"Be careful, all of you. They've brought two squads, and the one leading them is probably a Jonin." Jiraiya looked back at the three and warned them sternly.
"A Jonin in his teens? He probably fought his way up within the village. What a cruel place. Hold them off for a bit while I take care of their leader. Then I'll come help you!"
Sen nodded. He already knew this was Suikazan Fuguki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. He warned, "Jiraiya, that guy's weapon looks like a sword that can absorb other people's chakra. Be careful."
"Got it!" Jiraiya had no time to ask more. The six opponents had already begun making Hand Seals in unison.
Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!
The already-dense fog thickened until they couldn't see their own hands in front of them.
"Die screaming in the Silent Killing Technique of Kirigakure!" The enemies' voices rang out from all directions, cold and eerie.
The four hurriedly went on guard. Sen dropped the pack on his back, formed Hand Seals, and used Wind Style: Great Breakthrough Jutsu to blow away the fog.
They had barely glimpsed the enemies' silhouettes when the fog closed in again, blocking their view once more.
Seeing that the fog was difficult to disperse, Sen used Fire Release to set the pack and supplies beside him ablaze. The air here was too damp; only these dry items would burn.
With the flames to help, they could see a little better, but the enemies were still nowhere in sight.
Just then, a Mist Ninja burst out of the fog with a Kunai and lunged straight at Jiraiya!
Jiraiya reacted swiftly and kicked him to the ground. He was about to finish him off with a Kunai when Suikazan Fuguki's enormous Samehada came howling toward him with a rush of wind!
Fuguki swung Samehada. Jiraiya decisively abandoned his attack and retreated to dodge.
When his attack failed, Suikazan Fuguki looked down at the man on the ground and cursed, "Useless! When the enemy attacked just now, why didn't you grab him?
"Then I could've cut both of you down with one strike!"
He kicked the man at his feet into the fog and coldly ordered, "Separate them. I'll deal with the Jonin. You take care of the other three."
As soon as he finished speaking, three water dragons roared out of the fog and forced the four members of Team Seven apart.
Jiraiya was about to retreat and join the other three, but Suikazan Fuguki came at him again with his sword.
"Clang!"
The Kunai and Samehada collided in the fog, sending sparks flying.
"Even if Konoha is the strongest village, it's still six against three. How long do you think they can last?"
Jiraiya knew the man was trying to unsettle him, so he quickly shouted again, "Hold on for a bit! I'll be right there!"
The thick fog made it impossible to judge distances. Minato's voice came through the haze. "Teacher Jiraiya, none of us three are hurt."
Hearing Minato's reply, Jiraiya relaxed a little. "The people I bring along don't lose that easily! Worry about yourself!"
With that, he pushed off and retreated, forming Hand Seals.
Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!
Countless senbon formed from his hair shot toward Suikazan Fuguki. When Fuguki blocked them with his enormous sword, Jiraiya drew his Kunai again and charged.
Flashes of light burst through the mist. Meanwhile, the others Jiraiya had been concerned about...
They dodged a continuous barrage of Water Dragon Bullets, standing back-to-back on the water.
"There are six of them, and they've surrounded us. What do we do?" Minato stood up on guard and asked.
"You can all sense where they are, right?" Sen saw the other two nod and immediately gave his orders. "I'll take the three on the left. Minato, handle the two on the right. Kushina, take out the one hiding and waiting to ambush us!
"Remember, don't let your guard down unless you're certain the enemy is dead!"
"No problem!"
"Got it!"
With that, two figures shot off in opposite directions.
With the fog concealing him, Sen no longer bothered to hide. His scarlet Sharingan gleamed in the mist like ghost fire in the night.
Like a hunter, he swept his gaze over the three nearest enemies, then threw three Shuriken and rushed after them.
The Mist Ninja had just dodged the Shuriken when a cold blade flashed toward his face!
"They're coming out of the fog! Watch out! Someone, help me!" He barely managed to block Sen's short sword with his Kunai and cried out in panic.
Hearing him, the other two members of his squad hurried over to help.
"Their sensory abilities are incredible! Damn it, it took us years of training to master this! How can they sense us through the fog?"
Feeling the other two approach, Sen's eyes suddenly widened. He cast an illusion on the man before him.
Sharingan Genjutsu!
"Three Tomoe—"
Before the enemy could finish speaking, Sen mercilessly drove his blade straight into the man's heart.
His strike landed. He immediately retreated and vanished into the dense fog again.
"Damn it! There's no way that guy's a Genin!" Hearing their teammate's dying scream, the two remaining Mist Ninja were shocked and furious. "Come out and fight us!"
Sen stayed hidden and ignored them. They were about his age, barely ten years old, and might not even know a single ninjutsu. They were practically cannon fodder.
He used Sensory Technique to check on the others. Minato's fight was already in full swing. His Taijutsu was incredibly fast, and he was holding his own against two opponents.
Kushina, meanwhile, was standing beside the fire and didn't seem to have engaged the enemy yet.
Sen quietly assessed the situation. "Looks like one of them is hiding, waiting to ambush Kushina. I need to finish this quickly."
Then he moved, closing in on the two remaining Mist Ninja like a specter.
Their hearts pounded wildly. Even standing close together gave them no sense of security.
The assassination technique they'd been so proud of was completely useless against Sen's terrifying Sharingan!
The hunter and the prey had switched places!
Just as they hesitated, a Kunai with an Explosive Tag attached came flying through the air!
One of them shoved his comrade aside and leaped upward, dodging the blast.
But the instant he reached the air, a pair of scarlet eyes, gleaming with cold amusement, met his gaze like the stare of the Grim Reaper.
"Don't underestimate me!" The man reacted swiftly, attacking with two Kunai in turn as he fought Sen in midair.
Unfortunately for him, the Uchiha Style Swordsmanship Sen had received from the system made him seem as if he'd been born for the art and had trained tirelessly at it for decades.
Before either of them touched the ground, Sen had slashed the man all over. He'd even cut him twice across the chest, and blood kept soaking into his clothes.
Then, the moment they landed, Sen plunged his blade into the man's abdomen.
"Use Water Dragon Bullet! Kill him along with me!"
Desperate, the Mist Ninja's eyes flashed with grim resolve. Ignoring the agony of the blade in his gut, he clung tightly to Sen, coughing up blood as he gave his last teammate an order to die with them!
The other Mist Ninja gritted his teeth and began making Hand Seals "at top speed."
Sen watched him form the seals one by one—Ox, Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Boar, Rooster, Ox, Horse, Snake... Then he quickly summoned the system and exchanged the points from the recently deceased ninja's profile for Water Dragon Bullet.
Sen looked at the enemy's forty-four Hand Seals, then at the man clutching him with a twisted grin. The corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile.
He drove a knee into the Mist Ninja before him. When the man loosened his grip from the pain, Sen kicked him away and pulled his short sword from the man's body as he flew back.
The man landed in front of his comrade. Seeing that his teammate still had a few seals to go, he grinned savagely. "Seven more seals. At this distance, we can kill him!"
"Kill him with what? Who taught you that Water Dragon Bullet takes forty-four seals?" Sen had already finished the Water Dragon Bullet with only five seals!
Before you continue