Faced with the Third Raikage's uncertain attitude, the Third Mizukage felt helpless.
The Third Raikage was the worst kind of unreliable person, notorious for going back on his word. Even his Tailed Beast was a headache.
Recently, Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails' Jinchūriki, had been attacked.
What happened next was absolutely mind-boggling.
When the mysterious attacker struck, Yugito showed zero resistance. Instead, she tucked tail and fled from the Thunder Temple, running straight into Kumogakure.
Then she squatted outside the Raikage Tower and gave the Raikage a piece of her mind.
"My little brother paid his rent, and you couldn't even spare someone to protect me?" she complained, "Either refund my 50 million ryō for food and security fees, or I'm staying in Kumogakure indefinitely!"
Just look at that!
Was this really how a Tailed Beast should behave?
Even the most demanding landlady couldn't compare to her ferocity!
...
According to inside sources, that day, the Raikage smashed his office couch to pieces in frustration.
It wasn't just him - even the mysterious attacker stood frozen outside the Thunder Temple for a full five minutes, completely dumbfounded.
Ever since the Third Raikage took office, something seemed off about the entire village's atmosphere.
Just thinking about what outrageous move the Raikage might pull next made the Third Mizukage's face twitch involuntarily. He hesitated before suggesting:
"Perhaps we should let Kumogakure pressure Konohagakure, while we take action ourselves?"
Hearing this, Master Gen voiced his concerns with an equally peculiar expression.
"Do we have enough strength?"
"We do!" The Third Mizukage nodded firmly. "Hanzō of the Salamander from Amegakure contacted me through the Bounty Exchange's underground channels. Amegakure wants to get involved in this operation."
"What are their demands?"
"People. All the civilians from Uzushiogakure. All of them!"
Hearing this, Master Gen became hesitant. Truthfully, he would rather kill all these civilians with Uzumaki bloodline than hand them over to Amegakure.
After long consideration, Master Gen slowly asked:
"Lord Third, what about the ninja? The sealing techniques? The wealth?"
"Hanzō said he doesn't want any of that!" The Third Mizukage added, "I'm aware of Hanzō's current situation. They say he's reconciled with the Land of Rain's feudal lord. However, nearly 100,000 of their citizens are being held by the Land of Wind. So what they need most right now is population."
Hearing this, Master Gen nodded unconsciously. As the economic administrator, he understood the importance of population better than anyone else in Kirigakure. Population meant a constant supply of new ninja, wealth creation, and labor force. A country without people was no different from wasteland.
Seeing the Third Mizukage's confident expression, Master Gen decided to change the subject to village matters.
"Lord Mizukage, can we deploy the Seven Ninja Swordsmen now?"
At this question, the Third Mizukage's brow furrowed as he replied gravely:
"Each can lead their own team, but putting them together risks infighting. Fuguki, Jinin, and Raiga could form a squad, but the other four are either too impulsive, untameable, or excessively violent."
Master Gen sighed deeply and suggested:
"Lord Mizukage, perhaps we should have all seven spend some time together, with ANBU surveillance if needed. Otherwise, we'll waste their combat potential when we attack Uzushiogakure."
The Third Mizukage nodded reluctantly, accepting the suggestion.
Soon after, Rinjin, who was enjoying sake at a tavern, received notice from an ANBU agent. For the next month, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would live and patrol together as a unit.
The thought of spending a month team-building with six rough men gave Rinjin goosebumps. However, he realized he had no right to refuse.
With a sigh, Rinjin nodded to the nearby ANBU agent.
The next day at the Mizukage Tower, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen assembled. Following the Mizukage's orders, they would all stay in an apartment next to the tower for the next month.
Under ANBU supervision, they introduced themselves:
Jinin Akebino with Kabutowari, the Bluntsword;
Fuguki Suikazan with Samehada, the Greatsword;
Jinpachi Munashi with Shibuki, the Blastsword;
Kushimaru Kuriarare with Nuibari, the Longsword;
Jūzō Biwa with Kubikiribōchō, the Executioner's Blade;
Raiga Kurosuki with Kiba, the Thunderswords;
And finally, Toyomi with Hiramekarei, the Twin Sword.
Rinjin thoughtfully scratched his head while looking at the last member, Toyomi, who carried Hiramekarei and wore an exceptionally friendly smile. He couldn't recall the first wielder of Hiramekarei from the original story, though the name certainly fit the Seven Swordsmen's usual naming convention.
After introductions, Jūzō suddenly stood up, a hint of violence in his eyes, and clapped his hands in front of the ANBU.
"Hey everyone, we can't just sit here like idiots. How about we find somewhere private to spar?"
His suggestion immediately drew eager responses from the others. The atmosphere quickly became charged with tension.
Rinjin sat quietly, observing everyone while comparing them to his memories, gradually forming a clearer picture of these six individuals.
Jūzō, who suggested the sparring, might be a troublemaker, or perhaps someone hungry for power and deeply ambitious.
Jinpachi seemed eager and impatient, clearly confident to the point of arrogance, and gave off an aggressive vibe.
Kushimaru, wielding Nuibari, actually seemed reasonable enough.
As for Toyomi with Hiramekarei, his smile struck Rinjin as somewhat artificial.
Overall, these teammates seemed manageable enough.
Without further ado, the seven men shouldered their massive swords and left the building, ignoring the ANBU's attempts to stop them.
Soon, these imposing figures walked out of the Mizukage Tower under the watchful eyes of villagers, making their way to a spacious training ground.
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