The Memorial Stele.
Once, this place existed to honor the dead. Now, it stood on the brink of becoming the birthplace of a new war.
The so-called new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist gathered before the towering monument, their expressions a mix of solemnity and barely restrained excitement. This was the moment they had waited for—the moment blood would wash away what they called false peace.
At the front stood Shizuma Hoshigaki, bandaged Samehada resting against his shoulder. The grotesque sword seemed to pulse faintly, as if sensing the impending slaughter.
With a grin, Shizuma raised the blade, preparing to bring it down upon the Memorial Stele itself.
Whoosh—!
Several compressed jets of water tore through the mist, forcing Shizuma to halt mid-motion.
A lone figure stepped forward through the fog.
Chōjūrō, Sixth Mizukage of Kirigakure.
He held an ordinary katana in one hand, his expression calm, almost sorrowful.
Shizuma laughed softly. "So you came after all… Lord Mizukage. And alone, too."
Before Chōjūrō could respond, Ichirōta Oniyuzu, wielding Kabutowari, stepped forward and intercepted the water bullets with a single swing, the axe-blade splitting the streams apart.
"How lonely," Hebiichigo sneered, her Nuibari needle glinting faintly. "Did all your allies abandon you?"
"I'm more than enough," Chōjūrō replied evenly.
His gaze shifted past them—to Kagura, who stood gripping Hiramekarei, silent.
"I entrusted Hiramekarei to you," Chōjūrō said. "Not so it could be used to plunge this village back into chaos."
Kagura's fingers tightened around the hilts. Boruto wasn't here. That realization settled heavily in his chest.
"I'm not creating chaos," Kagura said, voice steady. "I want a truly beautiful country. Not peace built on purges and fear."
Chōjūrō exhaled slowly. "So that's how you see it."
Shizuma's laughter rang out, sharp and mocking.
"Listen to him, Kagura. This is the man who turned the Bloody Mist into a tourist attraction. He disgraced our ancestors and buried the village's fangs."
He pointed Samehada at Chōjūrō. "You're the real sinner of Kirigakure."
Silence followed.
Then Chōjūrō raised his sword.
"Enough."
— Hidden Mist Technique.
Dense fog exploded outward, swallowing the entire area in a heartbeat. Vision vanished. Sound dulled. The battlefield became a void of shifting shadows.
"This," Shizuma shouted, voice echoing through the mist, "is how Kirigakure fights!"
"Kill him!"
"Take the Mizukage's head!"
Hebiichigo struck first. Black threads shot out, stitching themselves through the fog, weaving a deadly net aimed straight for Chōjūrō.
Steel flashed.
Chōjūrō severed the threads cleanly before they could close.
From below, crackling arcs of lightning spread outward as Buntan Kurosuki slammed Kiba into the ground, electricity racing across the wet stone.
Chōjūrō responded instantly—water surged beneath his feet, redirecting the current away from his body.
Shizuma watched intently from atop the stele.
"Without Hiramekarei," he said calmly, "you're nothing special. Experience alone won't save you."
Two figures burst from the mist at once.
Hachiya Hachirō brought down Kubikiribōchō, while Ichirōta swung Kabutowari, axe and hammer crashing together in a devastating arc meant to shatter anything caught between.
Chōjūrō didn't retreat.
Water spiraled around his blade, reinforcing it. A water barrier formed at his side.
Kubikiribōchō slammed into the shield. Kabutowari struck his sword.
The impact numbed his arm—but the rotating water dispersed the force.
In that instant, Chōjūrō released his grip.
The sudden loss of resistance threw Ichirōta's balance off completely.
Chōjūrō shifted, driving his blade into the ground to redirect the momentum—then formed a weapon of pure water in his free hand.
— Water Release: Water Fang Blade.
Ichirōta's eyes widened.
Too late.
The water blade pierced straight through his chest.
Blood sprayed as the hammer froze mid-swing.
Chōjūrō vanished.
Boom—!!
Kabutowari smashed into the ground, shattering stone and steel alike, the shockwave ripping through the fog.
A water dragon surged from the mist, lifting Ichirōta's lifeless body skyward before hurling it down.
The impact crushed him into the earth.
Silence followed—broken only by the dripping of water.
Chōjūrō stepped forward, his breath steady, eyes cold.
"This is what war looks like," he said quietly. "Only those who survive get to speak about ideals."
Shizuma grinned wider, eyes gleaming with madness.
"See, Kagura?" he called. "This is peace. Built on corpses."
Kagura's hesitation was shattered.
"I won't look away anymore," he said, lifting Hiramekarei. "I'll kill this executioner myself."
The mist churned.
And the real battle was about to begin.
---
A/N: A New Fanfic Is Out "Bleach: Reborn As Ishida Uryuu"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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