Upholding the Ninja Way of Youth, Unwavering!

Even though it wasn't the first time he'd seen it, Tōka was still shocked by the power of the Eight Inner Gates.

Might Duy had only opened the seventh gate—the Gate of Wonder.

He used only one move.

It was just a simple punch.

The elite puppet unit of Sand Shinobi, hidden in the shadows, was annihilated!

Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Might Duy, who seemed like a god of war descending.

Was this really the same Uncle Might Duy, the guy with the green jumpsuit and watermelon head, that they knew?

This kind of strength was considered Genin?

Shouldn't they, the Chunin, just buy a block of tofu and smash themselves to death?

After Might Duy instantly killed over a hundred puppet masters, he didn't deactivate the Eight Inner Gates.

He slowly turned his head to look at Tōka, who was completely bewildered.

"Tōka, do me a favor!"

"Help me pass a message to Kai."

Hearing this, a sense of foreboding surged in Tōka's heart, and he was instantly jolted awake.

He stared blankly at Might Duy, opened his mouth, but found he couldn't speak.

"Help me tell Kai..."

Tōka's ears began to ring.

He didn't want to hear Might Duy's voice.

He wished Might Duy would tell Kai himself.

However, Tōka clearly understood and remembered Might Duy's lips moving.

As Might Duy finished speaking, he raised his left fist, thumb up.

He placed the tip of his thumb against his chest, over his heart.

"The Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death, open!!"

All his Chakra poured madly into the Gate of Death's acupoint, then surged back into his body.

A faint mist of blood seeped from the pores of Might Duy's skin, making him look like a red-skinned person wearing a blood-red robe.

A formidable aura erupted, and even the slightest movement exuded an unstoppable presence!

Bang!

Might Duy pushed off the ground with his toes, and the earth shook violently.

Immediately!

A blood-red figure shot up into the sky, turning into a streak of light that charged towards the battlefield of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in the east.

Rumble!!

A massive shockwave sounded exaggeratedly only after the blood-red silhouette disappeared.

Starting from where Might Duy had been, spiderweb-like black cracks spread, thickening from thin lines.

Crack...

The hard ground shattered, rocks flew, and dust billowed.

Rumble rumble!!!

The earth collapsed, and rocks turned to powder.

A dark pit, tens of meters wide and bottomless, appeared before everyone's eyes.

Tōka, still in shock, gritted his teeth and turned, sprinting in the direction Might Duy had gone.

"You damn old man, just deciding things on your own..."

In the dense forest, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were battling over a hundred Konoha Jonin.

The ground was pulverized, and the forest was uprooted.

The terrain looked as if it had been overturned by a bulldozer, utterly devastated.

Discarded ninja tools and corpses littered the forest.

Blood flowed along the uneven ground, eventually forming a pool of blood.

Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga stood back-to-back, sweating profusely as they warily eyed the figures before them.

Munashi Jinpachi, who tied his long beard back, wore a black eyepatch. He was ferocious and cold-blooded, the wielder of the Explosive Blade: Spray.

Kushimaru Kuriarare, with a lion's mane of hair, wore a mask that completely covered his face. He was the wielder of the Longsword: Needle.

They were known as the Ruthless Duo, extremely brutal in personality, their ninja swords stained with countless lives.

"As expected of the Hyuga clan!" Munashi Jinpachi grinned widely, offering sincere praise.

"How about we steal their Byakugan?" Kushimaru Kuriarare suggested.

"That's not a bad idea." Munashi Jinpachi nodded, seeming eager to try.

Hyuga Hiashi's face was ashen, one-third due to severe chakra depletion, and two-thirds from sheer anger at his opponents.

Meanwhile, Hizashi Hyuga decided to focus entirely on protecting Hyuga Hiashi.

As part of the branch family, even if Hizashi Hyuga was defeated, his Byakugan wouldn't fall into enemy hands.

Hyuga Hiashi, however, was different. As a member of the main family, his Byakugan could not be destroyed.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist's objective was clear: the Ruthless Duo would lead the assault against the Hyuga brothers, while the others would intercept the Konoha Jonin.

Their goal was to take down the unit's commanders in the shortest possible time.

The Konoha side's objective was equally clear: stall for time and surround them.

Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga wouldn't fall anytime soon. With the Revolving Heaven Secret Technique, their defense had no blind spots.

Furthermore, they could cooperate, making it impossible for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist's Ruthless Duo to defeat the Hyuga brothers quickly.

"Time is almost up, let everyone prepare to break through," Hizashi Hyuga suggested in a low voice, his condition not being good.

Hyuga Hiashi looked up towards the west. The meridians around his Byakugan bulged menacingly.

His vision extended infinitely, and he saw the retreating troops...

"Damn it, the evacuation team is ambushed!" Hyuga Hiashi's face darkened, his voice hoarse.

"What? How could this happen!" Hizashi Hyuga's heart tightened, and he quickly activated his Byakugan.

"However, the battle seems to be over."

