On the road to the Mist border — Konoha's forward camp
A man in a tight green jumpsuit moved steadily along the forest path, his pace light but unwavering. From the direction he came, it was clear—he was heading straight toward Konoha's camp near the Mist border.
Three boys followed behind him.
One of them dressed exactly like him.
"Ebisu! Genma! Let's race to the camp!" Might Guy suddenly burst out, already leaning forward as if ready to sprint. "Last one there has no youth!"
Ebisu didn't even look at him.
Genma clicked his tongue softly, hands still in his pockets.
Neither of them answered.
They both knew better.
Competing with Guy didn't mean one race—it meant ten more after that… and then push-ups… and then something worse.
They had already suffered enough on this journey.
"Don't waste your energy, Guy," Ebisu said, adjusting his glasses as he walked. "We don't know what's waiting ahead. There could be enemy shinobi nearby."
Genma gave a quiet nod in agreement, not bothering to speak.
He was still recovering from the last "youthful challenge"—fifty push-ups forced on them by both father and son.
Ahead of them, Might Duy turned back with a wide grin, pointing a thumb at himself.
"Don't worry, boys!" he declared proudly. "As long as my youth burns bright, no enemy will get past me to lay a finger on you!"
Guy's eyes lit up instantly.
"And me too!" he added, puffing his chest. "My youth is just as powerful!"
There was no doubt in his voice.
Not anymore.
He had already begun to open the gates—more than before—and with each step, his confidence grew stronger.
The road ahead felt closer.
And whatever waited there…
Guy has an attitude of being ready to face it.
Duy noticed it immediately—the shift in Guy's posture, the quiet confidence settling into him.
A small smile spread across his face.
"Yes, Guy," he said, voice bright and full of warmth. "That's exactly how youth should be—ready to face any challenge at any time!"
Guy straightened even more at the praise.
It wasn't loud, not like his usual outbursts—but the happiness showed anyway, sitting quietly in his expression.
A short distance away, hidden among the trees, several figures watched them.
Black uniforms. Masks. Still as shadows.
One of them clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Why did the old man assign this mission to them?" he muttered. "Couldn't he find someone more capable than… clowns?"
A few others shifted slightly, their silence agreeing with him.
From where they stood, the green-clad pair looked anything but reliable.
At the centre of the group stood Sarutobi Shinnosuke, eldest son of the Third Hokage. His gaze remained fixed on Duy and the boys ahead.
Behind him, a kunoichi in an ANBU uniform tilted her head slightly, studying the scene with sharper eyes.
"The Hokage isn't careless," she said calmly. "That squad lowers attention. Anyone watching will relax, thinking they're harmless… and that's when we strike."
Her eyes lingered on Duy.
"As disguises go, they're perfect."
Shinnosuke considered it for a moment, then gave a faint nod.
"…An 'eternal genin' as bait," he thought, a small smirk forming beneath his mask. "Not bad."
"And if something does go wrong…"
The smirk deepened.
"…I step in, clean it up—and take the credit."
Behind him, a few ANBU caught the shift in his expression. The tension in the group eased slightly.
To them, the mission suddenly felt simple.
Controlled.
Unseen by all of them—
Duy's gaze flickered, just for a moment.
He had known.
From the moment they left Konoha, he had felt it—the faint, careful presence trailing behind them.
ANBU.
This mission… it wasn't just a B-rank escort.
It was a cover.
The real operation was happening in the shadows.
Duy didn't mind.
If anything, he felt lighter.
He was leading his son.
That alone was enough.
Still… something about it didn't sit right.
The kunoichi stiffened slightly.
"…Did you feel that?" she murmured.
Shinnosuke glanced at her. "What?"
"For a second… I thought he was looking at us."
A pause.
Then—
Laughter.
Quiet, but dismissive.
"I think you need sleep," Shinnosuke said, shaking his head. "That man? He's the 'eternal genin.' You really think he can detect our presence?"
The others chuckled under their masks.
The tension dissolved.
And just like that—
After a while, Duy's gaze shifted—away from the anbu, back toward the boys behind him.
"Alright, everyone," he said, tone lighter but steady. "A healthy youth needs proper rest."
He paused, then added—
"Set up camp. Traps too. Just like you were taught at the Academy."
No shouting this time.
Just a simple instruction.
Guy nodded immediately and moved without hesitation. Ebisu adjusted his glasses and began checking the surroundings, while Genma let out a quiet breath before getting to work.
The rhythm of training took over.
Familiar.
Efficient.
No wasted movement.
Not far from them, hidden in the trees—
The ANBU watched.
One by one, they settled into position along the branches, blending back into the forest as they had never moved at all.
"Flame," the kunoichi said quietly, her eyes still on the camp below, "set up the watch. Rotations."
Shinnosuke exhaled, clearly unimpressed.
"You're worrying too much," he said, leaning back against the trunk. "We're still far from the border. Nothing's going to happen here."
"It's procedure."
Her voice didn't rise—but it didn't bend either.
For a moment, Shinnosuke looked like he might argue again.
Then he clicked his tongue and waved a hand dismissively.
"…Fine. Do whatever you want."
He shifted, settling into a more comfortable position along the branch, eyes half-closing.
Around him, the rest of the ANBU didn't hesitate.
Wires were set.
Tags placed.
Silent alarm traps woven into the surroundings with practised ease.
Within minutes, the forest looked unchanged—
But it wasn't.
Below, the small camp slowly came together.
Above, the anbu grew comfortable.
Far from the camp—
Another group moved through the forest.
Seven figures.
