War is slaughter.
This is an undeniable truth.
Whether it is a surprise attack or a prolonged siege, every battle eventually comes down to individual ninja. A war may appear to be decided by armies, but in reality it is decided by the courage and resolve of the people fighting it.
Once the morale of individual ninja collapses, even an army with overwhelming numbers cannot secure victory.
This truth had already become painfully clear to Fuguki Suikazan the moment Konoha's Lightning Flash appeared on the battlefield and wiped out hundreds of his subordinates in an instant.
At that moment, the idea of retreat naturally surfaced in his mind.
When Uchiha Shin led the Second Division of Konoha ninja and began encircling the battlefield, that thought quickly grew from a small seed into a concrete decision.
Fight to the death?
No.
Fuguki shook his head slightly.
Years of brutal warfare had already taught him a simple rule. A dead ninja gains nothing, while a living one always has another opportunity.
His priority was survival.
And if survival was his goal, returning to the village was not an option either.
This mission had failed. Hundreds of Mist ninja had died under his command. With the temperament of the Fourth Mizukage, there was no telling what kind of punishment awaited him.
He had grown tired of the cold, ruthless atmosphere of Kirigakure.
The only reason he had never left before was because he was accustomed to life there, and until now he had never made a mistake serious enough to justify abandoning the village.
But things were different now.
As for where he would go afterward, the ninja world was vast. Surely there would be somewhere he could survive.
Besides, this was the time of the Third Great Ninja War. Although Kirigakure maintained hunter squads that pursued rogue ninja, the village likely would not waste valuable manpower chasing a single deserter during a global war.
After reaching this conclusion, Fuguki quickly issued orders for his remaining forces to engage the advancing Konoha Second Division.
At the same time, under the cover of the Mist technique spreading across the battlefield, he created a Water Clone.
While the clone remained among the fighting troops, his real body quietly slipped away toward the interior of the Land of Fire.
He believed that after causing enough chaos, escaping would not be difficult.
Unfortunately for him, things were not so simple.
Fuguki was the commander of the Mist forces.
Because of that, Shin had already asked Himeji to keep a close watch on him.
The moment Fuguki attempted to flee, Shin reacted.
With a simple motion, he hooked his right hand and slit the throat of a nearby enemy ninja who had been rushing toward him. The man collapsed instantly.
Without even pausing, Shin turned and chased after Fuguki.
As Fuguki ran through the mist, he sensed something behind him.
A faint disturbance in the air.
A sharp sound cutting through the wind.
Even without turning around, his combat instincts told him everything he needed to know.
Someone was chasing him.
The instant the pursuer closed the distance, Fuguki suddenly spun around. His right fist clenched tightly as he launched an upward strike.
The attack cut through empty air.
Shin moved like a ghost.
His body shifted slightly, effortlessly avoiding the punch before sliding backward and creating distance between himself and the enormous bandaged blade in Fuguki's hand.
Fuguki immediately swung the massive weapon downward.
The huge sword wrapped in white bandages slammed into the ground.
The impact shattered the earth, cracks spreading across the surface like a spider web.
The weapon was none other than Samehada.
Shin calmly studied the man in front of him.
Fuguki's orange hair and bulky build made him look somewhat similar to one of Jiraiya's larger summoning toads.
Instead of attacking immediately, Shin spoke with mild curiosity.
"Your subordinates are still fighting behind you, yet you're already planning to run away. How do you intend to explain that to Yagura Karatachi when you return?"
Fuguki's lips curled into a sinister grin.
"This attack was planned by the Fourth Mizukage. The frontline commander is Mei Terumi."
He snorted coldly.
"Neither of them bothered investigating the strength of the Konoha ninja stationed here before sending us to attack. If something goes wrong, the responsibility should not fall on me."
Shin raised an eyebrow.
"Even so, your Mizukage is not known for being reasonable. Especially after you abandoned your own subordinates."
Fuguki's expression hardened.
"I don't care whether he's reasonable or not. I have no intention of seeing him again anyway."
Shin paused slightly, clearly surprised.
"What do you mean?"
Fuguki's eyes flickered as he spoke.
"Konoha's Lightning Flash, you are the commander here. That means this battlefield is under your authority."
He continued calmly.
"How about we make a deal?"
Shin crossed his arms slightly.
"What kind of deal?"
"If I insist on escaping, you may not be able to stop me. During the pursuit, Konoha ninja will inevitably suffer casualties."
Fuguki spoke with quiet confidence.
"But I can promise something. I will not kill any Konoha ninja during my escape, and I will never return to Kirigakure."
He looked directly at Shin.
"Let me leave."
Shin studied the orange haired swordsman with visible interest.
"You are one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and you're willing to abandon your village and become a rogue ninja?"
Fuguki gave a bitter smile.
"If the village was a place worth staying in, who would willingly become a rogue ninja?"
For a brief moment, Shin fell silent.
In the original timeline, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen suffered a devastating defeat when they encountered Might Dai.
After that battle, only Fuguki, Juzo Biwa, and Raiga Kurosuki survived.
The latter two eventually abandoned Kirigakure and became rogue ninja.
From that point onward, many successors of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen also ended up becoming missing ninja.
Only Fuguki himself remained loyal to the village until he was eventually killed by Kisame Hoshigaki.
But now things were different.
Might Dai had not yet fought that legendary battle.
Yet Fuguki was already planning to flee.
The situation was strangely ironic.
Of course, Shin had no intention of letting him go so easily.
Would Fuguki truly avoid killing Konoha ninja just because he said so?
Would he truly never return to Kirigakure?
A ninja's true weapon was deception.
Placing trust in an enemy's promise was the fastest way to die.
This was a basic rule every ninja understood.
Shin did not care about Fuguki's personal decision.
He only cared about one thing.
Shin raised his hand and pointed toward the massive bandaged blade.
"You can leave if you want."
He smiled casually.
"But leave my sword behind."
In Shin's eyes, Samehada was easily the most remarkable of the Seven Ninja Swords.
Ignoring its rebellious temperament, the sword possessed extraordinary abilities.
It could bite.
It could absorb chakra.
It could even heal its wielder by transferring stolen chakra.
In critical moments, it could even merge with its user, allowing them to experience the unique state where man and weapon fight as one.
There was even a strange legend surrounding Samehada.
According to the story, the creature was originally a small fish that followed Isobu.
It would cling to Isobu's belly, cleaning away leftover food while absorbing chakra from the beast before sending that energy back into its body.
Of course, stories like that were better treated as myths.
After all, a Tailed Beast made entirely of chakra would hardly need a sword to gather more chakra for itself.
Shin had also heard an even more ridiculous rumor.
Apparently Shukaku once confessed its feelings to Kurama and turned hostile after being rejected.
Did Shin believe that story?
Well... perhaps it was not entirely impossible.
Hearing Shin's request, Fuguki's expression darkened.
His own combat ability was not extraordinary. At best, he was at the level of an elite jōnin.
Most of his strength came from Samehada itself.
Giving up the blade would mean losing the very foundation of his power.
"Konoha's Lightning Flash," Fuguki growled. "You already took the Lightning Sword. Don't be so greedy."
Shin laughed lightly.
"What if I am greedy?"
He shrugged casually.
"People always eat from the bowl in front of them while looking at the pot on the stove. Sometimes they even think about the crops still growing in the field."
He pointed at Samehada again.
"So even though I'm not particularly skilled with oversized weapons, I'm determined to take that sword."