501 Naruto the Flame-Flame Fruit

The mist hung thick in the air as three brats who didn't know their own limits waited beside Kirigakure's Memorial Stone, hoping someone would take the bait.

They guessed that if Hoshigaki Shizuma really planned to make a move, this spot would almost certainly be his target.

To them, the current peace in Kirigakure was something they couldn't stand. What they truly craved was the chaos and bloodshed of the Blood Mist era. And this Memorial Stone—symbol of mourning and peace—was the perfect banner to declare war. Destroy it, and their "New Seven Ninja Swordsmen" would be officially declaring war on Kirigakure and the Sixth Mizukage, Chōjūrō!

The mist of Kirigakure felt like it would never fade. Hoshigaki Shizuma and the others, who had taken five of the Seven Ninja Blades, stood before the Memorial Stone.

Sharing a clan with Hoshigaki Kisame, Hoshigaki Shizuma sneered at the stone.

"Hmph! This stone is such an eyesore… a symbol the village forcefully slapped onto its past! Don't you agree, Kagura?"

Kagura, carrying the Twin Blades Hiramekarei on his back, lowered his head.

"Shizuma… if you truly fight for those forgotten souls who can't rest here, I'll follow you."

"Then I'm relieved, Kagura!"

Hoshigaki Shizuma drew a long sword from his waist. Since Samehada was with Hoshigaki Kisame, he couldn't claim it, so he had to use an ordinary blade for now. But that didn't mean he lacked the ability to lead this group.

It was precisely because of him that the New Seven Ninja Swordsmen had gathered.

He raised his sword.

"Come on, New Seven—let's ignite the flames of revolution right here!"

He intended to destroy this place, declare war on Kirigakure, seize power using the strength of the Seven Blades, and restore the Bloody Mist. In his eyes, that was the true path for the village.

In other words… the guy was a complete lunatic.

Just as they were about to act, a mass of flame fell from the sky, crashing down in their midst and forcing them to dodge.

"An enemy attack?" Hoshigaki Shizuma asked.

"It's your grandpa—me!" a voice came from within the flames as Shinichi emerged in human form, immediately lunging at the unarmed Shizuma.

"This ability… you're that Asakawa Kiyosuke bastard's kid!" Shizuma jumped in shock. During this Konoha school trip, the person he most wanted to kill was the Seventh Hokage's son. The second was Kiyosuke's son.

Kiyosuke had caused massive casualties to Kirigakure in the past. To Shizuma, the Fifth Mizukage marrying out of the village was a disgrace—showing weakness to outsiders. Killing Shinichi, this "spawn," would restore Kirigakure's honor.

"That's right!" Shinichi answered cheerfully. Suddenly his expression changed.

"Oh no—Boruto, my dad found out my clone's gone!"

"He found out about mine too!" Boruto's panicked voice echoed through the mist. "He's gonna kill us!"

"He'll kill me!" Shinichi said, terrified. He looked at Shizuma and the others.

"Whatever! This is just a small conflict. We can classify it as a brawl. It won't escalate to a village-level incident. So—brace yourselves! I'm gonna beat you all so hard you won't get out of bed for a month!"

"Such arrogance!"

Shizuma barked, "New Seven! Kill this mutt! He's the son of Asakawa Kiyosuke and the Fifth Mizukage, Terumi Mei! Kill him! Use his blood to declare war on Konoha!"

The moment he finished, Shinichi vanished. Shizuma quickly turned and slashed behind him, cutting through Shinichi's body—only to hear his mocking voice.

"You know I'm Kiyosuke's son but you don't know my ability? I literally showed it just now! Idiot!"

He then punched Shizuma square in his shark face, sending him flying.

"So this is the mighty New Seven Ninja Swordsmen? So weak."

If Shinichi had learned anything from Kiyosuke, it was the art of provocation.

"Take this—Explosive Blade!" one guy shouted, swinging the Explosive Blade toward Shinichi as the explosive tags detonated.

Shizuma climbed back up and snapped, "Idiot! That guy doesn't have a real body—Explosive Blade won't work! Run!"

"Too late! Fire Fist!"

In everyone's sight, the swordsman wielding the Explosive Blade was launched into the sky by a pillar of flame before crashing heavily into the Memorial Stone.

"We'll help you!" Boruto jumped in, throwing his blade—only to be intercepted by the girl using the Lightning Blades. Mitsuki ran into trouble as well.

Shinichi could handle things, but he was more worried about his teammates, and with little combat experience, once the enemy used Water Release, his reliable materialization ability became unusable—putting him at a disadvantage.

The wielder of the Long Blade ensnared his limbs with steel wires, trapping him in a Water Prison. Shizuma approached with his sword.

"As long as we kill you three, our plan succeeds. Asakawa Shinichi, Uzumaki Boruto… die quietly as my stepping stones."

He raised his blade—when a flame pierced through the mist, shooting straight through his arm.

"Aaaah!!!"

Shizuma clutched his arm and screamed. No blood flowed—the flame had scorched the vessels shut, leaving a disgusting burnt smell.

The blast also shattered the Water Prison, freeing Shinichi. But he had no time to celebrate.

Because the one who arrived… was his dad.

If his dad came over smiling, everything would be fine.

Unfortunately, his dad was furious.

"You little brat! I told you over and over not to get involved, and you still ran over here! And—Shinichi!"

"Sir!"

Enemy or not, Shinichi immediately straightened up for Kiyosuke's scolding.

"You've embarrassed me! I was watching the whole time—you got suppressed by a bunch of nobodies! How am I supposed to show myself? They call themselves the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"

Chōjūrō and Ao, who had arrived late, both looked awkward. Terumi Mei rubbed her forehead helplessly.

"This idiot…"

Do you father and son have a personal vendetta against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?

Seeing the newcomers, the New Seven paused their attack. Mitsuki and Boruto finally got a breather. Boruto leaned toward Mitsuki.

"Mitsuki, from the way Kiyosuke-san was talking… it sounds like he really hates the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"

"You didn't hear Kagura? Kiyosuke-sama annihilated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen at their peak. To kill the last one, he even chased them into Kirigakure itself. Came and went as he pleased—and blew up the village gate on his way out," Mitsuki said calmly.

"Seriously? No wonder he's so hard on Shinichi. But Shinichi's opponents are literally the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!" Boruto muttered, feeling like Kiyosuke's standards were absurdly high.