'Was it all a dream?'
Dragged by two Kiri ninjas, Hidan couldn't help but think.
Yugakure was abruptly destroyed one day. The place, regardless of how worthless the place was to him, was nonetheless granting him safety.
Such a place was destroyed, and Hidan was saved by the strangers, Akashi and Mei, before he was about to be killed by the ninjas of Kumo.
Though they were being chased, Hidan was happy for once. Travelling across the large plain that he had never seen before, Hidan felt free. He felt a sense of belonging, no matter how short their time together was.
Now, they were gone. It wasn't that they threw him away, but that they were caught.
Hidan was interrogated. It was then evaluated that he held no value or worth.
Hostage? What's the point of keeping a hostage when Akashi and Mei are already within Kiri's grasp?
So, here he was, being dragged by the two Kiri ninjas.
Where? To a dark forest at the outskirts of the village.
The noises were ongoing behind them. Clearly, the battle was ongoing.
The two Kiri ninjas tasked with Hidan seemed to be uneasy.
"We need to get this done quickly. It looks like the hiding ones have finally decided to come out."
The first ninja looked average. Black hair, black eyes, and wearing a forehead protector of Kiri. Those eyes of his held no emotion; he was a tool at the village's disposal.
Such a man took out a kunai. Clearly, it held a blood lust... and the killing intent was directed at Hidan.
"...Must we do this?"
The second ninja then spoke.
Now, this one was unique. He had shark-like features, making him easily distinguishable from others.
"Kisame. Are you questioning Fuguki-sama's order?"
"He's just... a kid. We learned that he knows nothing."
"Exactly. This one has no use."
The first ninja looked at the second ninja, Kisame, blankly.
"Don't forget who we are, Kisame."
The first ninja whispered,
"We are the ninjas of the Mist. Emotion is nothing but a hindrance. Tools don't think but follow."
Before Kisame could react, the first ninja threw the kunai at Hidan.
Unable to do anything against it, Hidan closed his eyes tightly.
'Is... is this the end?'
His entire life flashed in his mind.
What a dull and harsh life it was.
...Perhaps, it was better to die than live in this accursed world.
Yet, Hidan wanted to live. Maybe, it was because he learned that there was more to this world than just its harshness.
'Someone, please...'
In Hidan's mind, the image of the strongest man he knows of, Akashi, popped up.
"Save me...'
Clang.
An unexpected noise reached Hidan's ears.
The sharp kunai didn't reach his fragile body.
Opening his eyes, Hidan saw a green dome surrounding his body.
"...Huh?"
He then saw that there was a mystical blue glow on the back of his right hand. Upon inspection, Hidan learned that it was similar to what Akashi's been drawing before they reached the land of whirlpools.
'Seal... Akashi placed a seal on me.'
The two ninjas in front of Hidan were even more dumbfounded.
"Fuinjutsu...!"
The first ninja growled.
"A... barrier technique of some sort was sealed in that boy!"
"..."
Without a word, Kisame observed the barrier. His colleague, on the other hand, began to go through numerous hand seals. His eyes widened.
"Masa. You—"
"I will say this once more. We have no time to waste, Kisame!"
The first ninja, Masa, bellowed his cheeks before spewing out a high-pressure stream of water.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
The powerful stream of water collided against the chakra barrier surrounding Hidan.
The barrier shook, but it remained intact, protecting Hidan from harm.
Masa frowned at that.
Hidan, wide-eyed, looked back and forth between the Kiri ninjas ahead of him and the barrier that surrounded him.
Holding his chest, Hidan tried to calm his breath down. However, he was finding it hard to do so, for the tension was real.
Hidan.
Then, a voice rang into Hidan's ears. He froze, for he recognized the voice.
"...Akashi?"
If you are able to hear this, it probably means that you somehow got yourself into trouble while separated from Mei and me.
Akashi's voice didn't speak back to him, however. Hidan realized that it was a recorded voice of some sort.
