The Battle of Kannabi Bridge became the turning point of the Third Shinobi World War.
With Minato leading the charge and mowing down enemies left and right, Iwagakure had been so thoroughly intimidated that its leaders had no choice but to reconsider whether the war was worth continuing.
While Iwagakure's leaders hesitated, Shimura Danzō secretly sent someone to contact Ōnoki, persuading him to agree to a pact: the two villages would cease hostilities and join forces against Kumogakure.
Iwagakure immediately dispatched ten thousand troops. Taking advantage of Kumogakure's empty rear, they launched a surprise attack on the Land of Lightning and successfully wore down the Third Raikage until he died.
However, the Iwa forces waited and waited at the border of the Land of Lightning, but the Konoha forces that were supposed to show up under the agreement never arrived.
Only then did Ōnoki realize that Shimura Danzō had played him!
Unfortunately, it was too late.
You'd just killed the Fourth Raikage's father. There was no way they'd accept a peace offer from you.
Iwagakure had tried to pull a fast one and only ended up hurting itself, leaving it with no choice but to go to war with Kumogakure.
The pressure on Konoha eased considerably. Large numbers of shinobi withdrew from the front lines and began dealing with Kirigakure, which wanted to take advantage of the chaos and attack from behind.
"Still, none of that has anything to do with me. I can go back to enjoying life~~"
Genye lounged on his bed with one leg crossed over the other, cradling one of Jiraiya's books as he settled in for a good read.
"Genye, what are you reading? You're so engrossed."
Just then, a green, watermelon-shaped head leaned over, curiously peering at the book in Genye's hands.
Smack!
Genye slapped Guy and said irritably, "Why do you all keep coming in without knocking?!"
"I did knock, but you didn't answer, so I climbed in." Guy rubbed his head, looking aggrieved. (Next time I'll knock with Grandma's fists. Open up!)
"Anyway, what do you want?" Genye shifted into a more comfortable position and went back to reading about the male and female leads secretly fooling around on a jam-packed ship's deck.
"Nothing much." Guy scratched his head. "I'm going on a mission. I might not be able to visit you for a while, so I thought I'd let you know."
"Oh, is it about Kirigakure?" Genye flipped a page and asked casually.
"Yeah." Guy nodded, then asked in surprise, "How did you know, Genye?"
"Oh, so it really is..."
Genye quietly shut his book and sighed. "There's never a moment's peace in this world."
Guy: "???"
What was Genye talking about? Why couldn't he understand?
"When are you leaving, Guy?" Genye asked, rubbing his temples.
"Tomorrow morning," Guy replied.
"Okay, got it." Genye walked Guy all the way to the door and said, "Go on. I need to get ready."
Thump.
Staring at the closed door, Guy scratched his head in confusion.
Guy didn't get it. He was the one going on a mission, so why was Genye acting like he was the one who had to go?
Three days later, in a dense forest of the kind found all over the Land of Fire.
Might Guy stood frozen in place, staring fixedly ahead. Cold sweat poured down his body, and he didn't dare move a muscle.
His two teammates, Shiranui Genma and Ebisu, were no better off. Ebisu's legs were even shaking.
Up ahead:
Seven burly men of wildly different builds and appearances were crouching, sitting, or standing on a massive rock beneath the trees, eyeing them with ill intent.
Without exception, each of the seven carried a strangely shaped Ninja Blade.
Their killing intent was so thick that they seemed like demons crawling out of a mountain of corpses.
"Th-th-those are Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen!" Ebisu stammered.
"Well, looks like we're pretty famous if even little brats from other villages know who we are." The enormously fat Suikazan Fuguki grinned cruelly.
"I hate Konoha brats!" Juzo Biwa said with a dark scowl.
"Me too. I'm going to sew their bodies together and turn them into the ultimate work of art!"
Kushimaru Kuriarare said viciously. Like Juzo Biwa, he had clearly been reminded of some unpleasant memories.
"Oh, give it a rest, Kushimaru."
Munashi Jinpachi sneered. "Your shoddy creations aren't even symmetrical. How can you call them works of art?"
"Damn you! What would a one-eyed guy like you know about art?" Kushimaru Kuriarare cursed, and the two began arguing.
Taking advantage of their quarrel, Shiranui Genma spoke quietly around the senbon in his mouth. "What do we do? The three of us are no match for them. Should we run?"
"How could we possibly get away?" Ebisu said, despairing. "There are seven terrifying jōnin over there!"
Ebisu's pessimism was contagious. Guy and Genma looked dejected too, as despair slowly ate away at the three of them.
"Yo! I made it just in time!"
Just then, a flash of green descended from the sky. A scruffy, bearded man landed in front of the three, his not-so-tall figure shielding Guy.
"Oh? Where'd this weird old guy come from? Is there another fool rushing over to die?" Raiga Kurosuki said with a strange laugh.
The seven didn't take the newcomer seriously at all. They watched events unfold with easygoing expressions, as if they were enjoying a show.
"Father!"
Guy's eyes widened in shock. Then, confused, he asked, "Father, what are you doing here? You're a Genin!"
Shiranui Genma and Ebisu exchanged a look, disappointed.
They'd thought a powerful reinforcment had arrived, only for it to turn out to be Guy's father, a Genin.
"Enough. You need to run." With his back to the three, Might Duy spoke gravely. "I'll buy you time!"
"Us, run?" Guy said in disbelief. "Father, they're all jōnin, and they're the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
"There's no way you can hold them off by yourself, Father!"
Not far away, Genye had changed into a black outfit and wrapped himself up from head to toe, ready to make his entrance.
At this point, Guy hadn't trained enough, and his youth wasn't quite there yet. The real Guy sensei was still Might Duy.
Genye knew the script. Duy would burn through his life, open the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death—and kick the Seven Ninja Swordsmen into the ground.
"Ah, what are you seven even thinking? Why pick on three kids..."
Genye sighed quietly and mourned the Seven Ninja Swordsmen for a few seconds.
You're fishing for noobs, I'm fishing for noobs—suddenly, it's a top-tier match!
On the battlefield, Might Duy glanced at his son and said, "Don't worry. I have the Gate of Death—the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates!"
"But that technique..." Guy seemed to understand. Sadness appeared in his eyes.
"Do you remember what I told you, Guy? Youth isn't just about defeating powerful opponents. It's about protecting what you treasure most!"
Might Duy gave Guy a thumbs-up, his face breaking into a genuine smile. "Now is the time for youth to blossom!"
"Stop!"
Just as Might Duy crossed his arms, preparing to open the final limit on the human body, a shadow suddenly appeared between the two sides.
"This humble fellow simply can't stand by and watch!"
Genye, dressed in black, raised an arm and pointed at the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, speaking with righteous indignation.
"In broad daylight, you seven grown men are ganging up on the weak and bullying the vulnerable! You're picking on four old, weak, sick, and disabled people!"
"Pah! Shameless!"
Genye had meant to spit on the ground, but then remembered he'd wrapped up his face—Little Phlegm Record.
Might Duy: "Old and weak???"
Ebisu: "Sick and disabled???"
"Hold on, who the hell are you?" Raiga Kurosuki said in annoyance, pointing his sword at Genye.
"Exactly! Is Konoha putting on a play for us? Why does every random clown have to come out of nowhere and make trouble?" Jinin Akebino chimed in.
Before you continue