Black Zetsu must have adjusted his battle strategy, otherwise, he wouldn't have deliberately led Uchiha Madara to meet him. Madara's Sharingan was still intact, and he had even awakened the Rinnegan. However, Kakuzu wasn't the least bit intimidated.
"Madara, stop putting on an act. If you really have the power, then show it here and now. You could even start the Third Great Ninja War if you want."
"Oh? A mere insect from the past, yet today you dare to speak to me in such a confident tone." The specter-like projection of Uchiha Madara curved his lips into a faint smile. "Why don't you take a look at Ryuuin Village first? Then you'll understand."
Hearing these words, Kakuzu frowned.
...
Inside Ryuuin Village—
"Water Release: Great Flood Surge!"
A torrential wave surged forth from flat ground, engulfing the entire village in an instant. The raging water crashed through houses, swept away villagers, and left behind utter devastation. As the water gradually receded, seven figures emerged from the lingering mist.
The one standing furthest to the left was a towering man, nearly 1.9 meters tall, carrying a massive blade—the Decapitating Cleaver. He was none other than the infamous swordsman who would later be known for slicing through Tailed Beast Bombs, Biwa Jūzō.
Next to him stood a man with reddish-brown hair, carrying the sharkskin-covered Samehada—Suikazan Fuguki.
Behind them stood the remaining members: Kurīarare Kushimaru, Jinin Akebino, Munashi Jinpachi, Ringo Ameyuri, and Hōzuki Mangetsu.
Together, they were known as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
"Heh, it's been a while since we last took on a mission outside. This time, I'll let my Decapitating Cleaver drink its fill of fresh blood! Brothers, slaughter the entire village!" Biwa Jūzō grinned, his sharp teeth quivering with anticipation, his eyes bloodshot with excitement. Bloodshed and slaughter—these were what he lived for.
"Understood!"
The other six grinned wickedly. Without hesitation, they raised their uniquely forged blades and swung them with deadly precision, cutting down helpless villagers in their path.
"Aaaah!"
"Help!"
"Please, spare me!"
Screams of agony and desperate cries for mercy echoed through the village, fueling the bloodlust of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. To them, this massacre was exhilarating.
The sounds of blood splattering were a beautiful melody, and the terror in their victims' voices was an everlasting masterpiece.
They weren't born monsters. Rather, they were forged into killers under the reign of the Third Mizukage. The infamous Blood Mist policy permeated every corner of Kirigakure, including the academy, where young students were forced to kill their peers to graduate.
Those who survived bore witness to their own numbness, a testament to their merciless hearts.
To them, slaughtering civilians was as natural as breathing—no hesitation, no remorse, only pleasure.
But this was not their territory. They would not be allowed to run rampant.
Clang! Clang!
Four thick chains suddenly shot up from the ground, binding Ringo Ameyuri tightly. In the next instant, Heisei Rokuno's chakra-infused blade gleamed, poised to strike her down.
However, Biwa Jūzō reacted swiftly, swinging his Decapitating Cleaver with tremendous force. With a resounding clang, the heavy blade cleaved through the chains, freeing Ameyuri just in time.
Seeing this, the other Mist swordsmen momentarily ceased their slaughter. With a light tap of their feet, they leaped together to regroup.
Biwa Jūzō bared his shark-like teeth, his face brimming with arrogance and disdain.
"Where the hell did you come from? And what's with this ragtag bunch? Do you think my Decapitating Cleaver hasn't had enough blood today?"
He wiped the fresh blood off his blade, his voice dripping with mockery.
Indeed, Heisei Rokuno's forces seemed pitiful in comparison—barely a hundred ninjas, with only about twenty being Jōnin.
How could such a feeble force possibly stand against the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?
Yet, despite the scorn, Heisei Rokuno's expression remained calm. He gestured to his subordinates, signaling them to focus on evacuating and treating the wounded villagers.
Only then did he turn his gaze back toward the seven swordsmen.
He pointed a finger beside them.
"You're right. If it were just me, it wouldn't be enough. But your real opponent isn't me—it's him!"
As soon as Heisei Rokuno finished speaking—
"Yohooo!!"
