Signing In Along the Way

"I won't die!"

Juzo Biwa let out a savage grin, laughing wildly, "My power... is the strongest in the Mist Village!"

Facing that terrifying strike.

He did not retreat; instead, he leaped high, charging toward the fearsome lightning like a moth to a flame!

BOOM!

His body was engulfed by the terrifying sea of lightning!

His form was smashed away, white smoke rising from his body, his eyes rolled back, and he no longer held a shred of life.

Looking from the side, his chest had been crushed until his front and back were practically touching.

The organs within his body were completely destroyed, and every rib was shattered.

He was dead as dead could be!

"For an enemy worthy of respect, sending them off with a powerful technique is the highest form of etiquette."

Hyuga Kagami stepped forward and picked up the Executioner's Blade. "You were not wrong; what is wrong is this ninja world, so death is a decent final destination."

Ninjas rarely meet a peaceful end.

Most ninjas have already accepted the fate of death.

And while the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were cruel and bloodthirsty, they were loyal ninjas of the Mist Village. Their later defection was only because the Third Mizukage had been controlled by Uchiha Obito, plunging the village into darkness where survival became impossible.

"Hello, may I ask what your name is?"

At that moment, a magnetic, melodious voice like a cuckoo bird sounded in his ear.

This voice was different from the gentleness of Uzuki Yugao; it carried more magnetism and dominance, like that of an empress!

Mei Terumi stared at Hyuga Kagami, the more she looked, the more satisfied she became. "My name is Mei Terumi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

(^-)db(-^)

Hyuga Kagami raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, whether it's the Lightning Blade or the Executioner's Blade, they are my spoils of war. It is impossible for me to return them to the Mist Village!"

Are you kidding me?

This woman, though beautiful, had that eager look that clearly meant she was here to snatch the ninja swords!

Mei Terumi: "..."

What the hell, was she really less attractive than a ninja sword?!

"Of course, these are your spoils; I won't ask for these two weapons back."

What a failure!

For the first time, Mei Terumi felt that her beauty had no effect.

She flashed a brilliant smile. "I just wanted to get to know you."

Hyuga Kagami sized up Mei Terumi. She was indeed a beauty capable of rivaling Tsunade in the ninja world; that curvaceous figure and exquisite face were truly a masterpiece of heaven.

Especially those emerald eyes.

They carried an exotic charm that made one's heart skip a beat.

But, in the end, they were not as important as the blades.

"Of course."

Hyuga Kagami reached out and shook her soft hand, which felt like silk—delicate and smooth. "But do you know where there is an excellent blacksmith?"

"These two ninja swords need to be reforged."

"I find a mace much more comfortable to use."

Mei Terumi: "..."

%￥#%...￥##!!!

Taking a deep breath, Mei Terumi's beautiful eyes suddenly brightened.

She began to laugh.

Radiant as a flower!

As expected of the man she had her eyes on; if he had turned into a lovesick fool just because of her advances, he wouldn't be a true powerhouse, nor would he be worth her attention!

Hyuga Kagami frowned.

Is this woman crazy? The original story didn't mention anything like that.

"Of course, the Mist Village has excellent blacksmiths."

Mei Terumi thought for a moment, her beautiful eyes shifting to the two weapons in Hyuga Kagami's hands. "But whether it is the Lightning Blade or the Executioner's Blade, they are already fully formed and have developed their own unique properties."

"If you reforge them, it is very likely to affect the characteristics of the ninja swords!"

"You might even... lose those properties, or only retain one of them!"

The properties of the ninja swords were extremely rare.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were powerful precisely because of the unique properties of their blades!

To fuse two such properties was an almost impossible feat.

"Is that so?"

Hyuga Kagami looked thoughtful. "That makes sense. Then let's just ensure the Executioner's Blade retains its 'regeneration' ability!"

"I already possess the power of lightning, so that attribute is redundant for me. However, I need a war hammer that is powerful and capable of repairing itself even if damaged!"

A war hammer!

Combined with the Thunder Bagua!

That was the romance of a man!

"If you aren't in a hurry, I suggest you take a trip to the Land of Iron."

Mei Terumi suddenly recalled something. "There is a 'God of Blacksmiths' in the Land of Iron. If he claims to be the second-best blade smith in the ninja world, no one would dare call themselves first!"

"In fact, the seven ninja blades of the Mist Village were all crafted by his hand."

"It's just that the materials for the seven blades are so rare that it's difficult for him to forge them again."

The creation of ninja blades required more than just a skilled craftsman.

Materials were equally indispensable!

"Then I'll wait."

Hyuga Kagami tossed his hand, and all three weapons vanished into the Kamui Dimension.

If he could make the resulting war hammer even stronger, he certainly wouldn't refuse. Besides... he might even be able to collect a few more ninja blades along the way!

"Then let's head to the Mist Village!"

Hatake Kakashi spoke up, covering his Sharingan once more. He looked at Mei Terumi. "We will provide you with a certain degree of assistance, but only to the extent that we do not expose ourselves and within the limits of our capabilities."

"If we encounter danger, we will retreat immediately."

"And you, you are responsible for helping us gather intelligence!"

With Mei Terumi around, gathering intelligence would be much simpler.

"Of course."

Mei Terumi suddenly thought of something and said helplessly, "Helping ninjas from another village investigate the secrets of the Mist Village—what a truly frustrating situation."

"But there is no other way now."

The Mist Village was currently at a life-or-death juncture.

If the Mizukage continued to act this way, the Mist Village... would be finished!

"I have a question."

At this moment, Hyuga Kagami suddenly spoke up. "Mei Terumi, you are an elite jonin of the Mist Village. Logically, you should know a great deal about the village's affairs. Do you know if the Mist Village is currently conducting any investigations into Konoha? Or rather, are there any Mist Village spies in Konoha right now?"

He knew the original plot.

Although the Mist Village was iron-fisted, its "closed-door" policy actually made intelligence less secure for its own ninjas.

Such a simple matter.

Why not just ask Mei Terumi directly?

Mei Terumi was not only an elite jonin but also had excellent relations with all the major clans; it shouldn't be difficult for her to know this information.

Hatake Kakashi: "Yosh..."

Uchiha Itachi: "Hm?"

Both men whipped their heads toward Mei Terumi. They weren't familiar with her!

If she knew a lot, then things would be much easier!

Mei Terumi: "..."

She actually did know... but she couldn't say!

If she told them, how could Hatake Kakashi and the others help her?

She put on a stern expression and said with a straight face, "These are secrets of the Mist Village. I am not part of the high command, so I would need to investigate before I could know such things!"

"If there truly are Mist Village spies in Konoha, I will give you the names of all of them, but I ask that you Konoha ninjas return all those spies safely!"

Not bad.

Hyuga Kagami took in every detail of Mei Terumi's expression. This girl definitely knew.

It was just that she couldn't say it yet.

He shrugged.

It didn't matter; it was right on the way to check in anyway!