A few minutes earlier, deep within the Forest of Death, four to five candidates in Kirigakure uniforms moved as a group, pushing further into the woods.
Among them, one young man stood out. He had short black hair, no eyebrows, sharp teeth, a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek, bandages wrapped around his ears and neck, and red lines painted around his mouth.
"Hey, why are you all so close to me?!" the young man suddenly growled, his voice low and wary as he realized his companions had subtly surrounded him.
"Relax, Jūzō. Don't be so paranoid. We agreed to an alliance, for now," one of them chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. We're standing this close because… we want to kill you!"
Swish!
The friendly chatter vanished. The Kiri-nin lunged, their concealed weapons flashing into their hands as they stabbed straight for the young man named Jūzō.
"Bastards… ugh!"
Even with his guard up, Jūzō couldn't dodge four blades coming from different angles. He twisted away from vital spots, but a kunai sank deep into the left side of his abdomen.
"Water Style: Water Formation Pillar!"
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Jūzō formed seals and spat a massive sphere of water onto the ground.
"Scatter!" one Kiri-nin yelled. The others scrambled back.
BOOM!
The water sphere hit the earth and exploded. A torrential downpour, like a miniature waterfall, swallowed the spot where they had just stood.
"Impressive, 'Bloody' Jūzō Biwa. Even with that wound, you can manage a Water Style of that scale," one of the Kiri-nin taunted, grinning as he watched Jūzō clutch his bleeding side, his hands already slick with red.
In normal times, such a wound might not be fatal. But here, on this deadly 'battlefield'? It was a death sentence.
"Shunsui! We agreed to target outsiders first! Why attack me the moment we entered?!" Jūzō demanded, his face pale.
"Sorry, Jūzō," the Kiri-nin named Shunsui laughed. "The Mizukage's orders are clear. Only one of us gets to live. And you… you're just too strong compared to the rest of us. So, we had to team up and take you out first."
"Can't be helped. That's life in the Village Hidden in the Bloody Mist," another chimed in, smiling.
"Damn you all!" Jūzō snarled through clenched teeth. Blood seeped steadily from his wound. Dizziness from the blood loss made his legs feel like jelly.
Thud!
He slammed the massive sword on his back into the ground, using it as a crutch to keep himself upright as he glared defiantly at the encircling Kiri-nin.
"Jūzō's almost done for. Let's finish him, quick. No point dragging this out," one urged.
"You talk a good game. If he's so weak, why don't you lead the charge? Stop wasting air."
His comrade wasn't biting. The Kiri-nin turned to Shunsui. "Shunsui, you're the strongest here. You take point, we'll cover you."
"Screw that. The moment I charge in, you'll stab me in the back," Shunsui retorted angrily.
They bickered back and forth. No one was willing to make the first move and let the others gain an advantage. With Jūzō wounded and no longer an immediate threat, their fragile alliance was already cracking.
"Just keep him surrounded. Don't let him escape. We'll wear him down with ninjutsu," Shunsui proposed.
"Water Style: Water Hail!"
"Water Style: Water Cannon!"
Reaching a new consensus, the four Kiri-nin formed seals together. Torrents of pressurized water, like cannonballs, shot toward Jūzō Biwa.
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Jūzō had no choice. He formed seals and spun, spewing a rotating barrier of water that barely deflected the onslaught.
"Damn it!"
The chakra expenditure worsened his injury. A wave of weakness washed over him. Jūzō bit down hard on his tongue. The sharp pain and coppery taste of blood shocked his system, bringing his focus back.
"See? Now he's really done for. Hah!" Shunsui's smile was one of pure satisfaction. Killing a genius like Jūzō Biwa was an accomplishment.
"Hahaha! Finish him! I'll use his blood to wash down my soldier pills later!"
The other Kiri-nin cackled as they unleashed more water techniques. Under the Third Mizukage's cruel rule, sanity was a rare commodity in Kiri.
'Damn it… Is this really where I die?'
Ambushed, then trapped by four of his own… Jūzō saw no way out. Despair gnawed at him.
"Who's there?! Show yourselves!"
Just as Jūzō was about to give in, his attackers suddenly tensed. They scattered, weapons ready, their gazes snapping toward the trees on the right.
"Too bad. You spotted us."
