Chapter 107: Fugaku—Don’t Put Words in My Mouth!

The earthen wall crumbled. The battlefield on the island was laid bare before Yagura. Four jonin—dead. Ten chunin still alive, but their opponents were... Six kids? Yagura fell silent. Even Konoha's children were this strong now? “Well then… I hope your village will show some sincerity next time. I’d rather not have to pay another personal visit.” As Kyoichi spoke, he drew his sword and slashed. A faint blue Wind Release chakra condensed into an invisible blade of sword energy, sending up a cloud of dust. A deafening roar echoed across the island. When the dust settled, the Konoha shinobi were already gone. All that remained were the shinobi of Kirigakure. Three steps in front of Yagura, a narrow fissure stretched more than ten meters across the ground, cutting nearly two meters deep. Yagura stared at the ground, momentarily at a loss for words. So fast! Such powerful swordsmanship! “Nakayoshi, can you absorb that sword technique just now?” Yagura asked gravely. “I can…” Nakayoshi nodded but hesitated before shaking his head. “But he’s too fast. I might not be able to keep up.” “That’s right.” Such speed… Yagura didn’t say anything further. He wasn’t particularly close with Nakayoshi, but as a trusted aide of the Third Mizukage, Nakayoshi's abilities were well-known among most jonin. Even he had doubts… And then there was Might Duy, whose terrifying burst technique couldn’t be absorbed by Samehada. They truly had no way to contend with Konoha. “Yagura-sama, Konoha can’t have too many forces stationed on the eastern front. If we go all out against them, we may not suffer too terrible a loss.” Nakayoshi closed his eyes and focused, sensing the area. “But the cost would be high. You saw it yourself—Konoha’s Police Force was here.” The Uchiha… Their Fire Release techniques might be countered, but the Uchiha weren’t limited to fire. They also excelled in Lightning Release and genjutsu. Yagura stepped over the narrow sword mark and walked toward the remaining ten chunin. They were visibly shaken. Before leaving, Kyoichi had casually drawn his sword across their forehead protectors, leaving a deep mark on each one— A silent declaration that he could have easily killed them. “T-too terrifying… Too terrifying!” The ten muttered to themselves in a daze. Yagura frowned. He crouched down and tried talking to them, but their spirits were clearly broken. Ironically, the most composed among them were the three who had been forced by Might Guy to use the Water Prison Technique in self-defense. “What exactly happened? How did Shimokawa and Hiro die?” “I don’t know… A dense white mist, no sound, no sense of direction… We couldn’t even find him… He was just toying with us!” One of the chunin spoke excitedly. Another muttered under his breath— “The throat, spine… Eight vital points… Which one should I strike next?” “…Ugh.” Yagura took a deep breath. It was hard to imagine what these ten had gone through, but judging by their state, there was no doubt they had suffered extreme psychological trauma— And the greatest blow was likely the sword marks on their forehead protectors. After standing still for a long time, Yagura finally sighed. “Take them back. Have the medical-nin treat them.” “Yes!” The injured were carried away. Yagura remained silent. He had just examined the corpses of the six dead jonin and found that their fatal wounds aligned exactly with the vital points described earlier. Replaying the scene in his mind, he could easily understand how those ten chunin must have felt. Humiliation. Torture. The signature techniques of Kirigakure, the skills they prided themselves on—when used by their enemy, they became even stronger and more terrifying. And they had no way to fight back. Not entirely, at least. If it had been a Kaguya using Shikotsumyaku, they might not have feared Kanda Kyoichi as much, since the bone structure of their clan had strong defensive and counter-offensive properties. However… There was no telling what other abilities Kyoichi had up his sleeve. The unknown was always the most terrifying. While Yagura was deep in thought, a messenger bird from the Kirigakure Anbu descended from the sky. He hesitated briefly before whistling to call the bird over. Tied to its leg was a scroll. It read— "Orochimaru has left Konoha, heading east. Purpose unknown." The report was dated one day prior. Orochimaru? Yagura’s breathing hitched slightly. Kanda Kyoichi and Might Duy were already a headache. Now Orochimaru was on the move? Was Konoha truly making its move? For a brief moment, he lost his composure. Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As he calmed down, Kyoichi’s words echoed in his mind. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—three have fallen. And… If a problem can’t be solved, then solve the one who raised it. If all else failed, that might be the only option left. “Nakayoshi, I need to return. Keep everyone gathered on the island—no spreading out. If you sense Konoha approaching, take everyone and retreat to the Land of Water.” “…Understood!” Nakayoshi hesitated momentarily but ultimately nodded. In times of crisis, a decisive course of action was necessary. Whether the result was peace or full-scale war, it was better than hesitation. — Over the sea, Konoha’s ships drifted on their return journey. Might Duy and Might Guy were throwing up uncontrollably, their once-imposing presence completely gone. Especially Guy—having opened the Third Gate had already left him physically weakened, and now he was seasick on top of that… “Kyoichi-sama, will they be alright?” “It’s just seasickness. What could possibly happen?” Kyoichi shook his head. Back when he