Cloud's troops became active again after a short rest. In just a few days, a large number of military facilities in the Land of Rivers fell into the hands of Cloud ninjas.
As a small country situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, the people of the Land of Rivers understood clearly that their nation's existence depended on its role as a buffer zone between the two major powers. Because of this, the weak country had managed to survive until now.
However, in the face of aggression from the Land of Lightning, the Land of Rivers did not resist at all and instead handed over its military facilities without hesitation. The people of the Land of Rivers knew that as long as they didn't resist, the Land of Lightning wouldn't go too far. Moreover, Cloud's troops were known for their discipline and refrained from harassing civilians.
Among the Five Great Nations, only the quality of Stone and Mist ninja troops was slightly lacking. The troops from the other three major nations maintained a high standard, which was largely influenced by the disposition of their leaders.
As Cloud began to make its move, Konoha couldn't sit still any longer. Before Uzumaki Raiden arrived, Nara Shikashin quickly made arrangements. A large number of Konoha ninjas entered the Land of Rivers and began exerting actual control over its towns and villages.
The two nations had silently begun a war, and within the Land of Rivers, a game of power had commenced. At this point, ten days had passed since Uzumaki Raiden had left Konoha.
In a dense forest in the Land of Fire, a carriage was parked beside a small stream. The horses flicked their tails leisurely as they drank from the clear water.
Under a large tree, Uzumaki Raiden sat on the wooden platform in front of the carriage. Warm sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting golden specks over his body.
Not far from him, Kakashi and the others sat on a moisture-proof mat, basking in the sunlight as they happily took food out of their lunchboxes.
"Shh...shh...shh..."
Suddenly, a faint rustling sound echoed through the woods, breaking the peaceful atmosphere.
"Lord Raiden, someone's here!" Kakashi abruptly sat up, pulling a kunai from his pouch and gripping it tightly as he issued a quick warning.
Beside him, Uchiha Itachi also clenched his kunai, his expression sharp with vigilance. Meanwhile, Obito and Rin hurried to their feet after Kakashi's call. Seeing their slow reaction, Kakashi and Itachi exchanged a quick look.
Uzumaki Raiden, still sitting on the carriage platform, casually gestured for them to relax, his expression calm.
"Woosh!"
At that moment, the snow on the branches above Raiden suddenly fell. With it, several swift and deadly blades sliced through the air, aiming straight for his head.
"Who is it?"
Raiden thought to himself as he effortlessly caught one of the incoming blades with his bare hand. With a quick flick of his wrist, the attacker was sent flying into a distant tree trunk before coming to a stop. In Raiden's hand now rested a sharp longsword.
Casually gripping the blade, he easily blocked the remaining attacks before vanishing in an instant. When he reappeared, he was already standing beside the enemy he had just thrown.
As Raiden was being attacked, several shadowy figures lunged toward Kakashi and the others. Just as they were about to reach them, a streak of lightning crackled into existence, blocking their approach.
The lightning quickly transformed into a web of electricity, trapping the three attackers in its net.
"Water Style: Water Shark Shotgun!"
Just as Raiden reached to examine his attacker, a dozen shark-shaped water bullets materialized around him, surging toward him at high speed.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The water bullets crashed toward him, sending sprays of water everywhere, melting a significant amount of snow.
A few figures suddenly emerged from the mist, surrounding Kakashi and the others.
The attackers all wore masks, but their insignias were clearly visible. They were unmistakably elite Anbu from the Hidden Mist Village.
"You guys… You're Anbu from Mist?" Kakashi muttered in surprise. His expression tensed as he instinctively glanced toward Raiden, concern evident in his eyes.
"Senior Kakashi, focus on the enemy in front of you. Sensei will be fine," Uchiha Itachi reassured him, sensing the worry in his voice. As Raiden's disciple, Itachi was well aware of his teacher's strength. Though the Water Style attack was powerful, it was nowhere near enough to take down Raiden.
Sure enough, as Kakashi and the others were being surrounded, a sudden scream rang out.
"Aahhhh!!!"
One of the Mist Anbu collapsed forward in agony, falling into a puddle of water.
"What just happened?!" The remaining Mist Anbu exchanged anxious glances, confused about their fallen comrade.
"You're from the Hidden Mist Village?" Raiden's voice rang out as the dense mist was swept away by a strong wind, revealing his figure. Holding an unconscious Mist Anbu in one hand and a longsword in the other, he addressed the attackers.
"Were you sent to assassinate me? Who gave the order?"
At that moment, one of the Mist Anbu stepped forward, slightly lifting their mask to reveal their mouth. They quickly formed an unusual hand seal, then exhaled a thick white mist.
"What is this?" Raiden frowned, unfamiliar with the technique. Not wanting to test its power, he abruptly hurled the unconscious Mist Anbu straight into the incoming fog.
"Sssssssss!"
A horrifying sizzling sound echoed as if the fallen Mist ninja had been doused in acid. Realizing something was wrong, the attacker took a sharp breath, inhaling the mist back before rushing forward to catch their comrade.
"What kind of technique is this? A Kekkei Genkai?" Raiden narrowed his eyes, surprised to encounter a Bloodline Limit user among the assassins.
This Mist Anbu assassination unit was proving to be quite formidable.
"You handle those kids. I'll take care of him!" the Mist Anbu who had used the technique ordered before passing their unconscious comrade to another member and charging at Raiden.
"It's a woman?"
Raiden was slightly surprised by the voice. He quickly blocked her incoming strike with his fist.
"Her strength isn't impressive, but her taijutsu is solid." He assessed the attack, then noticed her parting her lips slightly.
Recognizing the danger, he immediately pushed her arm away and leaped backward.
The very next moment, a stream of fiery red lava spewed onto the spot where he had just stood. The snow melted instantly, hissing as it evaporated.
"This technique…"
"She has two Kekkei Genkai? Who exactly is she…?"
(End of this chapter)