A/N: I've recently received some feedback that the MC's goals and actions have become a bit hard to follow. Due to this, I've added a few paragraphs in Chapter 16 to better explain things. If you read this chapter the first day it was posted, you might want to go back and read what was added! (The addition is placed during the meeting in the forest). I hope this makes things easier to understand. Thanks so much to all who comment good or bad! It motivates or helps me become a better writer! I hope you enjoy this next section…
One year later, Kioshi stood in front of the mission hall desk.
"Here is your assignment, Ninja Hirano. Safe travels."
Kioshi smiled and took the scroll from the aid. "Thank you. You take care as well Miss. Ono." He was headed to Kiri again. It was one of the longer trading routes, and the break was welcomed.
Over the pasts months, Kioshi had trained fervently in combat in preparation for future conflicts. This combined with healing a massive amount of patients had exhausted him. He was also currently under the investigation of Root, which was worrisome.
The new scrutiny was due to him becoming more desperate and careless in his search for damning evidence on Danzo. There had been alarms and security measures set in place that were tight and hard to predict.
On being caught, Kioshi played it off as simple curiosity, but the shady advisor wasn't fooled. His investigation wasn't out of any interest in joining or helping the man. The man had tried to bring Kioshi under his influence many times and the offer had been blatantly refused.
Thinking about it now, showing such contempt might have been a mistake. With Danzo's friendship and trust, the criminal investigation would have been much easier to perform. Kioshi had never told nor demonstrated all the aspects of his portals, so it would have been possible to lead Danzo into a false sense of security.
Kioshi could remove things separately from his DNA. The fact that dimensional-linked portals had no effect on his physical body was one thing that Kioshi had kept secret. If Kioshi let the cursed tongue seal be placed on him, Danzo might be more willing to incriminate himself. A portal could easily absorb or push out the hindrance.
But was it worth it? Danzo would likely need proof of loyalty...something more than simple submissive or flattering words.
It was too late now anyway. Any change of heart would be suspicious. Danzo viewed him as being corrupted along with the Uchihas.
The saddest part was that Danzo could still get away with his crimes even with clear evidence. The man had an explanation for everything, and Hiruzen was soft when it came to people he loved. Hiruzen had let his student Orochimaru escape, even when the Sannin had clearly kidnapped and experimented with civilians and ninjas of the fire nation. And when Danzo had attempted to assassinate Hiruzen after the death of the Fourth Hokage, the act had been forgiven.
The bias and weakness of the old man were staggering. Konoha would either need to get a new Kage, or Kioshi would need to kill Danzo against the old man's will despite this.
If it came down to the last, the smartest thing to do was to wait until Danzo was disobeying direct orders. The best-known situation like this would be days before the massacre. If things lined up like in the TV show, Shisui would get orders from the Hokage to use his Kotoamatsuki to alter the minds of the Uchihas. Danzo, wanting violence, would secretly poison and attack Shisui to stop the action, stealing one of his eyes and sending root agents to kill him.
If Kioshi could protect Shisui from this fate, perhaps he could get rid of Danzo without repercussions. The attack was traitorous. The only reason Itachi never exposed the crime in the original timeline was because of his clan's reputation. Itachi was an Uchiha. There was a risk of not being believed and causing even more damage.
Kioshi, however, was different. His service to the village had garnered a lot of respect and adoration. This positive view was held by many in the fire nation. Civilians loved him due to his non-combat service, and ninjas respected him for his power.
The Uchihas especially aimed to please due to his connection to Itachi and his unbiased nature towards them. They saw him as an ally. There was a good chance he could knit things back together after Danzo died.
"Kioshi! Kioshi!" A young familiar voice yelled, bringing the boy out of his thoughts. It seemed like a certain Sasuke Uchiha wanted to intercept him. The seven-year-old crashed into the olive-skinned boy, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.
"Easy there sport," Kioshi laughed. "I'll only be gone a month. I already said goodbye…"
"But I didn't get to hug you," Sasuke pouted, still clinging to him. "And you'll be gone so long!" Sasuke had made the same complaint at the end of their last training session. The kid was becoming attached, figuratively and literally.
"It's not fair! Itachi is going on a long mission too, so there will be nobody to teach me!"
That was news. "Well, why don't you use this time to perfect techniques you know," Kioshi suggested. "You can surprise us both when we get back."
