Biwa Juzo's wise decision allowed him to narrowly escape meeting Shinigami. Had he truly reached the gates of the Hidden Village of the Land of the Blacksmiths, Anya—who never lets a grudge go—would have drawn his blade and attacked without hesitation the moment he saw him.
The departure of the two from Mist did not escape Minato's sensory perception. Frowning, he said, "It looks like they've already noticed us and even know our strength. They left decisively. This long-range sensing ability is nearly identical to the Byakugan."
Compared to Minato's uncertainty, Anya was nearly certain—the enemy must possess the Byakugan. In this Iwagakure battlefield, Konoha had suffered heavy losses among its ninja. Setting aside those already killed in battle, the Zero Organization had captured many, and other factions likely seized their share as well. As major villages, it was possible one had successfully developed a technique for transplanting Kekkei Genkai.
"Minato, we should return to Konoha as soon as possible and report back to the Third. Inform him about this discovery too. If the Hyuga Clan conducts an internal investigation, the truth will come out."
The Kekkei Genkai clans keep detailed records on every clan member—a fact Anya only learned later. It was precisely because of this that he understood what Mikoto had secretly done for him.
"Alright."
Minato replied with a nod toward Anya before vanishing from sight. With Anya here, there was no need for his involvement in this mission anymore—an unspoken understanding forged by years of friendship between them.
After Minato left, Killer Bee stepped forward. His aura had completely shifted from just moments before, and his tone turned serious. "Yo, Yunbai, he's from Konoha, right? You two are close?"
Killer Bee often made a show of his entrance, acting goofy and eccentric, but anyone who mistook that for actual stupidity was the real fool.
This Yunbai—who had been missing for so long—had suddenly reappeared here in the Land of the Blacksmiths. Even if Killer Bee hadn't suspected immediately, he'd eventually figure it out. Therefore, Anya didn't bother hiding anything from him.
"I serve Konoha now as a ninja," Anya admitted. "But being a ninja doesn't really matter to me. Lord Killer Bee, I'm different from you. No matter which village I'm in, my goal remains the improvement of my sword skills."
Hearing this, Killer Bee remained silent for a moment before shifting into a fighting stance. "Then let's see just how much your swordsmanship has improved!"
Anya's eyes flickered. A faint smile crossed his lips as he raised his sword horizontally and uttered a single word: "Come."
All seven of Killer Bee's swords unsheathed simultaneously. Two flew straight at Anya at high speed while his massive body followed closely behind. Spinning rapidly, his entire form became a deadly weapon capable of attacking from any angle.
Remaining calm after having already witnessed his sword techniques, Anya easily deflected the incoming blades using the Blade of Indifference. Immediately afterward, he activated [Dance of the Blade]. Their swords clashed repeatedly in rapid succession—one swift blow after another—as both warriors fought at blinding speed, their movements becoming ghostlike shadows indistinguishable to the naked eye.
If Killer Bee's Seven Swords Style was like the stinging needles of hornets, then Anya's sword light flowed like falling feathers—soft yet endless—covering every inch of his body and effortlessly blocking each strike.
Killer Bee, realizing this move wouldn't work, was just about to change his sword formation when he suddenly found himself completely trapped in Anya's rhythm. His attacking pace had slipped beyond his control, as if he'd sunk into a swamp. The attack speed of his seven blades was even inferior to that of Anya's single sword.
[Break.]
A flash of cold blade light burst forth, followed by a dazzling arc through the air. Killer Bee's control over all seven short blades simultaneously vanished—they flew into the air one by one, and a blade shimmering with cold light pressed against his throat. This scene felt eerily familiar—yet this time, Killer Bee clearly noticed the gap in their sword arts.
Only a few years had passed—how could the gap have widened so much in such a short time?
After suffering defeat, Killer Bee didn't pick up the seven fallen blades. Instead, he pulled out a small notebook and a pen, beginning to write something down as if taking notes.
Anya smoothly returned his blade to its sheath.
Anya felt a sense of disappointment after the fight. Compared to years ago, Killer Bee's swordsmanship had barely improved, while his own skill had multiplied manifold times. Simply using Dance of the Blade alone completely nullified Killer Bee's Seven Swords Style. It seemed like over these years, Kumogakure had kept Killer Bee away from real battles—he'd barely seen any bloodshed at all. Otherwise, it wouldn't have come to this point. In terms of sword technique alone, what Killer Bee offered wasn't even as exciting as Orochimaru from a few days back.
After finishing his notes, Killer Bee read through them twice, nodded satisfiedly, then said aloud: "Yo, idiot, bastard—you really weren't lying. Yunbai, you were right."
"I understand," Anya replied, somewhat regretful. Killer Bee possessed great talent for swordsmanship, but without constant battlefield experience, his future wouldn't live up to potential. Otherwise, there was no way he would've fallen so far behind.
Suddenly, Killer Bee leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially into Anya's ear: "How about I train under you for a while?"
Anya gave him a puzzled look and said, "Doesn't that mean you'll have to start calling me teacher?"
"Teacher, hello!" To Anya's surprise, Killer Bee immediately blurted it out.
A sigh echoed nearby: "You're giving me a headache again... B."
Killer Bee turned around—his posture suddenly became rigid. He stood at attention instinctively, clearly caught off guard.
Anya narrowed his eyes, getting a good look: huh, a black girl with white hair—quite a rare sight indeed. She wasn't unattractive either.
When Mabui saw Anya, she studied him carefully before suddenly recognizing him: "You're Yunbai? The student who went missing during the Second Battle on Iwagakure's battlefield, presumed dead?"
Anya narrowed his eyebrows slightly. This woman was perceptive and detail-oriented; her knowledge was thorough—even remembering someone who had only set foot in the academy for a single day.
As though guessing Anya's thoughts, she smiled gently: "It's mainly because your story is too unusual. Suddenly appearing, then vanishing just as quickly… naturally drew people's attention. I never expected we'd meet here."
Anya relaxed his brows and returned the smile: "Hello, I'm Yunbai. May I ask your name?"
"My name is Mabui." The woman extended her hand toward Anya, showing friendliness.
Anya was just about to reach out when Killer Bee suddenly stepped between the two, with a sheepish grin, scratched his head. "Mabui," he said, "I accidentally overheard your assignment, so I came early to help you out. But since..."
Mabui softly interrupted with just one word: "B."
At that single syllable, Killer Bee instantly clammed up.
Anya was taken aback. This woman seemed gentle and soft-spoken, but her words carried such authority. What exactly was her position?
Wait a second—Killer Bee had deliberately stepped in between them. Could it be... something going on here?
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