Kushimaru Kuriarare swiftly retreated, but Jinbachi Munashi wasn't fast enough.
The Rasenshuriken slammed down from above, not directly at him, but the violent storm it unleashed engulfed him in the next instant.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had lost another member.
Boom!
The tempestuous winds whipped up a monstrous tsunami.
Not only did the Kiri Ninja scatter in panic, but Hiashi and his group also fled for their lives, terrified of being caught by the tidal wave.
Kushimaru Kuriarare barely survived the catastrophic tsunami unleashed by the Rasenshuriken.
Crawling out of the seawater, he surveyed the ravaged battlefield.
At least a hundred ninja lay dead, victims of that single technique, while countless others were wounded by the tidal surge.
"Konoha..." he whispered, his lips trembling.
Konoha was terrifying, especially that cat.
How could such a cat exist?
Kushimaru Kuriarare had always been a ruthless and cold-blooded individual, but now, faced with the prospect of confronting Raj alone, he felt a primal fear that threatened to drive him to flee.
"Jinbachi is dead," Chizuru Hozuki said, summoning the Exploding Blade.
The blade remained intact, but its wielder was undoubtedly gone.
Kushimaru Kuriarare and Chizuru Hozuki exchanged a wordless glance.
Half a year ago, they had been brimming with ambition, eager to forge a legendary reputation as the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Now, before their fame could even take root, the Seven Swordsmen had been reduced to the Two Swordsmen at an alarming rate.
This is a disaster.
Fortunately, the Exploding Blade wasn't lost.
At least they could train a successor.
The Third Mizukage had designed the Seven Swords' techniques.
As long as he lived, they could eventually rebuild the Three Blade Warriors.
But...
"Where's Lord Mizukage?" Chizuru Hozuki sheathed the Exploding Blade and his own Hiramekarei, turning to the bewildered Anbu ninja.
"Lord Mizukage... he was captured."
"..."
Chizuru Hozuki and Kushimaru Kuriarare stared at him in disbelief, their expressions screaming, 'Are you fucking kidding me?!'
The Kiri Ninja who had stormed off the island lowered their heads in shame, nodding slightly.
It was difficult to admit.
With so many guards protecting him, and the Mizukage himself being no weakling, the enemy had still managed to snatch him right out of the crowd.
Worse, no one knew where to begin looking for him.
They'd had a chance to pursue earlier, but that Rasenshuriken...
They were terrified.
Who knew if that cat could use the Rasenshuriken again?
If another such attack came, the Kiri Ninja would be utterly annihilated.
As long as the mountain remains, there's always firewood.
"What were the Mizukage's guards even doing?" Kushimaru Kuriarare radiated murderous intent.
The others pointed to the blasted sea.
The Mizukage's guards?
They wondered if their bodies could even be recovered intact.
"Let's sue for peace," Chizuru Hozuki said, exhausted.
He desperately wanted to curse, but he didn't even know where to begin.
With the Mizukage kidnapped and four of the seven swords lost, what else could they do?
Peace was their only option.
"Shouldn't we consult the Elders back in the village?"
"Consult my ass! Get Lord Mizukage back first!" Chizuru Hozuki snapped, his temper flaring.
Now's the time to ask the Elders?
If those old fools deliberately refused, would the Kiri Ninja fight Konoha to annihilation?
Every village had its own troubles.
Kirigakure, isolated from the mainland, enjoyed relative stability, but it was also rife with scheming and internal factions.
If they brought this matter back for debate, it could take days to pass a resolution.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield:
"Huff... huff..."
Guy closed the Sixth Gate, staggering forward supported by his comrades.
This was the first time he had opened the Sixth Gate.
Though he had mastered the technique, he had never dared use it before.
If Raj hadn't told the village that the earlier gates could be opened, he wouldn't have dared to reach the Sixth Gate.
But the power it granted was truly overwhelming.
"Guy, are you alright?"
Hiashi seemed even more concerned than Shikuro.
It was unbelievable that someone had actually mastered the forbidden technique of opening the Eight Gates and survived.
"Y-yes, I'm fine. Th-thank you..."
"Meow~ Save your strength. We'll take you to Lady Tsunade for a checkup when we get back."
Raj glanced at him, annoyed that he was still trying to act tough.
Although Guy had trained relentlessly to prepare his body for opening the Eight Gates, activating the Sixth Gate for the first time had still drained him considerably.
Trying to push himself further now would be a terrible idea.
Guy paused for a moment, then nodded and collapsed against the Root Ninja, motionless.
The most dangerous people are often the quiet ones who finally snap.
Before this, no one would have imagined Guy possessing such explosive power.
Even Shikuro had his doubts, but now everyone admired him.
To achieve such a level of strength through Taijutsu alone was truly remarkable.
In truth, Guy suffered from a lack of techniques.
If he had developed moves like Guy's Morning Peacock and Daytime Tiger, the Eight Inner Gates' power would have been far greater.
'I'll teach him those when we get back,' Raj thought to himself.
Guy wasn't weak, but his strategic thinking was lacking.
His natural talent for combat paled in comparison to Guy's.
If he relied solely on his own efforts, he'd be lucky to develop the Hidden Lotus by his next lifetime, let alone the Morning Peacock or Daytime Tiger.
It wasn't charity; Guy and he were on good terms.
Teaching him this simple technique-requiring only a few words-would add another capable ninja to share Konoha's burdens.
Why not?
Following Black Cat's guidance, the group reached the small island and reunited with Minato.
"Is everyone alright?" Minato asked anxiously, rising to his feet and scanning the group as Raj returned.
His eyes immediately fell on Guy, being carried on someone's back.
"He's fine. Just needs a check-up back at the village," Hiashi Hyuga said with a smile.
Then, his gaze shifted to the black-haired man before them-the Third Mizukage.
Among the Five Kage, the Third Mizukage had the lowest profile.
Though he had participated in numerous wars alongside the First and Second Mizukage, his specific achievements remained... Well...
At least Raj and the others from outside the village couldn't name any.
"Hiashi Hyuga, I never expected the Main Family Clan Head to participate in such a small-scale operation. And you even have two ninjas who can use the Flying Thunder God Technique. I underestimated you."
The Third Mizukage narrowed his eyes, surveying the group before his gaze settled on Black Cat.
This black cat was the most enigmatic.
If it had been just Minato, he was confident he could have survived and even turned the tables.