Sasuke still pouted, but let go.
Itachi walked up behind his brother, being present, but slower to engage. "It will also do you some good to learn a few things on your own. You can't expect to be taught everything. One of my most powerful techniques came from experimenting."
"Really?" Sasuke asked, expression quickly changing into one of adoration.
"Really," Itachi affirmed. "Although stick to basic taijutsu and kenjutsu for now. You need more knowledge to safely experiment with chakra. Think of new moves and improve your technique as Kioshi suggested. In fights, simple mastery is often the most important. Focus on speed and movement."
Sasuke straightened and nodded firmly as if to a commander.
Kioshi and Itachi smiled at the action and then looked at each other.
"So, long mission, huh?"
Itachi sighed. "Yes. I'm not allowed to talk about it, but I'm being considered for promotion. It's a test of sorts."
"You're leading it then?"
Itachi nodded. "Mostly."
Kioshi felt happy for his friend. Promotions were what ninjas strived for. But at the same time a knot of worry formed. In the TV show, it wasn't long after Itachi became an Anbu Captain that the massacre played out. How much time did they have left?
Itachi must have seen his concern because he smiled grimly. "Don't worry. I can take care of myself."
The smile was returned. "I know, I just can't help it sometimes. This mission is outside of the village?"
Itachi nodded.
Kioshi signed. That was good at least. It was unlikely that the Uchiha Clan would instigate a coup without their heir.
"You think something bad will happen?" Itachi prodded. He must have sensed that there was something more to the worry.
Kioshi shrugged. "Hopefully nothing too damaging." Itachi already knew the state of his clan. Without a plan, vocalizing horrible possibilities would only cause stress. Danzo's manipulations had already been discussed, so there was not much to inform on that front. They had both had come to the conclusion that it would be unwise to act without proof. And Shisui had not awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan yet, so he couldn't explain plans in that regard.
He smiled and ruffled Sasuke's hair, lightening the mood. "Both of you just stay safe while I'm gone. Don't get into trouble, you hear."
Sasuke pushed Kioshi's hand away in irritation. "I'm not a baby, and big brother is strong. We'll be fine."
"You make sure you take care of yourself as well," Itachi said.
Kioshi nodded. "I'll try."
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After a last wave of goodbye, Kioshi continued to the gate. Two ninjas were waiting for him there.
"The mule has arrived," the oldest one joked. This was Lixin. He was a Jonin and the leader of the mission.
"Good morning to you too," Kioshi smiled back. Such nicknames were common. Transferring cargo was his main job. Most ninjas only guarded it so some found this amusing.
"Is Botan coming?" Kioshi asked. Botan was another A-rank ninja. Both he and Lixin were Kioshi's usual bodyguards. They were very skilled.
Having A-rank ninjas as guards was expensive, but the protection was necessary. Kioshi was listed in both Iwa's and Kumo's bingo books for his Dojutsu. Kumo had a kill order inside their country, and Iwa's capture bounty was worldwide.
The first could be avoided. Kumo simply saw Kioshi as a dangerous potential thief or smuggler. Only trespassing would incite action. But Iwa wanted to reclaim "stolen property". It was also suspected that other parties had secret unwelcoming interests.
Kioshi needed to stay alive and present for Konoha's business and future. It was understood that if a serious threat arose, the men were to act as a shield. Their lives came second. Kioshi appreciated the men's willingness to agree to such terms. It was harsh, but their sacrifice would be taken advantage of if necessary.
Lixin folded his arms irritably. "Yes, he is coming. Why is that man always late, I'll never know. But I have half the mind to get him fired. At least you have an excuse."
Kioshi nodded. He had been assigned to pick up the mission scroll. The scroll held certain details and was their official boarding pass to Kiri. Getting it had taken a few minutes.
"So who's this then?" Kioshi asked, gesturing to the other man. Usually no more than two A-rank ninjas could be spared for such trips. If Botan was coming, then why was another person here?
"Oh! This is Sile," Lixin introduced, a bit embarrassed at the oversight. "He's my cousin. He works in the ninja archives. He wants to see the ocean, and I thought it would be good for him to get a little sun."
The shy, straggly form with glasses, blushed and became uncomfortable with the attention.
"Well, welcome to the team, Sile," Kioshi smiled, feeling a bit weird, as always, when adults became nervous around him. Was the man a fan?
