Chapter 234: Ambushing the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist
A week had passed since that fateful night.
Based on a newfound, fragile trust in Dark Owl, the Minazuki clan had changed their tactics, adopting a low profile to minimize their presence in the village's power struggles. The Hozuki clan, though puzzled by their rival's sudden passivity, were all too eager to seize the opportunity, launching a large-scale power grab.
For every step the Hozuki took, the Minazuki took one back. Soon, the Hozuki's influence in the Mist Village far surpassed that of their rivals. But instead of easing up, they pressed their advantage, determined to crush the Minazuki clan once and for all.
Blinded by their ambition, they failed to notice the small but growing frictions within their own alliance with the Kaguya clan. Or perhaps they simply didn't care. With the Minazuki weakened, the Kaguya were no longer as important. If the timing had been right, the Hozuki might have even turned on them as well.
This inaction allowed the rift between the two clans to widen until it was irreparable. The so-called "frictions" were, of course, the work of Dark Owl. With an endless supply of White Zetsu clones at her disposal, it was a simple matter to sow discord between the two already-strained allies.
These developments were enough to convince Minazuki Saya to place her full trust in Dark Owl. She was now eagerly awaiting the day of their counterattack. She couldn't wait to see the look on the Hozuki's faces when they realized Dark Owl was on her side.
That day came sooner than she expected.
Just as everyone thought the civil war was about to end with a Hozuki victory, Dark Owl began to make frequent, public appearances at the Minazuki clan's compound, a clear declaration of her allegiance.
A furious Hozuki Mangetsu made several attempts to visit Dark Owl, hoping to change her mind, but her residence was always empty. After her grand public debut, she had vanished.
It was then that Mangetsu finally understood. The Minazuki must have secretly secured the Daimyo's support all along. Their apparent weakness had been a ruse, a ploy to drive a wedge between the Hozuki and the Kaguya.
But his realization came too late. The Kaguya clan, having seen the Hozuki's true colors, had already dissolved the alliance. At the same time, the Minazuki clan made their move, instantly reversing their fortunes. This was due in part to the Hozuki now being isolated, but also to the many opportunists within the Mist Village who were quick to side with the rising power. These were the kind of people who had no loyalty, only a desire to be on the winning side. And infuriatingly, no matter who came out on top, their support was always necessary. The Minazuki, though disgusted, had no choice but to accept their help.
With the Hozuki and the Kaguya now fighting their own separate, losing battles, Dark Owl's "hunt" had reached its final, critical stage.
It was time to see who was the hunter, and who was the prey.
"Hey, Juzo, where are you taking us?" a large, portly man with a bizarrely shaped weapon strapped to his back grumbled.
"You talk too much, fatass," Biwa Juzo shot back. "I told you, Noguchi Jin wants to talk to us. You'll find out what it's about when we get there."
"What did you call me? Say it again, I dare you!" The word "fatass" had clearly struck a nerve. Suikazan Fuguki looked ready to teach the ugly bastard a lesson before they reached their destination.
"A fight? Interesting. How about I referee?" Munashi Jinpachi said with a cold smile.
"...That's enough. We're finally all together. Can't you go one day without squabbling?" the oldest of the group, Kuriarare Kushimaru, said with a weary sigh.
The two of them exchanged a few more insults before backing down.
Seeing that the show was over, Jinpachi let out a disappointed sigh and, ignoring the glares from the other two, strode ahead.
Soon, the four of them arrived at the meeting point and saw Noguchi Jin waiting for them. But the scene that greeted them made their faces darken.
The twin swords, Hiramekarei, lay discarded on the ground. And encased in a block of crystal-clear ice was the lifeless body of Noguchi Jin.
"...Minazuki Saya, you bitch! Get the hell out here!" Biwa Juzo roared. It was obvious that Jin had been killed by some kind of Ice Release jutsu. And in the entire shinobi world, there was only one person capable of such a thing: the current head of the Minazuki clan, Minazuki Saya.
"Heh. It seems you're not as stupid as you look."
Juzo's guess was correct. With a voice dripping with scorn, Minazuki Saya slowly emerged from behind the block of ice.
She gently caressed the massive ice crystal, a sweet smile on her face, but her words were laced with a chilling cold. "Drop your weapons and kneel before me. Do that, and I might just spare your lives."
"Juzo, for the first time ever, I agree with you. She really is a bitch," Suikazan Fuguki said, a rare moment of accord between the two rivals.
Juzo shot a sideways glance at the others. "Any of you feel like kneeling and being her dog?" he sneered.
No one answered. The other three simply stared at her, a murderous aura beginning to emanate from them.
"Well then, what are we waiting for..."
"Let's do this!"
"So stubborn," Minazuki Saya said coldly as the four of them charged at her. "After today, the 'Seven Swordsmen of the Mist' will be no more."
"Oh, my mistake," she added with a mocking laugh as she formed a series of hand signs. "You're already less than seven. Hahaha!"
As her laughter echoed through the clearing, dozens of ice mirrors materialized out of thin air, trapping the charging swordsmen.
"Secret Technique: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals."
"What do you think? It's a beautiful jutsu, isn't it? A fitting tomb for the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," her voice echoed from all around them, making it impossible to pinpoint her location.
"...I hate to admit it, but this woman is strong. We can't let ourselves be trapped here," Kuriarare Kushimaru said, calmly analyzing the situation.
"He's right. I'll clear a path," Suikazan Fuguki said, stepping forward. As the wielder of Samehada, chakra was never an issue for him. He was the perfect man for the job.
"Let's see whose jutsu has a bigger area of effect."
He clapped his hands together, and a massive torrent of water erupted from his mouth.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Whoa, fatass! Are you trying to kill me too?!" Biwa Juzo yelled as he was caught in the blast.
"Cough... my mistake. Forgot you were there," Fuguki said, a sheepish look on his chubby face.
While his jutsu wasn't on the same scale as Kisame's future continent-covering techniques, it was more than enough to shatter the ice mirrors.
Seeing her secret technique about to be broken by brute force, Minazuki Saya's expression hardened. She unleashed the one jutsu she had yet to fully master.
"Secret Technique: Chilling Moon's Frost Flower."
A dim, ethereal light washed over the four swordsmen. Before they could react, a mirror appeared behind one of them, and Saya's form emerged from it.
"Fatass, watch out!" Juzo screamed in terror.
But it was no use. The first time he had faced this jutsu, even Kyosuke had been unable to save his comrades. Juzo stood no chance. His warning could not change what was already written in fate.
A sickening squelch echoed through the clearing. The remaining three swordsmen froze.
First, two of their number had been killed by Uchiha Kyosuke. Now, another had fallen. The humiliation was more than they could bear. They went berserk.
The seven-foot-long Executioner's Blade hummed through the air, aimed at Saya's waist. If it connected, she would be bisected.
But within the secret world of her ice mirrors, Minazuki Saya was, for all intents and purposes, invincible, at least against the three men before her. With thousands of mirrors to hide in, it was nearly impossible to find her without exceptional dynamic vision or sensory abilities.
The only way to defeat her is to destroy all the mirrors, Dark Owl thought, observing from the edge of the forest. A troublesome ability. She began to walk toward the battlefield.
Seeing the three swordsmen still struggling within the ice mirrors, the crimson light in her eyes flared. She was about to intervene and finish them off herself.
But at that moment, an unexpected group of arrivals threw the entire situation into chaos.
It was Hozuki Mangetsu and the shinobi of the Hozuki clan.
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