bioinnovel Chapter 603 Bianchao Fishing Port
Chapter 603 Bianchao Fishing Port
Unlike his sister, whose thinking had already begun to extend to the realm of food, Hozuki Kaigetsu's shock at this moment stemmed more from a professional level of dread.
His body almost transformed into a stream of water flying close to the ground. This was a secret technique of his Hozuki clan, which allowed him to liquefy his body to reduce resistance and increase speed.
Even so, he still found it difficult.
His mind was racing, analyzing the team in front of him.
No! This isn't just about speed!
This is the Instantaneous Movement Technique!
Moreover, more than twenty people were performing simultaneously, maintaining an astonishing consistency in rhythm, frequency, and placement.
They are like a precisely calculated whole, undergoing a high-speed, silent collective leap.
Hozuki Kaigetsu could even see that Uchiha Shisui, at the very front of the group, would change his hand gestures with extremely subtle amplitudes, and all the Anbu behind him would adjust their footing and chakra output within the next millisecond, without the slightest deviation.
They didn't even exchange a single word or glance.
This tacit understanding transcends the scope of comrades-in-arms; it's more like a single life form with twenty-one bodies.
What terrifying chakra control and teamwork that would require to accomplish!
Konoha... even the ordinary Anbu have become this powerful?
Looking at the seemingly most relaxed figure leading the way, the man whom he and his sister respectfully called Hokage-sama, a feeling of awe welled up in his heart for the first time.
Just how many unimaginable trump cards does this man still hold?
Just then, the marching speed of the group suddenly slowed down.
It didn't stop; rather, it shifted from extreme high-speed driving to a state of steady cruising.
The Hozuki siblings finally got a chance to catch their breath, breathing in the damp forest air.
Ahead, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a hand, and the entire group stopped as if guided by an extension of their own arm, landing on a clearing in the forest. The twenty-one people landed with only a barely audible thud.
"There are five people 300 meters ahead."
Uchiha Shisui's voice rang out calmly, as if he were stating a trivial matter: "A wandering samurai is robbing and killing three civilians, a family of three."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't turn around, but simply gave a faint "hmm".
Hozuki Kaigetsu frowned. A wandering samurai? Is this kind of trash worth Konoha's elite ANBU stopping for?
He was about to speak when he saw Uchiha Shisui's figure twist without warning in his field of vision, swaying like a reflection in water, and then...
Disappeared.
It didn't disappear into thin air.
Leaf Village Body Flicker Technique.
Hozuki Kaigetsu's heart clenched suddenly.
He considered himself to have exceptional eyesight, yet he was completely unable to track the other person's departure.
Hozuki Shiozaki blinked curiously, looking around as if searching for a living person who had suddenly disappeared.
Less than five seconds.
"Whoosh."
Uchiha Shisui reappeared in the same spot, his figure shifting from illusory to solid, as if he had never left.
Not a single drop of blood or a fallen leaf stained his body.
He bowed slightly to Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Hokage-sama, it's all done."
Hiruzen Sarutobi grunted again, as if he had expected this outcome.
"keep going."
The team started again.
Hozuki Kaigetsu fell silent this time. He followed in the group, but felt a chill run down his spine.
He quietly turned around and glanced at the grove of trees three hundred meters away.
It was eerily quiet there; the only faint sounds were the muffled thuds of heavy objects falling to the ground and the suppressed cries of survivors.
Clean.
neat.
You could even say it's...elegant.
From identifying the target to issuing instructions, to execution, and finally completion, the entire process was seamless and efficient, without a single unnecessary word.
Is this the operating style of the Hokage's direct subordinate Anbu?
Killing has been transformed into an art form.
Hozuki Kaigetsu felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he had previously wanted to demonstrate his worth in front of the Hokage, and felt a wave of fear washing over him.
After this little incident, the Hozuki siblings became increasingly silent during the next two days of forced march.
They stopped wondering why the Konoha ninjas ran so fast and started learning to adapt to that rhythm.
When their bodies and minds were nearing their limits, the team finally reached their destination.
At the eastern edge of the Land of Fire, lies Heian-shio Village.
This is a border town that is completely different from what the Hozuki siblings had imagined.
There was no tense or ominous atmosphere, and no soldiers patrolling back and forth.
What comes into view is a prosperous and vibrant scene.
The wide, clean stone-paved streets are lined with all sorts of shops selling silk and porcelain from the inland, as well as fresh catches from the sea.
The air is filled with the aroma of food and the salty smell of the sea, mingling together to create a unique and comforting atmosphere.
Pedestrians and vendors dressed in various colors strolled through the streets, their faces beaming with relaxed smiles.
Hozuki Shio even saw several ninjas dressed in Konoha Navy uniforms arguing heatedly with a group of civilians around a small stall over who should eat the last takoyaki ball on a plate.
"Is this... a military base?"
Hozuki Shio asked somewhat uncertainly.
In her limited understanding, shouldn't military strongholds be like their Hidden Mist Village, full of traps and sentries, with even the air smelling of rust?
No one answered her.
Because a familiar figure had already come to greet them.
"Lord Hokage."
The newcomer was more capable than when he was seen in Konoha a few years ago. His signature pineapple hairstyle was meticulously combed, and his face carried a hint of weariness typical of the Nara clan, as if he had never woken up.
It was Naoka Nara, the Root Division Commander, who was stationed here to be in charge of the entire East Coast defense system and logistical support.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded to him: "Thank you for your hard work, Naofū."
"It's my duty."
Nara Naokaze yawned, then handed over a scroll. "The fleet is ready and can set sail at any time. This is the list of supplies and the route map for this voyage. Please take a look."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't take it, but simply waved his hand: "I trust your plan."
This unconditional trust startled Nara Naofuka for a moment, then he shook his head with a wry smile.
"You're still the same, Hokage. You're getting more and more adept at being a hands-off manager."
He complained, but his body language betrayed him as he stepped aside to lead the way.
"This way, please."
Led by Naokaze Nara, the group passed through the town and arrived at a secret harbor surrounded by cliffs.
When the Hozuki siblings saw the scene inside the harbor, they were completely speechless.
The pupils dilated to their limit without the conscious effort of the person.
A dozen or so enormous black steel warships, like giant sea monsters lurking in the abyss, were quietly moored in the harbor.
Their hulls possess a cold, hard, industrially aesthetic streamlined shape, with intricate and mysterious blue magical patterns visible to the naked eye etched on their massive surfaces. These patterns flow slowly in the sunlight, as if they possess a life of their own.
On either side of the ship's hull, massive steel rams gleamed with a chilling light.
Instead of sails, huge black sails bearing the Konoha logo were suspended from the towering masts.
Technology and ninjutsu are combined perfectly in an almost barbaric way, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
Hozuki Shio and Hozuki Kaigetsu, as ninjas who grew up in the Land of Water, had never seen more than the wooden three-masted sailing ship used by Kirigakure to transport supplies.
The strongest fighting force in their village is the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, who can withstand ninjutsu with their bare hands.
And right now...
The sight of these colossal steel structures made Hozuki Kaigetsu instantly understand.
How exactly did Kirigakure lose the naval battle in the Land of Whirlpools?
They weren't even allowed to look at the ships properly before being blindfolded and escorted back to Konoha like cargo.
Looking back now, it was perhaps Konoha's last act of humanitarian compassion.
I'm afraid they'll despair if they see this.
"It really... brings back memories."