Uchiha Clan Compound
Fugaku returned to the compound with his group, and the weight of the situation discussed in villager felt heavy on his shoulders.
Word spread quickly, and soon elders and jōnin gathered in the courtyard, their eyes turning toward their clan head, concern etched on their faces.
Some stepped forward immediately.
"How is the situation at the Mist border?, clan head
"Do we need to prepare to move?"
Fugaku surveyed them all for a moment before speaking, his calm demeanour a stark contrast to the tension around him.
"The situation at the Mist border is stable," he assured them. "We have the upper hand there."
A small pause hung in the air.
"There is no immediate need for concern."
"That is why I returned—to oversee the clan in case anything is required here."
The tension in the group eased slightly, but not completely. The grand elder stepped forward, his gaze sharp and assessing.
"It is good if things are under control," he said slowly. "But what about reinforcements?"
"And supplies?" another elder chimed in.
"Are they sufficient, or is there a shortage?"
Before Fugaku could answer, another voice cut in.
"Yes, Fugaku."
Elder Kohaku stepped forward, his expression already tense, eyes narrowing. "When we heard the supplies didn't reach the front…" His voice hardened.
"…and that reinforcements were being requested…"
He took a step closer, his tone accusatory. "Do you know how worried we were? And yet… as clan head…" He leaned in, voice lowering to a fierce whisper. "You didn't even think to inform us?"
The courtyard grew quieter, the murmurs of concern dying down. Kohaku's anger didn't stop there.
"Those shinobi at the front—"
"They are from our clan," he asserted, jaw tightening.
"Do their lives not matter enough for you to inform their families?"
Fugaku didn't react immediately. He simply looked at Kohaku, a deep calm settling over him before he spoke.
"Elder…" His voice remained steady, but the firmness was unmistakable.
"I was there as a commander, not as clan head."
Another pause.
"My duty was to maintain the morale of the battlefield, not to spread fear within the village."
Those words only made Kohaku angrier.
His teeth clenched. "Morale?" he repeated, incredulity lacing his voice.
"And what about the ones dying there?" His voice rose slightly.
"They belong to this clan. Or have you forgotten that?"
Silence fell over the courtyard. No one stepped in, no one interrupted. The air between them grew heavier, charged with unspoken frustrations.
Fugaku met Elder Kohaku's glare, his fingers tightening slightly at his side—then stilling.
"If it is about informing…" He spoke deliberately, his voice calm.
"Then, Elder Kohaku, no one informed me about this 'Uchiha becoming merchants fully' matter." His eyes moved across the elders—from the grand elder to Elder Kazuto. Some of them avoided his gaze.
"Don't you think…" he continued, "that such a decision should at least be communicated to the clan head?"
A pause hung in the air.
"Or does the clan no longer need to inform its own head?"
Silence settled deeply among them. The grand elder stepped forward, hands resting calmly behind his back.
"Clan head," he said, voice measured, "you were at the Mist border. We did not wish to trouble you with internal matters."
A small pause ensued.
"What you speak of… concerns the battlefield—the lives of shinobi."
His eyes remained steady, unwavering.
"Our matters can be discussed after the war."
Fugaku's jaw tightened slightly.
"…even then, I should have been informed."
Before the grand elder could respond, Kohaku stepped forward again, his brows drawn together in frustration.
"This merchant business is related to the Hawk faction," he asserted.
"We have not abandoned being shinobi."
Fugaku didn't reply immediately, his gaze shifting back to the grand elder.
"Grand elder…" His voice was steady, but a hint of challenge lurked beneath.
"The healing pills you supplied at the front…" His hand lifted slightly, then lowered again.
"I found they are now being sold in the market."
His eyes narrowed faintly.
"Why are they being sold through outside merchants?"
The grand elder looked at him, and for a brief moment, his eyes flickered.
"…do you truly not know?"
Fugaku stilled.
"…what do you mean by that, elder?"
The grand elder let out a quiet sigh.
"We do not want the village to claim ownership over the pill trade," he explained, tone steady.
"If we sell through ourselves, they will try to take control."
A small pause followed.
"So we sell through others."
His gaze lingered on Fugaku, unyielding.
"And when they could not reach us, they called you."
Fugaku's eyes sharpened, his fingers curling slightly this time—not fully.
"Elder… what are you implying?"
"Is my presence here a problem? Or that I have come to stop your trade?"