Their presence didn't disturb the surroundings much… and that was what made it unsettling.
Each step was measured. Silent. Precise.
Not the movement of travellers—
But of hunters.
On their backs, in their hands, or resting against their shoulders… were swords.
No two are the same.
Different shapes. Different sizes.
Each one carried as it belonged there.
Like it had tasted blood before.
They didn't speak.
Their coordination alone said enough—this wasn't a temporary squad.
This was something sharper.
Something practised.
Their name had already spread across battlefields.
A whisper… was enough.
Fear followed it naturally.
They were—
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Each one wielded a blade unlike any other.
Not just forged steel—
But weapons infused with chakra, each carrying its own strange, deadly ability.
And none of them was weak.
Each blade… was lethal in its own way.
They moved closer.
Toward the unaware camp.
Toward the quiet forest that hadn't realised yet—
It was about to become a battlefield.
After covering some distance from the forest path, the group of seven shinobi stopped as one of them said,
"We will rest here for some time"
All of them agreed as they moved a little inside and sat down without making much noise.
One of them placed his massive sword on the ground as he spoke,
"Why did mizukage-sama even send all of us to intercept a supply line?"
It was Zabuza Momochi who spoke first, his kubikiribocho resting beside him.
"This sword of mine can cut through anything and even regenerate using enemy blood… and I am sent for this?"
He said as he looked at the others, lightly praising his blade.
Jinin Akebino, who was beside him, planted his weapon in front of him and said,
"True… my kabutowari can break any defence with hammer and axe… yet we are here for such a small task"
Jinpachi Munashi let out a small laugh,
"At least you two can cut and break things properly… my shibuki makes things explode… this mission doesn't even need that kind of power"
He tapped lightly on his sword, which was filled with explosive tags.
Kushimaru looked at them while holding his long, needle blade.
nuibari rested in his hand, thin and sharp.
"It is true… we are more than necessary for this mission"
He shook his head slightly.
a voice came from the side,
"…maybe mizukage has gone fully mad"
It was said just like that.
simple.
direct.
Kisame Hoshigaki slowly turned his head, samehada moving slightly beside him.
"Watch your words"
His voice was calm.
"Otherwise, my samehada will not let you go…"
But his eyes showed something else.
Ameyuri Ringo clicked her tongue as faint lightning sparked around Kiba, placed near her.
"…is he wrong?"
"These blades of mine can cut with lightning itself… and we are sent for this?"
She looked at the others.
"We all know how absurd orders mizukage-sama has been giving…"
"Don't you all also think his orders are becoming strange?"
Mangetsu Hozuki, who was sitting calmly with hiramekarei beside him, stayed quiet for some time.
Hiramekarei rested there, heavy, able to release chakra itself as a weapon.
Then he finally spoke,
"…the missions have changed"
"…yet we are not sent where it matters"
His voice was quiet, but clear to all.
As everyone also thought the same, they felt this was not the kind of mission they should be doing.
Their strength could be used somewhere else.
Jinin waited for a moment, then spoke again in a lower voice as he looked at the others,
"First, making shinobi kill each other in the academy exams… saying it is because of low supplies and resources…"
He frowned slightly.
"We live near the sea… fish alone is enough for survival. We used to earn from it before… but that was stopped, saying such work is too low for village shinobi"
Jinpachi nodded, also thinking about it.
"Yeah… then why are we fighting like this inside the village itself?"
"We built this strength for war… not for this"
For a moment, no one spoke.
Kisame closed his eyes slightly,
"…even then, mizukage-sama's orders are absolute"
"he is the highest authority… we can't question it"
But his tone was not as firm as before.
Zabuza picked up his sword and rested it on his shoulder,
"…if we are going to be sent out as a group…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Then send us somewhere worth it… a proper battlefield"
a small pause.
"I would rather fight the Uchiha shinobi head-on"
Kushimaru smirked slightly,
"Those red eyes… that would be interesting"
Ame Yuri gave a small grin,
"…better than this boring mission"
Mangetsu spoke quietly,
"Be careful what you wish for"
ameyuri scoffed,
"Come on… that should be a battle at our level"
"Not like Ao… who ran away just sensing that Uchiha kid"
She leaned back slightly.
"At least I have more courage than her"
After hearing that, the group became silent.
No one laughed.
No one replied.
They all remembered that incident.
It had spread through the village like a whisper—
And no one had forgotten it.
On the Konoha side,
Fugaku stepped out of the akimichi restaurant.
The evening air felt cooler than inside—
But his face remained grim.
The group of Uchiha shinobi behind him slowed slightly as they looked at him.
No one spoke at first.
Then Fugaku spoke,
"It is insulting… no matter how I look at it"
His voice was low.
controlled.
"We are one of the founders of this village…"
"…yet now we act as if we are its rulers"
He paused for a moment.
"If we start making rules like this…"
"without considering the hokage…"
His eyes stayed forward.
"Then how will the distance between the village and the clan ever decrease?"
There was no anger in his voice.
only something heavier.
One of the Uchiha behind him stepped forward slightly.
His expression carried doubt.
"clan head…"
He said carefully,
"The police force has the authority to make rules for the villagers… to maintain order"
He hesitated for a moment, then continued,
"What the grand elder has done… it doesn't seem that wrong"
Silence followed.
The air between them felt different now.
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Author note:
If anyone wants to join P@treon, they're welcome to.
Right now, P@treon chapters are available up to Chapter 108, and those chapters are already unlocked for Tier 1.
P@treon - Hear_tteeth [18 +]
Thank you for the support and patience. A new fanfic has been given.