Slayer: Look directly at the Seraph, standing on the sun

Chapter 828 The Spirit of Sacrifice

Zhang Hai turned his head and stared solemnly at Minato: "That terrifying cohesion and spirit of sacrifice still haunts me. Kannabi Bridge is the lifeline of Iwagakure, and that cunning old fox Onoki will never give it up easily. There must be countless traps laid there that we can't even imagine. Minato-senpai, I know you're fast, but there are some traps in this world that even the Flying Thunder God Technique might not be able to completely avoid."

Minato's smile faded; he sensed the weight of the warning from Zhang Hai's serious tone.

“The Will of Stone…” Minato murmured, then nodded seriously. “Thank you for your reminder, Zhang Hai. I will reassess the plan and be more careful.”

He then gave a wry smile, his eyes revealing a helpless yet resolute light: "However, the situation on the battlefield can change in an instant. If an excellent opportunity arises, or if it's a moment when action is necessary, I'm afraid I can't guarantee that I'll wait for you to return. After all, I'm the captain of this team, and I must be responsible for victory."

Zhang Hai remained silent for a moment. He knew that this was Minato Namikaze, gentle yet with his own principles.

"Alright. Then I can only wish you good luck in your military campaign."

"You too, have a safe journey."

The two exchanged blows, then separated. Zhang Hai didn't look back; instead, he formed a hand seal, and a gigantic black eagle shot into the sky. He leaped onto its back, and with a loud cry, soared into the clouds, becoming a black dot on the horizon.

On the ground, two figures were watching this scene from behind a large tree.

Bai, wearing a mask, looked somewhat forlorn, clutching the hem of his clothes tightly with both hands, and muttering to himself with his head down, "Another one has left... I'm also from the Anbu, and I've become stronger, so why is it that Lord Zhang Hai is always unwilling to take me with him..."

The feeling of being abandoned caused a sharp pain in the heart of this young man from a clan who had always longed to be needed.

"Hey, don't be so downcast!"

A hand slammed down on Bai's shoulder, almost making him stumble. Xi Yan took off her mask, revealing a bright smile, her big eyes sparkling with mischievousness. "That guy is just like that, always likes to act cool by himself and shoulder everything on his own."

She leaned closer to Bai and whispered mysteriously, "Since he won't take us, we'll have to figure it out ourselves! Bai, what do you think... after this battle is over, wouldn't it be interesting if we secretly followed him and saw what kind of shady things he does all the time?"

Bai paused for a moment, then his previously dim eyes gradually brightened.

"Following... Lord Zhang Hai?"

"That's right! Not only will we find out his secrets, but we'll also prove that our tracking abilities are now far superior!" Xi Yan clenched her fist, looking eager to try. "Then we'll suddenly appear in front of him and give him a fright, and see if he still dares to treat us like children!"

Bai imagined the scene, the always cold and shrewd Lord Zhang Hai being frightened, and a faint smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

"Hmm...that sounds pretty good."

"Right, right! Then it's settled!"

The shadows of the two boys stretched long in the setting sun. This somewhat naive yet hopeful promise became one of the few warm touches in this cruel war.

At the edge of Konoha, the dense forest was shrouded in a thin, faint mist, making it appear particularly eerie.

"Huh...huh..."

Rapid breathing broke the deathly silence. Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu stood back to back, their bodies stiff as stones. Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads, only to be evaporated by the terrifying killing intent surrounding them before it even hit the ground.

Around them, seven figures of different shapes emerged from the mist like ghosts, completely blocking all escape routes.

Those were seven extravagantly designed ninja swords, each with a fearsome reputation that struck terror into the hearts of ninjas.

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist..." Ebisu pushed up his sunglasses, his voice trembling and out of tune, "Why...why would a monster of this caliber appear in a place like this..."

Genma Shiranui chewed on a senbon stick, his eyes filled with despair despite his usual nonchalant demeanor: "It seems this is our end. We three genin are powerless against such legendary strength."

"Hey hey hey..."

A piercing laugh rang out, and Juzo Biwa, carrying the enormous guillotine, slowly took two steps forward. He looked down at the three trembling boys, his eyes filled with a cat-and-mouse mockery.

"Are all the kids in Konoha this knowledgeable now? They recognized us at a glance." Juzo licked the obvious nick on the blade, a metallic taste of blood seemingly wafting towards him. "What a pity, being too famous is a curse. But..."

He suddenly swung his broadsword down, the blade stopping less than an inch in front of Matt Kai's nose, the force of the blow stinging Kai's cheek.

"My executioner's blade recently got a chipped edge, and I was just wondering where to get it repaired. You three have such delicate skin, your blood must be very fresh, right? By drinking your blood, my blade can regenerate, hahahaha!"

That naked malice struck the three boys like a heavy hammer. Kai clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh. He wanted to fight back, to shout, but under the pressure of that absolute power, his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Wait, Juzo."

A cold voice interrupted Juzo's intimidation. Hozuki Chizuki stepped out from behind, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the three like a hawk.

"Don't rush to kill them, these kids might still be of some use."

Qian Yue walked up to Kai, squatted down, and revealed a seemingly kind but chilling smile: "Hey, kids, if you answer one question for me, I'll let you live, how about it?"

Kai swallowed hard, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart: "Wh...what problem?"

“A few years ago, there was a young man from the Uchiha clan in Konoha, about your age, a master swordsman.” Qian Yue’s eyes instantly turned sinister and vicious, as if she wanted to devour him. “Where is he? What’s his name? What mission is he on now?”

For the past few years, that figure has haunted the Seven like a nightmare. It is their shame, and it must be washed away with the enemy's blood.

However, when faced with Chizuki's questioning, Kai, Genma, and Ebisu looked at each other blankly.

"Uchiha... a boy who uses a sword?" Genma frowned in confusion. "Most Uchiha people use shuriken and fire release techniques, I've never heard of anyone being famous for swordsmanship."