Hyuga Hiashi suppressed his doubts, his attention returning to Munashi Jinpachi and Kushimaru Kuriarare.

Suddenly!

Hummm!! The very air seemed to scream, like the roar of the heavens.

A powerful aura swept across the western sky.

A figure, covered head to toe in blood-red steam, suddenly landed on the battlefield and unleashed a punch into the air, the terrifying force striking the air.

The air formed a white pillar of energy that crashed down.

Pfft!!

Under everyone's astonished gazes, the pure white pillar of energy landed directly between Munashi Jinpachi and Kushimaru Kuriarare.

It was like a miracle.

Where the pillar passed, everything turned to nothing.

Munashi Jinpachi and Kushimaru Kuriarare, one with his left side, the other with his right side, had bizarrely vanished.

Their remaining halves stood frozen in place, dripping with blood, a terrifying sight.

Their pupils were wide with shock, but life had already left their eyes.

"Who?" Hyuga Hiashi cried out in alarm, never having felt such fear even when facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

"Are you Might Duy?" Hizashi Hyuga, however, had sharp eyes and recognized Might Duy, covered in blood-red steam, at a glance.

Might Duy mechanically twisted his neck, his pupil-less eyes glancing at the Hyuga brothers.

"Still time..."

Whoosh!!

Might Duy stomped the ground again, using the force to propel himself away.

His blood-red body shot forward like a meteor chasing the moon, so fast that everyone only saw a red blur flash before their eyes.

Their vision couldn't keep up with Might Duy's speed.

"Aaaargh!!"

"Evening Elephant!"

Worm-like veins bulged on Might Duy's neck, blood coursing wildly. He then began to furiously swing his fists.

Bang, bang, bang!!

Five heavy punches were thrown in rapid succession, the white pillars of energy like highly concentrated compressed cannons.

A terrifying wave of energy swept through the entire forest!

The scene of Might Duy instantly killing Munashi Jinpachi and Kushimaru Kuriarare had just unfolded before everyone's eyes.

Now, with the same technique unleashed again, the remaining five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were filled with dread.

"No, dodge quickly!"

Jūzō Biwa's pupils constricted sharply, and he attempted to dodge with a Body Flicker Technique.

But unexpectedly, Might Duy's attack was even faster!

Thump, thump, thump!!

With several muffled sounds, the remaining five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were all hit.

Except for Jūzō Biwa, who reacted the fastest and used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge a fatal blow, and Suikazan Fuguki, who used Samehada to block in front of him and didn't directly face the attack of Evening Elephant.

Everyone else was instantly killed by this move!

Bodies were blasted into scraps, flesh and blood blurred, a gruesome sight.

Even the Konoha Jonin, who had seen plenty of death, felt a surge of nausea in their chests upon witnessing this scene.

Jūzō Biwa and Suikazan Fuguki, who had narrowly survived, were not faring well despite dodging the fatal blow.

Jūzō Biwa's arm was severed at the shoulder; if he hadn't dodged earlier, his neck would have been the one to break.

Suikazan Fuguki, clutching the great sword Samehada, was sent flying backward, crashing through more than ten large trees before finally coming to a halt.

His body, as plump as a pig, slammed hard into the last tree, bending backward like a bow before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Ugh, cough!!" Suikazan Fuguki, still in shock, spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with minced flesh.

The piercing pain in his chest told him that at least three ribs were broken!

Moreover, Samehada in his hands seemed to have lost its usual vitality, becoming listless.

Jūzō Biwa glanced at the condition of the others and was immediately terrified.

"Cough..." Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and a desire to retreat already appeared in his eyes.

His body, carrying the great sword, was covered in blood. The intense pain in his shoulder told Jūzō Biwa that everything that had just happened was real.

The moment he landed after using the Body Flicker Technique, Jūzō Biwa stomped on a tree trunk, leaving a deep footprint.

Then, using the force, he leaped out and plunged into the nearby forest.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Veins bulged on Might Duy's forehead. Even moving a finger felt incredibly painful.

However, he couldn't fall now!

Sensing his Chakra was about to be depleted, Might Duy gritted his teeth and gave chase.

A red light flashed as he pursued with all his might.

Seeing this, a flicker of wild joy ignited in Suikazan Fuguki's eyes.

In his opinion, Jūzō Biwa, being pursued by this monster radiating red light, was surely doomed.

However, facing the pursuit of a Konoha Jonin, he might still have a sliver of hope.

The thought flashed through his mind. Suikazan Fuguki, carrying Samehada and enduring the severe chest pain, turned and disappeared into the forest.

Hyuga Hiashi, who was extremely shocked, also recovered his senses at this moment.

Might Duy had instantly killed five of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?! And the remaining two were severely injured and crippled!

Was this something a human could do?

This thought popped into everyone's mind: Might Duy was too strong!

"Hizashi, you are responsible for collecting the bodies and the five ninja swords. I will take some people to pursue Suikazan Fuguki!"

As Hyuga Hiashi finished speaking, he didn't give Hyuga Hizashi time to react.

