131. Raiga Kurosuki

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Granny Sansho's son was originally a frail young man and was often bullied by fellow villagers.

Since Gai and Lee passed by the store during their training, Granny Sansho would often say to her son, "If you were as Hardworking as they are, you wouldn't be bullied anymore."

Perhaps hearing it too often, Karashi impulsively ran off to join the Kurosaki Family.

Granny Sansho's request was simple, and Kakashi readily agreed. That night, the four of them approached the mine's entrance.

Naruto volunteered to gather information since it was something new to him, and he wanted to give it a try.

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura waited in place. About ten minutes later, Naruto returned, dragging a man in a black robe.

"Got it, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said as he threw the man to the ground and continued, "The leader here is indeed called Raiga Kurosuki. He wields a peculiar dual sword that is said to control lightning. There are 22 members in total. The ordinary members wear black robes and use concealed swords."

He added, "Ten Watchmen patrol nightly, and their quarters are on the mountainside, not far from the house. Also, Raiga Kurosuki has a creepy hobby he loves holding funerals, even burying people alive when no one has died. The guy's a total maniac."

"The information is detailed, but..." Kakashi nodded before pointing at the beaten man on the ground. "What happened to him?"

"He got beaten up," Naruto replied nonchalantly. "Isn't that how you get information? You fight, then they talk."

"Is that really what that means?" Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "How exactly did Iruka teach you the ninja world's common language?"

Sakura shook her head. "Iruka-sensei didn't teach him that."

Sasuke agreed with a nod, and the others followed suit.

Kakashi knelt. "What's your name?"

"K-Karashi," the young man stammered, trembling.

Naruto wondered about the coincidence. Had he just happened to catch Granny Sansho's son?

Kakashi also felt surprised by their luck. "Do you know Granny Sansho?"

Karashi panicked. "I-I only took revenge on those who bullied me. Please don't harm my mother; she doesn't know anything!"

Kakashi stared at him for a moment. "He can be saved. Let's take him back to the curry shop."

"Okay, I'll send a clone," Naruto offered.

Clone No. 001 saluted. "The world's strongest & Smartest clone is here! Mission accepted!"

After the clone left, Kakashi continued, "First, we'll subdue Raiga Kurosuki's subordinates, then focus on him."

Naruto nodded, understanding the strategy: clear the small fries, then take on the boss.

Each of the four took a direction, incapacitating and binding the patrols without killing them. They'd leave it to the villagers to identify and deal with them.

The ten watchmen were silently piled at the mountain's base, clearly more skilled than the Snow Country's regular soldiers.

The four then entered a small house near Raiga Kurosuki's residence, capturing the twelve occupants as they slept. Naruto, having grown used to this, handled the heavy lifting.

After dealing with the minions, the four stepped outside, only to stop at the sight of a dark figure approaching from a hundred meters away, dual blades gleaming in the torchlight.

"We've been exposed," Kakashi said, preparing to confront one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

"Kakashi Hatake? So Lusuke and the others brought in a strong ally. I treated them like family, and this is how they repaid me. It's heartbreaking," Raiga Kurosaki said, forcing a few tears. "It seems I'll have to hold a funeral for them soon."

The four stared at him, thinking in unison: This guy's a total lunatic.

Kakashi demanded, "Raiga Kurosuki, why, as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, would you resort to this?"

Ignoring the question, Raiga took a step to the side, planting a foot on a high stone as Naruto's usual sneak attack sprang into action.

"What just happened?" Sakura exclaimed, stunned. It was the first time she'd seen someone evade Naruto's sneak attack.

Kakashi analyzed, "It looks like someone warned him. He tilted his head slightly, and his eyes shifted for a moment, an indication that he heard something."

Sasuke, feeling slightly outdone, knew Kakashi was using the Sharingan more effectively than he was.

Naruto added, "I sense two types of chakra in his position. He's carrying someone on his back a sensory ninja, most likely."

Ranmaru, with a unique ability, could see through and observe far better than Neji's Byakugan, even creating shadow illusions that would fool the Byakugan by mimicking a real person's chakra system.

Ranmaru, much like Haku, had been feared for his abilities and was eventually taken in by Raiga.

In poor health, even worse than Kurama Yakumo, Ranmaru had been carried by Raiga ever since his defection. He served as his eyes and ears, hiding in a special bag beneath his cloak.

By the way, Ranmaru is a rather cute little boy.

There seems to be a pattern with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Zabuza took in Haku, Raiga adopted Ranmaru, and Kisame showed deep care for Itachi, it's a strangely touching camaraderie.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Raiga unleashed the signature ninjutsu of Kirigakure. In the darkness, their vision was already limited, but now they couldn't see at all.

"You despicable worms! If you die, I won't even bother holding a funeral for you!" Raiga crossed his dual blades, arcs of blue lightning crackling from them. "Lightning Release: Lightning Banquet!"

Four thick currents of electricity surged from the swords like pythons racing down the mountainside, slamming into the ground with an explosive bang, leaving a smoking crater where the four had stood.

Raiga turned. "What do you think, Ranmaru?"

"You're strong, but they're not dead. They dodged into the house at the last second."

"Body Flicker Jutsu, is it?" Raiga mused. He hadn't encountered Naruto before, having secluded himself as the local kingpin, but he recognized the renowned Kakashi.

Inside the house, Kakashi spoke seriously. "The dense fog and night give him an advantage. We need to deal with the sensory ninja on his back first. Here's the plan..."

Naruto didn't object. Despite Ranmaru's tragic story, they were enemies in battle. It would be foolish to hold back out of pity.

Matters unrelated to combat could be settled once they defeated him.

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