"Lightning Blade? Why do you suddenly want that?" Kakashi paused at Ishikawa's request, his tone carrying a hint of annoyance.
The Lightning Blade wasn't just any weapon—it was the pride of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. How could such a blade be casually handed to a Genin? The matter was far too complicated, and the consequences could be fatal.
"Well, sensei, didn't you say you'd teach me Sword skills before? I thought that blade looked pretty good, so..." Ishikawa forced a simple smile, though inwardly his heart sank. As expected.
Just from Kakashi's expression and words, he could tell—this was basically impossible. And when he thought about it, it made perfect sense.
That sword wasn't just a weapon; it was the Lightning Blades of the Hidden Mist, a symbol of power that could shift the balance between villages.
To weaken the Mist and give Konoha leverage, such a weapon would never be casually handed over. The Third Hokage would never approve.
"If that's all it is, then I advise you to drop the idea. While the blade is indeed suitable for Sword Skill training, it carries far too much trouble." Kakashi thought for a moment before firmly rejecting him.
Already prepared for this outcome, Ishikawa wasn't disappointed. Instead, he immediately shifted the subject.
"Sensei, if you're worried about the Mist, then just give me one of the twin blades. Taking out the complete Lightning Blades would be a problem, but if I melt one down and reforge it into my own Lightning Blade, that should be fine, right?"
"Melt it??" Kakashi's mouth twitched at Ishikawa's outrageous idea, utterly speechless.
Melt the Lightning Blade? What kind of reckless thinking was that? Even if reforged, would a single blade still be considered one of the Mist's Seven Swords?
"You don't need to entertain such thoughts. Didn't you want to forge your own Lightning Blade? I have a broken blade at home; you can melt down and forge anew. It's made of special chakra metal as well—it should be enough for you."
"Broken blade?" Ishikawa muttered, suspicion flashing in his voice, though a sharp gleam shot through his eyes. As far as he knew, Kakashi had only one broken blade—the White Fang! Could it be… he was going to give him the broken White Fang blade??
"Thank you, sensei." Realizing he had gained an advantage, Ishikawa stopped coveting the Lightning Blade and expressed his gratitude sincerely.
What he truly needed was a chakra blade to strengthen himself. Whether it was the Lightning Blade or the White Fang, it didn't matter.
"What an incorrigible fellow…" Kakashi sighed, speechless once again, watching Ishikawa's shifting expressions. With a lazy wave of his hand, he leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.
Ishikawa chuckled softly, then slipped away to find the client—arranging food and drink while switching shifts with Taro and Jiro for guard duty.
Time flowed like a fleeting shadow. After Kakashi woke up, the following half month passed peacefully, without a ripple.
That half month not only allowed Kakashi to make a complete recovery, but also healed Taro and Jiro's wounds for the most part. Only Ishikawa's back injury still required at least another half month before it would fully mend.
At last, to the eager anticipation of Ishikawa, Taro, and Jiro, the long convoy slowly crossed the gates of Konoha under the evening sky.
"Alright, Ishikawa, you three go to the hospital to get your injuries treated. I'll report to Lord Third." Watching the client depart, Kakashi turned to the three Genin.
"Yes, Kakashi-sensei!" Taro and Jiro quickly responded, then—together with the other—supported Ishikawa from either side, rushing him straight to Konoha Hospital. Big Brother's wounds had to be tended without delay.
"You guys, hey! I don't really need to—ow! Slower, lighter—!" Ishikawa grimaced in pain. Couldn't these two brats be gentler? At this rate, his little brothers were going to finish him off before his wounds did!
"Heh… it seems those three still have plenty of energy." Kakashi chuckled softly before vanishing in an instant with a whoosh.
By the time Ishikawa finally returned home, it was already past ten at night. It wasn't the hospital treatment that had delayed him, but the process of packing and transferring their cart full of ninja tools and weapons afterward. By the time they had sorted everything, the night was already deep.
"Bang..."
With a puff of white smoke, Ranmaru's head appeared once more before Ishikawa, summoned back into the room.
This time, Ishikawa didn't bother warming it up again. Instead, he carefully placed the head into the nutrient solution he had just bought at Konoha Hospital, sealing it away for safekeeping.
For this, he had even purchased enough disinfectant-infused solution to fill an entire basin.
"Next… I just have to wait for that person. I hope she doesn't break her promise tonight..." Ishikawa murmured under his breath, glancing at the alarm clock—barely ten minutes remained.
The anxious, urgent wait gnawed at him. Time ticked by, minute after minute, until at last the hands reached eleven.
Almost the instant the clock struck, the still, ordinary air of the house shifted—space itself overlapped, stretched, and warped. Shadows melted, light bent, and before Ishikawa's eyes a familiar figure began to materialize, hazy and unreal at first… then gradually solid, alive.
"Miss Rin, long time no see! Congratulations on your promotion to Chunin." The very first thing he noticed was her—the emerald-green vest catching his eye. Ishikawa's smile carried both relief and respect. Rin Nohara was still here, still in Konoha.
"Ishikawa… I've finally been waiting for you..." Rin's radiant smile bloomed as she saw him again, after nearly a month apart. She nodded in greeting, warmth in her eyes.
But the moment her gaze slipped past him—onto the head resting in the nutrient solution—her expression froze. Her large, gentle eyes widened in shock.
"Ishikawa, is that—"
"This," Ishikawa cut in swiftly, shielding her curious stare, "is a Hidden Mist enemy who nearly wiped out our squad on this mission. Don't be fooled by his harmless face—his ability is terrifying."
"What? Nearly wiped you all out??" Rin's entire expression shifted, shock and concern replacing her initial sympathy for the boyish head.
Rin was no naive, sheltered medic-nin. She had seen war, understood blood and loss. And a shinobi of the Hidden Mist—Konoha's enemy during her era—was not someone she could afford to underestimate.
"Yes. This time, we encountered Kurosuki Raiga, one of the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. That boy is Raiga's eye, a child born with the Red Eye bloodline limit. If Kakashi-sensei and I hadn't been lucky… You might not be seeing me at all tonight!"
"Kurosuki Raiga… of the Seven Swordsmen? The Red Eye?" Rin's breath caught. She knew of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—renowned across the entire shinobi world as a fearsome, blood-soaked legend. Even if she didn't know Raiga's name or the details of each blade, the Seven Swordsmen were a force to be dreaded.
"Um… Kakashi-sensei—he's alright, isn't he?" she asked quickly, her voice betraying her worry. Even though Ishikawa's words suggested Kakashi had survived, she needed to hear it clearly.
"Sensei is fine. The one who took the worst of it… was me." Ishikawa forced a bitter smile, gesturing to the wound on his back. Then his eyes sharpened, fixing firmly on her.
"Miss Rin, since you were able to help Kakashi-sensei transplant a Sharingan before… I want to ask for your help with something. I want you to transplant the Red Eye into me. In return, I'll transplant the other Red Eye into you…"
The words dropped like thunder. Rin blinked, her radiant expression frozen into wide-eyed disbelief as Ishikawa pointed directly at Ranmaru's eyes.
"Transplant…? For me?? What kind of bloodline limit is this Red Eye?!" she blurted, stunned by his seriousness, her mind struggling to keep up with his audacity.
And what did he mean by her helping Kakashi with a Sharingan transplant? That wasn't supposed to happen until at least a year later…