With a wave of his hand, over a dozen Hyuga clan ninja and some lightly injured Konoha ninja quickly gathered.

Swish, swish, swish!!

Several black shadows suddenly shot out, closely following the direction Suikazan Fuguki had taken, and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

As for Might Duy's side, Hyuga Hiashi didn't send anyone to help because he was completely stunned by the opponent's strength.

Such a powerful individual didn't need their interference.

Hyuga Hiashi believed that as long as Might Duy wanted to kill Jūzō Biwa, there was no way he could escape!

Not long after, Tōka, who had been closely following Might Duy, also appeared on the battlefield.

Looking at the devastated battlefield, Tōka's heart calmed down.

The Konoha ninja had already begun clearing the battlefield, collecting bodies and tending to the wounded.

At this moment, Hyuga Hizashi, who had already noticed Tōka, walked over.

"How is the front line?"

Hyuga Hizashi knew that the Chunin unit had been attacked, so seeing Tōka here, he assumed he was a messenger.

"There were considerable casualties, but the battle is over," Tōka replied simply.

He didn't want to waste words with Hyuga Hizashi. He glanced around but couldn't find Might Duy.

Tōka continued, "Where is Might Duy?"

"He went to pursue Jūzō Biwa. Did you follow Might Duy here?" Hyuga Hizashi only then noticed that Tōka's clothes were clean, not looking like he had been through intense fighting.

"Which direction?" Tōka pressed.

"Over there..." Hizashi Hyuga had just pointed in the direction Might Duy had left, but before he could say anything else.

Tōka's figure flickered and he leaped onto a branch, chasing after him.

Hizashi Hyuga frowned slightly. He had originally wanted to know the detailed situation of the Chunin squad ahead, but now he would have to send someone else.

Tōka wasn't slow; at full speed, he was definitely faster than a Chunin.

However, Might Duy had activated the Eight Inner Gates formation, moving at a speed that even he couldn't keep up with visually.

Tōka could only rely on his Chakra sensing to find Might Duy's direction.

He continued to speed through the sea of trees, the consumption of stamina, energy, and Chakra undoubtedly immense.

Buzzz!!

A wild and powerful wave of energy came from the forest ahead.

Tōka's pupils contracted sharply, "There!!"

Whoosh!!

Tōka, leaping through the air, took a deep breath, his body suddenly sinking, and then he landed heavily on a tree branch.

The branch, as thick as an arm, bent nearly in half before snapping back.

Tōka shot out like a cannonball.

Towards the northeast, about twenty li away.

A charred, black corpse lay there, visible cracks scattered across its skin.

The depths of the cracks were clearly visible, revealing bloody, mangled internal organs.

Lifeless, Might Duy lay there quietly, his body as if repeatedly burned to ashes by a raging fire.

"He's as strong as a monster!" Jūzō Biwa was covered in sweat, blood and perspiration mixing together.

The broken wound on his shoulder was casually bandaged with a torn piece of cloth, looking quite miserable.

For a ninja of Jūzō Biwa's level, as long as he didn't suffer a fatal injury, his vitality was quite tenacious.

In other words, barring any accidents, he wouldn't die.

"He's finally dead, that attack just now..." Jūzō Biwa slowly exhaled, a wave of weakness washing over his limbs.

His face was pale and colorless, whether from blood loss or the sudden release of tension from his nerves.

A low, eerie wind blew through the forest, tree shadows swaying. The surrounding strange trees seemed like ghostly figures staring at the ruined forest.

Undoubtedly, Jūzō Biwa had survived.

The only survivor among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Surviving was the greatest victory.

A joint operation with the Sand Shinobi to destroy Konoha's supply lines?

Jūzō Biwa spat inwardly. The mission had failed, and he could imagine the consequences upon his return.

A bunch of idiots!! Konoha has someone this strong, like a monster, and he's only a Genin?

The entire Kirigakure couldn't destroy them!

He couldn't return to the village, which left only one option.

Jūzō Biwa's gaze narrowed slightly, his decision made.

Just as he was picking up his forehead protector...

A tree branch not far away swayed, and a short figure, about half a person's height, suddenly appeared and then leaped down.

"A Konoha brat?" Jūzō Biwa's movements paused, and he warily eyed Tōka.

His condition was very poor, and he didn't dare to act rashly.

However, the reason wasn't that he wasn't confident he could deal with a Genin, but rather that Jūzō Biwa needed to confirm if the other party was truly just a Genin!

"Brat, are you here to hunt me down?" Jūzō Biwa asked coldly.

Tōka's gaze remained fixed on Might Duy's corpse, completely ignoring Jūzō Biwa's shout.

An inexplicable light flickered in his dark eyes, as if he were lost in thought.

It had nothing to do with whether it was worth it, or even whether it was important or not.

Might Duy had lived according to his ninja way. For a man who had made his resolve, any tears would be an insult to him.

Tōka's expression was blank, only his lips were tightly pressed together.

"I'll handle the rest!"

A gust of wind stirred up the dust on the ground... (To be continued)