The moment Sarutobi Soulin set foot on the ground floor of the Mizukage Building, a breath he hadn't realized he was holding finally escaped his chest.
The journey in had gone too smoothly. Smooth enough to feel wrong.
He loosened the straps of his ninja pouch, removed it, and handed it over to the Hidden Mist monitors stationed at the entrance. His movements were deliberate, unhurried—textbook diplomacy. With a brief gesture, he ordered the remaining Konoha ninja to wait outside.
Only then did he proceed inside, accompanied solely by Shui Bing'er and the other four.
In a residential building adjacent to the Mizukage complex, a short man stood by a narrow window, one hand resting on an oddly shaped weapon. His gaze followed Soulin's group as they disappeared into the building.
Yagura Karatachi narrowed his eyes.
"What are the Konoha people doing here?" he asked quietly.
A stationed border ninja, recently withdrawn, answered without hesitation. "They claim to be acting under Hokage orders—escorting a personal letter, along with five youths."
"Konoha…" Yagura turned sharply. "Any concrete intelligence?"
An ANBU knelt on one knee, voice muffled beneath his mask. "None. The envoy was extremely cautious. The five accompanying individuals were equally tight-lipped."
Yagura's brow furrowed deeply.
Hidden Mist Village was already a cauldron on the verge of boiling over. The Mizukage faction, the Elder faction, the Bloody Mist hardliners, and the ninja clans were locked in constant overt and covert struggle. And then there were people like him—nominally aligned with the Mizukage, secretly tied to the Elders, yet in truth cultivating an independent power base, waiting for the right moment to strike.
A coup required precision.
Variables were poison.
At such a critical juncture, the sudden appearance of an unknown group tied to Konoha was enough to make his skin crawl.
Inside the Mizukage's office, Shui Bing'er's eyes swept the room the instant she entered.
Seven figures stood in rigid formation on both sides of the chamber, each gripping a sword with unmistakable menace. At the center sat an elderly man with a weathered face—the Third Mizukage himself.
Her breath hitched.
This was not a reception.
It was a kill zone.
Even when Konoha's higher-ups met Boss Li, no one had bothered carrying weapons.
Sarutobi Soulin recognized the blades immediately.
Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist.
His spine stiffened.
Feigning the motion of retrieving the letter, he subtly formed a warning hand seal behind his back with his left hand. With his right, he presented the scroll respectfully, both hands raised.
"Mizukage-sama," he said evenly, "this is the Hokage's personal letter."
The signal was enough.
Shui Bing'er and the others reacted instantly. The four shifted to flank her, and her fingers rested on the golden silk pouch at her waist.
The Third Mizukage gave a small nod. An ANBU stepped forward to receive the letter.
As the scroll was unrolled, silence swallowed the room. The only sound came from fingers brushing sword hilts—slow, deliberate, threatening.
"Sacrificial Shop…" the Mizukage murmured at last, tapping the parchment. A cold chuckle followed. "Interesting."
"An overseas merchant group docks in the Land of Whirlpools, yet Hidden Mist remains blind," he continued, lifting his gaze. "Is Konoha suggesting our intelligence apparatus is useless?"
"Boss Li's strength is… difficult to fathom," Soulin replied calmly. In moments like this, clarity came easily. "He likely employed special means to bypass border detection."
A metallic laugh scraped the air.
Kuriarare Kushimaru tilted his head slightly, Nuibari glinting. "To smuggle an entire vessel past our borders… then why bother coming here at all?"
"We—" Shui Bing'er began.
"It's not your turn to speak," Soulin snapped sharply, cutting her off without looking back.
He stepped sideways, placing himself squarely between her and the swordsmen.
"Our purpose," he continued, voice steady, "is to issue an employment mission and seek cooperation with the elite of Hidden Mist. Nothing more."
The Mizukage regarded him for a long moment.
"Hidden Mist will accept the mission," he said at last. "We will dispatch our own elites to escort them back to the Land of Whirlpools."
His hand lifted slightly. "As for Konoha ninja—leave the village immediately."
Soulin didn't relax. "We still need to proceed to Kumogakure to issue missions. It would be inefficient to delay. Mizukage-sama can dispatch your people directly to Uzumaki Tide Village."
The Mizukage's eyes narrowed.
"That wasn't mentioned in the letter."
Sweat beaded on Soulin's temple. He bowed slightly deeper. "Boss Li informed us of the change just before departure. Hokage-sama wasn't aware at the time of writing."
It was a gamble.
Tongusa Neru's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Quick thinking. Pity."
"Run!" Soulin roared.
His hands barely formed the Tiger seal before Nuibari flashed.
Steel screamed.
Soulin aborted the seal mid-formation, wrenching a kunai from his sleeve to block. Sparks exploded as blades collided. The backlash from the disrupted chakra flow tore through his meridians, numbing his arm.
He couldn't retreat.
The five were behind him.
Shui Bing'er raised her pouch—
Too late.
Cold, damp mist poured through the doorway, swallowing the room in an instant. Vision blurred. Balance vanished.
When sight returned, they were submerged.
A crushing pressure enveloped them—dark water constricting from every direction. Bodies refused to move. Spirit power sank as though trapped in glue.
Genjutsu: Water Prison.
Outside the office, six elite ANBU completed their hand seals in perfect synchronization, their chakra weaving the water vapor into an unbreakable cage.
Bang.
A high-pressure water bullet detonated through the room.
Soulin's disorientation lasted less than a heartbeat.
It was enough.
Hōzuki Chien's Water Gun pierced cleanly through the back of his skull. Blood splashed against the wall as the Konoha jōnin collapsed without a sound.
Life and death were separated by a single mistake.
Chien flicked the water from his fingers, glancing down at the body. "Clever. Not strong enough."
He bent, retrieving the storage pouch Shui Bing'er had dropped, weighing it thoughtfully.
"They were trying to open this," he said.
"Then open it," Munashi Jinpachi scoffed, Shibuki resting on his shoulder. "Mizukage-sama is being overly cautious."
He kicked aside a fallen kunai, laughing softly.
"One jōnin and a few brats… was it really necessary to mobilize all Seven Swordsmen?"
The water prison trembled.
And somewhere within, something waited.
I also read novels also read novels as you all know today i found more than 1 such person that was selling their novels for up to 150 USD[each book] i mean daammn and two were selling translations for 40 USD i mean ok but i have to say either i have been poor my whole life and dont know jack shit about this market or may be i am just a saint [damn the war is effecting the price of novels as well???]
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