Hoshiyomi's voice rang out — cold and utterly emotionless — and for a moment, it genuinely stunned the jōnin who had just been relentlessly pressing the attack.
Inside the shrine, the gathered Uzumaki looked up at the lone figure standing atop the high wall, feelings stirring in their hearts.
So this… this is the power of Konoha? A young advance scout possesses strength this terrifying?
Well played, Hoshiyomi-kun. I'm just a waste of space...
Tsunade, along with the young girls of the Land of Whirlpools, found their gazes lingering on Hoshiyomi, standing alone at the wall's edge with sword in hand. Their eyes grew dazed.
Tsunade knew full well: Hoshiyomi had taken this risk to spare her and the others from having to fight. This wasn't bravado — it was a calculated move, made for their sake. That thought moved her deeply.
The younger girls, meanwhile, were at an age ripe for fantasy. They'd often imagined scenes like:
"My destined one will be a peerless hero. One day, he'll wield a magnificent sword, scatter armies with a single swing, and save me from mortal danger."
And now, Hoshiyomi's arrival matched that fantasy perfectly. Their minds were filled with only two bold characters: "Want. To. Marry."
Nearby, Jiraiya felt an ache of regret.
If I'd known this was the kind of effect it would have, I would've run headfirst into a barrage of ninjutsu just to stand beside the kid and show off too!
That punk Hoshiyomi — always showing off and never inviting his good brothers along.
Unbelievable.
Outside the shrine walls, the Four Village Allied Forces jōnin were stunned at first, then began to react in three different ways.
The first group, upon spotting the Konoha forehead protector on Hoshiyomi's brow, immediately understood that Konoha's reinforcements had arrived.
Their morale collapsed. And though they bristled at Hoshiyomi's display of bravado, none of them dared speak out.
The second group was more calculating. Though they'd been startled by Hoshiyomi's sudden appearance and overwhelming presence, a question gnawed at them:
Why would Konoha send this person out alone at a time like this?
That doesn't help their position at all. Wouldn't it be better to strike and wipe us all out at once?
Could it be that something's wrong on their side?
If so… maybe we still have a sliver of hope.
The third group had been simmering with frustration ever since their ships were destroyed. Now, seeing Hoshiyomi standing there so casually, they felt outright insulted.
They were the top combatants of their respective villages. It had been many years since anyone dared speak to them in such a way.
Yes — the youth before them had impressive presence, and the earlier sword slash was certainly formidable. But none of them truly believed this boy had the strength to fight them all alone.
Who does he think he is? Senju Hashirama?
Among them, Momochi Onikiri of Kirigakure was the very embodiment of the hot-headed type.
The moment he saw Hoshiyomi standing atop the wall, his temper flared.
Why does this brat get to stand there and run his mouth?
Yes, that sword slash was impressive — but surely it had taken everything he had. At most, he was bluffing now, buying time.
These cowards — scared of a single kid?
Fine. I'll expose him for what he is, and let the other villages see the power of the Mist!
With that thought, Momochi Onikiri stepped out from the crowd without hesitation. His massive Executioner's Blade dragged behind him across the ground, leaving a long line. The harsh screech of metal scraping along the ground sent a chill down the spines of even seasoned jōnin.
Charging forward, he quickly formed hand seals — and in an instant, thick white fog erupted around him.
Hidden Mist Jutsu.
His plan was simple: use the mist to obscure vision, close the gap, and finish the cocky boy off in a few clean strikes.
But before he could make his move, the sound of something cutting through the air suddenly pierced the fog.
A sharp gust tore through the mist.
Onikiri knew — the enemy's attack had come. He raised his massive blade — half the size of a door — in an attempt to block the incoming blue-green slash of chakra.
What he hadn't expected was that the speed and sharpness of the blade were far beyond his imagination.
His Executioner's Blade was cut clean through.
Crap—!
Momochi Onikiri's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively tried to let go of the blade and leap back — but he was too slow.
The blue-green chakra slash, having already cut through his sword, didn't lose any momentum — it carved straight through him, slicing him clean in two.
Outside the mist, no one could see what had happened. But they all heard the heavy thud of the Executioner's Blade hitting the ground.
Everyone knew: something had gone horribly wrong.
A Suna jōnin, swallowing his fear, unleashed a Wind Release technique to blow the mist away.
As the fog cleared, what lay before them made every breath freeze in their lungs.
Momochi Onikiri's body lay severed in two — his famed Executioner's Blade broken beside him.
At that moment, Hoshiyomi's voice rang out once more, right on cue:
"I told you — those who cross the line… die."
A collective shudder ran through the enemy lines.
One strike — and he cut through a blade half the size of a door… and a Mist jōnin along with it?!
How terrifying must this kid's strength be?
Has Konoha really begun producing young shinobi of Kage-level power?
Under normal circumstances, they would have resolved to kill him at all costs — no matter how many had to die to achieve it.
But this wasn't normal.
Konoha's main force was stationed right behind the wall.
If they attacked this boy now and triggered retaliation, they wouldn't even have a chance to escape.
Their survival instinct took over.
These jōnin had survived the First Great Ninja War — they weren't about to throw their lives away now.
They knew how to value their lives. And right now, the best move was to stay very, very still.
No one dared challenge him further.
What they didn't know was that Hoshiyomi himself was quietly sighing in relief.
That… actually worked. I wasn't sure I could scare them into backing off…
But then one idiot rushed out to help me make my point — and brought the Executioner's Blade with him. Perfect.
It's like fate itself was lending a hand.
The Executioner's Blade looked terrifying — wide, heavy, and brutally forged — but those familiar with its true nature knew the truth: the blade was more show than substance.
Its real ability was self-regeneration through blood — absorbing iron from human blood to reform when broken.
It sounded impressive, but the trade-off was that its actual durability was nothing special. Just slightly stronger than refined steel.
In the original story, even Killer B had been able to cut into it with a short blade infused with some Lightning Release chakra.
As for Hoshiyomi — his swordsmanship had already reached the Iron-Cutting Realm, and paired with finely honed Wind Release chakra, slicing through the Executioner's Blade was nothing at all.
Seeing that the enemy was shaken, Uzumaki Ashina used his Adamantine Sealing Chains to haul two large ship up to the top of the wall.
Hoshiyomi remained where he was — composed, steady, perfectly in control.
Ashina stepped forward and took on the role of negotiator.
As the ships rose, the enemy shinobi's eyes widened — their gazes fixed on the vessels.
Ashina saw their reactions and thought to himself:
Good. They're interested.
Although using Adamantine Chains to drag two ships consumed a lot of his Chakra, he persisted in keeping them suspended. He knew that if he let the ships down now, it wouldn't achieve the desired effect.
Clearing his throat, Ashina spoke loudly:
"To the allied forces of the Four Great Shinobi Villages — this old man has a word to say. I hope you will listen."
Author's Note:
The name "Momochi Onikiri" is borrowed from the fan novel Hatake Yasuo.
"装杯" is a humorous variant of "装逼" (to show off), and "弔人囬气" is a meme that roughly means "the guy who looks too cool is going to bring bad luck." These are just running jokes from my chats with friends lately. If you follow game streams or the online circle, you probably recognize them — but they shouldn't affect the story at all.