"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked calmly, not responding to Miroku's words until he stepped outside the main doors of the Hokage's Office.
The moment he stepped out, the sacred and ethereal figure vanished silently into the air behind him, as if it had never been there at all.
Hiruzen's footsteps paused almost imperceptibly, then returned to normal. He slightly turned his head to look at Hinata Kawa, who also appeared deep in thought.
"It seems someone has solved the location problem for us."
With that, he looked ahead, his gaze sweeping over the plaza in front of the Hokage's Office.
The plaza was filled with a sea of black-clad figures, standing in silent, disciplined formation like a forest.
Aside from those on emergency missions or still on the front lines, every available chūnin, jōnin, and a number of genin were gathered there.
They were lined up in neat squares according to their departments, squads, and ninja clans. A solemn and serious atmosphere permeated the air, laced with a hint of curiosity.
Even the jōnin who had followed Hiruzen out of the building felt the same way.
The number of people called to the gathering was simply too immense.
They had thought it would just be their own department, squad, or clan, but now they saw that nearly every single registered Konoha ninja had been summoned.
Hiruzen could clearly feel countless eyes fixed on him.
He slowly walked onto the platform at the front of the plaza, his gaze sweeping over the dense crowd.
Then, under the watchful eyes of all, Hiruzen took a scroll from his robes, formed a hand seal, and whispered, "Release!"
Boom!
The scroll exploded in a puff of white smoke. As the smoke cleared, a sword case appeared before Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The case was a dark color, its surface engraved with complex and profound runes. It exuded an ancient aura.
Hiruzen gently pressed a button on the case, and a series of crisp mechanical clicks sounded.
Click! Clack!
The case opened up like a fence, revealing seven slots meant for blades.
Three of the slots were empty, while the other four held four different-looking blades.
The weapon in the center was an eight-sided sword named 'Pride.'
The other three were a katana named 'Wrath,' a two-handed zanbatō named 'Gluttony,' and a short dagger named 'Lust.'
The four weapons sat silently in their slots. Even sheathed, they gave off a chilling aura that made everyone's hearts tremble.
All the ninja in the plaza were instantly captivated by these four weapons.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over the faces below, which were a mix of confusion and curiosity. His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the entire plaza.
"This set of weapons is called the 'Seven Deadly Sins.' They are ninja tools with souls and powerful abilities. Only those who are recognized by them can draw them."
"Three of these tools have already chosen their wielders: 'Sloth,' 'Envy,' and 'Greed.' Many of you here have already seen them."
Hearing this, some of the Konoha ninja who had returned from the Land of Hot Water front lines seemed to realize something and subconsciously looked at the lazy-looking Jiraiya.
And those who had experienced the Uchiha clan's rebellion all looked at Hinata Kawa and Kakashi at the same time.
The broadsword on Jiraiya's back was exceptionally conspicuous, as was the tanto tied to Kakashi's leg. Hinata Kawa had his sheathed at his waist.
They had not yet seen the abilities of Hinata Kawa's 'Greed,' which remained a secret.
But they were all very familiar with the two brilliant feats of the other weapons. Jiraiya had used 'Sloth' to repel the Puppet Master, a member of the Espada, on the battlefield.
And Kakashi had used 'Envy' to repel Obito Uchiha's Susanoo.
"The remaining four weapons are 'Pride,' 'Gluttony,' 'Wrath,' and 'Lust,'" Hiruzen announced gravely. "Now, any ninja of Konoha, regardless of origin or status, may step forward and try to draw a blade."
"Whoever can gain their recognition and pull a blade out will be its wielder!"
The moment he finished speaking, the plaza fell into a dead silence.
Then, an unrestrainable stir rippled through the crowd.
The eyes of countless ninja burned with fervor as they stared at the four weapons on the platform, which seemed to radiate a deadly allure.
They all knew about the terrifying ability of 'Sloth,' the weapon in Jiraiya's hands.
These were powerful weapons comparable to the Sage of Six Paths's tools. Anyone who obtained one could greatly increase their strength.
Soon, the Anbu ninja maintaining order began to guide the crowd, allowing genin from the outermost ranks to come forward and try in order.
The first few genin had expressions of suppressed excitement and nervousness.
