The outer waters of the Land of Whirlpools were tightly woven into Konoha's surveillance network.
Orochimaru's scouts, including several Hyuga members, had effectively encircled the island. Any attempt to leave would immediately trigger an alarm.
The Hyuga ninjas were particularly motivated; after all, this was a matter of utmost gravity for their clan.
Through the shifting wind and snow, two blurry figures could be seen moving forward.
These two were, naturally, Kakashi and Hagoromo.
There are pros and cons to being on a mission with Hagoromo. Kakashi hadn't found the pros yet, but he was already experiencing the cons.
Hagoromo was humming a song. He kept his voice at a specific frequency—loud enough for Kakashi's left ear to hear, but quiet enough that his right ear was spared.
In this bleak environment, the melody sounded eerie. Kakashi noted that he had never heard such a song before.
Of course he hadn't. Hagoromo was humming something fitting for the occasion. If he had used the lyrics, it would have been:
"Find, find, find a friend..."
"Find a good friend..."
In short, these two were indeed looking for someone.
From this perspective, Hagoromo didn't seem nervous at all. To him, this was just another specific task to complete.
And then, these two geniuses actually found their good friend.
Their feet tapped across the water, creating concentric ripples as they moved from the outer sea toward the inner island.
Suddenly, Kakashi came to a dead halt. He raised a hand, signaling Hagoromo to stop.
A tall silhouette had appeared in his line of sight. An ordinary person might have missed such a blurry shape in the heavy snow, but a ninja couldn't afford to be so careless.
As soon as Kakashi saw him, Hagoromo noticed him too.
The figure was walking straight toward them.
Judging by the frame, the newcomer was a large, powerful man.
As the figure drew close enough to distinguish his features, they confirmed it: he was indeed a brute.
Kakashi's expression instantly shifted into one of total focus. He was a young ninja who placed the mission above life itself—someone willing to cut away anything that hindered efficiency, even his own emotions.
The weather showed no signs of improving, but as they met, the wind and snow seemed to die down, making the enemy's appearance crystal clear.
He wore a Hidden Mist forehead protector. A massive scar ran across his right cheek. He had short black hair, no eyebrows, and a mouthful of sharp, jagged teeth. He clearly enjoyed performance art, given that he chose to wear nothing but bandages on his torso in the middle of winter.
And then there was the massive blade on his shoulder—the Decapitating Carving Knife, Kubikiribocho.
Kakashi pulled an intelligence manual from his tool pouch. He looked back and forth between the booklet and the man's face, comparing the two. Finally, he spoke with absolute certainty:
"Target identified. One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, holder of the Kubikiribocho. Jonin: Biwa Juzo."
Hagoromo was speechless. Is all that effort really necessary? Can't you tell just by the giant slab of iron he's carrying?
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, huh..."
Hagoromo let out a sigh that carried an unidentifiable layer of sentiment. He kept his hands clasped behind his head, appearing as though he had no immediate intention of making a move.
Biwa Juzo stopped and looked at the two young Konoha ninjas with a playful, mocking glint in his eyes.
One was masked, the other wore a full-face guard. Neither seemed willing to show their face—they looked quite shy.
As the squad leader, Hagoromo spoke first:
"According to tradition, we have to exchange some useless words before the fighting starts."
"We are fully aware of your crimes. Killing aside, gouging out eyeballs is a truly disgusting act..."
"So..."
"First: Do you have the Byakugan on you? If so, please return it to us."
"Second: If you don't have it, please tell us which of your partners has it and exactly where they are."
Kakashi glanced at him sideways. What kind of ridiculous script is this?
Hagoromo's words were obviously useless. It didn't matter what tone he used; the enemy wasn't going to cooperate. There was no such thing as an easy path here.
Did he really expect Biwa Juzo to start his reply with "Reporting to the authorities"?
"Heh. Brats, do you even know who I am?" Juzo was clearly dissatisfied with Hagoromo's tone. He swung his great blade, pointing it directly at Hagoromo's chest.
Hagoromo glanced at Kakashi, his look saying: See? I told you there was no room for talk.
Kakashi ignored him. Did the enemy have the eye? They would find out once they defeated him.
Hagoromo had no intention of continuing the conversation.
The development of such an encounter was preordained: kill or be killed. Words were unnecessary.
Biwa Juzo swung the Kubikiribocho in a full circle, the resulting air pressure leaving a ring-shaped mark on the water's surface. He then dragged the blade at his side.
Chakra exploded from his feet as he charged straight at the two of them!
He clearly looked down on them.
Arrogance? Arrogant ninjas don't tend to live long.
Hagoromo dropped his hands from behind his head. His eyes held a strange, focused light as he watched Juzo charge.
You think carrying a big sword makes you Ichigo Kurosaki? You don't get to be arrogant if you can't fire a Getsuga Tensho.
Seven Swordsmen or Eight Swordsmen—it didn't matter. They'd settle it after the fight!
Without needing an order, Kakashi moved. His hand seals were a blur. Almost simultaneously, lightning erupted from both of them.
Kakashi's Raikiri shone in his hand, brilliant and blinding. Hagoromo's Chidori Current was an area-of-effect technique that spread across his entire body.
Juzo's eyes narrowed. He could sense the intensity and danger of these lightning jutsus. These kids weren't mediocre. If they were arrogant, it was because they actually had the skill to back it up.
Juzo didn't retreat; he accelerated!
But in terms of speed, Hagoromo and Kakashi were in a league of their own.
Kakashi led the charge with Raikiri, while Hagoromo followed closely behind as support.
The lightning sliced across the water like a meteor streaking through the night sky. In this environment, it held a sharp, cold beauty. From above, Kakashi's glowing figure reflected on the surface, leaving a trail of electrified water that looked like a high-speed sailfish cutting through the waves!
Though all three ninjas were moving at extreme speeds, the vastness of the ocean gave the scene a sense of frozen time.
What should we call this?
"Our Fight is as beautiful as a painting"?
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