In a corner of Kusagakure.
Inside a dilapidated house, a girl with the distinctive crimson hair of the Uzumaki clan crouched in a corner, eating discarded scraps of food.
Kyōichi lurked deep underground.
At that moment, the door was violently kicked open, and a man strode inside.
"Someone's injured. You—come with me to the hospital."
"Can I finish eating first?"
She asked timidly.
"This trash… Hurry up! What about the injured at the hospital while you dawdle? If you don't obey, we'll kick you out—then you won't even get scraps!"
He snarled viciously.
"Yes!"
She had no choice but to set the food aside.
She knew that if she didn't comply, the food she'd painstakingly scavenged might be trampled underfoot.
In this village…
Surviving as an outsider was truly too difficult.
She couldn't help but recall her days in Uzushiogakure. But alas, those times were long gone.
The girl followed the Kusa ninja, preparing to leave.
But the next moment—
She sensed a surge of chakra emanating from beneath the ground. Just as she froze in surprise—
Another figure appeared inside the room. A man with familiar crimson hair, who instantly seized the Kusa ninja's throat, as if using some secret technique.
She stood stunned.
Crimson hair.
A clansman?
How…?
The girl could hardly believe it, yet her heart swelled with boundless hope—
Maybe it really was one of her people!
"What's your name?"
"Uzu… Uzushio Ori. My name is Ori."
She answered softly.
Kyōichi nodded. Ignoring the Kusa ninja whose throat he held, he sighed gently.
"Not many of our clan who escaped back then are living well now. Would you like to come with me?"
"Of course!"
Her eyes shone brightly.
Even if this man's identity as an Uzumaki was uncertain, at the very least, she sensed kindness from him—he treated her as a person, not a medical tool.
That was enough!
The Kusa ninja struggled harder, but his physical and mental energy were steadily drained. Soon, even his resistance weakened into nothing.
The Chakra Absorption Technique's efficiency had improved slightly—now converting about 40%.
But this Kusa ninja was only a chuunin. There wasn't much chakra to extract, and Kyōichi's shadow clone had only recovered partially. It was still far from full capacity.
Fortunately—
"What's taking so long? Are you still letting her eat—?"
Another man arrived outside.
The moment he stepped through the doorway, he sensed something was wrong. Ori's eyes were too bright—nothing like the resigned look of someone being forced to the hospital.
But.
It was too late.
A hand clamped around his throat, dragging him slowly inside.
"What's going on?"
Commotion erupted outside.
However.
By the time they rushed in, all they found was a man slumped in the corner.
"Chakra exhaustion… dead."
"After them!"
The Kusa ninja were furious.
Ori was a rare medical asset they'd worked hard to obtain. With her, countless Kusa ninja could be saved. And now, she'd been stolen right from under their noses.
How could they let this slide?
They gave chase immediately, soon spotting a red-haired man fleeing with Ori and another Kusa ninja in tow. The man glanced back at them—
His gaze was icy, brimming with killing intent.
For a moment, they froze in fear. By the time they snapped out of it and resumed pursuit, all they found was their comrade's corpse.
A red-haired shinobi.
An Uzumaki?
Cold sweat drenched their backs. An Uzumaki had come for Ori and taken her away…
At least they hadn't had her for long.
If they'd used her more extensively, the grudge would've been far worse.
They reported to the Kusa village leader, who flew into a rage. Ori's abilities were invaluable to him—he'd rather lose three or four squads than let her be taken.
These idiots…
Then, he realized something.
He'd kept Ori's existence a secret. Yet, the very morning Konoha's envoy visited, she was stolen by afternoon.
Could Konoha be behind this?
"Let's go. We're meeting the Hokage!"
He couldn't hold back.
If they were going to meet anyway, might as well make it today.
...
Konoha's camp.
News of the Kusa leader's arrival quickly reached the Sandaime, who naturally didn't neglect formalities.
However.
The Kusa leader's question made the Sandaime frown.
"Hokage, is Konoha truly withdrawing?"
"Yes."
The Sandaime nodded, displeased.
Though they held equal status as village leaders, Konoha was undeniably the stronger party. And in this war, they hadn't wronged Kusagakure.
This attitude was far too aggressive!
"Hokage, our Kusa village is weak. We can't hope to oppose Konoha or Iwagakure. We just want to survive. But what Konoha has done this time is too much!"
The Kusa leader suppressed his fury.
The Sandaime's frown deepened.
"By the way, where is that jonin of yours who visited our village earlier?"
"He's on a mission in the Land of Earth."
"Really?"
"That's classified Konoha intel. I don't believe we're obligated to share it with you."
The Sandaime's eyes turned cold.
This Kusa leader…
Something was off.
"I hope this 'classified mission' is true. Otherwise, given that he scouted our village this morning and someone was kidnapped this afternoon, it's hard not to suspect Konoha."
