Ninja Pot Shadow

She said, "Of course not, I'll knock you out in a bit, and then I'll go back... Well, I'm just a little curious about your chakra, don't worry about me."

Five minutes later, Ino kept her word, knocked Shiro unconscious in the mental world, and then returned to her own body.

"Tsk tsk, even when this guy faints, his posture is so... so strange." Ino's shadow clone commented on Bai's unconscious posture.

Ino opened her eyes, dispelling the shadow clone. She glanced at it; Haku's posture was indeed quite strange...

This young man not only likes to wear women's clothing, but after he fainted, his two legs were tightly crossed, his left shoe was off, leaving him barefoot, and his long, flowing hair was wet and clung to his body because of the Water Prison Technique. His face showed three parts confusion and seven parts helplessness, and you could still vaguely see tear stains at the corners of his eyes. If you knew him, you would say that he was a defeated enemy ninja, but if you didn't, you would think that he had encountered something strange.

Ino waved to the two energetic young men in the tree, meaning, "Come and watch over him, I need to rest for a while."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at Haku, while Ino went to rest in a tree.

She closed her eyes, and the panel finally quantified the conditions required to unlock "Ice Release".

With 10 Ninjutsu, 9 Spirit, 10 Seals, 5 Water Release, and 4 Wind Release, you can unlock 1 Ice Release by mixing chakra in a 3.45 to 6.55 ratio of wind to water and adding one pot point.

Ino was lacking in all aspects, and she wasn't particularly eager for Ice Release. She kept these stats for reference and then closed the panel.

The battle on the other side also ended with Kakashi and Asuma emerging victorious. Two against one, it wasn't difficult to capture Zabuza alive.

"Release my men, and you can take my head anywhere to exchange for the bounty. He's just a child, and he has nothing to do with this!" Zabuza said viciously, seeing Bai Chuchu lying pitifully on the ground, his life hanging in the balance.

Asuma recounted the deal between Konoha and Kirigakure. Upon hearing that the two villages valued Haku more than him, Zabuza breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time sneered, "You'd better keep a close eye on me. If I run away or die, Haku will definitely not be the only one to live."

Kakashi nodded perfunctorily, "Thanks for the reminder, we'll be careful."

Not long after, Haku woke up and saw Zabuza being captured, but Haku did not put up any resistance.

Not long after, Shikamaru, Choji, and Sakura arrived with Raiga Kurosuki and Ranmaru.

There was no emotion in the sight of fellow villagers meeting again; the two sides were complete strangers, and now that they were both prisoners to be escorted back to Kirigakure together, there was naturally nothing more to say.

Haku and Ranmaru seemed to hit it off immediately. They came from similar backgrounds, both being bloodline limit families from Kirigakure, and had similar experiences. One wanted to be "Zabuza's tool," while the other wanted to become "Raiga Kurosuki's eye."

Before long, they started chatting, calling each other "older sister Bai" and "younger sister Lanwan."

Half an hour later, they realized they were both men, creating an awkward atmosphere. Sakura looked speechless, while Ino almost burst out laughing.

……

The Hidden Mist Village in the Land of Water is located overseas, and you need to cross the ocean to get there.

There are numerous small islands in the sea. It was originally a continent, but it was shattered when Hagoromo and Hamura rebelled against their mother, Kaguya.

The land sank into the sea, with only some of the original mountain peaks turning into small islands, scattered across this sea area.

There are some survivors on the island, and in some places there are still small ninja villages. They are the survivors of the Otsutsuki family's great war.

After the Warring States period began, powerful ninja clans like the Senju and Uchiha sought to seize power, while the Yamanaka clan chose to hide in a valley. Some ninja clans, unwilling to be involved in the war, took their families overseas. After Hashirama Senju established Konoha, these reclusive ninja clans joined forces with the locals to establish Kirigakure (Hidden Mist Village).

Over the years, Kirigakure has suffered greatly at the hands of Obito Uchiha. After the death of the Fourth Mizukage, the village adopted a policy of recuperation and development, adhering to the principle that outsiders should not come in and that the villagers should not go out.

The hegemony over this sea area was relinquished, and the northern sea area was occupied by the Hidden Cloud Village, which has always had a high level of military strength.

