A/N:- Happy New Year Everyone. This year was full of ups and downs. I hope the next year will bring a bright future to everyone.

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Inside the meeting room,

Fuji stares at the group of people as Ao recounts the entire incident to him.

Sigh…

Fuji sighs and rubs his forehead.

"The losses were great... but it was worth it."

He signals to one of his subordinates as he orders him.

"Make necessary arrangements and compensation for their family."

Fuji turns towards Elder Genji as he continues.

"Now… six tails is under our control."

Fuji stares at the sealing artifact for a while before nodding to Elder Genji.

"Ahem… I need to have some private discussion with Clan leader Fuji."

The remaining people leaves the room as only Elder Genji and Fuji stays in the room.

Izuna bade farewell to the rest of his team and walks out of the Terumi clan.

"Oye Yuito… Yuito…" Zengetsu yells his name and shakes his hand.

Izuna turns around and looks at Zengetsu with a questioning gaze.

"Hey… Yuito… if you are free tonight… then what about a drink? It is on me." He hurriedly convinces Izuna to join him.

"Very well… We will meet tonight at the Thirsty Man bar."

Izuna nods his head and flickers towards his residence.

Sigh…

Zengetsu sighs and removes his hat. He restyles his hairs to allow them to hang freely. His expression turns serious as he looks towards the center of the village.

"Mangetsu… we will have our rematch soon… and this time I won't be the loser."

Zengetsu removes the blade strapped on his back and caresses it gently.

Inside the Terumi Mansion….

In a private room,

Elder Genji looks towards Fuji for a while before he tells about his decision.

"Clan Leader Fuji… I initially decided to make Utakata… the jinchuruki of the Six-tails and after observing him for a month… I hold on to it."

Fuji frowns and questions him.

"But wouldn't Yuito Yuki���. be a better option. He is a capable shinobi with Ice Release. He has shown his worth during this past month. He would be a perfect jinchuruki for the Six-tails."

Elder Genji shakes his head and continues.

"Somehow… I don't have confidence in him. Even Ao thinks the same. I have survived this far because of my instincts and experience."

Elder Genji taps his staff on the ground.

"Very well… I trust you Elder Genji. Then we will go with Utakata." Fuji decides.

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Inside Noble clan mansion,

The rest of the elder raises their head as they curiously look towards Akifumi.

"What plan? Care to enlighten us… Akifumi!" One of the old elders questions him.

Ahem…

Akifumi clears his throat as he explains.

"Kirigakure came into existence when First Mizukage Byakuren-sama… my grandfather founded the village. He fought a bloody battle against various other clans during the warring state to lead us to where we are."

Hmm…

The rest of the elders nods their head in agreement.

"He achieved this with the help of other clans who allied with us and fought that bloody war." Akifumi continues.

"We are well-aware of this matter. These same ally clans are now opposing our rule and threatening to take our position." The old elder clenches his fists in anger.

Akifumi smirks as he looks at them and continues.

"It was indeed hard for grandfather to convince so many clans. But during the warring state… a band of seven swordsmen acted as his bodyguards. These seven swordsmen wielded seven powerful swords and single-handedly overpowered most of the clans and forced them to agree to our terms. Haha…"

Akifumi laughs as he mentions this. There is a reverent expression on his face as he speaks of this matter.

"Every person in Kiri… and even other villages are aware of this fact. Those seven people are the 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist' who slaughtered their way through every war and made other villages wary of us.

But… after the Third Shinobi War… most of them died at the hands of a powerful Konoha ninja who single-handedly killed four out of the seven swordsmen. Juzo and Raiga deserted the village and Fuguki later died on a mission."

Another elder states the facts and sighs.

"If only… the Seven Mist Swordsmen were alive… then we would have a better chance against the middle faction… since they captured the Six tails."

Haha… ahaha…

Akifumi laughs as he stares at them.

"Who said… there are no Mist Swordsmen alive anymore?"

He signals to one of the shinobi.

Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…

Three people appear behind him.

Akifumi introduces them to the elders.

"These are the current members of the Seven Mist Swordsman fostered by me. Don't look down on their number."

Akifumi points towards one of them and introduces.

"He is Mangetsu Hozuki… the current leader of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist. At the mere age of eighteen… he had already mastered all the seven swords and can wield them in battle. Don't look down on him because of his young age."

Akifumi points towards the second member and introduces him.

"He is Kisame Hoshigaki… one of the members of the Fuguki's squad. He was the one… who unmasked the traitorous deeds of Fuguki and later killed that traitorous swine. He is the current wielder of Samehada."

Akifumi points towards the third and the last member.

