Chapter 100: Seven Ninja Swordsmen in the Trap, Time to Close the Net

"Sama-tachi, I’ve spotted their patrol team!" At this moment, Ao had yet to obtain the Byakugan he would later take pride in. He was merely a highly skilled sensory ninja, excelling in reconnaissance. Under Yagura’s command, few could match his perceptive abilities. So… As they neared the coast, he sensed the presence of Konoha’s patrol squad. "Oh? Speak." Hōzuki Mangetsu urged. Upon hearing the report, he was delighted. He had to admit, even though Yagura and he were constantly at odds, the man was undeniably dedicated to Kirigakure. Despite their differences, Yagura had still sent a capable scout with them—an impressively thorough consideration. "Hmm… We can take this route." Hoshigaki Kisame pulled out a map and analyzed it, pinpointing a path. "Based on their patrol intervals, there will be a brief gap we can slip through." Ao, however, looked worried. After examining the route for a moment, he hesitated before saying, "This path avoids detection, but if a fight breaks out, Konoha’s forces can easily cut off our retreat." "We’re already deep into Nagano Mountain. Of course, we’re here for a full fight—who’s thinking about retreating?" Munashi Jinpachi shot him a look as if he were an idiot. As expected… Anyone Yagura sent was bound to have the same cautious nature. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen ignored Ao’s warning. Hōzuki Mangetsu thought for a moment before waving his hand forward. "Keep moving along the planned route." From a distance, Kanda Kyoichi observed them heading straight into the trap, knowing they had taken the bait. Moreover… Judging by the movement of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, he could roughly estimate their sensory range—it was about the same as the maximum reach of the Byakugan. He immediately relayed this information back to their team—there could be no mistakes in this operation! The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had no idea that while they pressed forward, someone was silently trailing them. And as for the seemingly clear path ahead… It was all a setup. Had Yagura been present, he would have sensed something was off. Unfortunately, Yagura was still trying to catch up from behind. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen charged forward without hesitation, heading toward Nagano Mountain. Along the way, they encountered only two patrol ninjas—Shirakumo Hayama and Might Duy. Of course, this was deliberate. But the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had no way of knowing that. "Only two patrols?" Hōzuki Mangetsu frowned. "Judging by their chakra, one is a Jōnin, while the other’s aura is unclear—it’s possible he’s a Taijutsu specialist of Jōnin level." "Two Jōnin…" Hoshigaki Kisame hesitated. Killing just two Jōnin wasn’t exactly satisfying, but he had to admit—Konoha’s defenses were practically airtight. Even this supposed weak spot had two Jōnin on patrol. Ironically, that actually reassured him. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Two Jōnin will do. Let’s take them out first, then adapt as needed." "Agreed." … The Seven Ninja Swordsmen hesitated no longer. They charged in recklessly! As Kyoichi followed them, sensing their movements with chakra detection, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were truly arrogant. To put it bluntly… Even if you stacked all seven of them together, they might barely reach Kage-level combat strength. But in the grand scheme of the ninja world, Kage-level wasn’t invincible—plenty had still met their demise. Kyoichi maintained a careful distance, staying just outside Ao’s sensory range. After trailing them for a while… He suddenly frowned. Someone was behind them? This chakra signature and intensity… Yagura! Without delay, he summoned a slug from Shikkotsu Forest and used its split bodies to relay a message to the other patrol squads. "The Seven Ninja Swordsmen have someone following behind them. Their current distance is… Prepare to intercept." "Understood!" All patrol squads received the alert. Uchiha Yashiro was surprised. He had known Kyoichi’s status was high, but he hadn’t expected him to have a contract with the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest. Meanwhile, Inabi… He glanced at Yashiro and the other Uchiha, feeling a deep sense of disappointment. Even Inabi, after some investigation, knew that Kyoichi was an influential figure in the village. But the Uchiha here seemed completely oblivious, still clinging to their past glories, blind to the changes in the world. They were far too outdated. But Kyoichi had no time to care about their thoughts. Yagura was catching up! That meant… The situation was shifting. They had to end the fight quickly. Kyoichi rushed toward Might Duy’s position. Meanwhile, Might Duy and Shirakumo Hayama were already extremely close to the Seven Swordsmen. The night was shrouded in mist. Kirigakure’s Hiding in Mist Jutsu made them nearly undetectable. But… Hyūga Tō was positioned just behind Shirakumo Hayama. "Hayama-dono, there’s chakra distributed within the mist ahead—it’s likely the Hidden in Mist Jutsu." "Got it…" The Seven Swordsmen’s objective was likely the same as before—to raid the base if an opportunity arose. If not, they would kill a few ninjas and retreat, making a show of strength. However… They failed to realize that guerrilla tactics weren’t just about striking and running—they required precise intelligence. I have chakra detection. I have the Byakugan. And you? You’ve only copied the form, but not the essence. This was a death trap. No wonder Yagura was rushing so desperately to catch up—he must have sensed something was wrong. But unfortunately for him… He didn’t expect the Seven Swordsmen to be running straight toward their doom. Despite his full-speed pursuit, he was still a step behind. And now, they wouldn’t give him a chance to intervene. … "Be careful..." Shirakumo Hayama warned in a low voice. Might Duy gave a slight nod. He was nervous. Though he had been a ninja for over twenty years, most of his missions had involved escort duty and logistical support. This was the first time he was truly stepping into battle against Jōnin-level opponents. But... That nervousness quickly vanished—because the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had already made their move! Mist Body Flicker! Then, a massive blade swung down for the kill. The first to strike was Jūzō Biwa. His assassination target—Might Duy! "Watch out!" Shirakumo Hayama drew his sword to assist, but in that instant, another blade came slashing toward him, its surface gleaming with explosive light. Blastsword: Shibuki. And not just that… A massive battle axe followed right behind it. Two of them were focused on him, while the rest charged straight for Might Duy. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had judged Might Duy as the weaker target, hoping to take him down first. Behind them, Hyūga Tō grew anxious and immediately rushed forward. However... Before he could take more than a few steps, an overwhelming chakra erupted from Might Duy’s body. This is…? The Eight Gates! Hyūga Tō recalled a piece of news. The Third Hokage had recently declassified two forbidden techniques: the Eight Gates and Seven Heavens Breathing Method. And the creator of the Eight Gates… Seemed to be none other than Might Duy! "It’s him!" "Haaah!" The Sixth Gate, Open! In an instant, Might Duy vanished from his original position. Then, his fists rained down like a storm. Boom! Jūzō Biwa reacted swiftly, bringing his blade back just in time to block the punch. However, Might Duy’s sheer strength and speed left him no room to counter. The violent clash echoed, and gradually, sparks erupted from Duy’s fists. Morning Peacock! "Help me!" Terror flashed in Jūzō Biwa’s eyes. What is this technique?! It was unstoppable! He didn’t even need to call for help—Hōzuki Mangetsu had already moved. He stepped in front of Jūzō Biwa, his body liquefying to absorb the attack. Though his form was instantly blasted apart, the abundant water around them allowed him to reform in moments. This was the true strength of the Hōzuki Clan. Might Duy exhaled sharply, sidestepping Mangetsu and lunging straight for Jūzō Biwa again. He didn’t understand tactics. But he knew how to fight— Pick one target and beat them down! And then… Kyoichi arrived! "Help me!" A desperate cry for help echoed from behind. But… In the next instant, the voice was abruptly silenced. Kyoichi, now in Wind Release Chakra Mode, with Body Flicker and Earth Spear active, completely ignored Ao’s kunai and shuriken, closing the distance in a flash. One slash! Light flickered. A shadow lunged forward. Ao—dead! Even in his final moments, Kyoichi didn’t recognize him—only that his face looked somewhat familiar, perhaps similar to someone in the anime… But… It didn’t matter. The dead have no future. Kyoichi sheathed his chakra blade, then gripped both swords tightly. Hoshigaki Kisame formed hand seals. Hair Needle Senbon! Countless strands of hair sharpened into senbon, sweeping toward Kyoichi like a storm. But it was useless. The combination of Earth Spear and Wind Release Chakra Mode deflected every single needle. Even those that hit the ground and embedded themselves failed to break through his defense. "He’s immune to conventional attacks." Without hesitation, Kisame turned and fled—switching to attacking Shirakumo Hayama instead. They couldn’t stop him! "This technique is Earth Spear, right? Leave it to me!" Raiga Kurosuki grinned, bringing his twin blades together. Lightning crackled— A storm of electricity surged forward! However… His lightning was completely negated by Kyoichi’s Wind Release. And then… Iaido – Vacuum Blade! One strike— A razor-thin, ultra-compressed wave of Wind Release chakra cut through everything in its path. It devoured the lightning, tore through the air— And in the next moment… Whoosh! A high-pressure water jet blasted forward, merging with lingering Wind Release chakra, forming a tornado-like water column. "Mangetsu!" "Guh..." Hōzuki Mangetsu cursed. Dammit… They couldn’t handle Might Duy, and now this guy—Kanda Kyoichi—was their new nightmare. His muscles bulged. Hydration Arm Enhancement! Then— Boom! A direct clash of blades. Yet, he couldn’t fully withstand the water jet—his arm was pierced clean through. Thankfully, he was able to liquefy just in time. With Mangetsu occupied, Might Duy had an opening. The Seventh Gate, Open! A memory of Kyoichi’s words flashed through his mind. "The Eight Gates should be paired with special Taijutsu techniques. At the Seventh Gate and beyond, it might even be possible to manipulate air pressure to unleash an even stronger attack." That’s right… Shocking Gate – Daytime Tiger! Kisame instantly flickered forward, swinging Samehada toward the massive air blast. This move had always been unbeatable before. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen’s greatest strength lay in their teamwork. But… This wasn’t a ninjutsu attack. Boom! Samehada was instantly blasted away. Kisame's eyes widened in disbelief— And in the next moment— He was engulfed by the shockwave. The remaining Seven Ninja Swordsmen felt a wave of fear. Especially those who had been preparing to attack Kyoichi. They immediately turned and fled. No one even tried to save Kisame. How could they? If Samehada couldn’t block it, none of them could either. And now, Kisame's body had already been reduced to misty blood vapor. In an instant, the battlefield fell into chaos— No one was paying attention to Kyoichi anymore. And then— Yin Seal, Release! Strength of a Hundred Technique! Followed by— The First Gate, Open! Kyoichi didn’t even need to use Seven Heavens Breathing Method—the buffs he had activated were already overwhelming. In the next second— His figure blurred forward, targeting… Kuriarare Kushimaru. Shirakumo Hayama was struggling to fend off two or three opponents at once. Even though Vacuum Blade had temporarily forced them back, he was constantly at risk of being caught in Nuibari’s steel wire traps. Since that was the case… Let’s kill you first! A cold smirk appeared on Kushimaru’s face. This area was filled with his wire traps—so sharp that not even Earth Spear could… In an instant, Kushimaru’s smile froze. Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The moment his steel wires touched Kyoichi, they were shredded apart by an overwhelming chakra-infused air current. Enhanced Strength Technique. Wind Release Chakra Mode. Though it wasn’t a technique that directly boosted his punches, the principle behind it was the same. The steel wires—annihilated in an instant.