Every time… at moments like this, Kurenai still couldn't help but worry about him.
Shiki smiled, raised his hand, and gently patted Kurenai on the head.
"Don't worry."
As soon as the words fell, Shiki vanished from where he stood.
Hyūga Hiashi didn't hesitate. With Shiki gone, he knew the responsibility for everyone's safety now rested on his shoulders.
"All personnel, stay alert," Hiashi commanded coldly. "Advance toward Kirigakure at full speed!"
"Yes!"
--
Elsewhere, deep within a forest on the outskirts of the Hidden Mist Village—
"Boom! Hah? Just a few brats?"
High above the trees, seven figures stood calmly in the air, each holding a uniquely shaped ninja blade. Their appearances were different, their weapons even more so but their expressions were the same.
Relaxed. Confident. Bored.
"How dull."
Under the canopy below stood three shinobi who had only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy.
The future Blue Beast of Konoha, Might Guy, along with Ebisu and Genma Shiranui.
They might one day become famous figures but right now, without exception, they were nothing more than newly promoted genin.
"This… this can't be…"
Might Guy's voice trembled.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist…!"
There was no mistaking them.
Seven blades. Seven figures.
And judging by the lineup before them—it wasn't just part of the group.
Every single one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was here.
What kind of absurdly terrible luck was this?
They weren't Kage. They weren't a secret weapon. They weren't even jonin.
And yet the Mist had dispatched all seven swordsmen to intercept them.
Even Might Guy, known for his indomitable spirit, felt panic creep into his chest.
Ebisu and Genma—still children at heart—looked on the verge of tears.
"How did we run into monsters like this…?"
"Oh no… I don't want to die… I'm really going to die…"
"D-Don't worry… I—"
Might Guy tried to speak, but his words tangled uselessly in his throat. He couldn't even convince himself, let alone the others.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had originally expected Konoha jonin.
Instead, all they found were three genin.
Disappointment was written plainly across their faces.
In the end, it was Jūzō Biwa, wielder of the Kubikiribōchō, who moved first.
The massive executioner blade rested casually on his shoulder as he stepped forward, eyes filled with cruel amusement.
"Well, isn't this perfect?" Jūzō grinned. "There's a crack in my Kubikiribōchō… so let's use your blood to fix it."
Each of the Seven Swords possessed unique abilities.
The Kubikiribōchō, in particular, could repair itself by absorbing the iron from blood.
Jūzō's shark-like teeth were exposed as his smile twisted into something even more grotesque.
"You… you—!"
As Jūzō advanced step by step, the pressure on Might Guy and the others grew heavier.
Yet even in the face of death, the pride of being shinobi of Konoha kept them from kneeling or begging.
"Don't be so arrogant!" Might Guy suddenly shouted.
"You know it won't be long before Lord Golden Lion arrives on this battlefield!"
This wasn't a secret.
The Third Hokage handing over command of the Mist front to Shiki had already spread throughout the Konoha forces.
Every ninja stationed here had felt their morale soar.
If even Iwagakure and Kumogakure weren't Shiki's opponents, then Kirigakure stood no chance.
Might Guy and the others had only been assigned to patrol and prevent accidents before Shiki's arrival.
Who could've imagined that patrol duty would lead them straight into the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
"Hahahaha!"
Jūzō burst out laughing.
Then one by one, the other swordsmen joined in.
"Golden Lion?"
"What kind of joke is that?"
"If he shows up, we'll teach him what the Seven Ninja Swordsmen really are!"
"Cloud and Stone are weak. Kirigakure is the strongest!"
"That Golden Lion nonsense—if he'd come to the Mist first, his title would already be Dead Golden Lion!"
Laughter echoed through the forest.
Even Fuguki Suikazan, the leader of the group, looked openly disdainful.
Arrogance was the hallmark of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Aside from the Mizukage, there was hardly anyone they truly respected.
Even the Mizukage himself barely qualified.
Strength aside—this level of pride was rare even among elite shinobi.
"Enough talk," Jūzō said, lifting the Kubikiribōchō slightly.
He looked down at the terrified genin, eyes gleaming with sadistic delight.
"Even if that Golden Lion really is here—"
"We'll chop him to death."
"Yes?"
A calm, flat voice suddenly cut through the thick fog.
The tone was gentle.
The pressure within it was not.
"Who's there?!"
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen reacted instantly, spreading out on instinct.
Living in Kirigakure's mist year-round had sharpened their perception—but even so, they hadn't sensed this presence at all.
Then...
From the fog, a tall figure walked forward.
Blond hair.
An imposing silhouette.
Two distinctive swords at his sides.
"…Shiki?"
Fuguki narrowed his eyes.
There was no mistaking it.
"Lord Shiki!"
Might Guy, Ebisu, and Genma stared in awe.
The moment Shiki appeared, his presence alone crushed the killing intent flooding the forest.
Their fear vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of security.
Shiki nodded once, saying nothing more.
He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of the three genin, calmly facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
When he'd been traveling over the sea, he had sensed their presence through Observation Haki.
He just hadn't expected this.
As a reincarnator, Shiki knew exactly what should have happened here.
If he hadn't appeared—
Might Duy would have arrived.
The man would have opened all Eight Gates at once.
Four of the Seven would die instantly.
The remaining three would fall shortly after.
And Might Duy himself would perish—becoming famous through that final battle.
"…So you're Shiki," Fuguki said slowly. "Looks like we caught a big fish."
The atmosphere shifted.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen's eyes sharpened, bloodlust surfacing.
They had decided.
Shiki was prey.
"Who's the fish," Shiki replied lightly, hands relaxed at his sides, "and who's the butcher—"
"That's still too early to say."
His casual demeanor only deepened the tension.
For a long moment, silence ruled the forest.
Might Guy and the others didn't dare breathe too loudly.
They trusted Shiki but they had never seen his strength with their own eyes.
"Let me test these so-called legends."
One of the swordsmen stepped forward.
The wielder of Helmet Splitter, Jinin Akebino— carrying an axe-and-hammer weapon designed to crush any defense.
In a flash, he appeared beside Shiki.
The axe swung down violently.
"Boom!"
Shiki didn't even blink.
Black Armament Haki wrapped around his arm as he calmly caught the descending blade with his bare hand.
"Huh?"
Kabutowari was stopped.
But instead of panicking, Jinin Akebino grinned.
The Helmet Splitter wasn't just an axe—it was an axe and hammer.
The axe cut.
The hammer shattered defenses by striking the axe itself.
"Let me show you the power of Helmet Splitter!"
The hammer slammed down onto the axe—
"Boom!"
A strange force surged through Shiki's arm.
But...
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