"This person…"
"It's… it's Lady Mei Terumi!"
"Thank goodness, Lady Mei Terumi has arrived!!"
As the familiar figure appeared in front of them, the exhausted Kirigakure shinobi felt a wave of relief. However, some had more complex reactions, looking confused and uncertain.
"Didn't they say… Lady Mei Terumi had defected?"
"Who said Lady Mei Terumi defected?" Chojuro, normally a quiet and shy boy, suddenly shouted in anger at the remark from a nearby chunin. "Do you have proof? Did you see her defect? Has she done anything to harm Kirigakure?"
Not only Chojuro, but the other surrounding shinobi also gave disapproving looks at the chunin. Talking about such things in the middle of the crisis with the Six-Tails rampaging was hardly the time.
"This… this…" The chunin felt aggrieved. It wasn't like he came up with the idea that Mei had defected—wasn't that what Genji himself had implied? Even Fuguki Suikazan had been leading operations to capture her, claiming she was a traitor.
The chunin glanced toward Fuguki, but to his surprise, the large man was now solemnly addressing the group, saying, "In our current situation, we must unite every bit of strength we can. Don't fall for the enemy's schemes to divide us. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Lady Mei is innocent! After all the hardships she went through to escape the clutches of Senju Hashirama, how can we suspect her? Think about it! It's truly heartless to doubt her after everything she's been through."
Nobody criticized Fuguki for changing his tune so quickly. The claims of Mei's defection had always been shaky, with no formal charges or bounty placed on her, even if Genji had spoken about it. Now that Mei had appeared to help contain the Six-Tails, nobody in their right mind would question her loyalties, especially since they needed her power more than ever, regardless of any past rumors.
"You all, buy me some time!!" Mei shouted after setting down the injured kunoichi she had just rescued.
Immediately, voices responded, "Everyone, let's move!!"
Fuguki, walking among the crowd of shinobi rushing toward the Six-Tails, glanced at Mei Terumi, who was preparing to cast jutsu. His face briefly flashed with a dark expression.
He was certain that Mei was somehow involved in the crisis facing the village. He even believed that the current disaster was partly her doing. But now, he couldn't voice any of his suspicions. The fact that Mei could show herself so boldly meant that the entire situation in Kirigakure had likely fallen into her hands, or rather, the hands of the forces behind her. Within the village, there were probably many collaborating with her.
Though internally cursing his own helplessness, Fuguki still chose to fight with full strength to buy Mei time. He couldn't afford to let anyone realize that he knew the truth.
Mei, standing at the rear of the charging group, was unaware of Fuguki's internal conflict. Even if she knew, she wouldn't have cared. Kirigakure, desperate and drowning, would cling to any lifeline it could find. Even if Mei's allegiance was uncertain, they had no choice.
And time would prove that the path Mei had chosen for Kirigakure was indeed its true future.
As she prepared her hand seals and looked at the Six-Tails, she murmured softly,
"Your performance is over. Time to exit the stage… Utakata."
On another battlefield in Kirigakure, a similar scene was playing out. However, unlike the earlier situation, these Kirigakure shinobi had been forewarned. When they saw nearly a hundred rogue shinobi wearing Kirigakure forehead protectors charging onto the battlefield, they weren't entirely surprised.
Though caution still lingered.
These rogue shinobi immediately took over the fight against the Taketori Clan, giving the previously overwhelmed Kirigakure forces a chance to catch their breath.
"I see Moritani over there… That guy once pushed a wounded comrade off a cliff because he thought the injury was a burden. If that comrade hadn't survived and made it back to the village, Moritani would've gotten away with it," one Kirigakure shinobi muttered, watching a particular figure on the battlefield with a conflicted expression.
"And there's Ueno Fuyumura, the monster who slaughtered his own parents. What's he doing here?" another shinobi growled.
"I can see the guy who killed my brother… What should I do? I want to gut him." One shinobi silently clenched his kunai.
Hearing this, the rogue shinobi responsible for his brother's death—an exiled Kirigakure jonin—glanced back after slicing down a Taketori Clan member. He wiped the blood off his blade and smirked provocatively.
These rogue shinobi all had their own crimes hanging over them. Even though they were now helping defend the village, it was difficult for the Kirigakure shinobi to suppress their hatred and anger toward them.
Of course, not all of the rogue shinobi were outright murderers. In fact, many of them had defected purely because they couldn't endure the oppression under Yagura. Some had left without committing heinous acts, only defecting after their plan to assassinate Yagura had been exposed. They had joined forces with Zabuza and Kurosuki Raiga, hoping not only to return to Kirigakure but also to help create a better village.
Raiga's reputation, in particular, stood out. As one of the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he was widely known in the village. His rebellion against Yagura had caused quite a stir, and many Kirigakure shinobi had followed his lead when he defected.
Kenshi Hozuki, a Kirigakure shinobi, was surprised to see someone unexpected among the rogues—Suigetsu Hozuki, a former prodigy of the Hozuki Clan.
Yes, Zabuza was called the "Demon of the Mist," but Suigetsu was known as "Little Zabuza."
"That kid…" Kenshi paused, then chuckled.
Kenshi didn't think Suigetsu had returned out of any loyalty to the clan or the village. The nickname "Little Zabuza" wasn't just for show—Suigetsu had a violent, sadistic streak and was obsessed with dismembering and decapitating people. After the death of his brother, Mangetsu, Suigetsu had dedicated his life to collecting the seven ninja swords of the Mist. He had left the village years ago, and Kenshi had assumed he'd been captured by some rogue scientist or worse.
