The True Will of Fire!

As Hyuga Bin treated the wounded, several ships from the Land of Water set sail, heading towards a port in the Land of Fire that had already been captured by Kirigakure.

Inside these ships were hundreds of Mist Ninja, including the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure.

It was clear that Kirigakure intended to take advantage of Konoha's weakened state, having suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Kikyo Mountain and dispatched a large number of ninja to prepare for a decisive battle with Iwagakure. Kirigakure planned to launch a proactive strike and crush Konoha's front-line ninja army in one fell swoop.

The dispatch of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen represented Kirigakure's resolve.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Mist were all elite Jonin of Kirigakure. With their seven ninja swords, any one of them could hold their own against an ordinary Kage-level opponent for a short time, without being killed. Together, they dared to slay a Kage-level ninja.

Aside from the Third Mizukage and the Jinchuriki, the Seven were arguably Kirigakure's strongest combat force.

Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen were:

The Great Sword Samehada, Suikazan Fuguki.

The Executioner's Blade, Juzo Biwa.

The Needle-Stitching Sword Nuibari, Kushimaru Kuriarare.

The Blunt Sword Kabutowari, Karashi.

The Exploding Blade Shibuki, Munashi Jinpachi.

The Lightning Blade Kiba, Raiga Kurosuki.

The Twin Swords Hiramekarei, Chojuro.

As the wielders of the seven ninja swords, they often fought in cooperation.

For example, Chojuro with the Twin Swords Hiramekarei and Kushimaru Kuriarare with the Needle-Stitching Sword Nuibari had a combined skill called "Twin Fly," which could easily send enemy ninja flying hundreds of meters. The cooperation skill "Mouth Boom" between Suikazan Fuguki with the Great Sword Samehada and Munashi Jinpachi with the Exploding Blade Shibuki could even blast opponents into powder.

The Seven's coordinated efforts, combined with the unique properties of their seven ninja swords, meant they absolutely could not be treated as ordinary elite Jonin during battle.

In the current Ninja World, only those as rare as a diamond could fight the Seven Ninja Swordsmen one-on-one.

Later, the ships landed at the port in the Land of Fire, and hundreds of Mist Ninja gathered to head towards the Mist stronghold within the Land of Fire.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen and three elite Mist squads departed separately, hidden, and did not rejoin the main force.

Their mission was to hunt down Konoha ninja on duty or carrying out missions at the edge of the defense line.

After a year of continuous fighting, Kirigakure had a clear understanding of Konoha's front-line deployment and the overall command of the Uchiha Clan leader, "Fierce Eye" Uchiha Fugaku.

The ultimate target in dispatching the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was Uchiha Fugaku.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen's chakra natures perfectly countered the Uchiha Clan. Coupled with their absolute numerical advantage of seven against one, they were confident that if Uchiha Fugaku dared to appear, they would ensure he would never return.

The more than a thousand Konoha ninja on the front lines were unaware that a hunting game aimed at them had already begun.

Meanwhile, within the Konoha camp on the front lines, Hyuga Bin, with his powerful Medical Ninjutsu and immense chakra reserves, had successfully managed the treatment for the entire front line in just one day.

All severely wounded ninja had been treated by Hyuga Bin, and depending on their condition, they were either continuing to recover at the front lines or being sent back to the village for rest.

Lightly wounded ninja, after recovering from their injuries, continued to fight against Kirigakure.

Outside the camp, dozens of squads were on duty or carrying out reconnaissance missions.

Choza Akimichi's squad was one of the teams responsible for patrol duty.

Choza Akimichi's squad consisted of Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu.

As their patrol mission continued into the afternoon, Choza Akimichi's squad encountered a five-person Mist hunting squad.

The Mist hunting squad was comprised of one elite Jonin, one Jonin, and three Chunin.

Choza Akimichi knew his squad would not be a match for them, and if they engaged in a fight, Might Guy and the other two would be killed in a very short time.

Therefore, after firing a signal flare, Choza Akimichi, as the leading Jonin, stepped forward to block the path for Might Guy and the other two.

"You three go call for backup, I'll hold them off." This was Choza Akimichi's command to Might Guy and the others.

Choza Akimichi was a true inheritor of the "Will of Fire."

"Where the leaves dance, a fire will burn on. The fire's light will illuminate the village from within, and cause new leaves to sprout."

"Young people are the hope of the future; the older generation must trust and protect them."

Choza Akimichi was doing exactly that at this moment, even if it meant his death today.

"Teacher Choza!"

Facing Choza Akimichi's fate, the three ran backward with tears in their eyes.

[Expansion Jutsu!]

Choza Akimichi raised a protective wall for the three.

Under Choza Akimichi's protection, Might Guy, Ebisu, and Shiranui Genma ran desperately, trying to find support quickly to help Choza Akimichi.

However, reality was often cruel.

The three had only run about two kilometers before encountering the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who had just finished dealing with another Konoha squad.

Faced with the iconic Seven Ninja Swordsmen, their legs grew weak.

"Is my ninja career going to end before I, Genma, become a Jonin?" Shiranui Genma despaired, mocking himself.

"Three little brats from Konoha? Which one of you do you want?" The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were discussing who would claim the kills of Might Guy, Ebisu, and Shiranui Genma.

"Since they're just kids, I'll give them a proper burial." Chojuro stepped forward.

However, just as the Twin Swords Hiramekarei began to glow, he was intercepted by a figure emitting green steam.