By the time Senya arrived, the once-dense forest had been wrecked by the terrifying aftershocks of battle.
At the center, Might Duy stood drained, and four Mist shinobi lay behind him without breath.
"Never thought... there was a jutsu this fearsome in the world."
Suikazan Fuguki knelt with Samehada in hand, gulping air.
If the blade hadn't erupted with chakra just now, he would have died to this monstrous taijutsu fighter.
"It seems the side effects of that power are severe. I can already feel his presence steadily fading."
Biwa Jūzō had barely survived the brutal clash.
He slumped against a tree. The notch in the Executioner's Blade hadn't closed and the weapon looked even more broken.
Kurosuki Raiga had lived by luck, but he was gravely wounded.
Staring at the crimson figure across from them, he could not hide the fear in his eyes.
So there really was taijutsu like this in the world.
Might Duy had shattered their understanding, crushing the seven with impossible strength and speed.
After the carnage that felled four of the Seven Swordsmen, Duy had reached his limit.
The red chakra burned down to embers.
His heartbeat began to slow.
The backlash of opening the Eight Gates was setting in.
"Looks like my training still wasn't enough."
Feeling the flame of his life gutter, Duy let out a rare self-mockery.
He had only recently completed this technique.
He had not yet crafted forms to pair with the opened Gates.
But he believed in Guy. His son would perfect this art and protect what mattered.
"Who goes there?"
Waiting quietly for death, Duy suddenly sensed a new chakra descend.
Crushed by pain, he could no longer move.
Friend or foe no longer mattered.
Guy was safe. He was about to die.
A figure stepped from the thick woods.
Senya did not hide his presence as he walked into view.
He made no effort to mask who he was and came straight up to them.
Seeing the Leaf forehead protector and the young frame, Duy tensed. "Go. Warn the Hokage. The Mist over there are badly hurt, they shouldn't be able to stop you."
He tried to rise and block the way.
To him, Senya looked too young to handle the three.
Even like this, Duy still wanted to buy his ally time.
For a moment, even Senya was moved.
This was a pure man.
But the agony was absolute. Duy could not twitch a finger.
His bones were shattered from head to toe.
Even as he spoke, the life-flame in his heart dimmed further.
It was clear Might Duy was going to die.
In the original tale, after receiving the Sage of Six Paths' yang power, Naruto arrived in time to save Might Guy when the Eight Gates were opened.
Uchiha Senya had not yet reached that realm.
Otherwise, he would not have minded saving Duy.
"Didn't expect a casual stroll to run into this."
Senya sighed, then stepped forward and faced the three survivors.
"The Seven Swordsmen, is it? If all seven of you were here, I might be a little interested."
"But as it is..."
He did not finish.
A great blade whipped from Jūzō's hand and scythed toward Senya.
The Executioner's Blade.
"Kid, big talk for a brat."
Though wounded, Jūzō could not stomach Senya's pride.
The moment he mustered a shred of strength, he lashed out.
He could not beat Duy with the Eight Gates open, but this brat?
Senya was past thirty, yet years of sage training had left his looks unchanged.
So Jūzō called him a kid.
"Hey, wait..."
Sensing something wrong, Raiga tried to stop him, but it was too late.
The blade sliced the air and aimed for Senya's neck.
In the next blink, his head would be off.
"Run... now... khack!"
Seeing Senya seemingly freeze, Duy shouted, then hacked blood as the cry tore his wounds.
As the blade reached him, Senya finally moved.
He raised his right hand and lightly pinched the spinning steel.
A killing urge surged up in him, then flickered out.
"Worthless scrap."
He showed no interest in the famed sword.
Sage chakra surged through his fingers.
CRACK-CRACK!
A tooth-aching grind filled the air.
Unable to endure the force, the blade seemed to scream.
The next instant, the renowned Executioner's Blade crumbled to shards before their stunned eyes.
Fragments hit the ground with bright chimes.
"What?"
"He crushed the Executioner's Blade with his bare hand?!"
"..."
All three Mist shinobi gasped, then stared at Senya with growing dread.
Samehada quivered in Fuguki's grasp in naked fear.
It urged him to run.
But Senya's deep gaze pinned them where they stood. None dared move.
They could only cast resentful looks at Biwa Jūzō.
Why provoke him?
He didn't even seem eager to fight a moment ago.
"You are..."
Duy studied Senya, suspicion and awe warring in his eyes.
Instinct told him this man was strong.
"Since you struck first, I can only ask you to... die for a moment."
...
Author's Note:
Second update. Thanks to boss 1555... for the many rewards. This humble hack bows in thanks!