An old man and a young boy emerged from the foliage. It was Kosuke and Chiba, who had come to investigate the noise.
'It really is Jūzō Biwa…'
A flicker of intense heat passed through Chiba's eyes as he observed the wounded, nearly collapsing Kiri-nin surrounded by his four countrymen.
Jūzō Biwa. Future member of the first generation of the "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist." Wielder of the Executioner's Blade.
This guy was a beast! The type who could swat a Tailed Beast Bomb like a ping-pong ball, a one-man army who could take on twenty Hanzō of the Salamander types. He was in the same league as Danzō "Kunai-vs-Susanoo" Shimura!
'He's one of the more memorable side characters in the series. Hurt this badly… if I patch him up, the reward's gotta be good,' Chiba thought with anticipation.
He had actually planned to wait until Jūzō was even closer to death—on the brink—before swooping in for the save. But these Kiri goons had spotted them.
"Tch. Just an old man and a brat," one Kiri-nin sneered.
"Did your Hokage not teach you to mind your own business? Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong leads to an early grave," another added with a cold laugh.
To be fair, their dismissive attitude was understandable. Chiba and Kosuke's appearances were highly deceptive.
"Shunsui, do we kill them?"
"Chiba, do we engage?"
Tensions soared. A standoff began, giving Jūzō a precious moment to catch his breath. His eyes darted, searching for an escape route, but his wobbly legs told him it was impossible in his current state.
'These Konoha bastards…'
Seeing Chiba and Kosuke showed no intention of leaving—seemed intent on meddling—Shunsui's face darkened.
"This is a Kiri internal affair. You Konoha dogs should stay out of it."
After a tense silence, and not wanting further complications, Shunsui reined in his temper. "Fine. Here's a deal. You back off. Do nothing. Once this guy's dead, you can have the scroll on him. How's that?"
Jūzō was carrying a 'Mist' scroll. It was useless to them, so it was better to dangle it as bait to keep these two quiet.
As for whether they would actually hand it over or just attack later… that would be their call once Jūzō was dealt with.
"Heh. Sorry, no deal."
Chiba didn't budge. He pointed at Jūzō Biwa. "That man? I'm saving him."
Scrolls? Meaningless to Chiba. What he wanted was the reward! The reward!
"Nani?!"
Shunsui and the other Kiri-nin were stunned. Even Jūzō was baffled.
'This kid… why is he helping me…?'
Jūzō looked at Chiba with a complex expression, wondering if the boy had a few screws loose.
"You little shit! We gave you a way out, and you spit on it? You're asking to die!" one Kiri-nin roared, pointing furiously at Chiba and Kosuke.
Shunsui's expression turned icy. "So you've chosen death. Fine. Then you can join Jūzō on the road to hell!"
The four Kiri-nin began to move. They widened their circle, first enveloping Chiba, Kosuke, and Jūzō within it, then started closing in, step by deliberate step.
Chiba and Kosuke didn't speak. They didn't retreat. They simply let the Kiri-nin approach.
Kosuke reached behind his back and slowly drew the long sword hidden behind his iron pot. Chiba rolled his wrists, loosening them up. He wouldn't want to strain anything during the intense hand seals to come.
'My chance!'
Trapped between the two groups, Jūzō's eyes locked onto the combatants, waiting.
Silence. Deadly. The distance closed. Killing intent thickened in the air. The fight was a breath away.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Then—another disruption. Movement rustled from the trees beside them.
All heads turned. In a slightly sparser part of the woods, the figures of four Sunagakure ninja were faintly visible, clearly drawn by the earlier commotion.
"Sunagakure?"
Shunsui's tension eased. Good. Not more Konoha. Suna was even better!
Everyone knew Konoha and Suna were at each other's throats right now.
"Brothers from Suna! Perfect timing!"
Shunsui gestured for his men to hold. He put on a mask of delighted surprise and called out to the Sand-nin. "Let's deal with these two Konoha scum together! We'll split their scrolls. What do you say?"
After his shout, Shunsui looked back at Chiba and Kosuke with the gaze one reserves for the dead, a cold smirk on his lips.
'You had your chance to leave. You didn't take it. Now? Now you're not going anywhere.
So hurry up and die. Become stepping stones for my rise to greatness!'
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (100+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/BingeInk
Happy reading, everyone!