Chapter 5 — All-Out Battle: Switching the Battlefield
Water and fire collided, erupting into a sky-filling mist.
This was not the deliberately cast Hidden Mist Technique, but scalding steam infused with extreme heat. In an instant, it completely engulfed Kuriarashi Kushimaru at the center.
His skin hissed as it burned, and his most vulnerable organs—his eyes—were assaulted by searing pain, forcing him to clamp them shut.
The high temperature did not last long.
Under Namikaze Yami's Kagura's Mind's Eye, Kushimaru's condition was perfectly clear—he had not yet lost his fighting ability.
What was worse, such a violent clash had already drawn the attention of Mist ninja in the core area. Within Yami's perception, multiple chakra signatures were rapidly closing in.
Seizing the moment when the heat subsided but the mist had yet to disperse, Yami flashed forward—almost like teleportation—appearing at Kushimaru's rear flank. Kunai in hand, he slashed down without hesitation.
Kushimaru hadn't fully recovered, but battle instinct took over. He forcibly raised Nuibari, thrusting straight out, attempting to trade offense for defense and force the attacker back.
Pssh—thrk—
The sound of blades piercing flesh rang out with brutal clarity.
Kushimaru's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his opponent. He hadn't expected a single exchange to decide everything—Nuibari pierced cleanly through Yami's chest, driving straight through his heart without resistance.
At the same time, Yami didn't slow down in the slightest.
He allowed the blade to fully impale his body, pressing forward instead. The kunai in his hand mercilessly pierced Kushimaru's throat, blood erupting like a fountain.
Kushimaru released Nuibari, both hands flying to his neck as if trying to delay the inevitable.
Yami's face twisted in pain, yet his enhanced physique kept him standing despite his wavering body. In a low voice, he spoke:
"Redeem Rapid Body Regeneration."
"Pawn."
Five hundred points vanished from the system panel. The gaping wound through Yami's chest healed at a visible speed, leaving only bloodstains to testify to the brutality of the exchange.
---
[Scan complete. Pawnable items detected:]
Dying elite jōnin ×1 — Valuation: 50 points
Unrecorded ninjutsu (extractable) ×1 — Valuation: 200 points
Special ninja blade 'Nuibari' ×1 — Valuation: 200 points
---
"Pawn everything."
Light flashed. The powerful enemy and his deadly weapon vanished completely.
This battle had left Yami with his chest pierced clean through—and he'd even taken a 50-point loss. Thinking about it made his chest ache all over again.
This fight had been far too risky.
If Nuibari hadn't been a piercing-type weapon, he would never have dared gamble like this. Against any other of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's blades, that exchange would have been suicide.
Sensing that the approaching enemies were now only a few kilometers away, Yami didn't dare waste a second. He flashed over to Jōnin Itō Makoto.
For this Konoha jōnin—who had never abandoned his subordinates even in death—Yami felt nothing but respect.
After learning the Water Clone Technique, Yami had left a clone behind at the small house as insurance, while his real body scavenged the battlefield.
If Itō Makoto hadn't returned as promised, Yami wouldn't have bothered coming back for the two traitors at all. Survival came first.
Even the desperate "switch-the-base" strike had been a contingency he'd improvised on the spot.
"Jōnin Itō…"
Looking at Itō Makoto, who was slipping into unconsciousness from blood loss, Yami hesitated.
Hearing his voice, Itō Makoto struggled to open his eyes. His gaze was complicated—relief mixed with shock.
Using the last of his strength, he pointed weakly to his chest.
"Genin Namikaze… the scroll in my arms…
Intelligence on the Land of Whirlpools… take it back to Konoha…"
"I really wanted… to see the village one more time."
His voice faded, until there was nothing left.
Yami silently removed the scroll from his arms, then used a recovered storage scroll to collect Itō Makoto's body.
"Take us with you! Please—save us!"
Shimizu Kenjin's desperate plea rang out at the worst possible moment, shattering the brief, heavy silence.
The two were battered and bloodied. Though they hadn't completely lost the ability to move, in their current state, escaping on their own was impossible.
A cold glint flashed through Namikaze Yami's eyes.
"Almost forgot about you two."
"Trash not even worthy of being pawned—go regret it in hell."
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet."
Before either of them could react, searing flames swallowed them whole. In the blink of an eye, their screams were snuffed out, their bodies reduced to charred husks.
With everything dealt with, Yami expanded the range of Kagura's Mind's Eye to its limit. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward the Land of Fire.
---
Konoha — Hokage's Office
Smoke curled thickly through the Hokage's office.
In the prime of his life, Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the battle reports from the front lines, his expression heavy.
Konoha had only just forced back the ambitious Hanzō of the Salamander, and then—almost single-handedly—locked horns with both Iwagakure and Sunagakure, fighting so fiercely it nearly drove everyone mad.
Although Konoha was overflowing with talent—boasting powerhouses like the Three Sannin and Konoha's White Fang, each capable of standing alone—war was not merely about combat. It was a trial of logistics and accumulated foundations.
The pressure on Konoha was immense.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen continued issuing orders, an ANBU ninja suddenly appeared, kneeling respectfully.
"One member of Itō Squad, assigned to the Land of Whirlpools reconnaissance mission, has returned."
"…Who?"
"Namikaze Yami."
Hiruzen paused mid-motion, clearly searching his memory. After a moment, he nodded.
"Bring him in."
---
Yami had not stopped for a moment on his return journey. Even after crossing into the Land of Fire, he skipped all outposts, instead heading straight back to Konoha—directly to the Hokage Tower.
With the office doors already open, and after ANBU reported his arrival, Yami was finally allowed inside.
The moment he stepped in, the two locked eyes.
Yami spoke calmly, delivering the words he had already rehearsed countless times on the road back:
"Itō Squad—Genin Namikaze Yami—reporting.
Mission infiltration completed."
"Infiltration?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately sensed something amiss. Yami looked exhausted, but he had deliberately emphasized the word infiltration.
"And the rest of your squad?"
"…All deceased. I alone survived."
Yami then recounted how the squad had infiltrated Uzushiogakure, and—acting in accordance with orders—successfully retrieved a sealing technique scroll.
As he finished speaking, he placed two scrolls onto the desk:
One was the secret technique scroll taken from Itō Makoto's chest.
The other contained Itō Makoto's body.
Seeing the two scrolls still stained with blood, Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent for a long while.
"Repeat the orders you received," he finally said.
"The orders instructed us to infiltrate Uzushiogakure, retrieve sealing technique scrolls, and reconnoiter the extent of Kirigakure's invasion."
"…You may return and rest," Hiruzen said at last.
"You have exceeded mission expectations. Konoha will not allow its heroes to bleed—and then be left to grieve alone."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Yami said nothing more.
During his return, he had already replayed the mission repeatedly in his mind. The wording of the orders had felt… subtly wrong.
Unwilling to linger even a moment longer, he had gone straight back to Konoha to report in person.