Might Guy stared at his father, who had rushed to his side, completely baffled.
"Why? Dad, you're only a Genin. Why did you come all the way here?"
Ebisu and Shiranui Genma were even more stunned. Might Guy's father wasn't a strong fighter at all, and the enemies before them were all skilled Kirigakure shinobi. They had no chance of winning.
"Another Konoha shinobi?"
"Looks like the watermelon-headed kid's father. How tragic—to die together with your son. I'll be merciful and send you both out of this world without any pain. I'll use my Kubikiribōchō."
Biwa Juzo wore a cruel expression, his Kubikiribōchō eager for a fight. Might Duy, who had been silent for a long time, smiled as he always did.
"Is there any other reason? Protecting what you cherish—that's the spirit and vigor of a true man. You have to live well, Guy."
"Now is the moment for youth to burn bright! Eight Inner Gates: Open!"
His spirit soared to the heavens, and his vigorous life force burned without end. At that moment, emerald flames and terrifying chakra, condensed into a tangible form, blazed with unprecedented light.
"Run, Guy! Dad will hold them off here!"
"Dad!"
"That's some incredible chakra. But you don't think you can beat us, do you? Lightning Release: Lightning Fang!"
Lightning crashed down from the sky. The dense mist obscured their vision as terrifying bolts of electricity erupted into countless silver sparks, hurtling toward the four of them.
The next moment, a straightforward, wide-open Taijutsu attack came rushing in. In an instant, a single kick dispersed the lightning—powerful enough to kill an ordinary shinobi.
"I'll never—I'll never let you hurt a young sprout that hasn't yet grown! I'll never let you lay a hand on Guy! This is the full extent of my power, and I'm burning up my life to unleash it. Prepare yourselves!"
Bang!
Rumble, rumble. Bolts of lightning flashed, and drizzle slid down the Demon Fox Mask.
"Autumn rain? What a rare kind of weather."
He strolled through the rain, flicking his kunai casually. Drops of blood mingled with the rain, washing away the heavy stench of it.
His cold, merciless figure vanished from the spot, leaving only a scene of severed limbs and mangled remains.
A short while later, a squad of Kirigakure shinobi, battle-worn and covered in scars, hurried over. Their eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Damn it, that guy again! How could a place like Konoha produce a monster like him? No one's even seen his true face. His Body Flicker Technique is better than the Yellow Flash's."
"Flash Phantom Moon. In just two months, he's killed hundreds of shinobi from various villages, and he's never once failed. I heard he's an Uchiha, but no one's actually seen his face. Who knows if it's even true?"
The Kirigakure shinobi looked grim, gritting their teeth. A man skilled in the Body Flicker Technique was the natural enemy of a strike team like theirs, which roamed around aimlessly, looking for easy targets.
"If we didn't find him, so be it. We still got something valuable this time, didn't we?"
The gray-blue-haired man at the head of the group spoke indifferently. Inside the transparent test tube in his hand, a pale yellow solution preserved a pure white eye.
"We went to so much trouble, and in the end, we only managed to steal this Byakugan thanks to sheer luck. The Hyuga Clan split into the Main Family and Branch Family just to protect it."
"Now the Byakugan, said to be one of the Three Great Dojutsu, belongs to Kirigakure."
A strange glint shone in his one eye. Ao, a Kirigakure jonin, turned to the others.
"Notify the Seven Ninja Swordsmen at once. Have them escort us back to Kirigakure. This Kekkei Genkai is important. We mustn't let those two Konoha Body Flicker shinobi catch sight of us!"
"Yes!"
The others vanished. Ao turned and barked an order.
"We'll go ahead. We'll risk our lives if we have to, but we're getting the Byakugan back to Kirigakure. Move out!"
Near the border of the Land of Fire, at the designated meeting point, Uchiha Hanazuki's eyes turned cold as he asked, "Hasn't Duy come back yet?"
"No. I just saw Duy's son, Might Guy, heading that way, but he's been gone a long time. There seems to be a very thick mist over there."
Kosuke's explanation left Hanazuki silent for a moment. His eyes flickered before he finally gave a low-voiced order.
"Get the emergency medical supplies ready. Duy may be in trouble. I'll be back soon."
After Hanazuki left, the wrinkles on Kosuke's old face deepened. Had his ominous premonition come true? All he could do was hope the squad leader would make it in time.
"Don't you dare die, Duy. Don't you want to see the day your son becomes a jonin?"
Meanwhile, at the battlefield where the Seven Ninja Swordsmen faced Might Duy...
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were panting. Several of them had been caught off guard and were badly wounded.
"Damn you, tight-suited bastard! You're seriously hurt after taking just one kick? Chakra you can see with the naked eye, simple movements backed by powerful Taijutsu—who the hell are you? Your name isn't in the ninja handbook!"
Kushimaru Kuriarare spoke without a trace of emotion. He was as cold and merciless as the Anbu mask covering his face.
"You Konoha Taijutsu expert, you've earned the right to have us remember your name. Who are you?"
Munashi Jinpachi, wielder of the Exploding Blade Shibuki, bellowed at him. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen stood amid the dust, each of them on guard.
"Konoha's eternal Genin, the hot-blooded man whose youth will never end—Might Duy!"
"Might Duy? We'll remember you. Now we'll make sure you die here forever. To show you proper respect, we won't hold back. Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Tornado!"
"Longsword Ninja Art: Spider Thread Stitch!"
"Explosive Blade Ninja Art: Blast Break Heavy Death!"
"Devour his chakra, Samehada!"
"Be sure to live well and protect the treasure you cherish most, Guy..."
Just as Might Duy was about to set everything ablaze and pour the last of his chakra into his death points, a thread of cold chakra precisely sealed the other seven gates of the Eight Inner Gates. A familiar, indifferent voice came from behind him.
"Didn't I tell you to focus on buying time as much as possible? If you burn through the last of your chakra, you'll have no chance of surviving, Duy."
"C-Captain, you finally made it..."
The severe strain the Eight Inner Gates had placed on Might Duy's body had brought him to the brink of collapse, but that didn't mean there was nothing to be done.
Kurama, I'm counting on you. I never thought the technique I'd been planning could be used here.
Vigorous life force, visible to the naked eye, gathered into golden markings like a Cursed Seal. After temporarily stabilizing Might Duy's body, three figures hurried over.
"Dad! Dad!"
"He's not dead yet. Let him rest over there for now. I've got a few things to discuss with these guys. What did you do to my teammate, you bastards?"
Ebisu, who recognized the voice among the three, looked up in confusion. He saw the Uchiha crest on the back of the black cloak and finally understood.
"Hanazuki, they're the Seven Ninja Swordsmen from Kirigakure! Every one of them is an elite jonin. We can't beat them, so we should get out of here!"
"Body Flicker Technique! You bastard—you're Flash Phantom Moon? You're just a kid! Were all those idiots who died at your hands complete fools?"