Ninja wars were never straightforward death matches. They were hunts conducted in shadow.
Squads interweaving. Covert reconnaissance. Assassinations in the dark.
The true killing intent was always hidden from sight.
A four-man Konoha squad pushed deep into the Hidden Mist's flank, searching for enemy supply lines. The Chunin captain's expression remained tense, not daring to relax for even a moment.
Without warning, thick fog swept in from nowhere.
All four stiffened. They instantly gathered together and began retreating rapidly.
But the mist spread faster, swallowing them completely in the blink of an eye.
High in the canopy above, Zenji stood motionless. Blue light emanated from his eyes, his gaze easily penetrating the layers of white.
He watched the sudden slaughter between Hidden Mist and Konoha ninjas unfold below, thinking coldly: Live experimental subjects are still more useful.
His right hand formed a seal. He waved it forward.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One by one, the ninjas locked in chaotic combat were enveloped by transparent bubble barriers—silently imprisoned.
One man's expression twisted in horror as he swung his blade wildly, but not even a whisper of sound escaped. Another decisively activated a water technique, only to trap himself inside and drown.
Zenji raised his hand casually. All the barriers faded from visibility.
Without chakra to sustain it, the battlefield mist gradually dispersed, leaving only eerie silence.
Not long after, seven imposing figures stepped through the forest.
Each carried a different blade. The chakra radiating from their bodies projected immense presence.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. A name that made the entire shinobi world tremble.
Suikazan Fuguki narrowed his eyes, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. "A battle just occurred here," he muttered gruffly, "yet they vanished completely."
"Sounds like an interesting guy showed up." Biwa Juzo licked his blade, eyes cruel and eager. "I'm in the mood for a hunt."
The group scouted the area quickly but found no trace of chakra.
"Don't waste time. Mission comes first."
Seven figures moved as one, vanishing into the distance. Their objective: slaughter Konoha squads and secure the rear defense line.
From beginning to end, not one of them noticed the figure standing motionless in the canopy's shadow.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist..."
Zenji's eyes flickered with interest as a crucial plotline surfaced in his memory.
During the Third Shinobi World War, Might Duy—a mere Genin—had opened the Eight Inner Gates and killed four of the Seven Swordsmen.
The Eight Inner Gates Formation.
His thoughts turned to the concept of Heavenly Restriction.
The Severing Boundary Barrier spread silently around him. His entire form became an invisible shadow as he followed without a sound.
On the other side of the forest.
Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu—three youths—darted through the trees at full speed.
"I feel like something's very wrong." Genma chewed on a grass stalk, expression grim.
Before he could finish, all three froze simultaneously.
"We're surrounded."
In the forest ahead, seven figures waited—some sitting, some standing. Cold eyes fixed on the three young ninja.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?!"
"It's over. There's no way the three of us can escape!"
Their faces went deathly pale. On their very first solo mission, they'd stumbled into legends.
"Even brats from other villages recognize us." Biwa Juzo sneered, stroking the Kubikiribocho's massive blade. "Looks like we've become celebrities. The sword's been chipped lately—time to let it drink."
He started forward—
An explosion of chakra erupted from the side. Violent. Overwhelming.
"I made it in time!"
Might Duy dropped from above, landing firmly between the Swordsmen and the three youths.
"Dad?!" Guy's eyes went wide. "You're just a Genin! Why are you here?!"
"Don't ask. Run! I'll hold them off!"
"But they're the Seven Ninja Swordsmen! How could you alone—"
"Don't forget." Duy's voice was calm. He smiled, turning his head to look at his son. One thumb rose in the air.
"I have the Eight Inner Gates."
"Go. Now!"
Tears welled in Guy's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he turned and sprinted. Genma and Ebisu followed close behind.
"Trying to leave?" Kuriarare Kushimaru shot forward, his needle-like blade piercing through the air. "Did anyone give you permission?!"
In that instant—
BOOM.
Blood-red chakra erupted like a volcano. The shockwave distorted the very air.
Eight Inner Gates. Gate of Death.
Open.
Might Duy became a crimson thunderbolt. His fist shot forward.
CRACK.
Kushimaru didn't even have time to scream. His entire body rocketed sideways like a cannonball, smashing through trees, shattering boulders.
He finally stopped against a massive rock formation—chest caved in, blood streaming from every orifice, eyes bulging lifelessly.
Dead beyond dead.
The remaining six Swordsmen's expressions twisted with shock.
Fuguki didn't hesitate. He turned and fled.
One of Duy's arms had already been mangled by the technique's recoil, yet he pressed forward relentlessly. Wherever that blood-red chakra passed, nothing could stop him.
Akebino Jinin. Munashi Jinpachi. Others fell one after another.
It wasn't until all four limbs dripped with blood that Might Duy finally stopped. The crimson chakra dimmed. His breath grew faint. Life rapidly faded.
"Guy... should be safe now..."
His vision blurred. Just before darkness claimed him completely, a hand settled gently on his shoulder.
Hum.
The Severing Boundary Barrier materialized instantly, isolating this region from the world.
Zenji stood quietly behind Might Duy, palm pressed against his nearly charred shoulder.
Blue-white chakra brimming with vitality flared to life. The ruined body began regenerating.
"Already dead?" Zenji frowned slightly, then relaxed.
The connection between soul and body had been completely severed—but the soul hadn't departed yet.
Seizing the moment, purple-blue light emanated from his hand. Information from the lingering soul flooded his mind.
The cultivation principles of the Eight Inner Gates. Meridian routes. Every scrap of relevant knowledge was recorded.
He glanced at the fully restored corpse and nodded faintly.
"No soul? Fine. I'll simply treat this as acquiring excellent material."
The pull drawing the soul away grew heavier. Zenji withdrew the purple-blue light.
Completely disconnected from its body, the soul drifted upward under that inexorable force—and vanished.
The Pure Land?
That level of power wasn't something Zenji could contend with yet. He turned away and dismissed it from his thoughts.
Raising his hand, he swept it downward.
Might Duy's corpse. The seven blood-stained ninja swords. The bodies of the fallen Swordsmen.
All were enveloped by bubble barriers and rose into the air.
The next instant, Zenji vanished.
Moments later, the Hidden Mist's main force arrived in a rush.
The scene was devastation—yet they couldn't find a single ninja sword or a single intact corpse.
The commanding ninja's face went ashen. His voice erupted in a roar.
"Send word to the village immediately! Use the summoning scrolls to recall the seven swords with everything we have!"
High above the dense forest, Zenji walked on air. The barrier around him concealed all traces.
With so many materials acquired, ideas churned through his mind.
He fixed his direction and flew rapidly toward the valley.
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Good Reviews/Ratings are greatly appreciated
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!