Jonin wouldn't wouldn't stand a chance. Moreover, he haf large-scale Lightning release ninjutsi, making her formidable in both single and group confrontations.

Shiraishi shook his head and casually tossed Kiba towards Ringo's hand.

Ringo caught Kiba, and although the name implied a singular sword, it was two swords aligned together. This arrangement maximized the potential of Lightning Release, giving the wielder both offensive and defensive capabilities. With the enhanced Kiba, her strength was undoubtedly elevated to new heights. The precise extent of her powers remained to be tested in actual combat.

"How about it, can you still use the Lighning sword proficiently?"Shiraishi asked. He hoped that she wouldn't become unfamiliar with Kiba due to the years of farewell.

"Are you underestimating me? I'm only in my twenties, far from dementia." Ringo stared at Shiraishi unhappily. This uneasy, grumbling man was the type she disliked the most. However, she was also slightly surprised and said, "It's just that I didn't expect that I've been 'dead' for almost four or five years. Hasn't there been a new ninja in the village who could wield Kiba?"

"Probably because Yagura and the others felt that they weren't qualified. After all, there are very few ninjas who are proficient in using Lightning release in the village. There's probably no other ninja who is good at using lightning release like you currently." Shiraishi stated as a fact rather than intending to flatter.

Although Kiri wasn't a ninja village which mainly uses Lightning release, there were quite a few ninjas in the village who could use it. It wasn't so easy to stand out among them, and Ringo's ability to do so undoubtedly proved her strength and talent. In the past few years, Shiraishi had also perfected tutorials on the shape and nature of Lightning release for their army, contributing to ninja education in the Land Of Demons. Both his clone, Raimei, and Kakashi, who were far away in Konoha, received a bit of assistance.

"I originally thought if a new user appeared, I would challenge them to take back Kiba. It seems the plan won't be going through." Ringo sighed regretfully, realizing Shiraishi had given her Kiba at this time. She then looked at him and asked, "Giving me Kiba now, has Yagura's plans finally started?"

"Well, the specific plans will be carried out within half a month. But before that, you need to deal with some minor troubles."

"Minor troubles?" Ringo raised her brows, her eyes showing unhappiness. "Hey, don't think that you can order me as you like just because you saved me. Don't even think about it. How many chores have you asked me to do for you in the last few years?"

This was precisely what Ringo was unhappy about regarding Shiraishi. Whether it was documenting Lightning release teaching material or training his ninjas to enhance their actual combat ability, she always had an "unhappy" expression.

In her opinion, the so-called special training was merely child's play. What she looked forward to was the joy of sharpening herself in life-and-death battles. She was interested in powerful ninjas and had grown tired of playing ninja games. However, Shiraishi was her savior on one hand, making it inconvenient for her to refuse.

"Don't worry; this situation has nothing to do with the Land Of Demons. It's a private matter within your Kirigakure." Shiraishi reassured her with a smile, aware that Ringo was about to explode..He placed the scroll sent by Yagura, into Ringo's hands.

"What's this?"

"Yagura entrusted you with the mission. There are traitors in your village, and they plan to collude with Kumogakure."

After hearing his words, Ringo fell silent. She thought for bit. When speaking of a traitor, Yagura might be the biggest 'traitor' for colluding with a foreign ninja and meddling in Kirigakure's internal affairs. Now, with Yagura tasking her with dealing with Kiri ninjas who are allegedly colluding with Kumogakure, perhaps due to a repulsion among the same kind.

"Not only that, but your village's Anbu seems to be used by the Blood Mist faction to make a deal with Kumo."

Shiraishi added, and Ringo's face didn't relax; instead, it turned black. The Anbu of each ninja village is crucial for protecting the 'Kage.' If outsiders have information about these Anbu ninjas, including details about their capabilities, targeted assassinations could threaten the 'Kage's safety.

"Damn it!" Ringo exclaimed

It was one thing to fight among themselves in the same village. Yagura and Shiraishi's collusion was based on equal cooperation, not selling the village's interests. It was considered strategic cooperation, which was mutually beneficial.

In order to seek cooperation, members of the Blood Mist faction sold the village's interests to ninjas from other villages, even endangering the Mizukage's life. This is no longer a simple fault but a mistake that can't be covered up. It 2az equivalent to betraying the village. Regardless of their considerations, these people have never cared about the village's interests, only their own. It's unimaginable for such people to control Kiri in the future.

"Then please. I will also send ninjas to support."

