Obito stated matter-of-factly: "Of course, we are on the side of justice."
Raiga (Kurosuki) sneered: "I have no interest in playing your childish ninja games. If you won't leave, then you'll leave your lives here."
As soon as he spoke, a thick, hazy fog suddenly rose up around them.
"The Hiding in Mist Technique?" Hizashi's mind tightened. The Hidden Mist Village was famous for its Silent Killing Technique, and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were the best of the best when it came to assassination.
Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck down from the sky. Hizashi quickly dodged. And in the instant he moved, a flash of lightning surged out of the mist, stabbing directly toward him.
"Eight Trigrams: Rotation!"
Hizashi did not dare to slow down, spinning like a whirlpool. He instantly deflected the incoming lightning attack, and the rotation blew the surrounding mist away.
"I see you."
The moment Hizashi finished his Rotation, his foot landed perfectly on one of the positions of the Eight Trigrams Formation.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Two Palms, Four Palms..."
After that combo, Raiga was driven back repeatedly, barely able to fight back.
"Hit him! Hit him!" Obito jumped for joy. "I never realized Hizashi-senpai was so strong!"
He had previously seen Hizashi only dare to send Setsuna to rescue people and had mistakenly thought the man was a "desk-job Jonin."
"As expected of a Jonin from the prestigious Hyūga Clan," Kakashi thought, impressed.
He had heard the name of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen; they were top-tier experts in the Hidden Mist, second only to the Mizukage. He was shocked that Hizashi-senpai could gain the upper hand against such a powerhouse.
"This is getting tricky," Raiga was slightly surprised. He originally thought dealing with an obscure Konoha Jonin wouldn't be difficult, but he had clearly underestimated the opponent.
Raiga calmly handled Hizashi's attacks, but his employer, Kazuzu (Karasu), couldn't wait any longer. If he didn't perform the blood ritual soon, his body would collapse.
"Lord Raiga, what are you doing? Use the Thunder God Sword to defeat him!"
"The Thunder God Sword?" Hizashi was shocked. He had certainly heard of the legendary Thunder God Sword, but wasn't it supposed to be guarded in the village?
Raiga was annoyed. He didn't want to expose the Thunder God Sword so early, as it might provoke Konoha's pursuit. He wanted to wait until he had mastered the subtleties of his Three-Sword Style (a reference to One Piece, used here for flair).
But he was still a ninja of integrity, and hearing his client's demand, he reluctantly drew the Thunder God Sword and clenched it in his mouth.
"Tremble! You will be the first ninja to witness the might of my Three-Sword Style!"
Hizashi's guard was raised to the extreme, but he couldn't help but complain: "Can you stop talking while you're biting the sword? It's really hard to hear you clearly."
"Hmph, a trash ninja who doesn't understand the brilliance of my swordsmanship," Raiga grumbled. Shouldn't a normal person be shocked and praise my Three-Sword Style?
Raiga flashed forward, wielding three blades in a wild dance. The assault was as fierce as a storm, the lightning glowing brightly, pushing Hizashi back step by step. Hizashi was momentarily suffocated, unable to find an opening to even use his Rotation.
"Big trouble. How would Setsuna deal with him if he were here?" Hizashi couldn't help but wonder.
Most ninja avoided close combat with him, and against a close-combat specialist like Raiga Kurosuki, his Eight Trigrams Palms were too difficult to land. Close-range Taijutsu specialists were too limited in real combat.
"You dare get distracted while fighting me!" Raiga sneered. The chakra blades on his swords flared brightly. Just like he had done to Guy earlier, he sent Hizashi flying with a powerful strike.
"Hizashi-sensei!" Shizune rushed forward to treat him.
"Hahaha, I truly am invincible with the Three-Sword Style!" Raiga raised his hands high, already fantasizing about defeating the Mizukage and taking his place.
Just then, Obito suddenly pointed behind Raiga and shouted excitedly: "Great! It's Minato-sensei and Setsuna-nii!"
Raiga scoffed: "Trying to trick me into turning around for a sneak attack? Heh, you think such a petty trick can fool me?"
However, the people opposite him all wore strange expressions, as if they were trying to hold back laughter. This made him feel uneasy.
"Is someone really behind me? Impossible. I didn't sense any chakra at all. If it was a regular person, I couldn't possibly miss their movement." With that thought, Raiga completely calmed down.
(He can't be sensed if his chakra is suppressed.)
"Haha, turn to ash under the wrath of the thunder!" Raiga raised his two swords, preparing to summon a bolt of lightning.
But in the next moment, a pair of strong, powerful arms violently snatched the twin swords from his grasp.
"So, these are the Thunder Swords: Kiba? They look like excellent tools for attracting lightning and forging the physique."
Hearing the judgmental voice from behind him, Raiga jumped several yards away. He sprinted another hundred meters before turning around, drenched in cold sweat. He stared at the spot he had just occupied, where a tall, but still youthful, boy was casually playing with his twin swords.
"There really was someone there... How could this be?" Raiga muttered to himself.
Setsuna chuckled. It seemed the technique he learned in the Dragon Ball world for suppressing Ki worked perfectly for suppressing chakra.
As for using sound to pinpoint a location, with his movement speed, he could approach anyone without a sound.
"Looks like I also have the talent to be an assassin. Too bad I prefer the simple, brutal method of 'assassination' by killing everyone," Setsuna said with a slight smile, dismissing the idea of becoming an assassin.
Raiga calmed down and said in a low voice: "Give me back the Thunder Swords, and I'll leave now."
Setsuna laughed when he heard this: "You want the Thunder Swords and you want to leave? You want all the good things for yourself."
Raiga was surprised: "You intend to stop me?"
"Is there a problem with that?" Setsuna countered.
"Heh, I really have been underestimated." Raiga sneered, taking the Thunder God Sword from his mouth and grasping it with both hands. "Do you really think all the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's skill comes from the blades? Besides, I now have a much better weapon."
Kakashi called out a warning: "Senpai, be careful! That's the Thunder God Sword!"
"The Thunder God Sword?" Setsuna was somewhat surprised.
"That's right! It's the Second Hokage's weapon. Let me show you how I use it!" Raiga activated the lightning glow, laughing maniacally as he charged at Setsuna. He didn't believe a mere brat could properly use his weapon.
Then, he saw Setsuna pull his right hand back to a certain point and then violently swing and throw one of the swords.
"That idiot is treating my Thunder Sword like a shuriken!" Raiga's eyes practically shot fire. His beloved Thunder Sword was being used so brutally by this person, breaking his heart.
Raiga instinctively swung the Thunder God Sword at the Thunder Sword, intending to deflect its force and reclaim it.
The moment the Thunder God Sword blocked the strike, Raiga's face changed. It was as if he hadn't blocked a sword, but an entire mountain flying through the air. The impact slammed him backward.
"Hold on!" Raiga grit his teeth, his face flushed, but he didn't dare let go. If he did, the Thunder Sword would pierce straight through his chest.
Just then, the other Thunder Sword flew toward him.
In Raiga's despairing gaze, the second sword struck him, shooting him backward until he was pinned to a wall.
Raiga stared blankly into the distance, his eyes gradually losing their light. A thought flashed through his mind in his final moments: "Could this... be the proper way to use the Thunder Swords?"