The exchange between the Mist Ninja Boy and Oto bristled with hostility, drawing a crowd of nearby ninja. The envoys, in particular, were looking forward to a good show.
Only the nearby ANBU were on edge, unsure whether they should intervene.
Noticing his colleagues stirring in the shadows, Zou Hyuga gave them a reassuring look, signaling that he would keep the fight under control.
Hidden nearby, Yamato and Kakashi sighed inwardly and began maintaining order, keeping civilians from getting too close. They could not stop the crowd from watching, however, and even members of the Military Police Force appeared among the spectators.
Upon seeing Oto, the Military Police Force also took an interest in the fight.
Watching Oto's gaze grow colder, Zou Hyuga felt no anxiety. Even with only her three tomoe, Oto was still a formidable elite jonin.
Thanks to their bloodline, Uchiha jonin with three tomoe had virtually no weaknesses.
Now that the Mist Ninja Boy had issued his challenge, Oto nodded and said, "If you want a crushing defeat, I can give you one. But we can't go all out inside the village, so let's limit this to taijutsu."
"Fine." After agreeing to the condition, the Mist Ninja Boy took a Storage Scroll from his bag.
He formed hand seals and unsealed the Storage Scroll. Two unusually shaped ninja blades appeared before him. Taking them lightly in his hands, the Mist Ninja Boy said:
"This scroll should hold all Seven Ninja Swords. Your Samehada should be the third."
After drawing the ninja blades, the Mist Ninja Boy's attitude toward them changed completely, revealing a hint of a collector's obsession.
At the sight of the two ninja blades, Zou Hyuga narrowed his eyes. He seemed to have recognized the Mist Ninja Boy.
As he recalled, the only Mist