Kagami's Mangekyo

The attacker vanished into the mist.

It was impossible to tell if they were male or female.

However, Shuri recognized this dense fog, capable of interfering even with the Sharingan.

It reminded him of the first Chunin exam, where he and Senju Diejian had achieved perfect synergy.

During the second stage, they had struggled against Kirigakure genin.

His past experience was precisely why he could sense that the current mist was a ninjutsu and realize the attacker's presence.

"I've fought with Kirigakure ninja before. I've already alerted my companions to the anomaly by playing my flute. The surprise attack failed. What a shame."

Shuri taunted the attacker, who was likely hidden in the mist.

A Kirigakure attack.

The objective was to assassinate the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire.

The deployment of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen meant Kirigakure's intent to kill was serious.

He had thought, "No way..."

But it wasn't impossible.

Had he himself, or the village, become complacent?

Kagami Uchiha and Hatake Sakumo were among Konoha's strongest.

However, if all seven of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were present, even with Shuri, it would be three against seven.

The numbers were overwhelmingly disadvantageous.

--How to break through.

An unpleasant dampness clung to Shuri.

"What...?"

The blade stuck beside Shuri moved on its own, disappearing into the mist.

Immediately after, a needle-like blade flew out of the mist again.

Shuri dodged and tracked its trajectory with his Sharingan.

"A thread...? Cut...!!"

The needle-like blade was connected to a thread too fine for the naked eye to see.

Shuri deduced that these threads, extending from the mist, were controlling the blade.

Then, the attacker emerged from the dense fog.

Wearing a mask and wrapped in a dark cloak, the only information Shuri could gather about the enemy was their height.

Shuri deflected the attacker's kick and followed up with a powerful spinning heel kick.

But the attacker crouched to evade--and simultaneously thrust the ninja sword, which had somehow returned to their hand, at Shuri's leg, attempting to pierce it.

Shuri threw the kunai he held, deflecting the needle-like blade upward, and simultaneously swung his free leg to avoid the attack.

In the process, Shuri drew a scroll from his waist, unfurled it in mid-air, and clasped his hands together.

"Summoning Technique!!"

Appearing amidst the smoke was a staff that reached about Shuri's chest when touching the ground--a length known as "Milk Cut."

The swinging staff cut through the wind and cracked the earth.

Its adamantine power was by no means something a slender blade could withstand.

The attacker began to retreat and evade the furious power of Shuri's staff, shifting to a defensive stance.

"Useless!!"

Shuri easily batted away the needle-like blades thrown repeatedly with his staff, roaring.

The attacker leaped backward, yanking the needle-like blade back.

In the instant the blade was retracted--the attacker formed a Water Release hand seal.

A compressed, rapidly rotating water sphere shot towards Shuri.

Shuri sidestepped, twisting his body, and raised his staff in a graceful pose, ready to strike back at the water sphere.

The water sphere struck the center of Shuri's staff with astonishing power, creating a stalemate.

"Uraaa!!"

Shuri put all his might into striking back at the water sphere, letting out a mighty roar.

Just before the repelled water sphere hit the attacker, the attacker, wielding the needle-like blade, threw it again.

Shuri easily deflected it--and witnessed the attacker being hit by the water sphere, crashing through trees, and sent flying backward.

As Shuri was about to pursue--he sensed the presence of threads spread all around.

The attacker repeatedly threw needle-like blades, not to harm Uchiha Shuri, but to lay the groundwork for a wire-based barrier.

Shuri frowned, unwilling to accept this outcome.

The constricting wires sliced into Shuri's body, binding her tight.

The other end of the wires binding Shuri vanished into the thick fog.

Immediately following, emerging from the devouring mist, was a giant shark made of water.

In the moment before being bound, Shuri exhaled the fire-attribute Chakra she had accumulated through previous hand seals.

It was a massive Fire Dragon composed of Explosive Flame.

However, according to the laws of nature transformation, Fire Release is inferior to Water Release.

Moreover, being surrounded by mist, the power of fire would be diminished.

Even if it collided with the Water Shark, the Fire Dragon would surely be extinguished.

Therefore, Shuri aimed for—

"I won't die in vain!!"

The Fire Dragon followed the trajectory of the wires binding Shuri, charging into the thick fog.

During the Chunin Exams, where she had fought side-by-side with Diejian, Shuri had used a technique based on the same principle.

Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.

And at this moment, she was recreating it with a technique far more powerful than the one from back then.

Is this the end?

Facing the shark that approached with its jaws wide open, Shuri realized this sudden end—

"Wind Release: Gale Blade Technique!!"

Suddenly, an invisible blade severed the body of the Water Shark, and the water forming the shark scattered, vanishing into the void.

"Don't mind me. You are the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Let us make this two-on-one."

