In this era of the ninja world, regardless of the country, the infrastructure for roads and bridges is rudimentary. Even though concrete buildings are common and cement is no longer a novelty, ninjas were already using cement in combat long before it was industrially produced.
For example, Kurotsuchi, who possesses the Kekkei Genkai of Lava Release, uses a jutsu called *Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique*, which manipulates fast-acting cement in battle.
Unfortunately, despite the widespread use of cement and concrete, the ninja world is still dominated by dirt and sand roads. Only large towns and ninja villages have paved brick or stone roads.
This, of course, doesn't hinder the ninjas, who traverse mountains and rivers with ease. Whether it's Yakushi Nono running away or the Iwagakure ninjas pursuing her, they care little about road quality.
"Ugh!"
Yakushi Nono panted heavily. As a skilled medical ninja, she knew she needed to rest. Pushing herself further would only exhaust her body. As a spy disguised as a young girl with a congenital illness, she hadn't maintained her peak physical condition, and her current state was far from her best.
"Kabuto, Urushi... wait for me. I will return."
Hiding in a wind-sheltered mountain nook, she rested for ten minutes. After carefully stashing away a photo of the orphanage residents, she took one of her specially made pills—not like the typical ration pills that drained the body, but a milder version that replenished her stamina gradually. She calculated that she should reach her destination before any side effects hit.
Escaping the Land of Earth had been on her mind since entering it, and she had devised over ten escape plans. However, the more complicated the plan, the more likely it would fail. Given the overwhelming odds against her, she had little room for error.
Initially, she had considered heading north after escaping Iwagakure to avoid the Iwa-nin's search efforts. But knowing the terrifying efficiency of sensory ninjas, fleeing deeper into the Land of Earth was suicide.
So, in the end, she chose to head south.
Yesterday at noon, she stealthily left Iwagakure, leaving behind a shadow clone to cover her tracks. Her plan worked, as her clone only dispersed after exhausting its chakra after completing her afternoon duties.
Before starting her escape, Nono had sent a secret message via covert channels. If the village sent reinforcements, they would meet her at the designated location mentioned in the message. The Land of Earth was vast, and even sensory ninjas would have trouble pinpointing her exact location.
If no reinforcements arrived, her only hope was that the Iwa-nin wouldn't catch up too quickly.
---
"Kurotsuchi, how are you holding up?" In the desolate Land of Earth, a group of Iwa-nin chased after Yakushi Nono's trail. The leader, Wenya, glanced at the young girl beside him with a mix of frustration and helplessness.
He couldn't understand why the Tsuchikage had agreed to Kurotsuchi's reckless request. No matter how talented she was, she was still a child whose body wasn't fully developed. Having her on the mission felt like a burden. Forget about her usefulness in battle—just keeping up with the adults was a challenge.
"Huff... I'm fine. I can keep going," Kurotsuchi panted, trying to sound strong.
However, her heavy breathing betrayed her.
"I'll protect Lady Kurotsuchi. Captain Wenya, you just focus on your mission," said Rinba, a female Anbu assigned to guard Kurotsuchi. She whispered something to Kurotsuchi, who nodded, and Rinba then carried her on her back, ensuring the group could maintain their pace.
Wenya, seeing this, sighed and dropped the matter. As long as they didn't slow down, he wouldn't complain.
Kurotsuchi clung to Rinba's back, her heart still pounding. Her thoughts drifted to Dr. Shiso's gentle and kind smile, but instead of warmth, a fiery hatred rose within her. Dr. Shiso had deceived her, stealing vital village secrets. Even though others, including her father Kitsuchi, had likely been tricked, it didn't ease her pain.
The thought of confiding her most private thoughts to Dr. Shiso, secrets she hadn't even shared with her father or grandfather, made her seethe with rage. If she couldn't kill Dr. Shiso herself, she would at least witness his death.
---
While the chase played out in the northern Land of Earth, Konoha Village was equally bustling. Crowds packed the streets, cheering and waving flags, as if a festival were in full swing.
It wasn't a holiday, though. Today marked the official inauguration of the Fifth Hokage.
Akimichi Torifu stood on the rooftop of the Hokage building, wearing the traditional Hokage robe and hat, delivering his inaugural speech. He confidently promised that he would swiftly defeat the northern Cloud-nin and restore peace and prosperity to the village.
The villagers cheered, raising their fists and chanting, "Konoha will prevail!" The unity of their voices was so precise, one could almost believe the villagers were as well-trained as the ninja.
