"I can see the dock!"
Konan stood at the bow, practically bouncing with excitement. Through the thin mist ahead, she could already make out the faint outline of the dock.
"Finally, we're almost there."
Yahiko rubbed his forehead, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness. Maybe it was just his dislike for sea travel, but the long voyage had left him feeling restless.
"It hasn't been that long."
Nagato counted the days on his fingers, his expression calm and unbothered.
They had departed from the Land of Hot Water, crossed through the Land of Waves—long abandoned by the Kiri Ninja—and headed straight for the Land of Water. Even so, the journey had felt somewhat drawn out.
"Aren't we being a little too bold, just marching in like this?"
Nonō, ever the cautious intelligence operative, furrowed her brow in concern. She had no idea what kind of preparations Kirigakure might have made or whether they would be walking into a trap.
"Heh, don't worry."
"Kirigakure is no threat to us."
Kakuzu scoffed. It wasn't that he underestimated Kirigakure—he simply didn't consider them worth his attention.
"If the sky falls, I'll be the one to hold it up."
Nagato noticed Nonō open her mouth as if to say something, only to close it again. Smiling, he gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Since their battle at the border, Kirigakure had been left with nothing worth calling combat power.
They weren't even capable of posing a threat to the Akatsuki, let alone stopping them. At best, they could put up a feeble struggle before falling.
"Hm…"
Nonō responded softly, then fell silent. The group lapsed into quiet once more as the dock came into clearer view.
...
As the ship pulled into port and the Akatsuki forces disembarked, they were met with an eerie silence.
Not a single Kiri Ninja. Not even an ordinary soldier from the Land of Water.
"Interesting."
"There's a strong chakra presence to the north."
Nagato stopped at the shoreline, his gaze sharpening with curiosity.
If Kirigakure had already gathered their forces, why hadn't they used the perfect opportunity to ambush them upon landing?
"They're scared."
"They don't dare face us."
Yahiko hit the nail on the head. The Kiri Ninja hadn't shown up because they lacked the courage to.
The commander leading their forces hadn't even figured out how to deal with the Akatsuki's overwhelming advance.
Although Genji's rallying efforts had mobilized what little remained of their ranks, morale was nonexistent.
All he had left were a handful of Jōnin and a force composed mostly of children and elderly shinobi. Not a single Kage-level warrior among them.
How were they supposed to stand against the Akatsuki forces that had already crushed the Mizukage's army?
Victory was out of the question. Even delaying them was nothing more than a fantasy.
"Should we go meet them?"
Konan's eyes sparkled with excitement. She was more than confident in their advantage.
"Not a bad idea."
Yahiko thought for a moment before nodding.
They'd have to face them sooner or later. If the Kiri Ninja weren't coming to them, they might as well take the initiative.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Nagato frown, Nonō glanced at him.
"I was just thinking about what Sensei said."
"With Kirigakure in this state, I'm not sure there's even a need to fight."
Nagato wasn't one to show excessive mercy, but he hadn't forgotten Kawakaze's words.
"We're not going there just to start a fight."
"We'll see how the Kiri Ninja react first."
Yahiko understood as well, but this kind of situation wasn't one-sided.
Even if they had no desire to slaughter, if the weak refused to submit, bloodshed would be inevitable.
"I'll go take a look."
Kakuzu, never one for idle talk, moved the moment he finished speaking.
With just a few jumps, he disappeared from sight.
"That guy is always in a hurry."
Yahiko watched him go without the slightest concern.
"Let's hope the Kiri Ninja know what's good for them."
Nagato could only silently pray.
Kakuzu usually didn't kill weak shinobi unless they got in his way.
"Haha, has everyone landed?"
"Lord Akatsukikage, the army is fully ashore."
Yahiko gave a simple nod of approval.
"Good. Let's move out."
With his command, the army advanced north.
Of course, the main force was much slower than Kakuzu. By the time they neared the Kiri camp, they found him already on his way back.
"You're back already?"
Yahiko noticed Kakuzu's odd expression. He wasn't sure what the man had seen.
"Yeah."
"The Kiri camp is full of old men and children. Looks like they really are at the end of their rope."
Kakuzu was certain he could have torn through their entire camp single-handedly.
Was there even a point in fighting them?
"Old and weak?"
Nonō found it hard to believe. Children were the future of any shinobi village.
No village would send them to the front lines unless they were truly desperate.
"Yeah. I saw shinobi as young as six or seven, and others well past their sixties."
Kakuzu nodded, his tone dry. He wasn't exaggerating—he had seen it with his own eyes.
"That old man Genji must have lost his mind."
Nagato recalled the frail elder with the cane—the one he had met during his time imprisoned in Kirigakure.
Even now, they refused to surrender?
"It might not be his decision."
"Don't forget, the Land of Water belongs to its Daimyō."
Yahiko knew that not all nations operated like the Land of Rain, where the shinobi village had the final say.
"You have a point."
Nagato nodded, his thoughts drifting back to his own childhood, filled with loss and struggle.
If they attacked now, would these Kiri children suffer even worse than he had?
"So, what's our next move?"
"Are we really going to fight?"
Konan's excitement had faded completely.
The group exchanged uncertain looks, none of them able to give a clear answer.
...
Before they could decide, the Kiri Ninja made the first move.
It was no surprise that Kakuzu had gone unnoticed on his own. But an entire army? That was another matter.
If the Kiri Jōnin failed to notice them now, they might as well not exist.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sharp crack of explosive tags rang through the air.
The Kiri forces had attacked.
Like a frightened animal lashing out in desperation, they had chosen to strike first.
They had no idea what Yahiko's group had been discussing. If they did, they might have acted differently.
But regret had no place on the battlefield.
The moment the battle began, all traces of hesitation and mercy vanished.
Forced into combat, the Akatsuki drew their blades and clashed with the Kiri Ninja.
Even without Yahiko's group stepping in, the Kiri forces were utterly overwhelmed.
Watching the elderly and children fight—and die—on the battlefield, an indescribable feeling settled in Yahiko's heart.
The battle had started quickly and ended even faster.
Seeing the hopeless situation, the Kiri commander swiftly ordered a retreat.
Under Yahiko's orders, the Akatsuki did not pursue them.
When the Kiri Ninja finally withdrew, the battlefield was left strewn with bodies—the old and weak among them, just as Kakuzu had described.
On the battlefield, weakness was a death sentence.
"I'm going to Kirigakure," Nagato said, his voice firm as he gazed at the blood-soaked ground.
"I need to have a talk with Genji."