Standing as if to protect Shuri, Kagami Uchiha stood there with gentle eyes that nevertheless glowed with a red light.

He resolutely declared this to the wounded wielder of the "Needle" lurking in the fog.

"Kagami..."

But Shuri—

"Why did you abandon the escort target!!"

She rebuked her Brother for abandoning his mission to rush to her side.

Kagami being here meant that Hatake Sakumo was the only ninja left to guard the target.

Even for Sakumo, praised as the "White Fang," the burden of facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—who were renowned throughout the Shinobi World—alone was far too heavy.

More than the escort target or the mission, Shuri was worried about the safety of her close friend, Sakumo.

"As for the escort target, with Sakumo there, there is no problem. There are no attackers there. Besides, 'he' is there too."

"He...? Did Diejian come!?"

"No, it is not Diejian."

"In the current Konoha, besides Diejian, there is no one who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sakumo!!"

Her words revealed an infinite trust in the strength of her team members.

Facing his grown sister, Kagami could hardly hide his emotion.

But this was a battlefield.

It did not allow for the slightest carelessness.

"Kagami Uchiha... the confidant of the Third Hokage, the Young Lion of the Uchiha? Even for us, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, you are not an opponent to be taken on alone. 'Needle,' I have kept you waiting. I have come to assist."

"Who is that!!"

Shuri shouted.

Emerging from the fog was a tall ninja carrying a Great Sword.

He wore a mask and the same dark cloak, but that massive blade could never be mistaken.

"--That giant ninja sword... you are...!!"

"As expected. This blade is not suited for hiding one's identity..."

"You are... you are—who was it again?"

Shuri's words caused the air to freeze instantly.

"You are Uchiha Shuri, right? Have you forgotten about me?"

"I asked who you are!! Answer me!!"

"Shuri, calm down. A ninja must not let emotions dictate their actions."

"Ugh..."

Juri, having freed herself from the constraints of the wires, pointed her staff at the man carrying the Giant Ninja Sword and demanded answers.

The man appeared somewhat dejected.

Kagami ignored him, instead reprimanding his younger sister for her lack of composure.

"I saw that great sword six years ago during my first Chunin Exam. The examinee's name was Suikazan Fuguki—now one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen under the Second Water Shadow—and as a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure, he has earned a reputation no less formidable than 'Rising Dragon.' He is an elite Jonin of Kirigakure."

"I can't recall..."

"I believe you saw him too, Juri... but never mind, it doesn't matter."

Kagami lowered his center of gravity, assuming a sword-fighting stance.

Kagami's combat style closely resembled that of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

He utilized his blade for close-quarters combat, suppressing enemies with ninjutsu that required no hand seals and his Dojutsu.

"We finish this at top speed. Sharingan—"

"Oh my, excuse me..."

Suddenly—Fuguki straightened his posture with a serious expression.

Emerging from the mist was a man with no eyebrows, wearing long sleeves, possessing fair skin, and sporting a playful mustache—

"I am well aware of how troublesome the Uchiha are. 'Escape on sight in a one-on-one, strike from behind in a two-on-one'—that is the saying. As a tactic for dealing with the Uchiha, we are one person short, but regardless, it is now two against three. Don't take offense, Uchiha girls. After all, you are the strongest in the Warring States period—the Uchiha clan."

"...Wh-why are you here..."

"Hey, hey, are you alright? Your face is pale. I was just joking."

Upon seeing the man emerge from the mist with her own eyes, Kagami's expression shifted.

His bloodless cheeks looked as ghastly as dirt.

Seeing Kagami's sudden change, Juri realized the situation was abnormal, but specifically—

"The Second... Water Shadow...!!"

"Oh, you know me? My, my, I've become famous. I might as well become a legend at this rate."

"That being said, Water Shadow-sama, you are already a legend."

Fuguki praised him sincerely.

This mustachioed man, smiling with an easygoing air, was none other than the Second Water Shadow of Kirigakure—Hozuki Gengetsu himself.

"Sakumo isn't here, and Rising Dragon isn't here either—hey, Fuguki."

"--Yes!"

"You lot go on ahead and take out the target. I'll play with these few."

As a Kirigakure ninja, Fuguki knew the Second Water Shadow's personality all too well.

While this reaction was difficult for a bodyguard, lingering clumsily would only invite a reprimand; he wouldn't be killed, but he would likely be beaten.

Fuguki nodded obediently and vanished into the mist.

"Stop!"

"The one who should stop is you, Juri. Sakumo is over there. The ones in trouble—are us."

Kagami stopped Juri, who was about to pursue Fuguki.

His honed Sharingan gaze remained fixed on Gengetsu, unwavering.

The Second Water Shadow.

