Eight Inner Gates Formation

"Yikes, there's a little nick in the blade..."

"Looks like I'll have to let it drink some blood so the iron can regenerate."

With an intentionally eerie, chilling laugh, Juzo Biwa grabbed the enormous Kubikiribōchō in front of him. Murderous intent gleamed in his eyes.

They were all Kirigakure's finest assassination elites. Facing Konoha's ninja—even five little brats—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist wouldn't show the slightest mercy.

Damn it...

Why did it have to be the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist...?

As the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist blocked the way for his group, Yu couldn't help clenching his fists.

Ever since the Third Hokage had assigned him to a mission with Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu yesterday, he'd had a bad feeling about it.

He just hadn't expected them to run into every member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist at this point, just like in the original story.

"If it were only one elite jonin, that'd be one thing..."

"But now we have to face seven jonin at once—and they're the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist..."

Feeling the terrifying murderous intent pouring from the seven ruthless jonin before him, Yu's heart sank.

If he were alone, he might have a chance of escaping. But with four other brats besides him, their odds of making it out alive were much slimmer.

"Guy!!"

Just as Yu was desperately searching for a way out, a voice suddenly rang out in the distance, drawing everyone's attention.

"Dad?!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Might Guy, standing behind Yu, froze.

A figure surrounded by green chakra raced toward them at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Yu and the others, kicking up dust from the ground.

"Phew... I made it just in time..."

Might Duy?!

At the sudden appearance of the man before him, Yu's eyes widened.

The man's features were almost identical to Might Guy's, so Yu recognized him at a glance: Guy's father, Might Duy, Konoha's eternal Genin.

"Is this... the Eight Inner Gates?"

Looking at the green chakra continuously radiating from Might Duy, Yu's eyes flickered with surprise. He recognized this as the state that appeared after opening the Third Gate, the Gate of Life.

"Dad, what are you doing here? You're just a Genin!"

Seeing his father, Konoha's eternal Genin, suddenly appear, Guy was stunned. He clearly hadn't figured out what was going on.

"Enough. You kids run... I'll hold them off!"

Before Guy could say anything more, Might Duy swept a hand out and stepped directly in front of Yu and the others.

"You want us to run? Dad, what are you talking about?!"

"They're all jonin! And they're the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"

Seeing his father, Might Duy, standing in their way, Guy grew visibly agitated. "There's no way you can beat them alone, Dad!"

"But I still have the Gate of Death..."

"This is the time to risk your life to protect what matters most to you, isn't it?"

Seeing how worked up his son was, Might Duy turned around and gave Guy a thumbs-up, flashing his trademark White Fang grin.

The Gate of Death... Was he going to open the Eight Inner Gates Formation?

Looking at Might Duy's foolish smile, Yu felt a stirring inside him unlike anything he'd ever experienced.

"Hahahaha... A Konoha Genin?!"

"A Genin thinks he can hold off the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?!"

Seeing Might Duy suddenly appear—and hearing a Konoha Genin claim he could stop seven jonin—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in the forest burst into laughter.

But a moment later, not one of them was laughing anymore.

"Eight Inner Gates Formation!!"

"Open!!"

With Might Duy's thunderous roar, all the chakra in his body surged toward the Gate of Death.

"Boom!!"

An unimaginably violent aura erupted.

Before the five boys could react, the terrifying gust of wind blasted them off to the side.

"Blood-red steam..."

"So this is... the Eight Inner Gates Formation?!"

Feeling the terrifying power bursting from Might Duy, Yu's eyes widened as he was blown aside.

He raised an arm to shield himself from the sand and dust whipping at him. He hadn't expected to witness the Eight Inner Gates Formation with his own eyes.

"What did that guy... just do?!"

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were stunned by the astonishing change in Might Duy and the terrifying chakra surging from him.

As everyone stared in shock, Might Duy's hair, eyebrows, and beard all turned red. His chakra began flowing at an incredible rate, and blood-red steam poured from his entire body.

"It's not just about withering away..."

"I'll become nourishment for new green leaves, and when they sprout and spring arrives..."

"That will be the very peak of youth! The moment it burns brightest!"

Surrounded by terrifying blood-red steam and chakra, Might Duy fixed his eyeless gaze on the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in the forest.

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground throughout the forest exploded. Might Duy became a streak of blood-red light and charged at them.

"This chakra?!"

"This speed?! You've got to be kidding me!!"

Seeing Might Duy charging toward them like a red monster, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist went pale.

"Let's go, Guy!"

"We can't let your father die for nothing. Our mission isn't over yet!"

Seeing Might Duy sacrifice himself to unleash the Eight Inner Gates Formation, Genma Shiranui and Ebisu grabbed Might Guy tightly and dragged him away.

"Let's go. If the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are here..."

"Then our intelligence was wrong. It looks like this mission won't be simple at all."

Yu glanced back at the man who had become a blood-red beast, his expression complicated.

Might Duy was only a Genin, yet opening the Gate of Death had let him unleash such astonishing power. How much stronger would Might Guy be when he opened the Eight Inner Gates Formation, given that he'd reached the upper ranks of jonin in the original story?

Though he desperately wanted to watch the battle between the Eight Inner Gates Formation and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, he still turned and led Kurenai Yuhi and the others out of the shadowy forest.

If nothing unexpected happened, Might Duy would exhaust his chakra and die after today's battle.

And of the famous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, only Juzo Biwa, Suikazan Fuguki, and Raiga Kurosuki would survive.

Feeling the fierce battle still erupting in the forest behind them, Yu and the others finally escaped the woods and reached the vast grassland beyond.

"Everyone, watch out!"

But the moment they stepped out of the forest, more than a dozen shuriken and kunai fitted with Explosive Tags came flying toward them.