Chapter 73: Infiltrate, Kirigakure!

Kakashi and Shisui soon arrived at the dock where the captured ships were stored.

After all, to reach the Land of Water, traveling by boat was essential.

Walking across the sea using chakra would drain their energy and put them at risk of collapsing midway. Moreover, two unidentified ninjas running over the water's surface would immediately attract the attention of Kirigakure's maritime patrols.

If that happened, the Mist Shinobi would quickly deploy their forces, and their infiltration would be over before it began.

At that point, there would be no path to heaven and no escape to hell.

To avoid discovery, Kakashi carried the massive Samehada sword on his back and used a transformation technique to disguise himself as the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon—also known as Hoshigaki Fuguki.

Conveniently, the two enemy ninjas he had encountered earlier were in such a hurry that they hadn't even realized the Pufferfish Demon had already been killed by Kakashi himself.

As for Shisui, Kakashi had him use a simple transformation to become a nondescript Mist Ninja—one of the many who had fallen in past battles and whose absence would not raise suspicion.

After all, Kakashi, now impersonating the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon, was considered an elite jōnin of the Hidden Mist. It was only natural for such a formidable figure to pick up a subordinate along the way to help sail a ship.

Before long, Shisui had managed to select and launch a small, agile warship.

When Kakashi saw him confidently steering the vessel, he couldn't help but be surprised.

Since when did Shisui know how to operate a ship?

Could his talent extend beyond combat and into everyday skills as well?

Maybe when this mission was over, Kakashi could ask him to go fishing together.

While the wind whipped across the deck, Shisui glanced back and asked, "Kakashi-senpai, what exactly is our plan?"

"Simple," Kakashi replied. "We're going to infiltrate Kirigakure and locate Rin. But listen carefully—unless absolutely necessary, do not reveal your identity under any circumstances."

"Got it," Shisui nodded.

"Also, don't call each other by our real names. Once we reach the Land of Water, you'll call me Master Fugu-kun, and I'll refer to you as Shun. If our cover is blown, your fallback name for me will be Silver Fox. Understand?"

Shisui grinned. "Understood, Master Pufferfish!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, impressed by how quickly Shisui had adapted to the role.

Smart kid. If it were Obito, Kakashi would've had to remind him at least three times.

As for Might Guy?

Well, Guy would probably show up wearing his green jumpsuit and a bright smile, yelling, "I'm not going to tell you anything! Take this—Leaf Great Whirlwind!" during an interrogation.

A complete giveaway.

Despite his brilliance, Shisui had still fallen prey to Danzo's manipulation in the original timeline. Too trusting. There was nothing wrong with being kind, but kindness without vigilance was dangerous. People like Danzo were always ready to exploit it.

Maybe after rescuing Rin, Kakashi should stay close to Shisui—to prevent him from going down that same tragic path.

The ship sailed steadily as the salty wind brushed across Kakashi's face. He stared at the vast expanse of the sea, deep in thought.

---

"Master Pufferfish, we've reached the shore!"

"Huh? Oh—thank you, Shun. Good work."

Kakashi blinked, returning to the present. During their voyage, they had encountered several Mist Shinobi patrols.

Each time, however, when the guards spotted Samehada and recognized the figure of the Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon, they immediately offered respectful greetings and let them pass without question.

After all, the legendary blade Samehada couldn't be counterfeited. And no one could imagine that a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would be killed and impersonated so easily.

Especially not by a Konoha genin.

The mere idea was laughable.

And considering they had seen the "Watermelon Mountain Pufferfish Demon" just a few days ago rushing back with urgent news for the Mizukage, there was no reason to suspect anything unusual.

"Let's move," Kakashi said, stepping off the boat and onto the soil of the Land of Water.

Rin, wait for me. I'm coming.

---

The landscape rushed beneath their feet as Kakashi and Shisui raced through dense forests and mist-covered hills.

From sunrise to sunset, and again from dusk to dawn, they barely paused, only stopping for the bare necessities as they pushed forward with full urgency toward Kirigakure.

Three days later, as the sky dimmed into a violet twilight, the outline of Kirigakure finally emerged before them—mist-shrouded and ominous.

The Land of Water was remote and surrounded entirely by sea. The Hidden Mist Village itself was located deep within the largest island and was well fortified, both by geography and policy.

Because of its seclusion and the infamous Blood Mist policy enforced by the Third Mizukage, Kirigakure had remained an enigma to the outside world.

Even the Root Division—famed for its omnipresent intelligence network—had scarce information on its internal affairs.

Despite that, one thing was certain:

Kirigakure was powerful.

At this point in history, the village had not yet fallen under Obito's control, nor had it fully descended into the madness of internal purges.

Still, the current blood mist system was cruel by any standard—brutal exams, merciless training, and life-or-death competitions.

But it served a purpose: the forging of elite shinobi.

The current Mizukage was no fool. His intention was to raise the village's strength, not tear it apart from within.

What Obito did later—manipulating events to cause slaughter and chaos—was an entirely different level of darkness.

But for now, Kakashi and Shisui had to infiltrate a well-armed, disciplined, and tightly monitored stronghold.

One mistake could mean death.

"Shun," Kakashi said solemnly as they stood on a cliff overlooking the village, "there's a good chance we might die on this mission. Are you scared?"

Shisui paused, then smiled his signature warm and sincere smile.

"Why be afraid? If we don't try, who will?"

Kakashi chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"As expected of Shun. You've got guts."

He straightened his back, and a powerful presence radiated from him. Shisui felt it immediately.

Has he gotten even stronger since the last time we met?

Before he could reflect further, a voice called out from ahead.

"Master Pufferfish! You've returned!"

It was a guard at the entrance to Kirigakure. Shisui instinctively tensed, but Kakashi nodded calmly.

"Mm," he acknowledged without elaboration.

The guard didn't question the brief response. He seemed accustomed to the cold demeanor of elite shinobi like the Pufferfish Demon. In fact, from what Kakashi had observed during his prior encounter, the real Fuguki was manipulative and standoffish.

Naturally, a man of his stature wouldn't waste words on low-ranking guards.

Confident in the role, Kakashi walked into the village without hesitation.

Shisui followed a few steps behind.

As he passed the guard, he gave a nervous glance and hunched his shoulders, perfectly embodying the role of an unwilling conscript.

The guard shot him a sympathetic look, clearly relating to his apparent misery.

Kakashi, though he didn't look back, sensed the shift in atmosphere and smirked inwardly.

Brilliant. Shisui had nailed the small details—exactly what separated a good spy from a dead one.

---

They were now inside Kirigakure.

And the real mission was just about to begin.

With every step, they edged closer to uncovering Rin's location—and also closer to unimaginable danger.

But Kakashi had no plans to turn back.

And neither did Shisui.

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