Wok Shadow Ninja

Chapter 85: Arrival at Kirigakure

Life at sea was incredibly dull. Two Jonin were tasked with guarding the prisoners specifically, Raiga Kurosuki and Zabuza Momochi. Haku and Ranmaru, on the other hand, were fiercely loyal to their masters. Unless their masters were rescued or explicitly told them to leave, they wouldn't budge.

For the first two days at sea, Naruto was quite excited, constantly chattering about how Tazuna and the villagers were building the "Naruto Bridge." Everyone else humored him.

Ino could only assume that people in this world had an unusual obsession with "bridges" or perhaps with the idea of connecting people.

The first head of the Yamanaka clan had helped the Sage of Six Paths build bridges. Team Minato had blown up the Kannabi Bridge. Naruto had built a bridge in the Land of Waves. Then, during the Tenchi Bridge incident, they blew up another bridge. Finally, Danzo went and sealed off a bridge. These poor bridges were being tossed around like toys. Had anyone ever considered how the bridges felt?

Naruto had always been close with Shikamaru and Choji since their academy days, so Ino had no choice but to listen along. In just three days at sea, Naruto had recounted the story of the Naruto Bridge eleven times.

Eventually, even Ino grew tired of it. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "You guys chat. I'm going to train."

After more than half a month of sailing, the group finally arrived at a port in the Land of Water. They then traveled day and night with their prisoners, reaching Kirigakure in three days.

Team 10, being seasoned in the art of self-discipline, had balanced their training and rest well. With Choji cooking for them, they were in relatively good spirits, if not exactly brimming with energy.

Team 7, however, was in rough shape. Naruto and Sasuke had dark circles under their eyes, their eyes bloodshot. To the uninformed, they looked more like escaped convicts who hadn't rested during their flight than members of a diplomatic envoy from Konoha.

"Why does everyone look so exhausted? Kakashi, what's going on?" Koharu Utatane, the bespectacled Konoha elder, questioned Kakashi and Asuma.

What could Kakashi say? Sorry, my bad. I messed up.

Koharu didn't have time for lengthy explanations. She simply offered a few words of advice: "This exchange with Kirigakure is important. Don't be too aggressive, but don't appear weak either. You need to showcase your strength. You Genin are the key to this mission. Remember, you're not just representing yourselves you're representing the village. Pull yourselves together!"

With that said, no one dared to object. Not just the six Genin, but even Asuma, the Hokage's son, quickly stubbed out his cigarette, straightened his face, and put on his most serious expression to appear mature.

Kirigakure's welcoming party was led by a Jonin named Ao, a man in his forties who exuded a calm demeanor.

Ino couldn't help but glance at the eyepatch covering his right eye. If she remembered correctly, that eye housed a Byakugan stolen from the Hyūga clan.

Ao's attitude was neither subservient nor arrogant. He recognized both Raiga Kurosuki and Zabuza Momochi, the two rogue ninja.

The first order of business was the handover. The two rogue ninja were handed over to Kirigakure's Anbu. What happened to them afterward whether they were executed or tortured was no longer Konoha's concern. Along with them, Haku and Ranmaru, the two "attachments," were also transferred.

Two elite Jonin, two legendary swords, and two exceptionally talented youths Konoha's gift was of considerable value.

The unpredictable elite Jonin and their swords were one thing, but Haku and Ranmaru, with their Kekkei Genkai, were the real prizes. According to traditional views, if both parents were shinobi and the father possessed a Kekkei Genkai, there was a 60% chance the trait would be passed down through bloodlines.

Find each of them ten wives, have them produce as many children as possible, and in twenty years, Kirigakure would have a whole new generation of Kekkei Genkai users.

What? You say Haku and Ranmaru don't like women? That wasn't even a consideration for Kirigakure's higher-ups! Whether they liked it or not, they would comply. If the men weren't willing, the women could take the initiative!

Ao exchanged a few words with both of them. Ranmaru was still young, and his personality was hard to gauge.

Haku, however, had an excellent temperament calm, highly intelligent in combat, and possessing a powerful Kekkei Genkai. Most importantly, he was obedient and followed orders without question. Aside from his somewhat feminine demeanor, he was practically the perfect tool. Kirigakure needed someone like him.

Ao didn't mind Haku's femininity. The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, had also been androgynous, and Ao had grown used to it. So what if he was a bit effeminate? Zabuza, the tough guy, had felt surrounded by "soft" types and tried to assassinate the Mizukage. But Ao and others were fine with it.

Ao made a solemn promise: Zabuza's attempt to assassinate the Mizukage was an unforgivable crime, but as long as Haku remained obedient, Kirigakure wouldn't kill Zabuza.

After a brief moment of thought, Haku agreed to the terms.

Ao was part of the moderate faction in Kirigakure. He had been tasked with receiving the rogue ninja to prevent conflicts with Konoha. He even used his Byakugan to inspect Raiga and the others. The results were satisfactory the prisoners were merely weakened, and Konoha hadn't tampered with them. Their sincerity seemed genuine.

He led the group to their accommodations in the village and straightforwardly advised them to stay within the designated areas and not wander around.

Koharu understood this was standard procedure. During the Chunin Exams in Konoha, foreign ninja weren't allowed to roam freely either. She nodded, indicating that her group would abide by Kirigakure's rules.

Ao left to report to the village's current leaders: the elder advisor, elder, and the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, who had been publicly view to be in seclusion for training.

Real power in Kirigakure currently lay with elder. Mei had no objections to this, as the Fourth Mizukage had left behind a disastrous legacy. The village's reputation as the "Bloody Mist" was infamous, and internal strife, revenge killings, and rebellions had hollowed out the village.

Mei was highly capable, but not to the point of being invincible. She needed elder is authority to help suppress the village's internal conflicts. The old man had served under the First Mizukage and was now in his nineties. In a world as brutal as the shinobi world, how much longer could he last?

Mei wasn't worried about elder accumulating too much power. Time was on her side. Once his time was up, their conflicts would naturally dissolve.

The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, sat at the head of the room. elder, frail and leaning on his cane, sat to the side. Also present were two of elder is trusted aides, veteran Jonin Ao and Kisame Hoshigaki, along with Ao. These five individuals represented Kirigakure's highest authority.

Ao, who had been in charge of receiving the Konoha delegation, promptly reported his observations.

"Overall, Konoha's intentions seem sincere. The swords aside, Raiga and Zabuza's loyalty to the village is questionable. Reintegrating them would undoubtedly create significant risks. I recommend placing them under long-term surveillance. However, the two youths, Haku and Ranmaru, show great promise. Their potential is second only to Chōjūrō's. I believe these two should be our primary focus."

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