"Are you… trying to start a war?" Uchiha Kagami shouted furiously at Kinkaku and the others.
Although it's common for ninja to clash during missions, an outright invasion of another nation's border— Had never occurred since the Five Kage Summit. And judging by Kinkaku and his group's state, they had clearly come prepared. Kagami instinctively glanced at Kazekaze. There was no doubt—Kinkaku and his men were here for him!
"Kinkaku. Ginkaku." Kazekaze carefully observed the intruders.
The Kōkinjō (Golden Canopy Rope), the Shichiseiken (Seven Star Sword), the Benihisago (Crimson Gourd), the Bashōsen (Banana Palm Fan)— All of the legendary Sage of Six Paths tools were on them (—excluding the Amber Purifying Pot).
"Start a war?" Kinkaku sneered and shook his head, denying Kagami's accusation.
"This is nothing more than a border skirmish. During the conflict, some Konoha ninja tragically perished, and Kumogakure suffered heavy losses."
Kinkaku had already prepared this justification before coming to settle the score with Kazekaze.
"Kinkaku, why waste time talking with these guys? Let's just take them down." Ginkaku said impatiently.
Just thinking about the humiliation of losing to Kazekaze made him eager to end things immediately. And the current situation was clearly unfavorable for Kazekaze and his group.
"Kinkaku. Ginkaku." Kazekaze scanned the attackers, deliberately lowering his voice.
Meanwhile, Sakumo and Kosuke sensed something was wrong and rushed out from the outpost, landing beside Kazekaze. The moment they saw Kinkaku and Ginkaku, their faces turned pale. They still clearly remembered what happened that night. If Kazekaze hadn't tricked them at the critical moment with the Transformation Jutsu— They probably wouldn't have made it out alive.
But… They had thought that incident was over. They never expected Kinkaku and Ginkaku to come knocking again!
'Do they not realize this could trigger a war between Konohagakure and Kumogakure?!'
'They've invaded our territory!'
However, in the eyes of Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the risk was absolutely worth it. Because Kazekaze wasn't just some ordinary ninja. He was the grandson of the First Hokage. And at only seven years old, he had already defeated Ginkaku. Kazekaze hadn't even reached his peak in chakra reserves or physical development yet.
"Though the Five Great Nations have signed a peace treaty, that peace has an expiration date. And that expiration… is the life of the First Hokage. Once he dies, the treaty will be nothing but a scrap of paper. Kumogakure is destined to become the strongest village in the shinobi world!" Kinkaku made no attempt to hide the truth. In his eyes, the people standing before him were as good as dead.
Especially Kazekaze. His existence was already a severe threat to Kumogakure's future. He had to be eliminated—right here and now!
"You…" Uchiha Kagami hadn't expected Kinkaku and Ginkaku to be so ruthless.
And the outpost was more than thirty li away from Masakawa. A round trip would be seventy li.
"Kosuke." Kagami said, activating his Sharingan.
"I'll create an opening for you. You must report what's happening here to Masakawa."
Kosuke was stunned for a moment, but quickly nodded. No matter what, he would reach Masakawa and bring reinforcements. Until then, Kagami had to hold them off.
"Don't worry. None of you are getting out of here alive." Ginkaku stepped forward, clutching the Seven Star Sword. His entire body radiated overwhelming confidence.
With Kinkaku present— They could coordinate and fully unleash the power of the Sage tools. And against Konoha ninja who had no intel on the tools, the outcome was certain. They would be sealed inside the Benihisago (Crimson Gourd). But to their surprise, even under these circumstances, Kazekaze remained calm and composed.
"Kinkaku. Ginkaku." Kazekaze repeated their names.
"This is the border of the Land of Fire. Your current actions are without question a violation of our territory. Even if I kill you here, neither the Daimyō of the Land of Lightning nor the Raikage has the right to hold me accountable. Because this is justified self-defense! Even knowing that, are you still going to challenge me?" Kazekaze's words rang out with force, as if he didn't take the two brothers seriously at all.
In reality, if Kinkaku and Ginkaku had shown up yesterday— Kazekaze might've been worried. That night, Ginkaku had been seriously injured by him, which made Kinkaku retreat after weighing the risks. But now Ginkaku had fully recovered. If he tried the same trick again—disguising himself as Hashirama using a Shadow Clone— These two blockheads might just get cocky and try to seal Hashirama with their tools. If it were the real Hashirama, he would've crushed them both easily.
But Kazekaze's fake Hashirama, aside from bursting with chakra, couldn't do much. The moment they fought— the illusion would be exposed. But! Kazekaze was no longer the same as before! Just now, during his sixth check-in— He had received the Grand Wood Style Gift Pack. And learned Wood Human Jutsu and Wood Dragon Jutsu—techniques only Hashirama could use! It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Kazekaze's strength had transformed completely!
"Kinkaku and Ginkaku, your timing couldn't be better. You're perfect for testing my current strength! And this time, you invaded the Land of Fire's territory. Even if I kill you here, the Raikage will just have to suffer in silence." Thinking this, Kazekaze smiled and prepared for battle.
However, to Kinkaku and Ginkaku, Kazekaze's words sounded like nothing but bravado. Yes, Kazekaze was a highly talented brat. Only seven years old, and already rivaled Ginkaku in power. But his teammates were so weak, they weren't even worthy of being called tools. With the Sage tools in hand— Kinkaku and Ginkaku couldn't imagine a scenario where they lost.
Kinkaku took a step forward, stretching a little, and gestured to his brother. As long as the Kōkinjō (Golden Canopy Rope) touched Kazekaze— They could force out his word soul. But what Kinkaku never expected— Was that Kazekaze knew everything about the tools.
"Kagami. Sakumo. Kosuke. Let me explain the ninja tools that Kinkaku and Ginkaku are using. They're said to be inherited from the Sage of Six Paths himself. Each time they're used, they consume a massive amount of chakra. That rope tied to Kinkaku's arm is called the Kōkinjō (Golden Canopy Rope). It forces out something called a 'word soul.'" Kazekaze paused slightly, then turned his gaze to the Seven Star Sword in Ginkaku's hand.
"That sword is the Shichiseiken (Seven Star Sword). It can sever the word soul and trigger curses and sealing effects. Once someone utters their verbal tic—or even something that sounds similar—they'll be sucked into Ginkaku's Benihisago (Crimson Gourd).
And most importantly… If you stay silent for too long, the curse is still triggered—and you'll still be sucked into the gourd!"
Kinkaku:"???"
Ginkaku:"???"