As the battle raged on, a member of the Taketori Clan impaled Suigetsu with a bone sword, leaving his body to collapse into a pool of water. The Taketori shinobi scratched his head, figuring it was just a water clone, and moved on, laughing as he attacked another enemy.
"What are you doing here?" Kenshi asked as he approached the puddle of water with a frown.
The water pooled together, forming Suigetsu's head. He looked up at Kenshi and replied matter-of-factly, "I'm here for the swords."
"The swords?"
"Yeah, the Thunder Blades: Kiba and the Executioner's Blade!" Suigetsu planted his hands on the ground as the water reformed his body. He stood up and, despite all these years, was still not quite at Kenshi's chest level. He scowled in dissatisfaction. "Especially the Executioner's Blade. I'm hoping I can snatch it from Zabuza."
"Zabuza is here too?" Kenshi glanced around but didn't see Zabuza. All he saw was Raiga wreaking havoc with the Thunder Blades, lightning flashing as he struck down members of the Taketori Clan.
"I saw him just a bit ago…" Suigetsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then pointed in a certain direction. "Oh, over there!"
Kenshi looked where Suigetsu pointed and saw a tall man shrouded in mist. Bone spikes jutted from his body, making him look like a porcupine. He was the leader of the Taketori Clan, the one who had caused them so much trouble. The Taketori leader seemed to be in a standoff with someone, his face tense with caution.
The next second, a sharp flash of white light streaked through the mist. Bones were severed, and blood sprayed from the leader's neck. He clutched his throat in disbelief before collapsing to the ground.
Amid the stunned silence, a figure appeared from the mist, bending down to pick up the severed head.
"The killer is the Demon of the Mist, Zabuza."
A cheer erupted from the Kirigakure shinobi. In stark contrast, the Taketori Clan members fell silent, faces contorted in shock and rage. Many raised their bone swords and charged at Zabuza.
Even with their leader dead, the Taketori Clan showed no intention of fleeing. In fact, their morale seemed to rise.
"What a fine sword," Suigetsu said admiringly.
Kenshi didn't reply, his thoughts swirling with mixed emotions. The power of these rogue Kirigakure shinobi was terrifying. Now that they were returning, who would truly control the future of the village?
Who could unite such formidable strength?
The battle for Kirigakure was drawing to a close.
On the battlefield, as the last Taketori Clan member fell, the Kirigakure shinobi secured their final victory.
Though there was still animosity between the Kirigakure shinobi and their former comrades, now rogue shinobi, the shared experience of fighting together had softened their relations somewhat.
Without the help of these rogue shinobi, it wouldn't just be the Kirigakure forces who would have died—the entire village would have been lost.
The rogue shinobi settled down on one side of the battlefield, while the Kirigakure forces stayed on the other. Raiga calmed his comrades, then approached Zabuza, asking directly, "When will Mei Terumi take control of Kirigakure?"
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Zabuza raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not, but my men need to know a firm timeline. They're worried about their families and friends. They can't be left outside the village forever," Raiga explained.
"Being labeled as rogues is not something that will be fixed just because you helped fend off the Taketori Clan's attack," Zabuza replied coolly.
Raiga clenched his fists, his anger barely restrained. "What does that mean? This isn't what we agreed on."
Zabuza sighed in annoyance. "Look around. Kirigakure is in ruins. You walk in with rogue headbands, and all you're going to do is make everyone more nervous."
"Don't think I don't know what you're really after. You refuse to remove those headbands because you want to prove something to the people you used to know…"
Zabuza's words were cut off by a sudden commotion outside. He and Raiga exchanged a glance and hurried out of the tent.
"What's going on?"
"Raiga-sama, one of Kirigakure's Hunter-nin is here…" a rogue shinobi growled.
Ordinary rogues didn't usually have personal grudges against regular Kirigakure shinobi, but those who had faced the Hunter-nin often held deep enmity. For them, it was a cat-and-mouse relationship—where only one could survive when they met.
Zabuza's eyes narrowed as he spotted the masked figure of the young Hunter-nin. After a moment of thought, he asked, "What brings you here?"
Haku carefully set down the unconscious Harusame and took a deep breath before replying, "I can't let the people in the village see him."
Kirigakure was investigating the true cause of the Six-Tails rampage. Based on the testimony of Aoki Shinko, they had identified a woman from the Yuki Clan and Harusame, Utakata's teacher, as prime suspects.
Haku himself had disguised as the woman, so he wasn't at risk of being discovered, but Harusame was in danger of being recognized.
"I'll arrange for him to be taken to the Land of Waves," Zabuza nodded.
For Harusame, Kirigakure—and the entire Land of Water—was no longer safe.
"Thank you, Zabuza-sama," Haku smiled.
Zabuza frowned, feeling something off. When had their relationship become so formal that they needed to thank each other?
Just as he was about to continue speaking, Haku waved his hand and started to leave.
"There are still many wounded in the village who need treatment, Zabuza-sama. I need to go now!"
Zabuza paused, his chest tightening slightly. Raiga, narrowing his eyes as he watched Haku's retreating figure, asked, "Who was that?"
"Just an ordinary friend," Zabuza replied calmly.
Raiga nodded. After all, why would a rogue shinobi have close ties to someone from the Hunter-nin?
As Raiga looked down at the unconscious Harusame, he pondered the brief conversation they'd had.
What role had Utakata's teacher, Harusame, played in the Six-Tails incident? And why was it that, after everything, he could no longer stay in Kirigakure?
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