"There aren't many ninjas in Konoha who rely on Water Release techniques," Obito muttered anxiously, scanning the battlefield ahead. "Most of our shinobi use simple throwing weapons. If someone is slicing people clean in two, it has to be a sword… or something even nastier."
Hyūga Akane narrowed her crimson eyes, her voice sharp as always. "A ninja sword… paired with Water Release? That sounds like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."
The thought made the group freeze for half a second, air tightening in their lungs.
But Uchiha Shigure shook his head firmly. "No. It doesn't add up. The Seven Swordsmen are around elite jōnin level across the board. Their members are consistent in rank, and everyone knows their reputation. What we're facing is… uneven. Some chūnin, some jōnin, and all with a bizarre coordination. They're strong, but they're not the Seven. Eighteen of them together? That doesn't fit anywhere in the history books."
Akane grimaced. Kusuo Hatake adjusted the weight of Kakashi and the unconscious Violet in his arms. Their mission had gone from bad to worse.
Shigure's voice cut through the tension. "We have no choice. Retreating has no meaning now. We need to take the tower and make a stand." His sharp Sharingan eyes flickered. "They already know we're here. That sensory nin is sweeping the area—if we give away even a hint of movement, they'll pin us instantly."
Then—without warning—metal filled the air. Rows of shuriken sang toward them.
"We've been spotted!" Shigure shouted. His hands blurred faster than the whistle of steel, molding chakra at a blistering pace.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Stone hands surged from the ground, forming a protective shield just in time to deflect the incoming barrage. Dust sprayed, rattling against their skin. But Shigure's rhythm never broke—he spun, fed fresh chakra, and clapped his hands again.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
The ground split with thunder, chakra bursting outward as a draconic head of stone tore the earth, roaring forward. The Sharingan flared to life, his gaze guiding the earthen beast to crash into the enemy formation.
The opposing shinobi staggered backward under the assault, buying only a few precious seconds.
Lin gasped, startled by the rapid barrage of seals and jutsu. "He—we—he didn't even pause—!"
Obito clenched his fists. "That's… insane. But somehow… it makes me feel like we actually have a chance."
Their fragile flicker of hope was snuffed almost instantly by the next sound.
BOOM!
Explosions rippled outside the barricade. The solid earth wall cracked and splintered under the blast, shuddering like a body stabbed repeatedly. Shigure's head snapped back, eyes analyzing through the Sharingan—and there they were.
"Detonation tags," he said grimly. Multiple enemy shinobi had plastered seals against the barrier. The wall wouldn't last.
Even with the Sharingan's foresight, it had limits. For all its depth, it could not view every angle at once as the Byakugan did. And here, eighteen enemies attacked from every direction.
Shigure's earth dragon dissolved into rubble. The situation teetered.
"We can't stay here. Retreat!" he barked. For the first time, forced into a corner, Uchiha Shigure felt the full press of being outnumbered. Eighteen enemies—half jōnin, half elite chūnin—and the weight of protecting comrades all at once… his blade of skill had nowhere to strike.
The Earth Flow Wall finally shattered, rubble spraying into the night. Another wall would only delay the inevitable. And behind him, his comrades were burdened by Kakashi and Violet's limp bodies, their speed crippled. Escape was all but impossible.
"You go," Shigure said suddenly. His voice was steady but heavy. His hands clapped together. "I'll hold them back!"
Everyone's eyes widened in protest—but before they could speak, chakra burst outward.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Five Shigures appeared, each stepping to bar the collapsing breach like sentinels. "Go now!" the real Shigure roared.
Kusuo grabbed Akane's arm, dragging her despite her furious hesitation. "Don't waste what he's buying us! Move!"
Obito swallowed hard and followed, Lin running behind.
On the enemy side, the leader raised his hand, commanding a halt. His eyes fixed on the boy standing before eighteen. "Oh? A little Konoha brat thinks he can hold us back alone?" His voice was mocking, contempt barely hidden. "I want to see on what grounds you dare to face us."
With a flick of his wrist, the enemy launched his squad forward.
The five shadow clones slammed their palms down:
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Walls erupted simultaneously, cutting the battlefield clean in two. Obito and the others vanished behind the stone divide. Then the clones winked out one after another, their job complete.
The enemy commander laughed, teeth glinting. "Hah! So you let your team run, and left yourself to die! Noble? No… suicidal! A genin has no place standing against eighteen shinobi!"
He dropped his disguise, body warping back as chakra surged.
The leader now loomed nearly two meters tall, hair long and gray-white flowing past his shoulders, two black markings nestled above his brows. Killer intent rolled from him like a tide.
Shigure's Sharingan narrowed. His heart pounded with recognition. That bloodline… that face…
"Hyūga?" he asked coldly, though the certainty in his voice denied doubt.
The man chuckled darkly. "I never imagined a child would recognize it. My name is Kaguya Kanbei. The Kaguya clan's Corpse Bone Vein runs in my body—strong blood, unlike anything your weak Uchiha eyes can muster. And today, little brat, you die beneath it."
Shigure laughed. His voice rang unnaturally loud against the night sky.
Kanbei sneered. "What is so funny about death, boy?"
Shigure cut off abruptly, a low snort breaking through. "Everyone knows the name of the Kaguya clan—the Hyūga's twisted cousins, infamous for your Corpse Bone Vein. Yet here you are… gathering eighteen shinobi to crush a five-year-old genin. You call that strength? It's laughable."
Kanbei's face twitched. The boy's words hit their mark.
"You little—trying to bait me into splitting my strength? Hah! Don't underestimate me. I see right through you. Everyone! Surround him. Kill this child!"
But Shigure shook his head, eyes blazing. "Coward. If you're really all that, you'd face me head-on. Instead, you hide behind numbers, terrified… of a five-year-old. A disgrace to the Kaguya name. Trash. Scum."
The words, heavy with ridicule, weren't only pride—they bought precious time. Each second stretched his chakra's recovery, each breath easing his dizziness. Even with chakra reserves brushing super-kage levels, three days of battle without rest pushed his body toward collapse.
Still, he mocked, voice cruelly sharp. "Even as a genin, even a jōnin would crush me with numbers like this. But you—Kanbei—you're scared. Scared enough to prove it with your own cowardice."
The leader's eyes trembled with fury. His composure cracked. "Shut your mouth! I am Kaguya Kanbei, wielder of the Corpse Bone Vein! Do you take me for a coward?!"
Shigure stood unflinching, crimson eyes gleaming.
Kanbei finally growled, half to his men, half to himself, "Fine. I'll kill you with my own hands." He jabbed a finger forward. "The rest of you—seventeen—chase the others. Hunt them down."
The order dropped like a stone, sending seventeen shadows darting into the night after Kusuo, Akane, Obito, and the others.
Shigure's stomach turned cold as he realized what had just happened.
Kanbei smiled, teeth flashing. "And you… stay with me. You thought I'd fall to your tricks, did you? That I'd scatter my forces like a fool? No, boy. You and I—right here. Your friends will die, and you'll follow. Hehahahaha!"
Shigure exhaled slowly, setting his stance. This guy isn't as stupid as he looks, he thought grimly. The battlefield had shifted yet again—and at the worst possible moment.
The night wind carried the pounding footsteps of seventeen hunters chasing his comrades. And here, standing across from him, was a Kaguya shinobi whose very blood thirsted for slaughter.
Shigure's hand rose, chakra pulsing faintly at his fingertips. His lips curved in a thin, sharp smile.
"Then let's see," he whispered, "if the Kaguya name is worth all that arrogance."
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