All the ninjas were forming hand seals as they moved. Some used the Water Wall technique, while others employed the Great Waterfall technique to flood the area. However, without exception—none of these could stop the enemy.
Water Wall?
slash!
The sharp wind-style chakra directly cleaved through the Water Wall. In the next moment, another blade came ghosting in.
Clang!
The kiri ninja Jonin blocked the slash, but he vaguely realized that what he had blocked wasn't an actual blade but something resembling an ice spike or an ice blade.
However.
He didn't have time to think too much. After blocking the slash, he quickly retreated, only for another slash to come at him in the next moment.
This time, it struck his shoulder.
"Help me! My arm…"
Too fast!
There was no time to form hand seals.
Moreover.
The most terrifying thing was that he realized his arm seemed to be out of his control.
Not just the injured left hand…
From the chest to the left side, his body was in complete disarray, including his neck, which felt stiff and sluggish.
What kind of technique is this?
He was utterly terrified and could only call for help from his teammates.
But his teammates could do little, as they had no idea where the enemy was. The dense white mist infused with chakra obscured their vision and senses.
They had been using the Body Flicker technique non-stop, and the island wasn't large, but at this moment, it felt like an endless maze.
Regret flooded them all.
If they had known it would come to this, why had they been so reckless?
They should have just retreated!
Seeing the jōnin's dire state, the others wasted no time—
One word.
Run!
They hadn't wanted to abandon allies unless absolutely necessary. But the gap in strength was insurmountable. And this was just Kyōichi acting alone.
Shirakumo Hayama and Might Duy were on the periphery, ready to block their escape and also to intercept any potential reinforcements.
Kyōichi didn't kill the Jonin affected by the Mind Body Disturbance technique. Instead, he punched him toward Asuma and the others.
This punch was also infused with the Mind Body Disturbance effect.
It could be said that this Jonin was essentially finished. If they couldn't even kill a Jonin of this level, then Shisui and the others had no business being on the battlefield.
In the next moment, Kyōichi activated the Body Flicker technique and opened the Eight Gates, transforming into a blur in an instant.
There was no chakra enhancement, only an overwhelming speed that was nearly impossible to react to.
slash!
slash!
Splurt—!
The throat of the last Jonin sprayed blood, while another elite Chunin was slain by Kyōichi's Raijin Sword.
How could they possibly outrun Kyōichi?
After the screams, the mist dispersed.
The surviving Mist ninjas looked around, their eyes filled with terror—three out of the four Jonin were dead, earthen walls had risen to completely surround them, and above, dozens of explosive tags fluttered in the air.
Not far away, the Mist Jonin who had been abandoned earlier was now being besieged by six children.
At the same time.
They sensed two Konoha ninjas ahead, and from their aura, they were at least Jonin-level.
Humiliation!
This was outright mockery!
Blood boiled in their veins. Konoha's message was clear: You're mere stepping stones to temper our genin.
The eleven surviving Chunin exchanged glances.
No need for words—
Let's do it!
These six were just Genin, nothing to fear. They could buy time until Yagura arrived.
Why not?
They turned back and charged toward Might Guy and the others.
Kyōichi leaped onto the wall.
"Is this alright? Should we kill a few more?"
Shirakumo Hayama appeared beside him.
Eleven Chunin, plus the crippled Jonin, made twelve. That was no small number.
"That jōnin's useless. Their real test is the eleven chūnin. I don't expect kills; they just need to hold out for a certain amount of time."
Besides.
He had left slug clones on all six of them.
As long as they weren't dead, they could be saved.
As soon as he finished speaking, the Jonin was beheaded by Shisui's blade.
Kyōichi glanced seaward.
Yagura was almost here.
So.
There wasn't much time left to fight.
Six against eleven—Asuma's palms were sweaty. He gripped a kunai in each hand, the wind-style chakra on the blades flickering uneasily.
Vacuum Blade!
He exchanged a glance with Might Guy.
"Let's go!"
Guy opened the first gate and charged forward in an instant.
Their opponents were all Chunin.
Without going all out, they stood no chance.
Asuma followed.
Guy's speed was incredible.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the lead Chunin—
Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!
One kick.
The enemy was sent flying.
In the next moment.
Shisui appeared with a Body Flicker, forming hand seals and unleashing a Great Fireball technique to cover the area.
From behind, Genma and Ebisu threw a volley of shuriken.
Their targets weren't the ones above but the enemies surrounding Guy. Asuma also moved forward with his kunai, helping to fend off the enemies around Guy.
Kurenai began forming hand seals to cast a genjutsu.
The six of them unconsciously started to coordinate.
"See, their teamwork isn't bad."
Kyōichi smiled.
Weeks patrolling together had forged synergy. At least their opening strike hadn't faltered, eliminating one foe.
Shirakumo Hayama hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
It seemed…
They weren't at a disadvantage for now.
However.
Their opponents were all Chunin, and the difference in strength would soon become apparent.
The Kiri ninjas were experts at bullying the weak.
