Chapter 34 – Konoha Gold (Part One)
"I really didn't expect this mission to be so easy. Captain Hannya, what do you think?"
From the capital city, Hyūga Ganghachirō—wearing his White Cloud mask—asked casually, his tone relaxed.
Minamoto Ren naturally nodded in agreement. This mission felt more like a countryside outing than a high-risk assignment. Along the way, the only encounters were with a few wild boars and venomous snakes native to the Land of Fire—nothing remotely dangerous.
Even upon arriving in the capital, they were warmly received by the Land of Fire's daimyō. They were accommodated in a dedicated inn, where attendants formally read out the daimyō's decree before escorting them for an audience.
This was Minamoto Ren's first time meeting the daimyō. He looked the young man straight in the eye without a trace of fear—a gesture that surprisingly earned the ruler's admiration. The man, adorned with a fire-cloud tasseled crown, even took the time to ask Ren about his ANBU codename and real name.
But that wasn't all—the daimyō then requested that they all remove their masks, saying he wanted to see the faces of Konoha's current generation. And once he did, it was clear he was impressed. Minamoto Ren and Namikaze Minato in particular left a strong impression, prompting the daimyō to remark:
"If every generation of Konoha shinobi were like the two of you, I believe the Land of Fire would only grow stronger… As for you two, I bestow upon you the title of Konoha's Twin Stars. May you produce many heirs so that the stars of the Land of Fire shine ever brighter."
…Fifteen years old and already being urged to settle down—Minamoto Ren could barely keep a straight face. But since it was praise from the daimyō, he could only grit his teeth and accept it.
The audience went smoothly, and the payment was generous. With a grand wave of his hand, the daimyō gifted them five sealed scrolls filled with silver notes—originally meant to be four, but he was in such good spirits he gave one extra.
Who says good looks won't get you anywhere in the shinobi world? Clearly, sometimes you can earn big just by having the right face.
After a night's rest, the group set out for Konoha. The mission's A-rank classification was less about actual danger and more about the severe political consequences of failure.
But somewhere in the shadows—unnoticed—a pufferfish-like figure popped with a pfft, dissolving into a puddle of water.
An hour later, Hyūga Haining and Hyūga Ganghachirō performed their routine Byakugan sweep.
Ganghachirō was relaxed—four days of scanning had revealed nothing unusual, and he expected the same this time.
But his face suddenly darkened. His Byakugan locked sharply onto the north—the very direction of Konoha, and the only route back!
"Strong chakra signatures—six… no, seven of them! All jōnin-level! Only three kilometers away!" he shouted, nearly losing composure.
Minamoto Ren froze, glancing at Hyūga Haining—only to see the man trembling all over, disbelief etched across his face.
"Maybe they're allies sent by Lord Danzō to escort us? He's temporarily in charge of the ANBU after Lord Sakumo stepped down," Shimura Yū tried to suggest with a strained smile.
Danzō…
The name hit Minamoto Ren like a lightning strike. The pieces began to fall into place.
Months ago, during the "Konoha's Grand Drink" incident, he had killed a Kirigakure ninja—one who, in his dying breath, had cursed Shimura Danzō.
Danzō had made his hostility toward Ren perfectly clear… and yet for three to four months, he had done nothing.
Now came this seemingly reasonable mission—one that Sarutobi Hiruzen would of course send his two most promising young shinobi, Minamoto Ren and Namikaze Minato, to undertake.
And then—the final, crucial piece of the puzzle.
Ren's eyes snapped to Shimura Yū like a starving wolf spotting prey. He remembered now: in the original story, among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, there was Fuguki Suikazan, the Pufferfish Demon, who had long maintained an intelligence exchange with Konoha. That very arrangement had cost countless Mist lives, ultimately driving Hoshigaki Kisame to betray his village, kill the Pufferfish Demon, and seize the sword Samehada.
Could Kirigakure's cooperation with Konoha really be the result of a backroom deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi?
And those in Konoha who are in league with Pufferfish—are they really that hard to guess?
Danzo had been lying low for so long. No wonder he never made a move—he had struck a bargain with the Hidden Mist, trading the lives of Minamoto Ren and Namikaze Minato in exchange for continued cooperation.
What a perfect win-win transaction…
Danzo could eliminate two "geniuses" qualified to compete for the Hokage's seat in one fell swoop. As for Kirigakure? They could take out the rising leaders of Konoha's new generation, expand their influence, and—perhaps most enticing of all—seize Konoha's coveted gold reserves.
Since this was Kirigakure's doing, and the number of incoming enemies was seven, it wasn't hard to guess their identities…
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!
Kirigakure's trump card—the ultimate executioners of the Bloody Mist!
Minamoto Ren's teeth almost ground to dust. Seven jōnin, each wielding one of the legendary blades. With their swords, even the weakest among them fought at elite jōnin level.
Escape.
As fast as possible. As far as possible.
"Move!"
Ren's voice was tight with suppressed urgency, veins bulging beneath his mask.
Without another word, his figure vanished, sprinting in the opposite direction of Konoha. The members of the Hannya Squad, though confused, immediately followed.
Team Okada hesitated for a moment—mainly because their captain couldn't be sure the newcomers weren't Konoha shinobi—until Namikaze Minato tugged his sleeve.
"Captain," Minato said gravely, "did you notice? Hannya is on edge… is he normally the type to get nervous?"
Hyūga Ganghachirō instantly caught his meaning. He activated his Byakugan again, scanning to the north, and saw the seven jōnin closing in fast. Even an idiot could tell something was wrong now.
Gritting his teeth, he turned and sprinted in the same direction as Ren.
"Oh? We've been spotted."
Fuguki Suikazan—Kirigakure's reconnaissance specialist among the Seven—spoke first. His clan's secret technique, the Pufferfish Poison Pursuit Jutsu, tracked enemies by reading their chakra signatures. That was why he was the first to notice the eight figures fleeing away from them.
"What's the point? Seven of us together could even take on the Hokage… the Mizukage really thinks highly of these kids," muttered the masked Jūzō Biwa, hefting his massive Kubikiribōchō with a hint of disdain.
"How dare you question the Mizukage's orders! Whatever—just don't defy mine," came the cold reply from their leader.
At the head was Hōzuki Mangetsu, heir to the twin blades, Hiramekarei. By unwritten tradition, only the most gifted among the Swordsmen could inherit Hiramekarei—and its wielder was always the de facto leader.
Through the dense forest, seven shadows flickered like phantoms, each carrying a unique sword, each with a different build, each wearing the same wild, hungry grin. The slanted or straight Mist headbands on their foreheads told the rest of the story.
It was the first time this generation of Swordsmen had ventured so far from home to the Land of Fire. They would baptize their blades in the blood of Konoha's brightest prodigies, and use their severed heads to make the name "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist" echo far and wide.
In the heart of the Land of Fire, sunlight streamed through the dense noon canopy. The deadly race had only just begun.
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