"Hmph! Who would've thought Konoha would resort to such a childish display?" Zabuza Momochi scoffed as he watched the scene from the rooftop, unimpressed by the spectacle. With his sharp eyes, he could tell that most of these 'villagers' were actually ninjas in disguise, not ordinary civilians.
"Still, it's quite the show, isn't it?" Hozuki Mangetsu mused, gazing down at the streets. "Tactics don't have to be clever or honorable—if they achieve the desired outcome, that's enough. Konoha needs to stabilize morale, and throwing a grand inauguration for the Fifth Hokage is exactly what will do that."
"...Mangetsu, you've changed," Zabuza noted.
"Have I?"
"Yeah. You never used to say stuff that... deep. You used to tick people off just by opening your mouth."
Zabuza spoke candidly. In his memory, Mangetsu had always been an arrogant jerk, full of himself and irritating to the core. Just hearing him talk used to make people want to punch him.
"Haha! Maybe it's because I've finally broadened my horizons," Mangetsu chuckled, gazing at the Hokage building. "We're... really weak, Zabuza."
Compared to titans like Uchiha Sougen and Uchiha Shisui, they were weak, insignificant even. Witnessing such unimaginable power firsthand had shattered any illusions he'd once had. There were always greater forces in the world, and he realized how far he still had to go.
Zabuza clenched his teeth beneath his bandages. He didn't argue with Mangetsu's bitter realization because he, too, felt it.
"Once we return to the village, I want to try and see if I can master the long sword, blunt sword, or explosive sword," Zabuza suddenly said after a moment of silence, listening to the bustling noise around them.
"Huh?" Hozuki Mangetsu looked at Zabuza in surprise. "Are you giving up on the Executioner's Blade?" He clearly remembered that Zabuza had long set his sights on the Executioner's Blade, which was held by Biwa Jūzō, and had repeatedly sworn to take it from him. Even after Jūzō failed in his assassination attempt on the Fourth Mizukage and fled with the blade, Zabuza hadn't given up.
"But the Executioner's Blade is in Konoha's hands now, isn't it? Plus, it's the weapon that was used to kill the Third Hokage… Do you think there's any chance to get it back?"
"Well…"
Mangetsu was at a loss for words and eventually shook his head with a bitter smile. "It's unlikely! There's not much hope!"
Biwa Jūzō, who had turned rogue, had allegedly assassinated the Third Hokage, who was in recovery due to illness, to protect the village—at least, that's what the Konoha ninja had told them. Mangetsu thought it was ridiculous. He knew Jūzō well enough to believe he might still care for the village even after defecting, but risking everything to assassinate the Hokage out of love for the village? That was beyond belief.
Regardless of how much truth was hidden in the story, there was no way they could challenge Konoha's version of events. Whether they liked it or not, they had to accept the fact that Jūzō had assassinated the Third Hokage.
Because of that, the Executioner's Blade, as the weapon that had killed the Third Hokage, was now sealed away by Konoha. Mangetsu had already tried multiple times to negotiate for its return, but each time he was brushed off. It seemed it would be difficult to reclaim the blade anytime soon.
"Konoha won't just hand the blade back to us easily. And even if they did, I wouldn't take it," Zabuza said calmly. "The Executioner's Blade won't help me grow stronger anymore. I used to want it because it would be easy to cut off heads with it, but now I need something that can actually help me advance."
Mangetsu scratched his head. As someone praised as a 'prodigy' by the Seven Swordsmen, he knew better than anyone that each of the seven blades had its own strengths, making it difficult to rank them. However, there was an undeniable hierarchy.
The sword Samehada, the only living weapon among the Seven, was undoubtedly the strongest due to its ability to absorb chakra and replenish its wielder's strength.
Then came the twin swords Kiba and the cleaver Hiramekarei. Hiramekarei grew stronger the more enemies it killed, enhancing its wielder's power with each kill, though it couldn't return chakra like Samehada. Meanwhile, Kiba had the ability to attract and generate lightning, making it a formidable tool for any Lightning Release user. This power could also enhance the wielder's physical strength and speed, similar to the secret techniques of the Hidden Cloud Village. Ameyuri Ringo was currently following this path, aiming to enhance her speed like the Fourth Raikage.
In the third tier were the long sword Nuibari, the blunt sword Kabutowari, and the explosive sword Shibuki, each possessing unique abilities that could have significant effects in battle. However, they didn't benefit their wielders as much as the top three swords.
