This was the sixteenth and seventeenth person Haruto Saito had killed in the past two days—all of them were ninjas and informants from the Kirigakure Stealth Unit!
Over the course of two days, Haruto had traveled nearly three hundred kilometers, passing through eight ordinary villages to locate these seventeen individuals. But he wasn't done yet. He would continue killing, relentlessly, until he had completely eradicated the entire Kirigakure Stealth Unit stationed in the Land of Whirlpools.
This was merely the first step of Haruto's plan. Right now, he was a "revenge seeker," and he would not stop until he had truly struck a blow against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
"Murder!"
"Murder!"
"Stay away!"
"Don't look!"
Screams erupted from the streets. Pedestrians scattered in all directions, avoiding Haruto, who stood with a conical straw hat shading his face.
The young man and the old man before him clutched their throats as blood spurted from their necks. They collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
These two were nothing more than a Chūnin and a low-ranking samurai. That was why Haruto had easily slain them without resistance. The items they dropped upon death were unimpressive, so Haruto collected them without even looking, lowering the brim of his hat before vanishing into the shadowy alleys nearby.
No one dared approach him. They only watched in silence as he disappeared into the night.
Before long, a large number of soldiers arrived at the scene and immediately sealed off the area.
Haruto left Tidal Village without hesitation.
After running for more than ten kilometers, he arrived at the outskirts of a small fishing village. Concealed within the forest outside the village, he clasped his hands together and activated his Byakugan.
Scanning the entire village!
A single region would never have two large villages. Since Tidal Village was sizable, this one was relatively small, with only a few thousand households and little commercial activity. Even so, Haruto quickly identified two informants working for Kirigakure.
Silently, he infiltrated the village.
Before long—
"Murder!" The village was filled with shrieks of terror.
Minutes later, Haruto emerged from the forest outside the village and sprinted toward the next settlement.
Thus, another day passed.
Haruto reached the northwestern region of the Land of Whirlpools. This area was mountainous, and he had now arrived at the largest mountain village in the northwest—Broken Sea Village.
Broken Sea Village had a permanent population of thirty thousand, but very few transient visitors. Due to the treacherous mountain roads, people rarely traveled there unless necessary.
Standing atop a cliff, Haruto gazed down at the village below. It was unique—surrounded by tall walls, unlike most villages in the mundane world, which were open. Only a few settlements had fences or wooden barriers, let alone massive stone walls like this one.
The reason was clear: Broken Sea Village was in the mountains, making it easier to construct a stone wall using local materials.
Haruto also knew that Broken Sea Village held special significance in the Land of Whirlpools. Decades ago, the now-destroyed Whirlpools Village had been located less than a hundred kilometers away. Back then, Broken Sea Village was the nearest major settlement to it. The puppet Daimyō's mansion of the Land of Whirlpools was also in Broken Sea Village.
But now, the Uzumaki Clan was gone, Whirlpools Village no longer existed, and the Daimyō's mansion—once under Uzumaki control—had vanished as well.
Currently, Broken Sea Village was under the rule of a ninja faction with several hundred members, led by a renowned elite Jōnin.
Haruto continued to observe the village, then activated his Byakugan again.
Scanning!
The entire village appeared in his field of vision. One by one, identity markers flashed before his eyes. Haruto was not interested in spies, scouts, or rogue ninjas from other nations. He only hunted Kirigakure ninjas and their informants.
He spotted many "Broken Sea Village Ninja" markers. He also identified the village leader, an old veteran with an impressive 13,000 reputation points—one of the strongest among elite Jōnin.
Haruto had no interest in these people.
He kept scanning!
After only a few seconds, he found something.
In a house in the northern part of the village, he spotted eight ninjas from the Kirigakure Stealth Unit. All of them were strong—six were Jōnin, and two were elite Jōnin.
"What's going on?" Haruto was startled.
Something wasn't right!
While the Stealth Unit's overall strength wasn't particularly high, it certainly had powerful members. But the key issue was—they weren't supposed to gather in one place! Stealth Unit members always remained scattered across a nation, often maintaining only single-line contact with one another. Even groups of three were rare, let alone eight.
And they were all this powerful!
As Haruto continued watching, he suddenly noticed movement in a storeroom behind the house. The floor lifted—it was the entrance to a basement.
The door opened, and someone emerged from underground.
---
**Name:** Mizuki Gen
**Identity:** Water Country, Kirigakure Village, Water Shadow's Guard, Kirigakure Stealth Unit Member
**Reputation:** 12,789 points
**Relationship:** Hostile
**Traits:** Skilled in Water Release Secret Techniques
---
Another elite Jōnin, and not just any elite Jōnin—he was a personal guard to the Mizukage.
Haruto observed closely, but before he could process this, two more people emerged from the underground chamber.
The first had the same dual identity—a Stealth Unit member and a Water Shadow's Guard, with strength comparable to Mizuki Gen.
But the last man to step out stunned Haruto.
---
**Name:** Hattori Ryuuno
**Identity:** Water Country, Kirigakure Village, Water Shadow's Advisor, Principal of Kirigakure Ninja Academy, Captain of the Kirigakure Stealth Unit in the Land of Whirlpools
**Reputation:** 72,890 points
**Relationship:** Hostile
**Traits:** Master of All Chakra Natures
---
It was the second-in-command of Kirigakure, the most trusted confidant of the current Third Mizukage, Hattori Ryuuno!
Haruto's expression darkened.
He knew exactly who Hattori Ryuuno was—not just his identity, but also his history and legendary feats. This man was one of Kirigakure's most famous figures, having made immense contributions to the village during the First Shinobi World War.
Like Hiruzen Sarutobi, he was a rare all-nature chakra ninja, though he specialized in Water, Wind, and Earth Release.
Moreover, he possessed unparalleled mastery over secret and forbidden techniques—many of which he had created himself!
Even more terrifying, this man wasn't originally a ninja. He was a samurai!
Born into the ancient Hattori clan, he was raised in the ways of the sword. However, at the age of twelve, he discovered his talent for ninjutsu and abandoned his samurai lineage to join the ninja ranks.
Yet, he never ceased his training in the samurai arts. Even without his ninja skills, his swordsmanship alone was at Kage-level!
A true master of the blade—many believed his kenjutsu was second only to Hanzo the Salamander of Amegakure.
And now, no one knew the full extent of his strength.
For years, the shinobi world had been at peace. High-ranking figures like him had not fought in public for a long time.
However, among the five great villages, Hattori Ryuuno was widely regarded as the most influential second-in-command, surpassing even Danzo of Konoha.
"How much of his reputation comes from pure strength?" Haruto muttered, frowning.
Then, a realization struck him.
"Tsunade and the others… they must be here for Hattori Ryuuno!"