"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Might Guy's voice echoed through the mist as his kick tore through the air. His relentless taijutsu strikes came one after another, leaving Chōjūrō struggling just to defend.
Even with Hiramekarei in hand, the young Mist swordsman found himself completely overwhelmed. Each time he tried to counterattack, Guy's power and speed broke through his guard, forcing him on the defensive again and again.
All Chōjūrō could do was try to disrupt Guy's rhythm—barely managing to deflect the blows that threatened to shatter his stance.
But the sound of their battle—blades clashing, shockwaves shattering the mist—quickly drew the attention of the nearby Kirigakure shinobi.
Dozens of them rushed toward the disturbance.
At the same time, the chaos of the other two battles had already spread through the village.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In another district of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza and Kakashi clashed violently, their battle tearing down walls and sending waves of water splashing through the streets.
Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō cleaved through the air in sweeping arcs—each attack fluid, precise, and deadly. His movements flowed seamlessly between offense and defense, his mastery over the blade evident with every strike.
It was clear that during his time in the Land of Snow, Zabuza had grown even stronger.
With a seal, several Water Clones appeared, each wielding identical blades, encircling Kakashi.
The street turned into a storm of steel and water.
Though Kakashi seemed to be on the defensive, his calm eye betrayed no panic. He wasn't fighting recklessly—he was waiting for the perfect opening.
In a battle like this, wasting chakra was suicide. If he attacked carelessly and failed to land a decisive blow, he'd be at a disadvantage against Zabuza's endless stamina and mist techniques.
Patience, he reminded himself. Just one clean hit.
With a powerful kick, Zabuza sent Kakashi skidding backward, then caught the Kubikiribōchō from one of his clones and dismissed the rest.
He leveled the massive blade toward Kakashi, smirking beneath his bandaged face.
"So this is the strength of the famed Copy Ninja of Konoha?"
Without giving Kakashi a moment to recover, Zabuza charged again, the blade gleaming in the misty night.
The nearby Mist-nin, having followed the commotion, halted when they saw Zabuza in the thick of battle.
"Lord Zabuza—who is he fighting?"
"That's a Konoha flak jacket… a Jōnin!"
"Konoha sent Jōnin into the Hidden Mist Village? Are they trying to start a war!?"
The group exchanged uneasy glances. None of them dared to interfere—this was a duel between elite shinobi. All they could do was watch in awe as the two legends clashed.
"It has to be Lord Zabuza! Look at him—he's dodging every counterattack and still pressing forward!"
"Hey, isn't he ranked as a Chūnin now?" one whispered incredulously.
Another scoffed. "You don't understand. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were once the pride of our village. Even stripped of titles, Lord Zabuza's strength is on par with the best of them!"
"To think we'd live to see one of the Seven wield his blade again, fighting on equal footing with a Jōnin of Konoha… this is unbelievable!"
As the onlookers spoke, another Mist-nin came sprinting from the opposite street, panting.
"Enemies have been spotted over there too!"
"What!? There are intruders in other areas as well?"
"Yes! Lord Haku is engaged with another Konoha Jōnin!"
Another Konoha Jōnin?
"Then we should go reinforce him—"
"No need," the shinobi interrupted, shaking his head. "Lord Haku has the Longsword: Nuibari and is holding the upper hand."
"Has the upper hand…?"
Kakashi, who had just blocked another of Zabuza's strikes, narrowed his eye slightly.
If that information's accurate… then Asuma must be the one facing Haku.
Haku… the boy who once fought beside Zabuza?
Kakashi exhaled slowly, his mind racing.
The situation in Kirigakure was deteriorating fast.
He's already able to fight Asuma without being at a disadvantage?
A stout Kirigakure shinobi who had rushed over to report could hardly hide his shock. "The Nuibari is one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist—didn't the Mizukage keep it locked away? How did it fall into Haku's hands?"
Another breathless informant answered, excitement and fear mingling in his voice. "Not only is he using it—look! The Nuibari has changed. It can be controlled at range! Coupled with Lord Haku's Ice Release, that Konoha shinobi's in a terrible spot!"
At Haku's position, the crowd kept a careful distance. Everyone knew better than to intervene—Haku had the advantage.
The Nuibari obeyed Haku's will: sometimes it darted away for long-range, needle-like strikes; then it would whistle back to his hand and become a fearsome close-quarters blade. Every attack, every return, shimmered with Ice Release chakra. Anything struck by the needle or its ice-laden senbon would freeze instantly.
Asuma's chakra blades parried repeatedly, but the sheer volume of Haku's attacks was relentless. Ice senbon rained down and formed sudden walls; pockets of the ground froze, threatening to lock Asuma's feet in place.
Whenever Asuma tried to launch a Ninjutsu counter, Haku shrouded himself in ice defenses, nullifying openings.
Worse still, Haku could fight and manipulate his sword at the same time—the Nuibari moved like a third limb, turning what should have been a duel into a deadly pincer. Under that simultaneous pressure, Asuma had already taken several wounds.
Among the onlookers, whispers ran like wind. "So strong… I never imagined Lord Haku had become this formidable."
"The Nuibari—one of the Seven—now responds to chakra threads. Look at the light around the iron ring on his wrist!"
Behind the hospital, suddenly, a blinding flash of chakra flared up—so bright it lit half the village. The Murmurs rose into shouts.
"That's… Hiramekarei's release!"
"Chōjūrō—he's encountered an enemy!"
"I just saw more shinobi rushing toward the hospital—what are those Konoha intruders doing!?"
In the courtyard, Might Guy faced Chōjūrō. Guy's grin was fierce and gleaming with resolve.
"What a troublesome kid… I didn't expect chakra to be condensed inside a sword like this!" he spat. He lashed out with a punch—but it met an enormous shield of condensed chakra and rebounded, sending tremors through the ground.
Might Guy's expression sharpened.
"Kid—you're forcing my hand. There are more enemies arriving everywhere. I have to end this fast!"
He moved like a coiled spring. Eight Gates—Guy's aura surged as he pushed his body beyond normal limits.
"Seventh Gate—Open!"
A violent blue chakra burst exploded outward from him, distorting the air. The courtyard rocked under the pressure. Chōjūrō's chakra barrier wavered, then reformed—but the blow had not been wasted. Guy's speed and power had leapt to levels few could withstand.
Inside the hospital, Jiraiya watched Shigure at the operating-room door.
"Tsunade is in there?" he asked.
"Yes." Shigure's voice was steady. "She's performing surgery."
"You're telling me she's operating now?" Jiraiya's brow creased.
"But Tsunade used to have hemophobia—how is she performing surgery?"
"I helped her overcome it," Jiraiya said quietly.
Shigure's eyes flicked toward Jiraiya with a long sigh. "You came all this way to save Tsunade, right? We never meant her harm. Whether you trust us or not, let the surgery finish."
At that moment a window burst open and Mei Terumī slipped through with Ao at her side. She glared at Shigure and then at Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya of Konoha?" she asked coolly. "Are you prepared to declare war—bringing elite jōnin onto our soil?"
Jiraiya immediately shook his head.
"No, no. I thought Tsunade had been imprisoned—that's why I came—but it seems I misjudged the situation."
Shigure's expression suddenly grew grave.
"Whatever your original intent, stop the fighting outside now. If this continues, the consequences will be catastrophic."
...
TN:
🔟 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)