Does Your Fingertip Contain the Stars and the Sea?

"Don't be careless. This brat is no ordinary person, though at most, he's still just a brat. Finish him off directly!"

"Got you, brat. Repent for playing the hero in hell! Explosive Blade Ninja Art: Blast Break Heavy Death."

Munashi Jinpachi revealed his form within the thick fog. The Blastsword: Splash in his hands swept horizontally, drawing gasps from the three onlookers.

"Watch out!"

"Is it too late?"

"Was it really too much to ask for?"

The blade swept through, but the expected explosion never came. The explosive tags on the Blastsword passed through the air as if it were empty, failing to stir even a ripple.

"A clone?"

"No, it's a phantom. What on earth is going on?"

Munashi Jinpachi felt a jolt of alarm. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who had been on high alert, gathered back-to-back in a rare display of caution. Figures clad in black robes and wearing Three-Eyed Demon Fox masks were currently surrounding them.

"Is it false or real? Like flowers blooming in a mirror or the moon reflected in the water—how can you know what is real and what is fake without experiencing it for yourself?"

Ninja swords, ninjutsu, Water Style, kunai...

Every attack the Seven Ninja Swordsmen could imagine was unleashed upon the dozen phantoms, yet no matter how hard they tried, every method proved completely ineffective.

"Damn it, what is up with this brat? Genjutsu? Even if it is genjutsu, this is far too realistic. This strange feeling..."

"It's over."

Kurosuki Raiga's pupils constricted. A cold sensation brushed lightly against his throat, and he collapsed into a pool of blood, unable to move.

His pupils trembled as he looked at his surroundings. The comrades who had fought alongside him just moments ago were now strewn across the ground, their lives hanging in the balance.

"Flying Raijin Slash."

The torrential rain washed away the lingering warmth of their bodies. The last thing he saw was a single drop of blood dripping from the edge of a kunai.

"So... so strong. What kind of ninjutsu is that?"

Might Guy stared at the Seven Ninja Swordsmen lying on the ground, their fates unknown, momentarily forgetting even Might Duy's injuries.

"Is that the power to suppress a battlefield? Flash Phantom Moon—a body-flicker genjutsu that makes it impossible to distinguish between illusion and reality."

Clenching his teeth, Shiranui Genma recalled what he had seen that day.

No wonder this guy can complete S-rank support missions solo. Is this really something a human can use?

"Hua Yue-san, was what you told me that day just comfort? Is the gap between us really only this thin?"

"Of course. The gap between us is only this thin, isn't it?"

Hua Yue raised her right hand again. Ebisu looked at the gap between her thumb and index finger and asked subconsciously.

"Do your fingertips contain the stars and the sea?"

"If that makes you feel better, you can interpret it that way. Enough idle talk; we need to return to Konoha. Let's go."

Not long after they left, several Mist Hidden ninjas rushed over. Seeing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen lying on the ground, they were chilled to the bone.

"What happened here? Biwa Juzo-sama, Suikazan Fuguki-sama, even the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen..."

Cough, cough, cough!

A fit of violent coughing erupted. Suikazan Fuguki struggled to crawl up from the ground, his wounds dripping with blood, a sight too gruesome to behold.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! That damned Flash Phantom Moon, that wretched brat, he actually dared to steal my Samehada! That brat... I will definitely kill him!"

"Shut up! You barking cur. If you really had the ability to kill him, you wouldn't be lying here screaming. Cough, cough, cough..."

The voice from the furthest corpse was weak, blood still spilling out incessantly. The two Mist Hidden ninjas hurried over to provide emergency treatment, stopping the bleeding before asking in low voices.

"Was the enemy Flash Phantom Moon?"

"That terrifying brat... that body-flicker technique that acts like a genjutsu—normal attacks are completely useless. If my teeth hadn't blocked the kunai that slashed at my throat, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would have ceased to exist in this world."

Biwa Juzo opened his mouth, revealing a row of sharp shark teeth broken into neat, jagged edges that had sliced his own mouth. It was precisely because of this horrific blood loss that he had managed to deceive the enemy.

"Tch, so you're still alive, Biwa Juzo. That brat seemed to underestimate my tolerance for pain. That body-flicker technique must be a trick of the eye. How could there be something in this world that allows attacks to pass through a body..."

Suikazan Fuguki's expression was dark and uncertain. His ninja sword had been stolen, and now only two of the Seven remained. Without their swords and without their full numbers, what kind of "Seven Ninja Swordsmen" were they?

"We're lucky to be alive. Before that brat left, the crest on his back was a Flame Fan. He really is a genius brat from the Uchiha clan."

"I don't want to run into him again. With that level of body-flicker technique, if there's no way to break it, the result is certain. It's only a matter of time..."

The two exchanged a glance and fell into silence. Only then did the Mist Hidden ninja who had come to deliver the message remember his duty and speak up hurriedly.

"Biwa Juzo-sama, Suikazan Fuguki-sama, Ao-sama has successfully seized the Hyuga clan's bloodline limit and is currently on his way back to Mist Hidden..."

"Are we supposed to provide cover? In this state, it's uncertain if we can even retreat safely. Although this war is a failure, it's not without its gains, is it?"

The two struggled to their feet and vanished into the dense forest. The corpses on the ground were collected by the ninjas, and they retreated from the Land of Fire border at full speed.

Time shifted slightly forward, to Konoha Village in the Land of Fire, inside Konoha Hospital.

Outside the operating room, Might Guy looked anxious, while Ebisu and Shiranui Genma remained silent, waiting for the results of the surgery.

"Trust in the Medical Team's skill. Duy didn't use the final move of that forbidden technique. Although he burned a bit of chakra from the Gate of Death, I sealed it in time. He won't die, but..."

The warning light in the operating room flickered off. Nonou stepped out, removed her mask, and gave a slight nod.

"The surgery was a success. The patient is no longer in critical condition, but his chakra meridians and body have suffered an immense burden. It is highly likely he will never be able to serve as a ninja again."

"Is... is that so? Thank you, thank you so much! Dad survived, that's all that matters."

Might Guy finally let out a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the floor. Just as he turned to thank Uchiha Hanazuki, he realized the man had already vanished from the corridor.

In a secluded corner of Konoha Hospital, Hanazuki raised an eyebrow, smiling as he scrutinized the few Anbu ninjas standing before him.

"Is there something you need?"

"Uchiha Hanazuki, the Hokage requests your presence. He likely intends to congratulate you in advance; even in times of war, we have never seen this level of—"

Realizing he had said too much, the Anbu wearing the Ox Mask fell silent, merely gesturing for Hanazuki to follow.

"Congratulate?"