At the bottom of the list was the Executioner's Blade. Other than its large size and the ability to absorb iron from blood to self-repair, it had no other notable features. To Mangetsu, it was just there to make up the numbers, though, for some reason, it still had a lot of admirers in the village.
"If you want to try and master those three swords, go ahead. Nobody else in the village has been able to wield them anyway," Mangetsu shrugged.
"What about you?" Zabuza glanced at Mangetsu.
This prodigy of the Seven Swordsmen could wield all seven blades with ease, even the notoriously picky Samehada. As for the other swords, they posed no challenge to him; he could even handle Nuibari, the trickiest of the lot.
"Hiramekarei is enough for me," Mangetsu replied, shaking his head.
Though he could use shadow clones to fight with all seven swords, losing Samehada—the key to replenishing chakra—made splitting his chakra among the swords too costly for him.
Additionally, after witnessing the strength of Uchiha Sougen and Uchiha Shisui, Mangetsu realized that even mastering all seven swords would only broaden his abilities, not elevate him to the next level. To get stronger, his clan's secret techniques held more potential than the swords.
"…Alright! That's good!" Zabuza nodded, starting to contemplate which of Nuibari, Kabutowari, or Shibuki he should choose. While he wasn't like Mangetsu, capable of wielding all seven blades, he was confident he could master those three.
"I wonder where Ameyuri is now?" Mangetsu suddenly sighed, slapping the railing. "I miss a good fight."
"Based on her pace, she's probably reached the Land of Earth's border by now," Zabuza replied casually.
Ameyuri Ringo, one of the Hidden Mist Village's representatives sent to aid Konoha, had been reassigned to a secret mission that required her to infiltrate the Land of Earth.
Thinking of Ameyuri fighting Iwa-nin made Mangetsu's blood boil with excitement. He was eager to test out the results of his clan's secret technique training.
"Oh, Mangetsu, so eager to fight?" a voice behind him made Mangetsu freeze. Turning around, he saw Uchiha Sougen standing there. Mangetsu quickly straightened up and greeted him respectfully, "Uchiha Clan Leader!" Technically, Mangetsu's status as an envoy from the Hidden Mist Village put him on equal footing with Sougen, but he always showed deference to him.
The reason was simple: Sougen was stronger, and Mangetsu respected him for it. He didn't care that Sougen was younger than him; in fact, it made him even more respectful, as Mangetsu couldn't afford to be arrogant in front of someone stronger and younger.
"So, how's the Hokage inauguration? Pretty lively, huh?" Sougen asked as he leaned on the railing, watching the bustling streets below.
"Very festive. I've never seen anything like it in the Hidden Mist Village," Mangetsu replied truthfully.
"Haha! Really? I thought you'd say we were just putting on a show. Most of the crowd down there is made up of clans from the village, all organized to attend the event to make sure nothing goes wrong," Sougen candidly revealed the truth.
Zabuza stayed silent. Mangetsu was at a loss for words.
Unsure of Sougen's true attitude toward such things, both chose to remain quiet.
"Not talking, huh? Smart. I don't dislike scenes like this. What I hate is how my Uchiha clan is excluded, treated like outsiders… That really bothers me."
Sougen's tone grew colder, and his eyes seemed to reflect a hellish abyss of despair. The sheer chill of his gaze was enough to make anyone feel like they were freezing over.
Mangetsu continued to stay silent, realizing that anything he said now would be wrong. Internally, he sighed, thinking that even Konoha had its fair share of internal strife.
"Forget it, I won't trouble you with this." Sougen grew bored of Mangetsu's silence. "Mangetsu, I came to tell you that once the inauguration is over, you'll be heading out soon! You'll be joining Jiraiya to fight Iwa-nin in the northwest."
"Fighting Iwa-nin?" Mangetsu blinked in surprise.
This wasn't what he had expected. He had always assumed Cloud-nin would be the enemy, as Konoha had never shared any intelligence with him about a potential Iwa-nin threat. He had been preparing strategies to deal with Cloud-nin, knowing that his clan's techniques would be at a disadvantage against Lightning Release.
But then he remembered Ameyuri Ringo's reassignment, and his shock faded. Keeping his composure, he asked, "Uchiha Clan Leader, can we fight under your command?"
"That's already been decided. There's no room for change."
Sougen shook his head.
"I understand. We will fight with everything we have!"
Mangetsu replied solemnly.