The man didn't respond, shuffling his feet and looking down.
"Have you been a stationed ninja your whole life?" Kioshi asked curiously, trying to get the man to open up. The thin figure was wearing a military headband, so he was more than just an aid.
Both men became uncomfortable at this. Then Lixin answered. "Not long after Sile became a chunin, something traumatic happened. He decided to quit outside missions for a time, though I think this is a step towards getting out more. Hey, cous?"
Sile nodded, still uncomfortable.
"So you are going to be one of my guards?"
"Yep!" Lixin answered again for the man. "You get extra protection this time. Though Sile's not actually getting paid. He's mostly here for a vacation."
Kioshi nodded. Trading missions were pretty chill. They not only helped let him form new connections and see new sights, but they also allowed him to get away from certain pressures. It was often seen as a vacation.
If Kioshi wasn't such an open target, he'd do it a lot more. All the cargo was stored safely in his dimensional realm, so there was no stress about weather, thieves, or breakdowns.
In many cases, they also didn't have to deal with clients for long periods. If traders came along, most took the option of being stored in Kioshi's dimensional realm along with their cargo. To them, it was like instant teleportation. It extracted all the pains of travel, and it saved time and money. Ninjas could travel faster on their own. The option was convenient for both sides.
"Sorry, I'm late guys!" Botan said, flashing into view.
Lixin raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Was your girlfriend being difficult? Did she have to give you one last smooch?"
The twenty-year-old blushed. "No, we said our goodbyes last night."
"I'm sure you did," Lixin smirked. "How was it?"
"Seriously man." Botan groaned. "Not in front of Kioshi."
"Oh right," Lixin said, still grinning, not looking apologetic.
Kioshi just rolled his eyes.
They headed out of the village, conversation ceasing as they picked up the pace.
The first two days were spent picking up cargo from varying farmers, tailors, and traders around the land of fire. Since Kiri was in the middle of a civil war, clients were hesitant to sell their wares personally on the island, so instead, the Hokage bought the wares himself and passed things along.
It was a profitable action. The Kage becoming a trader gave money to fire citizens, and the things bought could be re-sold at high prices, bringing in a nice profit to the government.
Both the Mizukage and rebels welcomed the service. The internal war had ravaged Kiri, making it hard and dangerous to get supplies. Hokage made deals with each side, offering each the same prices and options. This dissuaded one side from getting angry. The Mizukage was richer, and the rebels were more desperate, so both sides benefited equally. They had agreed not to attack Konoha traders if the trades stayed neutral and fair.
Caution was still taken though. Kioshi and his team's guard was always up, especially at the drop points, and they never disclosed which side they visited first.
Payment was also first required. Kioshi's unaccessible dimensional realm made the tactic effective. No amount of force or stealth could be used to steal supplies or money once stored. Kioshi would have to be captured and tortured for it, which had no guarantee of succeeding. This made a double-cross unlikely.
Five missions had been completed so far without trouble. Hopefully, their good record would continue.
Kioshi sighed as they came up to their last supply pick-up before heading to the coast, thinking about the situation. There was so much hostility and deception in the world. The conflict in Kiri was proof of that. One side was persecuted and killed for having bloodlines, and the other was simply following propaganda and orders of a corrupted and possessed leader. People were dying for no reason.
The worst part was that he was helping the venture. Offering weapons, food, and clothes made each side stronger, making the war more brutal and long. Supplies were unlikely being used on the young and weak.
But what could Kioshi do? Some people in Kiri were being helped, and the Kiri war would continue for many more years, even without Kioshi's aid. Tobi was also likely involved. The powerful rouge Uchiha was known to be an instigator of the island war in the original timeline. What the man hoped to accomplish by doing this, Kioshi could only guess, but the man would not be pleased if someone interfered. There were enough problems in Konoha to worry about without adding more politics and enemies.
"One-hundred crates of strawberries as promised."
The farmer's voice broke Kioshi out of his thoughts. The trading team had walked up and was currently standing in front of the old civilian man. Lixin checked berries and nodded, handing over payment. Kioshi then ran a purple portal over the large stacks, absorbing the fruit into his dimensional realm.
"That really is quite something," the farmer marveled. He was a new client, so this was his first time seeing the technique. The strawberry amount was unlikely to be sold entirely this trip, but it didn't matter. Kioshi dimensional realm was large and froze things in time. Things were simply gathered by season and then offered as requested.
