Up ahead in the forest, Uchiha Mikoto had a student slung over her shoulder, and Haruno Chō carried two more—the last team's three students, all unconscious.
Behind them, Might Kai, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu of the third squad were flashing through the trees at high speed.
Suddenly, everyone came to a halt.
Seven figures of varying builds stood blocking their path—each with bizarre looks and stranger weapons.
The Mist-nin who had been pursuing from behind dropped in as well, bowed to the seven oddballs, and said, "Seven Ninja Swordsmen, my lords—they're Konoha shinobi who slipped in. Seems they're searching for something too."
"Excellent. Capture them. Didn't expect a Konoha kunoichi beauty—we like those best!"
"Hey, hey—my turn to have the first taste, right?"
"Like hell. I've drawn the short straw the last few rounds!"
The leading chūnin instructor, Haruno Chō, blanched. "Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen?!"
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were the Mist's elite jōnin, each with a blood-soaked blade and countless kills to their name—namely Suikazan Fuguki, Jūzō Biwa, Kuriarare Kushimaru, Tōkōno Ibito, Munashi Nonari, Kurozuki Raiga, and Hōzuki Chijin.
And there they all were.
Uchiha Mikoto turned pale as well. The looks these freaks gave her were like they meant to eat her alive.
"How can this be? The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Weren't they supposed to be drawn off?"
Haruno Chō said grimly, "Don't know—maybe something went wrong?"
"Wrong? With this kind of 'wrong,' we're all dying here!"
Mikoto suddenly remembered Night Maple, who had pressed a protective charm into her hand before they parted.
Her hand fumbled in her pocket; she drew out that charm.
Might Kai, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu—the three freshly graduated genin—were trembling like leaves.
"This is bad—we're surrounded."
"There's no way we can run from this…"
The tall, gaunt masked man in front rasped, "Didn't expect our fame to spread this far. Even Konoha brats know us?"
"Your blood's not much—just a little—but my blade's a tad rusty. Gotta let it drink to top up the iron."
Mikoto hastily stepped in front of the three students, teeth clenched.
"What do we do? It's just us. We're no match for them."
"Night Maple-kun… where are you…"
At that moment, a figure appeared!
Mikoto's heart leapt.
Could Night Maple-kun have come to save her?
She turned—and froze.
"Ah, made it in time!"
A strange fellow in green, with a bizarre black hairstyle, his whole body radiating green light, suddenly showed up.
The student behind her, Kai, shouted, "Dad, why are you here? How could my dad—a genin—be here?!"
Dad?
Everyone stared at the newcomer, dumbstruck.
It was Might Kai's father—Might Duy, an ordinary-looking genin.
Might Duy said in a low voice, "Enough talk. You all run—we'll buy you time."
Kai said anxiously, "You're telling us to run—but Dad, they're jōnin! And the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
"Just you alone—you can't possibly hold them off!"
"Go, Kai. Don't forget—I still have the Eight Gates Released Formation's Gate of Death."
Kai faltered, murmuring, "But if you do that, Dad, you'll…"
Might Duy glanced back at Kai and smiled, giving a thumbs-up. "That's self-restraint. Right now, it's time to swear to protect what matters most, even at the cost of my life."
In Kai's mind rang Duy's words: "True victory isn't defeating the strong—it's protecting what is most important to you."
Across from them, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen burst into raucous laughter.
"Hilarious. A Konoha genin shows up here as a joke?"
"With hair like that, you'd have been beaten to death ages ago in the Mist."
"Yo—screams 'taijutsu guy.' Come on then—hit me once, why don't you?"
Might Duy stared coldly at the jeering Kuriarare Kushimaru. "If I hit you once—you'll die."
Kushimaru laughed aloud and called back to the others, "He says one punch and I die. Come on! If you can't kill me, I'll kill you and your son!"
Might Duy turned and waved for Mikoto and the others to go.
Suddenly, under a clear sky, it began to drizzle.
Might Duy's whole body looked like red-hot iron, his skin flushing a searing crimson.