A shadow descended from above, landing right beside the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Hidan swung his enormous triple-bladed scythe in a wide arc, aiming straight at them with terrifying speed.
Reacting instantly, the swordsmen dispersed in different directions, just as the scythe smashed into the ground, leaving a massive crater where they had stood moments before.
"Heh heh heh, so many people here today. And Kakuzu isn't even around! That means I don't have to hold back. Looks like I'll have a grand slaughter in honor of Jashin-sama! Hahahaha!"
Hidan's manic laughter echoed through the battlefield. He lifted his scythe and licked its blade with his crimson tongue, his expression disturbingly ecstatic.
Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the lone female member, Ringo Ameyuri, furrowed her brows in disgust.
"Where the hell did this freak come from? So gross!"
"Huh?"
Hidan's eyes immediately locked onto her.
"Did you just call me gross? Do you have any idea who I am? I'm the number one disciple of Jashin-sama! You're the first one I'll sacrifice!"
Hidan let out a furious roar, dragging his massive scythe across the ground and carving a deep trench as he charged at Ringo Ameyuri with incredible speed.
Seeing this, Ringo Ameyuri wasn't about to hold back. Her Thunder Blades crackled with intense arcs of lightning as she launched a fierce counterattack against Hidan.
In an instant, the two clashed.
Lightning jutted across Hidan's body continuously, making him scream in pain. Yet despite his howls, there wasn't any visible damage.
Biwa Jūzō glanced over and immediately sensed that Hidan was no ordinary opponent. His gaze shifted to the side.
"Mangetsu, stop standing around. Go help Ringo Ameyuri. And make sure you don't get yourself killed!"
"Hah, got it." Hōzuki Mangetsu responded, gripping his blade as he charged at Hidan.
With two of them now tying down Hidan, the remaining five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist turned their attention back to Heisei Rokuno.
They were all Jōnin, but the gap between Jōnin could be immense. Given Heisei Rokuno and his subordinates' strength, there was no way they could hold off all five of them.
Yet Heisei Rokuno remained unfazed. Instead, he simply gestured toward another direction.
Crack!
The sharp sound of a whip cracked across the battlefield.
A woman with tall, confident strides stepped forward.
"You—! Does Kirigakure intend to declare war?"
Though she wasn't that old, Ni carried herself with the composed elegance of a noblewoman. Even when facing the Hidden Mist's elite assassination squad, she showed not a shred of fear.
Hearing this, Fuguki Suikazan chuckled.
"Where'd this little girl come from? Talking big like that... You're from that tiny Ryūgakure, aren't you? What right do you have to stand against us? We're only here to teach you a lesson today."
"Oh?" A charming smile curved Ni's lips.
"You're not wrong. Ryūgakure is a small nation, and we're certainly not qualified to wage war against Kirigakure. But you should keep up with the times. Don't let Mist's outdated intelligence network blind you—"
She pressed her fair palm against the ground.
"Weep, Noseloki!"
At first, the Seven Swordsmen assumed this was just an ordinary summoning jutsu. They stood by with casual expressions, expecting a minor spectacle at best.
But when the summoned beast actually appeared, all five of their expressions shifted.
Ni now stood tall atop her summon's head. Beneath her boots was none other than the Seven-Tails.
Biwa Jūzō and Fuguki Suikazan exchanged startled glances.
"What the hell...?"
Why was a summon from Ryūgakure so obedient? Not only could they be left to roam freely, but they were also willing to fight? That made no sense.
Before they could fully process this, Ni summoned several more of her beasts.
In an instant, massive summoned creatures filled the entire entrance of Ryūgakure.
"What I meant earlier," Ni said, her whip pointing forward with an air of absolute dominance, "is that while Ryūgakure may not be able to challenge Kirigakure head-on, taking down a few of you today won't be a problem."
At that moment, the Seven-Tails opened its maw, a tailed beast bomb forming within it.
As the colossal blast surged forward, Biwa Jūzō didn't hesitate. He hoisted his Executioner's Blade and charged straight into the attack.
They had come looking for trouble with Ryūgakure. No matter what, they couldn't back down now. Even if it meant risking his life, he had to make this a battle worth remembering.
"You're insane! That thing will kill you—!"
...
