Chapter 26: Fellow Disciples

With the pressure from the Legendary Sannin finally gone, Yoru had no trouble making his retreat.

Activating Kyokkō (Bent Light), he utilized Hohō ( Flash Step) continuously. Within half a day, he reached the border and successfully rendezvoused with the Kirigakure reinforcement unit.

The unit was led by elites from both the Kaguya Clan and the Terumī Clan. Among them were Yuyuri, Yūmi, Mangetsu, and Yukiko—all of whom breathed a collective sigh of relief upon confirming that Mizunotsuki Yoru had returned unharmed.

However, when they learned that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been completely annihilated, the entire unit was left stunned.

Although earlier reports had confirmed the deaths of four members, three were said to still be alive. Now, all seven were dead. It dealt a heavy blow to morale.

Yoru had little to say in defense. In the original timeline, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had been kicked into oblivion by Might Duy, the user of the forbidden Taijutsu technique Hachimon Tonkō ( Eight Gates Released Formation).

He hadn't expected that his intervention wouldn't improve the outcome—instead, even the so-called "lucky survivors" had fallen.

Still, it wasn't a complete loss on Yoru's end. While he didn't elaborate on strategic details, he returned to the forward camp with the support unit.

"That concludes the entire mission report and the reasons for its failure, Lord Yagura."

In the Mist's forward operating base, Yoru formally reported to Yagura Karatachi, the acting commander. Alongside his report, he surrendered the four Ninja Swords he had recovered.

Upon hearing that all Seven Ninja Swordsmen had fallen—and that three of the legendary blades were now lost—Yagura's expression didn't shift. Instead, he nodded deeply.

"You did well, Yoru."

"You eliminated Yamanaka Inoichi, head of the Yamanaka Clan, Hyūga Hizashi, brother to the Hyūga clan leader, and Nara Shikaku—the famed 'Brain of Konoha.' Along with numerous other elite Nara members. That alone is a major strategic victory."

"And now, you've also awakened Ice Release... a most welcome development."

"However, I need a detailed debrief on the Konoha shinobi who used the Eight Gates."

"That shinobi was an anomaly," Yoru replied after a brief pause. "Konoha doesn't emphasize Taijutsu as much anymore. There are very few who specialize in it to that level. Opening all Eight Gates—Hachimon Tonkō—I believe only that individual has ever succeeded."

"If Konoha had more than one of him, a few such warriors would be enough to bulldoze the entire Five Great Nations. They wouldn't still be slogging through this war."

"Of course, hidden monsters may still exist. But based on intel I obtained from Jiraiya himself, even Konoha was shocked by Might Duy's power. Which leads me to believe—there's no second Might Duy in their ranks."

"A convincing assessment," Yagura said, nodding. "Still, we must assume that Konoha may begin training more Taijutsu-focused shinobi after this."

A rare smile crept across Yagura's boyish, doll-like face.

"The power to destroy the Seven Ninja Swordsmen alone… is terrifying. Fortunately, he's dead."

"Yoru, while the assassination mission against Jiraiya was a failure, your plan to divert Konoha's attention worked. You eliminated key mid- and high-level assets, retrieved four blades… That gives us great leverage for our next moves."

"I'll report everything you accomplished directly to the Third Mizukage. I suspect it won't be long before you receive an official commendation. But until then, we still need your strength on the front lines."

"Understood, Lord Yagura." Yoru nodded calmly.

He had no interest in ANBU promotions or internal power plays. From what he could tell, the current Third Mizukage was likely already under Uchiha Madara's control. Who rose or fell in power was ultimately decided by one man's whim.

Wasting time maneuvering for influence? Pointless. He'd rather complete more missions and earn points toward his long-term goals.

"The Seven Swords are critical to our military strength. Thankfully, you brought back four..." Yagura said, then abruptly added, "Why don't I give you full authority to reassign them?"

"...?"

Yoru hesitated. Beneath his white mask, his brows furrowed slightly in confusion.

The Seven Ninja Swords weren't just tools—they were status symbols. Their wielders were personally appointed by the Mizukage and were either high-ranking commanders or elite shinobi with storied reputations.

And yet now, Yagura wasn't sending the swords back to Kirigakure. Instead, he was keeping them at the front lines under the pretense of "emergency use" and giving Yoru the power to reassign them?

Was this a gesture of trust—or a political trap?

His mask thankfully concealed his expression. After a moment of thought, Yoru replied tactfully.

"I leave the final decision to you, Lord Yagura."

"You sly brat..."

Yagura chuckled. That childlike face softened with exasperated amusement.

"I trust your judgment. Whether it's Mangetsu, Yūmi, or Yukiko—they're all competent. So I'll leave sword allocation to you."

"Yes, Lord Yagura."

"Alright, alright. No need to be so formal. We're fellow disciples, after all—brothers-in-training. There's no one else here, you can relax around me." Yagura said with a laugh.

"Oh, right—Terumī Mei's arrived too. She's working on intel coordination. When she heard you were in danger, she practically demanded to go rescue you. I had to physically stop her."

"With the Seven Swordsmen gone, a lot of high-level positions have opened up. Reassigning them is going to be a nightmare..."

"But with you around, none of that will be a problem," Yoru replied gently.

"You little punk…" Yagura muttered with a helpless grin.

As Yoru's figure disappeared from the tent, the smile on Yagura's youthful face slowly faded.

"He infiltrated Konoha's rear command. Slaughtered Nara Shikaku despite facing off against Jiraiya's squad… Extracted Hōzuki Mangetsu under pressure... and even escaped a kill team composed of Jiraiya, Uchiha Fugaku, Aburame Shibi, and Hyūga Hizashi."

Yagura turned toward a nearby scroll—a complete dossier listing the elite members of Jiraiya's task force. All top-tier targets of Kirigakure's surveillance network.

And yet, Yoru had survived it. Not only survived—but killed high-value targets and returned with four of the Seven Swords.

That level of power had surpassed even the typical Jōnin—perhaps even elite Tokubetsu Jōnin.

"Now that he's awakened Ice Release, the Mizunotsuki clan won't stay uninvolved. They'll come for him soon enough."

"Mizunotsuki Yoru and Terumī Mei… Sensei, your eyes are still as sharp as ever."

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin