Chapter 49: The Mizukage's Office
BOOM!
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
A chain of explosions ripped through the air as detonating tags ignited. The six encircling swordsmen watched the figure at the center vanish in the fire and smoke, a cold smirk of satisfaction touching their lips.
Unharmed by the Longsword. Unbroken by the Blunt Sword. But… The Explosive Sword held more than just blades; its very edge was lined with countless explosive seals. No one could withstand such a point-blank bombardment.
"Ahh… that's quite warm."
A voice, utterly relaxed, emerged from the dissipating smoke. They watched, stunned, as Liumu strolled out of the inferno, casually brushing dust from his shoulders.
"On a cold day like this, I appreciate you keeping me warm."
"You brat! Taste this!" The wielder of the Thunder Swords: Kiba, Black Zetsu (Raiga Kurosuki), snarled. He dragged his twin blades along the ground, unleashing two snarling serpents of lightning that arced toward Liumu's feet.
Lightning counters ninjutsu. While they didn't understand Liumu's ability, the elemental logic held: lightning should disrupt and nullify any chakra-based technique.
"Distraction from the east, attack from the west?"
Trapped in the crackling web of electricity, Liumu glanced at the wielder of the Twin Swords: Hiramekarei on his left and the massive Greatsword: Samehada on his right. His form dissolved into a shower of golden light, dispersing before their eyes.
"What?!" Suikazan Fuguki, wielder of Samehada, felt his sword swing through empty air. A shout of alarm came from behind him.
"Behind you!"
But it was too late. The particles of light coalesced instantly behind Fuguki. As Liumu solidified, his right leg was already a blur of incandescent energy.
"Too slow." With a disdainful murmur, Liumu's leg lashed out—a Light Speed Kick. The impact launched Fuguki like a cannonball. He crossed the distance in a streak of light and smashed into the already ruined stone wall of Kiri's gate with a thunderous crash.
The impossible speed and ethereal ability left the remaining five Swordsmen frozen, a single, chilling thought echoing in their minds: Retreat!
"Retreat?" Liumu watched them begin to scatter, shaking his head with a sigh. He brought his palms together before his chest. A shimmering, rectangular mirror of condensed light materialized in his hands.
"Yata no Kagami (The Eight-Span Mirror)."
He spoke softly. The mirror in his hands pulsed, shooting forth a beam of brilliant light that left a zigzagging, continuous trail through the air. The path of light encircled the fleeing swordsmen in an instant.
While they were still reeling from the sudden cage of light, Liumu, standing hundreds of meters away, vanished. He reappeared directly in front of Kuriarare Kushimaru, a kick already connecting with the man's jaw.
BOOM! Another heavy impact. Kuriarare joined Fuguki in the pile of rubble.
The others met similar fates in the blink of an eye.
A moment later, Liumu stood before the heap of groaning, defeated swordsmen. He crouched down and began lightly slapping their cheeks.
"Hey. Wake up. Get up. You haven't answered my question yet."
Seeing their feigned unconsciousness wasn't working, Liumu summoned the Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi again and rested its blazing edge against Kuriarare's forehead.
"Agh! Okay, okay! Stop!" Kuriarare jolted upright, the pretense gone. "We can talk! Anything can be discussed!"
"I'll ask one last time," Liumu said, the light-sword humming. "Tell me everything about Haku."
At the name, Kuriarare's face contorted with hesitation.
"Sh-she…" He swallowed. "Look, even if I tell you, you might not like what you hear. But… the one who knows the most about Haku… is probably Jūzō."
"Jūzō?" Liumu's brow furrowed slightly.
"That's right," Kuriarare nodded hastily, eager to prove his cooperation. "Jūzō of the Loquat. The wielder of the Executioner's Blade: Kubikiribōchō among the Seven."
"And where is this Jūzō?"
Kuriarare glanced at his unconscious comrades, then back at Liumu's impassive face. "He's… locked in the cells beneath the Third Mizukage's office."
"Oh?" Liumu's interest was piqued. Jūzō, one of the Seven Swordsmen, imprisoned? That didn't fit.
Seeing Liumu's skeptical look, Kuriarare rushed to explain, desperate to prove his honesty.
Jūzō was indeed one of them, but he never participated in the "cultivation" of Kekkei Genkai bearers, only carrying out the Mizukage's other orders. A few months ago, he encountered a child with a suspected bloodline limit. To save the child from the underground prisons, Jūzō secretly helped them escape under cover of night.
When the Third Mizukage discovered this, he flew into a rage and had Jūzō imprisoned. The child was already being pursued by Kiri's ANBU.
Liumu's knowledge of the Third Mizukage was sparse—only that he was a former bodyguard of the Second. In the grand narrative, he was a faceless figure with the least presence.
He didn't have time to dwell on village politics. With a swift strike from the flat of his light-blade, he knocked Kuriarare unconscious. His form dissolved into light once more, streaming directly into the heart of Kirigakure.
Inside the Mizukage's Office.
The Third Mizukage watched as a human figure coalesced from swirling golden particles right before his desk. A terrifying, ice-cold killing intent flickered in his eyes.
"For you to appear here… means they have fallen," the Mizukage stated, his voice a low, calm rumble laced with a hidden sharpness.
Liumu offered a faint smile in return. He pulled out the chair opposite the Mizukage and sat down without invitation.
"So… you still don't intend to reveal who sent you?" the Mizukage asked, his gaze piercing.
Liumu shook his head, meeting that gaze squarely.
"Or perhaps…" the Mizukage continued, a new thought dawning, "…you were discovered by them?"
The words sparked a flicker of suspicion in Liumu. The Mizukage's sharp eyes hinted at deeper currents, at intrigues Liumu had no part in.
But Liumu had only one goal here.
"I want to see Jūzō of the Loquat," he stated bluntly.
The Mizukage's frown deepened. He stared at Liumu, as if trying to peel back layers of deception from the boy's placid face.
"Don't look at me like that," Liumu said, a sphere of churning light forming in his upturned palm. "I'm only here for information on Haku's origins. As for anything else… don't be nervous. I'm not here on anyone else's behalf." He glanced meaningfully at the floor. "I know he's down there. I'll leave once I have my answers. Kirigakure remains your Kirigakure. That's all."
Anyone who could defeat six of the Seven Swordsmen was a threat even to the Mizukage himself. Facing such power, the Mizukage knew direct confrontation was futile. A true powerhouse had no need for subterfuge against the weak. Under absolute strength, all schemes were merely wasted effort.
Jūzō was imprisoned by the Mizukage's own order. That was why Liumu was here.
"Very well," the Mizukage conceded after a long, tense silence. "But… I will accompany you."
(End of Chapter)
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