The grand elder gave a small laugh, a hint of condescension in his tone. One of the elders behind him shifted uncomfortably.
"So, which is it, Fugaku?" He stood up slowly, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Do you really think we do not understand you… after all this time?"
Turning away, he didn't wait for an answer.
"This discussion is over for now."
A pause hung heavily.
"And as for our trade…" He didn't look back.
"We do not require approval. Even the daimyo has praised our methods. We have no intention of offending him."
He walked away, leaving the tension hanging thick in the air.
Fugaku remained still, his eyes following the grand elder, a storm brewing within him. For a moment, his jaw tightened again, but he said nothing. Around him, the others avoided his gaze, one by one beginning to leave until only a few remained.
And Fugaku stood there alone.
The night settled over the compound, the silence echoing his solitude.
Far from Konoha—
The forest was not quiet.
Duy's eyes were already open, senses heightened. He didn't move, but he could feel a change in the air.
"…enemies," he said quietly, his voice steady.
Guy shifted behind him, uncertainty in his tone.
"Dad…?"
Duy raised his hand slightly, a signal to stay back.
"Stay behind me."
Guy froze, not daring to argue. The wind passed through the trees, then stopped—a stillness that felt foreboding.
A faint sound broke the silence—a wire snapping.
Above, ANBU stiffened.
"Trap triggered…"
Mist began to spread around them. Duy stepped forward, focusing on the shifting shadows, one step, then another—no hesitation, no rush—just forward.
From within the mist, shapes began to emerge. One, then two, then more—seven in total.
The forest grew heavier, the air thickening, making it harder to breathe. Guy clenched his fists, anxiety creeping in.
"…Dad…"
Duy didn't look back, his gaze locked ahead—calm, steady.
"Whatever happens…" he paused, voice firm, "don't move from where you stand, you only need to look after supplies."
The mist parted slightly, revealing steel glinting in the dim light—seven blades, seven figures, and one man standing before them.
The ANBU members exchanged wary glances, their eyes scrutinising the shinobi in front of them. The kunoichi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…They look familiar," she murmured, attempting to piece together the puzzle. Her gaze shifted from one figure to another, searching for a memory that danced just out of reach.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke stretched his shoulders lazily, a dismissive smirk tugging at his lips. "Tomiko," he said, glancing at her with a hint of arrogance, "just a bunch of nobodies."
He stepped forward, confidence radiating from him.
"We'll handle them."
Taking a few ANBU with him, he approached without a second thought, barely glancing back at the enemy.
Behind them, Might Duy also stepped forward, his demeanour calm. He had already instructed Guy, Ebisu, and Genma—if anything goes wrong… leave after the signal.
Now, he said nothing, simply moving with purpose.
Shinnosuke glanced back, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Yo, eternal genin senpai," he taunted. "No need to worry. They walked right into our trap."
The ANBU moved, surrounding the mist shinobi like a tightening noose.
The Seven Swordsmen stood still, a sense of amusement creeping into their expressions.
Then smiles appeared.
Not tense. Not cautious.
Amused.
Ameyuri Ringo tilted her head slightly, a playful smirk on her lips.
"…This idiot doesn't even know who we are."
A short laugh escaped her, and others joined in—a low, mocking chorus.
Jinin looked at Shinnosuke, a wicked gleam in his eye.
"Then it is our job…"
"…to make him remember us."
"Even after his death."
The laughter—the tone—hit like a physical blow. Shinnosuke's expression hardened, his facade cracking.
"You bunch of nobodies…" he growled, anger flaring.
"How dare you—"
"Attack them!" he shouted, his voice rising.
Just as he moved, Tomiko appeared beside him, her presence swift and assertive.
"Stop!" Her voice cut through the tension sharply.
She stepped forward, eyes fixed on the mist group, a calculated determination in her gaze.
"Do you Mist…"
"…want to start a full-scale war with Konoha?"
"Sending the Seven Ninja Swordsmen here?"
Silence fell, the weight of her words settling over the clearing.
Some ANBU froze, uncertainty creeping into their ranks. Shinnosuke's expression shifted, a flicker of doubt crossing his features.
Tomiko's gaze remained locked, unyielding. She recognised them—too late, but not completely lost.
If they hesitated… we can still control this.
That was her bet.
Ameyuri smiled wider, her amusement unfazed.