He was a man who wasn't even a confidant of the First Water Shadow. During the First Shinobi World War, though he was a nobody, he fought the later Second Earth Shadow, Mu, to a standstill, preventing the total defeat of Kirigakure.

Recognized for his peerless strength and character, he ascended to the position of "Shadow" with unstoppable momentum; he was a monster in every sense of the word.

Compared to other Shadows, he lacked legendary battle records.

Therefore—his intelligence was scarce, making him the most dangerous kind of ninja.

"Though we are from different villages, snuffing out young buds is not the desire of a ninja... but such is the way of the world. Let us have some fun."

★

"Hey, hey, I already told them to go on ahead. Please, give me a fight with a bit more substance."

The mustachioed man—the Second Water Shadow, Hozuki Gengetsu—pointed the index fingers of both hands at the backs of the fleeing Kagami and Juri.

Gengetsu had claimed that he alone was enough to handle Juri and Kagami, and his words were no empty boast.

Water Bullet Technique.

A secret ninjutsu passed down through the Hozuki clan.

It could fire high-lethality water bullets in rapid succession with a single motion; it is said that the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, used it as a reference when developing "Heavenly Weeping."

In other words, it possessed at least the same, if not greater, destructive power than the "Heavenly Weeping" favored by the Second Hokage.

The tree Juri had been standing by and the ground where Kagami had stood were both blasted apart by Gengetsu's technique.

The carnage, resembling the aftermath of an Explosive Tag detonation, was undoubtedly the result of a Water Release technique.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!!"

Leaping through the air, Juri unleashed her full-powered Fire Style.

"Ho—I thought you lot were only capable of running away, but that's a decent Fire Style you've got there."

"Damn you!!"

Gengetsu's praise only served to fill Juri with intense rage.

Every Fire Style technique Juri unleashed was being completely extinguished by Gengetsu's Water Bullet Technique.

"--Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon."

"Oh?"

"Did he get him!?"

Gengetsu's body was sliced clean in half at the waist.

Kagami, who had circled behind Gengetsu at some point, sent his body flying with the strike.

Juri let out a cry of joy.

However—

"Nice swordplay. But, it's useless."

Gengetsu's body, which should have been severed in two, restored itself in an instant.

Gengetsu pointed his index finger at the sword-wielding Kagami and fired a Water Bullet.

Kagami used the power of his Sharingan to read the trajectory, dodging by a millimeter while simultaneously swinging his blade to sever Gengetsu's finger.

Yet, the severed finger restored itself instantly.

"Konoha has some good ninja. That swordplay—I'd love to recruit you into the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Well then, goodbye."

Even while being struck, Gengetsu never stopped talking, yet he never missed an opening after an attack.

He pointed his finger at Kagami once more, preparing to fire another Water Bullet.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!!"

Juri raised her staff high.

It was a strike wrapped in armor of flame, a blow that was truly her full power.

However—

"Take this."

"Gah..."

With his finger still aimed at Kagami and his upper body perfectly still, Gengetsu kicked through Juri's abdomen.

Juri groaned as she was sent flying, slamming into a tree trunk and rolling to the ground while spitting up blood.

"That girl. Don't tell me, is she just a Chunin? Hey, hey, is that brat Sarutobi out of his mind, letting a Chunin participate in a high-level mission like guarding the Feudal Lord? She can't protect anyone at all."

"Ugh, ah, ah..."

Watching Juri's painful state, Gengetsu frowned in pity.

"It was just a normal kick. To be in that much pain already... that girl is going to be killed. By yours truly."

Seeing Juri's miserable state and hearing those words from Gengetsu, Kagami's eyes widened sharply.

"Oh?"

Watching Juri fly away, Gengetsu turned back, only to find that Kagami's figure had vanished.

He tilted his head in wonder at Kagami's sudden disappearance.

"--You're right."

Kagami stood a short distance away.

He kept his head lowered, his expression obscured.

"We've all become soft from peace. Foolishly believing we could protect them."

Gengetsu listened quietly to Kagami's self-muttering.

He wasn't so tactless as to interrupt a man's soul-deep cry.

Furthermore, this atmosphere was exactly what Gengetsu had been hoping for.

"I had forgotten. After burying my father and mother with my own hands—I swore an oath to the way of the ninja. That I would 'protect them to the end.' Never let them be killed, never—!!"

Kagami's aura shifted.

Feeling that frantic Chakra, Gengetsu relaxed his cheeks in delight.

"That pattern... I know it. Mangekyo. The legendary eyes, the same as Uchiha Madara."

"--Konohagakure, Young Lion Kagami. I will carry out my ninja oath to protect my sister to the very end!!"

The Mangekyo pattern emerging in Kagami's eyes danced like a raging flame—