"He is Renjouro… the current wielder of Hiramkarei. He is a capable swordsman with multiple S-rank missions under his belt."

Akifumi waves his hands and the three swordsmen disappear from their vision.

"Sadly… the fourth member… Zabuza Momochi betrayed us and left the village. I will kill that traitor with my own hands… if he appeared before me."

Akifumi clenches his fists in anger.

"Ahem… anyway… with 'Seven Mist Swordsman' on our side… we can make a pre-emptive strike and attack the middle-class faction. If we assassinate their leader… then the rest of the faction will fall apart."

Akifumi smirks as he looks at the rest of the elders.

Hmm…

The elders ponder for a while before they nod their heads.

"That's a good plan. But… are you sure… your 'Mist Swordsman' will be able to pull it?" One of the elders raises his suspicion.

Hmph…

Akifumi scowls as he chides the elder.

"You can test their strength… with your most elite anbu unit… if you doubt their abilities."

"No… no…" the elder shakes his hands in denial.

"It's decided then… let the war begin. Haha…"

Akifumi laughs maniacally.

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Later inside Thirsty Man bar,

Gulp… gulp…

Zengetsu chugs down one jar of alcohol after another.

Haah… bam…

He slams the empty jar on the table and yells.

"Refill��� GIVE ME A REFILL." The server hurriedly refills his jar.

Gulp… gulp…

Zengetsu chugs down the jar and looks towards Izuna… who is sipping lemonade right beside him.

"Hicc… I thought… you would drink with me." Zengetsu complains.

"I like soda more." Izuna calmly replies to him and continues to drink his lemonade.

"…"

"Aw.. man… that hurt my feelings. I thought you will be a fellow brother-in-arms… who will drink together and drown all their sorrows. Hicc…"

"…"

Izuna silently stares at Zengetsu.

"Are we that close?"

Zengetsu thinks for a while before he shakes his head.

"I guess not. Hicc… but come on… just listen to me. I want to get this off my chest."

"Well… if you want to tell me your story… then I am interested."

Izuna puts down his glass and turns towards Zengetsu.

Bam…

Zengetsu smacks the empty jar on the table. He takes out the blade from his back and caresses it.

"You must be aware of the Seven Mist Swordsman…"

Izuna nods his head and replies.

"Yes… who doesn't know about them? But sadly, almost all of them died a few years ago. I heard it was a Konoha shinobi who killed them."

Zengetsu shakes his head and continues.

"I am not talking about them… but the previous generation… the first generation of Seven Mist Swordsman."

Izuna shakes his head.

"I don't know about them. For me… they are part of a legend."

'Sadly… I wasn't able to stop Might Duy's untimely death. I was on my journey to Land of Whirlpool and lost my sense of time.'

Hicc…

Zengetsu hiccups and continues.

"Around fifty years ago… during the warring states. The First Mizukage excavated an ancient ruin together with Elder Genji…."

"Oh! Now I am interested." Izuna raises his eyebrows as he is curious to know the origin of those seven blades.

'There is no way… the current blacksmiths can forge such blades. Like, come on… Samehada is a living creature.'

"… it was inside those ruins… the First Mizukage-sama found those seven blades and many other wonderful artifacts. Even Elder Genji's staff is from that ruin." Zengetsu raises his head and looks towards Izuna.

Mmm…

Izuna nods his head.

"… it was during this time… the First Mizukage founded the 'Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist'. He trained young shinobis while wielding those swords. My father was one of those young shinobi. Yes… he was a member of first-generation."

Zengetsu proudly puffs his chest as he continues.

"… my father has two younger brothers. The middle brother was skilled in genjutsu and ninjutsu… he later became the Second Mizukage… and the youngest brother…"

Zengetsu's expression turns ugly.

"… he was also skilled in swords. He also became a member of the Mist swordsman. "

Sigh…

Zengetsu sighs and chugs down the refilled jar in a single gulp.

"…. Father and younger uncle had a dispute over the position of the leader of the seven swordsmen. Both of them fought a heated battle and in the end… father won the battle…"

Haah… Bam…

Zengetsu slams the empty jar on the table.

"… he spared the life of his younger brother… but uncle felt it as a humiliation to his skills… so he backstabed father… father… in his last moments… stabbed through the heart of uncle… and… and both of them died in the battle."

Haah…

"It sounds ironic… isn't it…"

Zengetsu chuckles and looks at Izuna. Izuna silently listens to him.

"Now… uncle's elder son… Mangetsu… he has joined the noble faction… to train in swordsmanship… his target is me… he wants to kill me… and honor his father."

Sckinck…

Zengetsu unsheathes the blade on his back and brandishes it.

"… And I am ready for his challenge."