The arrangement was good for all parties. Farmers could sell large amounts of fresh products at once, which meant there were less things to process and shelve, and then these things were bought at a good price and then sold at even higher prices in times or places where they weren't naturally available. Everyone benefited.
"Contact Konoha again if you wish to make a trade next year," Lixin said, then turned and headed out, Kioshi, Botan, and Sile following after.
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They reached the coast the next afternoon. The team relaxed and spent the night at an inn, before meeting an assigned shipping crew the next morning. Destination and departure had already been communicated through letters.
The trip across the ocean would take ten days. The distance was too far to water run, and engine-based ships were expensive and rare, so they had to travel by sails.
It was at times like these, that Kioshi felt the pain of a civilian. The elemental nations had many different technologies at their fingertips. Sadly, however, leaders were more focused on security and power so these things usually weren't standardized. The proof of this was in the lack of, rails, engine-based vehicles, gunpowder, or paved roads. Such things would raise the station and abilities of commoners.
Technology was also difficult to protect and maintain. Cell phone towers were easy to destroy or hack. It was one of the reasons why ninjas mostly relied on letters for communication. Roads and machinery also fell apart with time. It wasn't worth the investment when a ninja was fast and strong on their own with chakra.
Kioshi walked glumly up the ramp into the old-fashioned ship. Maybe with less war and greed, things would become more modern. But for now, most were stuck in the dark ages.
"Are you Captain Goya," Lixin asked, addressing a man who had been barking orders at some sailors loading up supplies.
"I am," the bearded man said. "You must be the ninjas we are to transport."
"We are. Do you want to see our papers?"
"Yes, thank you." The large man took the mission scroll and identity cards. It was obvious by the man's sharp examination that he was educated, despite the gruff look. The lack of fear or arrogance also spoke well for his character.
"Welcome to my ship. We will be ready to leave in a few hours," the captain said, handing the papers back. "This is still personal transportation, right? Even though your mission is worded as being something of trade. Do you need anything stored in the cargo hold?"
"No," Lixin assured. "What we have is here with us." The captain apparently didn't recognize Kioshi, or didn't know about his abilities, because the man was eying the single pacts on their shoulders curiously as if wondering what could be so small and valuable to demand such an excursion.
That was good. It was safer to give out as little information as possible. This crew was unknown, so there could be spies or loose tongues among them. The captain knew that they would be docking in two different parts of Kiri for a brief exchange, but little else. Their names were now known as well, but there was little time to make outside contact.
"Arata, please escort our guests to their room."
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Days passed and the weather stayed warm and bright through the trip. The ship made good time, the wind cooperating perfectly with the currents. Kioshi spent a lot of his time talking with sailors, relaxing out on the deck, or doing other menial activities. There was little room on the ship to train, and it was unwise to expend chakra while out on a mission unless necessary. This could alert enemies to your location and would use energy that might be needed at a moment's notice.
The activity limit was fine. It gave Kioshi a chance to rest. Training was good for progression, but doing too much for too long could sometimes be detrimental.
It was in playing cards one afternoon in their team's bunk room that Kioshi found himself smirking across a table. "Your bluffing. I'll raise."
"Brat!" Lixin said, throwing down his cards in a huff. His eyes then narrowed. "Are you sure you're not scanning me? This is the fourth time you've won!"
"I thought determining one's emotions was the point of this game?" Kioshi said with amusement, flipping through his own cards slyly with a thumb.
"Not with chakra!" Lixin protested. "We agreed to this!"
Kioshi rolled his eyes. "I only scanned your body language. I wouldn't cheat." Over the years, Kioshi had learned to condense his aura over someone enough to feel their spiritual chakra fluctuations. On top of this, he had noted what each fluctuation meant. This essentially made him an empath.
The ability came in handy sometimes. It was hard for people to lie to him, and only sensors could feel when a scan was being performed. It also naturally trained him to better correlate facial and body reactions with certain emotions, a fact that Lixin apparently had yet to grasp.
"Fine," The jonin grumbled, gathering up the cards to shuffle them. The man groaned when he saw Kioshi's cards. "Are you serious?"
"Ha!" Botan burst out in a laugh, spitting out some of his drink. "Nice one, Kioshi!" It was the worst handout of all of them. Both men, however, had been tricked into folding.
