Swish, swish, swish.
Deep within the mountains and forests outside the Konohagakure, two figures pushed their Body Flicker Technique to the limit. They did not slow down until the village was far behind them.
Only then did they stop.
Both men bent forward slightly, breathing hard. Sweat soaked their clothes, their faces pale, their eyes still filled with lingering fear.
They were the last surviving members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Fuguki Suikazan and Jinpachi Munashi.
"We should be safe now… right?" Fuguki muttered, glancing back toward Konoha. Even his voice trembled slightly. "That monster did not chase us, did he?"
"How would I know?" Jinpachi snapped, irritation barely masking his fear. "He uses the Flying Raijin Technique. For all we know, he could appear in front of us at any second."
Fuguki stiffened, then slowly exhaled.
"If that were the case, we would already be dead."
Jinpachi fell silent.
They both understood. Against space time ninjutsu, the Body Flicker Technique was meaningless. If that man truly intended to hunt them down, distance would not have saved them.
The fact that he had not appeared meant only one thing.
They had been spared.
Jinpachi wiped the sweat from his forehead, still feeling as if he had crawled back from the edge of death.
"I never imagined Konoha hid someone like that," he said quietly. "We Seven Swordsmen have roamed the ninja world for years. And today, five of us died there."
Fuguki's expression darkened.
"That person… was beyond reason. I do not ever want to see him again."
Silence fell between them.
Then their gazes met, and the same question surfaced in both their minds.
Who was he?
They had already ruled out one possibility.
Minato Namikaze was known for the Flying Raijin, but this did not add up.
Minato would not disguise himself with the Transformation Jutsu just to fight them. More importantly, if he possessed those terrifying black flames, why had he never used them during the Third Great Ninja War?
No.
The man they faced was someone else entirely.
Fuguki's voice turned heavy.
"We went to capture one girl, and we lost five swords. This loss is unacceptable. We return immediately and report to Mizukage-sama."
As for whether their mission to seize Rin Nohara had succeeded, neither of them knew.
They also did not dare return to confirm it.
Not after meeting Ryūjin.
---
Although the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been driven away, Konoha did not regain peace immediately.
Earlier, when the thick fog blanketed the village, numerous Hidden Mist shinobi had infiltrated unnoticed.
Strangely, they did not attack vital facilities. They did not assassinate high ranking figures. They did not harass civilians or destroy infrastructure.
They moved in the shadows, evasive and cautious.
If discovered, they avoided combat and withdrew immediately.
After some time, they began retreating altogether.
The sudden withdrawal left Hiruzen Sarutobi and the village leadership deeply puzzled.
Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen sat at his desk, his expression solemn. Before him stood Shikaku Nara and the two senior advisors.
"This Hidden Mist incursion is strange in every aspect," Hiruzen began. "They deployed significant manpower. Even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen entered the village together."
He paused, fingers lightly tapping the desk.
"And yet, after such a display, they accomplished nothing of substance before retreating."
His gaze shifted to Shikaku.
"You are known for your analysis. What do you make of this?"
Shikaku lowered his head slightly in thought.
"The Hidden Mist Anbu infiltrated quietly and acted from the shadows. Meanwhile, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen appeared openly and drew attention."
He continued calmly.
"It is likely the Swordsmen deliberately exposed themselves to divert Konoha's focus, allowing the Anbu to operate more freely."
"So you believe their true objective lay with the Anbu?" Hiruzen asked.
"Most likely," Shikaku replied. "They were executing something important. However, with the information currently available, it is impossible to determine what that objective was."
The discussion circled, but no definitive answer emerged.
At that moment, an Anbu appeared.
"Hokage-sama, the casualty report."
Hiruzen accepted the document.
Despite the scale of the invasion, the damage was surprisingly limited. A few structures had been damaged, but most of the village remained intact.
Sixteen shinobi had died.
Twenty three were injured.
One was missing.
Hiruzen's gaze lingered slightly on the final entry.
Rin Nohara.
After reviewing the list of fallen ninja, he passed the report to the others. When it reached Shikaku, the strategist's eyes narrowed faintly.
"A Chunin missing?" Shikaku murmured.
He looked up.
"The battlefield was within the village itself. If someone died, their body would remain. Disappearance under these conditions is abnormal."
He paused briefly.
"It is highly likely that Rin Nohara was taken by the Hidden Mist."
The room grew quiet.
"They mobilized such force… for a single Chunin?" one advisor muttered.
What was so special about her?
Of course, there was another possibility. Rin could have gone missing prior to the invasion, only for it to be discovered during the aftermath.
The probability was low, but not zero.
Regardless, the matter required immediate investigation.
Shikaku suggested launching a search for Rin's whereabouts. As for pursuing the retreating Hidden Mist forces, with Minato currently absent from the village, such action would be unwise.
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
"Summon Kakashi and Hisao Kimura."
He paused for a fraction of a second.
"And Uchiha Ryūjin."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Anbu vanished in a flicker.
Hiruzen leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.
If Rin's disappearance truly connected to the Hidden Mist's objective, then today's events were far from over.
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