In the dense forest near the coastline on Konoha's eastern border, a place that should have teemed with life was now shrouded in a thick, suffocating killing intent.
"Run! Hurry! Don't look back!"
Might Guy shouted himself hoarse. His trademark bushy eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and sweat streamed from his temples, mingling with dirt and thin streaks of blood.
Might Guy guarded the rear of the group. His green vest was already slashed in several places, marks left by blades that had grazed past with deadly sharpness.
Ahead of him, Ebisu was desperately supporting the nearly exhausted Genma Shiranui as they fled in a wretched state.
Ebisu's precious glasses had long since vanished. His vision was a blur, and he could only charge ahead by feel, stumbling over the uneven ground.
Genma Shiranui's face was deathly pale, a trace of blood still at the corner of his mouth. The Senbon he had held between his teeth was long gone, and his right arm hung at an unnatural angle. He had clearly been badly injured during their brief encounter.
They—Might Guy, Ebisu, and Genma Shiranui—were a Genin squad that had graduated only recently, full of youthful passion and eager to prove themselves on a border patrol mission. Now they were enduring a nightmare-like pursuit.
Their hunters were seven demons straight out of tales of the Bloody Mist—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from Kirigakure.
"Heeheehee... Run faster, little brats from Konoha! This is much more fun that way!" A sinister voice, metallic and grating, came from behind them, clinging to their heels like a curse.
Kushimaru Kuriarare, wielder of the long sword Nuibari. He drifted among the trees like a weightless ghost, his thin, impossibly long blade darting out like a venomous snake. He wasn't aiming to kill them, but