"I thought you were bad at lying?" Lixin glared.
"Only when I feel guilty about it," Kioshi smirked. It was true. Masking emotions was quite easy, especially when one knew the subtle things to avoid or change. But Kioshi hesitated to entertain the action if there was no solid purpose. This hesitation often exposed the intent before it could ever be implemented. Fan girls knew this first hand. If you asked about certain hairstyles or clothing you would get an evasion or a polite, but truthful opinion. It was a disaster otherwise. He also had to be in the right mindset to be successful. If he was caught off guard, his true emotions were easily exposed. Control was lacking in that regard.
"Do you guys want to play another round?" Botan asked.
"I'm going to check on Sile first," Lixin sighed, rising up from his chair.
Botan and Kioshi nodded in understanding. Sile had been seasick for most of the trip. They both felt bad, but the man had refused medical care. He seemed uncomfortable in their presence.
Concerned, Kioshi had subtly done a scan anyway. On doing so, there was a great amount of fear and agitation found. The fact that the sickness was mostly emotional made Kioshi feel even worse. What past experiences could make a peaceful trip like this so stressful? Was the archive worker always this skittish? Or was being outside of Konoha the entire reason for instability?
Lixin came back after a few minutes, and they continued playing, Kioshi pushing Sile from his mind.
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That evening Kioshi leaned on one of the ship's outer railings, sipping at a hot bowl of soup. This had come from the ship's kitchen, one of the sailors bringing it out to him. Most sailors were still wary of Sile, Botan, and Lixin, but Kioshi's age and curiosity lessened the tension in his regard. It hadn't taken him long to become part of the family.
Through different group conversations, Kioshi had learned that one sailor had a daughter who could manifest chakra. The father asked him many questions about the military, wondering if it was a good path to take. Another asked about his life and parents. Kioshi complied, explaining things quite deeply, the past no longer a secret or something impossible to talk about. There was a lot of empathy shown in hearing the story, most of them suffering at some point at the hands of ninjas as well. Kioshi asked them about their lives in turn. Each story was enlighting and unique in its own way.
The sailors and his relationship were further improved when he had removed a permanent limp from one of them. Kioshi had masked the action with spiritual chakra, so there was little chance of catching the attention of an enemy ninja or dangerous sea creature. And the injury wasn't serious, so it didn't take a lot of energy. And he'd done it for free, making everyone greatly moved by the action.
Taking another sip of soup, Kioshi watched the sun get lower in the sky. Thin clouds were turning pink and bright orange, and a cooling misty breeze rushed over him. Many sailors were also enjoying the view and temperature, taking in the warm-colored sight over sparkling blue water.
Suddenly, the peaceful feeling was interpreted by an intense flash of chakra. The boy jerked towards the cabin hole, eyes narrowing.
"What's wrong?" One of the sailors asked.
Quick flashes of chakra followed afterward, and the question was soon answered to all by a sudden explosion, the force rocking the ship.
"What in hell!"
Kioshi mirrored the thought. The technique was unknown. The boy's eye's widened when Lixin sent out a chakra signal of an immediate threat. Impossible…. Kioshi had kept up a constant scan of the ocean. Nothing had been detected.
The boy paled when he felt Botan's aura dissipate. It was unlikely this was a stealth technique. Fighting in such a state was difficult. Had Botan just been killed?
Kioshi almost rushed towards the bunk room at the thought, fearing for his comrades, but logic stopped him. He couldn't blast his way in blind. He quickly put full focus into scanning the area. What he felt made him confused and horrified.
Lixin and Sile were fighting, and it wasn't against something hidden. They were fighting each other! Sile must be the one with the unknown attacks. The archive worker hadn't unleashed any during the trip.
Splinters and cracks were heard. The ship was being destroyed! This wasn't some friendly debate.
Sailors were shouting, many climbing up out of the deck hatch in fear.
Kioshi focused on Lixin's emotions. Sile didn't appear to be too powerful, but for some reason, the A-rank leader was struggling. Feelings of desperation, fear, hurt, and burning rage flared.
That was all Kisohi needed to know. He flashed passed the sailors with blurring speed, going down and blasting into the room. A dense bolt of lightning was sent at the traitor. Why Sile was doing this was unknown, but it was obvious that it was something sinister. Lixin would have shown more compassion otherwise.