Only then did everyone realize—the "rain" wasn't rain at all, but the vast heat pouring from Duy's body, flash-evaporating the moisture around him and drawing out countless fine threads of water.
"Open—the Eight Gates Released Formation!"
With a furious roar, Might Duy's aura exploded.
"Eight Gates—Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death—open!"
The Gate of Opening, Gate of Rest, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View, Gate of Shock, and Gate of Death—together called the "Eight Gates."
By releasing the body's eight limiters that bind chakra, one can temporarily gain overwhelming power.
With all Eight Gates open, one can, in an instant, gain force dozens of times beyond the Five Kage.
But opening the Gate of Death consumes one's life—and ends in death.
Boom!
The ground shook; time itself seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.
Suikazan Fuguki suddenly shouted, "Kuriarare Kushimaru—back!"
Kushimaru: "Wha—"
Steam blazing red, chakra blazing red, Might Duy blazing red from head to toe flashed before Kushimaru and drove a fist forward.
No one could see clearly—only a fire-red blur streaking past, the fist already out.
Crack!
A single, heavy report.
Kushimaru's eyes bulged—and the next second, he burst.
Blood spattered; his body shattered into countless fragments.
Both sides were stunned.
What just happened?
A genin had instantly blown apart a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
Only Might Kai wept silently. Dad was right—his Eight Gates truly could one-shot a jōnin.
Seven Ninja Swordsmen became Six in an instant; the remaining six backed away at once, staring in terror at the hellish ghoul that was Might Duy.
Just then, another cry came from outside the trees: "Lord Suikazan Fuguki! Help!"
Hoshigaki Kisame had just stumbled out of the woods—only to see a man wreathed in blood-red chakra like a demon god.
"Who's that?"
Before he could react, Kisame was blasted backward, smashing who knew how many trees, vanishing into the forest.
Night Maple and Rin, just catching up, saw Might Duy strike.
Green clothes, bizarre black hair, red steam billowing off him, skin turned crimson, eyes like a beast.
Night Maple blinked.
Kai?
No—Kai's father! Might Duy! The man who blew apart the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!
Night Maple hadn't expected to witness this with his own eyes.
Might Duy, Eight Gates fully open, punted Hoshigaki Kisame to death with a single kick—did this just rewrite the future of Naruto?!
Without Hoshigaki Kisame, Akatsuki would be incomplete; how much would change afterward—even Night Maple didn't know.
[Ding—based on the host's current situation, three choices are offered!]
[Option 1: Move at top speed and, together with Might Duy, behead the entire Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Reward: A-rank ninjutsu—Eight Gates Released Formation + A-rank taijutsu—Morning Peacock!]
[Option 2: Be a bystander and witness the era's most dazzling fireworks—watch Duy with all Eight Gates behead the Seven Ninja Swordsmen! Then slay any survivors. Reward: A-rank ninjutsu—Eight Gates Released Formation + A-rank taijutsu—Night Phoenix!]
[Option 3: Stop Duy from keeping the Eight Gates fully open and capture the Seven Ninja Swordsmen alive. Reward: Might Duy favor +100, Might Kai favor +100, Uchiha Mikoto favor +30!]
Night Maple found it absurd.
Night Kai with all Eight Gates open nearly killed even Lord Madara—a god-tier existence, at least S-rank.
So why was the Eight Gates Released Formation rated A-rank?
With these three options, Night Maple didn't hesitate—he chose to stop Duy from continuing to keep the Eight Gates open.
These options were downright deceptive.
Morning Peacock and Night Phoenix are taijutsu specifically paired with the Eight Gates Released Formation, both passed down from Might Duy.
As long as Duy lived, anything from his family's scrolls could be learned—shouldn't be a problem.
But if the man died—there'd be nothing.
Besides, Night Maple felt Might Duy might not be a "simple genin" at all.
Someone with the power to create the Eight Gates Released Formation—an ordinary genin?
There had to be more to it.
As for Mikoto's +30 favor—Night Maple didn't even register it.