Chapter 57 - The Movements of Kirigakure
Nightfall in Konoha
As Kazane and his group entered the quiet village of Konoha, the pale moonlight illuminated the streets, casting long, wavering shadows across the empty roads. The air was cool, and a faint mist clung to the rooftops, remnants of the humid day that had passed.
Not a single pedestrian roamed the streets. The village was at rest.
After days of relentless travel and back-to-back battles, the sight of his hometown should have brought Kazane relief, yet his body remained tense. Even now, the war wasn't over—far from it.
Beside him, Might Duy and the three young Genin—Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu—let out quiet sighs as they finally reached familiar ground.
"Uncle Duy, it's already this late. You guys should head home and rest. We can report to the Hokage in the morning," Kazane said, his voice calm but firm.
Might Duy, despite his exhaustion, smiled warmly. "Alright, Kazane. We'll meet you in the morning."
With that, he led his students toward their respective homes, their figures disappearing into the dimly lit streets.
Kazane exhaled deeply. The adrenaline that had kept him going was starting to fade, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, exhaustion weighed heavily on his body.
After all, two days of relentless travel, ambushes, and high-stakes battles had finally taken their toll—even on someone like him.
Turning on his heel, Kazane made his way home.
---
Kirigakure's Frontline Camp
Meanwhile, far from the peaceful streets of Konoha, the war camp of Kirigakure lay hidden within the thick mist that perpetually covered the region. Heavy fog obscured the night sky, swirling like restless ghosts around the tents and fortifications of the Mist forces.
Inside the largest command tent, heated voices clashed.
"Hmph! That coward Shimura Danzo has no courage to fight us head-on! All he does is send fodder ninjas to die!"
The voice of Taketori Souchou, clan leader of the Kaguya Clan, was filled with contempt. His arms were crossed over his chest, his fingers tapping impatiently against his bicep as he glared at the war map in front of him. His wild, bone-like markings stood out starkly beneath the dim candlelight.
Sitting nearby, Mizunoyuki Izumi, the head of the Ice Release bloodline, smirked. His fingers idly traced the rim of his sake cup as he observed Souchou's outburst with amusement.
"Don't be so impatient, Souchou," Izumi said smoothly. "Konoha isn't that big. Danzo can't keep running forever. Once Biwa Juzo and the others complete their mission, Konoha will be ripe for the taking."
His smile widened. "Then, you'll have all the chances you want to indulge in your battle lust."
The Kaguya Clan, also known as the Taketori Clan, was infamous for their Shikotsumyaku bloodline—a terrifying ability that allowed them to manipulate their own bones as deadly weapons.
Born warriors, they lived only for battle. Reckless, ruthless, and unrelenting, they feared nothing and fought solely for the thrill of combat. This very nature made them both a deadly force and an uncontrollable liability for Kirigakure.
And now, they were on the move.
The Mist Ninja Army had already advanced into the Land of Fire's borders.
Multiple skirmishes had broken out between them and Danzo's forces, but rather than engaging in direct battles, Danzo had repeatedly chosen to retreat, opting instead for guerrilla warfare—setting traps, deploying assassination squads, and striking at the Mist's scouts under the cover of darkness.
For every step the Mist Army advanced, Danzo would pull back, forcing them to fight for every inch of land.
But this strategy had its limits.
If things continued at this pace, the entire defensive line would eventually collapse.
But, in truth—Danzo had no choice.
Kirigakure's invasion had come far too suddenly.
His Root division was small, composed of only a few hundred highly trained shinobi. If he recklessly threw them into battle, he risked having his entire foundation wiped out.
Every decision he made now was one of deliberate survival.
And he was running out of time.
Taketori Souchou scowled, his fingers drumming against the hilt of the bone sword protruding from his wrist. "Hmph! Those seven fools think they're the strongest in the village just because they wield the Seven Ninja Swords. Let's see if they can actually survive in Konoha."
Hearing Biwa Juzo's name, his expression twisted with disdain.
Even within Kirigakure, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen weren't exactly well-liked.
Arrogant. Reckless. Utterly self-serving.
They held themselves above the rest, believing their skill with their legendary weapons made them untouchable.
And yet, if not for their raw combat strength, they would have likely been eliminated by their own people long ago.
Before Souchou could continue ranting, a young Mist shinobi suddenly burst into the command tent, panting heavily.
"Mizukage-sama!" The young shinobi bowed deeply. "Biwa Juzo and his team have returned!"
For the first time that night, a new voice entered the conversation.
Sitting at the head of the tent, his small stature almost unassuming, was Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage.
His crimson eyes, framed by lavender markings, slowly opened.
"Oh?" His tone was light, almost playful, yet it carried an undeniable edge.
"Then let's welcome our heroes, shall we?"
The amused glint in his eyes remained unchanged.
To Yagura, failure was never an option.
This was a surprise attack.
Konoha's elite forces were already spread thin, divided across two battlefronts.
The only notable shinobi remaining in the village were Hiruzen Sarutobi—but even that wasn't a concern.
The timing had been too perfect.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had the advantage.
Konoha had been caught off guard.
There was no way they could have lost.
Yagura's lips curled into a small smile as he leaned back, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest of his chair.
Yes…
Everything was going exactly as planned.
Or so he thought.
"Yes, Mizukage-sama!"
The young Mist shinobi saluted before hurrying out of the command tent, disappearing into the mist-covered war camp.
Ordinarily, when Biwa Juzo and his men returned from a mission, they would have stormed into the tent without a second thought—unconcerned with protocol or respect.
They were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, an elite unit feared even within Kirigakure itself. Their reputation, their power—these things had always ensured that they could act as they pleased.
But this time was different.
This time, only three of them remained.
The weight of defeat hung heavy on their shoulders.