watched the anime, he never believed that someone as athletic as Guy could get seasick. Now, seeing it firsthand, he realized it was practically in their genes—father and son weren’t just alike, they were identical. Kyoichi’s medical skills were widely regarded as second only to Tsunade’s, so when Baiun heard this, he finally sighed in relief. On another ship, Uchiha Fugaku stared at the sea, clearly in a sour mood. “Clan Leader…” “Yashiro, sit.” Fugaku smiled faintly. Yashiro nodded and sat down, glancing at the other ship. This vessel carried only the Police Force, keeping a noticeable distance from the others. Lowering his voice, Yashiro asked, “Clan Leader, do you really think… we should be going along with them?” “Hmm?” Fugaku’s expression flickered briefly but soon returned to normal. He glanced at Yashiro and asked, “Do we have another option?” “But—” Yashiro’s face tensed, but memories of Kyoichi’s methods surfaced in his mind. Hidden Mist Jutsu… Speed beyond reason… Swordsmanship, Water Release… Bluntly speaking, Kanda Kyoichi was just like him— The only thing missing was a sign on his face saying "Anti-Uchiha." Yashiro couldn’t think of a way to counter Kyoichi. Fugaku furrowed his brows and sighed. “I understand everyone’s concerns, but the situation is beyond our control. Besides, this past year… the village’s stance has changed.” “That’s true, but only in two cases.” Yashiro knew exactly what he meant. Shisui and Obito. One under Kyoichi’s tutelage. The other under Minato’s. And now, Kyoichi represented Tsunade’s faction, while Minato stood for Jiraiya’s. This was the Hokage faction extending goodwill. But it still wasn’t enough. And Yashiro wasn’t the only one who thought so. Fugaku cast him a glance. “Two is already something. Wait. Once she takes the seat, we’ll talk.” The village’s direction was clear. Orochimaru had been steadily pushed from power, while Tsunade’s return had drawn numerous shinobi to her side. Just as Shisui’s intel suggested— Tsunade was about to become Hokage. A new Hokage meant new policies. And judging by the eastern front, neither Kyoichi nor Tsunade seemed to share the same path as Hiruzen and Danzo. Perhaps… Time to Have a Good Talk with Shisui Fugaku replayed Yatsushiro’s words in his mind. "I think?" "Since when did I think the Uchiha should be on the same path as Konoha?!" --- Nagano Mountain After Kanda Kyoichi left, Yamanaka Inoichi didn’t dare relax for even a moment. With so few people stationed at Nagano Mountain, he was worried that an enemy might take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. However… After waiting for a while, no enemies showed up. Instead, someone arrived whom he hadn’t expected. "Orochimaru-sama!" "Sit, Inoichi. We’re old friends—no need to be so formal." Orochimaru chuckled lightly and sat down on his own, as if he were the true master of this place. The presence of one of the Legendary Sannin instantly shifted the atmosphere, turning him from a guest into the dominant force in the conversation. "Orochimaru-sama, Kyoichi-sama isn’t here. If you’re looking for him, you may have to wait a bit." "I know. He went to deal with Kirigakure, didn’t he?" Orochimaru said nonchalantly. "One of their messenger birds left for Yagura just under a day ago. By now, the message should already be in his hands." Inoichi’s eyes widened in surprise. "Messenger birds?" He paused for a moment before realizing the implication—there must still be hidden Kirigakure operatives within the Land of Fire. Given the sheer size of the country, it was simply impossible to eliminate every enemy spy. Inoichi quickly understood Orochimaru’s intent. "You came here specifically for this?" "That brat wants to force Kirigakure into surrendering. The old man and the others might think it’s too aggressive, but I actually think it’s a great idea." Orochimaru licked his lips as he spoke. "If we can force a surrender, it would undoubtedly be the best outcome." Inoichi nodded in agreement. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have supported Kyoichi’s mission to intimidate Kirigakure in the first place. Kirigakure was strong, but only to an extent. Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sunagakure was widely considered the weakest. Kirigakure, at best, was only slightly above them—and in certain periods, the two were nearly equal in strength. Now, with six of the Seven Swordsmen dead and their legendary blades lost, Kirigakure simply couldn’t afford further losses. Just as Inoichi was about to speak again, he sensed multiple chakra signatures entering his detection range. The main force was returning. --- At the Same Time… Kyoichi also sensed Orochimaru’s arrival. At first, he was surprised, but it didn’t take long for him to understand the reason. Orochimaru was here to apply even more pressure. While Kyoichi, Might Duy, and the Konoha Police Force could put Kirigakure in a difficult position, forcing an immediate surrender was still a tall order. But with Orochimaru joining in? That changed everything. The Sannin—a title that, despite its humiliating origins, had become a name synonymous with battlefield dominance over the years. Most people no longer remembered the disgraceful story behind the name. When they heard "The Three Legendary Sannin," what came to mind were three warriors who had torn through battlefields with overwhelming power. That kind of reputation—the fear ingrained into their enemies over decades—was something Kyoichi, a relatively unknown Konoha jōnin, couldn’t yet match. "I’ll head back first. You all follow at your own pace." Kyoichi gave a brief instruction to Shirakumo Hayama before disappearing into the forest with a single Body Flicker Jutsu.