"Bastard..."
The expression on Raiga Kurosuki, who stood atop the tree, suddenly darkened.
From Yami's tone, he could guess it referred to that humiliating event from years ago.
Back then.
They had received orders to infiltrate the Land of Fire and attack Konoha's rear supply base.
On the way, they encountered a Konoha squad and crushed them with ease.
However, just as they were about to finish them off, a Genin from Konoha jumped in shouting something about youth, passion, and bonds—then proceeded to kick four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to death on the spot.
The remaining three of them barely escaped with their lives, shattered and humiliated.
That battle was a major reason why both he and Biwa Jūzō eventually defected from Kirigakure.
Now, having that memory dragged back into the open, Raiga was horrified to realize his body was instinctively trembling.
While the banter continued, Yami briefly explained their identities to Hinata.
"The Demon, Momochi Zabuza, who graduated by slaughtering his entire class in the Blood Mist Village. And Raiga Kurosuki, the only survivor of the First Generation Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"In terms of raw strength, they're average Jōnin. But with their swords, they're slightly weaker than Kakashi."
"Who said I'm weaker than that Copy Ninja!"
Zabuza growled. "If it's him, I'd cut him in half without hesitation!"
As expected from someone who dared challenge Ashura and trample Indra, his mouth was as arrogant as ever.
Zabuza leapt back and landed on the lake surface, activating the Hidden Mist Technique.
A thick mist infused with chakra spread across the entire field. Hinata's expression turned serious.
"Yami-kun, there's too much chakra in the fog… I can't locate him."
Hidden Mist Technique truly was a top-tier jutsu. It neutralized almost all visual perception. Even the Rinnegan couldn't clearly pierce through this level of mist.
Zabuza and Raiga's figures vanished completely. Only Zabuza's taunting voice echoed ominously.
"Eight points—throat, spine, lungs, liver, carotid artery, subclavian artery, kidneys, heart. Which do you want me to attack?"
At the same time, a wave of murderous aura, signature to the Demon and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, swept out like a rising tide.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all felt like they were being hunted by a savage beast. Their bodies froze, muscles locked, breath halted, as if they'd plunged into an icy lake.
Sasuke trembled, wanting to lift his hand, but even the simple act of raising a kunai became impossible.
So this is what a real Jōnin feels like. No—he hasn't even attacked yet. Just the pressure alone was enough to crush him.
"Tch. It's just killing. What's with all the ceremony?"
Yami scoffed at Zabuza's dramatics.
"Just cut off their heads and burn the remains."
"If you're worried about secrets leaking, then kill the witnesses too."
"Why waste time with fancy execution styles? It only proves your cowardice and incompetence—trying to mask your weakness with flair."
"And this 'murderous aura'? Don't embarrass yourself in front of me."
As his words fell, an overwhelming bloodlust exploded from Yami, so dense it stirred a gust of wind.
From the moment he became a ninja, Yami had either been killing, or on the road to kill.
The two in hiding immediately broke into a cold sweat.
They hadn't expected someone barely an adult to radiate such killing intent. It stifled them completely.
Hinata and the others could barely stand.
Thankfully, Yami didn't maintain that pressure for long. He retracted it and turned the moment into a lesson.
"Naruto, see this? This is the result of your stubbornness. If I wasn't your squad leader, any other Jōnin would be in grave danger today."
Zabuza alone was enough to push Kakashi to the brink. And now they had Raiga too, not to mention Haku with the Ice Release still in hiding.
If someone like Asuma had taken this mission, all four of them would already be corpses.
"Yami-sensei, now's not the time to lecture me…"
Naruto was speechless. Even he couldn't deny it now.
"Then what should we do? With this much mist, we can't even find them!"
"This is the perfect live demo."
Yami smiled.
"There are tons of ways to fight this, but in the end, fog is still just fog. You blow it away with wind."
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
With a sword-hand seal, he fired two sharp wind gusts that blew the dense mist apart. At once, Hinata picked up Raiga's position in the thinning fog.
Raiga emerged slowly from the lake, hands forming seals rapidly.
Yami didn't move. Raiga's confidence soared again.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Lightning Release: Thunder Strike!"
The water dragon surged from the lake, merging with the lightning bolt falling from the sky. Together, they formed a composite jutsu—Lightning Water Dragon Bullet.
"Lesson two—Ninjutsu power is determined by the user, not the jutsu's rank. Don't get obsessed with collecting techniques."
As he spoke, Yami completed the three seals of the Second Mizukage's Water Dragon Bullet.
The already agitated lake burst violently as a colossal water dragon rose—dozens of times larger than Zabuza's—and devoured the lightning dragon whole.
Naruto and Sasuke were dumbfounded.
How… how can his water dragon be so big?!
BOOM!
The impact hit Zabuza like a mountain. He spat blood, unable to resist the massive water pressure that bound him.
Raiga tried to leap away, but Yami was already charging with a lightning spear that extended dozens of meters, piercing Raiga through and paralyzing him.
Yami vanished.
In a blink, he reappeared in front of Raiga, Kusanagi sword in hand. The sword's light flashed even before it left the sheath.
Raiga's eyes widened in horror, unable to move as the paralysis took hold.