Sile dodged the attack, being very fast for a chunin, turning and breaking through the thick exterior of the ship in response. The scrawny man disappeared, jetting out through the water, leaving a gaping hole behind.
Water began to flood the ship. It turned red as it rushed around Botan, who was lying still in the back corner. Lixin had sunk to his knees and was convulsing, his face blue with black veins creeping up his neck. "Food, P-poisoned!" he managed to gasp.
Kioshi nodded. The three ninjas had eaten together. Sile must have slipped in something during that time. The symptoms were strange and unknown. The poison would need to be extracted solely with medical ninjutsu.
There wasn't enough time though. The water was rising. The ship would sink if this continued. There was also the threat of Sile attacking them or the sailors.
"Just hang tight," Kioshi said, creating a purple portal and absorbing the man. Lixin was either too weak or understood the logic, because he didn't move to evade the energy. The jonin's condition wouldn't worsen in the dimensional realm, and it would put him out of harm's way.
After this, Kioshi rushed back up the ladder. Thankfully Sile's aura was far away and disappearing off into the distance. The sailors were also all alive and had made it up on deck.
"What's going on!"
"What do we do!"
Sailors were shouting questions at both him and the captain in rapid succession, while others looked down the hatch or over the railing at the bubbling water.
Kioshi thought briefly about using red portals to lift the boat up into the air to drain it. But that idea was quickly dismissed. This boat didn't have strengthing seals. A few small pressure points would just crack or punch more holes in the soft wood. And creating portals in great size or quantity was out of the question. That would drain him before any proper repairs could be made.
His flying stone was the next option. This, however, could only be performed for a few hours and it wasn't large enough to fit everyone. The ship couldn't balance on it either. The large heavy vessel would topple at the slightest movement, and lifting the heavy ship with the singular object would likely also cause damage.
The best option was to put everyone in his dimensional realm and simply water run out of this mess. It was a long trip to land, but one of the dock rafts could be stored with a portal and used as a rejuvenation vessel when exhaustion came.
Something else happened though that dampened the boy's rising mood. Ten, strong chakra signatures were felt in the distance. It was in the direction Sile had gone. They were moving closer with great speed.
So Sile hadn't acted alone. This was part of a greater plot.
"I can't get out a distress signal!" one of the sailors yelled at the captain. "The machine has been damaged!"
Even though the elemental nations had terrible reception service, most ships had special devices to communicate with ports or other allied ships. It seemed like Sile either intentionally or unintentionally eliminated this option, however.
Botan had also been killed, so there was no way to send a message out through a summon.
Kioshi cursed. Immediate action was required. He began making large purple portals in pairs, quickly absorbing sailors into them. Shouts and looks of betrayal were ignored. Explanations would need to come later.
The fleeing figures were caught easily. The quickest was the young cabin boy. They were the same age, and the boy had looked up to Kioshi. Now his adoring eyes showed terror, his quick, nimble civilian speed not being enough to avoid being swallowed. Kioshi grimaced. Hopefully, this action would be forgiven.
There had been twenty sailors on board, so the entire process had taken a few seconds. The delay and energy loss might sink all their fates, but Kioshi couldn't bring himself to leave anyone behind. Doing so would mean leaving the helpless civilians to die from the sea or approaching ninjas.
The latter threat was almost upon him now, so Kioshi turned and fled. He flashed across the water at full speed, hoping to put some distance between him and the dangerous force.
Everything rested on escape. If he died, then innocent souls would be left frozen forever, unable to be retrieved. Could souls even move on to the afterlife in such a state? Maybe death would have been better… It was hard to know what exactly would happen to things in his dimensional realm on his death, but he doubted everything would simply return back to reality. The energy that would take would be massive.
It was too late to change the action now though. Every ounce of chakra, focus, and time would be needed.
As Kioshi ran across rippling waves, he felt most of the pursuing signatures getting farther away, but one, in particular, was getting closer. Kioshi was far above average when it came to speed. This meant the pursuing ninja was most likely A-rank or higher.
Now in range, the ninja began to fire long-range lightning jutsus. Kioshi dodged without turning, feeling the energy with spiritual chakra.
When the ninja got within a few yards, Kioshi drew his sword and swiped. The ninja dodged and Kioshi finally got a good view of the features. The ninja was wearing a Kiri Anbu mask with the body build of an average male. The figure also held a sword.