Hidan looked at the Kiri ninjas. Based on their reactions, it seemed that they weren't able to hear the voice.
Listen well. The green chakra barrier around you is the application of my bloodline limit, Energy Release. I stored as much chakra as I could in it, but there is, of course, a time limit before it dissipates. At max, it will hold around 10 minutes for you.
'10 minutes...'
The reason why anyone but you can't hear me is that the barrier also has a soundproofing function. Don't worry about the information getting leaked. There is no time, so focus. I will now tell you the next steps.
Check your left hand.
Hidan did as Akashi told. Inspecting his left, he found that a black drawing—another seal—began to surface atop the back of his left hand.
I left it to you, the replacement body of the S-Ranked criminal, Sasori of the 'Red Sand'. Form the hand seal for 'kai' that I taught you in the past, and focus your chakra on the seal on your left hand. That empty shell is a puppet by nature.
Hidan did as Akashi told. With a puff, the unmoving, a red-haired humanoid puppet appeared by Hidan's side.
"What... is that?!"
The Kiri ninjas, Masa and Kisame, quickly got themselves into a guard.
"How much chakra have you got, Masa?"
"Not much..."
Although it is impossible for you to control it via chakra threads like the puppeteers, I modified it such that you can manually activate it. Check its back.
Hidan checked the back and found three buttons.
Left-most button is 1st. Right-most button is 3rd. Press the buttons in the following order: 1-3-2-1-3-1-2-1. This will activate a total of 8 seals that I placed in the puppet. It will start acting on its own, targeting anyone within its sight except you.
While the puppet protects you, find us if you know where you are. If not, exit wherever you may be and find any nearby place filled with civilians. Mix among them. This is the best bet that you have.
I should've sensed the seal getting activated. Hide yourself and wait. I will find you.
Seeing that the puppet next to Hidan wasn't moving, Masa began to strike more ninjutsu at the barrier. The barrier has begun shaking, and it is clear that it is reaching its limit.
Hidan hurriedly pressed the buttons behind the puppet in accordance with Akashi's instruction.
And just when the barrier shattered from the tenth ninjutsu that Masa blasted, the puppet's empty eyes began to emit a blue light.
"Huh?"
Just when the barrier shattered, the puppet, 'Sasori', moved.
Watching as the puppet emits a poisonous cloud from its mouth to the Kiri ninjas ahead, Hidan turned and hurriedly ran.
__________
The five corpses were scattered around the area, lying atop the pool of blood.
Staring at such an aftermath were Gozu and Meizu, who witnessed how the event unfolded in disbelief.
"Zabuza... you've gotten stronger."
There wasn't even a need for Ao to act.
Zabuza, the moment Gozu and Meizu opened the cage and freed him, leaped out and dealt with enemies like a ferocious beast.
Zabuza turned and faced the two.
"There is no turning back now."
"...We know."
"Then, Demon Brothers,"
Zabuza stated solemnly,
"Join us."
Shifting his focus, Zabuza then spoke to Ao.
"Ao, you know what we discussed. Plan B."
"Yes."
Closing his visible eye, Ao nodded just as solemnly.
Zabuza, Gozu, and Meizu then disappeared into the dark night.
Ao looked at Gai who shivered from the gruesome scene ahead of him.
"Let us go, Gai."
Although afraid, Gai nodded. Thankfully, it didn't take a long time for him to collect his mind, for he's been exposed to situations like this numerous times by now.
"...We are sorry,"
Ao then muttered with a heavy guilt in his tone.
"For bringing a child as young as you into this."
Gai shook his head.
"It's not on you. If anything..."
Walking out, they stared at the silent yet noisy scenery of Kiri's night just ahead of them.
"It's this world to blame."
Ao carefully lifted Gai.
The two of them then disappeared from the spot.
__________
Initially, the battle looked evenly matched.
The rebelling faction, with the use of their bloodline limits, managed to hold their own against the elite ninjas.
However, the fact that a sneak attack led to an evenly matched situation was already telling that the rebelling force was severely underhanded.
