Chapter 89: Giving the Mizukage a Big Problem
Everything that had just transpired occurred in literally the blink of an eye.
The duo who had been casually observing from the rooftop seemed completely unprepared for Mangetsu—wielder of the legendary Hiramekarei—to be killed instantly!
It should be noted that among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, although Mangetsu was among the youngest members, his combat strength easily ranked within the top three.
Especially considering he wielded Hiramekarei—widely considered the most lethal and destructive blade among all seven legendary swords.
Yet even so, Mangetsu had been killed in a single devastating attack.
This singular fact demonstrated exactly how profoundly this scene shocked the remaining duo on the rooftop.
Whoooosh—
The concentrated gale dissipated gradually.
Uchiha Kazuki stood calmly in place, completely indifferent to the carnage.
The streets within a radius of several dozen meters around his position, once the wind finally subsided, revealed an absolutely devastating scene of destruction.
Blood was scattered everywhere in crisscrossing patterns—densely packed like the marks left by thousands of blades, each individual cut smooth as polished mirror glass.
Mangetsu's corpse, lying motionless in an expanding pool of blood, had been nearly sliced completely in two. Only the thinnest strip of skin connected the halves of his bisected body.
Torrents of bright crimson blood flowed steadily outward, staining the surrounding ground a deep scarlet color.
"Stop joking around!" Kushimaru's face changed drastically, his pupils trembling as if experiencing an earthquake. His bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Mangetsu's corpse lying in that pool of blood as he roared desperately: "Get up, Mangetsu! This must be his genjutsu, right?!"
"That's right—it absolutely has to be genjutsu!"
Before anyone else could respond, he repeated the statement again as if desperately trying to convince himself: "The intelligence reports from our Iwagakure contact specifically mentioned that Uchiha Kazuki's illusion techniques can appear incredibly realistic!"
However, his noticeably pale complexion and the fine beads of cold sweat forming across his forehead undoubtedly betrayed his true thoughts and underlying terror.
Was it really... just genjutsu?
At this critical moment, Jinin Akebino fell into complete silence.
Although his rational mind screamed that everything before his eyes was undeniably real and couldn't possibly be an illusion—
He fundamentally lacked the courage to speak those words aloud. It was like facing a scabbed-over wound, knowing it might be festering and rotting beneath the surface, yet being too afraid to peel back that protective scab and confront the bloody reality underneath.
Because Jinin understood—or perhaps more accurately, feared—that some truths, once kept buried in one's heart versus spoken aloud, would lead to two completely different outcomes.
Once this thin veil of self-deception was pierced, would they truly possess the courage necessary to face such a terrifying existence?
"Next, it's your turn."
Uchiha Kazuki stepped casually over Mangetsu's corpse on the ground.
He walked with unhurried confidence, as if merely strolling through his own private garden, slowly approaching the two remaining swordsmen on the rooftop. Each deliberate step he took produced an audible sound—neither too loud nor too soft—like a heavy sledgehammer rhythmically striking their hearts, like the deadly drumbeat of approaching death drawing ever closer.
"Could you please just stand there and not move?"
Uchiha Kazuki continued his leisurely approach toward the two, glanced at them with mild interest, then spoke with casual indifference: "I have more important matters requiring attention and don't particularly want to waste time chasing you around. So please, just stand there obediently and don't run. Let's save each other some time, alright?"
"Are you mocking us?!"
Being so blatantly disrespected—with their opponent barely acknowledging them as threats—the slight fear within Kushimaru and Jinin instantly transformed into burning anger.
"We admit that your genjutsu, ninjutsu, and even taijutsu are practically flawless." Kushimaru lowered his body into a combat stance, gripping his distinctive needle-like blade tightly as he spoke in a grave voice: "But my Nuibari and Jinin's Kabutowari can at least fight you to a standstill!"
"Don't you dare underestimate us—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"
Jinin's Kabutowari consisted of a giant axe paired with a massive hammer—specifically designed to shatter any defense through overwhelming blunt force.
Kushimaru's Nuibari featured a needle-thin blade with steel wire secured to its handle. Not only did the needle-like blade possess immense penetrating power capable of piercing straight through multiple targets, but it also allowed for concealment of multiple steel wires—enabling devastating surprise attacks while providing both control and lethal damage potential.
The two legendary blades complemented each other's weaknesses perfectly, their combined tactical power far exceeding what simple addition could achieve.
Whoosh!
