The sky above the great tree trembled as the beheading sword—massive and brutal—tore through the air like a bolt of black lightning. It pierced the tree trunk with a deafening crack, embedding itself so deeply that the wood groaned in protest. The blade quivered in place, buzzing like it had a will of its own. Neither Namikaze Minato nor Uchiha Fugaku flinched at the sight. From the moment they saw the trajectory, they already knew—Zabuza Momochi had arrived.
Leaping onto the embedded sword, Zabuza crouched atop it like a predator, eyes cold and filled with disdain. His voice dripped with sarcasm and bloodlust. "Didn't think Konoha would actually send someone competent, but what do I get? Two nobodies. Xiao Hei and Da Huang? What kind of joke names are those? Who names ninja like dogs?! Hahahahahaha!"
Minato and Fugaku exchanged a glance, neither answering his provocation. Instead, Minato casually flicked a few kunai toward Zabuza, seemingly without force. Zabuza scoffed. "Really? That's your attack? Hahahahaha! Are you trying to bore me to death?!"
But his laughter died the moment Minato vanished. In the blink of an eye, Zabuza felt a shift in the air behind him.
"I'm really not great with ninja tools," Minato's voice whispered in his ear. "But I'm fantastic with killing."
Buzz.Boom!
Zabuza was flung through the air, crashing into the mud several meters away. Namikaze Minato now stood atop the beheading sword where Zabuza once perched, his foot pressed lightly on the hilt. He bounced on it slightly and smiled. "Hmm… this is a decent weapon. No wonder Souta wants to bring the Seven Ninja Swordsmen under control."
Zabuza groaned, coughing up blood as he staggered to his feet. "Who… who the hell are you?! That wasn't just teleportation—there wasn't a single chakra fluctuation! You're not unknowns! You're monsters!"
Minato kept smiling. "Oh, my name is Namikaze Da Huang. My friend here is Uchiha Xiao Hei. We're just simple shinobi from Konoha… here to complete our mission."
Fugaku's lips curled upward slightly. "And as an extra… we're supposed to bring you back. Alive."
Zabuza's breath caught. He looked between the two of them—the calm yellow-haired shinobi who had crushed him with a single blow, and the Uchiha standing silent and unmoving like a statue. The sword was no longer in his hand. He knew what he had to do.
"I just need one of them," Zabuza muttered to himself. "If I can take the Uchiha as hostage, I can still win…"
Without warning, he bit his finger and slammed it into the ground.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
The dense fog rolled in with terrifying speed, clouding the entire area within a hundred-meter radius. Visibility dropped to nothing. Zabuza's laughter echoed through the mist, cold and serpentine.
"Hahahahahaha! Let's see how you fare in my domain! How should I kill you, little Uchiha? Should I break your arms? Crush your ribs? Or slice off your head?!"
But Uchiha Fugaku didn't move. He closed his eyes.
Then opened them again—revealing the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The chakra in the air trembled.
In the mist, Zabuza lunged. His kunai, gripped tight, aimed directly at Fugaku's throat. But before the blade could land—
"Susanoo."
The red glow illuminated the fog like a rising sun. A massive armored warrior surged into existence, catching Zabuza mid-strike. The Mist Demon struggled in the titanic hand, kicking and screaming, his strength utterly useless.
"What… what is this thing?!"
Fugaku gazed through the glowing chakra armor, his face calm. "Not bad. Elite jonin level, with decent assassination skills. You just had the bad luck to fight us."
As Zabuza writhed in the grip of Susanoo, the mist began to fade. Minato stepped forward again, holding the beheading sword casually over his shoulder. He gave Fugaku a sideways glance. "Think he'll behave if we take him back?"
Fugaku shrugged. "He'll have to. He has no other option."
Zabuza gritted his teeth. "You bastards… these can't be your real names! Who are you really?!"
The two shinobi turned to face him fully now. Their expressions changed—not mocking, but solemn, almost theatrical.
Minato raised one finger. "Since you asked sincerely…"
Fugaku continued, "…we shall answer mercifully."
"To prevent the destruction of the ninja world."
"To protect peace from decay."
"To carry the fire that burns in the hearts of all Konoha shinobi!"
Minato stepped forward. "Namikaze Minato!"
Fugaku took his place beside him. "Uchiha Fugaku!"
"Travelers of the Will of Fire!"
"Konoha's tomorrow begins with us!"
As they spoke, the wind lifted the mist, the trees rustled, and even the animals seemed to fall silent. In the distance, Souta Kazuki watched from the shadows with narrowed eyes, his arms crossed.
"Not bad," he muttered. "Zabuza was worth the money."
Hiruzen, who had been standing beside Souta and observing the battle in silence, adjusted his robe thoughtfully. "They've improved. Especially Fugaku—his control over Susanoo is… admirable."
Souta glanced at the elder. "Is it enough?"
"For now," Hiruzen replied. "But the storm that's coming… no amount of technique alone will stop it."
Souta didn't respond. His mind was already on the Scroll of Seals locked in the tower beneath Konoha. He had a feeling he would need to unlock the next layer of the Eight Inner Gates before that scroll could be used safely.