Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist

"What?!"

Just as Yu and his team of five arrived at the border of the Land of Fire, the Third Hokage, sitting in his office in Konoha, turned pale upon reading the intelligence report his subordinate had just delivered.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Facing the Third Hokage's shock, the ninja kneeling on one knee looked grave.

"The previous intelligence was incorrect. The number of Mist Ninja deployed this time is far greater than we imagined."

"According to the scouts, it is rumored that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have also joined this operation."

The ninja's body was covered in wounds of varying sizes, yet he had rushed to report to the Third before even tending to his injuries.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?!

At these words, everyone in the Hokage's office couldn't help but gasp.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—formally known as the "Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist"—was a hereditary title within the Kirigakure village of the Land of Water, rather than a fixed organization.

Each of the seven wielded a legendary blade perfectly suited to their own ninjutsu. With abilities that were evenly matched, they were tasked with high-difficulty missions for Kirigakure, and every one of them possessed the strength of a Jonin.

It could be said that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were the iconic existence of the Land of Water's Kirigakure. Throughout history, each generation of the Seven had carved out a fearsome reputation in the ninja world, all of them being cold-blooded assassination elites.

"To think it's the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist... doesn't that mean Yu, Guy, and the others who were sent out yesterday are...!"

It was no wonder the Third Hokage looked so shocked.

What was supposed to be an A-rank scouting mission had turned into a disaster; he hadn't expected the Mist to deploy so many ninjas, let alone involve the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Thinking of Yu and his team of five who had departed for the mission yesterday, the expression on the Third's face was so heavy it seemed as if it could drip water.

These were the future elites of Konoha who had yet to fully grow, especially Yu—throughout the entire history of Konoha, the Third had never seen a youth with such ninja talent.

If anything were to happen to them, it would undoubtedly be a massive loss for the entire village.

"Is Guy among them?"

"I am sorry, Lord Third... I will go to support them right now!!"

Upon hearing such alarming news in the Hokage's office, a middle-aged man wearing a green bodysuit with thick, bushy eyebrows—bearing a striking resemblance to Might Guy—didn't even wait for the Third to speak before rushing out.

"Dai? Don't be impulsive!!"

Seeing the man rush out despite his attempt to stop him, the Third was startled, eventually letting out a sigh.

"Could it be... it seems you have already made your decision..."

"Even if it means dying, one must protect what is most important to them..."

"It seems the mission is going quite smoothly..."

"We haven't encountered any Mist Ninja along the way."

Yu and his team of four had already entered the dense forest on the border of the Land of Fire.

Having not run into any Kirigakure ninjas during the journey, Ebisu couldn't help but speak up.

"Don't be careless... This is the border; we could encounter enemy ninjas at any moment."

Leaping forward through the dark forest, Genma Shiranui reminded Ebisu and the others.

Although he had been taught a lesson by Yu yesterday, as a new generation Chunin of Konoha, Genma still possessed the basic instincts of a ninja.

"Wait!"

Just then, Yu, who was in the lead, seemed to sense something and suddenly came to a halt.

"What is it, Yu?"

Seeing Yu stop, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and the other three behind him also skidded to a stop, looking around their surroundings with vigilance.

Bullet String!!

The moment the words left his lips, Yu, standing before the four of them, suddenly struck.

He flicked his right hand violently, and from the tip of his index finger, a cluster of thin threads fired out at high speed, just like a gunshot.

"Bang!!"

With a crisp, explosive sound, a large tree beside them was pierced through by Yu's attack, sending wood chips flying.

A ninja hiding behind the tree didn't even have the chance to scream before his head was pierced through by Yu's shot. His corpse tumbled from the thick branch and slammed heavily onto the ground in front of them.

"It's a Mist Ninja!!"

The sharp-eyed Genma Shiranui immediately spotted the forehead protector worn by the ninja, which was engraved with the four-dot water symbol, the mark of a Mist Ninja from the Land of Water.

At the same time, the four behind him were secretly marveling at Yu's keen observation and the shocking lethality of his strike.

"Thanks to you, Yu..."

"Otherwise, we wouldn't have even discovered the enemy's ambush."

Seeing the hidden enemy in the forest killed instantly by Yu, the four behind him let out a sigh of relief, and Kurenai Yuhi looked at Yu's back with gratitude.

"Be careful... there is more than one enemy."

After killing a Mist Ninja the moment he struck, Yu did not relax. Instead, the expression on his face grew even more solemn than before.

"To think we were discovered by such a small brat?"

"It seems Konoha truly lives up to its reputation as a cradle for geniuses..."

Just as Yu's voice faded, a strange voice echoed through the gloomy forest.

Under the shocked gazes of Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and the others, seven mysterious figures had appeared in the forest before them at some unknown moment.

"Oh no, we're surrounded..."

Genma Shiranui was the first to react, but it was already too late; all possible retreat routes for the five of them had been cut off.

"There's no escaping this now..."

Subconsciously taking a step back to stand back-to-back with Genma Shiranui, Ebisu spoke up.

"Wait a second... who are these guys?!"

However, at that moment, upon finally seeing the appearances of the seven ninjas before him, Yu's pupils suddenly constricted, and his heart could not help but tremble violently.

"Isn't... isn't that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?!"

It was not just Yu; even Ebisu standing beside him had recognized the identities of the seven ninjas at a glance. His face was filled with horror, and his voice distorted from nervousness.

"Damn it... why would the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist appear here all together?!"

The seven ninjas who appeared before them all wore the headbands of Kirigakure, and each carried a unique ninja sword on their person or in their hands.

Their appearances were easy to distinguish; they were none other than the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—Juzo Biwa, Suikazan Fuguki, Kushimaru Kuriarare, Jinin Akebino, Jinpachi Munashi, and Kurosuki Raiga.

Without exception, all seven possessed the strength of Jonin-level ninjas, and they constantly exuded a powerful aura and astonishing killing intent.

"To think that even brats from other villages know who we are; it seems we've made a name for ourselves!"

Seeing that the five Konoha brats had recognized their identities at a glance, Juzo Biwa leaned on his Kubikiribocho, which was stabbed into the ground, and a sinister laugh spread across his face, which was marked by a cross-shaped scar.