They walked cautiously toward the sword case, their eyes darting between the four weapons. Most of them chose the 'Wrath' katana or the 'Lust' dagger, which looked relatively easy to handle.
The first genin took a deep breath, gripped the handle of 'Wrath' with both hands, and pulled with all his might...
It didn't budge at all!
His face quickly flushed red. He strained with all his might, even pouring chakra into his grip.
The blade remained firmly in its case, as if it had been forged as one with the base.
"That's enough," an Anbu ninja said, shaking his head. "Next."
The genin finally let go and scratched his head, retreating amid the muffled laughter of his comrades.
"I'll go first!"
"Let me try!"
The second, third... genin came forward one after another.
Some tried the 'Gluttony' zanbatō, but the heavy blade was too much for them. Some chose the 'Lust' dagger, but the small blade felt as heavy as a mountain.
No matter how hard they pulled, no matter how much they strained until veins bulged, the four weapons remained like dormant, lifeless objects, giving no response whatsoever!
The initial excitement was quickly doused by a bucket of cold water.
Confusion appeared on the genin's faces, and whispers began to spread through the crowd.
"What's going on?"
"It won't budge at all!"
When it was the chūnin's turn, they were much more composed than the genin, their eyes filled with contemplation.
Some tried different chakra natures. Some tried to find a hidden mechanism on the sword case or the weapons. Some even formed various hand seals.
A chūnin skilled in Wind Style formed a hand seal, trying to envelop the handle of 'Pride' in a gust of wind to increase friction.
However, the air current dissipated the moment it got close to the handle. 'Pride' didn't even tremble.
Another chūnin petrified his arm to increase his strength, thinking he was clever as he grabbed the handle of 'Lust.' But the small dagger remained completely still.
"Damn it!"
The chūnin shook his numb arm, his face showing frustration and unwillingness.
Disappointment hung in the air, and the whispers turned into a low hum of complaints and sighs.
"Can these weapons really be pulled out?"
"Is there some kind of special method we need?"
Finally, even some of the jōnin began to try, but the results were no different.
The four weapons were like lifeless objects, completely unresponsive to any external force.
The atmosphere in the plaza grew quiet. The initial excitement and anticipation had completely vanished.
Finally, only the jōnin standing behind Hiruzen Sarutobi remained. Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Chōza Akimichi stepped forward.
Inoichi Yamanaka tried the 'Lust' dagger, while Chōza Akimichi chose the 'Gluttony' zanbatō, which looked to be the heaviest.
Buzz...
The moment Inoichi Yamanaka's palm touched the handle, 'Lust' seemed to tremble ever so slightly.
This subtle tremor was so small it was almost imperceptible, but the Konoha ninja, who were staring intently, saw it and their spirits lifted.
"It reacted!"
"Lord Inoichi!"
"As expected, it takes a powerful ninja!"
"Wait, why 'Lust?' Could it be...?"
The once-silent crowd stirred again, the disappointment replaced by a rekindled hope. They all widened their eyes and watched Inoichi Yamanaka.
Even the usually expressionless Tsunade's eyes flickered slightly.
This was the first time that any of the 'Seven Deadly Sins' had shown a clear reaction to an external stimulus.
However, Inoichi Yamanaka's brow furrowed. He tried to increase his strength, but there was no further reaction. The pink glow on the dagger's surface returned to stillness.
In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly and retreat.
Chōza Akimichi also met with the same result. Even after using his "Partial Expansion Jutsu" to enlarge his hand and increase his strength, he still couldn't pull the blade out even a millimeter.
"This..."
The flame of hope had just been ignited, only to be extinguished by an even colder spray of water.
"What are the criteria for these weapons to choose a wielder?"
Shikaku Nara didn't act rashly. He carefully observed the four weapons and frowned. "Is it based on the literal meaning of the names?"
If so, were Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Hinata Kawa really slothful, envious, and greedy?
He didn't know much about Hinata Kawa, but if he had to guess, the actions of the first two could be considered slothful and envious at a stretch.
But it was a very weak connection. There was no uniform standard.
Jiraiya's laziness and Kakashi's envy didn't seem to have anything in common.
If it was just the literal meaning, the Akimichi clan was undoubtedly the most fitting of 'Gluttony.'
