Upon hearing that, a trace of unwillingness flashed across Hyuga Asana's face. At some point, Uchiha Yuan had already gone ahead of her, and she had never hated her own powerlessness more than she did now.
Even though she wanted to stay by Uchiha Yuan's side and face danger with him, she also knew that now was not the time to act selfishly.
If she insisted on following, it wouldn't be facing danger together—it would be dragging him down.
Hyuga Asana hated this feeling. She couldn't resist the main family, couldn't defy the caged bird, and now she didn't even have the strength to stand beside Uchiha Yuan in the face of unknown danger.
"So I still can't do anything at all..." she thought bitterly. "Kagetsu, let's go."
With that, she turned and left.
Yamanaka Kagetsu hesitated for a moment but then followed her.
After watching the two retreat, Shibi Aburame said, "Yuan, if you spot any problems later, don't hesitate. Don't worry about me—just get out of there. Understand?"
"Don't worry, Teacher Shibi. I'm very fond of staying alive."
Shibi nodded and followed the direction indicated by the kikaichū bugs.
After about ten minutes of advancing, Shibi said, "My kikaichū tell me Might Duy is up ahead. Aside from him, there are ten others—probably Might Guy's team, cornered by Mist ninja."
Uchiha Yuan nodded, pretending not to know anything, and hurried ahead with Shibi.
As they got closer, the always composed Shibi's expression changed: "It's the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
This was Uchiha Yuan's first time seeing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. According to the original story, not only were these seven elite Mist ninja, but each of them also wielded a unique sword suited to their personal style. Together, they could destroy a small nation in a single night.
The first generation of the Seven Swordsmen consisted of Jūzō Biwa, Fuguki Suikazan, Kushimaru Kuriarare, Jinpachi Munashi, Raiga Kurosuki, and others.
(Note: The seventh member, the original wielder of the dual swords Hiramekarei, was never named in the original story.)
The second generation included only Zabuza Momochi, Kisame Hoshigaki, Ameyuri Ringo, and Mangetsu Hozuki.
Their swords were all inherited from the previous generation.
Mangetsu Hozuki alone mastered four swords. Besides the dual swords Hiramekarei, he also stored the long blade Nuibari, blunt sword Kabutowari, and explosive sword Shibuki in a scroll capable of summoning them.
Even swords not under his control could be skillfully wielded by him.
As a result, Mangetsu Hozuki was praised within the Mist Village as a prodigy beloved by the swords.
"Yuan, what are you spacing out for? Retreat immediately! I'll hold them off!"
Shibi's shout pulled Uchiha Yuan back to reality.
Before he could speak, Guy and his two teammates came running from behind.
Shibi instinctively rushed forward to shield them.
"Tsk, tsk, what a nice bonus. Judging by that outfit, you must be Shibi Aburame! Killing an elite jonin is more valuable than slaying a hundred genin!" declared a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the wielder of Hiramekarei, who leapt up as the sword in his hands split into two.
Shibi was about to command his kikaichū to defend when suddenly, Might Duy's body began emitting blood-red steam.
The overwhelming pressure startled the wielder of Hiramekarei.
Hesitating briefly, he changed targets and decided to eliminate the man who was making him uneasy.
But the next second, Might Duy vanished.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Heavy thuds echoed from above. Only then did everyone realize—Might Duy was flying.
With his broad knowledge, Shibi immediately understood from Duy's airborne movement and the muffled sounds in the air that he was propelling himself through the air by striking it.
The kind of strength required to move mid-air by striking the atmosphere was beyond Shibi's imagination.
But what happened next shocked him even more. Duy smashed the air again, and with the power carried by that impact, slammed directly into the wielder of Hiramekarei.
The wielder didn't even have time to scream before he was pulverized into a mist of blood.
The battlefield fell instantly silent.
But Duy's attacks didn't stop. He lunged at Jinpachi Munashi next.
Jinpachi had no time to react and was instantly killed as well.
Now, the remaining five swordsmen were completely terrified. Each fled in a different direction.
Uchiha Yuan's Sharingan clearly saw that the flame around Might Duy's heart was diminishing rapidly—he probably only had strength for two more attacks.
In the original story, when facing Uchiha Madara, Might Guy used Evening Elephant six times after opening the Gate of Death and still had enough power left for the almost-finale-level final attack, Night Guy.
But Might Duy could only manage four Evening Elephants.
The power of the Eight Gates is closely tied to the user's physical capacity. Clearly, Might Duy's body was significantly weaker than Guy's.
"Yuan, is Duy going to make it?" Shibi asked.
"Mm. Duy-senpai's body is already at its limit."
"Then let's go. Even though I don't know how many more swordsmen he can take down, it's unlikely he'll be able to kill them all.
As long as one survives, Might Guy and his teammates are still at risk.
I can't guarantee their safety 100%. If they die here, then Might Duy's sacrifice will be in vain." Shibi looked down at Might Guy, whose eyes were red with tears.
"Guy..."
"I understand, Yuan! I'm the one my father swore to protect with his life. My father's youth won't fade—and it will never end!" Guy wiped away his tears and turned to lead the retreat.
(To Be Continued...)