Reinforcements

The one who came rushing in from the rear and stood before Might Guy and the other two was a middle-aged man who looked somewhat like a younger Might Guy and wore the same green jumpsuit.

After arriving at the battlefield, the man let out a long sigh of relief.

"Finally made it..."

he said.

Behind him, Might Guy looked at the man's back with a mixture of excitement and worry. "F-Father..."

The man who had arrived in time was Konoha's "Eternal Genin," Might Duy.

Uchiha Daiki, watching the battlefield from atop a tree, wore a meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth.

He had not expected to witness this scene here.

If nothing unexpected happened, Might Duy would soon display the power of the Eight Inner Gates Formation here, facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist alone and taking down four of them.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist on the other side paid no attention at all to the strangely dressed Konoha genin in the dark green jumpsuit.

A few of them even grinned, looking utterly relaxed.

"A ridiculous fellow has shown up..."

Suikazan Fuguki said.

"With this one, that makes four genin. Your strength may not interest us, but perhaps you can give us a little entertainment."

Raiga Kurosuki sneered as well.

"Let's get rid of them quickly. Don't waste time."

Munashi Jinpachi reminded them in a deep voice.

At that moment, Might Duy made his decision. He told Might Guy and the other two to flee at once while he stayed behind to hold off the seven powerful enemies.

"Courting death!"

Seeing that Might Duy actually intended to remain behind and stop all seven of them by himself, Raiga Kurosuki finally lost his patience.

He charged at Might Duy, intending to take down all four Konoha Ninja before Might Guy and the other two could escape.

But just then, Raiga Kurosuki abruptly skidded to a stop.

Because he saw that another figure had suddenly appeared in front of the four Konoha Ninja.

Taking a closer look, Raiga Kurosuki's pupils contracted slightly.

He had recognized the man before him. "It's you?"

"He's that Uchiha!!"

Jinin Akebino immediately said.

As he spoke, two beams of hatred shone from his eyes.

That Uchiha who had wounded him with kunai!

The scar left by that hatred and humiliation still throbbed faintly even now.

The other Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist likewise revealed cold expressions, staring intently at Uchiha Daiki, who had suddenly appeared.

Compared with those Konoha small fry, the man before them was clearly the target they truly cared about.

"Come to think of it, the seven of us were caught off guard and successfully ambushed by this brat before... That is a lifelong humiliation."

Kushimaru Kuriarare said.

"So we absolutely can't let this brat leave now. We'll kill those four along with him! There may not be enough for one each, but aside from that brat, the rest are yours!"

Juzo Biwa stared at Uchiha Daiki, already having chosen his opponent.

Meanwhile, Might Duy and the others, whom Uchiha Daiki had shielded by suddenly appearing before them, were still rather confused.

"You're a ninja of the Uchiha Clan, aren't you? I recognize the clan crest on your back."

"But you should retreat with Guy and the others too, young man."

"This fiery youth should be burned by me."

Might Duy said to Uchiha Daiki in a deep voice.

"Having developed such powerful Taijutsu, are you really willing to let it vanish before it has the chance to shine?"

Uchiha Daiki suddenly smiled.

Might Duy froze slightly at those words.

A look of astonishment appeared in his eyes. He had clearly understood what Uchiha Daiki meant, but he was also deeply puzzled as to why Uchiha Daiki knew about that technique.

Might Guy was equally puzzled.

After all, as far as he knew, only he and his father, Might Duy, should have known the secret of the Eight Inner Gates.

The young Might Guy looked at the man before him, who seemed only a few years older than himself, with eyes full of curiosity.

"Hey, hey, shouldn't you lot be done chatting by now?"

"Honestly, you're completely ignoring us! You're asking for it!!"

After saying this angrily, Juzo Biwa swung the Kubikiribōchō and charged straight at Uchiha Daiki.

"I'll start with you! I'll use this Kubikiribōchō to chop off your head! It won't hurt for long—it'll be over in an instant!!"

As he spoke, he suddenly accelerated again, crossing the mere forty or fifty meters in the blink of an eye.

Yet his sweeping slash cut through nothing but air.

There was nothing where the blade struck. Uchiha Daiki had already vanished without a trace.

Everyone was moved by the sight.

Juzo Biwa, who was directly involved, found it even more unbelievable.

"Looking for me?"

Uchiha Daiki's voice came from a tree to the right.

"When did he—?"

Juzo Biwa's pupils shrank slightly as he abruptly looked up at his opponent.

The instant he raised his head, a massive fireball suddenly came crashing down at him head-on.

Before the fireball even arrived, its terrifying heat had already washed over him, enough to make his skin sting.

Juzo Biwa's expression tightened again, and his face changed slightly.

His reaction was not slow. He leaped back at high speed.

After clearly seeing Uchiha Daiki's move, Might Duy, Might Guy, and the others relaxed slightly.

"It seems this young man is even stronger than I imagined. Let's stand farther back, Guy!"

Might Duy knew that Uchiha Daiki was no weaker than these enemies.

He immediately led the three of them farther away, closely watching the situation on the battlefield while preparing to open the Eight Inner Gates Formation.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, over a hundred meters away, had now focused nearly all their attention on Uchiha Daiki.

"This brat really isn't simple. So being wounded by him last time wasn't an accident..."

For the first time, Suikazan Fuguki's face showed solemnity.

The other Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist also looked at Uchiha Daiki with newfound seriousness.

At that moment, the fireball struck the ground and blasted out a crater more than thirty meters wide.

Amid the rumbling explosion, the heatwave from the roaring flames spread in every direction, instantly igniting the nearby grass and trees.

But that was not all.

Uchiha Daiki simultaneously threw five kunai. Three of them struck Juzo Biwa, who was less than a hundred meters away, as expected.

The remaining two were barely blocked by him with the Kubikiribōchō.

"Looks like we need to attack together!"

Juzo Biwa was injured in the blink of an eye. His expression changed drastically as he hurriedly shouted to his companions.

"Attack together and take him down!"

Seeing that things were going badly, Kushimaru Kuriarare decisively made his move and called for the others to surround Uchiha Daiki.