Facing six children, their confidence surged. Although they had lost one comrade in the surprise attack, it wasn't a big deal—if they couldn't handle Kyōichi, they could at least handle these kids.
The ten remaining Chunin quickly regained their composure and coordination.
The mist began to spread.
"Don't be afraid!"
Kurenai shouted.
She had trapped them with a genjutsu!
The ninjutsu was interrupted.
Shisui instantly understood. He used the Body Flicker technique to appear behind the enemy using the Hidden Mist technique, but just as he was about to strike, the enemy's companions had already reacted.
Damn it!
He resisted the urge to use his Sharingan.
In less than the blink of an eye, the enemy broke free from the genjutsu and even counterattacked, surrounding Shisui.
Shisui had no choice but to use the Bubble Genjutsu to stall.
The next second, one of the enemies appeared beside him with a Body Flicker.
If Shisui hadn't already been planning to retreat, he might have been caught off guard by the enemy's sudden attack.
Cold sweat dripped down Shisui's neck.
Watching Kyōichi slaughter elites had made him underestimate Kirigakure. Facing them now—even chūnin—was a brutal awakening.
After their initial kill, the genin faltered.
As the side effects of Guy's gate-opening began to take effect, they withdrew defensively. Five struggled to hold line while Genma and Ebisu neared collapse…
Kurenai acted.
She formed hand seals and gathered chakra for the Chakra Scalpel!
Then.
Boom!
A punch.
The three enemies who had closed in were instantly forced back. One of them, who was too close, had his arm grazed by Kurenai's punch and the chakra shockwave, dislocating his bones.
However.
Kurenai wasn't unscathed either.
The ligaments in her right hand were strained, temporarily rendering it useless. Fortunately, she had preemptively gathered chakra in her left hand for the Mystical Palm technique, allowing her to heal herself.
But.
The strike gave Guy an opening.
Second Gate: Open!
Stamina surged.
He lunged, herding injured foes together—
Guy didn't know why, but a flash of inspiration had led him to do this.
Kurenai's eyes lit up.
While healing her right hand, she moved closer to Guy.
The Kiri ninjas weren't fools.
Kurenai's move was clearly one of Tsunade's signature techniques. Only an idiot would try to block it.
They made a decisive choice—
Water Wall! Water Prison!
Even the one with the dislocated arm endured the pain. Survival came first.
However.
In the next moment, they saw dozens of Konoha ninjas leaping onto the earthen walls.
A few seconds later.
Twenty, thirty…
A whole crowd of Konoha ninjas stood on the high walls, watching them with amusement.
They were dumbfounded.
Around the same time, Yagura and the other Mist ninjas arrived on the island.
However, they were met by Kyōichi, Might Duy, and Shirakumo Hayama.
Others might not recognize them, but Yagura did.
These were the two mentioned by Hōzuki Mangetsu—weak in chakra but terrifying when using secret techniques, and Kyōichi, whose swordsmanship was formidable.
Even Shirakumo Hayama, the weakest of the three, was a skilled Jonin who could hold off two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen for a short time without being at a disadvantage.
With such strength.
He'd be insane to make the first move.
Yagura took a deep breath and stepped forward, asking, "Kyōichi-san, our Kirigakure has decided to withdraw. Why is Konohagakure pushing us so hard?"
"Withdrawn? You think I'm a fool?"
Kyōichi crouched on the wall.
Yagura forced a bitter smile. "Six of our Seven Ninja Swordsmen have been killed by you. What else can we do but withdraw?"
"No, what I mean is, you think you can fight when you want and stop when you want? Are you still hoping that the Kumo and Iwa will attack from the north, so you can come back and bargain?"
Kyōichi's tone chilled.
Kirigakure's schemes were transparent.
The kid was good-looking and had delusional plans—did he think the Land of Fire was his backyard?
"How could that be? I also want to reach a truce as soon as possible, but the elders in the village don't agree…"
Yagura took a deep breath.
This Kyōichi was as sharp as feared. Worse—what had happened in Konoha? Had the Sandaime fallen?
Do something!
He knew this line of thinking wouldn't fool anyone.
But.
Under the Sandaime's usual policies, Konoha would've compromised to stabilize the northern fronts.
But this?
Pure, reckless aggression.
"In that case, go and hurry them up. If the elders have problems, can't you solve them? If you can't solve the problems, then solve the people causing the problems."
Kyōichi chuckled, then added, "If you hurry, you might still have four of the Seven Swordsmen left. If you're slow, you might have to start from scratch."
"What do you mean? Who's still alive?"
Yagura's heart skipped a beat.
Then, he remembered the Hidden Mist technique Kyōichi had used, and his expression darkened.
No wonder…
He didn't doubt the loyalty of the Kiri ninjas, but the abilities of Konoha's Yamanaka clan were well-known. Anyone involved in intelligence knew how formidable they were.
Whether secrets were leaked or not was likely out of the hands of those three.
"Akebino Jinin, Munashi Jinpachi, and Kuriarare Kushimaru. Alright, you can think about it yourself."
Kyōichi gestured to the trapped Kirigakure forces. "We'll spare these ten. I'll let them go as a gift."