"They're Konoha ninja. Stand down."
The Anbu Captain lowered his hand, signaling his squad to relax their posture as he recognized Tonbo.
"Anbu-sama! Please! My father... he's fighting the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist!"
Guy scrambled forward, desperation in his voice. To him, the porcelain mask represented salvation.
The news hit the squad like a physical blow.
The Seven Swordsmen? Here?
The Anbu Captain stiffened. That was Kiri's elite unit. Seven monsters who could level a small country.
"Talk later. Move now."
Tonbo stepped forward. He formed a seal and tapped Guy, Genma, and Ebisu on their foreheads.
Psycho Mind Transmission: Adrenaline Proxy.
A jolt of energy surged through the three Genin. Their trembling legs steadied. The crushing fatigue of their escape vanished, replaced by an artificial second wind.
"Let's go."
Swish! Swish!
"Boar," the Anbu Captain barked as they leaped through the trees. "Send a hawk to the Hokage immediately. Request Class-S reinforcements. We're dealing with the Seven Swordsmen."
"Yes, sir."
An Anbu agent summoned a hawk, attached a scroll, and sent it rocketing into the sky.
The battlefield was a crater.
It looked like a meteor had struck the forest. Trees were pulverized into splinters. The earth was scorched black. The air smelled of ozone, blood, and burnt flesh.
"DAD!"
Guy spotted the figure lying in the center of the devastation and sprinted forward.
Tonbo followed, his stomach tightening.
Might Duy lay on his back. His green jumpsuit was burned away, leaving only shreds. His skin was charred black, glowing faintly with the dying embers of the Eighth Gate. His eyes were wide open, white and sightless, staring at the sky.
He had burned his very blood to ash.
"Rest in peace, senior," Tonbo whispered, placing a hand on Guy's shaking shoulder.
He felt a profound respect. This man, mocked as the "Eternal Genin," had just performed a feat that most Kage couldn't replicate.
Tonbo didn't activate his mind-reading jutsu. He didn't try to steal the secrets of the Eight Gates. Some things were sacred. And besides, the village council would have his head if he desecrated a hero's corpse.
"Captain! Over here!"
The Anbu squad was scattered around the perimeter, staring at the other bodies.
Four of them.
"Kushimaru Kuriarare, wielder of the Longsword Nuibari."
"Jinpachi Munashi, wielder of the Explosive Sword Shibuki."
"Jinin Akebino, wielder of the Blunt Sword Kabutowari."
The Anbu Captain stared at the corpses, his mask hiding his shock. "He killed four of them? Alone?"
"Who was this man?" an Anbu whispered, looking at the charred body of the Genin with awe.
"Stay sharp!" the Captain ordered, snapping back to professionalism. "There were seven. Three are missing. They might still be nearby."
Tonbo closed his eyes.
Pulse.
He swept the area for a full minute, pushing his sensory net to the limit.
"Clear," Tonbo reported. "No hostile signatures within five kilometers. They ran."
"Agreed," the other sensors confirmed.
"Secure the swords. Clean the site. Leave nothing for the enemy."
"Yes, sir."
"Captain," Mawari Dokuraku stepped forward. "We're the Analysis Team. We have the containment protocols ready. Let us handle the body."
The Anbu Captain nodded.
Tonbo pulled out a sealing scroll marked with the kanji for [Corpse]. He unrolled it next to Duy.
Boar. Tiger. Tiger.
Black runes crawled off the paper like living ink, wrapping around Duy's body. Gently, reverently, the hero was absorbed into the scroll.
Tonbo tied it shut and handed it to the Anbu Captain.
Meanwhile, the Anbu secured the legendary mist swords, strapping the massive weapons to their backs.
Guy watched it all, his eyes burning. He walked up to the Anbu Captain, his back straight despite his grief.
"Anbu-sama! Please let me join the Anbu!"
The Captain looked down at the boy. "To join Anbu, you must be a Chunin and apply to the Hokage. I cannot make that decision."
But behind his mask, the Captain was smiling. The son of a man who killed four Swordsmen? If I were the Hokage, I'd recruit you today.
Tonbo sighed. "Guy, don't waste their time. We need to get these bodies back to the village. We can talk about your career later. This place isn't safe."
"Yes!" Guy shouted, his voice cracking but firm. "Let's go!"
"By the way," Tonbo said as they raced back toward Konoha. "The jutsu I used on you earlier. When we get back, you need to sleep for twenty-four hours. Do not train. Do not move."
"Eh?" Ebisu adjusted his glasses, looking nervous. "What jutsu? Are there side effects?"
Genma frowned, analyzing his own body. "It wasn't medical ninjutsu. It wasn't a soldier pill. Was it... Genjutsu?"
"Bingo," Tonbo grinned. "As expected of Genma the Calm."
"It's a form of self-hypnosis. Psycho Mind Transmission: Placebo Override."
"I tricked your brain into ignoring the fatigue signals from your muscles. Your body thinks it has energy, so it's squeezing every last drop of glycogen from your cells. You're running on fumes."
"If you train after this, you might actually die from exhaustion."
Ebisu turned pale.
"I see!" Guy shouted, tears streaming down his face again. "A youthful technique for a youthful sprint! I will rest, and then I will train twice as hard for my father!"
Tonbo watched him.
Guy is smarter than people give him credit for, Tonbo thought. He's loud, but he's emotionally intelligent. He knows exactly what his teammates need to hear to stop worrying about him.
He was a man of passion, but also of deep, meticulous care.
They met the reinforcement squad halfway. Reports were filed. Debriefings were held.
Tonbo didn't get to analyze the bodies of the Swordsmen. That was S-class classified material, reserved for the highest levels of Intel.
He didn't mind.
He clocked out, walked through the darkening streets, and headed straight for the one place that made sense.
"Welcome!"
"One large Miso Ramen with extra pork," Tonbo ordered, sliding onto the stool.
Ayame smiled at him, noticing the exhaustion in his posture. She didn't ask about the bandages or the smell of smoke. She just placed a steaming bowl in front of him.
"You look like you had a long day, Tonbo-kun."
"Yeah," Tonbo said, breaking his chopsticks. "But the war is almost over."
Slurp.
The noodles tasted like life.