The white mask slowly slipped off, revealing the lifeless eyes of Kurotsuchi Raiga.
On the face beneath it, there was neither fear nor pain at the moment of death—only the joy of someone who had finally obtained something precious.
Raiga did not die alone. The emptiness that had long haunted his heart had already been filled.
"So that's how it is, Raiga… It turns out we truly mattered to each other. In that case, let us remain together, becoming one another's salvation…"
Ranmaru murmured softly. The instant he saw Raiga's expression, he understood: all this time, Raiga had been his salvation—and he, in turn, had been Raiga's.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ranmaru threw himself onto the Lightning Blade: Kiba, ending his own life.
"Bonds, huh… truly precious things. Just as Clan Head Hiashi once said, the current me can trample over them without mercy."
Hazan watched the scene with an expressionless face.
"But you, Hiashi… have you never killed anyone? Never crushed someone else's love, their family bonds?"
"During the Shinobi Wars, things like this happened countless times. Every person who died was someone's beloved child, a trusted companion in the eyes of their friends."
"As long as hatred and killing exist, such tragedies are unavoidable. Even knowing that… every time I witness a scene like this, something still stirs within me."
Hazan lifted his gaze toward the sky.
"Perhaps I'm beginning to understand Madara's plan—to sever the chain of hatred in this world and grant happiness to everyone."
"Still, that plan shouldn't be called the 'Eye of the Moon.' It should be called the 'Human Instrumentality Project.' In an illusory world where people truly understand one another, the 'walls of the heart' would completely disappear."
At that thought, he let out a self-mocking laugh.
"I really am a villain."
"Your eyes are mine."
Without ceremony, he removed the Red Eyes, storing them as invaluable research material.
"Stop right there!"
A massive, grotesquely shaped blade came flying toward him, aimed straight at his head.
"Clang!"
Hazan reached back effortlessly. A Chakra Scalpel intercepted the blade with surgical precision, knocking it aside.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Dozens of figures rushed in from the distance, all clad in the uniforms of the Mist ANBU.
"Heh… is this a full mobilization? Don't tell me you're all here for my sake."
Hazan rose calmly, placing the eyes into a test tube.
Turning around, his gaze swept across the faces hidden behind the ANBU masks.
The most conspicuous among them was a powerfully built man with long orange hair.
Fuguki Suikazan, one of the three surviving veterans of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and likely the strongest of the previous generation.
Within the Mist ANBU, his status was comparable to Danzō's in Konoha—and according to rumors, his methods were just as ruthless.
Beside him stood someone Hazan recognized.
Ao, an elite jōnin of the Mist, vice commander of the ANBU, a veteran known more for experience than flashy feats.
On the other side, the man who had thrown the Executioner's Blade was Biwa Jūzō, another of the three remaining Seven Swordsmen.
With Raiga's death, the final three members of the Seven Swordsmen had gathered here.
Behind them stood several familiar faces as well:
Mei Terumi, a rising prodigy of the Mist and disciple of the elder Gengetsu, wielder of two Kekkei Genkai.
Hōzuki Mangetsu, the most outstanding successor of the powerful Hōzuki Clan.
Hoshigaki Kisame, Fuguki's trusted subordinate, still in his formative years.
And Momochi Zabuza, the infamous "Demon of the Hidden Mist."
All of them were roughly the same age as Hazan—members of the same generation.
It was common practice among the great villages to recruit their young elites into the ANBU as a means of tempering them.
The ANBU organization had originally been established by the Second Hokage, with the other great villages later following suit.
Typically, each village's ANBU was led by a commander and a vice commander, beneath whom were four main divisions and multiple sub-units, most composed of jōnin.
The Mist force standing before Hazan included at least ten jōnin.
Such a formation was more than enough to assassinate any Kage of the Five Great Nations.
"I'll ask one more time… you're not here for me, are you?"
Hazan stepped back slowly after securing the eyes.
Killing intent surged from the Mist shinobi as they looked at the two corpses beside him.
"What do you think? Byakugan brat. Since we've crossed paths, leave your eyes behind."
"Tch… then there's no helping it.
Wind Release: Chaotic Dance of Crane Feathers!"
He formed a seal at lightning speed. A violent gust erupted, scattering countless white feathers that filled the sky and obscured everyone's vision.
Carried by the wind, the feathers transformed into razor-sharp blades that swept toward the Mist shinobi.
A wide-area offensive ninjutsu.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Water Release: Furious Torrent Vortex!"
After dispersing the feathers, they realized Hazan had already reached the three ANBU members he had previously knocked unconscious.
"Pursue him!"
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
Two high-speed rotating shuriken formed in Hazan's hands, each containing terrifying destructive power.
"Get back!"
"Water Formation Wall!"
"Great Exploding Water Wave!"
The veterans immediately recognized the danger of that technique.
A shrill hum echoed through the air as the Rasenshuriken collided with the water defenses, triggering a deafening explosion.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Seizing the opportunity, Hazan cast Chaotic Dance of Crane Feathers once more, obscuring their vision again, and escaped with the three captives.
By the time the ANBU dispersed the feathers filling the sky, he was already gone.
"That guy… is he a monster? Controlling jutsu of that caliber with such precision…"
"No wonder he broke free from a clan like the Hyūga."
"Kisame, that kid's chakra reserves are on par with yours—absurdly large."
"Should we pursue him, Lord Fuguki?"
"No. He didn't take Kiba. Leave that problem to Konoha. We have more important missions."
"But… he killed our comrades!"
"Hmph. Anyone who dies only proves they were useless. The ANBU has no need for trash."
"Yes!"
/------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/
Read more chapters on my Patreon: https://patreon.com/SailorTranslations?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink