"To revive Kirigakure, gather the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist — the names of the New Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and Shizuma."
In the depths of Kirigakure's storeroom, Mei Terumi and Chōjūrō stared at the blood-red words smeared across the wall.
"The storeroom key should be difficult to duplicate. Where is that key now?" Mei asked.
Chōjūrō replied, "The key is with Kagura. But Kagura is missing…"
"Shizuma and the others must have taken it from Kagura!" Mei said.
"Now that the Seven Ninja Swords have fallen into their hands… what will you do?" Mei asked, looking at Chōjūrō with a heavy voice.
Chōjūrō's expression hardened. He picked up a sharp blade from the ground, slowly drew it from its sheath, and spoke with steely resolve.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist are a symbol of Kirigakure's pride. If someone uses that name to plot evil and harm the village, I swear I will eradicate them."
On a small island outside Kirigakure, a row of crosses stood in the moonlight. Shizuma and the others were nailed to them, immobile.
Samehada was lashed to a cross as well, clicking and thrashing, but the shackles held it fast.
"Boruto, what are you going to do next?" Kagura asked, his gaze sweeping over the people nailed to the crosses before finally landing on Boruto.
Boruto's eyes were cold.
"Of course," he said flatly, "I'll make them taste pain — a hundred times, a thousand times."
"They kidnapped my friends and tried to take my life. They'll pay. They'll regret ever stepping into this world."
"Boruto, before you inflict the pain—"
Kagura frowned slightly. He looked at Boruto and asked, "May I ask them something first?"
Boruto glanced at him and replied indifferently, "Ask."
Kagura turned to Shizuma, who had been awakened by a splash of cold water.
Shizuma opened his eyes, looked at Kagura, then shifted his gaze to Boruto.
A bitter smile curled his lips. "Son of the Hokage, you are strong. To die by your hand… I can call that a worthy end."
Kagura regarded Shizuma with sharp eyes and asked slowly, "Shizuma, why did you launch this coup?"
"Coup?" Shizuma laughed, madness flashing through his eyes. "No, Kagura — this is a revolution!"
"A revolution?" Kagura's brows sank. "Then why are you so obsessed with returning Kirigakure to the old days?"
"That era was full of—"
Shizuma interrupted, voice laced with frenzy. "Of course — because it's fun!"
He laughed, a wild, breathless sound. "Imagine: one day you're comrades, the next you're fighting to the death. That kind of thrill — that pleasure — is unmatched!"
Kagura watched Shizuma's mad grin and felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"I'm done asking," Kagura said. He turned back to Boruto. "Please begin."
A cruel smile touched Boruto's lips. "I'm curious — you actually thought you could pull off a coup?"
"But it doesn't matter. Now I'll let you taste pain."
Boruto splashed cold water on the unconscious people. The shock woke them.
Some begged for mercy; Ichirota and Izuki, grievously wounded, could only groan from their crosses.
Boruto ignored their pleas.
"Next, I'll ask a question," he said. "If you answer correctly, I'll release you and send you out of the Land of Water. If you answer incorrectly, you'll accept the punishment of my Deva Path Pain."
Even in their desperate state, a flicker of hope lit in their hearts.
Boruto drew out his voice and addressed everyone on the crosses. "What is 1000 minus 7?"
The simple question made faces shift in astonishment.
"It's 993!" Kyohou yelled first, eyes bright with hope.
Boruto shook his head gently, his voice flat. "Incorrect. Now it's pain time."
A long whip appeared in his hand. He cracked it eight times, the sounds sharp in the night air.
The seven — including Samehada — were lashed eight times.
When Boruto struck Izuki, he even added Lightning Release chakra to the blow.
"Ah—!" screams tore through the island. Ichirota and Izuki convulsed from the intensity.
Shizuma, however, showed little reaction. His expression flickered but he forced himself to remain silent.
"Why! Why is it incorrect?!" Kyohou bellowed.
"Isn't 1000 minus 7 equal to 993?" Denki asked Kagura, bewildered.
"Boruto's just trying to torment us," someone guessed. "There's no real answer."
Kagura watched the lashes land with no sympathy.
"I forgot to tell you," Boruto said, addressing them as a group, "if even one person answers incorrectly, all of you will be punished — after all, you are the unified Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
He glanced at Samehada with a hint of mischief.
"I forgot — you're a sword. You're tough; normal attacks don't hurt you much. But I remember you seem to hate fire, right?"
Chakra surged through Boruto. The whip ignited. With a flick, the fiery lash struck Samehada.
Though the flames were swallowed by Samehada, it writhed, clearly feeling the pain.
The others on the crosses watched, stunned. They hadn't expected Boruto to spare even a sword.
"Don't worry — I won't keep using a fire whip. Your bodies can't take many hits," Boruto said, and then asked again, "What is 1000 minus 7?"
"There's no answer — everyone, don't answer! He's playing with us!" Hassaku shouted.
"No one answers?" Boruto asked, and then the whip cut through the air again — swish, swish, swish — deeper marks scoring everyone's skin.
"What is 1000 minus 7?" he repeated.
The people groaned. Boruto's question felt like a blade hanging over them.
"It… it's—" Kyohou tried to speak, voice trembling, but the words choked in his throat. He knew any answer could bring fresh pain.
As time dragged on, the victims grew numb; the progress bars they supplied dimmed.
"It's time to increase the intensity," Boruto said.
A dazzling blue current flickered along the whip in his hand, glaring in the dark night.