Yagura couldn't send any decent people because he needed to deal with the situation in Kiri to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan. Instead he entrusted it someone the Blood Mist faction can't couldn't even imagine would catch them off guard.

"Okay, I have to deal with these traitors as soon as possible." Ringo said as she disappeared ready to act.

...

The Land of Water, on a small island on the northern border.

A jungle covered the island, providing an excellent cover for concealing tracks. The jungle was without any decent inhabitants, only housing large poisonous insects and man-eating beasts.

In the sea surrounding the island, brutal sharks frequently attack fishing boats passing through, and hidden reefs make it unsuitable for ships to dock. Also, unless necessary, the island remained largely unvisited.

As the setting sun cast a scorching red hue, the dense forest turns red, creating an eerie atmosphere at dusk.

Within the forest, black shadows swiftly move, taking advantage of the tree shadows. Their trajectories remain unclear, and their purpose is unknown. These black shadows moving in the forest wore ninja uniforms with the forehead protector engraved with the symbol of Kirigakure, confirming them as ninjas from the Land of Water.

"Really, the people from Kumo haven't come yet; what a drag, those savages."

In the eyes of Kiri ninjas, Kumogakure were a group of barbaric ninjas who were big but not very smart. But the mission announced from above was to hand over important 'things' to Kumo to achieve a cooperation.

The speaker was a male ninja with a cloth cap and a short beard. In his hand was a unique weapon combining an ax blade and an iron mallet, emitting a daunting, sinister aura. He's Akebino Jinin

Jinin, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kiri, and his strength is unquestionable, making him a focal point in every ninja village's intelligence department. His sword, Kabutowari, is emphasized to be able to smash enemies and cut through all defenses, making melee combat against it highly unfavorable.

"Sorry, Jinin-sama, I haven't seen any sign of Kumo ninjas coming here yet." A ninja reported.

"It really is annoying; are you kidding me?" Jinin, not known for his patience, expressed his frustrations.

"Probably not."

"Damn it!! Just wait a little longer." Despite his impatience, it wasn't a good idea to just leave. Jinin knew the importance of this cooperation for their Blood Mist faction.

As Jinin waited, a Kirigakure ninja eventually reports, "Jinin-sama, Kumo's people are here."

Jinin then focused his attention and looked forward. An approaching team of over a dozen Kumo ninjas. There were guards and patrols around the place, which meant that it was absolutely safe.

"Sorry, we were delayed a little on the way."

The Kumo ninja leading the group was a relatively burly man with a huge square-shaped shuriken on his back. He apologized to Jinin.

Jinin recognized the identity of the Kumo ninja, it was Kumo's Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai - Toroi. In the previous was, he was extremely active, and his strength was completely equal to him. But even with that, Jinin wouldn not polite to him.

"Forget it; this is what you want. If there's no problem, I hope to leave as soon as possible to avoid any complications." Jinin said annoyed, while handing Toroi a file bag filled with documents.

Toroi accepted it, took out the documents examining them, and nodded. "No problem, I will report this to Raikage-sama as soon as possible."

"Then hurry up. The things have been given to you, don't think of doing nothing. Otherwise, when you attack Konoha, we won't provide any help."

"Don't worry; we came here with sincerity for the cooperation. Then, to avoid long nights and dreams, we will be taking our leave."

Jinin nodded and signaled to the ninjas beside him with his eyes, and they quickly disperse, leaving the place. Following suit, Jinin also disappeared in front of Toroi and the Kumo ninjas.

Seeing the Kiri nins leave, Toroi turned to the accompanying Kumo nins, "We've obtained the item; we need to quickly return to the village, and inform Raikage-sama to begin the mission."

Among the five great ninja villages, Kirigakure stood as the best-preserved. To win over allies, Kiri was Kumo's sole cooperation target. Kumo and Iwa had deep conflicts and prejudices due to the Third Raikage and the missing Sage of Six Paths artifact. Sunagakure was shattered by Konoha and the newly appointed Fourth Kazekage Rasa was struggling to secure his position and restore Suna's power.

Therefore, cooperation with Kirigakure becomes crucial for Kumo this time. Only through this collaboration can Konoha be pulled down, and Kumo's reputation in the world will completely surpass Konoha's.

Led by Toroi, the Kumo ninjas marched toward the beach area of the deserted island.

Besides the hidden reefs, three fishing boats were moored, the boats the Kumo ninjas had used in coming over. This deserted island, filled with hidden reefs, was unsuitable for large ships due to visibility, while small ships do not this problem.