The Konoha group did not want to clash with the Hidden Cloud Village, so they took the southern route to the Land of Water.

Chapter 85 Arrival at Kirigakure Village

Life at sea was incredibly boring. Two Jonin were guarding the prisoners. Of course, the prisoners referred to here were Raiga Kurosuki and Zabuza Momochi. Haku and Ranmaru were very loyal to their respective masters. Even if their masters were not rescued and they were driven away, they would not leave.

For the first two days at sea, Naruto was quite excited and kept talking to the others about Tazuna leading the villagers to build the "Naruto Bridge".

The group dealt with the situation quickly.

Ino could only conclude that people in this world have an extraordinary obsession with "bridges" or communication between people.

The first head of the Yamanaka family followed the Sage of Six Paths to build a bridge, Minato's team blew up the bridge in Kannabi, Naruto built another bridge in the Land of Waves, they started blowing up the bridge again during the Tenchi Bridge battle, and finally Danzo went to seal the bridge...

They've been using several dilapidated bridges back and forth so much. Have they considered how people feel when crossing those bridges?

Naruto had a good relationship with Shikamaru and Choji when they were in school, so Ino had no choice but to listen along.

This guy spent three days at sea and recounted the Naruto Bridge story eleven times.

Ino eventually got tired of listening, waved her hand, and started to roll up her sleeves: "You guys chat, I'm going to train."

……

More than half a month later, after a long detour, the group finally arrived at the port of the Land of Water. Then, with the prisoners, they traveled day and night for three days to reach Kirigakure.

The 10th Class had a wealth of experience in intense competition and maintained a good balance between tension and relaxation during training. In addition, Choji cooked for them, so while they might not be in high spirits, they were at least in good mental condition.

Team 7 was in no good; they were badly injured. Naruto and Sasuke both had bloodshot eyes. If you knew them, you'd think they were an exchange delegation from Konoha; if you didn't, you'd think they were escaped convicts who had run away without rest.

"Why are you all in such poor spirits? Kakashi, what's going on?" Konoha advisor Mitokado Homura, wearing glasses, questioned Kakashi and Asuma.

What could Kakashi say? "I'm sorry, it's my fault, I'm guilty!"

Mitokado Homura didn't have time to say much, so he could only offer a few simple words of advice: "This time, when we're communicating with Kirigakure, we can't be too forceful, but we also can't be weak. We need to demonstrate our strength, and you genin are key to the mission. Remember, you represent not only yourselves but also the village. So, get your spirits up!"

Since he said that, who would dare to disagree? Not to mention the six genin, even Asuma, the Hokage's favorite son, quickly stubbed out his cigarette, put on a stern face, and adopted that weathered look to show his maturity.

They were greeted by a Jonin named "Ao," who was in his forties and appeared quite composed.

Ino took a closer look at the other person's right eye, which was covered by an eyepatch. If she remembered correctly, a Byakugan from the Hyuga main family had been transplanted there.

Ao's attitude was neither humble nor arrogant; he recognized both Kurosuki Raiga and Momochi Zabuza, the two rogue ninjas.

The first thing the two sides did upon meeting was to hand over the two rogue ninjas to the Hidden Mist Village's Anbu. After that, whether they were killed or tortured was none of Konoha's business. Also handed over were Haku and Ranmaru, two "attachments".

Two elite Jonin, two ninja swords, and two promising young talents—Konoha's gift is quite valuable.

Elite Jonin with unpredictable minds and ninja swords are nothing compared to Haku and Ranmaru, two men with bloodline limits. According to traditional views, if both parents are ninjas, the chance of the father having a bloodline limit being passed down through blood is as high as 60%.

Find each of them ten wives and have as many children as possible. In twenty years, Kirigakure will have many more ninjas with bloodline limits.

What? You're saying Haku and Ranmaru don't like women? That's not even on the agenda of the Hidden Mist Village's higher-ups! It's a deal, no matter what. If the men don't take the initiative, the women can force themselves on them!

Ao chatted with both of them for a bit. Ranmaru was still young and his personality was hard to predict.

