After collecting a little blood from the five enemies, Hui quietly withdrew from the scene. At the same time, he notified the Konoha front lines, instructing them to come clean up the battlefield.
Regardless of the circumstances, they had just taken down three elite jōnin and two jōnin. Such merit couldn't be claimed by a shadow clone alone.
After some delay, Hui accelerated his pace once more.
One hour later...
Eastern Front, Feng Shui Battlefield.
Within a dense jungle, three Konoha shinobi—Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu—moved cautiously, their senses heightened by the tense atmosphere.
The three were in a sorry state. Since the beginning of Kirigakure's large-scale offensive, it had been at least two hours. Though the chaos of the battlefield meant skirmishes were scattered and erratic, two hours was still ample time for danger. Within that span, the trio had engaged in four separate battles.
The most harrowing one involved an ambush by two squads simultaneously.
Fortunately, those adversaries had only been of average skill—mostly chūnin-level. The rest of the encounters were similar: the enemies lacked overwhelming strength.
But that was precisely the problem.
Encountering only weak foes indicated the presence of something much more dangerous lurking nearby—possibly elite units.
"Yo, found three little brats."
"Hehe, three more, huh? Let's slaughter them quickly and move on."
The sudden voices startled the three Konoha shinobi, who immediately jumped back defensively.
Despite all their caution, someone had managed to sneak up on them undetected!
When they turned, they saw seven individuals standing openly—some on the trees, some on the forest floor. Each of them held a unique sword, their presence exuding menace.
Some rested their blades casually on their shoulders, others stood silently, the sharp glint of steel in their hands.
"Wait… those swords…!" Ebisu's voice trembled as realization hit him. "The… Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
Kai and Genma Shiranui's faces paled.
The name was infamous across the entire shinobi world.
During this war with Kirigakure, the tales of these deadly swordsmen had become well-known even among genin.
Upon hearing Ebisu's identification, all three focused on the distinctive swords wielded by the enemies. Each weapon matched the descriptions of the legendary blades.
Kai immediately stepped forward.
"Go! I'll hold them off. You two must get word to Konoha!"
But neither Genma nor Ebisu retreated. They knew what Kai was worth and wouldn't abandon a comrade.
Suddenly, from behind, another green blur landed beside them.
Wearing the same distinctive green jumpsuit, with thick eyebrows and burning determination in his eyes—Might Dai, Kai's father, had arrived.
"Dad?! What are you doing here!?" Kai exclaimed in disbelief.
Ebisu stared, baffled. "That's… Kai's father? But I thought he was just a genin…"
Indeed, that was the prevailing assumption. If he was merely a genin, how could he help against the legendary Seven Swordsmen?
But before more could be said, Might Dai stepped forward.
"Kai, leave this to me. Run!"
Without waiting for a reply, Dai began opening the Eight Inner Gates.
"Gate of Opening—Open!"
"Gate of Healing—Open!"
"Gate of Life—Open!"
Three gates activated in rapid succession, and green chakra surged around Dai's body like a blazing aura.
Ebisu and Genma stood frozen in shock.
"A genin…? What is this power!?"
Even the Seven Swordsmen were caught off guard by the sudden spike in chakra. Their confident expressions began to falter.
"Hmph… so he was hiding his strength. Doesn't matter," said Loquat Shizuma, the wielder of the Executioner's Blade. "It won't be enough."
Yet Dai wasn't finished.
"Gate of Pain—Open!"
"Gate of Limit—Open!"
With two more gates opened, the green chakra around him thickened, pulsating with raw energy.
Perhaps this explains the choice of green tights, mused Hui's shadow clone from a hidden perch, watching the unfolding drama. Though he couldn't interfere, the clone recorded everything carefully.
With five gates opened, Might Dai's muscles bulged, his body trembling under the strain. But his speed and power were now beyond comprehension.
In a flash, he vanished.
Using pure leg strength and mastery of the body flicker technique, Dai appeared right in front of Loquat Shizuma.
"Leaf Lotus!"
A brutal sequence of strikes landed at blinding speed, and before Shizuma could react, he was caught in the technique's rhythm.
"Boom!"
With a final devastating blow, Shizuma was sent flying, crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact.
"Incredible…"
Genma and Ebisu couldn't believe their eyes.
Even they, seasoned jōnin, had never seen such pure taijutsu.
Only Kai understood the price of this power.
The Eight Gates Formation was a forbidden technique, and opening even five gates could cause permanent damage. Dai was risking his life.
And yet, it wasn't enough.
The remaining six Swordsmen now attacked simultaneously, coordinating perfectly to overwhelm Dai.
He was forced back.
"Five gates… not enough… then one more!"
Roaring with determination, Dai leapt backward and summoned his remaining strength.
"No… we can't let him continue!" growled one of the Swordsmen. They could sense the danger.
"Gate of View—Open!"
More chakra erupted, overflowing around him, now spilling beyond his body and warping the air.
Even Hui's clone could tell—Dai's chakra output had reached ten times the normal jōnin level.
But the cost was enormous.
Dai's skin cracked. Blood seeped from his pores. His muscles twisted under the strain.
"Morning Peacock!"
Dai moved again, faster than before. As he punched, the sheer speed caused air friction, igniting flames around his fists.
Flaming air cannons slammed into Heiji Reiya and Loquat Shizuma, scorching their cloaks and knocking them off balance.
"What the hell!? That's not ninjutsu—it's taijutsu!?"
"This is stronger than Fire Release!"
Dai paused, panting heavily. He wasn't done.
"Gate of Wonder—Open!"
Blue chakra burst from him as his sweat instantly vaporized. The once-green flames had now turned azure.
His body trembled. He was nearly finished.
Dai smiled through the pain. He turned to his son, eyes burning with pride.
"Kai… true victory isn't defeating your enemies—it's protecting what's important, even at the cost of your life!"
"This… is youth!"
Raising a trembling hand, he gave a thumbs-up, revealing his bright white teeth.
Even though his appearance was terrifying, everyone present could feel it—the undying will behind that gesture.
Kai cried silently and returned the thumbs-up.
Genma and Ebisu finally understood. Dai wasn't just buying time—he was offering his life.
"Kai! Look closely! This is what youth truly means!"
Dai now poured everything into his final stand.
"Gate of Death—Open!"
Red chakra exploded from within him. His blood evaporated. His aura turned crimson, burning like a raging inferno.
With this, the Eight Gates Formation was complete.
This final transformation wasn't merely an increase in strength—it was a total rebirth of the body, sacrificing life for power.
"Eight Gates Formation!"
The chakra from Dai spread like a wildfire.
Cracks formed in the earth beneath his feet. His heart—the source of life—was now his final weapon.
"No!!"
Kai screamed in agony, trying to rush forward, but Genma and Ebisu held him back.
"Kai! You must live on and carry his will! He's giving his life for us!" Genma cried, tears streaming down his face.
Though they wept, they understood the mission. They had to survive.
As Kai was dragged away, Might Dai smiled.
The moment his son was gone, he let go of everything.
With a thunderous step, he dashed forward, splitting the ground behind him.