Chapter 67: Crisis—Encounter With the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!

"Minato-sensei, are we really not going to rescue Obito?"

Rin's voice trembled with concern as she looked at Minato, eyes filled with anxiety. She had just listened to Minato explain everything that had happened, but she still couldn't believe it.

Minato's expression was solemn as he gave his answer.

"For now… no."

He lowered his gaze, a mixture of guilt and frustration written all over his face.

"When the war is over, I promise I will bring him back personally!"

Those words were spoken with conviction, but anyone could see the pain behind them. He was their teacher, their leader—and yet, he hadn't been able to protect his student. That failure weighed heavily on him.

It was truly… humiliating.

"But—"

"No, Rin. Didn't you hear what Minato-sensei just said?"

Kakashi interrupted, placing a hand gently on Rin's shoulder to stop her from saying more. His expression was calm, but there was a sharp edge to his words, betraying the emotions he was holding back.

"The only way we can focus on finding Obito is by ending this war as soon as possible!"

He knew the truth better than anyone. This wasn't just about Obito. Even if someone as important as Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan, were to go missing, the Third Hokage wouldn't be able to allocate troops to look for him immediately. The war effort consumed every bit of Konoha's strength.

On one hand, Konoha simply didn't have the manpower. On the other, there were deeper political motives at play.

If the Konoha leadership had no ulterior motives toward the Uchiha clan, why had they sent the Uchiha—experts in Fire Style techniques—to the coastline to fight Mist Shinobi, who excel in Water Style? It was a setup that made little sense on the surface.

Kakashi didn't believe for a second that this was just a decision made by the Hokage's advisors. The Third Hokage and Danzo—both cunning, intelligent leaders—had certainly calculated this move.

After hearing Kakashi's reasoning, Rin clenched her fists, then slowly nodded.

"Alright. Then let's go and support the battle against the Mist Shinobi!"

She had made up her mind. The faster the war ended, the sooner they could start searching for Obito. There was no time to waste.

Minato looked at his two remaining students. His heart ached, but he nodded firmly.

"Kakashi, Rin, there's no time to lose. Let's split up and move forward."

"Yes!" they replied in unison.

---

Five Days Later…

"Kakashi, are we sure we're heading in the right direction?"

Rin's voice broke the silence as they trudged along the seemingly endless coastline. Exhaustion was written all over their faces. What should have been a three-day journey had stretched to five, and they were no closer to their destination.

"I'm not sure," Kakashi admitted, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing at the worn-out map in his hand. "We've been following this map, but the coastline of the Land of Fire is way too long. It only marks the general location."

They had pushed themselves to walk further, hoping to find the front lines. But even Kakashi was starting to doubt whether they were lost.

Just as he was about to pull the map out again to recheck their position, a familiar voice called out from ahead.

"Kakashi!"

He looked up.

In the distance, a boy in a green jumpsuit was waving at him enthusiastically, his face beaming with joy.

It was none other than Might Guy!

"Guy? What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, surprised.

"I'm on patrol duty along the coastline, of course!" Guy shouted as he sprinted toward Kakashi and grabbed him in a tight bear hug. "Kakashi, you're here to help too? Let's have a youthful challenge to celebrate! How about a handstand race along the beach?!"

Guy's energy was as wild as ever.

"Easy there! I can't breathe!" Kakashi wheezed, prying himself free from Guy's grasp.

He coughed and pointed behind Guy. "And don't forget your teammates."

"Oh, I don't mind," came a casual voice.

It was Genma Shiranui, dressed in a black jacket with a blue headscarf and the signature toothpick in his mouth. He looked relaxed.

Next to him was Ebisu, a lean shinobi with dark glasses and a bored expression. He gave a small wave before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a book.

It was… a picture book?

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Ebisu looked far too relaxed for someone on duty.

"Wow, Ebisu-san is so dedicated to studying," Rin whispered to Kakashi, impressed by the way he carefully unwrapped the book.

"Yeah… very dedicated," Kakashi muttered, unsure whether to laugh or be concerned.

Curious, he stepped forward to glance at the contents of the book.

His eyes widened immediately.

Mosaics? Between every page?

This was no academic study. Just a glance at the cover made it obvious this was adult material—the kind that might get sealed away in the library's forbidden section.

Ebisu, fully immersed in his reading, suddenly noticed Kakashi's shadow looming over him. He looked up and, without missing a beat, adjusted his sunglasses and gave Kakashi a sly smile that clearly said, "You know what I mean."

Kakashi's eye twitched.

Before Rin could peek as well, he quickly stepped in front of her to block the view.

"Ahem! By the way, do you guys know the way to the Uchiha base?" he asked abruptly. "Can you take us there?"

"Yeah, we've been searching for days, and we're not even sure if we're still on the right path," Rin added, clearly relieved to change the topic.

"Of course! Leave it to us!" Guy said, slamming his fist against his chest proudly.

Their patrol was based on directions from the front lines, so they knew the terrain well.

"That's awesome. Thank you, Guy!" Rin smiled brightly, clearly feeling hopeful again.

Finally, they had some progress.

"Oh? So you know the way to the Konoha front lines?" a sinister voice suddenly echoed across the beach.

Everyone's body stiffened.

Kakashi instinctively turned toward the source of the sound. Emerging from the waves was a tall, muscular man wearing a Mist Shinobi forehead protector. His face bore a deep scar, and his mouth stretched unnaturally wide in a grotesque grin.

In his hands, he wielded a massive beheading sword.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen?!" he gasped.

"You're Biwa Juuzou!"

"Well, would you look at that," Juuzou chuckled, his voice raspy and mocking. "We've become so famous that even little brats from Konoha know our names."

Another figure surfaced beside him—a burly man with spiky orange hair tied in twin knots, a massive sword wrapped in bandages on his back.

It was none other than the infamous wielder of Samehada—Fuguki Suikazan, also known as the Pufferfish Ghost of the Hoshigaki Clan.

Kakashi's heart sank.

He recognized both of them instantly. Just one of them would be a serious threat. Two already spelled disaster.

And then…

More figures began emerging from the sea.

A tall, thin man with wild blond hair, holding a long needle-like blade—Kuriarare Kushimaru, infamous for sewing his victims together with wire.

Beside him was Jinpachi Munashi, carrying a massive blunt sword wrapped in explosive tags, his lone eye hidden behind an eyepatch, oozing deadly calm.

Then came Ameyuri Ringo, a woman wielding dual lightning swords, her fierce glare sharp as lightning itself.

Another massive figure emerged—Raiga Kurosuki, whose hair looked like it had been frozen by a storm. On his back were twin swords shaped like fangs.

Kakashi counted quickly—seven in total.

All members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist… had arrived.

They were surrounded.

Rin stepped back in fear. Even Guy's usually unshakable energy faltered for a moment as he saw the full lineup.

Kakashi's heart pounded in his chest. This wasn't just a battle. It was a crisis.

But he quickly regained his composure.

"Everyone, stay sharp!" he shouted, drawing his kunai.

This battle wasn't just a fight for survival—it was a battle for the future of Konoha's youth.

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