The Land of Water, an isolated island nation with a unique culture, is nestled among towering mountains and shrouded in perpetual mist. It remains cut off from the other nations, its ninja village hidden deep within the fog.
Surrounded by the sea, the land features a distinctive terrain of peaks and valleys. The main island is encircled by smaller islands, each with its own customs and traditions. Many islanders still live according to these ancient ways. The nation's isolation from the mainland, coupled with its oceanic barrier, explains why the Land of Water rarely intervened in past ninja wars.
Kirigakure, also known as the Hidden Mist Village, is a mysterious ninja village cloaked in dense fog. It is the third-largest ninja village, following Konoha and Sunagakure.
As an island nation, the Land of Water thrives on its abundant fishing industry, producing a variety of seafood. Kirigakure is governed by the Mizukage, who leads the village with strict regulations and commands a formidable ninja army. Among its elite, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are the most renowned.
The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki, modeled his reforms after the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, establishing the Kirigakure Ninja Academy and the ANBU to strengthen the village. He also emphasized the inheritance of the Seven Ninja Swords, training new generations of swordsmen to serve directly under the Mizukage for high-level missions.
However, during the reign of the Fourth Mizukage, the village fell into chaos. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen all became rogue ninjas, and the era of the Bloody Mist Village began.
Many believe that the Bloody Mist era was orchestrated entirely by Obito Uchiha, but this is a misunderstanding.
The Bloody Mist era had already begun before Obito descended into darkness. Evidence of this lies in the words of Kakashi Hatake during the mission where he and Rin were surrounded by Kirigakure ANBU:
"Don't underestimate the Bloody Mist Village!"
Later, Obito used genjutsu to control the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, pushing the Bloody Mist era to its peak.
It wasn't until the rise of the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumī, that Kirigakure emerged from the shadows and entered a new era of peace.
Even so, the combat style forged during the Bloody Mist era and the assassination techniques developed during that time remain a hallmark of Kirigakure.
Now, in pursuit of Kirigakure's secret techniques, Naruto Uzumaki and Konan have journeyed to the Land of Water.
The Misty Forest Outside Kirigakure
The forest was veiled in a thick mist.
Naruto rested beside a narrow path, eating a ninja bento.
Konan had excused herself to the woods, as even ninjas have basic human needs.
After finishing his meal, Naruto used a jutsu to dispose of the bento box and food scraps.
As a seasoned ninja, he knew the importance of leaving no trace.
Naruto glanced at his watch and muttered,
"Konan-nee is taking a while... Could it be…?"
His pupils contracted as a sudden thought struck him.
"Don't tell me... Konan-nee went to the bathroom but forgot to bring paper!?"
The absurd thought triggered a memory from Naruto's past life.
After the battle against Toneri Ōtsutsuki, Naruto and Hinata Hyūga officially became a couple and soon married.
However, Naruto's insensitivity toward romantic matters and Hinata's traditional shyness made their early married life a topic of great interest in Konoha.
To address this, the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, devised a special mission for the newlyweds:
A quest to retrieve the Scrolls of Ninja Love scattered across the ninja world.
In truth, the mission was merely an excuse to give Naruto and Hinata a chance to enjoy their honeymoon, with support from the other villages.
During one of their camping trips, Naruto found himself in a predicament. While relieving himself in the wilderness, he realized he hadn't brought any paper. Just as he was considering using fallen leaves, Hinata appeared with a roll of toilet paper, her face flushed with embarrassment.
That night, under the open sky in their tent, they consummated their marriage for the first time.
From that moment on, their passion knew no bounds.
The forest, the grasslands, the lotus ponds, the mountain springs—even the benches at outdoor campsites became witnesses to their love.
By the time they collected all the Scrolls of Ninja Love, Naruto carried Hinata back to Konoha in his arms.
Reflecting on those memories, Naruto sighed with a mix of nostalgia and determination.
"Those days were wild. After that, Hinata really opened up, and it was hard to keep up with her. But that peaceful and warm life—that's what I want. It's what all ninjas, all people, strive for. If only there were no threats from beyond the stars, how wonderful that would be."
Returning to the present, Naruto muttered to himself,
"For the sake of that peaceful future, I must bear the weight of the present and keep moving forward!"
Then, he shook his head and chuckled.
"Konan-nee can turn into paper herself. How could she possibly forget to bring any? Maybe she's run into trouble. I should go check."
Naruto donned his mask and dashed into the misty forest.
The trees on either side blurred past him as he sprinted, the earthy scent of grass and soil mingling with a faint metallic tang in the air.
"Hmm?" Naruto sniffed the air and immediately recognized the source of the smell.
"Blood. Could it be—?"
Swish!
Following the scent, Naruto pushed through a thicket and performed a series of hand seals.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
The mist dispersed, revealing a gruesome scene.
Several Kirigakure ANBU lay dead in pools of blood.
Standing among the bodies was Konan, clad in her Akatsuki cloak. Her expression was calm yet tinged with confusion.
Naruto halted and surveyed the scene.
"This..."
Konan's cold eyes shifted to the corpses.
"I just passed by and found them like this."
Naruto crouched to examine the bodies and concluded,
"These were likely jonin-level shinobi from Kirigakure."
Konan nodded.
"And there's no sign of a struggle. They were killed in a single blow."
Naruto removed the mask from one of the corpses, revealing the weathered face of a middle-aged ninja. The man's eyes were wide open, frozen in an expression of sheer terror.
Naruto analyzed the situation.
"Kirigakure ANBU are known for their stealth and secrecy. This man's age suggests he survived the Bloody Mist era. For someone like him to be killed without any resistance..."
Naruto gently replaced the mask on the corpse, preserving the man's dignity, and stood up slowly.
"Only a handful of people in the ninja world could pull off something like this. It seems Kirigakure was targeted by someone even before we arrived."
He turned to Konan, his tone serious.
"The real enemy we'll face on this mission might not be the Mizukage or Kirigakure, but someone else entirely."
Konan asked,
"What should we do next?"
Naruto swept his cloak dramatically and declared,
"We press on!"
The journey to Kirigakure had barely begun, yet it was already shrouded in a foreboding veil of blood.
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