Chapter 90: Got Up, Taken Down in One Strike

At the border of the Land of Water, on a remote island in the sea. Yagura stepped ashore, visibly exhausted. "Sir, how did it go?" "That idiot Chikage got captured. We need to move quickly with the next phase of our plan. Also, keep an eye out for a young silver-haired swordsman, around fifteen or sixteen years old, proficient in Water Release and Earth Release. He's dangerous." Yagura's voice was cold. "They had someone using Lightning Release?" A swordsman with two blades frowned. This was Hozuki Mangetsu, one of thr seven swordsman. "No…" "Impossible! Without Lightning Release, and in an environment like that near a river, even if he ran into a Hyuga, he should've been able to escape! There's no way he was captured alive!" Hozuki Mangetsu refused to believe it. "It must have been his weapon… or maybe that ninja does have Lightning Release." Yagura frowned. He had been too far away at the time to see clearly. After he briefly described what happened, Hozuki Mangetsu's face darkened, and he fell silent. "That fool!" He cursed, his mood sour. From the description… That young ninja was no joke. Not only did he detect Chikage in his liquefied state, but he also immediately devised a countermeasure, using Earth Release to isolate the river from its surroundings. On top of that… He could absorb chakra, use sealing techniques, and his blade was so fast that even someone like Chikage couldn't react in time. Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, only a few could reach that level of speed. Who the hell was this guy? Arrogant as Hozuki Mangetsu was, he didn't dare underestimate him. "Also, his summoned creature looked a lot like the one used by Konoha's Tsunade." Yagura dug through his memory and recalled another key detail. "A slug? Then he must be related to Tsunade." Hozuki Mangetsu's expression grew serious before twisting into a cruel grin. "I heard Tsunade has already lost two of her relatives. How about we finish the job and take this one out too?" "You mean the missing Senju clan members? Maybe. If that's the case, could he be the leader of Konoha's eastern front?" Yagura was more concerned about this possibility. "We need to confirm that first. Until then, we hold back and see how the other two villages move." Hozuki Mangetsu grinned. "Then let him live a little longer. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen aren't all assembled yet. Once we gather, we'll cut him down together!" Yagura nodded, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips. It seemed… Chikage’s capture might not be such a bad thing after all. --- Land of Fire, Nagano Mountain. Might Guy, with his endless stamina and speed, had been sent ahead to report and rally reinforcements. Meanwhile, Kyoichi and Shirakumo Hayama stayed with the others, ensuring their safety. After all, with the Hozuki clan involved, any place near water on the eastern front of the Land of Fire was unsafe—unless they were within Konoha's camp. The camp was guarded by the Hyuga clan. While the Hozuki could evade normal sensory techniques, they couldn't hide their chakra from the Byakugan. So… When Kyoichi spotted the patrol squad at the mountain’s base, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Kurenai, you lead the others up the mountain. Katsuyu will stay with you. Hayama and I will go ahead." Kyoichi turned to Yūhi Kurenai. She was a Chūnin. With Kyoichi and Hayama gone, she had the highest rank, making her the natural leader. The others all nodded. "Move!" Kyoichi's speed surged. In the blink of an eye, he and Hayama, carrying the sealed Hozuki Chikage, dashed up the mountain. The Konoha camp was built far from any water sources. Clearly… Konoha had been wary of the Hozuki clan, choosing this location to prevent any water-based sneak attacks. "Kyoichi-sama, Hayama-sama!" A squad of elite Chūnin guarding the camp saluted them immediately. One of them pointed toward the command tent. "The Jōnin stationed here are waiting inside." "Understood. Thanks." Kyoichi carried Hozuki Chikage inside. There were only five Jōnin in the tent, but Kyoichi had met most of them before while teaching them the Breathing Activation Technique. The most familiar face was Gekko Kazahana. The highest-ranking among them, however, was Yamanaka Inoichi. "Inoichi-senpai, I didn’t expect to see you here." Kyoichi greeted him quickly. "No need to be so formal. You’re the commander of this front. The Third Hokage sent me to assist with intelligence gathering." Yamanaka Inoichi smiled warmly. He was still young, far more handsome than in the anime. Kyoichi understood immediately. Inoichi was the head of Konoha’s intelligence division. A skilled shinobi, highly respected. If the Third Hokage had sent him here, it was clearly to support Kyoichi. Perfect. "Then this is great. We caught a Hozuki clan member." "Oh? You actually managed to kill a Hozuki?" Inoichi was surprised. The Hozuki clan’s Hydrification Technique made them immune to conventional attacks, and their ability to evade sensory detection had always been a headache for Konoha. That’s why so many Hyuga had been deployed to this front. But now… Kyoichi set down his captive. Inoichi checked and was utterly shocked. He was still alive! "You captured him alive?" Now Inoichi was truly in disbelief. Killing a Hozuki wasn’t impossible. If they were found, there were ways to deal with them. But capturing one alive? That was a whole different challenge. Examining Chikage more closely, Inoichi saw his body covered in sealing marks—Four Symbols Seal, high-level sealing techniques. Good lord… This kid even knows sealing jutsu? A ninja’s time and energy were limited. Mastering just one or two areas was difficult enough. But Kanda Kyoichi? Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, Water Release, Earth Release, Genjutsu, Medical Ninjutsu… Now he had sealing techniques too? Was there anything he didn’t excel at? Inoichi was floored. "Ahem. How I did it? Well… I just caught him. With everyone's help, it wasn't too difficult." Kyoichi kept it vague. What was he supposed to say? That he trapped him with Earth Release, then cut him down in one strike? Nothing much to explain. Inoichi was stunned for a moment but quickly regained his composure. He said seriously, "If he’s alive, that’s even better. We’ll summon the sealing team to secure him, then I’ll extract the intelligence from his mind." "Be careful of suicide attempts," Kyoichi warned. "Haha, don’t worry. This is my specialty." Inoichi chuckled. In terms of combat, he admitted he wasn’t on Kyoichi’s level. But when it came to extracting information, if he claimed to be second in Konoha, no one would dare claim first. Without wasting time, he immediately led a team to secure Hozuki Chikage. --- The Hozuki clan was a major family in Kirigakure. Every single one of them carried critical intelligence in their minds. Sёarᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Konoha had never before captured a living Hozuki. Now that they had one, they wouldn’t waste the opportunity. As Inoichi left, the tent fell into silence. Shirakumo Hayama was still processing everything that had happened. Meanwhile, the others… Were completely stunned. They had witnessed Kyoichi's strength before when he taught them the Breathing Activation Technique, so they never underestimated him—the youngest Jōnin and commander of Konoha's eastern front. But even so, they hadn’t expected him to capture such a high-profile target so soon. A member of the Hozuki clan. This might just be the first time in history that a Hozuki had ever been captured alive.