The twisted comment made Genma's trio feel nauseated. Just thinking about such a scene made them want to throw up their dinner from the night before.
"Oh, my Executioner's Blade still has a few nicks. I need to let it drink some blood so the iron can regenerate," Juzo Biwa brandished the greatsword, his tone mocking.
"Regardless, I'm claiming their funeral," Raiga Kurosuki, carrying twin blades, sat cross-legged on a huge rock. His posture was relaxed, full of openings, showing he didn't care about Guy's trio at all.
"You two go easy, leave them alive for me."
"So noisy. They're just three Genin brats. One strike will blow them to bits," Jinpachi Munashi drew the Blastsword: Shibuki. Countless explosive tags covered the blade, and he was eager to try.
"Hey, hey, don't steal my prey," Kushimaru Kuriarare leaped high. The wire connected to the end of Nuibari rapidly lengthened. Moving at high speed, the needle's tip turned into a cold glint, piercing toward Genma's trio.
The needle's tip quickly enlarged in their pupils. The three didn't have time to react, cold sweat trickling down their stiff bodies.
"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"
A green light flashed by, the whirlwind kicking up fallen leaves. Kushimaru Kuriarare felt a massive force transmitted from Nuibari, nearly losing his grip on the sword.
Unable to leverage force in mid-air, the green light spun again in the blink of an eye. Kushimaru Kuriarare was hit hard, his body flying backward and snapping a large tree. Nuibari pierced into the ground, dragging out a furrow.
"Who's there?!" Kushimaru Kuriarare subconsciously cried out, his face under the mask turning gloomy.
The other six rolled their eyes in silence. He already shouted [Konoha Strong Whirlwind], and you're still asking who it is? It's obviously Konoha reinforcements.
A green figure landed in front of Genma's trio. To make it in time, Might Dai had opened six gates. In the state of the Gate of View of the Eight Inner Gates, a massive amount of chakra surged around him. Though he was just an ordinary-looking, greasy middle-aged man, he radiated an unsettling aura.
"Phew, I made it just in time." Seeing his son was safe, Dai felt a sigh of relief in his heart. Initially, he only wanted to rescue his comrades, but he never expected the ones in danger to be his son. He felt immensely grateful.
Looking straight ahead, the enemy's lineup was exceptionally powerful. Dai knew the time to fulfill his ninja way had come. Self-restraint was for this very moment...
"Dad?!" Might Guy was both surprised and happy, but the smile on his face instantly turned to panic. The enemy lineup was too strong; father and son would surely not survive. It was he who had led his father to his death.
"Dad, what are you doing here? You're just a Genin!" Guy's tone contained hidden blame, though it was unclear whether he was blaming his father or himself.
"Don't say anything. Run, quickly. I'll buy some time." Dai put his left hand behind his back and extended his right hand, shielding Genma's trio behind him.
"Run... Dad, they are all Jonin, and they're the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Dad, you can't beat them alone!" Guy grit his teeth hard. He understood his father's plan, but he couldn't bring himself to sacrifice his father for his own survival.
Moreover, the opponents wouldn't give them a chance to escape.
Hearing that Might Dai was only a Genin, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. The chakra fluctuations on him were very unstable; it must be some secret medicine or a secret technique used for forced catalysis, which wouldn't last long.
Konoha wouldn't possibly keep a powerful ninja in the rank of Genin without promoting them, hahaha.
"Hehehehe, such deep father-son affection. Don't worry, I'll sew the two of you together." Hearing he was just a Genin, Kushimaru Kuriarare stood up again, brandishing Nuibari and swearing to avenge his previous humiliation.
"Careful, it's best to wait for his secret technique to end before approaching," Fuguki Suikazan warned. Although the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were proud, they were never arrogant; otherwise, they wouldn't have survived the brutal environment of the Hidden Mist.
"Was I discovered? Then..." Dai clenched both fists, and a vast amount of chakra surged through his body: "Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder, OPEN!"
Boom!
His skin turned crimson, and countless amounts of chakra erupted. Evaporating sweat mixed with chakra to form a blue steam, and the ground beneath his feet instantly shattered.
