*Chapter 15: Hado #90: Kurohitsugi!*

Unimaginable speed!

Unstoppable punches!

Youth burning like an inferno!

The intense heat generated by the Morning Peacock attack evaporated the lake, formed by the dam, that Suikazan Fuguki had created.

"What?!"

The scene before them left the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist completely stunned. The uninjured Suikazan Fuguki and Jinpachi Munashi quickly dodged away.

But Jinin Akebino and Kushimaru Kuriarare weren't so lucky.

Unable to dodge, they were struck by the Morning Peacock. Under the intense heat and force, their bodies exploded, as if hit by something extremely terrifying.

The explosion leveled the trees behind them.

"What terrifying power! Is this guy a monster?!"

"Jinin and Kushimaru are gone... at this rate... wait, is that... Yoru from the Hozuki clan?"

Fuguki and Jinpachi exchanged grim looks. Noticing something, Fuguki’s expression twisted as he looked directly at the exposed Yoru.

"Yeah, it’s that kid under Kushimaru command. How is he here?"

Jinpachi was also puzzled but then his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, could that battle earlier on the east side have been caused by this kid?!"

"Now that you mention it, that chakra really is his!"

Though it felt like praising an enemy, even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had to admit the strength and excellence of the Blood Mist Blade of the Anbu standing before them.

Without a doubt, this boy was their equal, and perhaps even stronger due to his unique techniques. None of the Seven wanted to face him.

"Reinforcements, huh..."

Aside from Fuguki and Jinpachi, Might Duy, having just unleashed the Morning Peacock, also noticed Yoru.

Might Duy himself was in bad shape, with the strain of keeping the Gate of View open for so long and the toll of the Morning Peacock taking a heavy toll on his body.

"I didn't expect reinforcements from the Mist to arrive so quickly... No, I have to deal with them, or Gai and the others will be in danger!"

Might Duy took a deep breath, clenching his teeth. "I have to make sure Gai survives."

"He’s my son, the continuation of my youth, my..."

"Hope!"

The blue flames surrounding Might Duy reignited, and in an instant, he charged toward Suikazan Fuguki and Jinpachi Munashi!

Clearly, to Might Duy, the famous Ninja Swordsmen were more of a threat than the sudden appearance of the Mist Anbu reinforcements.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the blue beast charging at them, both Fuguki and Jinpachi's faces changed dramatically, hurriedly raising their swords to defend.

Meanwhile, Yoru, who wasn’t targeted, breathed a sigh of relief.

[Detected S-rank target: Might Duy. Side quest triggered.]

*Mission 1:* Successfully recruit Might Duy, reward: 50,000 points.

*Mission 2:* Successfully defeat Might Duy, reward: 20,000 points.

*Mission 3:* Successfully kill Might Duy, reward: 100,000 points.

"What?!"

A 100,000-point kill reward?!

The system’s mission notification rang out, and Yoru couldn’t believe it. The reward for taking down this guy was absurdly high!

With this mission, Yoru immediately dismissed the idea of retreating. A hundred thousand points—how many elite shinobi would he have to kill to accumulate that?

Swallowing hard, Yoru felt the pressure, but the reward was too tempting. However, with the blue monster in front of him having already opened the Seventh Gate, even Yoru felt immense pressure.

But since Might Duy hadn’t targeted him first, Yoru decided to let the Ninja Swordsmen handle it for now.

“Two swords, Hiramekarei and the Blunt Sword Kabutowari... and the Explosive Sword, Shibuki...”

Searching, Yoru quickly found the two fallen swords in the forest, but only Kushimaru's mangled body remained. Jinin's body had completely disintegrated under the Morning Peacock’s attack.

"Hey, kid!"

Leaning against a tree stump, Juzo Biwa called out to Yoru in a low voice.

[Detected B-rank target of the same faction: Juzo Biwa. Side quest triggered.]

*Mission 1:* Rescue Juzo Biwa and bring him back to the Hidden Mist. Mission reward: 5,000 points.

Juzo's chest was partially collapsed, and his left arm hung limp from a severe fracture, leaving only his right arm functional.

But instead of asking for help, Juzo tossed his broken Executioner’s Blade in front of Yoru.

"Take the sword and retreat quickly. Let Konoha hold onto Samehada and the Thunder Sword for now."

"What?"

Yoru caught the broken blade, which could absorb iron from an enemy’s blood to repair itself. Though it was in pieces, it could still be restored.

But what surprised Yoru was that Juzo wanted him to retreat with the swords instead of supporting or rescuing them.

"In every situation, maximize your advantage. That’s the way of the Blood Mist. My injuries will only hold you back, and against a monster like that, your best option is to take these five swords back."

Juzo remained calm. "Otherwise, the Mist might lose the Seven Ninja Swordsmen forever."

In the Blood Mist, survival was never the top priority.

Just like Kisame Hoshigaki.

Kisame once killed his teammates for the sake of his beloved village’s secrets, and later gave his life to protect the secrets of the Akatsuki.

Juzo clearly shared this resolve.

"Though I really do want to just walk away, I am still a member of the Hidden Mist."

"What?"

Juzo frowned.

"If we lose the Seven Ninja Swordsmen now, the Mist will suffer a devastating loss as this war begins."

Yoru tossed the Executioner’s Blade back to Juzo.

His eyes fixed on Might Duy, whose body was now shaking despite overwhelming the two Ninja Swordsmen. He evaluated the situation.

Given enough time to prepare, it seemed... it might be possible to win.

"Let’s hope those two Ninja Swordsmen can hold out a bit longer."

Yoru muttered softly, and a strange chant began to slip from his lips.

"A faint, murky emblem emerges, a wild, unyielding talent..."

"Ninja Art: Lightning Armor! Thunder Sword Technique: Thunder Strike!"

"Water Style: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"

"MORNING PEACOCK!!"

From a distance, another clash of powerful techniques sent Fuguki and Jinpachi flying, their fate uncertain as Samehada and the Thunder Sword slipped from their hands and fell to the ground.

But Might Duy wasn’t in great shape either.

The repeated use of the Morning Peacock had caused his muscles to tear under the violent outpouring of chakra, only to be forcibly knit back together by his own energy.

The pain was unimaginable, as if his body was being torn apart and stitched back together repeatedly!

Panting heavily, the blue flames surrounding Might Duy flickered weakly. Yet, as his gaze shifted to Yoru, even Juzo, lying on the ground, let out a bitter smile.

"Well, it looks like the Mist won’t just lose the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, but also a rising star."

"Juzo Biwa, the world calls you a man filled with ambition and iron will, but here you are, already defeated in spirit before the battle has even ended. That’s not the attitude of someone from the Blood Mist, is it?"

"Besides, you’ve heard, haven’t you?"

Yoru took a deep breath, meeting Might Duy’s gaze. Under Juzo’s astonished look, he raised his hand and clenched his fist.

"I’m really strong, you know!"

"Hado #90!"

"Kurohitsugi!"

(End of Chapter)