Three dark shadows sped through the dense forest, weaving between the trees. Suddenly, one of them hesitated.
"What's wrong?..." Danzo gritted his teeth, pressing a hand to his hastily bandaged wound while astride his mount, the dire wolf.
"Lord Danzo... the scouting hawk was shot down three kilometers behind us. There are six of them... most likely six members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist..." The intelligence transmitted through the secret technique provided more than enough information.
So, they've caught up already?
The leader of the Yuki Clan isn't with them—
That, at least, was good news.
But in their current state, taking on six of the Seven Swordsmen was impossible. And with Konoha now in retreat, this battlefield had become a death trap.
Just as these thoughts ran through his mind—
"Lord Danzo, go on ahead. We'll stay behind to buy you some time." Before Danzo could respond, the two shinobi beside him abruptly veered off in the opposite direction, sprinting toward their pursuers.
"You—!" Danzo watched as their figures vanished into the darkness behind him.
The dire wolf carrying him let out a mournful whimper but did not slow down. It followed its master's command without hesitation.
Danzo knew exactly what it meant for them to stay behind.
He understood everything—the sacrifices, the inevitability of it all. But he hadn't expected to be caught in the middle of such a predicament.
Nor had he expected to be the one benefiting from it.
Yet, there was no joy in his heart—only an unbearable heaviness.
The dire wolf galloped through the forest, moving at a pace far beyond its usual speed.
They had finally reached the edge of the battlefield. If they could cross into the Land of Fire, the danger would be greatly reduced.
However, Danzo was well aware of the dire wolf's condition—its stamina and chakra were rapidly depleting. He had no idea how much longer it could hold out.
Snap!
The sharp twang of breaking wire echoed beneath them.
A tripwire trap—
"A perimeter alert trap... There are shinobi nearby."
In this war-torn land, Danzo couldn't be sure if they were allies or enemies. Either way, it wasn't good news.
He could only hope they had already evacuated this area.
But luck was not on his side.
Danzo immediately sensed three distinct chakra signatures ahead.
"Damn it, they haven't left? They're... Genin?"
As the dire wolf burst through the undergrowth, three Konoha Genin came into view, tensed and ready. Their eyes locked onto Danzo as he emerged.
Noticing his attire, marked with the insignia of the Land of Fire, they visibly relaxed—though their wariness remained.
"Run west—now! There are enemies behind me!" Danzo shouted, unwilling to slow his momentum.
...
Whoosh!
A massive, spinning executioner's blade hurtled through the air, embedding itself in the ground ahead, blocking their path. The dire wolf, already near exhaustion, stumbled and nearly collapsed.
"Damn, old man, you sure ran far..." Biwa Juzo, sitting atop the Executioner's Blade, remarked impatiently.
His gaze flickered toward the three Genin. "Well, well... an unexpected bonus."
"You've chased me a long way... Are you not worried that your chest wound will reopen and you'll bleed out on this battlefield?" Danzo steadied his breath, suppressing the pain as he dismounted, placing a reassuring hand on his panting wolf's head.
Despair crept into his heart. He patted the wolf. "Go back, buddy."
Poof!
As the dire wolf vanished in a puff of smoke, a thought flashed through Danzo's mind—
Would his death bring sadness to Yakushi Nonō, Tsunade, and the others?
"I won't die until I've severed your limbs and let your blood run dry..." Biwa Juzo seethed, fingers brushing the scar on his chest.
"The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist..." One of the Genin stammered, his voice laced with fear.
"Oh? Even Konoha's Genin recognize us? In that case, as a reward... I'll drain your blood dry before I kill you." Munashi Jinpachi's words dripped with cruelty, his voice filling the air with an oppressive menace.
"Are they really that famous?" A voice, slightly dazed and tinged with innocence, unexpectedly broke the tension.
Even Danzo was momentarily taken aback, abandoning his chakra sensing to glance at the Genin properly for the first time.
Green jumpsuit.
Thick eyebrows.
Bowl-cut hair.
Land of Water battlefield. Seven Swordsmen of the Mist...
This... this...
...Was there still hope?
A glimmer of light in the darkness...
Danzo composed himself, then spoke in an unhurried tone: "Correction. It's the Six Swordsmen of the Mist now. One of your own killed the seventh. I wonder what the Fourth Mizukage will think of that?"
A flicker of unease crossed their faces. They all knew the Fourth Mizukage's ruthlessness.
"Enough talk! He's stalling for time—kill him!" Ringo Ameyuri crossed her twin lightning blades, sending a surge of electricity toward Danzo.
He dodged swiftly, thinking to himself—
Don't villains usually talk more? In the anime, they don't attack this fast...
Seeing them all draw their swords, preparing to strike, Danzo couldn't help but muse—
Is it because I'm also a villain...?
"You're really not cute at all. No wonder you die early..." Danzo quipped at Ringo Ameyuri before swiftly swallowing a pill.
"At least I'll outlive you... Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!" Ringo retorted, unleashing a devastating surge of lightning in all directions.
"Is that so? I always thought 'Seven Swordsmen of the Mist' sounded clunky. Three or four might be better..." Danzo smirked as chakra visibly surged from his body, and he launched himself at Biwa Juzo.
"He took a secret pill! Be careful! Just stall him!" one of the Swordsmen shouted.
These pills weren't a secret in the shinobi world—soldier pills were a common example.
But the stronger the effect, the greater the side effects. Some could even be fatal.
"Damn it..." Biwa Juzo cursed, regretting his earlier taunts as Danzo charged straight for him.
As for the three Genin, they stood frozen like quails, watching the battle unfold at an inhuman speed. At this point, no one even cared about them anymore.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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