"We can't let him continue. Stop him now." Fuguki Suikazan immediately ordered. The seven men gripped their respective ninja swords and attacked Dai from all directions.
The blades drew closer. Just as Dai was about to risk his life to open the eighth gate, his eyes caught a glimpse of red staining the sky.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu."
A massive fire dragon descended from the sky, landing between Dai and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Explosions and flames raged through the forest, interrupting the attack of the seven.
Makiya and Shisui landed beside Might Dai, their breathing steady.
"Makiya? Shisui?!" The hearts of Genma's trio were like a roller coaster, going up and down.
They were happy when reinforcements arrived, but when they saw it was Makiya and Shisui, their excitement instantly leveled out.
They knew Makiya and Shisui were strong, but the enemies were world-famous Jonin. The chances of winning were very slim.
"Yo, Genma, Ebisu, and Guy. Why are you in such a mess?" Makiya looked back, smiled, and waved his hand.
"Yo my foot!" Genma grabbed Makiya's hand in a panic. "While we have the chance, let's run!"
"It's too late." Dai's expression was grave. As the flames dissipated, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were unharmed.
"My state won't last much longer. You guys leave quickly. As long as I open the Eight Gates..."
"No need. Shisui and I will handle the enemies." Makiya interrupted Dai's movement, the chakra erupting from his body even more impressive.
Dai opened his mouth but swallowed his next words. What was with this chakra? It was actually stronger than after he opened the seventh gate.
"I've heard the names of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist for a long time. I finally have a chance to see them for myself." Shisui activated his Sharingan and drew his short blade, holding it in front of his chest.
"What powerful chakra! Are these the enemy's reinforcements?!" The wielder of the Twin Sword: Hiramekarei cried out.
He was a spirited young man. As a fresh newcomer, he had no status within the team. Facing the chakra erupting from Makiya, the young man was very nervous. He hugged the Twin Sword: Hiramekarei and shouted loudly: "Prepare for battle immediately!"
"Shut up, kid. Look closely. The enemies are just two brats." Fuguki Suikazan's face was displeased. The spirited young man's overreaction was truly a disgrace to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. He made up his mind that after returning, he would find an opportunity to kill him and find a new owner for Hiramekarei.
"It's Shisui of the Body Flicker, and the other one is... what was his name? It's a hard title to remember." Raiga Kurosuki tilted his head and pretended to think for a moment, his tone relaxed, not taking Makiya or Shisui seriously.
A ninja's battle depends heavily on intelligence. Jiraiya suffered from a lack of information, and even Hashirama Senju was affected by this; if enemies knew Hashirama's information, they wouldn't resist at all, let alone become enemies.
Shisui and Makiya had fought many times on the battlefield, so their combat styles and ninjutsu were well-known to the Mist ninjas. On the other hand, the seven ninja swords each possessed unique abilities, and since they made sure to kill everyone whenever they acted, very little information leaked to other villages.
The massive chakra Makiya possessed might be a bit troublesome, but coincidentally, the Greatsword Samehada loved devouring chakra. Someone like Makiya was perfectly countered.
"Why are they all brats? Is Konoha out of people?"
"Unimportant. These two are also very valuable, worthy of me hacking them to death."
"Enough talk. Do it!"
The seven charged again. They relied on the information gap, wanting to catch Makiya and Shisui off guard. Little did they know that on the way here, Makiya had already told Shisui the abilities of the seven swords one by one. They were the ones at an information disadvantage.
"Uncle Dai, I won't be able to look after much once the fight starts. First, get Guy and the others to a safe place." Makiya gathered his chakra and said, turning his head.
Dai nodded: "Young man, I will join the battle too."
Makiya quickly reminded: "Until the very last moment, there's no need to risk your life."
He was afraid Dai would directly open the eighth gate. While the Eight Inner Gates was powerful, opening the Eighth Gate of Death would grant power beyond a Kage for a short time, but the cost was the same as its name: squeezing every cell in the body until everything burned out. Once used, one dies.
Dai was a person worthy of respect. Living a second life with a powerful cheat, Makiya didn't intend to worry too much. Whatever regrets he had while watching the anime, he would make up for them one by one according to his own will, starting with reversing the death of Might Dai.
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