"Push harder!!"
Yet, they couldn't stop. Even though they knew that their action was nothing but a moth flying into fire, they couldn't dare to stop.
"Fight!! Fight until your last breath!!!"
The hope was already lost. They knew that there was no future for them in Kiri.
The entire world was in a state of war. If Kiri wasn't safe for them, there was no safe haven for them to run off to.
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball!"
They set their very lives on fire. Now wasn't the time to let out the tears of defeat, but to throw in everything that they could do.
The body parts flew upon severation. Blood illuminated the dark sky in crimson.
One by one, people fell. However, they didn't give up. Their eyes held resiliency—enough for Yagura's subordinates to feel pressured.
Those with physical sturdiness served as the front-liners. Those with special bloodline limits threw out ninjutsu techniques one after the other. Knowing that they held not even the slightest bit of chance alone, the resistance collaborated with one another—contrary to the emotionless and self-serving doctrines of the Bloody Mist.
"Hold your line!!"
Shouted the man of black hair and comparingly white skin. He was of the Yuki clan, the clan that possessed the Ice Release, a bloodline limit.
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
A woman by his side, forming a hand seal, then spewed a bullet of water.
Undergoing a quick series of hand seals, he then manipulated said bullet of water—freezing it mid-flight.
"Ice Release: Ice Bullet!"
The technique smashed into the opposing ninja who approached them at a quick speed. The bullet then shattered into numerous sharp pieces of ice, which splattered and sank into the skins of those nearby.
"There...!"
The man smiled, feeling a sense of hope filling him.
"How pitiful."
...Until, a voice resounded at his back.
'...Huh?'
He turned, meeting a pair of eyes—ones that belonged to a swordsman named Kurirare Kushimaru.
Nuibari pierced through his throat like a soft pudding.
Gurgling, the man's eyes flipped over. He fell down as Kushimaru pulled Nuibari out. The man fell, next to the woman with whom he was collaborating.
The brave cries of the resistance quickly turned into those of terror.
"Seven Swordsmen!! They are here!!"
The Seven Swordsmen, the elites among the elites, were showcasing their outstanding combat prowess against the numerous. As they swung their mystical blades, all within their paths perished without exception.
The previously even state of the battle was now favoring Yagura's side. Upon the entry of the Seven Swordsmen, the resistance, whose number reached about fifty or so, was falling one by one; their number was rapidly diminishing.
Grinning, Juzo swung his Kubikiribocho widely, aiming to behead three ahead of him at one go.
With a clang, his attempt was negated. A new sword pierced through a circular hole in the middle of Kubikiribocho's blade, preventing its advance.
Juzo's eyes narrowed as he sighted the owner of said sword.
"...Zabuza."
"Juzo."
Without a sense of attachment, Zabuza let go of the sword that kept Kubikiribocho stuck. Juzo, upon applying more force on his sword, shattered Zabuza's sword.
Backing, Zabuza unsheathed a greatsword—similar-looking to Kubikiribocho—and held it against Juzo.
"Hah, have you forgotten, kiddo? Out of 137 times you challenged me, you haven't gotten a single win."
"Today will be the day."
Zabuza's eyes blazed.
"You have no idea what I've gone through."
Snorting at that, Juzo briefly looked around.
Apart from him, four other Swordsmen seem to have met the enemies of formidable strength as well.
"Yuki Haruno. Hozuki Engetsu. Terumi Wataru and Terumi Renza. The noble clan leaders themselves have acted out to stop us, the Seven Swordsmen. Do you think you are at an equivalent level? A puny prick like you, one whose only value lies in his thirst for blood?"
Knowing that Juzo was simply trying to make him act out of his mind, Zabuza didn't respond.
Instead, he focused solely on Juzo's Kubikiribocho, raising his guard.
"...You really did grow."
Juzo let out an honest remark.
Then, the two of them dashed from their spots at the same time, before clashing blade to blade.