"This one is smarter," she said lightly.
"At least she knows her enemy."
A pause.
"We can leave her alive…"
"…so she can tell everyone what happened here."
The tension deepened, thickening the air around them. Shinnosuke stepped forward again, his voice turning cold.
"This is your last warning."
"Go back, or this becomes a full-scale war."
"And your village won't survive it."
For a moment, no one moved, the weight of his threat hanging heavy.
Then Jinpachi stepped forward, a predatory glint in his eye.
"Enough talking."
His grip tightened on his weapon.
Duy's gaze was fully rested on their swords from the beginning—unlike the others, he had already understood who stood before him.
The moment Jinpachi moved—
It began.
No signal.
No warning.
Just—
Motion.
His blade swung.
Fast.
Heavy.
Explosive tags ignited along its edge, crackling with energy.
Shinnosuke didn't fully see it coming; he only felt—
Death.
Then—
Something moved.
A blur.
Green.
Might Duy appeared in front of him, a shield of determination.
BOOM—
The ground cracked beneath Duy's feet as he blocked the strike with a powerful kick. The explosion erupted, forced sideways, and debris flew as trees shattered and the earth tore apart.
Shinnosuke stumbled back, his eyes wide.
"…What—"
Duy stood there, calm yet transformed.
Veins bulged slightly on his arms, steam rising faintly from his body.
First gate… second… third… fourth… fifth—
His aura shifted, building pressure that filled the air. Not loud. Not flashy. But heavy.
Jinpachi stepped back slightly, a grin spreading across his face.
"…Oh?"
"So you're not useless."
Before anyone could react—
Mist exploded outward, swirling like a living entity.
Fuguki Suikazan moved with lethal grace.
Samehada tore through the air, hungry for battle. An ANBU tried to block, but his chakra was ripped away in an instant.
His body collapsed, lifeless.
"One," Fuguki Suikazan muttered, a chilling calm in his voice.
Jūzō Biwa vanished into the mist. A scream followed, slicing through the chaos, then silence. Blood spread across the ground.
"Two."
Kushimaru's needle flashed, threads moving like lightning. Three ANBU were pierced, pulled together, and dropped—stitches binding them in a grotesque display.
"Three… four… five."
Panic spread like wildfire; the formation broke.
"Hold position!" Shinnosuke shouted, urgency lacing his voice—
But it was too late.
Ameyuri appeared in a flash, electricity crackling at her fingertips.
Kiba cut through the air, his weapon shattering against an ANBU's defence before slicing through flesh—clean, fast.
"Six."
Jinpachi laughed, a savage delight in his eyes.
"This is better!"
He slammed Shibuki into the ground—
BOOM—
Multiple explosions tore through the forest, flames licking at the trees as the earth flipped. Two more ANBU were caught in the blast, their screams cut short.
"Eight."
Tomiko gritted her teeth.
"Fall back—!"
But no one listened. No one could.
At last, Mangetsu moved, Hiramekarei releasing raw chakra. It formed a massive blade of energy that shimmered ominously in the mist. He swung once, a wide arc of destruction—
Three ANBU were gone.
No bodies left. Just—
Emptiness.
"Eleven."
The battlefield changed.
It was no longer a fight. It was a slaughter.
Shinnosuke stood frozen, breath uneven.
"…What… is this?"
Duy stepped forward again, gaze steady, embodying clarity and purpose. Steam increased around his body, muscles tightening as he pushed himself further.
Then—
The sixth gate opened.
BOOM—
The ground beneath him shattered, wind exploding outward as the mist was pushed back. For the first time, the Seven Swordsmen stopped smiling.
Not fully. But enough.
"…Now this is interesting," Jūzō Biwa remarked, his tone shifting.
Duy stood between them and the remaining shinobi, resolute.
Behind him, only five remained: Tomiko, Shinnosuke, two ANBU, and him.
His back straight, presence radiating power—
Not just strong.
Dangerous.
The forest fell silent again.
But this time—
It wasn't calm.
It was waiting.
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Hello everyone, hear_tteeth here
This chapter is where everything finally starts breaking. From tension to actual clash, I wanted to show the difference in levels clearly — not everyone standing on the battlefield is equal.
Might Duy's moment has just begun, and this is only the start of what is coming next.
Also, thank you for your patience and support till now. I do read your comments, and they help a lot in improving the story.