Haku has a really good personality! He's calm, has high combat intelligence, and his bloodline limit is also very strong. Most importantly, he obeys orders and follows commands. Apart from being a bit effeminate, he's practically a perfect tool in every other aspect. Kirigakure needs someone like him.

Ao doesn't care about Haku's femininity. Back then, the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, was also androgynous, and Ao got used to it. So what if he's a little effeminate? Zabuza, this tough guy, felt surrounded by effeminate men, so he went to assassinate the Mizukage with his Executioner's Blade. We think that's okay!

Ao solemnly promised that Zabuza's attempt to assassinate the Mizukage was an undeniable fact, but as long as Haku obeyed, Kirigakure would not kill Zabuza.

After a moment's thought, Bai agreed to the condition.

Ao is considered a moderate in Kirigakure. He was ordered to take in the rogue ninja because he was worried that other ninjas would clash with Konoha. He secretly used his Byakugan to look at the four members of the Raiga Kurosuki clan. The result was not bad. The four were just a little weak. The people of Konoha did not do anything to the prisoners. So far, it seems that they are very sincere.

He led everyone to the village to rest, and finally he bluntly reminded everyone to stay within the designated area and not wander around.

Mitokado Homura knew this was to be expected; when Konoha held the Chunin Exams, Konoha wouldn't allow ninjas from other villages to run around. He nodded, indicating that his side was willing to abide by the rules of Kirigakure.

Qing took his leave and soon reported to the village's current leader, advisor Yuan Shi, and the Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei, who had always claimed to be cultivating.

Currently, the power in Kirigakure is in the hands of the advisor, Genji. Mei Terumi herself has no objections, mainly because the Fourth Mizukage left behind a terrible mess. The village is infamous as the "Village of Blood Mist," and has been hollowed out by all sorts of vendettas, revenge, and rebellions.

Mei Terumi's abilities are strong, but not to the point of being heaven-defying. She needs the prestige of a master to help her suppress the many conflicts within the village. The old man is someone who followed the First Mizukage and is ninety years old this year. In a world of killing like the ninja world, how many more days can he live?

Mei Terumi wasn't worried about Genji wielding too much power; time was her friend, and once the time was up, the conflict between them would disappear.

The Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, sat in the main seat, while Genji, leaning on a cane like a candle in the wind, sat to the side. Also in the room were Genji's two confidants, the village's veteran Jonin, Aoi and Gonbei, and Ao. These five people were the highest-ranking members of Kirigakure at present.

Qing was in charge of receiving the group from Konoha, and he immediately reported what he had seen and heard to them.

"Overall, Konoha is sincere this time. Leaving aside the Ninja Swords, it's hard to guarantee Raiga and Zabuza's loyalty to the village. Recruiting them again would definitely create a huge hidden danger. I suggest keeping them under long-term surveillance. However, the boys named Haku and Ranmaru are both very good, second only to Chojuro in terms of talent. I think these two boys are the ones we should focus on."

Chapter 86 The Selection of Participants from Kirigakure

Mei Terumi picked up Haku and Ranmaru's files and flipped through them, pouting as she read. They were just too effeminate... How she wished they were two tall, strong men! It would be impressive to bring them to the Five Kage Summit. But now... this? They were even more feminine than her. If she brought them to the summit, other ninja villages would think Kirigakure was full of female ninjas.

This Mizukage is having a really tough time. Not only can she not get married, but she also has a bunch of weird and wonderful subordinates... She lay back in her chair, flipping through the files on the Konoha delegation in a rather languid posture.

The girl ignored him, the boy ignored him, and she stared intently at the photos of the two elite Jonin.

Kakashi... doesn't look like a decent person. Let him be the backup option.

Asuma?! Mei Terumi's eyes gleamed; that bearded man was quite masculine!

Ao knew the Fifth Mizukage's problem well. She knew that when she was young, due to the Blood Mist Policy, her way of thinking was rather unconventional. After becoming the Mizukage, the pressure was too great, and this problem became even more serious.

At this moment, Qing shook his head repeatedly at her and whispered a few words in her ear.

It means you can date any man you want, but you absolutely cannot date Asma.

