"Then we need to do something else to pave the way!"
"What?"
Gekkō Raito smiled mysteriously. "Reforge the symbol of Kirigakure!"
The symbol of Kirigakure?
What could represent Kirigakure?
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"
Mei Terumi froze for a moment. Ever since the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had either died or fled, the unit had existed in name only.
"You want to reestablish the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"
"Exactly!"
Mei Terumi sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "First, there's the problem of the Ninja Blades. Several of them are still missing and haven't been recovered. Then there's the question of candidates. I'm afraid we could only find a handful of elite ninja in the village qualified to inherit them!"
"Not even one?"
That question did bring someone to Mei Terumi's mind.
"There is one, but I'm afraid that child doesn't have much time left!"
Gekkō Raito frowned. "What's wrong?"
"She's seriously ill and already... on the verge of death!" Mei Terumi said dejectedly.
"Seriously ill? What's her name?"
Gekkō Raito pressed her.
Mei Terumi walked over to the desk and rummaged beneath it, then took out a dusty file and tossed it to Gekkō Raito.
"Ameyuri Ringo! A rare Lightning Release prodigy from Kirigakure!"
Gekkō Raito caught the file and began leafing through it. The name alone hadn't quite jogged his memory, but then he saw her photograph.
He immediately recognized her. Wasn't she that short-lived member of the second generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?
And she was the formidable one who had inherited Kiba!
Ameyuri Ringo, age fourteen, female!
Huh?
She was actually a girl?
Gekkō Raito looked up. "Can I go see her now?"
Mei Terumi nodded at his question. "Of course!"
The two immediately headed to