Fuguki Suikazan's eyes, as large as saucers, contracted slightly as he instinctively grabbed the Samehada from his back and brought it in front of him.
Boom!
A crackling blue bolt of lightning struck the blade, making the living sword let out a grumbling protest. Its spiked scales sizzled, turning black in patches.
That was close!
Fuguki didn't even have time to worry about Samehada's complaints. Cold sweat dripped down his back as the reality of the situation sank in.
The Mist ninja behind him, who had been just about to launch their attack on the Konoha merchant ship, stood frozen in shock. None of them had expected to be ambushed first.
What was worse was that they hadn't sensed the enemy at all.
In Mist Village, the Silent Killing Technique was a badge of pride. It allowed the Mist ninja to become invisible in the fog, masking their presence while distorting their enemies' senses. Even the best sensor ninjas could fall prey to it.
But today, the Silent Killing Technique had completely failed.
The enemy had slipped through their fog without a sound. If that attack had targeted anyone other than Fuguki, there would have been corpses littering the deck already.
Is that... a weird type of lightning jutsu? Could it be Cloud Village ninja?
Fuguki let Samehada soak up his chakra for repairs, all the while keeping his bulging eyes glued to the foggy sea.
A second flash of blue lightning split the dense mist, and a shadowy figure began to approach the ship.
"Tch, Ninja Art: Needle Senbon Barrage!"
Still shaken from the initial attack, Fuguki quickly formed hand seals, hoping to force the intruder out of hiding.
He wanted to see exactly who had the audacity to attack them.
His bright orange hair spiked up like a porcupine, each strand turning as hard as steel wire before launching out like a rain of needles.
"Oh?" Takuya hummed in mild surprise as the barrage of needles closed in on him from the mist.
The move reminded him of a certain "most handsome" and shameless frog sage.
This technique was just like his—turning your hair into sharp projectiles and launching them in a barrage like some kind of spiky hedgehog. Unfortunately...
It's a bit weak.
Even Minato, who learned the move from Jiraiya, never really used it. In his words, "It's too weak." Plus, there was always the risk of going bald.
Honestly, Takuya wasn't trying to insult anyone in particular, but Fuguki Suikazan? The guy was ugly.
A body shaped like a barrel, a face like a pig, and to top it off, a hairstyle that was oddly feminine—long, orange locks trailing down his back, nearly as long as Samehada. The whole look was just... off.
Some might say Hoshigaki Kisame, the so-called "tailless tailed beast," looked weird, but compared to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Takuya thought Kisame looked positively charming.
Or maybe it was just that nobody from the Land of Water seemed to have a decent face... well, except Yagura, that little punk. He could definitely outshine most of them.
Of course, Yagura only looked like a kid. In reality, he was around Takuya's age, maybe a tad older.
"Die!"
Fuguki roared as his spiky hair attack covered Takuya's position in a lethal rain of needles.
"Is that all?"
Takuya shook his head, disappointment clear in his voice. That attack was almost laughable.
Honestly, charging at me with Samehada would've been more effective.
His Raijin sword burst into a dazzling glow of lightning as he easily deflected the hair-needles, leaving the smell of burnt hair hanging in the air.
"Nani?!"
Seeing Takuya emerge completely unscathed, strolling toward him as if this were some casual walk in the park, Fuguki's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. How had this man just shrugged off his attack like it was nothing?!
Just then, a flash of yellow streaked across the deck, followed by a chorus of agonizing screams. Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering across the wooden floorboards.
Minato stood calmly, wiping the kunai in his hand and giving Fuguki an appraising look. "This guy is your target? He seems... pretty weak."
Fuguki Suikazan: "..."
What the hell is this?! These freaks just took out my entire squad in the blink of an eye!
He stared at the bodies littering the deck, fear gripping his chest. The battle spirit he'd managed to muster up was rapidly evaporating.
Takuya facepalmed. "Yeah... he is a bit on the weak side. Guess I overestimated him."
Fuguki Suikazan wasn't even at his peak yet. He'd only recently joined the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Samehada gave him a decent power boost, but without it, he was just another upper-tier jonin at best.
And even at his peak, in front of Takuya, he wouldn't be worth much.
Minato already considered him a weakling, so it wasn't like Takuya expected anything impressive either.
"Who are you people?! Why attack a Mist Village warship?!"
"You idiot," Minato muttered under his breath.
Takuya sighed, feeling the secondhand embarrassment wash over him. "Put down Samehada, and I'll let you live."
Did this guy even know what he was saying? The Mist Village was the one attacking the Fire Country's trade routes and merchant ships, and now he's asking why they're retaliating against Mist Village ships?
Fuguki Suikazan, you're a joke.
It was no wonder Hoshigaki Kisame later offed him and stole Samehada. He was practically begging for it.
"Die!!"
Suddenly, Fuguki roared and lunged forward, swinging Samehada down at Takuya's head.
Samehada was a unique weapon, and its fighting style was unlike any other heavy sword. But still...
Why choose death when you can live?
Minato sighed, sheathing his kunai as he stepped away to inspect the warship, wondering if there were any extra spoils they could grab. As for Fuguki Suikazan... even Minato didn't think the guy stood a chance against Takuya.
With just a glare, Takuya could end him.
And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Takuya shot him a deathly look, and Fuguki froze mid-swing, eyes wide with fear.
Even the strongest kage-level opponents couldn't escape the paralysis of Takuya's Mangekyō Sharingan. What hope did a pathetic Fuguki Suikazan have?
Had it been the Third Mizukage standing there, Takuya might've put in a bit more effort. But Fuguki? He wasn't even worth it.
"Too weak to live," Takuya muttered, his Raijin sword piercing through Fuguki's heart in an instant, the faint smell of burning flesh rising as the lightning scorched his wound shut.
Not a single drop of blood spilled.
Takuya calmly unstrapped Samehada from the lifeless body and tossed Fuguki's corpse onto the deck like discarded trash.
**********************************************
Check out my other translation
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is a bonus chapter for reaching 500 Power Stones.
Next Bonus 1000
**********************
(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 305+ at patreon.com/ Emik01. Don't forget to give a power stone for many bonus chapters