This is the Third Hokage's own son! If you two get together, how will you greet the Hokage at the Five Kage Summit? Will you call him "Dad" right off the bat? Our Hidden Mist Village can't afford to lose face like that!

Mei Terumi waved her hand dismissively and slumped limply to the side: "I know, I know, how boring, not a single decent man..."

Knowing that this was her problem, none of them cared.

Quan Bingwei picked up the documents in his hand and looked at them carefully. He was in charge of the village's ninja training and was also the principal of the Kirigakure Ninja Academy. Kirigakure's population was far smaller than Konoha's, and the enrollment rate had always been very low. In Zabuza's year, all the graduating students were killed. This action frightened the ninjas in the village, and the ninja academy could not recruit students for many years afterward.

After years of hard work, he only managed to train one Chojuro. Gonbei cared a great deal about young ninjas.

"Ice Release... Red Eyes... Sigh, these are all children of the Kirigakure clans with bloodline limits." He sighed heavily. The Fourth Mizukage was secretly manipulated, acting against the tide of history, and too many elite clans in the village perished in infighting. The reason Kirigakure is now keeping its doors closed is largely due to a lack of confidence. Without the rise of the younger generation, what good is it to rely solely on the elders to hold the fort?

Even 70-year-old Grandma Chiyo knows to retire and go fishing, so why doesn't 90-year-old Genshi know how to enjoy his retirement? He can't help it.

Yuan Shi coughed. He was really too old and spoke very slowly. Several people focused their attention on him and waited for several minutes before he slowly spoke: "Mitokado Homura from Konoha came to talk to me, hoping that we would participate in the Chunin Exams to be held in Konoha in the second half of the year, but I refused."

Several people, including Mei Terumi, nodded in agreement. The ninjas from various villages gathered for the Chunin Exams in Konoha were, to put it nicely, all allies, but in reality, they were all vassals. The Sand Village was willing to go because they were the weakest. The Mist Village was independent overseas, easy to defend and difficult to attack. No matter how few talents they had, they were still stronger than the Sand Village and had not reached the point of groveling to Konoha.

After waiting a while, Master Yuan spoke again: "But the young people that Konoha sent this time are indeed very valuable, and Kirigakure cannot leave without giving something in return."

Mei Terumi frowned. What's most important these days? Ninjas! Talented ninjas, especially those with bloodline limits.

Both sides were well aware that Mitokado Homura, fearing they might pretend to be confused, had specifically pointed it out: Zabuza and Raiga Kurosuki were just extras; the main focus was on the two boys, Haku and Ranmaru.

Both of them have bloodline limits and are relatively simple-minded. By manipulating them through the bonds they share with Zabuza and Raiga, controlling them is not difficult. Once they are completely loyal to Kirigakure, Kirigakure will definitely have two more bloodline limit families in the future.

"Teacher, what do you mean?" Mei Terumi felt a little distressed. Simply paying money and casually giving away two low-level ninjutsu would definitely not work. The other party didn't need these things at all. Kirigakure had to offer something of equal value in exchange.

The master tremblingly pulled a crystal-clear gem from his pocket: "The Hidden Mist Village is also one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. We can't let Konoha laugh at us... cough cough... Let's open the genjutsu labyrinth left behind by the Second Mizukage. I heard that some children from Konoha Village have also come. Let them go in with the children from the Hidden Mist Village and undergo the Second Mizukage's test."

Mei Terumi immediately wanted to refuse: "Sir, in that case, there's a high chance the Hozuki clan's Water Transformation Technique will fall into the wrong hands. Of the six genin who came from Konoha this time, three are from secret technique clans. Once..."

Genshi closed his eyes to rest, and Terumi Mei could no longer continue speaking.

She, as the Water Shadow, could not object to the Master's decision. After thinking it over carefully, she understood the old man's plan.

The only things comparable to the two bloodline limit families are the secret techniques of the Second Mizukage. This is essentially exchanging secret techniques for bloodline limits, so it's not a question of who loses and who gains. Moreover, the old man is very cunning. If you can get the Second Mizukage's secret techniques and ninjutsu when you enter the maze to undergo the test, then you are amazing and we admire you. If you can't get them, then you are not capable. I gave you a chance, but you just didn't have the ability.