Meanwhile, far to the east, over the vast ocean of the ninja world…
Kakuzu's expression remained unreadable as he listened to Uchiha Madara speak.
"It seems you've done your research on me," Kakuzu said. "I admit, your plan caught me slightly off guard. But if you think that means you can take me down, you're sorely mistaken."
Madara chuckled. He didn't bother to argue.
"Give it some thought. Maybe the two of us can work together."
Kakuzu didn't even acknowledge the offer. He simply lifted a finger and pointed directly at the legendary Shinobi of the Blood Mist.
"One question. Are we fighting or not?"
Madara didn't respond. His Projection Jutsu flickered in the air twice—then he vanished completely.
Kakuzu said nothing more either. He simply turned and walked away.
Before long, he reunited with Sakumo Hatake.
...
Deep within Konohagakure.
This place was once one of the most prosperous districts of the village.
Because once upon a time, it belonged to the Senju Clan.
Now, however, it was eerily deserted.
The Senju had long become a relic of the past. While their blood still flowed through the veins of Konoha's many inhabitants, the surname itself had all but disappeared.
Most of the buildings stood abandoned—left untouched only because one last, crucial figure still resided here.
Today, however, the Senju grounds were unusually lively.
Numerous shinobi had gathered.
And before long, even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, arrived.
Just as he reached the entrance, another figure approached from the opposite direction—his face drawn into its usual scowl.
It was Danzō Shimura.
The two men didn't speak right away. Instead, they walked forward in silence.
As they neared the door, Danzō finally broke the quiet.
"Hiruzen. Why have you come here?"
Hiruzen pondered for a moment before responding.
"I imagine… for the same reason as you."
His gaze sharpened.
"Lately, haven't you been going a bit too far?"
Danzō's brow twitched slightly. He already knew exactly what Hiruzen was referring to.
His footsteps involuntarily paused.
"Hiruzen, I admit I had a hand in this matter. That guy was becoming an increasing threat to Konoha, but you can't just push all the blame onto me. Can you really say this wasn't your doing? If you hadn't paved the way, I wouldn't have added fuel to the fire."
"Danzō, I've always taken a cautious stance on this. I never gave any orders for you to act. The way things turned out—most of it was driven by you!"
With just a few words, Sarutobi Hiruzen neatly washed his hands of all responsibility, which only aggravated Danzō further.
Having known Hiruzen since childhood, Danzō understood his nature well. Sarutobi Hiruzen was the type who always appeared upright and honorable, embodying justice no matter what he said or did. Now, dumping all the blame squarely on him—Danzō—was enough to truly infuriate him.
The two longtime comrades launched into a heated argument over the issue.
…
In the end—
"Hiruzen, regret this!"
"Danzō, I'll remember!"
Just as their ultimate verbal blows were about to land, the door in front of them suddenly swung open.
A striking young girl, around fifteen or sixteen, with vibrant red hair, stood at the entrance.
"Lord Hokage! And Lord Danzō, you're here too. Please, come inside. Grandmother has been waiting for quite some time."
Realizing his momentary loss of composure, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly cleared his throat and adjusted his demeanor before turning to the kunoichi.
"Kushina, my apologies. I got caught up discussing something with Danzō on the way here and ended up delaying."
Danzō, on the other hand, remained expressionless, his face dark and brooding. Normally, he wouldn't even bother responding. But in front of Uzumaki Kushina, he had to say something.
"We've made Lady Mito wait too long. That was not our intention. Let's head in."
In Konoha, there was perhaps only one person who could command such obedience from both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō.
Uzumaki Mito.
Ever since the First Hokage's death, Uzumaki Mito had largely withdrawn from public affairs. Instead, she dedicated herself to protecting Hashirama's legacy in her own way, watching over it from behind the scenes.
Over the years, she had distanced herself from worldly matters, remaining within the Senju estate. By doing so, she not only entrusted power to the younger generation but also ensured the continued safekeeping of the Nine-Tails—because even now, Uzumaki Mito was still its jinchūriki.
As time passed, both Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō had gradually pushed thoughts of Mito aside. But now, being summoned by her sent a chill down their spines. They dared not show any negligence and hurried over to see what she had to say.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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