As he pondered, Shikaku Nara's eyes fell on the runes engraved on the sword case. He read them aloud softly. "The blood of a god shall end with a blade."
A god?
End with a blade?
What did that sentence mean?
Shikaku Nara's gaze fell on 'Pride.' He reached out, not to pull, but to gently place his palm on the blade's spine, trying to sense its inner "will."
Just then, Tsunade, who had been watching with a cold expression, suddenly moved.
She strode to the sword case, her eyes sweeping over the four weapons before settling on the eight-sided sword named 'Pride.'
"Hmph! Such a cheap trick!"
Tsunade scoffed, a glint of eagerness in her eyes. She didn't even use both hands. She simply extended her right hand, her five fingers spread open, and gripped the handle of 'Pride' like an iron clamp!
Superhuman Strength!
Boom! Crack!
A violent surge of chakra erupted from Tsunade's body. Her golden hair billowed despite there being no wind, and the ground beneath her feet cracked in all directions, radiating from her!
"Come on!" Tsunade roared. "Get out!"
Buzz! Crack!
'Pride' let out an unprecedented hum, and black light flashed wildly along its blade.
Under everyone's horrified gazes, the eight-sided sword was actually being pulled out of its case by Tsunade, and its sharp blade gleamed with a cold light!
"She did it?!"
"Lady Tsunade!"
"As expected of a Sannin!"
The crowd let out a massive cheer. However, the moment the blade was halfway out!
An even more violent and colder force shot out from the handle, like a spring compressed to its limit being suddenly released!
Bang!
Tsunade felt an irresistible force smash into her hand. She grunted, and her five fingers, which had been gripping the handle so tightly, involuntarily loosened.
Clang!
'Pride,' which had been pulled halfway out, fell back into its case. The black light on its blade dimmed as if it had never been moved.
"Damn it! So close! This stupid sword..."
Tsunade's hand, which had gripped the sword, trembled. Her face was filled with extreme frustration.
This completely extinguished everyone's hope. If even one of the Sannin failed, who could possibly succeed?
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado simply walked forward out of curiosity to try.
They chose 'Pride' and 'Lust,' respectively, but couldn't even cause a ripple. They could only shake their heads and retreat with sighs.
Finally, it was Danzo Shimura's turn.
He slowly walked to the sword case. His single eye lingered on the 'Pride' sword for a moment, then swept over the 'Gluttony' zanbatō, and finally landed on 'Wrath.'
He extended his bandaged right hand and slowly gripped the katana's handle.
Buzz...
'Wrath' let out a low hum in response.
A dark blue light on the blade pulsed like a heartbeat, and a scorching aura spread.
Seeing this, a sharp glint flashed in Danzo's eye. He pulled with all his might!
Whoosh!
The handle was actually pulled out an inch, and a golden light erupted from it.
However, the moment the blade left the case by an inch, a cold, bone-chilling golden flame suddenly ignited. Like a maggot in the bone, it shot from the handle and set Danzo's arm on fire!
"What is this?!"
Danzo's face instantly changed. He felt the 'Hollow' in his arm become violent and agitated. He let go without hesitation.
Clang!
'Wrath' instantly snapped back into place, and the golden flames quickly extinguished.
Danzo looked at the charred mark left on his hand, a look of shock and deep apprehension flashing in his single eye. He silently took a step back and didn't try again.
"It's impossible to pull them out..."
"Are these weapons fake?"
"Is this a joke...?"
The whispers were filled with complaints and disappointment. Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the scene, his heart also filled with helplessness and a heavy feeling.
Could it be that of all the ninja in Konoha, no one was able to wield these four weapons?
Just as the world fell into a hushed silence and spirits were crushed, Hinata Kawa, who had been standing quietly beside and behind Hiruzen Sarutobi as a spectator, found the light in his eyes gradually deepening.
He seemed to have understood the essence of the 'Seven Deadly Sins.'
If it was what he thought it was, then the true value of these seven weapons...
Hinata Kawa looked at Might Guy, who had squeezed in next to Kakashi at some point.
"Guy," he asked with a smile. "You're a taijutsu user like Lady Tsunade, so why don't you go and try?"