Just as the duo finished uttering their defiant threats—
Uchiha Kazuki's figure suddenly vanished completely from his original position. Like a phantom, he traversed the distance of over ten meters instantaneously, materializing directly behind both Kushimaru and Jinin. The entire movement sequence took less than a single breath—his speed so overwhelming that even the carefully observing Yakushi Nonō failed to track his movement at all.
From a subjective visual perspective, it resembled a 'dropped frame' in recorded footage.
Suddenly disappearing from one location, then abruptly reappearing in another position entirely.
Kushimaru and Jinin froze completely, seemingly not yet processing what had occurred, when they heard a faint whisper directly behind them.
"Ah, sorry. I don't have time for your pointless speeches."
Uchiha Kazuki lowered his eyelids with practiced ease, his right hand moving as if gripping an invisible weapon, performing a light flicking motion through empty air.
SLASH!
A sound resembling tearing fabric rang out clearly.
Even though his hand appeared completely empty, that casual sword-drawing motion made the very air itself seem sliced by an impossibly sharp blade, leaving a visible 'gap' in reality.
Slice—
A faint sensation of cold touched their necks simultaneously.
In the next instant, Kushimaru and Jinin's perspective suddenly spun violently, and they witnessed two massive jets of blood erupting skyward—each fountain reaching nearly two meters high.
"That familiar back view... that figure... it looks like me?"
Kushimaru felt his consciousness growing increasingly sluggish and disconnected. Staring at one of the headless bodies spurting blood everywhere, a final thought flashed weakly through his fading mind: "Ah, that is me... Am I... dead?"
THUD! THUD!
Two blood-soaked severed heads rolled down the sloped rooftop like discarded balls.
Finally, Kushimaru and Jinin's decapitated heads came to rest directly at Yakushi Nonō's feet. Deep confusion and disbelief lingered permanently in their wide, vacant stares.
"Dead? They're... dead?"
Yakushi Nonō stood completely frozen, her lips parting involuntarily as if someone had pressed a pause button on reality itself.
These were members of Kirigakure's most elite fighting force—the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, a title passed down through generations with pride!
And now... their heads had been severed so effortlessly?
The entire battle sequence, from beginning to absolute end, hadn't even lasted three full minutes!
She genuinely wondered if she herself was trapped under some elaborate genjutsu. She rubbed her eyes vigorously, then stared wide-eyed once more, carefully confirming what she was seeing.
It wasn't any hallucination—this was undeniable reality!
Those two blood-soaked severed heads undoubtedly belonged to Jinin Akebino, wielder of Kabutowari, and Kushimaru Kuriarare, wielder of Nuibari.
Adding these deaths to Mangetsu Hōzuki of Hiramekarei, plus the earlier-killed Murasaki Genji of Shibuki as mentioned in their conversation—this man standing before her, Uchiha Kazuki, had single-handedly slaughtered four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
If the Mizukage learned that four of the legendary Seven Swordsmen had perished at Uchiha Kazuki's hands, wouldn't he absolutely lose his mind?
"This might actually be an opportunity!"
Suddenly, a surge of determination welled up powerfully within Yakushi Nonō as she clenched her fist tightly.
She looked up directly at the figure standing calmly on the blood-soaked rooftop and spoke with newfound conviction: "I agree to your conditions! I'll do absolutely anything to break free from Danzō's control!"
On the rooftop above, Uchiha Kazuki turned around slowly, a faint ripple of emotion stirring deep within his dark eyes—as if they possessed some special hypnotic power.
His voice emerged gentle and warm, like comforting spring sunshine—utterly intoxicating.
"A wise choice, Yakushi Nonō."
Uchiha Kazuki's penetrating gaze pierced through psychological barriers, reaching deep into the woman's innermost heart and leaving a profound mental imprint: "The terms of our deal are simple: locate the Three-Tails Isobu for me, and then you may return safely to Konoha. I'll personally handle everything else regarding Danzō."
"Isobu? The Tailed Beast?!"
Hearing this shocking objective, Yakushi Nonō's heart nearly stopped entirely. Her pupils constricted to pinpoints as her expression twisted with horror: "You... you're hunting a Tailed Beast?! What are you planning to do with it?!"
"Well, of course—it's on the Hokage's direct orders."
Uchiha Kazuki emphasized his words meaningfully: "Create massive chaos. Give the Mizukage something serious to deal with, so he stops causing problems everywhere else."
[End of Chapter 89]
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