บท 188: The Land of Blood Mist.
"Shibi, I'm fine!" Fugaku exclaimed, tossing his sword aside with a clang as it met the ground. "It seems Hokage-sama tipped you off about my arrival."
Judging by their reactions, Fugaku could tell they were expecting him. He surmised that they must have received intelligence that he was en route.
"It's as if the old man Hokage sent word directly to them," Fugaku mused silently, impressed by the precision of their preparations.
Ninjas around him fell one by one, and their expressions betrayed a hint of surprise as they took in Fugaku's bloodied appearance.
"What happened, Lord Fugaku?" inquired Hizashi Hyūga, his curiosity piqued. He knew Fugaku was on his way, but he didn't know why.
With a smile, Fugaku replied, "I ventured out to scout the enemy camp. On my return, I decided to survey the surrounding terrain under the cover of darkness. Unexpectedly, I stumbled upon an enemy ambush. No matter, I'll head back to camp for a shower. We do have a water supply, don't we?"
"Ah, there is...!" Hizashi began, but Fugaku had already started walking away, paying little heed to the response.
His demeanor remained remarkably composed, considering the life-and-death battle he had just experienced.
The trio, now fully alert, swiftly directed the other ninjas to clear the battlefield. Despite the darkness of night, Shibi and Tsume efficiently disposed of the fallen enemies.
Their primary objective was to identify any enemy ninjas possessing unique Kekkei Genkai, or secret arts, yet the outcome proved disappointing.
"We lucked out this time," Tsume remarked, reflecting on their advantageous outcome despite being outnumbered. "We lost none, and we managed to eliminate nearly a hundred Mist Ninjas."
The key factor in their success was undoubtedly Fugaku, who had single-handedly dispatched a hundred enemies and successfully held off their two strong ninja.
Upon their return to camp, a sobering sight greeted them: the lifeless bodies of Konoha ninjas littered the grounds, alongside the wounded.
It became evident that the enemy had seized the opportunity to launch an assault while they were away on their scouting mission.
Fortunately, when reinforcements were dispatched to bolster Fugaku's position, they simultaneously activated a warning signal.
This crucial action prompted ninjas from surrounding camps to rush to their aid, ultimately thwarting the remainder of the Mist's attack with a decisive numerical advantage.
After locating the water source within the camp, Fugaku wasted no time in cleaning himself up.
As he scrubbed away the grime of battle, a random thought crossed his mind, sparked by memories of anime.
"Omg," he muttered to himself, recalling the characters he'd seen in those animated worlds. "Back when I used to watch anime, those people never seemed to change their clothes. I honestly don't know how they managed."
Reflecting on what he knew from both personal experience and Konoha's intelligence reports, Fugaku understood the reality of the Land of Water. It was a nation torn apart by warfare, embroiled in the notorious "Blood Mist Era."
In this turbulent environment, Kekkei Genkai users held significant power, often possessing unique abilities that combined two or more elements.
However, rather than being revered, they were despised by the citizens of the Land of Water, who harbored a deep-seated hatred for ninjas and those with special abilities.
The village of Kirigakure, in particular, had endured periods of internal strife. Kekkei Genkai users found themselves embroiled in civil wars, becoming symbols of both fear and misfortune. Such was the level of animosity towards them that they were hunted down and killed.
Over time, Kirigakure earned a notorious reputation as the "Village of the Bloody Mist," stemming from its brutal practices.
Graduation from the Kirigakure Academy, for instance, required students to engage in deadly combat, with only the survivors allowed to ascend as ninja.
Even the Kaguya clan, known for their love of battle, fell victim to Kiri's superior forces when they attempted to wage war. Such was the suspicion and fear surrounding those with Kekkei Genkai, as they were seen as formidable assets in times of conflict.
As such, persecution and even murder of anyone with a kekkei genkai was common; in the case of the Yuki clan, it no longer exists in an organized sense, and its few surviving members live in secret, fearful of their abilities being discovered.
Among the clans of the Land of Water, one of the most renowned was undoubtedly the Yuki Clan, with its notable member, Haku, standing out prominently in history.
Fugaku's interest in the Kaguya Clan was piqued by suggesting their lineage traced back to Kaguya Hime. It was speculated that they held valuable information that could shed light on the pendant.
Despite making numerous visits to the Konoha library over the past eighteen months, Fugaku had yet to explore the archives of the Land of Fire's Daimyo.
Drawing upon his research, Fugaku surmised that his pendant held a significant connection to history, prompting him to delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding its origin.
---------------
The following afternoon, at the Uzushiogakure eastern coast camp, a tense atmosphere enveloped the gathering as several individuals engaged in a heated discussion.
"You were injured by a samurai?" Kobanza's incredulous voice rang out as he stared at the two men before him.
Indeed, Kobanza and Jinpachi had led a squad in a raid on the Konoha camp the previous night, as per their plan. However, their expectations of reinforcements went unmet, and they were met with unexpected resistance.
Faced with mounting enemy numbers, they reluctantly chose to retreat.
Upon their return, they were greeted with a startling sight: one of their comrades was wounded, while the other was now bald.
How could the seven swordsmen of the mist, two against one, falter against a lone samurai? And how had the samurai managed to slay nearly a hundred ninjas in the process? It seemed unbelievable.
Biwa's expression darkened with frustration. "He's at least as formidable as Hiashi Hyūga... Damn it, where did he come from?"
"Send a team to investigate Wind Style Swordsman Yasuo. I've never even heard of him!" Kobanza demanded.
Unable to conceal their failure, they knew they would have to answer to their boss, the Mizukage. Three hundred ninja had perished across their two squads; there was no way to mask such a significant loss.
The Third Mizukage, a middle-aged man with a stern countenance, received the news with a contemplative silence.
While he refrained from reprimanding them outright, his thoughts churned as he considered the implications of their actions.
He understood the stature of Kobanza and the others within the village and recognized the soundness of their plan. After all, they had employed similar tactics successfully in the past.
Yet, this time, their retreat without engaging in battle and their subsequent defeat troubled him deeply.
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