Their usual arrogance had all but vanished.
They had made far too many enemies within Kirigakure, and with their numbers cut in half, they no longer had the luxury of acting recklessly.
They needed to tread carefully.
As the tent flaps parted, three figures stepped inside.
Yagura stood up from his seat, his sharp eyes sweeping over them. His gaze was unreadable—calm yet piercing, emotionless yet brimming with quiet menace.
His gaze lingered on the empty spaces behind them.
"Hm?" He tilted his head slightly. "Where are the others?"
His tone was soft, but a dangerous edge lay beneath it.
Silence stretched through the tent.
Biwa Juzo, Hoshigaki Fuguki, and Kurosuki Raiga stood still, their expressions dark.
Finally, Yagura's gaze hardened.
"What happened to Jinin Akebino and the others?"
Biwa Juzo and Fuguki lowered their heads slightly.
"The mission… failed."
"The others are… dead."
Fuguki's deep voice lacked its usual arrogance.
Even speaking those words aloud felt like a bitter defeat.
Yagura's expression darkened instantly.
"What?" His voice, though still even, now carried a distinct sharpness.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen… failed?"
His gaze turned icy.
"Who in Konoha was capable of stopping you?"
Biwa Juzo clenched his fists.
"It was Hatake Kazane," he admitted, his tone filled with restrained frustration.
"The 'Demon Swordsman of Konoha.'"
Fuguki exhaled, his gills flaring slightly as he recalled the terrifying moment of realization during their battle.
"He killed Munashi Jinpachi in a single strike."
Yagura's fingers tightened around the hilt of his staff.
"Impossible," he murmured.
Fuguki continued.
"Not even Jinpachi's Explosive Blade technique could break through Kazane's defense. His technique—whatever it was—negated the explosion entirely."
"We were separated during the battle. We managed to escape back to our rendezvous point, but… the others never returned."
He hesitated.
"They must have… all been killed."
Of course, that wasn't entirely true.
Fuguki omitted a crucial detail—
The fact that they had abandoned their comrades and fled the battlefield.
It was easier to frame it as an unfortunate battle separation, rather than admit to cowardice.
Yagura's eyes glowed in the dim candlelight, his expression unreadable.
"Impossible."
His voice, barely above a whisper, sent a chill through the room.
"The Explosive Blade's power should be unstoppable."
He narrowed his gaze.
"He's just a shinobi. No one can survive being hit by hundreds of explosive tags."
Biwa Juzo's voice was gravelly when he finally spoke.
"We saw it with our own eyes."
He still couldn't shake the terror from his mind.
"He has a technique—a black armor that covers his body. It negated Jinpachi's explosion completely."
Even now, his fingers twitched at the memory.
That unbreakable defense, that overwhelming presence—
Fighting Kazane had been like fighting death itself.
Suddenly, a sharp laugh broke the silence.
"Ha! What a convenient excuse for your failure."
The voice belonged to Taketori Souchou, the war-hungry leader of the Kaguya Clan.
His tone was mocking, his face twisted in amusement.
"I bet you just ran away, and the others got picked off one by one."
He stepped forward, his predatory grin widening.
"Now that only three of you are left, you can say whatever you want." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "But do you really expect me to believe that some guy tanked hundreds of explosive tags with just his body?"
His bone-white eyes gleamed with undisguised contempt.
Kurosuki Raiga's bloodshot eyes flared with fury.
"Ha! You think we'd joke about something like this?!"
His voice was raw with anger, his fingers curling into fists.
"Why don't you go fight him yourself, then?!"
Raiga's body tensed, his chakra surging in agitation.
"Let's see if you're still laughing when he's standing in front of you!"
Taketori Souchou's expression twisted into a grin.
"Bastard! Are you looking for a fight?!"
His Shikotsumyaku ability activated instantly—sharp, deadly bone spikes bristled from his arms and shoulders, poised to strike at any moment.
The air in the tent grew thick with killing intent.
"Enough."
Yagura's voice was quiet, yet it carried a weight that crushed the tension instantly.
A cold pressure filled the tent, suffocating and absolute.
"This is a battlefield." His gaze flickered between the two men.
"If you want to kill each other, do it after the war is won. Until then—focus your hatred on Konoha."
A tense silence followed.
After a brief pause, Souchou clicked his tongue and retracted his bone spikes.
"Hmph. Fine. I'll deal with you later."
Raiga's shoulders remained tense, but he took a step back, his scowl deepening.
The threat had been given—but not forgotten.
Yagura finally turned his attention back to Hoshigaki Fuguki.
His gaze burned through him, scrutinizing every detail.
His next words were slow, measured.
"Now then…"
He leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping against the hilt of his staff.
"Tell me everything."
His tone carried a chilling finality.
"What exactly happened?"
The room fell dead silent.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen's failure had shifted the tides of war.
And Yagura was not pleased.
TN: I had my suspicions before, but after reaching this point, my guess has been confirmed—the author doesn't seem to know the exact names of ancient Naruto characters, particularly the lesser-known ones like Syōma, Fugaku's father.
For example, in the raws, he was referred to as Kiezan, and now we have Mizunoyuki Izumi, supposedly the head of the Ice Release bloodline, and Taketori Souchou, the supposed leader of the Kaguya Clan.
These names are likely incorrect.
I don't blame the author for this, though. Even I struggle to remember names in Naruto's, especially those deep in extensive history, and researching them can be extremely difficult. Still, I'll do my best to correct any inaccuracies where possible.
That said, I can't guarantee that every name will be fixed, as some may be too obscure to verify. If not, then all I can do is make it consistent to avoid confusion.
If anyone happens to know the correct names for these characters, please let me know so I can make the necessary corrections. Then and, I'm a translator, why tf did I became an editor? LOL 😂