He looked into Yami's eyes as the light in his own began to fade.
A moment later, the blade's flash ended. Raiga collapsed. A fountain of blood sprayed from his body.
Zabuza, still trapped and helpless, saw this and stopped resisting altogether.
Dead… with one sword?!
Even as arrogant as he was, Zabuza acknowledged Raiga's strength. He was a founding member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. No one without power could have survived that generation.
But now, he was cut down like a weed.
Battered by the waves, Zabuza finally steadied himself on a rock, just in time to see Yami vanish and reappear in front of him.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
A flurry of senbon needles shot toward Hinata from the shadows.
Focused on Yami, she didn't notice until they were already too close.
"Eight Trigrams Palms: Revolving Heaven!"
Reacting just in time, Hinata spun rapidly, forming a chakra shield that deflected all the senbon.
From the bushes, a masked Mist shinobi dashed out, and ice mirrors began to rise all around her.
"Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"
It was Yuki Haku, Zabuza's assistant.
Yami had far surpassed their expectations. The plan had failed. Haku was left with no choice—he attacked Hinata to bait Yami into pulling back.
Instead of targeting Tazuna, he chose Hinata. From observation, he judged that Yami valued Hinata more than the mission target.
But what he forgot, what even Zabuza may have forgotten—was how Yami earned his title as Konoha's Shinigami.
It wasn't just skill.
It was his Flying Thunder God.
Just as Haku leapt out of the mirror formation toward the recovering Hinata, a white hand grasped his wrist mid-air.
It was Yami.
"So you finally showed yourself."
He smiled faintly, but in Haku's eyes, it was terrifying.
Haku fired a senbon from his mouth.
Yami slightly tilted his head and dodged easily, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
Ever since he brought Karin home, he had his eye on talented shinobi from other villages.
He'd ordered Kabuto to scout and recruit them young.
But he was late. Kimimaro was already taken by Orochimaru. Haku had ended up with Zabuza.
So if they couldn't be allies, they had to be enemies.
With a regretful sigh, Yami drove the lightning spear through Haku's chest, shattering the mirror behind him.
Haku's mask fell, revealing a face more beautiful than most women.
Naruto and Sasuke were stunned.
"Please… protect… Zabuza-sama…"
Even though the heart could survive for a few moments after destruction, Yami's lightning chakra had annihilated Haku's internal organs.
His words faded, and his body followed.
The ice mirrors vanished instantly.
"Haku!!"
Zabuza howled in rage.
Yami tilted his head. "You didn't run. Do Mist shinobi have feelings now?"
Zabuza didn't answer. He roared and charged with his Executioner's Blade, screaming like a ghost from hell.
This, finally, was the ghostly demon of the Mist.
Yami's Kusanagi blade gleamed with lightning. With one clean swing, it sliced the Executioner's Blade in half and drove straight through Zabuza's chest.
"See? Killing really is simple."
Zabuza couldn't even reply. His eyes just stared at Haku.
"...Is he… dead?"
After a while, Naruto finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, afraid to disturb the corpse.
Yami looked at him. "You're scared of a corpse. What kind of ninja are you?"
"What?! I just wanted to make sure, Yami-nii! Don't slander me!"
Thud!
Tazuna collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
"Phew… W-We won..."
Even though the battle was short, the constant twists left him drained. Now that it was over, his legs gave out.
Hinata ran to Yami, checking for wounds with concern.
Only Sasuke frowned.
"We should've been the ones to fight that guy."
He meant Haku. He had just gotten ready, only for Yami to end it in one blow. The burning blood in his chest had already cooled.
"I'll admit, he was a worthy opponent. But Tazuna was trapped in the ice mirrors. Even if you won, he'd have died. Who'd pay me to build a bridge then?"
Blunt as ever.
Tazuna wisely said nothing.
"Naruto, dig a grave for the two of them. Sasuke, go retrieve Raiga's sword."
Yami directed them calmly.
Soon, a small mound marked the grave of Zabuza and Haku. As for the weapon, Yami wasn't like Kakashi. He sealed the blade into a scroll.
He handed the Thunder Sword: Kiba to Sasuke to help him train his lightning chakra control.
After one last glance at the grave, Yami led the team onward.
Tazuna's steps were lighter. He now believed they had a real chance at defeating Gato.
Naruto and Sasuke were both deep in thought, reflecting on the reality of what they had just witnessed.
People died. And others had to move on.
This was a real battle. Not like the spars back in the village.
Even though they hadn't helped, witnessing three deaths before their eyes had left a mark.
"Hinata, you were careless."
Yami said softly. "You must always remember, you're a ninja."
"I'm sorry, Yami-kun. I let you down."
"It's not about disappointment. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Mm. I'll be more careful."
Hinata felt ashamed, yet also warm. Being protected felt good but she didn't want to be a burden.
She didn't have grand ambitions, but she also didn't want to be the weakest.
And so, they arrived at Tazuna's home village.
Tazuna might be a shameless old man, but his daughter-in-law was kind. She cooked a generous meal to welcome the team.
After dinner, Naruto and Sasuke came over, full of questions. But Yami waved them off.
"Ask tomorrow. I've got something to do right now."
He leapt out the window and vanished into the night.
(To be continued.)
***
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