Chapter 57: The Story Begins
A faint smile curved at the corner of Yuto's lips as he looked at Hozuki Suigetsu.
The moment Suigetsu heard his words, his half-liquid body trembled, reforming instantly into solid form.
"This isn't really necessary… Yuto-sama," Suigetsu said awkwardly, his tone half-pleading.
Now that the "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist" were fully under Yuto's command, losing his qualification as one of them would be disastrous. The mere thought made cold sweat trickle down his back. His lifelong dream—to restore the Seven Swordsmen—would vanish before it even began.
"What do you think?" Yuto raised an eyebrow.
Immediately, Suigetsu's face turned serious. "I just wasn't ready earlier! Let me show them what I can really do!"
Without waiting for a response, and under Yuto's calm, unreadable gaze, Suigetsu charged back into the chaotic melee.
The sounds of clashing steel and exploding jutsu echoed continuously across the training grounds.
Each of the fighters had distinct styles and considerable strength. The battle's intensity honed not only their power but also their battlefield awareness—especially for Suigetsu and Ranmaru.
For Ringo Ameyuri and Kimimaro, their styles were already mostly fixed; what they needed now was refinement—precision, adaptability, and an instinct for different kinds of opponents.
As for Chojuro, his raw power might not be the highest, but his combat intelligence was second to none. In fact, that sharp mind was likely what had allowed him to eventually become the Mizukage.
It was like Jiraiya's final battle against the Six Paths of Pain—though he lost, his analysis and insight had nearly unraveled their entire secret.
Still, Yuto knew that intelligence only mattered when strength wasn't overwhelmingly one-sided. When faced with absolute power, no amount of analysis would save you.
Stretching lazily, Yuto observed the fight. Other than Kimimaro, the real purpose of this exercise was to let the future Seven Swordsmen understand their own roles—who led, who supported, and how to fight as one without falling to a single counterattack.
Several days passed quietly, the shinobi world remaining deceptively peaceful.
When Yuto wasn't training the new Seven Swordsmen, he spent time sparring with Utakata—or rather, with Saiken, the Six-Tails—discussing combat techniques and chakra control.
——
Meanwhile, in Konohagakure—
Inside the mission assignment hall, a heated argument broke out.
"No way! I don't want these stupid chores anymore! I want a real mission!"
The loud complaint came from a boy with spiky blond hair and whisker-like marks on his cheeks—Uzumaki Naruto.
"Idiot!" Iruka barked, standing beside the Third Hokage. "Everyone starts small. You need to build experience before taking on serious missions!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a puff of smoke and said calmly, "Different missions have different risk levels, Naruto. As genin, you can only take D-rank missions for now."
The boy pouted. "Old man, you always say that! I'm not some little prankster anymore!"
Hiruzen paused, a faint smile crossing his face. After a moment, his eyes fell on a scroll lying among the mission requests.
"Well then," he said slowly, "if that's how you feel… I'll give you a C-rank mission."
Click.
The office door opened. A slightly drunken old man stumbled in, sake bottle in hand.
And so, the journey of Team 7 began.
——
Back in Kirigakure—
"Yuto-sama," reported a masked ANBU kneeling before him, "Konoha's Hatake Kakashi has departed the village with three genin. They're accompanied by one client. We don't yet know the details of the mission."
Yuto's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Oh?" he murmured. "So the show is finally about to begin."
Yuto's lips curved into a faint smile as he spoke softly.
"I understand. You may leave." Yuto waved his hand at the kneeling shinobi, his tone light.
Clap. Clap.
He clapped twice, drawing everyone's attention.
Shua!
The group who had been training—Ringo Ameyuri, Suigetsu, and the others—immediately halted, turning in surprise toward Yuto.
Training had only just begun. Why stop so early today?
Suigetsu let out a quiet sigh of relief. The past few days of brutal drills had nearly driven him mad. Whatever the reason, a break was always good news to him.
"Ringo Ameyuri, Hozuki Suigetsu—come here," Yuto said calmly.
At his words, Ringo's face lit up, and she jogged over with a spark of anticipation. Under Yuto's guidance, she could clearly feel her strength growing steadily stronger.
Suigetsu, however, looked miserable. Whenever Yuto called his name, it usually meant trouble.
"Get ready," Yuto said as the two stopped before him. "We're leaving the village soon."
"Leaving the village? Is there a mission?" Ringo asked, blinking in confusion.
"Not exactly," Yuto replied with a small smile. "I'm taking you to meet one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen—the wielder of the Executioner's Blade, Momochi Zabuza."
"Momochi Zabuza!"
Suigetsu's eyes widened, excitement flashing across his face.
"You've been longing for that blade, haven't you?" Yuto said, teasingly. "Here's your chance. Whether you can claim it or not depends on your skill. Just make sure you don't die by Zabuza's hand."
"Heh, I'm Hozuki Suigetsu—I won't die that easily!" Suigetsu grinned proudly, unable to contain his excitement.
Ringo gave him a sidelong glance, raising an eyebrow. Without warning, she pressed the tip of her Lightning Blade against his side.
Zzzzap!
Sparks erupted, and Suigetsu let out a sharp scream before collapsing onto the ground, twitching violently.
"Yuto-sama, are you going personally this time?" Ringo asked respectfully, turning back toward him.
"Of course," Yuto replied, eyes narrowing slightly with intrigue. "It's too entertaining to miss. Besides, this is going to be quite the performance."
(End of Chapter)
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