Their next goal was to deliver the items to Kumogakure and hand them over to the Fourth Raikage. There was a lot of information about Kiri nins recorded in the file bag. These people were all affiliated with the Blood Mist faction, who also needed Kumo's assistance. Among them are some powerful Jonin, with details of their personalities, ages, genders, and abilities..It was a revelation that surprised Toroi.

Although Toroi couldn't understand why the Blood Mist faction would betray their fellow villagers and divulge their comrades' information, he foresaw Kirigakure's gradual weakening if such actions persisted. He had this hunch.

Compared with other villages, Kumogakure was much more harmonious internally. Respecting ninjas for strength and practical actions, Troy is quite proud of living in such a harmonious village.

Driving the boat towards the border of the Land of Lightning, the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning faced each other across the sea. Therefore, in this sea area, there was no need to worry too much about being ambushed by ninjas from other villages.

However, the items obtained from the Kirigakure were too important. Whether it was Toroi or the accompanying ninjas, they maintained serious expressions, realizing the impending dangers of navigating the dark sea.

The sky darkened, the moonlight emerged, casting an ethereal glow over the dark sea. The lights on the fishing boat became the sole source of illumination in the darkness.

Although they could spend the night on surrounding deserted islands, the unanimous choice among the Kumo ninjas was to deliver the important files to Kumo as soon as possible, navigating the dangerous dark sea.

For ordinary people, the journey might pose risks, but for skilled ninjas, even confronting hostile marine life poses little threat.

Suddenly, Toroi looked at the moon, quietly signaling the ninjas beside him. The rest of the ninjas nodded silently, sensing that something was wring. The light emitted by the moon above suddenly dimmed, and thick fog, not dark clouds, covered the bright moonlight.

The Kumo ninjas couldn't see the figure of their companion clearly; they could only discern a blur of black figures.

The white mist shrouded the dark sea, heightening the danger. It was a jutsu commonly used by Kirigakure's ninjas. A powerful dense mist that couldn't be blown away even by wind release. The fog contained palpitating Chakra.

Toroi's complexion was dignified..Any ninja who could create such a dense fog using the hidden mist jutsu must be extraordinary. 'Has the deal with the Bloodmist faction leaked?' He thought to himself. Although he thought that the situation wouldn't be like this, to use this powerful level jutsu, the newcomer must be powerful. Ordinary Kiri nins couldn't use jutsu to be this powerful.

Since this was the case, they needed to eliminate the intruder. If the operation was destroyed, for Kumo, it was equivalent to losing a powerful ally who they could join with and deal with Konoha. Moreover, this could easily put Kumo in trouble.

"Over there!"

Toroi took down the huge square shuriken from behind him and swept it into the white mist.

The sound of howling and tearing the atmosphere, followed by the sound of cutting something, let Toroi know that his shuriken hit the enemy, but it should only be a scratch, not causing fatal injuries.

The square shuriken circled in the air and returned to Toroi's hands.

Toroi's eyes were sharp, as if he had seen through the layers of thick fog, and he knew every move of the enemy like the back of his hand.

"A pity, the battle is over."

He's a magnet release ninja who can give objects the ability to magnetize at will.

The square shuriken just now had already magnetized the opponent's body. He only needed to give the shuriken the ability to magnetize, and he would be able to form a shuriken that could always track and position, attracting the enemy's body. With that, the conditions for achieving a certain kill are met.

Without hesitation, Toroi took down a huge square shuriken from his back again, holding two large square shurikens in his hand, using the magnet release to give the square shuriken magnetic force, and then threw it out forcefully.

The sound of accurately hitting a body sounded, letting Toroi know that he had dealt with the enemy. But the hidden mist jutsu hasn't been lifted yet, that is to say, there were other enemies. Whoever he had killed wasn't the one who used the hidden mist jutsu.

"Next, it's another turn." Toroi turned his cold eyes elsewhere. When he was about to act, a sharp lightning suddenly flew past his eyes, and his comrades screamed.

Lightning release? Toroi wondered. Whoever jad attacked his comrades used a powerful lightning release attack. Although he hasn't seen anything specific, the power of lightning release should be very strong. Even in Kumo, there were not many ninjas with such powerful Lightning release.

While Toroi wondered, a gust of cold air rushed towards his face attracting Toroi's attention, his heart tightened, and he subconsciously looked up. He saw two big, blood-red "lanterns" suddenly lit up in front of him, shining brightly in the white mist.

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