"Don't let your guard down. This kid isn't ordinary, but he's still just a kid. Take him out!"
"Got you, kid. Repent in hell for trying to play the hero! Explosive Blade Ninja Art: Blast Break Heavy Death."
Munashi Jinpachi emerged from the dense fog, swinging the Exploding Blade Shibuki at waist height. The sight made the three gasp.
"Look out!"
"Too late?"
"Was this too much for him after all?"
The blade swept through, but the expected explosion never came. The Explosive Tags on the blade passed through empty air without stirring so much as a ripple.
"A clone?"
"No, an illusionary body. What's going on?"
Munashi Jinpachi was secretly alarmed. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, usually so vigilant, stood back-to-back, warily watching their surroundings. Figures clad in black robes and wearing Three-Eyed Demon Fox masks had now surrounded them.
"Are they false or real? Like flowers blooming in a mirror, or the waning moon reflected in water—how can you know which is which without experiencing it for yourself?"
Ninja Blades, ninjutsu, Water Style, kunai...
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen unleashed every kind of attack they could imagine against the dozen or so illusionary bodies, but no matter how hard they tried, none of their attacks had any effect.
"Damn it, what's with this kid? Genjutsu? Even if it is, it's far too realistic. This strange feeling..."
"It's over."
Raiga Kurosuki's pupils contracted. A cold touch slid across his throat, and he collapsed into a pool of blood, unable to move.
His eyes trembled as he took in the sight of his comrades, who had fought alongside him in the past. They were now sprawled across the ground, their fates unknown.
"Flying Thunder God Slash."
Rain poured down in sheets, and the cold water carried away the last warmth in his body. The final thing he saw was a bead of blood dripping from the edge of a kunai.
"Th-that was amazing! What kind of ninjutsu was that?"
Might Guy stared at the Seven Ninja Swordsmen lying on the ground, their fates unknown. For a moment, he even forgot about Might Duy's injuries.
"So that's the strength that can dominate a battlefield? Flash Phantom Moon—the Body Flicker genjutsu that makes it impossible to tell illusion from reality."
Shiranui Genma clenched his teeth, remembering what he had seen that day.
No wonder he could complete an S-rank support mission on his own. Can a human really do that?
"Hanazuki, were you just trying to comfort me that day? Is the gap between us really only that tiny?"
"Of course. The gap between us is only this tiny, isn't it?"
Hanazuki raised his right hand again. Ebisu looked at the gap between his thumb and index finger and asked without thinking,
"Do your fingertips hold a sea of stars?"
"If that makes you feel better, you can think of it that way. That's enough talk for now. We're heading back to Konoha. Let's go."
Not long after they left, several Kirigakure Ninja hurried over. Seeing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen lying on the ground, their fates unknown, they were so terrified that their hands and feet went cold.
"What happened? Lord Biwa Juzo, Lord Suikazan Fuguki—even the other Seven Ninja Swordsmen..."
Cough, cough!
A fit of violent coughing rang out. Suikazan Fuguki struggled to get up, his wound drenched in blood and too gruesome to look at.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! That accursed Flash Phantom Moon! That wretched kid actually stole my Samehada! That kid... I'll kill him!"
"Shut up! You mutt, all you can do is bark. If you were really capable of killing him, you wouldn't be lying here shouting. Cough, cough..."
The voice came weakly from the farthest body. Blood continued to gush from his wounds, and two Kirigakure Ninja hurried to treat him. Once they had stopped the bleeding, they asked quietly,
"Was the enemy Flash Phantom Moon?"
"That terrifying kid... that Body Flicker that's like a genjutsu. Ordinary attacks are completely useless. If the kunai that slashed at my throat hadn't been stopped by my teeth, there probably wouldn't be any Seven Ninja Swordsmen left in the world."
Biwa Juzo opened his mouth. His sharp shark teeth had broken off cleanly, and ragged wounds lined the inside of his mouth. It was only because he had lost so much blood that he had managed to fool the enemy.
"Tch, you're still alive, Biwa Juzo? That kid seems to have underestimated how much injury I can take. That Body Flicker Technique is definitely just a trick of the eye. How could anyone in the world make attacks pass through their body...?"
Suikazan Fuguki's expression darkened. Their blades had been taken, and only two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen remained. Without their blades, they weren't the Seven Ninja Swordsmen at all.
"Just surviving is lucky enough. Before that kid left, I saw the clan crest on his back: the Flame Fan. He really is a genius kid from the Uchiha Clan."
"I don't want to run into him again. At that level of Body Flicker Technique, unless you know how to counter it, getting killed is inevitable. It's only a matter of time..."
The two exchanged a glance and fell silent. Only then did the Kirigakure Ninja who had come to deliver the message remember why he was there. He hurriedly said,
"Lord Biwa Juzo, Lord Suikazan Fuguki, Lord Ao has successfully taken the Hyuga Clan's Kekkei Genkai and is on his way back to Kirigakure..."
"You want us to cover your retreat? In this state, even getting out safely is uncertain. The outcome of this war may count as a defeat, but we didn't come away empty-handed, did we?"
The two struggled to their feet and disappeared into the forest. Several Ninja gathered the bodies on the ground, and the group withdrew from the Land of Fire's border at full speed.
A little while later, in Konoha Village, Land of Fire—in Konoha Hospital.
Outside the operating room, Might Guy looked anxious. Ebisu and Shiranui Genma were silent as they waited for the operation's outcome.
"Trust the Medical Team's skills. Duy didn't use the final move of that forbidden technique. Some of the Gate of Death chakra burned away, but I sealed it in time. He'll live, but..."
The warning light outside the operating room went out. Nonō came out, removed her mask, and gave a slight nod.
"The operation was successful. The patient isn't in any danger, but his chakra pathways and body have been placed under tremendous strain. There's a good chance he'll never be able to be a ninja again."
"I-is that so? Thank you, thank you so much. Dad survived. Thank goodness."
Might Guy finally breathed a sigh of relief and plopped down on the floor. He was about to thank Uchiha Hanazuki when he realized Hanazuki had already disappeared down the hallway.
In a corner of Konoha Hospital, Hanazuki raised an eyebrow and studied the Anbu Ninja in front of him with an amused smile.
"Is something the matter?"
"Uchiha Hanazuki, Lord Hokage requests your presence. I should probably congratulate you in advance. Even during wartime, there's never been a feat of this magnitude..."
Realizing he had said too much, the Ox Mask Anbu in the lead fell silent and simply gestured for Hanazuki to follow.
"Congratulate me?"