After the Battle

Even though Uchiha Akira's Shadow Clone Technique was only there to provide interference, it significantly constrained Momotaro Hayato's focus.

Seeing the situation grow increasingly perilous, Momotaro Hayato began to grow anxious.

"Damn Uchiha!" Momotaro Hayato nearly shattered his sharp teeth; since birth, he had never experienced such a stifling battle.

"Uchiha brat, I'll fight you to the death!" Momotaro Hayato's chakra erupted, and he recklessly poured his entire reserve into the Twin Blades Hiramekarei in his hands.

The Twin Blades Hiramekarei, infused with a massive amount of chakra, instantly burst into a dazzling blue radiance. A tremendous volume of chakra spewed from the holes in the blade, forming a giant, hammer-like orb of chakra in the blink of an eye.

The next moment, Momotaro Hayato, holding the released Twin Blades Hiramekarei, suddenly froze. He saw a pair of scarlet, malevolent eyes, and the world in his vision shifted instantly.

It was a world of black and red. Above the sky, a scarlet Sharingan rotated incessantly, while he himself was bound to a wooden stake, being ignited by raging flames like a paper doll.

"I actually... fell for a Sharingan genjutsu..." As the raging flames consumed him, Momotaro Hayato's consciousness plunged into darkness.

In reality, Momotaro Hayato, who had been brandishing the released Twin Blades Hiramekarei, collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

Simultaneously, having lost its controller, the chakra spewing from the released Twin Blades Hiramekarei vanished, and the weapon clattered to the ground.

Watching Momotaro Hayato collapse, Uchiha Akira reached out and wiped his hand, producing four Shuriken.

Accompanied by the sound of piercing air, the four Shuriken sank directly into Momotaro Hayato's limbs.

After crippling his limbs, Uchiha Akira walked over and knocked him out completely.

Then, picking up the Twin Blades Hiramekarei and dragging Momotaro Hayato by the foot, Uchiha Akira hauled him toward Might Guy and the others, who were currently clearing the battlefield.

Nearby, Might Duy, who had opened the seventh gate of the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates, the Gate of Wonder, leaned against a rock in exhaustion, gasping for air.

For him, the seventh gate of the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates was no easy feat; it was a gate that was quite difficult to master.

Seeing Uchiha Akira dragging Momotaro Hayato and carrying the Twin Blades Hiramekarei, Might Duy's face broke into a smile. He tremblingly raised his hand to give a thumbs-up, revealing a set of sparkling white teeth.

In response, Uchiha Akira also smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.

Receiving Uchiha Akira's response, Might Duy was overjoyed, as if he had received some incredible recognition.

Tossing Momotaro Hayato and the Twin Blades Hiramekarei aside, Uchiha Akira looked at him: "Are you alright? What should I call you? My name is Uchiha Akira."

"Might Duy." Might Duy's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Young Uchiha, my youth hasn't ended yet; it's just taking a temporary rest. I'll recover soon!"

"That's good." Uchiha Akira nodded, then sat on a piece of rubble to rest.

The battle against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had put him under immense pressure. If they hadn't underestimated him from the start, things wouldn't have ended so simply.

Even so, he felt a certain level of fatigue.

High-intensity combat inevitably takes a toll on the mind.

Soon, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu returned carrying the ninja swords. Seeing Uchiha Akira, they immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Ebisu muttered in a low voice: "So amazing! He actually captured one alive!"

"Needless to say, before Guy's father arrived, the senior held off all seven of them by himself! It's only natural he'd capture one, right?" Genma Shiranui said, chewing on his senbon, as if it were a matter of course.

"We owe everything to the senior this time, otherwise we would have been done for."

After the three approached, they immediately thanked Uchiha Akira.

Uchiha Akira waved his hand and said: "It's nothing. In that situation, no Konoha ninja would have sat idly by."

"Besides, wasn't Guy's father there? With his strength, he could have saved you all easily." Uchiha Akira shrugged.

Might Duy gave a wry smile and looked at Uchiha Akira: "Young Uchiha, if it weren't for you, I would have had to open the eighth gate and become the Red Beast!"

Uchiha Akira said nothing, merely giving him a thumbs-up.

"Guy, was that not your old man's full strength just now?" Ebisu was stunned.

Might Guy, seeing his father show off so impressively, felt happy and said: "That's a move that can only be used by risking one's life. Under normal circumstances, that was my father's limit just now."

As someone who practiced the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates, he understood the power of this technique very well.

The eighth gate meant certain death; one only had a single chance to use it in a lifetime.

The senbon in Genma Shiranui's mouth slipped out. He stared blankly at Might Duy, who was leaning against the rock, and said: "Guy, does your father take apprentices? I think I could put in the effort."

"Huh? Take an apprentice?" Might Guy was surprised and hesitated: "But my father is only a genin."

"So what if he's a genin?" Genma Shiranui disagreed. "That move just now took out a jonin in one hit. Even if the Hokage came, it would be about the same, right?"

Hearing their words, Might Duy hurriedly spoke up: "How could I compare to the Hokage? The Hokage is the God of Shinobi and the strongest Hokage. I'm just a genin; I'm still far off."

Genma Shiranui laughed sheepishly: "I'm just joking. The Third Hokage is the God of Shinobi, after all."

"That's true." Ebisu nodded, saying with longing: "I really can't imagine the Hokage's strength. If the Hokage didn't have to stay in the village, the war should have ended by now, right?"

"Senior Akira, what do you think?" Ebisu looked at Uchiha Akira, who was resting.

"That question..." Uchiha Akira rubbed his chin, hesitated for a long moment, and said: "Maybe~"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's strength was truly hard to say. As a transmigrator, Uchiha Akira really couldn't gauge his power accurately.

He remembered that Sarutobi Hiruzen's only two highlights were knocking the Nine-Tails out of the village with a staff and clashing with the five elemental releases from Tobi's wooden statue.

It was really hard to say what his actual strength was!

Just as the group was chatting, a golden flash appeared in the forest.

The golden radiance flickered several times, descending before the group with lightning speed to reveal a handsome young man with yellow hair and blue eyes.

The newcomer was none other than Minato Namikaze. Seeing the group unscathed amidst the devastated battlefield, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"I'm so glad you're all safe." Minato Namikaze looked at them, then glanced at the ninja swords beside Uchiha Akira, exclaiming in surprise, "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"

"It was them." Uchiha Akira nodded, a hint of regret on his face, "It's a pity Suikazan Fuguki managed to escape."

Hearing this, Minato Namikaze looked at him and Might Duy, marveling, "I never expected that six of the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist would fall at your hands!"

Might Duy sighed with emotion, "It's all thanks to young Uchiha; he took down four of them all by himself."