He didn't linger further.
The relationship was severed.
The Sandaime frowned.
What kind of person could drive the Grass leader to such desperation?
Now he was curious.
As for trouble from Kusagakure? The Sandaime wasn't worried in the slightest.
If Kyōichi wasn't involved, Konoha couldn't be blamed. And if he was, Kyōichi would never leave evidence.
He trusted Kyōichi's competence.
...
In the shinobi world, strength often rendered evidence unnecessary.
However.
Kusagakure's power fell far short of that threshold.
Thus.
They needed proof. Otherwise, no one would believe them—especially since they dared not reveal exactly who they'd lost.
What if powerful Uzumaki survivors truly existed?
That was a possibility best left unspoken.
Kyōichi hadn't received updates from his shadow clone, but he was confident it had escaped safely—likely now accompanying the Uzumaki descendant.
He pondered silently.
Both were strong enough to cross borders undetected.
They arrived at the previous outpost location.
Kyōichi sensed numerous Iwa ninja—including Gari's chakra. After pinpointing his position, he took out the crystal ball and channeled chakra.
"You already located him. Why use this technique?"
"Testing it out."
The next moment, an image formed in the crystal: Gari pacing inside a stone fortress, visibly agitated, as if waiting for something.
Kyōichi and Jiraiya exchanged glances. Both knew what he was waiting for.
Intel.
On Kyōichi.
"Pity we don't know how the Iwa ninja deliver intel. Otherwise, we could infiltrate disguised as messengers."
Jiraiya sighed.
"With our lineup, do we really need disguises?"
Kyōichi smiled.
Jiraiya blinked. "You're not planning to charge in directly, are you?"
"You draw their attention. I'll kill him. Simple as that."
Why bother with disguises?
Even without Sage Mode, Jiraiya stood among the elite of the shinobi world. And while Kyōichi wouldn't claim superiority, he wasn't far behind.
A single opening was all he needed to eliminate the Explosion Corps captain.
And maybe deal Iwagakure a heavy blow in the process.
"Alright!"
Jiraiya didn't hesitate.
They moved immediately.
Night had fallen—
Dark and windy, perfect for killing.
Mist began to spread.
At first, no one paid attention. But soon, Iwa ninja noticed something amiss.
"This is the Hiding in Mist Technique!"
"Stay alert!"
"Prepare defenses—enemy attack imminent!"
Orders were issued calmly.
Yet.
What happened next stunned them—
A thunderous roar of surging waves echoed through the air.
There was no river here. Where were the waves coming from?
Before they could react, a colossal tidal wave surged through the canyon's mouth like a raging river.
"Defensive positions, now!"
They panicked.
A water release of this magnitude hadn't been seen in years. Fortunately, seasoned Iwa ninja reacted swiftly, erecting earthen barriers.
However.
They soon realized—
A high-pressure water jet pierced straight through their defenses. With a single sweep, the floodwaters crashed in, inundating their positions.
The Iwa ninja retreated hastily, raising new barricades. But the initial breach had already cost them dearly.
Gari surveyed the ruined base, his expression grim.
Earth counters water?
Bullshit.
Since when?!
Their sensing was disrupted by the chakra-laden mist, leaving them blind to the enemy's movements.
Then.
A voice echoed through the air.
"Who do you think I'll kill this time?"
"Stop bluffing! Your water release is strong, but it's only good for harassment. Where's your partner? Or is it just you this time—"
Gari formed an earth clone, making it speak from another location to misdirect.
But Kyōichi wasn't fooled.
He was already tunneling toward Gari via the Hiding Like a Mole Technique. The voice was just Jiraiya mimicking him.
Soon, Kyōichi closed in—then halted.
Someone else was hidden in the earth ahead.
Then—
BOOM!
The entire mountainside shook violently. Even Kyōichi, concealed within the rock, felt the tremor. Then, through the stone, he heard a grumble.
"Jiraiya, you're making me do this again?"
Gamabunta!
Perfect.
Kyōichi quietly gathered chakra. The next moment, he sensed scorching heat through the rock.
The flames dispersed the mist, but that hardly mattered.
Because—
The moment had arrived!
He surged toward Gari.
The instant Kyōichi neared the surface, Gari sensed danger and slammed his fist into the ground.
Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!
The rock exploded violently.
Yet.
Kyōichi emerged unscathed—his body shielded by layers of hardened hair, ice armor, and black earth-spear reinforcement.
If this could break his defense, he'd eat the mountain!
And the moment he appeared—
He drew his blades.
Twin swords flashed—one crackling with lightning, the other sheathed in wind chakra.
Twin Blades: Instant Flash.
Gari thought he was retreating, forming hand seals—
But in reality, he stood frozen.
Whoosh—
A streak of light. Then, the figure was gone, vanishing into the night.
A second later.
A head toppled, rolling down the mountainside.