A week later, at the Mist Battlefield.
"Shisui, we're surrounded."
A boy with a fan crest on his back and a button-like nose heard the words of his clansman beside him. He then saw the nearly tangible mist encircling them and bit his lip tightly.
"Damn it, how did it come to this…"
Besides Shisui and a few other members of the Uchiha clan, there were also over a dozen ninjas from the Hidden Leaf Village present.
After all, on the battlefield, refusing to cooperate at all would be akin to courting death.
Of course, due to the rift between the Uchiha and the village, even when the two mutually hostile sides formed a unit to face the enemy, they couldn't function effectively together.
Shisui couldn't understand why the intelligence from the village had said that as long as they took this route, they wouldn't encounter any Mist ninja.
But why?
Why did it feel like they were rabbits, falling directly into a trap the enemy had long prepared?
"Heh, these cowards from the Hidden Leaf are already trembling in fear."
A burly man with disheveled orange hair stepped out of the mist. It was Fuguki Suikazan, carrying a massive Samehada on his shoulder, his face full of menace.
The next moment, a young man with short white hair, bandages wrapped around his neck, and wielding twin swords, Hiramekarei, stepped out.
"Don't underestimate the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf."
He glanced at Fuguki Suikazan with a mocking smile, his rows of sharp teeth flashing.
"Did you forget that during the Great Ninja War, four of your generation's trash were kicked to death by a mere Genin from the Leaf?"
Hearing the mention of the greatest humiliation of his life, Fuguki Suikazan is face became even more twisted.
"Mangetsu, if you dare to bring that up again, I'll kill you first!"
"You're welcome to try. In fact, I wouldn't mind adding Samehada to my collection."
Watching the two bicker and verge on fighting, every Hidden Leaf ninja, including Shisui Uchiha, began sweating nervously.
There was no doubt about the burly man's identity.
He was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the wielder of Samehada, and an elite Jonin of the Hidden Mist Village, Fuguki Suikazan.
And the white-haired young man was even more significant.
Also one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he was known for being able to wield all seven swords with ease, a genius blessed by the heavens, Mangetsu Hōzuki.
In the shifting mist, the faint silhouettes of nearly a hundred Hidden Mist ninjas appeared.
Realizing the disparity in numbers, Shisui began to feel a sense of despair.
He couldn't understand why there was a mistake in the village's intelligence.
"Alright, let's get started."
Mangetsu Hōzuki yawned, put away his twin swords, pointed his right index finger casually at a Hidden Leaf ninja, and said indifferently.
"Water Gun Technique."
"Bang!"
A liquid shot from his fingertip like a bullet, piercing through the forehead of the Hidden Leaf ninja.
"Damn it!"
Seeing his comrade fall, the naturally kind-hearted Shisui Uchiha is eyes filled with rage.
In his mind, even ninjas not of the Uchiha clan were comrades of the same village.
But Shisui also knew that even in a one-on-one battle, he had no confidence in defeating a powerful opponent like Mangetsu Hōzuki.
Let alone the fact that Fuguki Suikazan and nearly a hundred other Mist ninjas were also present.
Just as the Hidden Leaf team was falling into despair, a sudden gust of wind blew through, creating a clear path through the mist.
"Hm? Reinforcements?"
Everyone in the area couldn't help but turn their gaze toward the source.
A woman clad in a black robe with red clouds descended gracefully into the battlefield, her paper wings spread wide like those of an angel.
Konan scanned the surroundings. When her gaze landed on the fan crest behind Shisui, she spoke in a calm tone.
"You, are you a ninja of the Uchiha clan?"
Shisui, unsure if she was friend or foe, nodded solemnly.
Seeing this, Konan slowly spoke.
"Where is Night Star Uchiha?"
Hearing this question, Shisui and the other Uchiha ninjas were stunned.
Lord Night Star? Had he come to the Mist frontlines?
They hadn't heard anything about that.
Shisui's expression remained stoic, but he replied gravely.
"I don't know who you are, so forgive me for not answering your question."
"Is that so?"
Just as Konan was about to say more, Fuguki Suikazan lost his patience.
"Where did this woman come from? Let's kill her!"
With that, he charged forward at full speed, swinging the massive Samehada at Konan with all his might.
Konan reacted swiftly, her paper wings flapping to deflect Fuguki Suikazan is attack.
"Water Gun Technique!"
Mangetsu Hōzuki also launched his attack, and Konan used her paper wings to block him as well.
However, she quickly realized that once her paper came into contact with water, it couldn't maintain its original shape.
Mangetsu Hōzuki sneered.
"As I thought, your technique is unique, but its weakness is obvious—water."
Konan frowned slightly, realizing that her Paper Release technique indeed had such a weakness. She had been trying to find a way to improve it over the past few years.
She hadn't expected her opponent to see through it so quickly in their first encounter.
Mangetsu Hōzuki smiled, revealing his sharp teeth.
"Alright, launch the full assault and send them—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt the surroundings darken.
Everyone looked up to see thick clouds gathering in the sky.
"Lord Mangetsu, the mist… the mist!"
Hearing his subordinates' panicked shouts, Mangetsu Hōzuki and Fuguki Suikazan turned around and saw a shocking sight.
The mist they had created with the Hidden Mist Technique was turning into a deep black color, starting from its outer edges.
While the Mist ninjas were horrified, Shisui, seeing this, suddenly let out a breath of relief, a look of reassurance appearing on his face.
He looked at Konan and pointed to the now pitch-black mist.
"Weren't you looking for Night Star Uchiha?"
"He's here."
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