Up ahead in the forest—
Uchiha Mikoto was carrying one unconscious student.
Haruno Akira carried two more.
All three were from the graduating class.
Behind them, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu moved quickly through the trees.
Suddenly—
All of them stopped.
Seven figures blocked the path ahead.
Each carried a strange, brutal-looking weapon.
The Mist ninja who had been chasing them dropped to one knee.
"Lords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen! They're Konoha shinobi infiltrating our territory. They appear to be searching for something!"
One of the Swordsmen laughed crudely.
"Good. Capture them."
"There's even a pretty Konoha kunoichi."
"We like that."
"Hey, it's my turn first!"
"Bullshit, I haven't had a turn in weeks!"
Haruno Akira's face turned pale.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist…"
The elite of Kirigakure.
Each one notorious.
Each drenched in blood.
Fuguki Suikazan.Zabuza Momochi.Kushimaru Kuriarare.Jinin Akebino.Jinpachi Munashi.Raiga Kurosuki.Mangetsu Hōzuki.
All seven.
Standing there.
Mikoto's fingers trembled.
Those eyes…
They looked at her like prey.
"Weren't they supposed to be lured away?" she whispered.
Haruno Akira swallowed.
"Something must've gone wrong."
"Wrong?!" one of the swordsmen laughed. "You're all dead."
Mikoto suddenly remembered.
The talisman.
Kazuki had given her one before they split up.
Her hand slipped into her pocket.
Gripped it tightly.
Behind her, the freshly graduated genin were shaking.
"We're surrounded…"
"We can't escape…"
The tall masked swordsman stepped forward.
"Didn't expect us to be so famous."
"Even Konoha brats know our name."
"My blade's getting rusty."
"It needs blood."
Mikoto stepped in front of her students.
Heart pounding.
What do we do?
Kazuki-kun… where are you?
Suddenly—
A green blur appeared.
"I finally caught up!"
Everyone turned.
Mikoto's eyes lit up—
But froze.
It wasn't Kazuki.
It was a man in green.
Thick eyebrows.
Strange bowl-cut hair.
Glowing with intense aura.
"Dad?!" Might Guy shouted. "Why are you here?!"
Everyone blinked.
Father?
The newcomer was Might Duy.
An unremarkable genin—
Or so most believed.
Duy stepped forward calmly.
"You all retreat."
"We'll buy time."
Guy's eyes widened.
"Dad! They're jonin! The Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
"You can't stop them!"
Duy smiled gently.
"Guy… I still have the Eight Gates."
Guy's voice trembled.
"But if you do that…"
Duy gave a thumbs-up.
"That is self-sacrifice."
"And this… is the time to protect what matters most."
In Guy's mind echoed his father's words:
"True victory isn't defeating the strong."
"It's protecting what's precious."
The Seven Swordsmen burst into laughter.
"Look at this clown."
"Your haircut alone deserves execution."
"Taijutsu specialist, huh?"
"Go on. Punch me."
Duy's expression hardened.
"If I punch you…"
"You will die."
The swordsman roared with laughter.
"You hear that?!"
"If you can't kill me, I'll kill your son!"
Duy turned his back briefly.
Signaled Mikoto to go.
Then—
The air shifted.
Steam rose.
Not rain—
Evaporation.
His body temperature spiked violently.
His skin turned red.
"Eight Gates…"
"Open!"
One by one—
Open Gate.Gate of Healing.Gate of Life.Gate of Pain.Gate of Limit.Gate of View.Gate of Wonder.Gate of Death.
"Eight Gates Formation!"
"Gate of Death—OPEN!"
The ground cracked.
Chakra erupted like a volcanic blast.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
Fuguki Suikazan shouted,
"Kushimaru! Retreat!"
Too late.
A red blur.
A single punch.
BOOM.
Kushimaru exploded.
Blood and fragments scattered everywhere.
Silence.
Both sides were stunned.
A genin—
One-shot a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
Guy cried silently.
Dad was right.
The Eight Gates… could kill them.
Seven became six.
The remaining swordsmen staggered back.
For the first time—
Fear.
Suddenly—
Another voice from the forest.
"Lord Fuguki! Help—!"
Kisame burst from the trees—
And froze.
A red demon stood before him.
Before he could react—
He was kicked away like trash.
His body smashed through multiple trees and disappeared.
At that moment—
Kazuki and Rin arrived.
They witnessed the scene.
Kazuki's eyes widened slightly.
Might Duy.
The man who slaughtered the Seven.
If Kisame died here—
The future would change dramatically.
No Akatsuki Kisame.
No pairing with Itachi.
Major timeline deviation.
Then—
The system chimed.
[Option 1: Join Might Duy and eliminate all Seven Ninja Swordsmen.]Reward: A-Rank Ninjutsu — Eight Gates Formation + A-Rank Taijutsu: Morning Peacock.
[Option 2: Observe the peak brilliance of this era. After Duy falls, eliminate survivors.]Reward: A-Rank Ninjutsu — Eight Gates Formation + A-Rank Taijutsu: Night Phoenix.
[Option 3: Stop Duy from fully opening the Eighth Gate and preserve the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.]Reward: +100 Favor (Might Duy), +100 Favor (Might Guy), +30 Favor (Uchiha Mikoto).
Kazuki frowned.
Eight Gates… A-Rank?
That's nonsense.
With full mastery, it's god-tier.
The rewards were bait.
Morning Peacock and Night Phoenix?
Duy was right here.
He could learn directly.
Dead teachers teach nothing.
Without hesitation—
Kazuki chose to stop Duy.
Favor points didn't matter.
But Duy?
A man capable of creating the Eight Gates Formation…
There was more to him.
Much more.
And Kazuki intended to find out.