Kioshi blocked the furious stabs and slashes while trying to come to terms with the situation. Why would Kiri do this?! What about their deal!? Did the Mizukage hate bloodlines so much that he would risk starting a war with Konoha!? Didn't they have their own war to worry about!?
As the attacks continued, Kioshi realized the Anbu ninja wasn't aiming at fatal areas. Arms and legs were the main targets. They wanted him alive. But that didn't make sense. Didn't the Mizukage want to kill bloodlines?
Maybe experimentation was the real purpose behind the war…The bigotry could just be a front to unsanctioned learning and power. The thought caused even more fear.
As the clash of blades continued, the chances of escape were sinking. The other nine ninjas were quickly catching up. The Anbu ninja didn't need to beat him. He only needed to delay.
Was there a way out of this? Running wouldn't help. The ninja was faster than him. Superior technique was the only reason he hadn't been cut already. It was hard to think under such an onslaught!
Without a plan, Kioshi soon found himself surrounded by the other ninjas. More lightning flashed out, coming at him from different angles while also electrocuting the water he was standing on. Kioshi blocked the currents with chakra, trying to calm rising panic.
They were everywhere! They were all fast and powerful. He wouldn't be surprised if they were all A-rank. This was above his abilities.
Space needed to be gained. Kioshi made two interconnecting portals. One was purple which absorbed multiple attacks coming from behind, and the other was red which formed half a mile away. Wisps could be sent out farther, but there was no time. The attacks were too dense.
Kioshi turned and dived into the purple portal as soon as it was created. He came out of the red one in the distance, immediately ending the technique afterward so nothing could follow through. The teleportation had saved him, but it would last for long. The Anbu ninjas had located him and were headed his way.
A sensor was felt among them. This took hiding out of his dwindling options. The only thing left was to bunker in a place inaccessible.
Kioshi dropped his flying stone out from a red portal and used four smaller portals to lift it and himself high into the air. Flying techniques were rare in the ninja world. Going vertical would hopefully delay pursuit.
Thankfully, this proved to be correct. The ninjas stayed under him, but attacks stayed out of range. This wouldn't last forever though. Kioshi was running low on chakra. It was only a matter of time before he would need to descend.
The sensor had to be eliminated. This was the only way to truly have a chance. He could then use stealth techniques for cover and lose pursuit.
Kioshi sorted through the bubbles in his golden realm, finding the most devastating and powerful attacks available. There were a lot. Many A-rank ninjas in Konoha had accepted payment or favors in exchange for firing techniques into his dimensional realm specifically for Kioshi to have on hand. Portals were also good target practice and prevented damage to training grounds, so some did it for free.
It was at times like this, that Kioshi was grateful to his fellow shinobi. Kioshi sent ten long wisps down towards the sensor below. Hopefully, this wasn't overkill. Chakra needed to be saved. But failure wasn't an option.
The sensor could feel the wisps surrounding her due to the wary emotions and increased shields, but she didn't retreat. Kioshi activated ten red portals at once, blasting the full square acre with overwhelming force. The attacks incinerated both the sensor and another Anbu nearby, leaving nothing behind. The deaths were confirmed with dissipating auras.
Joy at the success was short-lived, however, when a massive wave of killing intent flooded the area in response. Someone wasn't happy at the deaths. Three new auras flared to life, loud screeches sounding through the air. Kioshi looked down and saw three massive bat-winged birds flying up to meet him. Each was carrying a masked ninja with them who had the energy of murder.
Kioshi tried to outfly the summons, moving his rock away at great speed, but the bat birds were faster, using chakra to flash forward in a blur. Kioshi was surrounded again, and techniques came from all directions, being sent out by both animal and human. It was too much to handle. Kioshi got stabbed in the shoulder and electrocuted in the back before he managed to shield himself with four large red portals, reflecting and sending back attacks.
Sadly, this only briefly delayed his fate. The birds and ninjas dodged, and the last desperate act had quickly drained Kioshi's remaining energy. His chakra levels had been low after killing the sensor. Now it was at dangerously low and everything blurring into a thick fog. Nothing else could be extracted. The portals carrying him flickered and died, causing Kioshi and the rock to fall. The wind rushed into his ears and blew through his hair as he tumbled end over end towards the depths below.
He was unconscious before he hit the water.